I woke up today resigned to the fact I’d be writing about yet another K-pop song from twelve years ago. It turns out, it’s quite challenging to run a K-pop review blog without new K-pop releases! But, Bias List favorites OnlyOneOf have swooped in to save the day, unveiling their new Japanese single Chrome Arts … Continue reading
Music quality aside, it’s always nice to see the debut of a unique K-pop configuration. An idol duo is hardly a new idea, but we don’t see many of them within the industry. Primrose aim to break that pattern, stuffing all the bombast of a group comeback into two skilled performers. Judging by their self-titled … Continue reading
Some songs arrive with fanfare even before a single preview has dropped. Vibe represents not only the long-awaited return of Bigbang’s Taeyang, but a colossal meeting of two K-pop generations. During the early 2010’s, Bigbang helped construct the international crossroads that made K-pop such a global success. Years later, BTS paved those roads in platinum, … Continue reading
After eight years in the industry, Monsta X’s sound has evolved in a way that feels natural and satisfying. Members have begun taking more creative control of their music, so I’m surprised to see their names credited only to the lyrics of new single Beautiful Liar. The song borrows hallmarks from some of their biggest … Continue reading
Coming off the heels of an incredibly slow December, 2023 in K-pop is off to a similarly stagnant start. I’m waiting to hear the first track of the year that’ll knock me off my feet, and Puzzle‘s propulsive teasers seemed to point in the right direction. SF9’s music has grown more consistently slick over the … Continue reading
Last time I wrote about ILY:1, I was delighted to hear a fluffy pop song that hearkened back to the lighter side of girl group music. Que Sera Sera struggled with execution, but its influence from classics like Apink and Lovelyz offered a welcome counterpoint to the popular “girl crush” trend. With new single Twinkle … Continue reading
H1-KEY impressed with last summer’s three-track Run album, delivering a series of songs that shared a timeless K-pop appeal. With strong vocals and plenty of energy, they became a dark horse among 2022’s prolific slate of girl group debuts. New single Rose Blossom (건물 사이에 피어난 장미) leads their first mini album and again forgoes … Continue reading
With 2020’s Answer, ATEEZ established a precedent for releasing excellent material under the guise of an “epilogue” (or in today’s case, a “spin-off”). This December has been severely lacking in notable K-pop comebacks, so I’m excited to have a big-name track like this pushing us into the new year. With that said, my passion for … Continue reading
Much of today’s discussion around Boys Planet dissects this “signal song” to see which idols got roped into the Produce 101-esque survival series. Pentagon’s Hui is the name going around the internet. He seems much too established to participate in a show like this, but although platforms like Boys Planet are cruel and exploitative, they … Continue reading
WayV have often released the strongest music within the NCT universe, including standout singles like Turn Back Time, Take Off and Moonwalk. But, we haven’t had a proper WayV comeback in nearly two years. During that time, members have released solos and sub-units alongside their participation in larger NCT projects. New single Phantom picks up … Continue reading
With a group as large as Seventeen, there’s ample opportunity for solo projects. No member has released an entire album yet, but many of the guys have delivered solo singles – whether in the form of a proper comeback or a digital mixtape. Despite taking the role of rapper on Seventeen’s group tracks, Vernon’s Black … Continue reading
Last time I reviewed a NewJeans song, we were still basking in the glow of their surprise debut. Since then, tracks like Attention and Hype Boy have gone on to define the year. It’s rare to see a K-pop group rise to fame so quickly. I’m interested in how their future music leverages that fame, … Continue reading
So much about the holidays is rooted in nostalgia. These are ritualistic celebrations, and the most popular holiday songs are usually ones that have accumulated memories over the years. H.O.T’s Candy is not a holiday song, but it makes a weird sort of sense in this context. It’s an oft-covered classic with a ton of … Continue reading
8LOOM is a fictional idol group starring in TBS’s fall drama “Kimi no Hana ni Naru” (“I Will Be Your Bloom”). I recommend watching if you like cheesy teen dramas with an idol group at the center (spoiler alert: I do). Though 8LOOM is a temporary project to promote the drama, they’ve been releasing music … Continue reading
A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. 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’m a little late in posting … Continue reading
HYBE’s first Japanese boy group releases their debut album this week. I wasn’t very impressed with &TEAM’s Under The Skin, though in hindsight I was probably a little hard on it. To me, the song felt too much like reheated leftovers from the agency’s other acts. But, the groovier teasers for Scent Of You seemed … Continue reading
One of the coolest things about RM’s Indigo album is that it’s essentially a collaboration project. All but two tracks prominently feature guest artists, and these guests have been plucked from many eras, cultures and countries. None feel extraneous or tacked on for purely commercial reasons. Unlike BTS’s recent slate of English-language department store bops, … Continue reading
Despite working in the industry for almost twenty-five (!) years, Shinhwa have never promoted an official sub-unit. That changes with the launch of WDJ. Consisting of members Minwoo, Dongwan and Junjin, WDJ’s debut album offers the first new Shinhwa music since 2018. Alongside Kara and Girls’ Generation, 2022 has been a big year for K-pop’s … Continue reading
A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. 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’m so thrilled that Kara have … Continue reading
Before I share my thoughts about this song, it’s probably wise to address the elephant in the room — or the elephant on Twitter, to be more specific. Being my occasionally cantankerous self, I recently made a comment about the MAMA daesang award-winners of the past eight years. Look, I really don’t care about MAMA … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 