Oh, the ever-elusive Boyfriend. It’s been two years since they’ve released a promoted title track in Korea. Some listeners might even assume the group has disbanded. But in reality, Boyfriend has been churning out excellent Japanese material during their k-pop absence, most recently with last October’s standout Jackpot. And new single I Miss You is another to … Continue reading
There are many underrated k-pop groups, but few can boast a discography as consistently solid as 100%’s. Their sound has shifted throughout the years, and new single Sketch U (어디 있니) follows up on their Sweetune-produced reinvention last October. Though I’m a bit blinded by my love for Sweetune’s music, I’m thrilled that they’ve continued to … Continue reading
Ever since 2015’s I Need U and Dope, BTS have been successfully dominating their release cycles with a juxtaposition of more melodic material with harder-edged blasts of hip-hop dance. That approach continues with their newest repackage album. Last week we had the emotional, rock-infused balladry of Spring Day before Not Today rumbles in to slam listeners with its … Continue reading
Taeyeon has been churning out solo material at an incredibly consistent pace since 2015’s I. Along with Mark from NCT, I’d argue that she’s become SM’s busiest single artist. I haven’t been a fan of everything she’s released, but I respect the diverse discography that she’s building. There aren’t a whole lot of solo female acts … Continue reading
With only one single under their belt, co-ed group K.A.R.D have already amassed an impressive fan base. It just goes to show that k-pop is always looking for new ideas, even if the genre may sometimes seem stagnant. And although the group’s tropical house-infused music isn’t particularly unusual (especially for western listeners), the group wraps … Continue reading
Melody Day have dabbled in a variety of genres since their debut in 2014, most recently with the jazzy r&b of last year’s Color. That track had a surprisingly sneaky earworm of a hook that served it well in the long run, so I was curious what they would come up with next. When first … Continue reading
Over the past few years, BTS have been churning out showstopping singles with an almost inhuman regularity, rightfully earning their place as k-pop’s biggest international breakthrough. New single Spring Day (봄날) comes only three months after their superb Blood, Sweat and Tears, and represents a shift in sound well-suited to these cold winter months. Releasing a big, sweeping … 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. When SF9 secured the path to their eventual debut on … Continue reading
Though they’ve never found the mainstream success their music warrants, Cross Gene has been a reliably strong k-pop group since their debut in 2012. For their latest Korean release, they’ve mashed two pre-release tracks into one hybrid title track. The approach is more interesting than enjoyable. I felt the same way when Shinee experimented with this idea … Continue reading
Though it grew on me a bit as time went on, I’m still not a big fan of SF9’s debut single. Regardless of that, the group has already cultivated a nice fan base out of the gate and are clearly on the track to become a big player in this new generation of k-pop. New … Continue reading
Though members Zico and Park Kyung have made waves as solo artists, Block B‘s group comebacks are becoming more and more infrequent. It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost three years since they gave us a song as bright and upbeat as 2014’s HER. But with the rollicking Yesterday, they’ve finally revisited this style. The … Continue reading
Though new debuts by k-pop groups are always exciting, I’d argue that their follow-up release is even more important. When making a first impression, investments are high. But the real test is whether a group can keep up the quality, especially when it comes to rookies from small agencies. MASC impressed with debut track Strange last … Continue reading
Shinee‘s j-pop material has always been stronger than many of their peers, but their new album Five is especially solid. Bolstered by a heavy dose of bombastic funk, most of its tracks see the group moving towards a big, uptempo party vibe that contrasts with their more experimental, nuanced work last year in Korea. Get … Continue reading
Rookie group IMFACT were frustratingly managed in their debut year, suffering a fate that has affected many new acts before them. Rather than establish a distinct sound, they pin-balled between the upbeat novelty of debut Lollipop and the tuneless, swagger-on-steroids of Feel So Good. Neither were particularly great songs, and both seemed built to appeal to vastly … Continue reading
As her group Miss A continues to exist in an uncertain position somewhere between hiatus and disbandment, Suzy has finally made her full-fledged solo debut with the JYP-produced Yes No Maybe. But even though the song is part of her debut mini album, she’s been one of k-pop’s most famous idols for some time, spurred on … Continue reading
It seems like these past couple of months have been riddled with farewell songs. Bigbang‘s Last Dance kicked things off as a goodbye to an era, and just this week we had I.O.I’s final track. But none seems quite as definitive as 2NE1‘s Goodbye (안녕). When they were active, 2NE1 were my favorite k-pop girl group, … Continue reading
Continuing the trend of veteran acts making comebacks, Rain has released his first new material since 2014’s Rain Effect. Though he hasn’t been all that active these past couple of years, Rain’s legacy of music is ensconced in every fiber of today’s modern k-pop. As with other artists of his stature, he runs the risk … Continue reading
The world of k-pop girl groups is general pretty uniform. I often hear people complain that all boy group songs sound the same, but I’d argue that that’s even more common when it comes to the girls. In 2016, a specific blend of cutesy and quirky became especially prevalent, resulting in some tremendous songs but also … 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. The year is still very, very young, but in the … 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. Despite not being entirely in line with what I would … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 