One thing that’s surprised me most about 2026 in K-pop is the sheer number of active bands in the idol industry. It feels like everyone’s strapping on a guitar these days — or maybe they’ve all just been making comebacks/debuts during the first few months of the year. Dragon Pony were ahead of the trend, … Continue reading
LOONA spin-off Loossemble are currently without an agency, unable to release new music since 2024. As a salve for anxious fans, their youngest member YeoJin has returned today with a solo track. Sugar Talk will likely please those in the mood for a vibey LOONAVERSE track, even if it sounds like “easy listening” to me. … Continue reading
It’s been more and more common for groups to film music videos for follow up tracks. It’s a great way for rookies to keep their name in public discourse and have one more chance for a legitimate hit right out of the gate. Just a couple of weeks since their debut, DAILY:DIRECTION are already back … Continue reading
Onew’s prolific streak as a solo artist continues with another mini album. His solo work has largely shifted between ballads and quirky (but subdued) dance tracks. New single Tough Love splits the difference, moving between moments of vocal heft and jagged electronic breakdowns. At the very least, this music is more interesting than what most … Continue reading
MADEIN’s recent comeback repainted them as rockers. The song didn’t enjoy much longevity on my own playlist, but I appreciated their embrace of a different sound in K-pop’s current girl group landscape. Now, they’ve released a music video for follow-up track PUNG, which is far more reserved in both sound and execution. I’m actually kind … Continue reading
WOODZ’s enormous success with Drowning came at an interesting time, when he was on hiatus due to military conscription and couldn’t immediately capitalize upon the track’s unlikely chart rise. Since returning, he’s released several new songs but nothing has yet recaptured Drowning‘s fortunes. Now, he’s back with his first full album — a sprawling seventeen-track … Continue reading
I’m not looking out for new Infinite music with the ferocity I once was, so I didn’t even realize it’s been such a long time since leader Kim Sung Kyu released a new album. It’s been almost three years, and last month’s pre-release Over It re-introduced his rock side under new label Billions. That sound … Continue reading
A BLACKPINK comeback still feels like a big event in K-pop. Not only do they release music infrequently, but that music tends to have a uniquely global appeal that makes it a hit all around the world. Despite some initial hesitations, I warmed to last year’s Jump quite a bit and it became one of … Continue reading
Around this time last year, One Pact delivered a sneaky little hit in the form of 100. That light funk sound fit them well, but they never followed up with something similar. One year later, new title track Sane couldn’t be any more different. Sane plays with heavy textures, clobbering the listener with walls of … Continue reading
It seems that OnlyOneOf are no more, but in their place we have new group QQQ, comprised of members KB and Nine and former member Love. Usually, a splintering like this would be cause for worry, but OnlyOneOf were well-known for their self-composed music and the masterminds behind it are in this group. K-pop could … Continue reading
AtHeart debuted last summer with Plot Twist, whose title of course reminds me of another iconic K-pop song of recent years. Unfortunately, their sound was less iconic, echoing many current girl group trends. It’s been a too-long hiatus between releases for such a new act, so I was eager to see if this break resulted … Continue reading
In between conquering Korean charts with their title track and album Blue Valentine, NMIXX have maintained an unlikely collaboration with Brazilian drag artist Pabllo Vittar. This pairing sounds more fun than the actual music it has spawned, but it’s always nice when K-pop agencies remember that “global outreach” doesn’t automatically mean going to America. And … Continue reading
With K-pop so inactive this year, we haven’t seen many big debuts. I’m not sure DAILY:DIRECTION counts as “big,” either. After all, they’re only the first act to emerge from their agency ODDWAVE. However, many of the members are already known to fans. We’ve got guys from NINE.i, Mirae, Boys II Planet and B:MY BOYZ. … Continue reading
Even as its members begin to enlist, NCT’s enormous universe guarantees there will be plenty of music regardless of how many performers may be on hiatus. As the brand’s youngest group, NCT Dream is still very much active, but even they have joined in on the sub-unit approach with NCT JNJM — a duo consisting … Continue reading
As SM Entertainment’s bid for fifth-gen girl group domination, Hearts2Hearts had a slow start but have charted progressively better with each comeback. New single RUDE! arrives with plenty of hype, not only because of the group’s potential but also because it finally breaks a late-winter hiatus for the industry. So far, my favorite Hearts2Hearts track … Continue reading
Of all the K-pop agencies, SM Entertainment boasts the largest legacy in the Japanese market. J-pop discographies from BoA, TVXQ, Girls Generation and SHINee match or eclipse their Korean counterparts, as the company invested in Japan early. However, the past few years have seen a more scattershot approach. New releases are infrequent — especially from … Continue reading
Well, the day has finally come. We have our first completely AI-generated music video for a K-pop act. I suppose we should be thankful that the agency isn’t trying to hide this fact — even billing it as an exciting promo tactic. However, the cynic in me believes this technique will become commonplace in the … Continue reading
Korean charts — as with any global music chart, really — tend to be slow to change, with some monster hits sticking around for years. As someone who is always ready to move onto the next best thing, it always surprises me when listeners are intent to play the same song over and over and … Continue reading
K-pop’s 2026 may not have delivered much of note so far, but it has given us a steady drip of new music from the expansive boy group project idntt. This is their third song I’m writing about this year (fourth if you count a “buried treasure” post). I guess having so many members and configurations … Continue reading
Over nine years since her debut with KARD, the group’s youngest Jiwoo makes her solo debut today. This comes after KARD’s popularity has softened in Korea. They’ve transitioned to a more international career and the sound of Home Sweet Home seems to play into that approach. The song opens with a sparse beat, shining full … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 