Ever since their 2015 commercial resurgence with cathartic ballad It’s Okay, BTOB have fallen into a pattern of increasingly toothless pop music. They’ve never been more successful than they are now, so it’s hard to fault them from sticking to a winning formula, but I fear that any bit of edge has been completely ironed out … Continue reading
Only a day before their Korean comeback, DAY6 will drop their second original Japanese single. Japan seems like a natural fit for the group, as the country’s rock scene is still thriving amidst the arrival of trendier genres. And with Stop The Rain, the band has released a solid follow-up to March’s If (We Meet … Continue reading
Last year’s proliferation of idol survival shows continues to generate content. This time, it’s in the form of Woo Jinyoung and Kim Hyunsoo, two participants of YG’s failed MIXNINE project. Both hail from a subsidiary of Happy Face Entertainment, and will no doubt be thrown into a boy group sooner than later. But for now, … Continue reading
After what seems like a decades-long wait, BLACKPINK has returned with new material. This long hiatus approach has been a staple of YG Entertainment for years, and becomes especially problematic for the agency’s newer generation of artists. In BLACKPINK’s case, every title track they’ve released has gone straight to the top of the charts, but … Continue reading
The story of Katie Kim’s long-incubated debut is a frustrating one, to say the least. The husky-voiced singer won season four of K-Pop Star way back in 2015 — a series designed to catapult its victors toward instant fame. Kim ended up signing with YG Entertainment, where her career was essentially held hostage for over … Continue reading
Though fromis_9 is yet another group cobbled together from a survival program, they impressed with a strong debut mini album earlier this year. They’ve yet to offer anything new when it comes to girl group tropes, but working with producers like Iggy & Youngbae and 1Take & TAK has given their burgeoning discography a polished … Continue reading
These Produce 101 groups are so frustrating. The program compiles such a talented and likable collection of performers, only to undermine that potential with frustratingly generic material. Wanna One’s outstanding first mini album gave me hope that they’d be able to develop a signature sound, but each release since has been a disappointment. New single … Continue reading
Earlier this year, Pepsi brought together a quartet of Produce 101 alumni for the addictive 80’s pastiche Love It Live It. This unit (YDPP) proved to be more fun than they had any right to be, so it only makes sense to repeat the project. This time, it’s the girls’ turn. WJMK drafts Seola and … Continue reading
Kim Samuel has been one of the most prolific post-Produce 101 acts, blitzing his way through four title tracks (and two Japanese singles) in just ten months. He’s got the energy of youth on his side, plus the steady producing hands of Brave Sound. If I’m being completely honest, Samuel’s vocals have never been my … Continue reading
Despite the fact that its full group hasn’t yet officially debuted, the ambitious LOONA project has already spawned two sub-units. The first (LOONA 1/3) offered a bright, pop-driven album before returning with the surprisingly moody Sonatine. The second (LOONA Odd Eye Circle) took on an edgier persona, resulting in two of the project’s best singles … Continue reading
Boyfriend are the latest group to find themselves at that precarious seven year mark, where contracts are up and the guys are forced to decide whether to stick together or go their separate ways. Whatever happens, they’ve left behind an incredibly strong (and underrated) discography. Their lengthy run of Sweetune-produced singles always gets eclipsed by … Continue reading
I’ve long been fascinated by the story of Korean girl group The Ark. The girls debuted in the spring of 2015 with the very strong Light, but disbanded shortly after due to company troubles outside of their control. This is not a particularly unusual story within the k-pop industry. Rookie groups come and go all … Continue reading
Despite releasing a steady stream of material since their debut in late 2016, Victon have never really connected with me. That’s not a critique of the guys themselves. I’ve just been pretty unimpressed with the producers and style they’ve been paired with. New single Time Of Sorrow (오월애 (俉月哀)) doesn’t do much to turn those … Continue reading
With over 2,300 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 brand new “Random Shuffle Review” feature. The rules are simple. I fire up my playlist, press “shuffle,” and whatever song plays first … Continue reading
With over 2,300 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 brand new “Random Shuffle Review” feature. The rules are simple. I fire up my playlist, press “shuffle,” and whatever song plays first … Continue reading
Favorite have one of the least-searchable group names on the internet. Without a grasp on Hangul, international fans are going to be sifting through hundreds of pages on “favorite k-pop groups” before stumbling on one dedicated to these girls. But rather than rest on one ill-conceived name, the group has returned with their second mini … Continue reading
Ever since re-configuring under their own label, the members of Highlight have been freed to release a steady stream of solo singles and albums. Unfortunately, none of these have had much staying power with me. As part of his production team Good Life, Yong Junhyung has been responsible for most of Highlight’s material since 2013, … Continue reading
I’ve long believed that the NCT concept is not half as confusing as many make it out to be, but even I’m a bit stymied by this new Japanese release. Wasn’t a large selling point of NCT the idea that the brand could encompass multi-national units that each operated in different countries? If that’s so, … Continue reading
Cross Gene have been away from the Korean music scene since February of 2017, when they released their brilliantly dramatic Black Or White in tandem with its violent, horror show music video. New single Touch It (달랑말랑) feels like the comeback they should have made last summer when k-pop’s tropical trend was at its peak. No … Continue reading
With over 2,300 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 brand new “Random Shuffle Review” feature. The rules are simple. I fire up my playlist, press “shuffle,” and whatever song plays first … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 