One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! One And Only (from Ex’Act / Lotto – 2016) Melding retro synths with airhorns (!), One And Only’s introduction is a little disorienting. It’s the odd track that manages to feel both languid and brisk, thanks to an insistent beat underlined by … Continue reading
Over the course of their two-year career, Seven O’Clock’s music has been nearly as faceless as their group name. That’s not to say it’s all been bad. Their 2018 mini album was actually quite strong, with double title tracks that both deserved more hype than they received. But, the group suffers from an under-the-radar stature … Continue reading
With Tattoo, The Boyz have made an odd move. The song is targeted at the Japanese market, yet 99% of it is performed in the Korean language. I’m not complaining – especially since I think pop music is best when delivered in its native tongue – but this is a mystifying approach, and one I … Continue reading
Last year, Yubin was at the forefront of K-pop’s city pop revival, releasing a pair of retro songs that found a small – but passionate – audience. Before the unveiling of new single Silent Movie (무성영화), she hinted that the song would take a more subdued approach. If you’re anything like me, “subdued” is not … Continue reading
For a group that most would consider to be under-the-radar, VAV have enjoyed a surprisingly consistent promotion calendar. They’ve already released over a dozen singles/music videos since their 2015 debut. Despite having a lot to choose from, I’ve run real hot and cold with their music. They’re one of those groups that just doesn’t have … Continue reading
Like too many groups of the new K-pop generation, 1THE9 has an expiration date looming over their heads. That’s the drawback of being formed through a competition survival show. You get the initial exposure, but once your project group has finished its contract, all bets are off. 1THE9 are nearing the end of their 12-month … Continue reading
I have a playlist on my phone called “K-pop for People Who Hate K-pop.” It’s stuffed with the least offensive music I can imagine, designed for use when in mixed company. K-pop’s wilder ambitions aren’t for everyone, and that’s okay. American-sounding, coffeehouse-type tunes that just happen to be performed in Korean tend to become affable … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! December, 2014 (The Winter’s Tale) (from Exology Chapter 1: The Lost Planet – 2014) Released as a special winter track on the group’s first concert album, December, 2014 is an easy EXO song to overlook. It’s a standard r&b ballad, driven by … Continue reading
I know that I start every Great Guys review with a statement about how lame their group name is, but it just gets more ridiculous the more serious and brooding their music becomes. It fit the bright bounciness of this spring’s Dang, but seems at odds with the sexiness of new single Be On You. … Continue reading
Whether as album tracks or digital singles, the members of Mamamoo have each had their time to shine as soloists. Most of their material has played to the girls’ strengths, which means cool hip-hop for Moonbyul, sassy dance pop and slinky r&b for Hwasa and emotive ballads for Solar and Wheein. There’s nothing wrong with … Continue reading
After their incredible 2018 success, Momoland are in the process of navigating the tricky business of follow-ups. Their name is known throughout Asia, and they’ve attempted to capitalize on that by recording material aimed at different regions. When it comes to Japan, they’ve already exhausted their most notable Korean output, recording versions of Bboom Bboom … Continue reading
Since winning the first season of K-pop Star, Park Jimin has jumped from gig to gig — as part of pop duo 15&, as a co-host on After School Club, and as a soloist. She’s about to make her biggest leap yet: straight out of JYP Entertainment. It’ll be interesting to see what the future … 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
I first gained interest in Winner via a solo release. In fact, it happened before Winner was even a thing. Back in the summer of 2013, Kang Seung Yoon dropped the brilliant pop rock of Wild & Young. As I watched the group debut a year later, I hoped that he would continue releasing solo … Continue reading
Fanxy Child is a hip-hop collective featuring members Zico, Crush, DEAN, Penomeco, Stay Tuned and Millic. To say it’s not my thing would be an understatement, but their first official single, 2016’s Bermuda Triangle, was surprisingly compelling even for those who don’t gravitate toward hip-hop. Much of its success spawned from the interplay between a … Continue reading
Prior to their full group debut today, Fanatics’ sub-unit Flavor delivered a quirky little synthpop song last November that hinted at interesting things to come. But as is the case so often with K-pop, the group has opted for a safer sound when it comes to their debut title track. Sunday is upbeat, bubblegum fare … Continue reading
As Wanna One’s first center and a bonafide variety show star, Kang Daniel is easily the most anticipated of the group’s post-disbandment debuts. He’s spent the past few months locked in a legal struggle with his former agency, but has come out victorious with his own label and (presumably) a new sense of artistic control. … Continue reading
Like it or not, this summer in K-pop has been completely hijacked by downtempo hip-hop and r&b — a holding pattern that is likely to continue next week with big releases by EXO-SC and Kang Daniel. I personally despise this turn of events, but what are you going to do? The music charts want what … Continue reading
Here’s a road map to the lead-up of Pentagon’s new comeback, as seen through my jaded eyes: 1. The group releases teasers for a summertime single. Good! Fun summery songs have been almost nonexistent this year. 2. The title track is revealed to have been produced by hip-hop artist Giriboy. 3. Ugh. Here’s the thing. … Continue reading
Rookie boy group 1TEAM debuted this March with a laid-back hip-hop sound that left me thoroughly underwhelmed. Judging from their new single and all of the b-sides they’ve released so far, this chill, heavily Western-influenced vibe will become the group’s signature style. If that’s the case, I’m afraid 1TEAM’s music will not be for me. … Continue reading
