Any time I write about a Sistar member releasing new music, it’s only natural to lament the absence of one of K-pop’s strongest girl groups. That’s not fair to the members and I’m sure they’re eager to put past history behind and develop their own artistry, but when you come from a group with as … Continue reading
Tag Archives: rating 7
Song Review: Park Jihoon – Bodyelse
It’s been three years since Park Jihoon was last featured on this blog. That’s practically a decade in K-pop time, as an entire generation of new fans crop up with no real idea who this guy is. For those unsure of the name, Jihoon was one of the pillars of Wanna One, the group formed … Continue reading
Song Review: H//PE Princess – Stolen
These MNET survival shows are getting out of hand because I didn’t even know Unpretty Rapstar: HIP POP Princess existed until I heard about the group spawned from it. H//PE Princess is scheduled to make their full debut soon but they’re testing the waters with pre-release Stolen, which arrives in its Japanese/Korean/English version before the … Continue reading
Song Review: KEYVITUP – Legendary
Rookie group KEYVITUP is now on their third music video from their debut EP. I haven’t been a fan of much from them yet, and calling a track “legendary” is only setting listeners up for disappointment. The word legendary is thrown around too cavalierly in my opinion and certainly doesn’t apply to this song. Rather … Continue reading
Song Review: 82MAJOR – Sign
While I’ve found 82MAJOR’s output to be a mixed bag so far, I’m always interested to hear what they come up with. Of all the younger boy groups pursuing hip-hop as their guiding force, these guys seem to have the most fun with it. Recently, their music has taken a more EDM shift but new … Continue reading
Song Review: NMIXX – Crescendo
Fresh off the massive success of last year’s Blue Valentine, NMIXX are gearing up for its follow-up album. That album is set to release next month, but they’ve started its campaign early with Crescendo. JYP groups have been absolutely prolific at the moment, with multiple acts from the agency promoting at the same time. I … Continue reading
Song Review: LE SSERAFIM – Celebration
All of a sudden, it feels like a certain type of EDM has taken over K-pop — or at the very least taken over HYBE Corporation. This isn’t an unwelcome development in my eyes (anything to kick up the industry’s tempo a bit!), but we haven’t yet arrived at the anthemic, melodic, euphoric early-2010s EDM … Continue reading
Song Review: B1A4 – Rock Paper Scissors
The Bias List is currently churning out new “A Career in Song Ratings” posts, where I rank established artists’ singles runs against each other. When I eventually get to B1A4, they’ll be one of the few groups I split into two entities. For me, there’s such a difference between the five-member version of B1A4 and … Continue reading
Song Review: Donghae (Super Junior) – HAErise
Super Junior’s Donghae has released his first full album today, preceded by the lukewarm Good Day (which I thought sounded like a commercial jingle). However, the album’s highlight medley sounded more promising and the clip of title track HAErise (해 떴네) definitely caught my ears for its dancefloor-ready sound. When the unit Super Junior-D&E first … Continue reading
Song Review: EVNNE – Backtalk
Late last year, Boys Planet spin-off group EVNNE became permanent, though this came at the expense of two members. Now a five-piece, they’ve reoriented their sound to fit the trends of the day. If new single Backtalk (뱉어) is any indication, their A&R team has noted the success of Cortis’s rage hip-hop and decided to … Continue reading
Song Review: NCT Wish – Ode To Love
NCT Wish debuted just over two years ago but have already beaten many of their 2023-24 peers to the punch when it comes to releasing a full album. SM Entertainment is usually pretty generous with their full albums, and I wonder if that’s because the agency’s genesis came at a time when full albums were … Continue reading
Song Review: Taeyong (NCT) – Rock Solid (ft. Anderson .Paak)
Anderson .Paak has become a go-to global collaborator for K-pop acts. In recent years, he’s paired with G-Dragon and BTS’s RM. Now, he’s joined forces with NCT’s Taeyong, who makes his return from military hiatus with new solo single Rock Solid. Given that 2026 is NCT’s tenth anniversary, I expect we’ll see many more special … Continue reading
Song Review: Yves – Nail (ft. Lolo Zouaï)
Yves’s solo career has been marked by collorations with buzzy global artists. When last we saw her on this blog, she paired with PinkPantheress — an artist with outsized influence on the current state of K-pop’s girl groups. For new single Nail, she’s teamed up with American singer Lolo Zouaï. The song doesn’t stray too … Continue reading
Song Review: Wheein (Mamamoo) – The Symphony Of Fxxkboys
It’s not often that a K-pop track demands attention from its title alone, but I certainly did a double take when I spotted the name of Wheein’s new single The Symphony Of Fxxkboys. Not only is it a bold statement for a relatively conservative industry, but its unexpected combination of words instantly makes you wonder … Continue reading
Song Review: HITGS – Cherry Blossom
Throughout their career, HITGS’s music has often hinged upon deliberately cheesy and chintzy sounds. Their early work felt as if it was composed for a kid’s show, but last year’s Happy teased a more mature (and satisfying) transformation. New single Cherry Blossom continues that transformation, but in a disappointingly drowsy way. These soft songs about … Continue reading
Song Review: Be Boys – Slam Dunk
Be Boys made their debut last year with the well-intentioned, but somewhat clumsy, I’m So Sorry But I Love You. Though I didn’t love that song, I appreciated their bright, upbeat energy and certainly have room in my library for more music of this style. New single Slam Dunk continues the youthful verve but pulls … Continue reading
Song Review: ifeye – Hazy (Daisy)
It’s been too long since we last heard from ifeye, especially given their status as rookies needing to get their name out there. Their summer single R U OK? was a slow-burn hit for me, growing more addictive as the season went on and building expectations for what they might return with on future comebacks. … Continue reading
Song Review: PLAVE – Born Savage
I don’t really mess with animated groups, regardless of how they were created or the story behind them. However, PLAVE have grown too big to ignore, easily competing with K-pop’s upper classmen. It helps that they have some fantastic talent working behind the scenes, even if this has rarely resulted in music I’ve gone back … Continue reading
Song Review: TXT – Stick With You
K-pop’s “seven year curse” meant nothing to TXT, as they very quickly renewed their contracts without any publicized drama. I’ve always felt that getting past this seven year mark makes you a K-pop veteran, which is crazy because it feels like the brilliant Crown was only a few years ago. I think about that song … Continue reading
Song Review: &TEAM – We On Fire
Though they didn’t release as much music as usual, &TEAM had a banner year in 2025. They officially became million sellers and made their Korean debut. This has seemed to mark a shift back into moodier music after their stellar, upbeat 2024 output. The group can sell these sounds convincingly, but I hope their increased … Continue reading