Queendom has become one of K-pop’s most pleasant surprises this year. Its conceit — five girl groups (and one soloist) competing for performance-based dominance — was shockingly good-natured in reality, allowing each act to showcase their charms without the kind of needless drama these series usually thrive on. In fact, I’d be just as happy … Continue reading
Since the start of The Bias List in January 2016, I’ve always looked back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists each month. Now, it’s time to look even further into the past, one month at a time. And, yes, the top three rankings count toward The Bias List’s personal artist scorecard! Which … Continue reading
Oh My Girl are no stranger to the summer single, gaining popularity with their 2016 cover of K-pop classic A-ing. New single Bungee (Fall In Love) arrives as a repackage title track, contrasting May’s lush The Fifth Season with a more straightforward blast of upbeat pop. As someone who prefers when the group steers a … Continue reading
Since the start of The Bias List in January 2016, I’ve always looked back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists each month. Now, it’s time to look even further into the past, one month at a time. And, yes, the top three rankings count toward The Bias List’s personal artist scorecard! Which … Continue reading
Now that I’ve looked at the year’s best singles, it’s time to spotlight the standout albums of 2019’s first six months. It’s been a relatively solid year for albums so far, though not as strong as 2018 at this same point. As usual, minis have been more plentiful than full albums — especially when it … Continue reading
So far, 2019 has been an odd year for K-pop. If I were to sum it up, these first six months have pinballed between “thrilling” and “frustrating.” Taken as a whole, I think 2019 easily usurps 2018 at this same point. But, many of my favorite songs were released in close proximity to one another … 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. May 2019 Overall Thoughts After an underwhelming April, the month of May began to right the … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, 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. In addition to crafting a very strong singles run, Oh My … Continue reading
Since their debut in 2015, WM Entertainment’s Oh My Girl have solidified a unique place within the K-pop industry. Blending ethereal soundscapes with quirky songwriting, the girls have a style all to themselves. Barring an oddly conceived sub-unit, they’ve also developed a near-flawless discography. Here are all of their singles, ranked up to the very … Continue reading
There’s a certain ilk of K-pop girl groups who pursue a lush, fantasy-like sound and concept. Lovelyz and Cosmic Girls often fall within this style, but Oh My Girl are the undisputed champs of the fairy tale motif. They’re at their best when marrying this aesthetic to avant garde songwriting that pushes at the edges … Continue reading
With over 2,600 songs on my iPhone’s “K-Pop Singles” playlist, I thought it would be fun to add a bit of unpredictability to my song review posts. So as a result, we have the “Random Shuffle Review” feature. The rules are simple. I fire up my playlist, press “shuffle,” and whatever song plays first gets … Continue reading
I rarely get a chance to talk about K-pop’s music videos, even though they are without a doubt one of the industry’s most important facets. A dynamite video can really make a song stand out, and the following ten clips brought memorable visuals and storylines to the year’s K-pop offerings. + Make sure to check … Continue reading
The end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, things 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 idea of music agency fandom might seem strange to Western audiences, as most notable labels around the world are vast corporations with rosters that share very little common. But of course, K-pop is different. Even as the industry has expanded, it has remained a relatively small microcosm of the global pop music landscape. When … 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. September 2018 Overall Thoughts September’s usually a pretty slow month, with the Chuseok holiday holding back … 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. Steven Lee … Continue reading
After a brief detour into monkey-themed madness with sub-unit Banhana, Oh My Girl have returned as a full group, picking up where they left off with January’s stately Secret Garden. The girls have found their niche with a lushly-produced dream pop style that allows them to indulge their more eccentric musical leanings while delivering the … Continue reading
If any group was poised to give us a bizarre Orange Caramel-esque sub-unit, Oh My Girl has the resume. They come from an agency known for its quirky concepts, and the girls have already delivered a few themselves. But after the surprising success of January’s majestic Secret Garden, it’s a bit unexpected to make such … 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 2018 Overall Thoughts It’s a brand new year, which means all possibilities are on the … Continue reading
Back in 2016, it felt as if Oh My Girl were poised to become one of the leading acts of k-pop’s new wave of girl groups. They can still get there, but their level of promotion needs to increase. All that 2017 gave us was the polarizing Coloring Book, and that was nine months ago. … Continue reading
