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
Since opening Label SJ (a sub-label supported by SM Entertainment), Super Junior have taken a more active role in the production of their music. This is (understandably) the ultimate goal for many idol artists, but it doesn’t always end up creating the strongest material. In Super Junior’s case, the added input has resulted in an … Continue reading
When it comes to groups spawned by survival shows, it’s hard to predict what genre their music will take. More often than not, these projects simply cycle through whatever trends may be hot at the moment, with little regard towards building a cohesive discography. 1THE9 have already tackled downbeat r&b with the Crush-penned Domino, and … Continue reading
Sometimes you just fall in love with a voice. This actually doesn’t happen to me all that often, as I’m usually more concerned with melody and song construction, but last winter I found myself obsessed with balladeer Yongzoo on survival series The Fan. I was so enamored with his tone and performance style that I … Continue reading
With over 2,600 songs on my iPhone’s “K-Pop Singles” playlist, I thought it would be fun to add a bit of unpredictability to my song review posts. So as a result, we have the “Random Shuffle Review” feature. The rules are simple. I fire up my playlist, press “shuffle,” and whatever song plays first gets … Continue reading
MBC’s Under Nineteen survival series played like a budget version of Produce 101, but it cobbled together a surprisingly strong group of guys for its winning group 1THE9. Like other shows of its ilk, the whole thing feels corporation-driven rather than artistically inspired, down to that awful group name. But, I’m excited to see where … Continue reading
From late-2016 to 2017, BLACKPINK seemed destined to fill the huge hole left behind by fellow YG Entertainment artists 2NE1. Both Playing With Fire and As If It’s Your Last were excellent pop songs, hampered only by a lack of b-side material to go along with them. Last year’s mega-hit Ddu-Du Ddu-Du took the girls … Continue reading
Last year, BOL4 delivered their version of a summer song, and Travel went on to become a huge crossover hit. New single Bom (나만, 봄) takes its cues from spring — a season where K-pop goes crazy with drowsy mid-tempos and wistful ballads. As such, the song isn’t as much giddy fun as Travel was, … Continue reading
As SM Entertainment’s biggest-selling group for the past several years, EXO’s solo and sub-unit potential has been severely underutilized. I expect that this will change as members start enlisting, but I can’t believe it’s taken this long to see an official solo album from the group (not counting Lay’s Chinese efforts, of course). And honestly, … Continue reading
With leader Zico leaving Block B late last year, it’s hard to imagine a path forward for the group. I don’t mean to discount the contributions of the other members, but Zico always felt like the face of Block B. Luckily, the group already has an established sub-unit. Bastarz debuted in 2015, and consists of … Continue reading
Though he has yet to release a mini album, the holy quintet of SHINee solos is now complete with the arrival of Minho’s I’m Home (그래). The track comes only days before his enlistment, which will leave Taemin as the group’s only actively promoting member. It’s crazy how time flies. Even five years ago, it … Continue reading
Looking back, I was unfairly harsh on JBJ95’s debut last October. Despite its repetitive hook, Home stuck around through the winter and unveiled its charms gradually. When it comes to style and sound, I’m still not sure exactly who JBJ95 are as a duo, but in a landscape crammed with boy groups, their small configuration … Continue reading
It’s been a long wait for new material from Taeyeon, and even longer since she’s actively promoted in Korea. With the release of digital single Four Seasons (사계), it doesn’t seem as if that promotional lull will end any time soon, but it’s nice to hear her voice again. The song arrives just over two … Continue reading
Momoland had a stellar 2018, propelled by the surprise smash of their hit Bboom Bboom and its copy-and-paste follow-up BAAM. Now, the real test begins. Having one breakout single is one thing, but forging a consistently successful career is quite another. Just ask Crayon Pop. Now that the girls have found a template that works … Continue reading
