Well… 2020 was certainly different, wasn’t it? It was a year where the industry couldn’t function as usual, but that didn’t stop K-pop from churning out more music than ever. It was a year of unprecedented international success and rising album sales — just as most other music markets struggled to move physical product. It … Continue reading
Tag Archives: nct u
Recapping and Ranking the Ten Best Performances from the 2020 MAMA Awards
The theme of this year’s MAMA Awards was “New-topia,” which sounds a bit chilling in a weird way. But, things were definitely new here. This was unlike any MAMA yet, lacking a live audience. But even though everything was accomplished on soundstages, I think the producers did a great job making this still feel like … Continue reading
The Top Three K-Pop Songs of November 2020
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. November 2020 Overall Thoughts November was absolutely packed with releases, and though only one title track … Continue reading
Song Review: NCT U – Work It
NCT is absolutely stuffed with talent and personality. But, that only goes so far without strong songs to harness it. On the whole, both parts of the NCT Resonance album remind me of a b-side collection. They’re not so common anymore, but artists used to cobble together unreleased material and outtakes into a special album … Continue reading
Song Review: NCT U – 90’s Love
The announcement of NCT’s 23-member Resonance project sparked a lot of excitement, and much of that stemmed from how awesome their 2018 Empathy album was. Songs like Baby Don’t Stop and Boss are still in heavy rotation, and have become pillars of NCT’s discography. In comparison, Resonance hasn’t brought the same level of focus or … Continue reading
The Top Three K-Pop Songs of October 2020
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 2020 Overall Thoughts After a fantastic September, October was another strong month. And, it was … Continue reading
Song Review: NCT U – From Home
To this day, my absolute favorite NCT track remains 2016’s Without You. That song spotlighted vocalists Doyoung, Taeil and Jaehyun without resorting to the kind of piano ballad usually reserved for vocal-driven tracks. In my mind, there are far more interesting ways to showcase your vocalists than a traditional ballad. Anthemic synth-rock is only one … Continue reading
Song Review: NCT U – Make A Wish (Birthday Song)
Fans have barely had a chance to breathe between SM Entertainment’s SuperM album and this new, ambitious NCT project. Resonance brings together all twenty-one members, plus two new faces, for part one of a compilation album that mixes and matches the guys into various units. Resonance will be promoted by two title tracks, and the … Continue reading
Song Review: NCT U – Misfit
Like they did back in the winter of 2018, NCT is making full use of their malleable roster for a new 2020 project. Unlike 2018, which saw multiple title tracks unveiled over the course of several weeks, this album’s promotion seems to be occurring in a tighter timeframe. But, NCT has exploded in popularity over … Continue reading
The 100 Best K-Pop Songs of All-Time: 30-21
In celebration of The Bias List’s fifth year anniversary, I’ve embarked on my most ambitious project yet. After years of hemming and hawing, I’ve finally ranked what I consider to be the best 100 songs in K-pop. There will never be a definitive list of this nature, because it’s impossible to rank something that’s inherently … Continue reading
The Bias List’s LEGENDARY SONGS Inauguration Ceremony
Over the years, I’ve been asked several times to create a post where I reveal my previously-reviewed songs that I would now bump up to a perfect, 10/10 rating, allowing them to officially join my Legendary Songs category. I guess it took a global pandemic for me to finally spend the time to compile this … Continue reading
Top Three K-Pop Songs of December 2019
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 2019 Overall Thoughts December always feels like a throwaway month for K-pop, and this was … Continue reading
Happy Holidays! Unwrapping 2019’s Seasonal K-Pop Offerings
Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it! In honor of the holiday, I thought I’d unwrap K-pop’s 2019 slate of seasonal songs. Whether they’ll soundtrack your holiday gatherings or not, here’s my ranking of nine of this year’s offerings. 9. Jung Seung Hwan – My Christmas Wish A whisper of a song by one of … Continue reading
Song Review: NCT U – Coming Home
We’ve been inundated with ballads lately, and they’re making me sleepy. Down-tempo December is nothing new, but K-pop seems especially subdued this winter. Even most of its holiday-themed tracks have been on the slower side. And really, there’s only so much that you can do with a standard Korean ballad. We know the template well. … Continue reading
The Top 10 K-Pop Music Videos of 2018
I rarely get a chance to talk about K-pop’s music videos, even though they are without a doubt one of the industry’s most important facets. A dynamite video can really make a song stand out, and the following ten clips brought memorable visuals and storylines to the year’s K-pop offerings. + Make sure to check … Continue reading
The Top 50 K-Pop Songs of 2018 (Day Five: 10-1)
The end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, things kick off with the big one… The Bias List’s top 50 songs of the year! Each day this week, I’ll be counting down ten of the year’s best, until number one is revealed on Friday. To be eligible for this top 50 list, … Continue reading
The Top 50 K-Pop Songs of 2018 (Day Four: 20-11)
The end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, things kick off with the big one… The Bias List’s top 50 songs of the year! Each day this week, I’ll be counting down ten of the year’s best, until number one is revealed on Friday. To be eligible for this top 50 list, … Continue reading
2018 in K-POP so far: Risers & Fallers
As part of my 2018 mid-year retrospective, it’s time to look at those songs that either rose or fell as the months have passed. Some songs are slow-burners. Others impress in the moment but fizzle out quickly. And sometimes, a song surpasses expectations to become a cultural phenomenon. This year has actually seen more risers … Continue reading
Top K-Pop Albums of 2018 (So Far)
Now that I’ve had a chance to spotlight the year’s best singles, it’s time to look at the standout albums of 2018’s first six months. As usual, I split the categories between full and mini, with three strong contenders from each. What are your picks? FULL LENGTH ALBUMS Infinite – Top Seed While their first comeback … Continue reading
Top Three K-Pop Songs of April 2018
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. April 2018 Overall Thoughts In my mind, April represents the beginning of k-pop’s peak season. From … Continue reading