Because of MBC’s unprecedented decision to air their Gayo Daejejeon over two nights this year, my recap and ranking will also be divided into two parts. Make sure to check out part one for my general thoughts on the festival as well as a personal ranking of the best performances of night one. Now, it’s … Continue reading
Yes, you read that title right. We are going back to 2024 for two nights with MBC’s (delayed) Gayo Daejejeon. This end-of-year festival was filmed on New Year’s Eve, but its broadcast was postponed after the tragic Jeju Air Crash. At the time, I assumed the festival would air a week — maybe two — … Continue reading
(G)I-DLE’s Minnie released her solo debut album last week, led by two promoted tracks that did little for me. However, the album grows stronger as it goes on, climaxing with its best song. That song has now been given its own video featuring WayV’s Ten, who duets with Minnie on Obsession. I can’t claim to … 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 2024 Overall Thoughts Oh gosh, what a month for South Korea. December started with martial … Continue reading
Now that we’ve got K-pop ranked for the year, it’s time to turn the blog’s attention to other music markets. First up is J-pop — a scene I write about every week on Sundays (and occasionally other days if a track catches my attention). Compared to last year’s excellent slate of music, I found J-pop … Continue reading
(Note: If you’re unable to view this post on a phone, please try on another device. I believe the number of video embeds is causing trouble on certain browsers.) Yep, I’m back to writing about K-pop’s year-end festivals. They were some of the earliest events I covered on this blog but over the past few … Continue reading
With each new digital single from NCT’s Mark, we get closer to the release of his long-rumored solo album. That album seems to be slated for next year, but he’s capping off 2024 with a collaboration with popular rapper Lee Youngji. Fraktsiya (프락치) means “fraction” in Russian and sees him experimenting with production for a … Continue reading
Before I take a look at K-pop’s established artists, it’s time to spotlight this year’s fresh crop of talent! When I ran my first-ever Bias List survey, I was surprised when the majority of respondents noted that this year’s rookies were not particularly exciting. But when I took a look back at the year as … 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. November 2024 Overall Thoughts Well… how are we all doing? Given the news of the past … Continue reading
The holiday season is upon us, which means K-Pop (and J-Pop) will soon be unleashing their seasonal efforts on the market. Alongside the release of their first Japanese album, NCT Wish are ready to usher in winter with the festive Wishful Winter. The song makes sense for November/December but feels like a throwaway in the … Continue reading
Last week, WayV pre-released the upbeat High Five, building on the funky energy of this spring’s Give Me That. Now, it’s time to move back into edgier territory. Title track Frequency melds old-school hip-hop rhythms with the harsh performance style many expect from the NCT universe. Compared to similar efforts in this mold, the song … Continue reading
After years of being relatively quiet compared to other NCT units, WayV had a busy 2024. They’ve already released albums in Korea and Japan and now they’re back to close out the year with a new project. High Five is the upcoming album’s pre-release and continues the funky, upbeat sound of June’s Give Me That. … Continue reading
Last week, NCT Dream unveiled pre-release Flying Kiss, which was… half a good song. Its verses and chorus existed on a different plane from one another, but its best moments offered a peek at what we might hear on the group’s full album. Title track When I’m With You never hits the heights of Flying … Continue reading
Pre-releases have become incredibly common this year in K-pop — particularly from the big agencies. NCT Dream’s album isn’t out quite yet, but they’ve surprised us with new track Flying Kiss during the lead-up to promotions. The song showcases the lighter side of the group, offering a soft burst of pop buoyed by a standout … 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
NCT’s Doyoung debuted as a soloist earlier this year with a full album. Now, he’s capping off 2024 with the release of new digital single The Story (시리도록 눈부신). Rather than reinvent the wheel, the song sounds like an extension of his previous work, drawing upon his rich vocal for an uplifting ballad. The Story … 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
Before he enlists in the military, NCT’s Jaehyun is set to hold a two day fancon and has released a new single to tide us over while he enters hiatus. Unconditional arrives only two months since his first solo album and continues the vibey, on-trend r&b sound he established there. This seems to be the … 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
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 