One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Rosinante (from Season 2 / Be Back – 2014) Using a Don Quixote literary reference as its title, Rosinante takes Infinite’s trademark synth sound and jettisons almost everything else. Like many of the tracks on Be Back, the production merges dance pop funk … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Request (from Request – 2013) CF tracks are designed primarily to promote a product, and they really aren’t supposed to be this good. But rather than go gimmicky or opt for a commercial jingle sound, Request sees Infinite teaming once again with Sweetune … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Reflex (from Season 2 / Be Back – 2014) Embracing 80’s synthpop stronger than ever before, Reflex feels like a sonic sequel to Be Mine. The instrumental is built on the old Stock Aitken Waterman drum program sound that powered so many late-80’s … Continue reading
KARD have received a fair amount of criticism (including some from this very site) for essentially replicating the same sound each time they release a new single. There’s something to be said about artists spinning their wheels, but I also believe that the best idol groups are those who develop a trademark style and gradually … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop 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 kpop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Apart from title track Sixteen, I wasn’t a big fan … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Only Tears (from Infinitize – 2012) One of Infinite’s most delicate ballads, Only Tears’ gentle mix of piano, guitar and strings provides little distraction from the purity of the group’s vocals. Even so, the instrumental builds gorgeously, becoming more grandiose as the song … Continue reading
Red Velvet have had an incredible year so far, dominating (to varying degrees) both the winter and summer with mega-hits Rookie and Red Flavor. The latter felt like a true watershed moment, made even more impressive by its killer selection of b-sides. With Peek-A-Boo (피카부), the group has teased a combination of their “red” and … Continue reading
At this point, the tag team of Snuper and Sweetune has built up such good will that I’m bound to enjoy anything the two collaborate on. I love it when a group finds the perfect producer to steer their sound and actually sticks with them long enough to establish a cohesive discography. Snuper may have … Continue reading
Before he was known as part of Produce 101’s “Avengers team,” Samuel was one half of underrated retro act 1Punch. Debuting in early 2015, the one-and-done duo released the fantastic New Jack Swing of Turn Me Back. It’s a sound I’ve always wanted Samuel to return to, and Candy (캔디) sees him doing just that. … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Monster Time (from Telemonster OST – 2015) One of the more idiosyncratic entries in Infinite’s discography, Monster Time was recorded for the soundtrack of an animated kid’s show. That explains some of the bizarre lyrics. But as the group matures in sound … Continue reading
Woollim Entertainment has more than their share of managerial issues (when is that fabled Infinite comeback, again?), but one thing I’ve always appreciated is that they develop a strong, recognizable sound for their artists. Rather than jump from trendy producer to trendy producer, a group like Lovelyz has largely stuck with quirky production team One … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Memories (from Season 2 / Be Back – 2014) Memories is the kind of song that sneaks up on you. It’s not immediately impressive as it floats along a warm, mid-tempo groove, but its modest arrangement is carried out with such verve … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop 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 kpop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Seventeen continues to impress with their latest album, even if … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Love Of My Life (from For You – 2015) Infinite’s original Japanese work has often been a testing ground for new sounds, and Love Of My Life points toward a very promising direction. The guys go full lighters-in-the-air power ballad here, complete with … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop 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 kpop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. SM Entertainment’s releases have been somewhat scattershot this year (along … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Just Another Lonely Night (from 24 Hours/For You – 2015) Infinite’s original Japanese material has been hit and miss, with some of their b-sides eclipsing the actual singles. That’s the case with Just Another Lonely Night, which opens with an addictive vocal … Continue reading
With Dramarama, I think Monsta X have given k-pop its most awesome song title of the year. The word alone is so ridiculously overblown, conjuring a sense of rock opera action movie bombast (or maybe just “jazz hands”). It’s delightfully tongue-in-cheek — except this is k-pop, so of course it’s not actually tongue-in-cheek. My biggest … Continue reading
Over the past few weeks, k-pop has enjoyed a much-needed resurgence of proper choruses. And though EXID never quite fell victim to the trend of instrumental riffs masquerading as hooks, there were a number of times during new single DDD (덜덜덜) that I feared the song may take that dreaded, melody-averse turn. But then again, … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Julia (from Over The Top/Paradise – 2011) Julia’s most indelible hook has no words, leading the track with a nonchalant, almost disconnected delivery. But the rest of the song is no slouch, either. The falsetto-driven chorus is a real treat, as is … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Inception (from Destiny – 2013) With a title like Inception, you might expect something truly mind-bending. The song doesn’t go that far, but it is one of the most unique entries in Infinite’s catalog. Driven by a slinky synth loop and mid-tempo groove, … Continue reading
