As fraught with disappointment as the Produce 101 discographies can be, they can usually be counted on to deliver a strong debut track. As far as I’m concerned, no song has yet matched 2017’s Energetic, which is a dynamite release with or without the Produce label attached to it. The series’ latest victors, dubbed X1, … 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. Though completely solid, The Boyz’ new mini album continues to exacerbate … 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. To be completely honest, I’m not a huge fan of the … 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 haven’t reviewed Snuper’s newest Japanese single because… well, it’s pretty … Continue reading
Greyish can’t quite decide if they want to throw a hyphen after the “G” in their name, as it seems to change with every other comeback. For consistency’s sake, I’m leaving it out — but I am fascinated with when and how K-pop decides to utilize grammatical quirks. When we last saw the girls, they … Continue reading
What does a rock song composed and produced by Sweetune sound like? Well, if IZ’s May release Eden was any indication, it doesn’t sound like Sweetune at all. Their partnership with IZ has been one of the year’s biggest surprises. I’m not unhappy about it (unless it’s preventing more classic Sweetune music from being released…), … Continue reading
This April, The Boyz explored lighter territory with the bubblegum pop of Bloom Bloom. While I will always be leading the charge for more bright boy group material, Bloom’s incessant catchiness was almost too sugary to stand as one of the Boyz’ classic title tracks. New single D.D.D pulls back a bit, coming across as … Continue reading
Red Velvet’s past three Korean title tracks have split opinion, each becoming more experimental than the last. It’s a wonder, then, that the group have maintained their popularity with music that has been so polarizing. The girls opened their “ReVe Festival” trilogy only two months ago with the release of the carnival-esque Zimzalabim. Though that … Continue reading
Less than a month after the release of frontman Kim Woosung’s solo album, The Rose has returned with their fifth single. Woosung’s song has already grown on me, and that’s largely thanks to its uptempo, summer-friendly energy. Red follows suit, offering a more electronic sound than most of the band’s past work. It’s a welcome … Continue reading
It’s been over a year since IN2IT’s last comeback. While none of their material has bowled me over so far, I’ve felt a special kinship with the group ever since running into them at a Target store (!). In some ways, they feel like MNET’s forgotten child, given short shrift in favor of Produce 101-spawned … Continue reading
Neither of JBJ95’s past title tracks were instant hits with me, but both proved to be growers over time. While trendy, their music doesn’t feel like typical idol fare, focusing on sentiment over performance-driven gimmicks. This approach isn’t very flashy, but it’s well suited to a vocalist/rapper duo like them. New single Spark (불꽃처럼) shimmers … Continue reading
I never reviewed Pink Fantasy’s 2018 debut, but I was definitely aware of the group. They’re hard to miss, as one of their members is obscured by a horror-show bunny mask that will apparently remain affixed to this “mystery performer” until Pink Fantasy reaches the number one spot on Billboard. So in other words, this … Continue reading
Oh My Girl are no stranger to the summer single, gaining popularity with their 2016 cover of K-pop classic A-ing. New single Bungee (Fall In Love) arrives as a repackage title track, contrasting May’s lush The Fifth Season with a more straightforward blast of upbeat pop. As someone who prefers when the group steers a … Continue reading
Over the past year or so, I’ve found myself more disconnected with Seventeen’s music. Their once unique blend of old-school funk and killer song construction threatened to be overtaken by current musical trends. I feared that they were losing what made them special in the first place. As a group who co-writes all of their … Continue reading
Rookie group VERIVERY have spent nearly a year recreating the same title track with slightly different variations (or are they VERI-ations?). But once you accept that, their songs are a blast. In a sea of trendy musical mush, their brand of high-energy new jack swing is needed more than ever. The group’s new single album … 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. For casual fans already confused by the NCT system, NCT Dream’s … Continue reading
Given the pedigree of JYP Entertainment, ITZY were never going to be anything but an instant smash. Still, the girls have exceeded already-high expectations, delivering one of 2019’s only bonafide idol group blockbusters in Dalla Dalla. While much of the Korean charts have been clogged with ballads and r&b this year, ITZY’s unabashedly ballsy K-pop … 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. After the shellacking I gave Kang Daniel’s debut title track, you … Continue reading
Since venturing out into solo territory, SHINee’s Taemin has split his discography equally between Korea and Japan, maintaining a consistent level of quality regardless of the language he performs in. This is good news for fans, as it means we get new Taemin music regularly. His effortless charisma draws attention no matter what sound he … Continue reading
I’ve spent too much energy this month complaining about songs produced by Devine Channel. Between 1Team’s Rolling Rolling, Kang Daniel’s What Are You Up To and EXO-SC’s very own What A Life, this production team has played a big part in this July being one of the worst K-pop months I can remember. So, I … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 