Even as the Produce 101 monolith crumbled in Korea, the franchise remained alive and well this past fall in Japan. The first season spawned new boy group JO1 – an eleven-member unit who might as well be interchangeable with any other winner from the series. Still, the idol corner of the J-pop market has shown … Continue reading
There was a time when I would have been excited by the prospect of a Japanese Produce 101 spin-off, but the series has reached the point of over saturation. I’m kind of over the whole thing, especially when considering the franchise’s effect on K-pop as a whole. But, like it or not, Produce is still … 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. X1’s Flash seems to have been generally well-received, but most of … Continue reading
As fraught with disappointment as the Produce 101 discographies can be, they can usually be counted on to deliver a strong debut track. As far as I’m concerned, no song has yet matched 2017’s Energetic, which is a dynamite release with or without the Produce label attached to it. The series’ latest victors, dubbed X1, … Continue reading
Days after railing against the Produce series’ negative effect on the K-pop industry, it’s time to look at the juggernaut from another angle. Since Wanna One’s disbandment at the start of the year, all of its members have gone on to release music of some sort. I’ve not been shy when it comes to my … Continue reading
I’ll begin this latest Bias List screed by stating that I’m an avid watcher of K-pop’s survival series. From juggernauts like Produce 101 to barely-remembered blips like Under Nineteen, I love a good competition. And yet, I fear that the proliferation of these series is killing K-pop’s creativity. An Old-Fashioned Approach Back in the day … Continue reading
After skipping last season (I fell too far behind on episodes to write anything coherent), my Produce 101 Concept Evaluation ranking is back for season three! Or, is it season “X”? Who knows anymore. Whatever the case, MNET is intent on ringing every last bit of money from the Produce series, and this year’s steady … Continue reading
As much as I loathe the effect Produce 101 has had on the K-pop industry, the series can always be trusted to deliver a killer theme song. I may drift in and out of interest when it comes to the episodes themselves, but MNET knows how to build excitement at each season’s kick-off. K-pop rarely … Continue reading
In theory, boy group Hotshot stood to benefit big time from 2017’s second season of Produce 101. But despite member Sungwoon becoming part of Wanna One, the guys have struggled to stand out in K-pop’s ever-competitive industry. Both group comebacks came and went without much fanfare, and it’s unclear if that will improve now that … Continue reading
Despite debuting with one of 2017’s best dance tracks, Wanna One have slowly succumbed to the same fate as IOI. Their overseers clearly know that the Wanna One brand is more formidable than any actual song they might release, and this has resulted in a series of “that’ll do” singles instead of tracks that live … 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. CODE 9 … Continue reading
As the years have gone on I’ve become a bit disillusioned with the whole Produce 101 format. The show is still an absolute juggernaut, with a far-reaching shadow that touches almost every corner of the K-pop industry. But more often than not, it feels as if the powers-that-be are simply coasting on its popularity to … Continue reading
These Produce 101 groups are so frustrating. The program compiles such a talented and likable collection of performers, only to undermine that potential with frustratingly generic material. Wanna One’s outstanding first mini album gave me hope that they’d be able to develop a signature sound, but each release since has been a disappointment. New single … Continue reading
In the short time since it’s been on the air, Produce 101 has spawned its own mini-genre of hyperactive, multitracked pop anthem. Whether it’s Midas-T, Ryan S. Jhun, or now Flow Blow in charge of production, the end product sounds roughly the same. Last year’s Season 2 theme set the bar incredibly high, so it’s … Continue reading
Fandom culture springs up so quickly these days. Project group JBJ have only been active since last October, but in that short space of time they’ve amassed a following large enough to make their impending disbandment seem like a big deal. Call Your Name (부를게) acts as both their latest single and their swan song, … Continue reading
Back in 2016, when I.O.I charted the course for what a post-Produce 101 group would look like, I felt like one of the few listeners who didn’t completely succumb to their charms. Part of that was due to an uneven series of releases with a quality level that didn’t seem to match the girls’ potential. … Continue reading
More and more, it seems as though a simple k-pop comeback is not enough. Instead, groups are beginning to herald entire eras with pre-releases and short films that tease an extended release schedule. Such is the case with Wanna One, whose I.P.U (unfortunate acronym and all) acts as the kick-off “theme” to their upcoming comeback. … Continue reading
In the months since its conclusion, season two of Produce 101 has dramatically altered the k-pop landscape — at least when it comes to boy groups. Its reach extends to so many corners of the industry that it can be difficult to keep up with it all. That’s where this handy guide comes in, as … Continue reading
Despite an extended strike sidelining much of the major networks’ output during 2017’s second half, Korean variety was quite strong this year. Taking a look at the following list, it will quickly become clear that my taste tends to steer towards idol-specific variety series, which makes sense since this is a k-pop blog first and … Continue reading
Hundreds (if not thousands) of songs are released each year in Korea, but only a fraction receive full title track promotion. This leaves behind many buried treasures in need of a spotlight. Here are forty of 2017’s best: NUMBERS 40-21 HERE + Make sure to check out the rest of the year-end countdowns here! 20. LOONA … Continue reading
