Fantagio Entertainment’s new boy group LUN8 has had an oddly fractured debut roll-out. They emerged late last spring and then followed their title track with a sub-unit release in the fall. New single Super Power marks their first official comeback as a full group, and sounds very little like any of the tracks they’ve released … Continue reading
Red Velvet’s Wendy has already established a successful solo career, but it’s existed mostly through ballads that suit her strong vocal power and expression. For new single Wish You Hell, she’s embraced an edgier sound that feels more in line with her group material. As suggested by its title, Wish You Hell slots firmly within … Continue reading
It’s been a long musical hiatus for dance diva Chungha, during which her contract with MNH Entertainment expired and she moved to Jay Park’s label More Vision. Eenie Meenie is the first taste of this new era, and she’s brought along a familiar face to kick things off. Eenie Meenie features ATEEZ’s Hongjoong, instantly raising … Continue reading
Thus far, ZEROBASEONE have found a style that matches them and songs just diverse enough to be both consistent and adventurous. Their Korean title tracks have proven to be big growers on my own playlist, and now it’s time to transpose that onto the Japanese market. Yura Yura is their first original J-pop single. As … Continue reading
The members of iKON continue to stretch their wings, releasing more and more solo releases in varying genres. It’s already been a busy year in this regard, and now lead vocalist Song Yunhyeong is throwing his hat in the ring with the energetic It’s Call (콜이야). Its boisterous trot sound may be surprising at first, … Continue reading
Rather than lean harder into their own sound, LE SSERAFIM’s newest album feels like a bid to become another NewJeans. The problem is, HYBE already has a NewJeans and they’d do much better to diversify the style of the roster. It’s easy to see why a track like Easy was chosen for promotion, and its … Continue reading
There’s been a lot of online discourse lately about the quality of K-pop vocals, and this conversation makes me think back to my favorite second gen groups and the fact that you could easily distinguish each and every members’ voice. To me, vocal character is more important than vocal skill, but Daesung has both. As … Continue reading
Boy group HORI7ON continue to dole out bright, energetic pop music, taking funky cues from early Seventeen with new single Lucky. Though I’ve enjoyed much of their recent material, this group has often been held back by a level of polish that makes their music feel more like an imitator than an innovator. Lucky takes … Continue reading
Girl group Rescene will make their debut late next month, but before that they’ve pre-released Yoyo alongside a shortened music video. The song positions them in the space formerly occupied by acts like GWSN and LOONA — a little quirky and ethereal with nuanced production that often shifts tone and rhythm. Those who are missing … Continue reading
2024 is still young, but we’ve already seen many new debuts. So far, most of these have been boy groups, and Nomad are here to stake their claim within that arena. Their music takes a more hip-hop/R&B route, backed by notable producers within the genre. Their album boasts songs from big names like Tha Aristocratz … Continue reading
iKON’s Bobby has returned with his third album and a dramatic new hairstyle. He’s also paired with Japanese artist Chanmina, trading blows over the banging Harmless. The song brings him back toward cathartic, confrontational hip-hop. Bobby has always pulled off this style well, and Harmless‘s electronic edge has plenty of potential. Its rugged bass immediately … Continue reading
Before NCT’s “infinite” expansion comes to an end, the project has one more debut to unveil. NCT Wish is their first Japanese unit, though their track Wish has been released simultaneously in Korean. The immediate success of RIIZE has proven a hunger for SM Entertainment boy groups unencumbered from the NCT umbrella, but the brand … Continue reading
ATEEZ’s growing J-pop discography has had its share of original tracks, and most of them fit comfortably within their established Korean sound. Not Okay is the latest to join the party, and leverages familiar sounds — for better or worse. I haven’t been shy about expressing my distaste for much of ATEEZ’s recent output. What … Continue reading
I’ve been asked several times to cover PLAVE songs on the blog. I try not to write about “virtual” groups since it feels like opening a can of worms I’m not yet ready for, but PLAVE have become surprising popular. I can’t say I totally get it, but there are lots of things in this … Continue reading
NCT’s Taeyong has been positioned as the breakout solo star of the group, quickly crafting a quirky hip-hop sound that pulls in elements of many different genres. It’s an uphill battle for me, as I find his hyper-affected performance style a little tricky to get into. New single Tap follows suit, upping the eccentricities at … Continue reading
Astro haven’t released a single or album since the passing of member Moonbin last April. Any new music would surely be laced with an undertone of sadness, and that’s completely natural. But for a group who built their name on upbeat bubblegum pop, it’s almost hard to imagine their music taking on a mournful tone. … Continue reading
With so many music videos tied to her new project, IU’s The Winning is turning into a veritable visual album. She certainly has the cachet to support such aggressive promotion, and so far her output has run the musical gamut. The bluesy Shh.. continues expanding the variety. Featuring a trio of guest artists from three … Continue reading
Though they’ve delivered a few pre-release songs, we haven’t had a title track from A.C.E since 2021. The group still isn’t quite whole for new single My Girl, but with Kang Yuchan (Chan) recently coming back from military service, the days of five-member promotions seem just around the corner. As far as long-awaited comebacks go, … Continue reading
The line between “idol” and “artist” can be pretty thin, especially when artists start enlisting idols to feature in their music videos. I’ve never written about a solo BiBi song before, but given her ascent to the top of the digital charts it’s probably time I started paying more attention. New single Sugar Rush will … Continue reading
The JYP family has joined forces for a song advertising Coca-Cola because… why not? Patriarch J.Y. Park has written a real Frankenstein of a track that somehow fails to utilize any of the artists’ skills while digital artists work overtime to jarringly place them within expensive, virtual reality landscapes. None of this makes me thirsty … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 