*This was originally a “buried treasure” review, but now that we have an official mv, it’s been changed to a “song review” post. My rating hasn’t changed. It’s been quite some time since a Seventeen album has captured me, and new release Spill The Feels (such a cheesy title) is unlikely to break that trend. … Continue reading
Tag Archives: pledis
Song Review: Seventeen – Love, Money, Fame (ft. DJ Khaled)
By any metric, it’s hard to argue that Seventeen aren’t the biggest K-pop act currently active. With this in mind, I keep waiting for another new single to wow me in the way so many of their past songs have. Maestro‘s chorus was an unsatisfying tease while last year’s God Of Music was pleasant but … Continue reading
The Top 10 K-Pop Songs of 2017: Revisited
A few years ago, I took a look back at my top K-pop songs of 2016 and did some reshuffling. To be honest, that list still needs a couple slight changes to be totally accurate in my current thinking, but rather than be overly fussy I’d like to move onto the following year. 2017’s K-pop … Continue reading
Song Review: fromis_9 – Supersonic
Acts within the extended HYBE universe don’t often lack promotion, but fromis_9 are an exception. Perhaps it’s their late move to Pledis Entertainment or that agency’s history of struggles with girl groups, but fromis_9 have fallen into the dreaded “one comeback a year” pattern. Whenever an artist’s discography starts to dwindle, it becomes vital that … Continue reading
The Top Three K-Pop Songs of July 2024
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 2024 Overall Thoughts After a stellar June, July was always going to have a hard … Continue reading
Every AFTER SCHOOL Single Ranked: From Worst to Best
I’ve listed my “top tens” for many artists, but it’s time to rummage through entire discographies and rank every single from worst to best. This feature will primarily tackle groups who have disbanded or gone on indefinite hiatus. It’s a way for me to re-evaluate my initial thoughts on their singles run. Don’t be surprised … Continue reading
K-Pop Risers & Fallers: July 2024
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
Battle of the B-Sides: JYJ, Nu’est, 2PM, J.Y. Park, BoA
K-pop’s title tracks might gain most of listeners’ attention, but many album tracks are worth equal spotlight. I call these “buried treasures.” Beyond this, K-pop’s albums deliver thousands of additional tracks that settle for a more limited audience. It’s these songs that will become a part of my “battle of the b-sides” feature. In this … Continue reading
Song Review: TWS – Double Take
Whenever a new boy group debuts with a bright concept, it feels like we’re running against the clock before they inevitably shift toward edgier sounds. I’m not too worried about TWS in this regard, especially since their exceedingly bright title tracks have been huge chart successes. But when they do inevitably move on to new … Continue reading
Top K-Pop Albums of 2024 (So Far)
While 2024 has delivered quite a few standout singles so far, I haven’t been as blown over by the albums. Still, I was surprised how many I was able to cobble together. Unlike in the past, I’m not distinguishing between mini and full albums, though albums must have at least four full songs to be … Continue reading
Top K-Pop Songs of 2024 (So Far)
Wow, what a change a year can make! At this point in 2023, I was only able to pick a small handful of tracks to feature in my mid-year countdown, but 2024 has me spoiled for choice. My list is unusually long this time and probably won’t be all that surprising (barring one or two … Continue reading
The Top Three K-Pop Songs of June 2024
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. June 2024 Overall Thoughts It’s been awhile since I’ve said this, but K-pop is in a … Continue reading
Buried Treasure: TWS – Keep On
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. TWS’s Summer Beat is a varied … Continue reading
Song Review: TWS – If I’m S, Can You Be My N?
It usually takes me a song or two to fully warm up to a rookie group, and TWS’s Plot Twist was a slow-burn standout that compelled more and more as time went on. The exceptional hey! hey! officially sealed the deal, and now we’re on to the group’s second mini album Summer Beat. I love … Continue reading
K-Pop Risers & Fallers: June 2024
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
Song Review: Jeonghan x Wonwoo (Seventeen) – Last Night
In between being part of the biggest K-pop group on the planet, the members of Seventeen have found time to slowly but steadily develop side careers as soloists and sub-units. Unit tracks are usually divided between their Dance, Vocal and Hip-Hop teams, but albums have occasionally featured duo recordings as well. This is the first … Continue reading
Song Review: TWS – hey! hey!
Leading up to the release of their second mini album later this month, TWS are the latest group to drop a promoted pre-release single. Generally, these have been stronger than the actual title track, with TWS’s own Plot Twist being the obvious exception. That song has gone on to become a mammoth hit on both … Continue reading
K-Pop Risers & Fallers: May 2024
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
Song Review: Seventeen – Cheers To Youth (Vocal Team)
Alongside their full-group comeback Maestro, Seventeen’s specialized units are also releasing music videos for their new songs. We’ve already heard from the Hip-Hop and Performance Teams, and now it’s time for the Vocal Team to bring this series to a finale. Sub-unit Seventeen BSS found tremendous success with a cheering song last year, and Cheers … Continue reading
Song Review: Seventeen – Spell (Performance Team)
Alongside their full-group comeback Maestro, Seventeen’s specialized units are also releasing music videos for their new songs. Following the hip-hop team’s LALALI comes the performance team’s Spell. My favorite unit tracks often emerge from the performance team, but given the nature of their specialty these songs also tend to benefit from an accompanying visual. Spell … Continue reading