The JYP family has joined forces for a song advertising Coca-Cola because… why not? Patriarch J.Y. Park has written a real Frankenstein of a track that somehow fails to utilize any of the artists’ skills while digital artists work overtime to jarringly place them within expensive, virtual reality landscapes. None of this makes me thirsty … 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. January 2024 Overall Thoughts Well, what a nice surprise this month has been! After many years … 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
A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. Sometimes, b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. I seemed to be less enthralled … Continue reading
Along with labelmates ITZY, NMIXX’s album has been preceded by a few pre-releases. First was December’s Soñar (Breaker), a song that has grown on me since its initial release. Then came Run For Roses, one of the group’s most striking songs yet. Pre-releases are a good way to build momentum, but they can also put … Continue reading
JYP Entertainment releases so many music videos and performance videos and extended teasers that it’s become difficult to know which songs to write about on this blog! Run For Roses was first performed last year and isn’t the title track for NMIXX’s upcoming album, but it’s a compelling taste of what’s to come. Run For … 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
NMIXX will be one of the first acts to make a 2024 comeback, but before that they’ve unveiled pre-release Soñar (Breaker). So far, 2023 has seen them move away from the intense “mixx pop” that characterized their debut (and polarized opinion). It’s been nice to hear their vocals more clearly, with July’s Roller Coaster a … Continue reading
Before the end-of-year countdowns next month, I like to take a look at many of K-pop’s biggest agencies and see how their year went. Obviously, 2023 is not over yet so any upcoming changes to an agency’s grade will be reflected next year. Following SM Entertainment and YG Entertainment‘s analysis last week, it’s time to … Continue reading
This year’s KCON will live in infamy for a number of reasons: outrunning the remnants of a rare hurricane on my way home, testing positive for covid a day after, etc etc. However, this craziness doesn’t mean I don’t have highlights and commentary to share! For the first time, KCON LA’s concerts extended to three … 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 2023 Overall Thoughts This July was characterized by several things, but on this blog it … 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
NMIXX were smart to pre-release Roller Coaster last week. That song takes some time to get under your skin, but it’s blossomed into a subdued summer hit for me. Title track Party O’Clock plays within similar sonic territory. It’s far less successful in its execution. The name “Party O’Clock” conjures ideas of massive EDM drops … Continue reading
For the second day in a row, JYP Entertainment has dropped a pre-release for one of its groups. This time it’s NMIXX, who are due to make a summer comeback next week. Roller Coaster is one of two new tracks, and jettisons their “mixx pop” sound in favor of subdued dance music that’s much more … Continue reading
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
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 