It would be hard to overstate just how much I was looking forward to this comeback from TVXQ. To be honest, it was in contention for my “top song of 2018” before I even heard a teaser or description. After all, it’s been almost three years since their last album — four years since their … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-side tracks 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. After the past couple of Monsta X comebacks, I might just … Continue reading
As part of their 20th (!) anniversary celebration, the members of Shinhwa have re-recorded one of their earlier singles. But rather than totally modernize All Your Dreams with today’s trends in mind, the group has simply recreated the song and music video with an ear (and eye) for every detail. It’s an interesting concept, for … Continue reading
I’ve enjoyed Monsta X’s material in fits and starts, but have found their aggressive hip-hop sound to be slightly cumbersome at times. However, when last year’s funky Dramarama rolled around, it felt as if the group were beginning to reinvent themselves. New single Jealousy continues this trend, though not without a few reversions to that … Continue reading
I’m officially pushing for rock guitar to be the defining trend of 2018. It’s an unlikely scenario, but the fact that a big name rookie group like Stray Kids seems to be using this instrument to craft their signature sound is quite promising. Of course, this being k-pop, they also have to throw in a … Continue reading
Of all of the big-name k-pop groups currently working, Seventeen is especially ripe for successful sub-unit releases. And while they’ve already given us quite a few unit tracks as part of their albums, they’ve yet to establish a spin-off with its own album and full fledged promotions. Boo Seok Soon (or BSS) seems to be … Continue reading
Along with many other male groups of their era, FTIsland is approaching that dreaded military enlistment time, where each member will have to momentarily leave the entertainment industry for their mandatory service. This portion of an idol’s career tends to bring with it an added sense of sentimentality, as artists bid a temporary goodbye to … Continue reading
Every year around this time, I plunge back into the world of j-pop and catch up on some of the things I’ve missed. March tends to be pretty sparse when it comes to k-pop comebacks, so it’s nice to have something “new” to listen to. This March, I’ve been taking a deep dive into the … Continue reading
Thus far, NCT’s 2018 Empathy project has followed a somewhat uniform sound, with even the usual bright styling of NCT Dream swept up in a trap-driven badass concept. Once it was announced that NCT 127 would be the next unit to release a single, all signs pointed to a continuation of this sound. But SM … Continue reading
Production team e.one has carved out quite a niche for themselves composing material for girl groups, and that includes the creation of most of April’s singles. Their signature style — a mix of the ornate and the electronic — has fared well for the girls, even if they’ve yet to nail down that one breakthrough … Continue reading
I’ll admit that it’s completely unfair, but whenever we get a solo project from the rapper of an idol group, I instantly compare it to G-Dragon. In many ways, GD invented this particular role, and popularized it internationally by way of his immense charisma and genre-blurring execution. Perhaps BTOB’s Jung Ilhoon has noted this as … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-side tracks 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. I’ve gone back and forth in my opinion about SF9’s … Continue reading
More and more, it seems as though a simple k-pop comeback is not enough. Instead, groups are beginning to herald entire eras with pre-releases and short films that tease an extended release schedule. Such is the case with Wanna One, whose I.P.U (unfortunate acronym and all) acts as the kick-off “theme” to their upcoming comeback. … Continue reading
There are two ways to approach NCT Dream’s Go, and each will color your perception of the song in vastly different ways. Up until now, Dream has acted as the pop-oriented unit of NCT, and the delivery method for the music most closely aligned with my personal taste. Their 2017 My First And Last remains … Continue reading
Cosmic Girls are at their best when they highlight the “cosmic” part of their name. Last summer’s Happy was a fun, peppy diversion, but tried to emulate too many other girl groups and came off as overly derivative. 2016’s Secret established the perfect signature sound for the group, and became one of that year’s biggest … Continue reading
Like a handful of mid-tier groups from their era, Boyfriend have established a more lucrative career in Japan than their native Korea. That’s a shame, because they have one of the strongest (Sweetune-produced) runs of title tracks that k-pop has ever given us. I’d love to see them make a resurgence in their homeland now … Continue reading
This year, NCT have finally embarked on a promotional cycle as ambitious as their unique configuration. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be treated to new releases by various units within the now 18-member group — all leading up to their first full album. To kick things off, NCT U (a rotational unit free from genre … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-side tracks 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. Fans of BoA are quite spoiled this February, with both … Continue reading
In the overstuffed k-pop market of large-configuration groups, 14U have had difficulty standing out. It certainly didn’t help that they released the exact same song two times last year rather than begin to develop a more robust catalog. Like so many rookie groups, the budget seems to be very tight when it comes to 14U’s … Continue reading
Double title tracks are not particularly common in k-pop, and even less so when it comes to artists from small agencies. Despite this, boy group VAV have released two music videos in support of their recently released mini album. Lead single Spotlight has seemed to garner the lion’s share of promotional attention, with its big budget … Continue reading
