As members are entering the military one by one, Seventeen has smartly reconfigured its promotions into units. This isn’t unique for the group. Their structure is designed as three teams combining into one larger group and they often feature unit and solo tracks on their albums. Vocal led ballads are also common for the group, … Continue reading
Recently, idol groups spawned by survival series have subverted corporate expectations and developed signature sounds that give them a unique identity in the K-pop market. AHOF, Close Your Eyes and NouerA all come to mind as great examples. However, CJ ENM and their label WakeOne Entertainment are as corporate as it gets and watching season … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. But each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And even more than that, I’ll attempt to rank them from my least-to-most-liked. I invite you to share … Continue reading
A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. Sometimes, b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. It’s been a very sleepy start … Continue reading
In a way, Young Posse were ahead of their time. There’s this garish brand of “quirky” that’s taken over K-pop lately. Think Katseye’s Gnarly or LE SSERAFIM’s Spaghetti. Some of these work better than others (I happen to love the latter), but they share the same approach of placing meme culture ahead of anything else. … Continue reading
We’re on a steady march to ZEROBASEONE’s inevitable dissolvement/re-configuration. With their contract extended a scant few months, they’ve planned a final concert and special album set for release early next month. Leading up to that project, the group has promised two pre-releases. Running To Future is the first of these tasters and already feels like … Continue reading
Unless I’m forgetting someone, we have our first debut of 2026 with project group Latency. However, this is more like a re-debut for most members. This band consists of familiar faces (Loossemble’s Hyunjin and cignature’s Jeewon, Semi and Haeun), reinventing idols as rockers. Today, we get the first taste of their music via digital single … Continue reading
Boy group Waker impressed me very early in 2024 with their debut Atlantis. Sadly, they haven’t had many more chances to impress, with one follow-up in mid-2024 and not a single title track last year. Those of us who have been around K-pop for long enough know how this story of underfunded rookie groups often … Continue reading
Some veteran K-pop groups take agonizingly long breaks and return with grand comebacks, while others simply chug along year after year. CNBLUE have definitely had their hiatuses, but it’s never felt like they’ve been gone for long. In various configurations, they’ve released music since 2009, making them one of the industry’s longest-running acts. The guys … Continue reading
Several years after debuting as a soloist, former-LOONA member and actress/variety star Chuu has released her first full album. Full albums are meaningful for K-pop artists for a number of reasons, allowing them to craft a larger body of work and usually proving some level of longevity. Title track XO, My Cyberlove gives listeners the … Continue reading
K-pop’s title tracks might gain most of listeners’ attention, but many album tracks are worth equal spotlight. I call these “buried treasures.” Beyond this, K-pop’s albums deliver thousands of additional tracks that settle for a more limited audience. It’s these songs that will become a part of my “battle of the b-sides” feature. In this … Continue reading
H1-KEY quietly released one of my favorite songs and albums of last year with their summery Lovestruck EP. Now, they’re back to celebrate their anniversary with a very different sound. Not Like A Movie (세상은 영화 같지 않더라) takes advantage of their strong vocals but doesn’t do much else that feels notable. Mid-tempo tracks like … Continue reading
Monsta X’s Joohoney has just released his second mini album, though he’s also put out a handful of mixtapes over the years. This follows digital pre-release Push, which failed to capture attention despite a notable team-up with IVE’s Rei. Now, he’s back with an even more notable feature — legendary boxer Muhammad Ali in the … Continue reading
New boy group project idntt got a lot of attention last year, but I struggled to hear anything in their music that set them apart from their peers. Still, they have some notable producers attached to their songs and their large, ever-shifting configuration is interesting. However, I head into any song called “Pretty Boy Swag” … Continue reading
Writing reviews for established, beloved acts has been dicey of late. Very few of them seek to do anything different or groundbreaking, so instead we usually get material that fits within their general sound but feels like a much lesser, more inconsequential version of it. Apink have released anniversary singles every year, but they haven’t … Continue reading
Just like last year, I wanted to share my top twenty most-viewed posts for 2025. I find this list an interesting gauge of which acts are popular or buzzy at the moment (at least among netizens who read reviews). There aren’t many surprises, here. The list is dominated by a couple of the most popular … Continue reading
Happy 2026! As we transition to a new year, it’s Bias List tradition to unveil some wishes I have for K-pop going forward. I tend to go for broke with my resolutions, which more often than not leads to disappointment. But if you’re going to dream, why not dream big? I usually stop at ten … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I look back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists. I take my own ratings into account, but there’s a bit of wiggle room as certain songs tend to grow or fade. December 2025 Overall Thoughts Well… I hate to say it but there are no “top three … Continue reading
It’s the last year-end festival of 2025! MBC’s Gayo Daejejeon is synonymous with the new year, as it also acts as a new year’s eve celebration (except for last year when it was postponed). As I always say, this adds a welcome sense of ceremony to the proceedings and makes it a special I look … Continue reading
I’ll be making my 2026 K-pop resolutions tomorrow, but before that I like to look back at my resolutions for last year and see if 2025 measured up to expectations. In short, I probably need to be less optimistic with these wishes… 1. Heighten the melody “Hmm… this resolution looks pretty familiar. It’s become my … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 