Hot issue debuted earlier this year with the attitude-infused Gratata. Like many onomatopoeia K-pop songs, the sound wasn’t for me. But as fellow 2021 rookies Ciipher proved yesterday, there’s always room for improvement. The ladies are making their first comeback with Icons – another in the seemingly endless series of “I’m the best” girl crush … Continue reading
There are some K-pop voices that instantly take me back to a different generation. Yang Yoseob’s tone was vital to the early 2010’s, gifting Beast’s music with a unique quality. Its clarity and lightness are immensely calming, capable of delivering powerful dance tracks as well as more typical ballads. In short, I could listen to … Continue reading
After a couple of years spent ignoring music from the west, I’ve started to listen to more American and European pop in 2021. You can thank standout releases by big acts like Dua Lipa and The Weeknd for that. Granted, my Western pop consumption is still ridiculously small when compared to K-Pop and J-Pop, but … Continue reading
Astro are the latest group to release a song via the Universe app, meaning its full music video is only available to subscribers. So far, this barricade hasn’t been too much of a drawback because few of the Universe songs are any good. Most of the time, these tracks feel like cast-offs, pulled from the … Continue reading
There’s a fine line between polished, sugary radio pop and cloying commercial jingle, and that difference was perfectly illustrated by BTS’s Dynamite and Butter. The two songs are quite similar in sound, style and execution, yet one feels fresh and fun while the other comes across as trite and overcooked. I’m not sure I could … Continue reading
I’ve written way more about GOT7 this year than I’d anticipated. And, this only includes one review of a full-group song. In the past few weeks, we’ve seen releases from Jackson, Jay B, Yugyeom and now BamBam. Apart from Jackson, all members have stuck to a similar trap pop style, with varying degrees of success. … Continue reading
“Happy Birthday” is such an odd name for a pop song. It instantly conjures up one iconic melody, suited to a single day each year. When reading these two words, my mind certainly doesn’t imagine noisy EDM drops, but Woo Jinyoung seems intent on surprising. As part of boy group D1CE, his idol career has … Continue reading
Less that two years since the debut of CIX, C9 Entertainment have thrust another boy group onto the K-pop scene. I’m a bit surprised to see them emerge so early, but I guess the current idol landscape moves faster than ever. EPEX have already stirred up some controversy due to their album concept, which is … Continue reading
The lore surrounding Pixy’s concept seems refreshing and engaging, but I found their debut track to be a noisy attack that compensated for its lack of hooks with a surplus of bombast. Still, it isn’t easy to craft a killer debut, and often times a group will quickly find their footing with their follow-up. I … Continue reading
It’s always an odd choice to debut a sub-unit before the main group has yet to establish themselves. E’Last debuted last year, and quickly developed a dramatic sound that hearkened back to previous K-pop generations. They could do with another group comeback. Instead, four of its members have formed E’Last U and dropped The Beginning … Continue reading
Despite their huge boost in popularity, I haven’t yet had an excuse to write about Brave Girls this year. To put it briefly, I’m thrilled for the girls. Rollin’ was a total jam back in 2017, and more than deserves its delayed recognition. It just goes to show how many amazing K-pop songs fly under … Continue reading
The more distance from 2019, the more ITZY’s debut year feels like a watershed moment in K-pop. Their triple punch of Dalla Dalla, ICY and Wannabe has proven even more influential than expected, developing a sound and attitude that has dominated both the charts and the tastes of many fans. So, my initial question after … Continue reading
It’s debut day for girl group Hot Issue, who join many of their peers as the latest attitude-infused act with a penchant for onomatopoeia chants and aggressive percussion. With the global success of groups like BLACKPINK and ITZY, this template has become a go-to style during this era in K-pop. Unfortunately, its brash energy is … Continue reading
Of all the Wanna One members, Yoon Jisung had the toughest post-group promotional circumstances. Due to his age, his mandatory military enlistment came only months after Wanna One’s disbandment, making it difficult to establish any solo career before having to go on hiatus. But, he’s returned to the industry with a new mini album, released … Continue reading
When Rosé’s On The Ground was released, I noticed that quite a few fans seemed to prefer its b-side Gone. So of course, I immediately checked it out. But more than anything, the song just reaffirmed my disinterest in this style of pop. I can’t say I’ve listened to On The Ground much since its … Continue reading
M!LK released my second-favorite J-pop single of last year, but I’ve followed them long before that. Though their early work drew from the idol world’s more exaggerated aspects, it’s been rewarding to hear their music mature and develop as the guys have grown older. Part of that development hinges upon collaboration, and that’s exactly what … Continue reading
Years ago, K-pop legend Rain formed boy group MBLAQ. They found sizable success, and were followed by junior acts Two X and Madtown before the subsidiary J. Tune Camp went defunct. Now, Rain is back with the first idol group from his own R.A.I.N Company. Of course, times and tastes have changed since 2009. How … Continue reading
Rookie group WEi is organizing their first few mini albums around the idea of “identity.” Their goal, I assume, is to display their versatility and show different sides to their music. It’s odd, then, that their title tracks have been formatted with a producer credit in the title – giving top-billing to their collaborators. But … Continue reading
Remember when male idol title tracks used to be fun? Angsty, horror concepts are not new to K-pop, but the music itself rarely felt as dour. Take VIXX for example. Their whole image revolved around these edgy concepts, but the title tracks were still punchy and exuberant, as if reveling in the inherent goofiness of … Continue reading
There was a time when SM Entertainment’s Japanese releases were something to really look forward to. The J-pop discographies of Girls’ Generation, SHINee and TVXQ are particularly strong and often pushed the artists in new directions. But, I can’t remember the last time a Japanese single by an SM artist really stood out – maybe … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 