To me, a knockout debut should immediately establish a group’s identity. It should convince me that there’s a spot for them in an overcrowded marketplace. And, at its finest, a debut should offer something new. 2019 has seen a few debuts like this, but boy group AB6IX have yet to carve out their personal style. … Continue reading
I’ve been surprised by just how many sound-alike ballads the post-Wanna One K-pop landscape has produced so far, but Kim Jaehwan’s Begin Again (안녕하세요) doesn’t surprise me at all. I never expected that he would debut with anything but a ballad (though his mini album showcases a welcome versatility that should be explored further). As … Continue reading
JYP Entertainment has been on such a roll lately. Their all-killer, no-filler 2019 singles run has been strong enough that they even had me excited for new GOT7 music. If you’ve been reading The Bias List long enough, you’ll know that GOT7 have often become the punching bags for my trend-related complaints over the past … Continue reading
Last year, my favorite Seventeen song wasn’t a Korean title track at all. It was their first original Japanese single, Call Call Call, which harnessed the guitar-fueled dance pop sound that I love most from the group. Because of this, anticipation was high for new J-pop track Happy Ending. It’s been exactly a year since … Continue reading
I wasn’t too kind with BVNDIT’s debut single Hocus Pocus, but it wasn’t because it was an objectively bad song. It just felt devoid of any unique point — like musical wallpaper that blended with every other like-minded, tropical-pop offering of the past few years. Luckily, BVNDIT have made a very quick turnaround with their … Continue reading
Though the girls have more or less denied it, there’s a chance that Me & You may be EXID’s final Korean title track — at least in the group’s current incarnation. This speculation comes after members Hani and Jeonghwa chose not to renew their contracts with Banana Culture Entertainment. Cross-agency reunions are not unheard of … Continue reading
Though most Weki Meki singles have ended up growing on me, they tend to have a knockoff quality that makes them feel like lesser versions of other girl group material. Almost two years in, I’ve yet to understand what kind of sound Weki Meki is meant to have. Many describe their title tracks as “messy,” … Continue reading
Taeyeon made her solo Japanese debut last year with the pretty — but extremely safe — Stay. That song jettisoned the funky backbone of Korean single Something New for straightforward, feel-good balladry. Judging from new single Voice, this middle-of-the-road pop style seems to be her go-to J-pop sound. There’s nothing wrong with a little adult … Continue reading
Lim Jimin made waves as part of musical competition The Fan, nearly making it to the final. Along with ITZY’s Yeji (who also competed), it was a foregone conclusion that he’d eventually be part of an idol group once the show was finished. I anticipate that his agency will take their time cobbling together their … Continue reading
Each time I write about an Eric Nam track, the first word that comes to my mind is “amiable.” It’s the perfect descriptor for his crisp pop sound. His music is inherently enjoyable — sometimes smooth, sometimes jubilant, but never demanding. It’s the K-pop equivalent of easy listening, and that doesn’t have to be a … Continue reading
As you might have guessed from reading my glowing end-of-year coverage, Golden Child have become my personal bias group from this new generation of K-pop. So what happens when my favorite group releases a song based on one of my least favorite genres? To be fair, Spring Again (그러다 봄) isn’t really an official comeback. … Continue reading
Musically, boy group Spectrum had a pretty solid 2018. Their sound borrowed heavily from current trends, but by sticking with production team Code 9, their burgeoning discography felt cohesive. It’s a shame, then, that they’re still largely unknown by K-pop fans. Such is the struggle for rookie groups from small agencies. Without the benefit of … Continue reading
It goes without saying that Nu’est’s career has been anything but typical. Their phoenix from the ashes story is the stuff of K-pop legends, and it all culminates today with their first full-group album in almost three years. After a highly successful 2017-18 in the form of sub-unit Nu’est W, the group’s reunion is also … Continue reading
Another day, another post-Wanna One debut. And like so many of these solo tracks, Bae Jinyoung’s Hard to Say Goodbye (끝을 받아들이기가 어려워) is a ballad. This fact alone makes it difficult to drum up any interest, as you essentially know what you’re going to get before the song even starts. Jinyoung never felt like … Continue reading
This may be a controversial opinion, but by focusing solely on solos and sub-units these past four months, it feels like SM Entertainment has kind of thrown away a third of the year. This isn’t to say that solos and sub-units are unwelcome, but most of the ones we’ve gotten from the agency in 2019 … Continue reading
For as often as Super Junior’s Kim Heechul is on TV, it’s easy to forget that he first made his name as a singer. His solo work has always been rooted in classic rock to some extent, and he definitely has the voice for it. His sub-unit duo M&D produced some inspired music, drawing on … Continue reading
Idol rock group N.Flying scored a major coup earlier this year, as their digital single Rooftop made an unexpected climb up the charts. As you might expect, I follow the K-pop industry very closely. Yet, this sudden ascent surprised the hell out of me. Even after adding a Produce 101 alum to their roster, the … Continue reading
Like so many K-pop groups, Lovelyz is perfectly poised to bolster their fan base through the addition of solo and sub-unit promotions. Woollim Entertainment did a great job harnessing this potential with Infinite, but apart from a few digital releases here and there, Lovelyz’s output has been almost entirely group-based. Hopefully that will change soon, … Continue reading
For many years, Apink have released a special fan song on the anniversary of their debut. It’s to the group’s credit that these tracks have played around with a variety of genres. It would have been easy to churn out one sentimental ballad after another, but that hasn’t happened. The teaser for new single Everybody … Continue reading
When it comes to new K-pop releases, April has been unusually slow — like… practically barren. The triple punch of BLACKPINK, BTS and Twice seems to have scared everyone else away, leaving only the rookiest of rookies to write about. Usually, girl group Hashtag would be too under-the-radar to warrant a full review on this … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 