P1Harmony are getting in on the ‘follow-up music video’ game, releasing a video for album track L.O.Y.L. less than a week after title track Unique. I was not a fan of that song and its braggadocious spirit, but other listeners seemed to think that the album as a whole was stronger. At the very least, … Continue reading
New boy group AmbiO have released a few digital singles already, but today marks their official debut. The title of their first album promises ambition and they’ve opted for the kind of bright boy group sound that usually goes down well for me. However, title track Showtime is sadly lacking in one important way. The … Continue reading
Latency made their debut earlier this year, fashioned together from several ex-idols and reinvented as a band. Much of the discourse around their debut centered around whether the girls actually knew how to play their instruments, making the song feel more manufactured than organic. But, this is K-pop. “Manufactured” is hardly a concern for most … Continue reading
The co-ed ChoCo1 x ChoCo2 debuted earlier this year with a bit of online controversy that felt manufactured to spawn discussion. The actual music was quite dire, reheating sounds popularized by ALLDAY PROJECT last year. Now, they’re back promoting b-side Frenzy. This one’s more palatable than its predecessor but still struggles to justify the group’s … Continue reading
AB6IX are back today with their third full-length album. This comes during the year of their contract renewal. It will be interesting to see what they decide to do. After a strong commercial start, the group has occupied a mid-to-low tier space that sees them consistently releasing music but rarely making any waves. New single … Continue reading
Seventeen’s Hoshi may be away from the industry serving his mandatory military enlistment, but that doesn’t stop music from being released. New single Baby, Honey (아기자기) surprise drops on a Saturday, which is quite unusual for K-pop. Maybe more plugged-in Hoshi fans than I can explain if there’s specific significance to the date March 14th. … Continue reading
Thus far in their career, Odd Youth have favored chirpy sing-talk and zealous chants. Needless to say, this isn’t a combination that tends to appeal to me, but they’re now over a year into promotions and it’s time to move things in a slightly more streamlined direction. Babyface does just that, maintaining their youthful energy … Continue reading
Rookies AtHeart returned with a dull pre-release last month, making me hope they’d saved their best material for their album’s title track. Butterfly Doors offers a slightly different taste, but sadly I remain underwhelmed by the music. This song marries several youthful elements (nursery rhyme melodies in the verses — icy, music box-esque synth) with … Continue reading
Rookies Baby DONT Cry have a new mini album on the horizon, but like so many of their peers they’re kicking off promotions with a pre-release. I enjoyed their last title track I DONT CARE quite a bit and Shapeshifter continues its pop-forward sound, sadly leaving the anthemic synths behind. The energy is less bombastic … Continue reading
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
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 