Top Media’s first ever girl group teased their debut last month with pre-release Best Friendz. From that song alone, it felt as if their music would be pitched toward a younger audience. Their proper debut track arrives today and shines more light on where the group may be headed. After Best Friendz, it’s pretty jarring … Continue reading
In the lead-up to BABYMONSTER’s first full album, they’ve teased all of its songs except title track Drip. We even heard the full album opener Clik Clak two days ago. I haven’t been impressed by much of the group’s discography so far, but YG Entertainment always seems to come up with at least one highlight … Continue reading
Around this time last year, BTOB left their longtime agency Cube Entertainment. They’ve since established their own BtoB Company to manage activities for most members, presumably giving them more creative freedom. As their first group effort since this transition, Please Stay (불씨) doesn’t reveal much change. The emotive ballad sits well within their established discography. … Continue reading
TVXQ are set to release a 20th Anniversary album in Japan early next month. They already unveiled its lead track Sweet Surrender a few weeks ago and now they’re teasing again with the classic ballad Dearest. Some of their most successful Japanese work has been within this musical realm, and given the special occasion it’s … Continue reading
The Boyz had a very strong run of 2023 singles, but their 2024 has been comparatively sparse — at least where new music is concerned. Moving on from their Phantasy series, the guys are back with an edgier sound. Trigger careens between high-tempo electro pop and bombastic theatricality. Unfortunately, that mix sounds better on paper … Continue reading
In the lead-up to their second album, Twice sub-unit Misamo unveiled a cover of Namie Amuro’s 2008 hit New Look. As a lover of the original song, I found the update supremely lacking. It drained all energy from an otherwise solid piece of music. Now, the girls are back to right the ship with original … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Falling Asleep Again (from Parallel/Rainbow – 2017) We’re back to ballad territory with this one. I tend not to listen to ballads often on their own, but I appreciate them within the context of an album. Falling Asleep Again is a fine … Continue reading
BTS’s Jin marks a big milestone by being the first member to return from the military and release music. And, I’m not talking about his Super Tuna from a few weeks ago! He’s ready to unveil an entire album, led by pre-release I’ll Be There. And with names like Gary Barlow and Arcades on the … Continue reading
Before he enlists in the military, NCT’s Jaehyun is set to hold a two day fancon and has released a new single to tide us over while he enters hiatus. Unconditional arrives only two months since his first solo album and continues the vibey, on-trend r&b sound he established there. This seems to be the … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Emotional Days (from Fallin’ Light – 2019) GFriend’s Japanese work is very hit or miss for me, which is funny because their best material strongly recalls J-pop sounds. Emotional Days’ repetitive melody has potential, but the song never builds into anything spectacular. … Continue reading
tripleS “Visionary Vision” has to be one of the more ridiculous sub-unit names to emerge lately, fully embracing an adjective-noun repetition like an extraordinary extraordinaire. But hey, this is K-pop! Fun with language is just an added bonus. Group name aside, Visionary Vision marks the debut of tripleS’s first dance-based sub-unit. Hit The Floor delivers … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Dreamcatcher (from Labyrinth – 2020) Dreamcatcher opens with evocative tones, promising a textured instrumental that largely comes to pass. The production is the most immersive thing about this track, providing a sense of fullness with beds of synth and percussion that reminds … Continue reading
Rookie group POW burst out of the gate with the solid pop/rock of Favorite last year, but have struggled to find songs as equally strong since then. So rather than reinvent the wheel, they’ve embraced a proven hit with their remake of Avril Lavigne’s 2007 smash Girlfriend. The guys have K-popped the whole thing, cribbing … Continue reading
I haven’t been shy in voicing my displeasure/disinterest with K-pop’s current trend of beige, easy-listening girl group fare. The sound has become ubiquitous over the past year, dulling the excitement of many new groups. But within this sonic realm, ILLIT’s megahit Magnetic stood out as a solid example of the genre. Now they’re back with … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Distance (from LOL – 2016) LOL is a very energetic pop album, but of course it has its softer moments as well. Distance is a bit of a weird one, seeming to borrow equally from reggae and harmonica-driven folk. Its chorus has … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Crème Brûlée (from Song Of The Sirens – 2020) The plucky percussion that opens this track gives me bad flashbacks to when this style of production was ubiquitous in K-pop. I’m not a fan of this overall vibe. It’s too slow to … Continue reading
Billlie pre-released the understated Trampoline last week, complete with a low-budget music video that suggested they were saving their resources for their album’s title track. Remembrance Candy (기억사탕) is that title, arriving within the quirky worldbuilding we’ve come to expect from the group. It also scores a co-write from IU, who worked on the lyrics. … Continue reading
Though they’ve lost members along the way, CNBLUE has slowly and surely grown into one of K-pop’s longest running bands. At this point, you can pretty accurately predict how their music will sound before even hearing it, which can be both comfortable and frustrating. New single A Sleepless Night (그리운건 그대일까 그때일까) is another solid … Continue reading
It’s exceedingly rare for a K-pop act to drop two full-length albums in the space of a year, but that seems to be EPEX’s plan. The date for their upcoming album hasn’t yet been set, but My Girl acts as its pre-release. The guys delivered an impressive one-two punch this spring, making me hope their … Continue reading
With as many digital singles as Xdinary Heroes have released this year, it hasn’t felt like the band has ever gone away. So rather than a comeback, Night Before The End acts as an extension. It also takes the opportunity to showcase a new texture to the band’s sound, slowing its energy for a dramatic … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 