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
It’s been exciting to watch The East Light’s music grow since their debut in late 2016, especially as they settled on the perfect disco-infused sound with January’s Real Man. Though the group hasn’t gotten all that much attention compared to some of their idol peers, their performances on weekly music shows are reliably energetic and … Continue reading
I’m a massive proponent of groups finding a small circle of collaborators and sticking with them long enough to develop a signature sound. Over the past few years, Snuper and Sweetune have been a match made in heaven, crafting a near-flawless run of distinct (but not identical) singles. With Tulips (튤립) — and the introduction of … Continue reading
Generic, chorus-less EDM pop like Hyoyeon’s Sober is becoming the most difficult material for me to review. First of all, there are thousands of these songs out there. What else is there to say that I haven’t said over and over already? But more than that, it’s getting harder to feign interest in a song … Continue reading
Fandom culture springs up so quickly these days. Project group JBJ have only been active since last October, but in that short space of time they’ve amassed a following large enough to make their impending disbandment seem like a big deal. Call Your Name (부를게) acts as both their latest single and their swan song, … Continue reading
During the years of 2013 and 2014, VIXX delivered a string of hits that, taken together, represent one of modern k-pop’s strongest imperial phases. This isn’t to say that their post-2014 material is bad (Dynamite and Chained Up would certainly argue to the contrary), but over the past two years their sound has taken a … Continue reading
It’s been over a year since IMFACT’s last group release, the exuberant pop jolt of Tension Up. Since that time, main vocal Jeup made a splash on KBS’s The Unit survival series, nearly placing within the final nine contestants. It’s the perfect time to try to capitalize on that momentum, and new single The Light … Continue reading
In a k-pop landscape that’s becoming more international by the year, Eric Nam finds himself in an enviable position. As a U.S. born entertainer, he has the language and cultural chops to act as a bridge between the Korean and American entertainment industries. Because of this, his music often feels like a hybrid of sounds … Continue reading
As tropical house has quickly fallen out of public favor, the artists that continue to subscribe to its specific template risk appearing out of touch with k-pop’s ever-evolving sound. When Hyeongseop and Euiwoong debuted as a duo last year, it was in the form of wistful mid-tempo It Will Be Good. That low-key single didn’t … Continue reading
At this point, it’s almost pointless to review a Twice single. No matter the quality, the group’s insane popularity will ensure that it’s immediately lodged at the top of the charts and played into oblivion. Even if you don’t love the track on first listen, it’ll eventually wear you down through sheer ubiquity. And though … Continue reading
With every LOONA-related release, it feels like the k-pop community combusts with excitement. Now that the group’s entire roster has been introduced, it’s a good time to reconcile my personal indifference with the obvious buzz this project has garnered online. I think I get the appeal. In a way, LOONA’s otherworldly aesthetic is a push … Continue reading
It’s impossible to completely strip bias from the experience of a new k-pop comeback, but writing daily reviews since 2016 has increased my ability to separate a song from its artist. Carefully listening to hundreds upon hundreds of tracks each year will do that. And in Hoya’s case, it’s allowed me to compartmentalize how I … Continue reading
When I think of the current k-pop climate, UP10TION are an interesting case. I wouldn’t consider them to be one of my personal bias groups, yet they’ve managed to score a place in my year-end top ten songs list for two years straight. They’re also a group who swings from one collaborator to the next … Continue reading
A few years back, I would have been absolutely shocked had anyone told me that Infinite wouldn’t re-sign with Woollim Entertainment as a full group. But as the months steadily grew last year with no news about the group’s future, I’d come to terms with the idea that all was not quite as rosy as … Continue reading
SM and Mystic Entertainment have collaborated frequently since 2016’s Dream, and the digital Station platform has proven to be the perfect avenue for them to do so. The agencies have teamed up once again for Dinner, performed by EXO’s leader Suho and quirky singer-songwriter Jane Jang. Hearing of this pairing, I went in fully expecting … Continue reading
