December is the month of holiday releases, under-the-radar comebacks and special singles. It tends to result in a hodgepodge of new music, little of which I end up remembering a year later. Duo JBJ95 impressed me with this summer’s Spark, but unfortunately their Only One joins the pile of forgettable winter tracks. For me, JBJ95’s … Continue reading
After leaving Seven Seasons (home to his group Block B) late last year, Zico has gone on to create his own label, KOZ, for future solo activity as well as recruitment of outside artists. This seems like a good strategy for him, as he’s always had his feet in both the idol and underground hip-hop … Continue reading
When 2019 is over, I have a feeling that the year will have set a record for debut groups. Though my opinion on 2019’s K-pop slate has soured over the past few months, there’s no denying that it’s been incredibly strong for rookies. This glut of new talent sets the bar high and makes it … Continue reading
Back in February, IZ*ONE made their Japanese debut with the stirring Suki to Iwasetai. It remains my highest-rated song by the group, but it turned out to be a total red herring. Since that initial album, IZ*ONE’s J-pop singles have been shockingly unpolished. June’s Buenos Aires merged a poor vocal arrangement with an underdeveloped instrumental. … Continue reading
With YG Entertainment in continual freefall, the company seems unable to release anything but threadbare solo albums from its artists. BLACKPINK’s stuck in a one-per-year promotional schedule, iKON is in limbo after losing its leader, and Treasure 13’s debut has been postponed for who knows how long. In their place, YGX (an agency subsidiary) has … Continue reading
Whether they like it or not, the debut of new boy group Limitless will instantly be overpowered by the presence of Jang Moonbok’s presence in its line-up. Moonbok became a lightning rod for media attention throughout the first few episodes of Produce 101 Season Two, but the novelty quickly faded and he was eliminated mid-way … Continue reading
Over the last few years, mixtapes have become an increasingly bigger focus in the development of idol groups. Most of the time, the rapper position in these groups is limited by the needs of a title track. There’s not a whole lot of opportunity to get personal or specific, which explains the generic, swaggy nature … Continue reading
Oh, Sungwoon fans. You may as well just save yourself the grief and skip this review altogether. I swear, I’ve got nothing against the guy himself. He cut his teeth as a member of underrated idol group Hotshot, and more than proved himself as a vital part of K-pop sensation Wanna One. But his debut … Continue reading
In a preview of what will soon be facing all second generation boy groups, BTOB is rapidly decreasing in number as their members begin their mandatory military enlistment. It’s become common for artists to release a song or album prior to enlisting, and serves as a nice gesture towards their fans. It’s hard to fault what’s … Continue reading
VAV is one of those groups who just keep plugging away. I don’t see their name mentioned much in K-pop circles, nor are they a huge presence on music shows. Yet, they’ve held international tours and make frequent comebacks with glossy, well-produced music videos. Their agency’s Chinese connections probably help when it comes to funding, … Continue reading
Girl group S.I.S debuted over a year ago with the underrated I’ve Got A Feeling, but quickly got sucked into the orbit of KBS’ idol rebooting show The Unit. I’m not sure how a newly debuted group would need “rebooting,” but it doesn’t seem like the show did much for the girls except delay their … Continue reading
It’s been over two years since we’ve heard from T-ara’s Hyomin, and though her last single didn’t set the charts alight, it’s always nice to have a K-pop veteran back in the spotlight. Her solo career is no stranger to courting controversy, making new comeback Mango feel overly tame in comparison. Sure, the music video trades … Continue reading
A collaboration between Zico and IU is like a wet dream for Korean charts. Both artists routinely see their music lodged in the top ten for weeks (sometimes months) on end, seeming to attract a wide variety of fans. So why does the prospect of this pairing leave me cold? More and more, I’ve come … Continue reading
There’s some irony in calling a song “The New Era,” but crafting it to sound like every other song from the last era. I’ve had my issues with GOT7’s Korean discography of late, but their Japanese releases are really just on another level. Sales-wise, they seem to be successful, but I can’t wrap my brain … Continue reading
Between Korea and Japan, barely a month goes by without new music from Twice. This prolific release schedule should be an asset, but all it’s doing is making each song feel interchangeable with the last. And now, we’re approaching the point of over saturation. Underwhelming Korean single What Is Love suffered a bit from this, … Continue reading
Since their debut in 2014, Winner have attempted more iterations than almost any other YG group. They first made their name as a mature, ballad-heavy pop act before shifting to a rock-influenced sound that somehow veered tropical as last year’s trends took hold. Through it all, they’ve maintained a certain level of melodic heft that’s … Continue reading
Poking around the internet over the past few months, it feels like everyone is losing their collective minds over LOONA. And while I agree that the prospect of new music each month is exciting, I can’t say that much of the LOONA-related material has had longevity on my personal playlist. Maybe I’m just getting a … Continue reading
After giving us its co-ed theme song and the boys’ group track, it’s time for The Unit to complete its trilogy of pre-releases before the series officially debuts tomorrow. This time the female contestants take center stage for the peppy Shine, and the song is a veritable case study for why I’m generally inclined towards … Continue reading
In these days of the waning tropical trend, artists really have to do something daring with the genre’s template to stand out. A simple fill-in-the-blank “trop bop” just won’t do. And with the repackaged single Good Night (굿밤), DIA have fully surrendered to the most grating aspects of this fad. For a group constantly struggling … Continue reading
The beauty behind the kind of sustained release schedule DAY6 has utilized this year is that it gives an artist the opportunity to display a wide variety of sounds without the risk and money that goes into a full-fledged, long-anticipated comeback. But over the past few months, I fear that DAY6 are started to fall … Continue reading
