ATEEZ have commanded a large fanbase for years now, but this year they find themselves with an equally large public hit on their hands. I still don’t get how Bad turned into the sensation it did (the song just does nothing for me), but the group is now in a unique position to build upon … Continue reading
To me, EVNNE has always felt like a group with an identity crisis. They’ve tried on many boy group styles over the past few years. Some have been more successful than others, but few have pointed toward any sort of signature sound for the guys. After hearing this spring’s Backtalk, I was eager for them … Continue reading
Just like NewJeans before them, CORTIS have spawned their own K-pop progeny. This irreverent, “we don’t give a f*ck,” vocal effects heavy alt-hip-hop has become a popular touchstone and I don’t expect it to slow down any time soon. The most obvious competitor at this moment is WAYF Boys, who do a very similar thing … Continue reading
Mixtapes are all the rage for K-pop acts looking to build street cred. The thing is, “street cred” doesn’t really exist in K-pop and mixtapes function essentially the same way any other release would. Girl group Keyveatz debuted earlier this year with an abrasive hip-hop sound and double down on that with their mixtape A1 … Continue reading
ATEEZ scored an unlikely viral hit with this summer’s Bad, which has led to more attention from the Korean public. Up until now, it’s felt like the group has drawn their biggest support from international audiences, but that seems to be evening out. However, international collaborations continue to flourish and K-pop loves nothing more than … Continue reading
BLACKPINK members are very busy with their solo releases at the moment. Jennie just dropped a digital EP last week, Jisoo’s back later tonight and Lisa has returned with new single SaWaDiKa. This title is a stylized version of the Thai greeting “sawasdee ka”, but in Lisa’s hands it becomes another opportunity to regale us … Continue reading
As is often the case with Japanese tracks, izna’s Dumb Hot! was released a few weeks before its music video. Sometimes, that offers the chance for a song to ingratiate itself without visuals setting any concrete expectations, but there’s not enough song within Dumb Hot to succeed on its own. To put it bluntly, there … Continue reading
TUNEXX made their debut earlier this year… or so I’m told. Gun to head, I couldn’t tell you a thing about that song or the group in general, but that’s why having this blog is such a useful record. It looks like I did not enjoy their debut single I’m Alive at all, but also … Continue reading
WAYF BOYS are one of the new-gen groups I’m increasingly unsure fit within the realm of “K-pop.” Yes, they’re from a Korean agency and yes, their members are Korean/Korean-American, but their music so far has been performed in English and feels targeted to an international audience. As such, the standards with which I approach a … Continue reading
Even if I haven’t loved every ALL(H)OURS single, I’ve appreciated the group’s energy and willingness to deliver cheesy, over-the-top hooks. Their songs often have a second-gen appeal wrapped up in modern aesthetics. It’s disappointing, then, that pre-release Hop sounds more like an ATEEZ reject. With the repetitive, monotone Bad currently ruling the charts (for some … Continue reading
Whenever I see that girl group X:IN has a new comeback, I know I’m in for something… interesting. In this case “interesting” does not equate to “good,” as they’re one of the lower-ranked groups on this blog. Somehow, their music almost always manages to self-sabotage, showing promise before doing something bizarre to mess it all … Continue reading
Do you ever wonder how a song would sound if it was half asleep? Are you hoping for something so boring that it will actually put you to sleep? Well, idntt has just the song for you with their new “track video” Deep Dream. The hints are right there in the title. You will be … Continue reading
When the tracklist for Picheolin’s “debut” album was released, I was excited to see the name “Hitchhiker” on the credits for its title track. The visionary producer doesn’t seem to work on much material these days and his out-of-the-box thinking is always appreciated. However, with each pre-release track released under this alter-ego schtick, it became … Continue reading
There’s something to be said about promoting your entire album with music videos, but there’s also a reason why some songs are meant to be b-sides and some are chosen as singles. In BABYMONSTER’s case, it’s a matter of personal taste. I didn’t care for title track CHOOM at all, but the summery sounds of … Continue reading
For every exciting sonic statement of intent from Jennie, we seem to get at least two dull tracks that attempt to shoehorn her into current pop trends. The trouble is, “current pop trends” tend to be incredibly beige these days. I recently had a revelation about the pop industry as a whole. Rather than take … Continue reading
It’s the battle of the 8s this week, with 8TURN coming back yesterday and LUN8 waiting in the wings today. I don’t think these two groups have anything in common beyond the number in their name, yet I link them together because both feel completely malleable in sound. If you asked me what a LUN8 … Continue reading
Last week, Seventeen’s Dino delivered his first work as alter-ego Picheolin. A few days ago, the tracklist for his album was revealed and I became most interested in its title track produced by the elusive K-pop genius Hitchhiker. Hopefully that song is more than a simple schtick, because today’s pre-release Micheo Micheo (미쳐 미쳐) feels … Continue reading
OURBIRTHDAY will eventually be a seven member group under JYP subsidiary INNIT Entertainment, but they’re rolling out their members in waves. The first three (Hyejin, Achiraya and Baby — yes, you read that last one right) have made their debut today with pre-release single Hungry (Side A). If this were truly my birthday, I’d be … Continue reading
I’ve resisted writing about JYP Entertainment’s GIRLSET until now because they only have the slightest connection to K-pop and I haven’t cared enough about their music to have much to say. However, it’s a slow day/month/year and the group is set to promote this new song on Korean music shows, so it feels like the … Continue reading
As someone with summers off, “Forever July” sounds like a pretty good proposition to me. However, this July in K-pop hasn’t been particularly exciting so if we’re talking about the music alone I’m ready to move on to greener pastures. Sunmi’s Forever July might as well be called “Forever NewJeans” because it’s the latest in … Continue reading
