One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Mama (from Mama – 2012) It would not be an overstatement to say that Mama was the song that cemented my love for K-pop. I’d dabbled with idol fare before, but this song’s bombastic mixture of Gregorian chants, heavy metal dance breaks … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Love Me Right (from Love Me Right – 2015) Released at the height of EXO’s funk-pop era, Love Me Right is a dynamo of a comeback. Right from the start, the instrumental deposits us into the groove, like a warp portal to … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! History (from Mama – 2012) Though their discography boasts more ambitious material, History has always felt like a flawless distillation of EXO’s sound. Its effortlessly funky groove combines a bhangra-inspired beat with icy, stuttering electronics and a strong kick that anchors the … Continue reading
In every concert, there are those few songs that the audience waits for with bated breath. They’re showstoppers — amazing on their own but enhanced exponentially when paired with a live performance. Most of my all-time favorite K-pop tracks have this kind of larger-than-life intensity, as if the song itself isn’t enough to contain all … Continue reading
I’ve always considered Into The New World (다시 만난 세계) as the unofficial dawn of K-pop’s second generation. Yes, there were plenty of second-gen stalwarts who debuted earlier (TVXQ, Wonder Girls, Bigbang, Super Junior, etc), but World just feels like the turning of a page. Back in 2007, K-pop had a much stronger Japanese influence … 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
With over 2,300 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 the … Continue reading
With over 2,300 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 the … Continue reading
With over 2,300 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 brand new “Random Shuffle Review” feature. The rules are simple. I fire up my playlist, press “shuffle,” and whatever song plays first … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Paradise (from Paradise – 2011) Infinite had a lot riding on Paradise. Be Mine had finally given them the breakout hit they needed to gain public recognition and secure their first music show win, but that could have easily faded away without a … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Nothing’s Over (from Inspirit – 2011) Sweetune are at their best when they go ultra-melodic, and Nothing’s Over is one of their essential tracks. From the opening, piano-accented beat to the soaring melodies that make up the chorus, the song is life-affirming pop … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Man In Love (from New Challenge – 2013) One of Infinite’s most joyous, upbeat explosions of pop, Man In Love doesn’t always receive the accolades it deserves. In fact, when it was first released, its insistent buoyancy seemed too fizzy and bright … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Last Romeo (from Season 2 / Be Back – 2014) Perhaps Infinite’s most underrated single, Last Romeo is their final (at least for now) collaboration with Sweetune. The song augments their 80’s synth sound with live band production that gives the instrumental … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Be Mine (from Over The Top / Paradise – 2011) What to say about one of modern k-pop’s most iconic songs? Be Mine is a perfect encapsulation of Sweetune’s synth-driven 80’s sound — so flawlessly written that it feels disarmingly simple, as … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Back (from Back – 2014) Infinite had worked with producers Rphabet before on 2013’s Destiny, but Back truly solidified their partnership. It’s one of the group’s most dynamic songs, growing from somber, dramatic balladry to the explosive orchestral electronics that drive its chorus. … Continue reading
As one of k-pop’s most legendary groups, TVXQ needs no introduction. Today’s idol world strives for big numbers and a big sound, often bloating groups to twelve or thirteen members. TVXQ (or DBSK, as they were known at the time) had only five vocalists — and yet still Rising Sun manages to sound more immense … Continue reading
I feel like I’ve written a lot about B1A4 lately. Maybe that’s because I’m so hungry for new material. After Infinite, they’re probably the idols I look forward to hearing from the most. Among the many, many male groups in their age bracket, they have an incredibly distinctive sound that favors melodic hooks over any trend that … Continue reading
Let’s get the personal out of the way first. G-Dragon’s Crooked was released a day before I took off for a two-week trip to the U.K. The song, and its accompanying album, became the soundtrack to that trip, as I meandered though London streets, tube stops and alleyways. Crooked is a song for the city, … Continue reading
It seems fitting to kick off my ongoing “Legendary Song” feature with what I believe to be the best kpop song of all time. To be honest, for me it’s not even a contest. The Chaser goes beyond simple pop song and traverses into uncharted territory. It’s simply an audio blast from another planet — so perfectly crafted and utterly thrilling … Continue reading
