Over the course of Nine Muses’ convoluted history, the group has been home to fourteen different members. Not all have promoted at the same time, with girls leaving and joining on a pretty regular basis. This constant churn has made unit cohesion a difficult concept, and also affects the members’ ability to successfully go solo. … Continue reading
It’s hard to believe that it’s already been eight years since Teen Top made their debut. While they’ve never been at the very top of the K-pop pack, they’re an example of a group who has remained remarkably steady over the years. Even after losing member L.Joe to contract re-negotiations, they’ve carried on with their … Continue reading
I’m never one to balk at the thought of new music, but Wag-zak’s existence is a bit of a head-scratcher. Released quietly on a weekend, days before the comeback of another Woollim Entertainment act and without the participation of main vocal Jin, I’m not sure what the song’s commercial goal is supposed to be. But … Continue reading
As successful as Taeyeon has been in Korea, I’m surprised that it took SM this long to launch her as a soloist in Japan. The agency has been killing it with their Japanese releases lately by maintaining their artists’ signature sounds with a few j-pop twists. Taeyeon could have easily promoted Stay in Korea, and … Continue reading
It’s so great to have TVXQ back, steadily releasing new music in both Korea and Japan. Yet as much as I’ve enjoyed their new material, I’m still waiting for a comeback with that old “SM Performance” style that they execute better than anyone. Over the course of its history, the duo’s Japanese discography has been … Continue reading
Before Block B struck gold as an edgy idol group, members Zico and Park Kyung cut their teeth in the music industry with underground hip-hop releases. It’s interesting, then, that their story has come full circle. Recently, both rappers’ solo hits and variety appearances have eclipsed those of their full group. It makes me wonder … Continue reading
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
