When writing about Yuqi’s pre-release Could It Be several weeks ago, I was hoping we’d hear more edgy rock influences from her title track. After all, 2021’s Bonnie & Clyde remains a high water mark for both her and (G)I-DLE. With the release of Freak, I (sort of) got what I hoped for, though it’s … Continue reading
Kim Woojin — formerly of Stray Kids — has crafted an enduring solo career, teaming with big name producers like Ryan Jhun to deliver solid grooves that echo the successes of other K-pop soloists. I Like The Way is the latest in this line and it’s as enjoyable as it is generic. There’s nothing here … Continue reading
Now that the expansion of the NCT project has ended and its first member has enlisted in the military, I predict we’ll see more solo work from the guys. This has been a long time coming. There’s a wealth of talent under the sprawling NCT umbrella. Doyoung’s voice has always been one of my favorite … Continue reading
I haven’t been keeping up with idol band ONEWE and didn’t realize two of its members had been discharged from the military earlier this year. Yonghoon and Kanghyun are back for the group’s new track and they’ve certainly been missed. Beautiful Ashes (추억의 소각장) sees the guys continuing where they left off, though it’s a … Continue reading
In what’s becoming a clear pattern, ILLIT are the latest HYBE-associated K-pop act to see record-breaking success on the charts with their debut Magnetic. Many fans have become upset about their persistent comparisons to NewJeans, but although the details may be unique for each act, I think the observation is apt. We need a name … Continue reading
With the new LOONA-adjacent act ARTMS steadily releasing music, the renamed Loossemble are here to offer their own addition to the ever-expanding LOONAverse. Last year’s re-debut Sensitive showed promise, and new single Girl’s Night builds on that with a blast of feel-good fun. The song is still firmly within their wheelhouse, powered by muted synth … Continue reading
DKZ are the latest K-pop group to release an album called “Reboot.” For whatever reason, these “reboots” have a really great track record, resulting in super strong work from Wonder Girls, Golden Child and Treasure. But this time around, I’m not really sure what DKZ are rebooting. Title track Like A Movie sounds like it … Continue reading
The lead-up to ARTMS’s debut album promises a number of tracks and videos, quickly establishing the lore it took over a year for creative director Jaden Jeong to craft with LOONA. This kicked off with intro track Birth, which felt more like a series of ideas than a full-fledged song. New track Flower Rhythm is … Continue reading
K-pop loves nothing more than to run a trend into the ground. You’ll get a fresh, exciting debut track (ITZY, NewJeans) only to see years of middling copies that suck all the charm from the sounds you first fell in love with. We’re currently in an age of what many have called “easy listening” girl … Continue reading
Three years ago, (G)I-DLE’s Yuqi released the brilliant Bonnie & Clyde — a pummeling piece of pop/rock with the driving energy of a dance track. That song utilized her husky tone in ways we rarely hear from (G)I-DLE’s work, making me long for more solo work. That era is finally upon us with a mini … Continue reading
Catch The Young’s debut song ended up growing on me over time, but my biggest impression was that the track was very strong but the performance left something to be desired. Funny enough, follow-up Voyager has the exact opposite problem. The guys sound much more comfortable here and the vocal performance is way more polished, … Continue reading
Nothing has been more depressing than watching the slow downward drift of Woollim Entertainment. They’ve long been host to my favorite K-pop artists and an A&R team who reliably selects top tier songs. However, the agency hasn’t released more than a three-song single album since November 2022. I’m not sure what’s going on, but their … Continue reading
“Spring songs” don’t seem to be as big a deal in K-pop as they used to be. This time of year, we used to be assaulted with all sorts of gentle, coffeeshop fare perfect for the season. But now that “subdued” has become a K-pop buzzword, I guess many songs fit this bill without needing … Continue reading
Today marks the debut of Cube Entertainment’s Nowadays. They follow in the footsteps of agency seniors Beast, BTOB and Pentagon, each of which debuted with a song very in keeping with their K-pop era. By all accounts, we’re now in K-pop’s fifth generation, but the boisterous OoWee feels more in line with the industry’s past … Continue reading
What to do with a solo Lucas single in 2024? I’ll let others rant about the moral implications of debuting him as a soloist. I’m very good about separating the artist from the art. As a rabid Michael Jackson fan, that’s become a necessity! As always on this blog, I’d like to focus on Renegade … Continue reading
Bang Yongguk’s solo music can be hard to pin down. I often classify him as an artist who mixes rock and rap in evocative, moody ways. But then a song like Movimiento comes along. Bucking expectations, this track brings Yongguk to the dancefloor. A club beat runs under nearly every moment of Movimiento, tying his … Continue reading
The extended “LOONAverse” continues to fracture and expand since the initial group’s dissolution last year. Some members have become a new act called Loossemble, Chuu’s gone solo and five more (JinSoul, HaSeul, Kim Lip, HeeJin, and Choerry) have signed with creative director Jaden Jeong to form ARTMS. This new group doesn’t officially debut until the … Continue reading
Of all the new girl groups debuting this week, I was most looking forward to Candy Shop. This is more to do with the song production of K-pop legend Brave Brothers than anything else. Candy Shop is his agency’s first new girl group after Brave Girls (now BB Girls) departed last year. The only thing … Continue reading
“New K-Pop Girl Group Week” rolls on with the debut of UNIS. They were formed through SBS reality show Universe Ticket and include members of Cignature and PRIKIL (a J-pop group). They’re a “project group,” which presumably means they’ll only promote for a limited time. That makes the quality of their music all the more … Continue reading
SM Entertainment is in full swing this week, releasing a new NCT Dream mini album yesterday and a new single from K-pop legend BoA today. New BoA music is always something to celebrate, even if her promotions are usually more subdued these days. The sound of new single Emptiness (정말, 없니?) echoes this approach, harnessing … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 