As BTOB has essentially turned into a ballad group, fans have been waiting for when they would finally come back with something more uptempo. After all, amidst the slower material on their most recent albums, the group has proven that they can still throw out a ridiculously fun, new-jack swing influenced dance track. But Pray … Continue reading
On the road to re-establishing their brand over the past year or so, B.A.P have blitzed us with a variety of sounds, from the dark theatricality of last November’s Young, Wild & Free to the uptempo pop of Feel So Good and That’s My Jam. Now, they return with a song that feels like 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. A large chunk of VIXX’s discography was built with the help … Continue reading
K-pop rookies seem to be getting younger and younger with each passing year, so the emergence of The East Light (with an average age of 15) isn’t all that surprising. But unlike the hyper-polished pop of similarly-aged NCT Dream, these guys are tackling a less likely genre of music: classic garage rock. And despite their … Continue reading
A day after YG’s BLACKPINK released the minimalist acoustic ballad Stay, SM Entertainment counter punches with its own version in the form of Taeyeon’s 11:11. But unlike the former’s flirtation with tempo change and folk elements, 11:11 plays it straight down the middle. Surprisingly, this no-nonsense approach actually pays off. More than any other … Continue reading
YG Entertainment has a long history of releasing excellent mid-tempo ballads, but none has ever sounded quite like BLACKPINK’s new single Stay. The girls have constantly been compared to 2NE1 (the only other female act in the agency) and portions of Stay‘s melody feel lifted from directly from that group’s oeuvre, but it’s been repackaged … Continue reading
With The Closer, VIXX have delivered on their ambitious 2016 trilogy release schedule. When the project first began with April’s excellent Dynamite, I looked forward to a year of varying concepts that pushed VIXX’s already solid sound. But between Fantasy and The Closer, the guys have instead settled into a certain downbeat vibe, assisted by … Continue reading
I never found the time to review The Solutions’ July single Ticket To The Moon, even though I found it to be a summer highlight. Korea isn’t exactly known for its rock music, and The Solutions’ particular brand of synthy indie pop is even more unique in the world of k-pop. Paired with Lovelyz’ main vocal Kei forges … Continue reading
Twice’s rapid rise to the top has been an incredible feat to witness. Just two singles in, and they’re arguably the most impactful girl group in k-pop at the moment. In our meme-driven entertainment culture, the girls have crafted a sound built on an assortment of colorful musical moments — both catchy and viral-worthy. After the … Continue reading
When SM Station first started, it felt primarily like a delivery method for ballads. But as the months have gone on, it’s become much more focused on EDM tracks, inviting some of the agency’s biggest artists to collaborate with DJs and dance producers. This time around, in-house collective BeatBurger is paired with k-pop royalty BoA. … Continue reading
This seems to be the week for comebacks and debuts of rookie girl groups. But of all of them, A.De held personal interest by virtue of Good Time being produced by Sweetune. Last week, the production team gave us 100%’s fantastic Better Day, and Good Time continues that resurgence. The song is much more Kara than Infinite, but … Continue reading
You Bad! Don’t Make Me Cry (넌 Bad 날 울리지마) may just be my favorite title translation for a k-pop song all year. Not only is it an eccentric mouthful of misjudged, simplified English, but its lack of focus actually describes the song perfectly. And the best part is… none of this is criticism. I’ve … Continue reading
I was beginning to think that SM’s Henry was never going to release solo music again. It’s been over two years since his last mini album, and his presence has been missed. While I hope that we get something more substantial from him soon, this duet with Sistar’s Soyou is a welcome surprise in the … Continue reading
Cube Entertainment hasn’t had a stellar year. In the course of several months, they’ve lost their biggest girl group, 4minute, and one-sixth of their biggest boy group, Beast (whether the other members re-sign their expiring contracts remains to be seen). Given this, there’s a lot riding on Pentagon’s debut. The agency seems to have invested quite … 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. I’m sad to admit that much of Shinee’s latest album … Continue reading
A week after Crayon Pop gave us a revival of 80’s italo disco, new group Sixth Sense debuts with a similar sound. The girls are from Up Entertainment — a small agency that doesn’t seem to have much of an internet presence. From watching the music video, it’s clear that budgets are tight and … Continue reading
Shinee had an outstanding 2015, releasing two of their very best title tracks in the space of a few months. Because of this, anything they followed up with in 2016 would arrive amidst sky high expectations. So instead of going big, they go specific… with the early 90’s new jack swing throwback of 1 Of 1. Immediately, this move doesn’t … Continue reading
It’s a testament to just how badly I’m wishing for a B1A4 comeback that when the solo debut of main vocal Sandeul was announced, I let out a disappointed sigh. This is insane, since Sandeul is an amazing performer with so much potential as a solo artist. But to me, the only thing this announcement … Continue reading
With Heartbeat, SM Entertainment has completed their f(x)-driven EDM trilogy that started with Wave in May and continued with July’s All Mine. Given the strict adherence to genre structure, all three tracks feel somewhat interchangeable, but this helps create a welcome sense of continuity when they’re taken together, one right after another. Heartbeat was released as … 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 general consensus seems to be that most of the … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 