Dropping one letter (and parentheses) from your group name shouldn’t be too big of a deal, but since rebranding as i-dle, the former (G)I-DLE has seen their chart powers diminish. It’s too early to tell if last year’s results were a fluke or not, but it makes their upcoming album feel like an important fork … Continue reading
Girl group Navillera debuted early this year with the rough-around-the-edges No Limit that built itself upon way too many current K-pop tropes. With follow-up Friday Night, they’ve returned with a bad song dressed up in an upbeat, summery style I tend to enjoy. This results in a very weird listen. First off, it’s been awhile … Continue reading
I last wrote about GOT7’s Jay B in late 2024. He was fresh off military service and releasing his first full album. Since then, he’s been touring and signed with new agency 528Hz. Today’s Layback offers a new sound for his title tracks, though this style of R&B has found a place on his and … Continue reading
EPEX’s discography has been a real mixed bag so far. They’ve released a few solid tracks (2024 was a solid year for them), but more often their music has either been too generic or actively off-putting. New single Echo fits squarely within the first category. It’s a song that could have come from just about … Continue reading
Rather than promote a follow-up track from their recent album, BABYMONSTER have taken the rare approach of releasing a new song just a month after their comeback. This reminds me of the old days of album repackages, which I miss very much. They made comebacks feel more like eras and stretched out the excitement. Unfortunately, … Continue reading
1. Atmos // 2. Hours // 3. Possibility // 4. Anti Believer // 5. Still Raining // 6. Thousand Miles Away THOUSAND MILES AWAY These days, I do a double take any time I see a K-pop song longer than four minutes. That shouldn’t be a rarity, but it’s so much more likely to find … Continue reading
1. Atmos // 2. Hours // 3. Possibility // 4. Anti Believer // 5. Still Raining // 6. Thousand Miles Away STILL RAINING We’ve now reached the portion of the album where things slow down. SHINee are on my very short list of K-pop groups with great ballads, so a slower song is nothing to … Continue reading
Some groups function solely as a collective while others feel more like a series of successful soloists making music together. After years of promoting their individual work, Mamamoo have transformed into the latter — a supergroup of sorts. It’s been almost four years since we’ve seen them come together for new music, making 4 Flowers … Continue reading
Remember that brief moment when N.Flying were a chart-topping, A-list band? It seems almost like a fever dream now, but the guys have hung around and continued to release music that plays to their strengths. I still prefer the goofier concepts of their debut era, but new single In Between Seasons (환절기 (換節期)) is a … Continue reading
There’s something admirable about a K-pop act from a small agency who just keeps on churning out material. XODIAC has never been in conversation with the big leagues of the industry, but they’ve released several comebacks a year since their debut in 2023. The quality of these songs has varied, and new single Phantom Fire … Continue reading
Recently, I’ve been ranking K-pop artists against each other based on their singles runs and I was surprised how high Treasure ended up. This isn’t because I dislike the group. I just can’t immediately point toward one big highlight in their discography. For me, they’ve been a firm, reliable act that rarely propels to the … Continue reading
If you were worried there wasn’t already enough Anderson .Paak in K-pop, I’ve got good news for you. He’s developed a comedy film called K-Pops! and features on the soundtrack alongside many popular Korean acts. I’m not very clued in about the specifics of the film, but it seems that it first screened two years … Continue reading
ONEWE have been churning out new music quite frequently over the past few years. They’re a firmly established band now, albiet one without a defining chart hit that would place them within the pantheon of well-known idol bands. Their sound tends to be a bit more cerebral, though they’ve attempted big pop hits in the … Continue reading
There are some groups in K-pop that I want to love even as their music keeps me at an arm’s length. Such is the case with XLOV, who have a wonderful concept and compelling imagery. However, most of their songs just haven’t matched that potential so far. Because of this, I’m happy to see them … Continue reading
The members of KARD have been consistently releasing solo work over the past few years, and now it’s J.seph’s turn to show what he can do. As one of two male members in the group, it feels like he was often in the shadow of BM, whose charisma has a much louder approach. This makes … Continue reading
Whenever I write about a Boyfriend song, I find myself begging readers to go back and check out their discography. To my mind, they have one of the most underrated catalogs in all of K-pop — especially if you enjoy the work of producers Sweetune. Unfortunately, their last six years have been a series of … Continue reading
Today may be a barren day for new K-pop releases, but IVE have slid into the empty slate with a music video for new Japanese single Lucid Dream. Their Japanese work has been a mixed bag so far and overall feels pretty inessential. This track does nothing to buck that trend. For Lucid Dream, the … Continue reading
It’s been interesting to watch LE SSERAFIM’s trajectory shift over the years. They debuted with a sleek, stylish sound and a tight team of collaborators led by the once-great production duo Score and Megatone. But as time has gone on, the group’s music leaned further toward novelty, seemingly designed for memes and short-form content. This … Continue reading
Oh My Girl’s voice is severely missed in the modern K-pop landscape. And to be clear, I’m talking about pre-2020 Oh My Girl, back when the group sang gorgeous melodies over ornate, fantastical instrumentals. That’s a strain of girl group music we just don’t hear anymore and as far as I’m concerned it’s a vital … Continue reading
Monsta X’s Shownu and Hyungwon debuted as a duo in the summer of 2023. I saw them perform that year at KCON, yet for the life of me I can’t remember the song. That tends to happen with these slinky, bass-driven tracks that K-pop churns out on the regular. There are simply too many of … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 