When it comes to the style of music released, DAY6’s Every DAY6 project has kind of subverted expectations. When I think of k-pop, it’s the summer months that hold the most uptempo, party-starting tracks. But DAY6’s more boisterous material was released towards the start of this year, with these last two months devoted to mid-tempo, … Continue reading
The first rule of a successful cover version is to do no harm. Most songs worth covering are loved for a reason, and a certain respect for the original should be given when looking to make it a part of your own discography. Beyond that, an artist should make their interpretation count. There’s no sense … Continue reading
Rookie groups are a dime a dozen these days, and the threshold for success seems to be even more immediate than it used to be. Mess up the first go around and you may not get a second chance. This is likely the reason we’re seeing such polished debuts even from low-to-mid tier agencies. New … Continue reading
In 2013, Lee Hyori made a highly successful return to k-pop with a sound that balanced a newly matured style with the kind of pop hooks that brought her such notoriety as a solo artist. Fast forward four years later and she’s come back with material that exists even farther from the k-pop mainstream, choosing … Continue reading
Hyolyn didn’t waste any time continuing her solo career after the break-up of Sistar, which isn’t all that surprising considering how active she’s been over the past year or so. Her work seems to be most successful when she’s paired with another artist to play off of. In the case of Fruity, rapper Kisum was … Continue reading
When Shannon Williams was first announced as a contestant for the final season of K-Pop Star, I was skeptical about how it would all work out for her. She has obvious talent, and released a wickedly catchy little pop song in 2015’s underrated Why Why, but never seemed to amass the sort of passionate following … Continue reading
Heize has become something of an ‘it girl’ in Korea, rising to the top of the charts with each release. This is helped along by the nature of her music, which feels alternative by k-pop standards. Male soloists like Crush and Dean have found success with a softer blend of r&b, hip-hop and balladry, but … Continue reading
As the monthly LOONA releases have continued to roll out, the girls’ material has seemed to grow sleeker and more mature. With so many different sounds and genres touched upon, it’s exciting to imagine what the final group will actually look and sound like. Last month’s Eclipse was an intriguing peek into a more ethereal … Continue reading
Though he got his start as a member of SMent sub-unit Super Junior M, Henry has become more widely known for his appearances in variety, dramas and as a solo artist. Lately, he’s seemed to take more creative control over his output, delivering a series of digital tracks that have helped to remind listeners that … Continue reading
There’s an old joke that after a nuclear holocaust, all that will be left are cockroaches… and Cher. As far as k-pop goes, I think we can add T-ara to that list. The girls have survived scandals, line-up changes and shifts in sound to become one of the genre’s most enduring girl groups. This makes … Continue reading
SM Entertainment doesn’t always get the credit it deserves when it comes to being a boundary-pushing agency. They’ve been blending genres and playing with song structure since the very beginning. Hits like H.O.T’s I Yah or TVXQ’s Rising Sun still feel miles away from what we think of as “Top 40” radio fare. But these … Continue reading
For as long as boy group B.A.P have been around, they haven’t done all that much solo or sub-unit work. But after a 2016 that saw them releasing song after song both in Korea and Japan, they’ve released a double a-side that allows members Daehyun and Jongup a chance to shine on their own. First … Continue reading
Over the course of two mini albums, Pentagon have already shown a lot of promise for a group who only debuted half a year ago. But I have noticed one thing all their albums have in common: they never seem to pick the strongest track as their promotional single. Luckily, they made up for this … Continue reading
Now that Sistar has officially disbanded, Cosmic Girls are Starship Entertainment’s sole remaining girl group. Over their past two releases, the girls have started to develop an intriguing, spacey pop style that has helped give them an identity within an overly crowded market. Rather than strengthen this burgeoning sound, Happy goes the easy route by … Continue reading
It’s getting a little repetitive to open every DAY6 review with the same sentiments, but I just can’t believe how well their year-long promotional cycle is going. They’ve been punctual each and every month with high quality releases, and now they’ve smartly packaged the first half of their 2017 output into a full-length album that … Continue reading
Top Secret is not a group on many fans’ radar, and they wouldn’t be on mine either if it wasn’t for their connection to producers Sweetune. They debuted this January with the catchy — if slight — She, and are back with another Sweetune track for part two of their “school trilogy.” Mind Control is … Continue reading
One of the many admirable things about B1A4 is that they compose almost all of their own material, and this includes their Japanese releases. When most k-pop groups go j-pop, the difference between the two outputs can be shocking. But with B1A4 at the helm of their own career, there’s a nice consistency that all … Continue reading
As DSP Media’s co-ed group K.A.R.D has continued to gain steam among international audiences, the agency is still trying to figure out what formula will help April break out. The girls initially went down the sickly-sweet bubblegum route, but January’s April Story offered a glimpse at a more mature sound. New single Mayday (메이데이) continues … Continue reading
Thus far, I think it’s safe to say that Beast‘s transition into Highlight has exceeded all expectations. On a commercial level, Plz Don’t Be Sad was (and still is) a major success. And on a personal level, the guys seem happier and busier than they’ve been in some time. This streak continues with the repackage … Continue reading
Boy group 24K were the recipients of the lowest score I’ve ever given with last year’s obnoxious Bingo. Things could only go up from there, right? After a seemingly endless pursuit of noisy, “hard” hip-hop sounds, the guys have finally moved on to new territory with Only You (너 하나면 돼). It’s not a moment too … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 