I went to watch the video for ETA on YouTube and it was immediately preceded by an iPhone advertisement backed by the song’s hook. Make no mistake what HYBE is doing here. This NewJeans EP is branding at its most integrated. In fact, imagining these brief, jingle-like songs as stylish commercials may offer a more … Continue reading
More than anything, NewJeans’ music has become an interesting excuse to analyze pop music expectations and preferences. It’s increasingly clear that their songs are designed to be streamed over and over again in a loop. They don’t exhaust listeners with big, glitzy pop peaks. Their melodies are simple and sleek, often delivered in an aloof … Continue reading
NewJeans kicked off the day with the release of an eponymous introduction track for their upcoming album. That Powerpuff Girls collab was mood-setting but ephemeral. It fully embraced the group’s stylized worldview. NewJeans are nothing if not cool. Sometimes, I think “cool” is put at a higher premium than anything else. I understand why this … Continue reading
When writing about my favorite rookies of 2022, I mentioned how excited I was to see where NewJeans’ music would go after their breakout year. Sadly, the path it’s taking is not for me. NewJeans don’t need my help, as their incredible chart success has proven. But as their brand of muted pop starts to … Continue reading
After pre-releasing Ditto last month, NewJeans have returned with their first single album. With 800,000 pre-orders, it’s astonishing how quickly this group has gone from complete unknowns to K-pop megastars. I guess it’s the power of several viral hits and HYBE’s intense market force. But as usual, all the popularity in the world doesn’t mean … 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 2022 Overall Thoughts December is historically a very slow month in K-pop, but every once … Continue reading
It’s time for K-pop’s final year-end festival of they year! As usual, MBC’s Gayo Daejejeon coincides with New Year’s Eve, pausing midway through for a countdown to 2023. Although HYBE artists were absent from the festival again this year, MBC’s Gayo tends to include a greater variety of genres than the other festivals. We had … Continue reading
Okay, I tried something new this time. Rather than watch the entire hours-long festival in one go, I just skipped to the performances on YouTube (which is probably what most sane people do!). This improved the overall experience by removing some of the bloat these year-end shows are well-known for. I’ve always appreciated the bigger … Continue reading
When it comes to K-pop choreography, I tend to focus on routines that feel iconic or eye-catching. The industry is stuffed with strong dancers, and I’m certainly not qualified to offer a technical breakdown. So with that in mind, here are the ten K-pop choreos that lingered in my mind throughout 2022. 2022 END-OF-YEAR MASTERPOST … Continue reading
Last time I reviewed a NewJeans song, we were still basking in the glow of their surprise debut. Since then, tracks like Attention and Hype Boy have gone on to define the year. It’s rare to see a K-pop group rise to fame so quickly. I’m interested in how their future music leverages that fame, … Continue reading
Yesterday was an opportunity to spotlight established artists who had a great year. Now, it’s time to look at 2022’s new debuts. It was a pretty big year for debuts — particularly girl groups. Many of 2022’s highlights came from these acts, making this list difficult to compile. The ranking is so dependent on what … Continue reading
The end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, we’ll 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 end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, we’ll 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
This feature has gradually shifted from a December to a November tradition, leaving more space for next month’s sprawling end-of-year countdowns. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be looking at many of K-pop’s biggest agencies and offering my thoughts about how their 2022 went. Following SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment‘s and JYP Entertainment‘s evaluations, it’s time for … Continue reading
Just two weeks ago, no one knew who or what a “NewJeans” was, but thanks to a smart pre-debut blitz of music videos and the inarguable power of the HYBE empire, the group debuts with a massive number of album pre-orders and a million YouTube views. So much for slowly and steadily working your way … 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. July 2022 Overall Thoughts Counting up all of July’s releases, I’m not sure we’ve ever had … Continue reading
I’ve decided to try something new! 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 … Continue reading
After a brief respite, NewJeans’ pre-debut resumes in earnest with another new song and video. Judging from its title alone, I imaged Hurt to be a slower, more emotional track. Me being me, I was hoping they’d flip expectations and deliver a huge dance banger. But in the end, Hurt feels like a minor interlude … Continue reading
In an exciting turn of events, debuting girl group NewJeans are blitzing the K-pop market with a surprise set of pre-release videos before their album drops in August. This uncharacteristic approach feels very fresh for the industry and, so far, the music has felt quite new as well. Songs like Attention and Hype Boy have … Continue reading
The K-pop industry must finally be moving at rate so fast that I can’t keep up. I hadn’t even heard of NewJeans until today. This is even more surprising when you realize they’re debuting under a subsidiary of HYBE, our new overlords of K-pop. Between partnerships and audition shows and subsidiaries, the HYBE empire threatens … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 