Last month, i-dle’s Soyeon pre-released her track Star off her upcoming full length solo album. Today, that album finally materializes alongside title track I’m Gonna TOESA (퇴사할게여). For those curious, “toesa” is a romanization of the Korean slang for “quitting a job.” In my line of word it sounds like “TOSA,” a acronym for “teacher … Continue reading
Ten’s music is no longer promoted solely to K-pop audiences, aiming for global reach instead. Like his recent singles, Outwest is performed in English and adopts a sound palatable to the widest audience possible. This is not a unique approach, but it’s one that almost always results in music far less idiosyncratic than it could … Continue reading
Monsta X have been moving between Korean and English-language releases, shoring up both fanbases as they enter a new stage of their career. New single Magic is co-produced by the prolific Dem Jointz, whose “iiiiincooomminnng!” producer tag has begun to wear on me. It’s gotten to the point where I expect the worst the moment … Continue reading
Of all the BLACKPINK solo releases, Jisoo’s music has felt the most localized. Obviously, it’s been popular worldwide, but last year’s mini album still felt very much in the K-pop mold. New single Click comes ahead of a promised album, and sees her branching into a more obvious global direction with fully English lyrics and … Continue reading
ChRocktikal made their debut early this year as the new band project of Dreamcatcher’s Siyeon. Their album garnered passionate support from fans, especially those who loved Dreamcatcher’s rock sound. Now, the group is back with their first mini album and title track Requiem. This is one of those end-of-summer songs that feels like it should … Continue reading
In the seventeen months since we last heard from Kwon Eunbi on this blog, she’s switched agencies, leaving poor Woollim Entertainment home to Drippin and Golden Child’s Jangjun and… no one else. She’s now signed with RBW, an agency that can be very prolific but tends to flatten their artists’ sounds in generic ways. New … Continue reading
82MAJOR have made their name on a quirky, often confrontational, hip-hop sound. As teasers were starting to roll out for new single Like Fire, I noticed some fans online expressing disappointment that the song seemed to be trending in a more mainstream direction. However, I don’t hold much stock in the 82MAJOR discography so I’m … Continue reading
Chungha hasn’t actively promoted a new single since early 2025. Those hoping for a new album after this long hiatus will have to wait because she’s back with a digital single instead. Chungha famously spent eight years living in Texas, and México takes us on a trip to the country just south of that. You … Continue reading
Earlier this year, Taemin debuted a suite of new songs during his Coachella set, teasing fans’ expectations for a new era. We had to wait a few months for that era to materialize, but he’s back today with a full album. Two title tracks are promised from Soft Violence, with Float leading the pack. When … Continue reading
Apart from solo tracks, the members of Girls’ Generation haven’t released new material together since 2022. They’ve worked in sub-units in the past, but not nearly as often as agency peers Super Junior. It’s refreshing, then, to see them debut a new unit nineteen years into their career. HRS consists of members Hyoyeon, Yuri and … Continue reading
The hazy, wistful image posted above this review (which is also the cover of Jennie’s new digital EP) is emblematic of a certain sound that’s permeated global pop music and has weasled its way into K-pop as well. On this blog, I’ve called it “restrained,” “subdued,” “coffeehouse,” “beige” and a dozen other descriptors. It’s the … Continue reading
HITGS debuted as a kiddie group with catchy but cloying material. They’re still quite young, but their work has grown more palatable with time. Today, they’re back with digital single Gulliver, chronicling a crush on a guy with that same name. I wonder how common it is to find a guy named Gulliver in Korea … Continue reading
Along with The Bias List, SF9 are celebrating their tenth anniversary. This is a big deal, as not all acts reach this milestone. And honoring its significance, the guys have released a full album of new material. In 2026, this is also a big deal! Throughout their career, SF9 have never settled on a distinct … Continue reading
Each song promoted from Dino’s alter-ego Picheolin album received a moderate to low rating on this blog, but it turns out he just released all the worst songs because I actually enjoy the rest of the project. Everyone needs to hear the awesome 80s/90s stadium rock pastiche For Jeong And Love, for starters! Then, nestled … Continue reading
HYBE has churned out new idol groups with increasing regularly over the past few years, but the newly-debuted TUIDE are the first act from subsidiary ABD, designed to solely manage girl groups. This is a welcome development, as the corporation has had a difficult time giving their girl groups anything but gimmicky slop lately. Maybe … Continue reading
When describing the concept for NCT 127’s big comeback Blingy at KCON the other week, member Jaehyun offered this fascinating word salad: “It’s uh… it’s a blingy album… ’cause we’re on a journey to find something blingy, but we figure out it’s all in our minds… with our fans too.” Okay, then! This confirms to … Continue reading
i-dle are at a tricky fork in their career where their music no longer becomes an instant chart sensation yet they retain a large enough fan base to keep their career chugging along. At this point, artists can either cater directly to that fanbase or continue trying to score a more mainstream hit even if … Continue reading
ENHYPEN are at an inflection point in their career, having lost member Heeseung earlier in the year as he opted for a solo career. The Sin: Bliss is their first album after this restructuring and is led by title track Bloody Paradise. To be honest, I haven’t been excited about ENHYPEN’s music in years, but … Continue reading
Though Oh My Girl remain stubbornly inactive as a group, its members occasionally release material. Mimi is the group’s rapper and has dabbled in OST tracks before, but Bish Bash Bosh is her official solo debut. The song’s retro electro-hip-hop sound offers an interesting playground for her. When K-pop goes hip-hop (which is like… always), … Continue reading
Kiss Of Life returned earlier this month with the latest in a long line of bare-bones summer tracks, capturing the sweltering nature of the season but refusing to do much as an actual song. However, this group often releases special videos for their b-sides and are already back with a video for the more abrasive, … Continue reading
