There’s a certain type of song that’s hard to rate on this blog. It’s a piece of music that sounds objectively good but would never come close to being part of my own playlists. Such was the case with Miyeon’s pre-release Reno. I appreciated the direction she went with the track even if the music … Continue reading
Even as a fan who’s watched &TEAM gradually rise to “million sellers” in Japan, I was shocked by how well their Korean debut sold. It’s a solid album, and title track Back To Life has grown on me more with each day. The guys are wasting no time keeping the hype train going with a … Continue reading
It’s been over three years since we last heard new music from Winner’s Kang Seung Yoon. During that hiatus, he’s fulfilled his military service and taken time crafting a new full-length album. The fruits of his labor have finally arrived today in the form of new title track Me (美). Though I haven’t fallen for … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. In 2025, I thought I’d try something new and add a weekly feature to supplement my monthly round-up. Each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And … 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. October 2025 Overall Thoughts October started slow as Chuseok celebrations caused a week or so of … Continue reading
It’s funny to look back at old reviews of Xdinary Heroes’ work on this blog. I really hated some of their early material, but with time the group has developed stronger songs and found better ways to deploy their humor. Recent single ICU is probably my favorite track they’ve ever promoted, and the accompanying album … Continue reading
Since their rebranding as DKZ in 2022, the artists formerly known as Dongkiz have released a series of songs I barely remember. Somehow, they even managed to make a Sweetune-produced b-side completely forgettable. I fear their quirkiness dissipated with the “dong.” Okay… maybe don’t quote me on that last line… At any rate, DKZ are … Continue reading
I’ve got a serious bone to pick with xikers’ management. Time and time again, they’ve got the group releasing a so-so title track when there are several banger b-sides begging to be promoted instead. Sometimes, they’ll give one of these b-sides follow-up promotion, but often they’re left solely in the hands of fans who buy … Continue reading
More and more with K-pop, we’re seeing a rift form between acts who primarily target Asian markets and those making a bigger push toward Western audiences. Ideally, artists would simply release great music that appeals to everyone, but it’s not uncommon for a performer to release English-language material and tour it extensively in the States. … Continue reading
A couple of weeks ago, Lucy released an OST that captured my attention. I love when the group colors slightly outside genre lines, bringing in electronic elements to compliment their existing tone. For a few years now, the band’s work has threatened to congeal into one single sound, struggling to find the killer melodies that … Continue reading
It’s a day of boy group dancefloor thumpers, with both 82MAJOR and Close Your Eyes releasing talk-heavy dance tracks. 82MAJOR are more closely associated with hip-hop, so while this transformation makes sense it’s still a notable change in production style. Trophy (트로피) is still very much a hip-hop track but with added club bounce. This … Continue reading
Choerry’s Pressure completes the run of Odd Eye Circle solo tracks that began with Kim Lip’s Can You Entertain. These songs have existed in similar sonic territory — vaguely nostalgic but mostly smooth and stylish. However, the music has become less interesting with each track and Pressure is the least notable of the bunch. While … Continue reading
Over the past seven months, I’ve grown to love Close Your Eyes for their distinct sound and fantastic creative direction. This year’s male rookie groups have done a great job carving out their own niche in the market and although Close Your Eyes have played within different genres their vocal color and quirkiness has made … Continue reading
Boy group WEi have earned some added clout this year thanks to their youngest member Junseo making it through the final of Boys II Planet and into the debuting group Alpha Drive One. Of course, this doesn’t automatically help the rest of WEi since that means he and his popularity are working elsewhere for the … Continue reading
i-dle’s Miyeon is gearing up for her second mini album next month, and like so many before her she’s dropped a pre-release first. Reno pairs her with indie singer-songwriter Colde for a slow-burn slice of musical drama that feels like a performance piece straight from a movie. Opening with a dramatic spoken-word introduction, Reno unfurls … Continue reading
Though JYP Entertainment’s output had a rough start this year, the agency has been unfurling hit after hit over the past few months. They’re set to finish 2025 strong and that extends to global (but mostly K-pop so far) group NEXZ. I haven’t been a fan of most of their music and new single Beat-Boxer … Continue reading
Tempest have pinballed between sounds and concepts, often making hard swerves from light to dark and back again. Their best music succeeds on memorable melodies and unflagging energy. New single In The Dark jettisons the latter to place all its attention on the former. Sometimes I want to be a fly on the wall in … Continue reading
Since their debut in late 2022, &TEAM have developed a strong Japanese discography. All of those singles have also been recorded and performed in Korean, making it feel like they’ve already made a K-pop debut. But with the release of their first original Korean album, the guys have officially branched out to a new market. … Continue reading
The era of Golden Child’s music dominating this blog came to an abrupt end when the group went on an indefinite hiatus in 2024 as most members left Woollim Entertainment. Since then, the agency has been largely inactive. Joochan’s new solo track Rise & Shine is the rare sign of life from Woollim — a … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. In 2025, I thought I’d try something new and add a weekly feature to supplement my monthly round-up. Each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 