The Produce 101 train continues to roll on, guaranteeing that nearly every participant gets an opportunity for extra promotion — no matter how small that sliver may be. In the case of Youngmin and Donghyun from MXM, I’m The One is only a starting point. The two are essentially a sub-unit of a yet-to-be-named boy … Continue reading
DAY6’s monthly Every DAY6 project kicked off with a bang during 2017’s first few months, but like every promotional plan this ambitious and long-lasting, the impact of their releases has started to lull as the year has gone on. It’s not that the past few months’ songs have been of poor quality, but they definitely … Continue reading
Ever since their return in late 2015, B.A.P have blitzed Korea with a string of diverse genre comebacks, all in a bid to regain the hype that powered their first year after debut. This steady stream of releases has been something of a mixed bag, but you have to give it to the guys for … Continue reading
The last time Lee Gikwang promoted as a soloist was before Beast or Highlight were even a thing. He made his debut as AJ (short for the ultra-lame “Ace Junior”) six months before Beast released their first single. Back then he was singing about his “dancing shoes,” and the vocoder-heavy track hasn’t exactly aged well. … Continue reading
Some may argue to the contrary, but for my money HyunA hasn’t given us a truly great solo single since 2014’s Red. Instead, she’s been caught in an unending loop of releasing essentially the same song year after year. For this reason, Babe‘s shift in sound is worth celebrating alone. HyunA cemented her solo super-stardom … Continue reading
Since their debut last November, I’ve struggled to really connect with Victon’s sound. Debut track I’m Fine was fun but lightweight, and the jerky production of follow-up Eyez Eyez just didn’t captivate. Interestingly, their strongest moment thus far has been the streamlined dance pop of What Time Is It Now, which was only promoted as an … Continue reading
DIA have fallen into a classic rookie group trap, releasing comeback tracks of so many different genres and concepts that it often feels like the girls are trying on a series of outfits rather than finding one style that actually fits. It doesn’t help that the group has also been in constant flux, gaining and … Continue reading
Now that Wonder Girls are officially disbanded, many have been curious what each member will release as a soloist. Sunmi hasn’t necessarily been a stranger to solo work, but it’s already been three years since her highly successful mini album, Full Moon. When it was announced that she would be working with YG’s super-producer Teddy … Continue reading
Back with double title tracks, Taeyang has made a long awaited comeback as mandatory military enlistment looms in the distance. While Darling stripped back on production flourishes to shine a strong spotlight on his powerful vocals, Wake Me Up takes a trendier approach. Bigbang, and its members’ solo work, have such an idiosyncratic sound that … Continue reading
Sometimes the pure inanity of k-pop is a real sight to behold. I like to imagine a totally new reader stumbling upon The Bias List by accident and taking a look at this review’s title. For those not deep within the k-pop landscape already, “oguogu” + “gugudan” + “ice chu” = wtf. But at a time … Continue reading
While Boyfriend have released a string of solid singles for the Japanese market during the past two years, they’ve been criminally ignored in their native Korea. Beyond a non-promoted anniversary song, we haven’t heard from the guys since March of 2015. And that’s a shame. Boyfriend has one of the strongest, most consistent discographies out … Continue reading
Only a few days after Girls’ Generation‘s big tenth anniversary album, former member Jessica Jung is back with her own celebration, entitled My Decade. While it could be argued that the move (and album title) is a bit petty, Jessica deserves to honor her own career just as much as the group she was once … Continue reading
After a burst of music show performances in the spring, last month’s Every DAY6 release Hi Hello didn’t seem to be pushed or promoted very hard. But though that song felt a bit underwhelming the first few listens, it was one of July’s biggest growers, offering a hazy, subdued counterpoint to the summer’s more bombastic … Continue reading
CLC have returned with a vastly different concept and sound almost every time they’ve released an album, causing their discography to have a fragmented personality that has made it difficult for them to establish a lasting fan base. In some ways, I feel like I’ve been overly harsh on their output, but it’s hard to … Continue reading
Only a few weeks after their comeback as a four-member group, Nine Muses have returned with a single that flips the dark, evocative sound of Remember into a brighter dance pop concoction. Throughout the years, the girls have proven themselves capable of delivering high quality material regardless of style or group configuration. Love City (러브시티) … Continue reading
Though fellow Block B member Zico has stolen most of the thunder when it comes to solo material, Park Kyung has carved a nice little niche for himself. His style tends to be a little more conversational, focusing on sing-songy hooks and a generally unadorned blend of indie, jazz and r&b influences. He found great … Continue reading
Well, I suppose it had to happen eventually. After releasing a string of five outstanding singles, GFriend have returned with a song that feels dangerously close to “so-so.” Though a momentary drop in quality is inevitable for most groups, GFriend have been on such a roll these past few years. Their “powerful innocence” concept and … Continue reading
Now that Queens of Summer Sistar have disbanded, much has been made about who their successors might be. So far, I’d give the 2017 crown to Red Velvet, but there are still several weeks of summer left. Riding high on the success of their Hwi Hwi comeback in April, Laboum are the latest girl group … Continue reading
Though primarily focused on a trendy (at the time) high energy dance pop, Turbo has always shown the potential for a more retro-inspired sound. Their 90’s mega-hit Twist King was entirely indebted to this nostalgic appeal, and in some ways Hot Sugar (뜨거운 설탕) feels like its successor. Of course, flash forward twenty years and … Continue reading
Offbeat j-pop group Bullet Train have really been pushing the boundaries with their more recent material, forging a path toward an everything-goes pop style that feels more divisive than much of their past work. New single My Buddy (mostly) dials down on the instrumental hyperactivity, painting a bright melody that fully embraces its own cheesiness. … Continue reading
