It feels like it’s been forever since Astro was active as a group. They released their Rise Up mini album last summer (led by the underrated Always You), but scheduling contracts prevented them from promoting. Thankfully, Fantagio Music is making up for lost time with the group’s first full length album. Most of its tracks bring … Continue reading
Apart from having a notoriously difficult-to-google group name, Favorite haven’t done much to stand out in the crowded world of K-pop rookies. Their material thus far has been quite solid, but also quite transient. It feels fun and inoffensive, but easily replaceable by songs from bigger acts. With this in mind, it’s time for the … Continue reading
Despite debuting late in the year and releasing only one mini album to their name, ATEEZ wound up as one of my favorite rookies of 2018. Their hard hip-hop style isn’t usually to my taste, but Treasure’s wall-of-sound vocals and towering arrangement quickly won me over. Better yet, the group proved that they were capable … Continue reading
Over the past few years, GFriend’s title tracks have gradually transformed. Their are still hints of their “powerful innocence” concept, but with the absence of producers Iggy and Youngbae, their sound has grown more nuanced. It’s a shame that we’re unlikely to hear a Fingertip-style banger again (at least as a promoted single), but the … Continue reading
Rainbow Bridge World’s ambitious 2019 includes the debut of two new boy groups — ONEUS and ONEWE. We’re already heard from both, through variety shows like Produce 101 and The Unit and pre-debut releases like last September’s Last Song. But though the agency has found massive success with girl group Mamamoo, they’ve yet to launch … Continue reading
One of my wishes for 2019 was to see more bright concepts from boy groups. Newly debuted VERIVERY are the first to wholeheartedly jump into that sound this year, building on 2018’s retro-leaning Super Special with the cheerful Ring Ring Ring. As the younger brother group to Jellyfish Entertainment’s VIXX, you might have expected them … Continue reading
Apink have never been out of the spotlight for long in Korea, but they enjoyed an unexpected bump last summer with the ear-catching I’m So Sick. Heading in an edgier dance direction turned out to be a boon for the girls, so it’s no surprise that new single %% (응응) once again enlists production team Black … Continue reading
Japanese releases are often telegraphed weeks (and sometimes months) ahead of a time, but SM Entertainment artists seem to drop their J-pop music videos whenever they like. Sappy was only teased yesterday, and here it is today. That sense of spontaneity is kind of fun, and matches the adventurous structure of the song itself. Red … Continue reading
It’s a testament to Korea’s love affair with generic Western musical trends that Shaun’s Way Back Home became one of 2018’s biggest sleeper hits, despite the fact that it came from a virtually unknown artist and wasn’t even meant to be a title track. I could debate the actual quality of that song, but in … Continue reading
They say you’re hardest on the things you love the most, and I feel like I’ve been especially hard on TVXQ this year. At the outset of 2018, I would’ve predicted them having a huge presence on my end-of-year lists, but unfortunately they ended up being a no-show. This is mostly due to the direction … Continue reading
Seventeen’s special digital track Getting Closer (숨이 차) is a tricky one for me to review, because it’s not at all the musical direction I hope to see the guys take. Yet at the same time, I kind of dig the song itself. One of my biggest pet peeves with K-pop fandom is the constant … Continue reading
In the spring of 2017, Winner pulled themselves out of a slump (and added fuel to an already burning trend) with the tropical pop of Really Really. Despite an island-themed comeback later that summer, it was a sound they never completely followed up on. Instead, this April saw the arrival of Everyday — a polarizing … Continue reading
I debated whether or not to review Hair In The Air. It’s essentially a Korean-language cover of an American song, taken from the soundtrack of Trolls: The Beat Goes On Netflix series. And that original version is as insipid as it gets — an overly upbeat theme song that would instantly have me reaching for the … Continue reading
When writing about EXO’s excellent album track Gravity, I mentioned that I never judge their albums before hearing the repackage. After all, some of the group’s most iconic singles (Growl, Love Me Right) were the products of repackages. Even last year’s high-energy Power improved The War album by giving it an extra shot of anthemic … Continue reading
Almost six months after their title track Shoot Me, the second part of DAY6’s Youth series is upon us. Beyond the sequential numbering of the mini-albums, there doesn’t seem to be a huge musical thread running between the two projects. But, as strong as the material has been, I’m not too concerned with continuity. On … Continue reading
The much-dreaded (but inevitable) SHINee hiatus begins next week when leader Onew will begin to serve his mandatory military conscription. Before that, he’s gifted fans with his very first solo album — a collection of ballads appropriately titled Voice. His rich tone has been an anchor for so many SHINee songs, but I don’t think … 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 wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Now that the dust has settled on Red Velvet’s Really Bad … Continue reading
When it comes to the increased presence of English releases in the K-pop industry, it can be hard for me to decide which songs to review on this site. I very rarely write about English-only songs, whether released by a K-pop group or as a cross-cultural collaboration. I’m extremely picky when it comes to English … Continue reading
Mamamoo’s highly successful 2018 has been filled with mini albums that follow a “four seasons,” color-specific concept. March’s Starry Night was painted with yellow, while summer hit Egotistic burned with red. As we move closer to winter, new single Wind Flower takes on a blue hue, as well as a more pensive tone. When put … Continue reading
K-pop debuts are getting all kinds of complicated this year. Flavor are not technically a newly debuted group, but a sub-unit of yet-to-debut girl group Fanatics. The fact that both of these names start with the letter “f” makes them easy to mix-up, but I hope the synth-driven Milkshake is a sign of the sound Fanatics … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 