Despite their relative newness to the genre, DAY6 are the idol rock band to beat at the moment. Their two mini albums have been consistently great, and the only thing that’s really held them back has been a lack of steady releases. So when it was announced that the group would be putting out a … Continue reading
I remember how severely disappointed I was the first time I heard NCT 127’s Fire Truck. I came away feeling that it was nothing more than a bunch of noise, squandering the drop-dead gorgeous vocals of a song like Without You in an effort to catch trends and present a swag-filled, hip-hop image. Several months … Continue reading
Like many freshly debuted rookies, Top Secret is composed of a mix of total newbies and former members of disbanded groups. But that’s not what makes them interesting to me. My excitement to hear debut single She spawns entirely from the fact that the song is composed by Sweetune. That’s honestly all I needed to hear. This … Continue reading
Last time we heard from rookie girl group April, they were dancing around with an egg (seriously…) and singing about fairies. It feels like these things can only happen in k-pop. Since then, the group has lost a member and gained two more. They really have seemed to be in flux since their debut in … Continue reading
Cosmic Girls’ Secret (their first single with I.O.I’s Yeonjung), was the type of pop song that sounded pleasant — if a bit benign — on first listen, but grew into something quite spectacular the longer it stayed around. Songs like these are especially hard to review after only a day or so of release, and Secret‘s … Continue reading
Last May, Akdong Musician brought us Spring, a mini album full of bright folk pop perfectly suited for the season. Now, just as the new year begins, they’re back with Winter, their second full-length album. It’s (presumably) the last before Chanhyuk’s two-year stint in the military, and has been heralded by an ambitious short film … Continue reading
After trying something new with last year’s Good Luck, AOA have made their way back to frequent collaborator Brave Brothers for Excuse Me, their first of two title tracks. It’s a move I’ve been hoping for, as Good Luck didn’t quite pack the same punch as the group’s best material. And although Excuse Me doesn’t … Continue reading
As actor/singer Seo In Guk’s 2017 enlistment date approaches, he’s tasked with leaving his final mark on the entertainment world until he returns to k-pop in a couple of years. When it comes to fans of male acts or groups, military conscription is a real thorn in the side. Fortunately, BeBe offers a glimpse at … Continue reading
Take a bit of Madonna and mix it with Kylie Minogue’s club-friendly dance music and you have a western approximation of what Uhm Jung Hwa is to k-pop. Debuting as a musician way back in 1993, she’s releasing her first new music in eight years. Legendary comebacks have seemed to become a thing in 2016, … Continue reading
Though it’s hard to gauge whether The East Light has made any meaningful impact on the k-pop scene thus far, they’ve been an unexpected highlight of the year for me. It’s refreshing to see a young group come on to shows like Music Bank playing instruments (or at the very least, miming them!) and tackling … Continue reading
Many k-pop fans have been clamoring for the emergence of a new co-ed group on the idol scene. They’ve been few and far between, with a pretty mixed track record when it comes to success. And then, seemingly out of nowhere come K.A.R.D — DSP Media’s ambitious new project. Whether they endure past the three singles … Continue reading
Originally scheduled for release in September of 2015, Bigbang‘s full Made album is finally here — though with only three new songs it feels more like a repackage than a full comeback. Even so, it marks the last we’ll hear from the group as a whole for quite some time, as members begin their mandatory … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-sides deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Twice now, Pentagon have delivered an album track that’s stronger than … Continue reading
Although EXO debuted in Japan last year with a reworking of Korean track Love Me Right, Coming Over marks their first original single recorded in Japanese. In general, SM groups have a strong track record when it comes to their j-pop releases, and given that EXO is currently the agency’s most successful act, one would expect … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-sides deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Over their relatively brief career, UP10TION have already dabbled in a … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-sides deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Of all the title tracks that I’ve written about this month, … Continue reading
VIXX have had an incredibly prolific 2016, releasing six singles between both Korea and Japan. Though there have been some major standouts, as the year’s gone on it’s begun to feel a bit more like quantity over quality. But thankfully, after the downbeat double header of Fantasy and The Closer, Milky Way brings back a … Continue reading
Boy group UP10TION are back with their fifth (!) mini album in the space of just over a year. This is the way to do it for rookies — just blitz the market with continual comebacks so that no one can forget you. And it’s working. The guys wowed me with August’s Tonight, which felt very … Continue reading
Taking into account both Korean and Japanese releases, BAP has now given us six singles since last November. And although none have become instant classics in their discography, the fact that they’ve all been so consistently good (and varied in sound) is quite a feat. Fly High continues that trend, opting for a more generic … Continue reading
After two years with a stranglehold on the charts, AOA have had a difficult year in Korea. So, it makes sense that they’d put renewed focus on their Japanese career with the release of Wow War Tonight. The song sounds nothing like the two original j-pop singles they’ve given us thus far, but that’s actually … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 