Watching (and obsessing over) Avengers: Infinity War last week has got me thinking. If I wielded the Infinity Gauntlet and had the power to shape the universe, how would I control K-Pop? Infinite comebacks every month! New Sweetune songs every week! Just kidding. I’m not going to be that biased. Instead, I thought it would … 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. April 2018 Overall Thoughts In my mind, April represents the beginning of k-pop’s peak season. From … Continue reading
Ever since the concept of NCT was announced, I looked forward to the day that all of its members would unite for one dynamic single. I imagined a giant chorus of vocals, an army of dancers. I imagined a song as immense and dramatic as the idea of NCT itself. But all that imagining was … Continue reading
If there’s anything I’ve learned from covering pop music for over a decade, it’s that songwriters and collaborators are just as important as the artists themselves. Though they often work behind the scenes, this feature is a chance to shine the light on some of k-pop’s most innovative and accomplished producers and composers. Coach & … Continue reading
NCT’s Ten has developed quite a loyal fan base despite only appearing in a handful of the group’s comebacks. Perhaps this is because he shines so brightly as a soloist. It’s difficult to fully utilize his insane dance skills within a huge group configuration, so other members with bigger personalities tend to take precedence. But … Continue reading
NCT’s ambitious 2018 project rolls into its third month with the fifth music video released from the group’s album. Like many fans, I was supremely disappointed when the tracklist for Empathy was revealed to be a cobbled together greatest hits of sorts, presenting many songs we’d already heard rather than a completely new collection. This … 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. March 2018 Overall Thoughts Well, March certainly didn’t pan out the way I had expected. If … Continue reading
Thus far, NCT’s 2018 Empathy project has followed a somewhat uniform sound, with even the usual bright styling of NCT Dream swept up in a trap-driven badass concept. Once it was announced that NCT 127 would be the next unit to release a single, all signs pointed to a continuation of this sound. But SM … Continue reading
There are two ways to approach NCT Dream’s Go, and each will color your perception of the song in vastly different ways. Up until now, Dream has acted as the pop-oriented unit of NCT, and the delivery method for the music most closely aligned with my personal taste. Their 2017 My First And Last remains … Continue reading
We’re just over two months in to this new year, and though February proved to be something of a non-starter, I’m feeling very optimistic about what 2018 is going to bring in terms of k-pop. I feel like I spent much of 2017 (and some of 2016) railing against Westernized trends that seemed to have … 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. February 2018 Overall Thoughts When it comes to k-pop, I was dreading February. Between the Pyeongchang … Continue reading
As we continue to build towards the unveiling of NCT‘s first full-length album, Baby Don’t Stop is the second volley in a series of pre-releases by sub-units of the group. Last week’s Boss set the bar pretty high, but to be honest I didn’t expect much from Stop. Taeyong and Ten are two of NCT’s most … Continue reading
This year, NCT have finally embarked on a promotional cycle as ambitious as their unique configuration. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be treated to new releases by various units within the now 18-member group — all leading up to their first full album. To kick things off, NCT U (a rotational unit free from genre … Continue reading
It’s been almost two years since we’ve heard from NCT U, and that in itself illustrates some of the frustration with SM Entertainment’s NCT project. When the concept was first announced, we were promised an ever-expanding roster of units, but 2017 only afforded opportunities for NCT 127 and NCT Dream to promote. I love both … Continue reading
As important as any other k-pop ingredient, 2017’s choreography deserves spotlight. From catchy point dances to complex formations, this year had plenty of striking performances to offer. Here are the very best: + Make sure to check out the rest of the year-end countdowns here! 10. BTS – NOT TODAY The army of back-up dancers … Continue reading
Hundreds (if not thousands) of songs are released each year in Korea, but only a fraction receive full title track promotion. This leaves behind many buried treasures in need of a spotlight. Here are forty of 2017’s best: NUMBERS 40-21 HERE + Make sure to check out the rest of the year-end countdowns here! 20. LOONA … Continue reading
Hundreds (if not thousands) of songs are released each year in Korea, but only a fraction receive full title track promotion. This leaves behind many buried treasures in need of a spotlight. Here are forty of 2017’s best: + Make sure to check out the rest of the year-end countdowns here! 40. TWICE – 24/7 A … Continue reading
Artist of the year countdowns are controversial by nature, and if I was re-creating this list based solely on commercial success and impact on the k-pop industry, it would look very different. But there are enough of those countdowns floating around (and the consensus is usually pretty even across-the-board). This is a countdown for the … Continue reading
As I was looking back in preparation for this countdown, I realized that it’s actually been quite a strong year for mini and full albums, even if 2017 as a whole seemed to lack impact compared to past years. Quite a few solid albums failed to make the cut due to this heavy competition, but … Continue reading
The end of the year countdowns are here! We’re kicking things off with the big one… the 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, songs must have had … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 