Debuting boy group Xodiac have a cool name, and that’s important! But, do they have cool music to go along with it? So far, the answer is no. Throw A Dice is standard boy group fare, performed well enough but lacking any identifiable perspective of its own. The track moves through predictable segments, from its … Continue reading
First off, the phrase “blank effect” pretty much describes my reaction to the majority of K-pop this year! Secondly, I really like Park Jihoon as an idol but often struggle to embrace the music he makes. When he hits it out of the park, the result is super impressive — like this or this. But … Continue reading
Sometimes a song’s first few seconds tell you all you need to know. X:IN’s Keeping The Fire opens with a limp brass loop — a style popularized by songs like BLACKPINK’s Kill This Love. Of K-pop’s many tropes, this is one of my least favorites and almost guarantees a track will be anchored by some … Continue reading
When writing about my favorite rookies of 2022, I mentioned how excited I was to see where NewJeans’ music would go after their breakout year. Sadly, the path it’s taking is not for me. NewJeans don’t need my help, as their incredible chart success has proven. But as their brand of muted pop starts to … Continue reading
Jisoo is the final member of BLACKPINK to make her solo debut, four-and-a-half years since Jennie kicked things off with Solo. Long waiting periods are nothing new for fans of this group (or YG in general), but long hiatuses would be worth it if they resulted in classic material. Sadly, the opposite has occurred. I … Continue reading
Ah, the days of Born To Be Wild feel soooo far away. Like label-mates INI, JO1 occasionally hit things out of the park but more often succumb to the limitations of their material. They remain immensely popular, so this is obviously a matter of taste. But, new single Tiger feels like reheated K-pop with no … Continue reading
When AB6IX first debuted in 2019, they were riding high on the existing popularity of their Wanna One members and Produce trainees. That popularity has since faded as more competition shows have emerged and the group’s music has struggled to maintain public awareness. But, rapper Park Woojin still carries plenty of name recognition to leverage … Continue reading
Over the past eight years, SHINee have become known for their solo projects. Members like Taemin and Key developed entire sonic universes of their own. But up until now, Minho hadn’t released an album of his own. To call Chase (놓아줘) “long-awaited” feels like a huge understatement. Sure, he’s recorded a few one-off singles, but … Continue reading
After cutting loose and having fun with 2020’s underrated Got That Boom and 2021’s party-starting Fire Saturday, Secret Number retreated to played-out girl group tropes with this year’s disappointing Doomchita. They can only improve with new single Tap, and upbeat teasers seemed to hint at an energy that takes better advantage of the group’s strengths. … Continue reading
CRAXY released music video after music video in September, most of which I didn’t cover in detail. I’m not sure where their agency is getting the funding for all this promotion, but I wish they’d pool the money together and give us another song as fun as 2020’s Aria. Instead, they’ve churned out Poison Rose, … Continue reading
Disclaimer: Due to South Korea’s national period of mourning until November 5th, most companies have delayed all comebacks and promotional materials. For whatever reason, YOUNITE’s music video and album went ahead as planned. It’s not my place to judge whether this decision was correct or not. Who knows what the agency’s situation is? But if … Continue reading
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Not every K-pop group will be for every listener, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Throughout 2022, I’ve listened to all of Kep1er’s music, watched them compete on Queendom and seen them live at KCON. And still, I approach new single We Fresh with tons of trepidation. From the teasers alone, I knew there’d be … Continue reading
It’s been gratifying to watch DKZ’s (formerly Dongkiz) glow-up. Their ascent has nothing to do with the quality of their music and everything to do with member Jaechan’s sudden popularity as an actor. But, that’s just how the K-pop industry works. However they needed to do it, I’m happy DKZ have found success. But, I’d … Continue reading
Full disclosure: leading up to this release I promised myself I would forgo the usual parody review that has become a Bias List tradition when new music is released via the Universe app. After all, this whole venture has lasted much longer than I expected and my creative well has begun to run dry. But … Continue reading
About a year ago, NCT 127 dusted off their screechy flute for the polarizing Sticker. I’m still not a huge fan of that song, but I admire its chutzpah. For me, the most concerning thing about the NCT project is how predictable their music has become. More than almost any male SM group, their title … Continue reading
It’s been about a year since Mamamoo returned as a full group, but the ladies have been keeping busy with solo projects. Now, they’ve debuted their first sub-unit. Mamamoo+ brings together Solar and Moonbyul. This release comes as a bit of a surprise, announced only days ago. Better is an inauspicious debut, opting for laid-back … Continue reading
With rookie girl groups ruling the charts this year (seriously, have you seen the MelOn top ten lately??), newer boy groups need to pick up the slack. But with so many of these emerging acts harnessing identical sounds, there seems to be a lack of creativity holding them back. BLANK2Y debuted earlier this year with … Continue reading
It feels momentous every time I write the elusive words “BLACKPINK are back.” They return so infrequently. The last time we had an honest-to-goodness comeback, we were still mired in year one of the Covid pandemic. We didn’t even have a vaccine yet! Lovesick Girls was a great return to form for the group, hearkening … Continue reading
Rookie group YOUNITE had my attention early with their pre-release Everybody. They’ve yet to reach the heights of that fun, retro hip-hop track. And judging by the trajectory established with new single Aviator, I’m not sure they ever will. The song’s heart is in the right place, but it tries to do too much at … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 