It’s been a week and I’m still recovering from the nursery rhyme assault that was NMIXX’s Young, Dumb, Stupid. Thankfully, it was only a pre-release and new single Love Me Like This will be receiving the bulk of their promotion. At this point, I’m not sure NMIXX’s music will ever be for me, but this … Continue reading
I’ve been a little hard on NMIXX’s music thus far, but it pushes a lot of my buttons in a bad way. I appreciate the ambition it takes to meld multiple sounds (and songs!) into one. I just don’t think the execution has been there. The music hasn’t showcased the group’s talent in a way … 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
To be honest, you may or may not see recaps for future end-of-year festivals this December. I’d like to write about all three big nights if possible, but over the past few years these events have become so boring and predictable. Basically, acts emerge with some dramatic intro (swords, pyrotechnics, flags, etc) before performing a … 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 and YG Entertainment‘s evaluations, it’s time to dive … Continue reading
When K-pop’s title tracks are at their most polarizing, a common plea from fans is: “check out the b-sides! I swear they’re better than the title!” I’m guilty of this rallying cry, and I’m a firm believer that you need to listen to entire albums to get a realistic picture of an artist’s work. Unfortunately, … Continue reading
Rookie group NMIXX are attempting to craft a new K-pop sub-genre with songs that mix various sounds and structures together. Imagine if K-pop’s highlight medleys turned into songs themselves and you have an inkling of their style. I admire anyone trying to push things forward, but NMIXX need to find some new collaborators immediately. This … Continue reading
One of the coolest things about the KCON concert is that it stretches across multiple nights. If you get the combo tickets, you’ve got two days of artists to look forward to. By Sunday, things feel familiar. You’ve got your same seat but there’s a different roster waiting to perform. I was a little frustrated … Continue reading
It’s been a very slow month (or year?) for K-pop, but the arrival of new JYP girl group NMIXX feels like 2022’s first big moment. Debuts from agencies of JYP’s caliber always bring a ton of hype, even if the song itself doesn’t meet expectations. With O.O, NMIXX deliver an attention-grabbing track, but I expect … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 