I felt very much in the minority when it came to Taemin’s Move album back in October. So many raved about his shifting musical style and the cohesive mood that ran through the material. And I hear that. But too often the songs felt like a study in a trend-focused r&b vibe without a strong … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Toki (from Air – 2017) As one of only three new tracks released in 2017, the Japanese Toki more strongly represents current tastes in j-pop than Infinite’s own music. The funk-driven instrumental pulses with addictive energy, but the melody never quite finds a … Continue reading
There’s no reason why Rain shouldn’t have the number one single in Korea right now. He’s one of k-pop’s most beloved (and most successful) soloists, back after a long hiatus and buoyed by his hosting/mentoring stint on KBS’s The Unit. At this stage in his career, I think it’s more important to remind the public … Continue reading
It’s been awhile since we’ve heard a debut from a group not affiliated in some way with Produce 101. BLK (standing for Beyond Limit Key because… I have no idea) hails from Byking Entertainment, an agency that — as far as I can tell — has no previous experience debuting idols. This newness explains the … Continue reading
It’s become increasingly difficult for me to review Jun. K’s solo material because, more and more, our musical preferences just don’t match. He’s been at the forefront of experimenting with the future bass genre, which — try as I might — hasn’t been a style I can get into. His more down-tempo material tends to … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Real Story (from Over The Top / Paradise – 2011) Closing out Infinite’s first full album, Real Story is the type of inoffensive mid-tempo pop song that is the very definition of filler. This being Infinite, even their filler is stronger than many … Continue reading
About two months ago, I gave up hope that the Every DAY6 Project would continue to be a year-long release of title track-worthy material. What started as an ambitious opportunity for the guys to display a variety of promoted songs has gradually turned into a complete-the-album b-side roll out. That would be fine, but DAY6’s … Continue reading
As GOT7’s Korean output has continued to evolve, their Japanese releases have tended to stick to a similar pattern. For better or worse, they’ve developed a swag-driven j-pop persona that favors attitude and bluster over melody. This has resulted in a guilty pleasure or two, but never a song that can rival their best work. … Continue reading
The BOYS24 project has been an exhausting, drawn-out ordeal, with the prospect of its resulting boy group IN2IT getting less exciting by the month. But then the guys started dropping teasers for their official debut, filled with gorgeous scenery and a majestic, African-sounding instrumental that seemed as if could offer a breath of fresh air … Continue reading
Hash Tag could have been a clever name for a k-pop group a few years ago, but now it feels a little dated. Still, all rookie groups are worthy of a chance, no matter how lame their name may be. And with ㅇㅇ (graciously given the added title of “Hue” because… well, how are you … Continue reading
October will soon be cluttered with idol survival/debut series, from The Unit to YG’s Mix Nine, to JYP’s Stray Kids. Of the three, Stray Kids seems set to be pitched as more of a “road to debut” documentary than a build-a-group competition, so pre-release Hellevator presumably acts as a teaser of what the actual group might … Continue reading
With a title like “What’s Good?”, Niel’s latest effort was going to be fighting an uphill battle from the very beginning. American slang just doesn’t translate that well to k-pop, and its injection almost always feels like pandering to trends and the perceived coolness of Western media. But Niel’s solo work has always seemed to … Continue reading
Earlier this year, 2PM‘s Junho released one of the very best songs of the summer. Unfortunately, Ice Cream was only promoted in Japan so it didn’t receive the full k-pop comeback treatment. Instead, he’s cobbled together some of the b-sides from his past few j-pop albums and re-recorded them in Korean for his first domestic … Continue reading
Despite a rocky start, girl group Momoland knocked it out of the park with last spring’s surprisingly anthemic Wonderful Love. That song’s EDM remix even became a brief meme thanks to member Jooe’s over-excited performance during the dance breakdown. You’d think the group’s agency would be eager to quickly capitalize on that notoriety with a … Continue reading
While reviewing Wanna One’s Energetic, I mentioned how I felt that IOI’s debut year was hampered by a discography that forced a variety of sounds and styles at the girls rather than let them forge a unique musical identity. It remains to be seen whether Wanna One will be plagued by the same issue, but … Continue reading
The list of k-pop groups with ridiculous names is very long, but few have been as head-scratchingly bizarre as “Weki Meki.” Fantagio’s new girl group arrives with a decent amount of hype thanks to four of its members’ participation in season one of Produce 101, but that good will is seriously tested by a strange … Continue reading
K-pop Star‘s Shannon Williams made waves earlier this year for expressing confusion over her agency’s lack of communication when it came to promotional opportunities. And in some ways, MBK Entertainment botched the release of her new mini album as well, offering very little promo and quietly debuting Hello‘s music video after the song had already … Continue reading
The Produce 101 rush of debuts continues with Choon Entertainment’s Longguo and Shihyun. Duos are not particularly common in k-pop, and I assume the two will eventually become part of a larger group. But for now, both performers complement each other well even if portions of their material leave something to be desired. I can’t … Continue reading
For as many LOONA releases as we’ve already gotten, few could be considered stereotypical girl group fare. The project has dabbled in a number of genres already, making LOONA’s eventual sound a bit of a mystery. But with member Choerry’s introduction through Love Cherry Motion, we veer much closer to the light bubblegum that fuels … Continue reading
When The East Light debuted late last year with the giddy power pop of Holla, it felt exciting to have such a young group tackling a different sound than expected. Since then, the boys have fallen into the tropical trend, moving away from a live band style in favor of a poppier approach. This isn’t … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 