Rookie boy group 14U have had a hard time finding their niche, but their sparse discography has been bolstered by equally-new production team DEZION. Together, they’ve crafted a quartet of bright, funky tracks that overflowed with potential. But like so many other groups struggling to gain a foothold, the guys have switched producers for new … Continue reading
As Block B seems poised to move on to different things, their agency has debuted a younger brother group in the form of ATEEZ. Before even listening to their music, I assumed they’d be given a hip-hop sound similar to their seniors. But then I saw the name LEEZ pop up as a producer for … Continue reading
After a long drought of Korean material, K-pop legend BoA is now gracing us with her third title track of the year. Woman, her ninth album, was unexpected announced only a few days ago, but as soon as teasers of the title track were released it became clear we were in for something iconic. I’m … Continue reading
The K-pop industry has always had a tricky relationship with mental health. Its performers put on an impossibly cheerful façade, so much so that media training is almost as important as dance, vocal or hip-hop. It’s easy to forget the humanity behind the veneer. But, I think things are starting to change — even if … 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. Today, I’ve got a real buried treasure for you. Not that … Continue reading
As much as I love anything EXO-related, I’ve always found Lay’s solo music to be oddly hookless. His songs have mood and texture, and I enjoy his vocal tone and undeniable charisma. Yet even now I can’t recall a single melody from his discography. There have been highlights, for sure, and notable WTF moments (mostly … Continue reading
When I think of the artists I would have pegged to go the tropical route, Lee Hongki wouldn’t have even entered the conversation. As the front man of rock band FTIsland, his raspy, powerful voice seems too intense for the style, easily becoming the focal point of anything he records. But as last week’s oddball … Continue reading
A sense of innocence has tethered all of April’s music together thus far, but that’s too much of a simplification when it comes to talking about their discography. Structurally and stylistically, they’ve slowly become one of K-pop’s most interesting girl groups. Their singles run has pin-balled from one sound to the next, and now they’ve … 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. It’s only been three days, but I’ve already gone on quite … Continue reading
Over the years, Kis-My-Ft2 has slowly become my favorite act in the ever-growing Johnny’s Entertainment roster. For my money, they’ve got an unbeatable string of singles, and their bombastic 80’s power pop dance style hits all the right buttons when it comes to my (admittedly cheesy) musical taste. 2018 has been pretty slow for them … Continue reading
Cutesy concepts aren’t for everyone. Personally, I can go either way when it comes to the lighter side of girl group K-pop, but once we get into coochie coo chirp chirp meow meow type aegyo it becomes harder for me to appreciate a song. Fromis_9’s DKDK didn’t quite become that infantile (though it did prominently … Continue reading
I would never have predicted it, but low-budget, perma-rookie boy groups are kind of having a moment right now. Without the means to hire trendy, big-name producers, acts like Seven O’Clock and BLANC7 have been relying on a proven sense pop songcraft. None of these comebacks has been idiosyncratic enough to become a 2018 standout, … Continue reading
Nothing Better may be the main title track from Seven O’Clock’s new mini album, but it turns out that there is something better to be found in the form of Searchlight. I’m not sure if the guys will be actively promoting this song as a sub-title track, but it was smart to give it some … Continue reading
Over a year ago, I ended my review of Seven O’Clock’s debut single Echo with a question: how was this rookie group going to stand out? The answer may lie in their new album’s opening track Take It On, which melds an anthemic vocal riff to chugging guitar for a classic (almost country) pop sound … Continue reading
You’ll never see me advocating for K-pop trends. Longtime readers will know that cut-and-paste trendiness (often of the tropical variety) has been one of my biggest criticisms of the industry as a whole. That extends to this burgeoning Latin trend, which may easily sink its teeth into the next few years of K-pop’s future. I … 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. It’s confounding when the best singles are unleashed upon the world … Continue reading
It hasn’t even been a week since the release of SM Station’s Red Velvet-meets-GFriend-meets-(G)I-DLE-meets-Chungha supergroup, and we already have another unlikely collaboration on our hands. S.O.U.L is a little different, combining actors and idols for the soundtrack of upcoming Youtube Red drama Top Management. The biggest name here is probably Astro’s Cha Eunwoo, with actor … Continue reading
Nu’est W’s Dejavu has become one of the year’s biggest growers for me. The same thing happened with last October’s Where You At. Initially, I found the group’s reinvented sound to be a bit too trendy, but the songwriting has held up. If any qualms still remain, it’s that their material always seems to veer … Continue reading
In a wonderfully K-popian move, RBW Entertainment is embarking on a year-long project to debut two new groups — a dance act (ONEUS) and a band (ONEWE). To kick off this ambitious roll-out, the guys have combined for an anthemic duet. Last Song plays more strongly to the band side of things, but presents a promising … Continue reading
“Seulgi X SinB X Chungha X Soyeon” is quite a mouthful of a name for a project group! Honestly, though, I can see why SM Entertainment would want to highlight each and every performer in this temporary supergroup. It’s not every day that this level of star power is harnessed for one track. It almost … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 