In a climate where k-pop is dominated by SM and YG Entertainment, it can be easy to overlook JYP, which many consider to be Korea’s third most influential music agency. While SM and YG have been generally sticking by their respective trends and genres, JYP artists have actually given us an incredibly eclectic mix of styles … Continue reading
Along with the rest of their artists’ music, SM’s Station project has seen an interesting shift towards the 90’s house genre. Starting as primarily a showcase for their roster of musicians to deliver one-off ballads, we’ve gotten to the point where a song like My Show sees an in-house producer pairing with a musical actress … Continue reading
Poor Zhoumi. Always getting the short end of the stick. His comebacks arrive with little fanfare or explanation, and they’re gone before you know it. This is despite him being a part of Chinese sub-group Super Junior M, which used to be SM Entertainment’s core Chinese group. Empty Room arrives as (presumably) a pre-release before … Continue reading
Together, Super Junior’s Kim Heechul and Trax’s Kim Jungmo form duo M&D, known for their unique brand of trot and anime influenced rock. It certainly won’t be to everyone’s taste, but I found their debut mini album to be one of last year’s most pleasant surprises. The new release is more diverse in scope, but … Continue reading
I was not impressed with girl group Matilda’s debut back in March, but I was hoping they’d pull a KNK and blow me away with the follow up. While Summer Again is leagues better as a song, the girls still have some work to do in order to create the pop masterpiece I know they … Continue reading
I was so looking forward to this release. Back in April, NCT U impressed with The 7th Sense and utterly blew me away with Without You. And as I’ve gotten to know more about the guys in the group, they’re a rookie project that I’ve been anticipating more and more. NCT 127 (named for Seoul’s … Continue reading
Four-member girl group Melody Day have returned after last year’s surprisingly solid Speed Up and switched the sound up a bit with Color (깔로). They’re a group searching for their defining moment in order to stand out against the incredibly stiff competition. I’m not sure Color will do much to skyrocket their careers, but it’s a … Continue reading
SM Entertainment keeps their solo comebacks chugging along with Starlight, which is a prerelease for Taeyeon’s second album. Title track Why promises something more informed by dance music, but Starlight takes a laid back approach. It also pairs Taeyeon with up-and-comer DEAN, which feels like a smart business move for both of them. In fact, … Continue reading
R&B crooner Babylon has featured on some pretty big hits, but has yet to fully break out as a solo artist. His voice is one half Taeyang and one half G.Soul, which works to both his advantage and detriment. Crush On You (처음 본 여자는 다 예뻐) does a fine job showcasing those vocals, yet … Continue reading
What do you do when you want to love a group but you have no faith in the agency that supports them? Such is the case with Madtown. By all accounts, they have the skills, charisma and personality to make it big. Their most visible member, Jota, has also proven himself an eminently likable variety … Continue reading
SM Entertainment’s Station platform seems to have taken a turn towards the uptempo now that summer is approaching. This week’s track pairs SM royalty BoA with popular rapper Beenzino, and it’s a smart match. They’re given a somewhat generic dance track to work with, but manage to imbue it with enough of their own style … Continue reading
As BTOB continues to rise in their homeland, they’ve also carved out a pretty successful career in Japan. Though I find much of their j-pop material to be more reductive and schmaltzy than their Korean output, there’s no denying that the big balladry of L.U.V allows the guys a platform to display their substantial vocal … Continue reading
U-KISS are back in Korea after an extended hiatus. Though they’ve been away for about a year and a half, it’s been even longer since they’ve returned with a dance track. The beat-driven Stalker recalls the glory years of their 2009-2012 output, while also sounding different from anything they’ve released so far. Stalker kicks off … Continue reading
Another week, another SM Station release. One of the cool things this music platform has done is allow EXO members to have long-overdue solos. Granted, the songs aren’t really promoted or given the budget a full-fledged solo debut would have, but it’s still nice to hear the guys branch out a bit. Next on the … Continue reading
You’ve got to feel for a group like Tahiti. They’ve been around since 2012, released seven singles, and yet still remain an almost unrecognizable presence in the kpop world. Their songs come out, they’re performed on music shows, and the girls return to relative obscurity without the momentum they so desperately need. It’s a vicious … Continue reading
Boyfriend have been away from the kpop scene for too long. Throughout their career, they’ve released a truly under-appreciated barrage of modern pop classics. Luckily, their Japanese discography has also been pretty strong, so we have those releases to fill the long gaps in between comebacks. Glider is the most recent, and it is super, … Continue reading
Romeo gave us two of the best pop songs of last year, working with Sweetune to deliver a dynamic, propulsive sound similar to early Infinite. With the news that they had recently switched agencies, I was nervous how that might affect their music. It’s too early to tell, because even thought Nightmare (악몽) enlists new producers … Continue reading
When f(x)’s Amber released her debut mini-album last year, my favorite track by far was the lush Love Run. What’s notable about this is that the track is entirely sung, despite Amber being known as the rapper in her group. I don’t think anyone would crown her as a powerhouse vocalist, but Love Run was the first time … Continue reading
Girl group AOA have quickly risen to the top of the kpop world, due largely to the amazing material producer Brave Brothers has given them. Good Luck marks a turning point, with a shift in both sound and songwriting team. And while the song more or less maintains AOA’s quality musical output, I can’t help but wish for a … Continue reading
JYP’s G.Soul has come back with double title tracks, each one quite distinctive from the other. While the light reggae of Far, Far Away tackled a new genre, Where Do We Go From Here is much more strongly indebted to the sound G.Soul’s given us so far. There’s no denying that his voice is made for … Continue reading
