I’ve made peace with the fact that Seventeen’s funky days are (largely) behind them. International audiences seem to prefer “dark” concepts, and worldwide fame is too tempting to ignore. The danger, of course, is that Pledis Entertainment already has Nu’est, who churn out songs with a darker palette on the regular. With a reliance on … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. I struggled to decide whether to label this a “buried treasure” … Continue reading
If any K-pop act is poised for Japanese success, it would have to be Dreamcatcher. Their rock-infused sound pulls heavily from J-pop aesthetics. Heavy metal guitars are still very much in vogue when it comes to Japan’s eclectic taste, making the group’s cross-country transition a natural one. Imagine my shock, then, when their first original … Continue reading
Because they debuted at such a young age, FTIsland have been able to consistently release music for twelve years without a military enlistment-forced hiatus. This is almost unheard of when it comes to male K-pop groups, and it’s positioned the guys as one of the industry’s staples. Zapping is their first album without leader Jonghoon, … Continue reading
There was a time when I would have been excited by the prospect of a Japanese Produce 101 spin-off, but the series has reached the point of over saturation. I’m kind of over the whole thing, especially when considering the franchise’s effect on K-pop as a whole. But, like it or not, Produce is still … Continue reading
Over the course of their four-year career, CLC have run the gamut of sounds and concepts. Recently, they’ve settled on an edgy, attitude-laced style that’s brought them international attention. But back in March of 2015, the girls debuted with the bright, addictive Pepe. Though that song is rarely mentioned in the CLC conversation nowadays, it … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. X1’s Flash seems to have been generally well-received, but most of … Continue reading
