Brave Girls appear once in a blue moon, descending upon the K-pop industry like an immortal, unending force. Much to our delight, they deliver a little pop truffle before disappearing once more — a mythical entity that may not return until years later. This fiction vastly overstates their impact on the K-pop market, but I’m … Continue reading
Former Monsta X member Wonho fell victim to K-pop’s quick-to-judge outrage machine, exiting the group in dramatic fashion last October. Since then, he’s gone on to foster a solo career. After months of waiting, pre-release Losing You is the first taste of what a future Wonho discography might sound like. With that in mind, it’s … Continue reading
Korean band Lucy gained prominence through 2019 survival show JTBC SuperBand, resulting in a debut earlier this year. I never wrote about Flowering, though I thought it was a refreshing rock track that took ample advantage of the fact they have a violinist as part of their roster. If I had it my way, Lucy … Continue reading
I never watched Mnet’s Good Girl (too busy recapping frustrating episodes of Road to Kingdom), but I know that some of the series’ songs have gotten a fair amount of hype. And, any venue that gives Hyolyn a chance to shine is okay with me. She has one of my favorite K-pop voices, and I’ve … Continue reading
Han Seungwoo has had a whirlwind year. After ranking third in 2019’s Produce X 101, his immediate future seemed to be set as leader of project group X1. Yet after only one single, the group was disbanded and he returned to his original group Victon, who had since risen from the ashes thanks to Produce’s … Continue reading
YG boy group Treasure are easily the most anticipated debut of 2020 so far. But, let’s be honest. With a few exceptions, YG Entertainment’s post-2017 material has been more successful at building hype than actually delivering on it. It’s hard to remain a dedicated fan of a hype machine when there’s no payoff. After well … Continue reading
In preparation for my “Summer of K-pop” series, I’ve been revisiting a lot of girl group summertime songs. This has made me crave the kind of breezy, exciting material delivered by acts like Sistar, BESTie, Red Velvet and Girl’s Day. 2020 has offered its share of summer tracks, but too many have been marred by … Continue reading
The fact that 1THE9 pulled a song like Bad Guy out of the hat just before disbandment is a surprising feat. It’s not that they guys didn’t deserve it – they’re far more talented than most give them credit for. But, the whole Under 19 project wasn’t the success that MBC was likely looking for. … Continue reading
After over a year and a half without a Korean comeback, Taemin’s 2 Kids arrives as a “prologue single” for his upcoming full album, to be released in two parts. As such, I’m curious what it means for the sound of that album. Is 2 Kids a peek at what’s to come? Does it provide … Continue reading
Not everything can be for everyone, and over the course of the past few comebacks, I’ve learned that (G)I-DLE’s music isn’t often for me. Even when I can objectively recognize certain songs as “good,” they still grate on my ears. I think this comes down to Soyeon’s approach to songwriting. I recognize how popular she’s … Continue reading
As part of my “Summer of K-pop” feature, I recently wrote about Eric Nam’s 2014 single Ooh Ooh. In doing so, I was reminded how effectively that song harnessed his charms. He has a pleasant pop voice and amiable presence, well-suited to light, funky dance tracks. New single Paradise takes him down a more well-worn … Continue reading
With few exceptions, a title like “Nunu Nana” tells me exactly what to expect from the song. It’s unlikely to be the kind of melodically robust pop track I tend to gravitate toward. Its chorus will almost certainly be a repetitive jumble of nonsense words tied to a rhythmic beat drop. And in this regard, … Continue reading
Of all the tracks I would choose for promotion on WayV’s (very solid) album, Bad Alive would be pretty low on the totem pole. And, I certainly wouldn’t opt for a (mostly) English-language revamp. This isn’t meant to be a knock on the track itself. As a piece of music, it’s solid. But stacked against … Continue reading
I feel like every summer we get a few of these “rapper featuring vocalist” music videos that involve posing on fancy boats and cavorting among palm trees. I like to imagine all of these videos being filmed simultaneously, with hundreds of yacht-and-rapper combos sailing the same small body of water without bumping into each other. … Continue reading
Though her voice was a vital part of Sistar’s appeal, I’ve always felt that Soyou was underrated as a performer. It doesn’t help that most of her solo work has been relatively subdued, coasting more on mood than dynamic songwriting. New single Gotta Go (가라고) makes a drastic genre shift, challenging her with attitude-driven, percussive … Continue reading
It feels like ONEUS are a little late to the game, releasing the music video to their Road to Kingdom finale track Come Back Home over a month after the series ended. I guess they’re positioning it as a prologue for their upcoming comeback rather than an epilogue to the series. Thus far, Kingdom has … Continue reading
It’s amazing how quickly military enlistment changes a group’s standing in K-pop. At the height of their fame, Beast were one of the premiere idol groups, and that success continued even after they re-formed as Highlight. But with most of the members now serving in the military, it feels like their heyday was ages ago. … Continue reading
This is a little off-topic, but on more than one occasion I’ve misread Time Turner’s title as “Tina Turner.” Now, that’s a K-pop concept I would like to see! In all seriousness, Time Turner (시간을 넘어서) is probably an apt title, because it feels like a miracle in the time-space continuum that The Man BLK … Continue reading
N.Flying have had an atypical breakthrough ever since last year’s Rooftop. Though none of their follow-up material has yet to match the ubiquity of that track, they’re not a one-hit wonder either. Their albums sell well enough, and a number of variety show appearances have helped keep their name in the conversation. Like Rooftop, digital … Continue reading
Since returning from the military, Super Junior’s Kyuhyun has released a solo single album and new work with his group and sub-unit K.R.Y. SM Entertainment’s SJ Label has allowed for greater flexibility when it comes to release schedules, resulting in several digital singles free from the promotional machine that usually accompanies idol music. This matches … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 