KBS’s upcoming competition series The Unit brings together dozens of male and female idols from mid to low tier groups (including members from my current fave, Snuper). The idea is to forge two nine-member project groups at the culmination of the show, but as with all of these survival series, the most eye-catching moment is … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Breathe (from Season 2 / Back – 2014) Following more ornate moments on Infinite’s sonically ambitious Season 2/Back album, Breathe offers a shot of pure dance pop bliss. Its rock-guitar infused instrumental feels streamlined and animated, never once letting up. The song has … Continue reading
Season 2 of Produce 101 was such a phenomenon that it has spawned not only its winning act, Wanna One, but other project groups as well. Rainz consists of seven fan favorite trainees from the program, debuting and promoting for one year. However, it’s not the members that piqued my interest, but the involvement of … Continue reading
SF9 only debuted a year ago and have already experimented with a number of styles. Switching things up again, their new single finds them trading hip-hop and EDM for Spanish guitars. Latin music has long been a familiar excursion for boy bands of the West, but its influence is far more unusual when it comes to … Continue reading
In an effort to ignite a level of popularity that has thus far eluded them, boy group MASC has doubled in number. After two releases as a quartet, they now boast eight members and a whole new sound. It’s hard not to feel like this is a bit of a last-ditch effort, but if the … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Because (Sungkyu solo) (from Over The Top / Paradise – 2011) Before he released his first (excellent) solo material, Sungkyu took the reigns of Because from Infinite’s first full album. The song opens in theatrical fashion, as a militaristic drum line supports … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Beautiful (from New Challenge – 2013) Written by main vocal Woohyun, Beautiful doesn’t skimp on the cheese. But by taking its cues from bombastic 80’s balladry, the song’s more generic leanings are bolstered by a sense of grandiosity that transforms the whole … Continue reading
I haven’t been a big fan of GOT7‘s shift in style over the past year and a half, but sub-unit JJ Project’s melodic Tomorrow, Today was one of this summer’s nicest surprises. By bringing back a sense of classic pop songcraft, JB and Jinyoung successfully laid the groundwork for the resurgence of melody in GOT7’s … Continue reading
Seventeen‘s pre-comeback tease is in full swing with the Performance Team’s Lilili Yabbay (13월의 춤). Consisting of Hoshi, Dino, The8 and Jun, Performance has become the most unpredictable of the group’s sub-units. But these non-promoted releases are the perfect venue for a little adventurous spirit, and by pushing the boundaries Yabbay is the most compelling … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Amazing (from Over The Top / Paradise – 2011) Though their bread and butter lies in propulsive dance tracks, Infinite tackles soft rock better than almost any other k-pop group. Buoyed by Sweetune’s lush production, Amazing layers the group’s vocals to tremendous effect. … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with Infinite’s A-Z reviews here! Alone (Infinite H) (from Season 2 / Back – 2014) Infinite H had already proven themselves as a credible hip-hop unit by the time Alone rolled around, but by focusing solely on Hoya and Dongwoo without the addition of a guest vocalist, … 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. LOONA have not even officially debuted yet, and already their … Continue reading
Helmed by mega-producer Yoo Young-Jin, SM Entertainment’s self-created SMP (S.M. Performance) genre played an immense role in establishing modern k-pop’s sound. Fusing rock elements with hard-hitting dance and hip-hop, it’s a style I’ve missed greatly over the past few years. As SM has incorporated more and more Western influences, I’m worried that they’re forgetting what … Continue reading
Though Lay is still technically part of EXO, he didn’t participate in their new album or repackage. Understandably frustrating for fans, his absence is the byproduct of continual Chinese promotions. With that in mind, his upcoming second Chinese solo album will see him dipping feet into both markets. He’s still signed with and supported by … Continue reading
After the incredible success of her 2017 album Palette, IU is taking a victory lap with the release of her second covers project. A Flower Bookmark 2 follows the same trajectory of its 2014 predecessor, covering k-pop songs from the 80’s and 90’s. Chief among these selections is Last Night Story (어젯밤 이야기), a 1988 … Continue reading
So you thought that NCT had a complicated group configuration? Well, LOONA might just have them beat. The girls have not even debuted as a full group yet, but we already have two sub-units and a host of individual releases. And while the first unit went by the name of LOONA 1/3, “2/3” was just … Continue reading
Girl group April have now released seven singles, but as solid as many of those tracks have been, none has felt like the type of moment that might define a unique sound for the girls. In many ways, they’ve been plagued by a common struggle when it comes to rookie acts. Rather than branch out … 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. As expected, BTS’s new album and title track have smashed … 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. GFriend songs have a way of growing on me, and … Continue reading
With each new comeback, the hype behind BTS only grows stronger. I still envision them as the ragtag bunch of hip-hop rookies they were back in 2013, but their music has now reached a point that has transcended the label of “k-pop,” placing BTS among the ranks of globally popular artists. As such, they’re in … Continue reading
