Of the two title tracks released from Girls’ Generation‘s tenth anniversary comeback, the bright Holiday was clearly designed to be the wide-appeal, summer-themed pop hit. It feels like a natural follow-up to 2015’s Party, but thankfully downplays that song’s gimmickry in favor of something less saccharine. In fact, Holiday more closely recalls the kind of … Continue reading
If any contestant seemed best primed for a debut with Produce 101 Season 2’s boy group Wanna One, it was Kim Samuel. He’d already gained debut experience with duo 1Punch and as a solo act, and enjoyed a built-in fan base that stretched all the way back to his trainee days with Pledis Entertainment. So … Continue reading
Newer k-pop fans would be forgiven for not knowing who N.Flying are. Despite being a rookie group from a sizeable agency, the guys haven’t made a Korean comeback in nearly two years. Before that, they presented two very different sounds. Debut single Awesome shone a spotlight on their rap/rock sound, but felt a little too … Continue reading
Despite their ridiculous group name, new rookies ONF have much to live up to. They’re the newest act from WM Entertainment, home to the consistently fantastic B1A4 and burgeoning boundary-pushers Oh My Girl. The agency is known for its quirky output, raising anticipation for how ONF would sound. With debut single On/Off, the group opts for … Continue reading
Rock group Buzz has been around for over a decade, not particularly well known to international audiences but beloved in Korea for their emotive ballads. 2017 has seen plenty of ballads in k-pop, but we haven’t really had one of those big, bombastic Lim Chang Jung style belters. That dry spell has officially ended with … Continue reading
Before there was GOT7, JJ Project debuted with soon-to-be members JB and Jinyoung. Their 2012 single Bounce was a fun, uptempo party track that blended a wide assortment of genres to create an addictive burst of k-pop energy. In the years since, GOT7’s material has strayed away from the “fun” side of things to explore … Continue reading
I wasn’t sure that we’d ever get to hear Monsta X‘s version of a fun, upbeat summer single. Their album material has been relatively varied, but when it comes to singles the group has more-or-less stuck with a harder-edged hip-hop sound. This has brought them a sizable fan base, even if it doesn’t always appeal … Continue reading
Though they have yet to make major waves in Korea, Dreamcatcher have captured the imagination of many fans through their rock-infused, j-pop inspired sound. This resulted in the brilliant Chase Me last January, but I was in the minority when it came to follow-up single Good Night. I think the group is at their best … Continue reading
My interest in new girl group P.O.P (Puzzle of Pop) went from zero to a hundred the moment I read that their title track would be produced by the Iggy/Youngbae duo. Responsible for all of GFriend’s singles and most of Astro’s, these producers gave us many of 2016’s best pop hits and easily became my … Continue reading
We’re entering the season of rookie debuts, as a multitude of new boy and girl groups are scheduled to unveil their music over the next few weeks. Leading the pack are Music Works’ first boy group MYTEEN, who have begun to build a fan-base through pre-release videos and performances. New single Amazing (어마어마하게) has already … Continue reading
Thinking back to when Akdong Musician were just an awkward pair of siblings competing on season two of K-Pop Star, it’s hard to believe they’ve managed to become such a force within the k-pop industry. Their quirky talent shone from the beginning, but with each new comeback it’s becoming clear that their sound doesn’t need … Continue reading
Most newer Korean groups make an effort to court international fans, but few have gone as far as KARD. The co-ed quartet are practically unknown in their homeland, yet have amassed an impressive international following in the space of only eight months. With the constant tours and promotional videos comes a trendy brand of music … Continue reading
Unfairly or not, comeback tracks by top-of-the-pack artists like EXO will always be held to a higher standard. K-pop moves so fast, with each month stuffed full of releases big and small. Within that framework, there are a handful of acts that command attention across the entire k-pop spectrum. This sets expectations sky-high, but throughout … Continue reading
Better late than never, I suppose. Though Love doesn’t get a music video that actually features PSY and Taeyang in it, I’m happy that the song is still garnering some promotion. When PSY’s album was released back in May, it was heralded by a pair of title tracks that stuck to his tried and true … Continue reading
Produce 101 hasn’t even been off the air for a month and we already have groups moving to capitalize on its success. Of course, this is exactly what these mid-to-lower tier acts should be doing, given the potential upside of being pulled into Produce 101’s orbit. The fact that Hotshot can count one of their … Continue reading
When SM Station Season 2 was announced earlier this year, it was promised to feature collaborations from foreign artists and folks who were not part of SM’s roster. But with All That You Want, I struggle to find how exactly the song connects to SMent. The Solutions aren’t an SM group, and I don’t see … Continue reading
Apink have been pretty prolific lately, routinely bouncing between Korean and Japanese comebacks. While I’m afraid this heavy work ethic has taken a toll on the general quality of their music, it’s nice to see a veteran group that still seems hungry for success. Their latest Korean song has grown on me, though there’s no … Continue reading
So far, the 2017 “season” of SM Station has been pretty underwhelming. Even when bigger name artists have gotten involved, it’s usually been in the form of a ballad or forgettable mid-tempo. What we need is a good pop song, and as soon as Xiumin and Mark were announced as the next Station artists, it … Continue reading
As lead vocalist for boy group g.o.d, Kim Tae Woo’s voice helped soundtrack a generation. But more often than not, members of first generation groups struggle to achieve any sort of musical notoriety so long after their brand was at its peak. This isn’t unique to k-pop, either. The music industry isn’t exactly kind to … Continue reading
Though still a very new group from a small agency, VAV have been lucky to pair with a-list composer/producer Ryan Jhun for their last string of singles. His involvement has brought a certain clout to their music, even if the songs themselves have been a bit of a mixed bag. But with the newly released … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 