Before the Bias List‘s Top 50 songs countdown in December, it’s time to take a mid-year survey of the k-pop landscape in 2017. Compared to 2016, this year has been somewhat underwhelming. But that doesn’t mean 2017 hasn’t had its share of highlights. Unsurprisingly, my list includes a number of acts that overlap with last … 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 2017 Overall Thoughts May was a month of contrasts. The first two weeks were among the … Continue reading
I was prepared to hate this. I could go on and on about how American/Western trends need to stay far away from k-pop, and how the tropical house sound in particular has felt stale for over a year, but I feel like I bring that up every few days anyway. Even when other k-pop artists … Continue reading
Now that Pledis Entertainment has hit big with Seventeen and revitalized their standing as a k-pop powerhouse, the agency is banking on the same successful trajectory for its new girl group, Pristin. Things certainly seem promising. Among Pristin’s ranks are several girls from the mega-successful Produce 101 series, including Pinky and Nayoung who actually debuted … 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. DAISHI DANCE … Continue reading
Debuting in 2015, Seventeen are still a very new group, but their unique configuration of vocal, hip-hop and performance units within the larger group has rounded out their promotional material to create a singles discography just big enough for a countdown. And honestly, they’re one of the biggest and best k-pop acts of the moment, so … Continue reading
I love the stage set-up MBC uses. I can’t remember if this is the same staging as last year, but it’s definitely the same as it was in 2014. It strikes a nice balance between intimate and expansive, and places the audience super close to both indoor stages, which results in a more “live” feel. … Continue reading
