When last we heard from LE SSERAFIM, they urged us to “act like an angel and dress like crazy.” The actual song that accompanied these lyrics wasn’t nearly as boundary-pushing as its sentiment expressed, but I appreciate how the group tried to bring some campy fun to the table. New title track Hot pulls things … Continue reading
Just like last year, I wanted to share my top twenty most-viewed posts for 2024. I find this list an interesting gauge of who is popular (at least among netizens who read reviews). The most obvious takeaway from this list is the utter dominance of girl groups. Seriously, there’s only one boy group in the … Continue reading
As usual, SBS’s year-end festival falls on Christmas day. Because of this, the themes have been getting more and more holiday-focused with each passing year. Everyone and their mother performed a “Christmas version” of their songs tonight, but you don’t get to call something a “Christmas version” just because you throw sleigh bells on the … Continue reading
Full disclosure: I’m not a dancer nor choreographer, and dance isn’t necessarily what I flock to K-pop for. Because of that, my choices tend to veer toward more iconic routines that are fun to watch rather than technically challenging or impressive formations. I like to believe the two can co-exist, but I do prefer fun … Continue reading
In connection with my desire to fully keep up with the J-pop industry, I’m planning to do a weekly round-up of any new releases that have caught my ear. Some of these may have been covered on the blog already, but my hope is that this will become a one-stop shop for anyone interested in … Continue reading
It’s that time of year again! While December is filled with year-end countdowns, I like to take a look back at some of K-pop’s biggest agencies during November. Before reading (especially if you’re new to the blog), it’s helpful to know that my grading focuses most heavily on music releases and how comebacks are managed … Continue reading
From the moment they kicked their legs in the air to open Fearless‘s compelling choreo, LE SSERAFIM have displayed tons of potential and even more style. But too often, the group has been saddled with ultra-trendy material that feels like an echo of Western pop sounds rather than a guiding light forward. With new single … Continue reading
Rather than contain my “Risers and Fallers” feature to a single post in June, I’m going to share a bite-sized version at the end of each month. This will let me account for more songs and make a nice lead-in to the monthly round-up post. I anticipate most of these ratings adjustments will be negligible: … Continue reading
Rather than lean harder into their own sound, LE SSERAFIM’s newest album feels like a bid to become another NewJeans. The problem is, HYBE already has a NewJeans and they’d do much better to diversify the style of the roster. It’s easy to see why a track like Easy was chosen for promotion, and its … Continue reading
Though it received a muted response around these parts, LE SSERAFIM’s Overwatch single Perfect Night went on to become a big hit for the group. Someone at Source Music was clearly paying attention, as new title track Easy does its best to replicate that sound. This time, the girls have jettisoned the bombastic turns of … Continue reading
Every year at this time, I like to look back at which of my posts received the most views. If nothing else, it’s a good gauge of artist popularity. I know there are readers who take a look at everything I post, but there are also a lot of people who come to the blog … Continue reading
2023 was a weird year for K-pop choreography. There didn’t seem to be too many iconic point moves, even as TikTok challenges continue to necessitate catchy, easy-to-replicate routines. As usual, this is not a ranking of the most technically impressive performances of the year. Instead, here are ten routines that caught my eye in 2023. … Continue reading
One of the unique features of The Bias List is its “buried treasure” write-ups. I try my hardest to comb through every major K-pop album released each year and when a song catches my ear I highlight it on the blog. This countdown is an encapsulation of those write-ups, ranking my top 40 b-sides and … Continue reading
In connection with my desire to fully keep up with the J-pop industry, I’m planning to do a weekly round-up of any new releases that have caught my ear. Some of these may have been covered on the blog already, but my hope is that this will become a one-stop shop for anyone interested in … Continue reading
Before the end-of-year countdowns next month, I like to take a look at many of K-pop’s biggest agencies and see how their year went. Obviously, 2023 is not over yet so any upcoming changes to an agency’s grade will be reflected next year. Following SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment and JYP Entertainment‘s analysis, it’s time for … Continue reading
Early visual teasers of LE SSERAFIM’s special Overwatch 2 single Perfect Night had me excited. Their 80’s aesthetic seemed to portend a concept change — maybe a successor to fellow retro girl group tracks La Di Da or I Can’t Stop Me? I mean, isn’t it time the HYBE girls turned up the synths and … Continue reading
In connection with my desire to fully keep up with the J-pop industry, I’m planning to do a weekly round-up of any new releases that have caught my ear. Some of these may have been covered on the blog already, but my hope is that this will become a one-stop shop for anyone interested in … Continue reading
In connection with my desire to fully keep up with the J-pop industry, I’m planning to do a weekly round-up of any new releases that have caught my ear. Some of these may have been covered on the blog already, but my hope is that this will become a one-stop shop for anyone interested in … 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. May 2023 Overall Thoughts We’re not quite to the halfway point of the calendar year, so … Continue reading
Upon the release of LE SSERAFIM’s most recent album, the track Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard’s Wife seemed to spark a lot of online discussion. So, I’m not surprised it’s been given a music video and follow-up promotions. While Unforgiven attacks with its central catchphrase, Eve maintains the stylish — almost monotone — air of … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 