Let’s get the super-biased, personal stuff out of the way first. Last year, I found Romeo to be one of the most promising rookie groups based on their work with composing/producing team Sweetune. We don’t get to hear enough from Sweetune anymore, and I was thrilled that this group seemed to be building their sound … Continue reading
Like many k-pop fans, I was highly entertained by season one of rap “survival” show Unpretty Rapstar. Even so, I was never interested enough in Kisum as a performer to check out her post-show music. Blame it on Rapstar‘s bigger personalities sucking all the oxygen out of the room, I guess. Whatever the reason, I’m … Continue reading
I haven’t had a chance to write about Japan’s mega girl group E-girls yet, though they are one of the few j-pop artists I listen to. More often than not, their sound is bright and cheerful, echoing much of what is going on in k-pop currently. For Strawberry Sadistic (Strawberry サディスティック), they maintain the up-tempo catchiness, … Continue reading
For better or worse, Sistar have become known as the queens of summer. For the past few years, the primary sound of their title tracks has been bright, breezy and entirely indebted to a connection with the season of beaches and tank tops. I’ve seen a fair amount of criticism leveled at the girls because … Continue reading
As a member of popular 90’s group S.E.S, Bada could rightfully be considered k-pop royalty. As a solo artist, she hasn’t been very active for quite a few years, apart from a few singles and OST songs. Flower marks her first solo single in two years, and it’s an interesting take on the typical dance … Continue reading
I really had no idea what to expect from this collaboration. We’ve got veteran Younha, who’s most know for her soft balladry, Wonder Girls’ HA:TFELT (Yenny), who gave us the beautifully intense Ain’t Nobody two years ago, and Cheetah, the attitude-filled winner of Unpretty Rapstar season one. On paper, they each bring incredible strengths to … Continue reading
I may have underrated Tiffany’s solo debut I Just Wanna Dance when it was released last month. The song’s had unexpected staying power, making the release of Heartbreak Hotel an exciting proposition. And though Hotel is more midtempo than Dance was, it retains many of its late 80’s influences. Shimmering synths support an ethereal melody that substitutes … Continue reading
Now that Double S 301 have gotten their big Korean and Japanese comebacks out of the way, they’re free to release something a little looser and a lot more fun. Ah Ha (아하) arrives on the 11th anniversary of their parent group, SS501, and thankfully is not some drippy ballad. In fact, it’s the best … Continue reading
After the tremendous success of girl group competition show Produce 101 and the domination of its resulting group, I.O.I, it makes perfect sense that MNET would green light an all-male spin-off series. And like Produce, which had its representative song in the form of the quirky Pick Me, BOYS24 has released the pop bombast of Rising … Continue reading
As part of new album EX’ACT, EXO have reveled in both the darkness and the light. If Lucky One was the opening salvo to the summer season, Monster‘s bass-heavy assault takes us into the nighttime hours, pulling the group back to the dramatic, dark fantasia of older material like Overdose, Mama or Wolf. Of course, … Continue reading
After giving us the brilliant Sympathy, rocker Jung Joon Young is back with his group (formerly known as JJY Band and now called Drug Restaurant). While his solo material tends to be more ballad-focused, Joon Young really gets the chance to rock out when he’s with his band mates. Mistake ups the tempo substantially, taking … 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. EXID’s Street album is a bit of a frustrating listen for … Continue reading
Girl group Fiestar have hit nearly every kpop genre imaginable, from cloying cuteness… to “light” sexy… to “dark” sexy. With Apple Pie, they merge these concepts into one for a sort of “cute-sexy” approach. Even though members Cao Lu and Yezi are enjoying a certain amount of notability as individuals, it doesn’t appear that anything … Continue reading
SM’s assembly line of solo releases continues with the first single from f(x)’s powerhouse vocal Luna. It was probably safe to assume that the song would be a ballad, but luckily the powers-that-be have decided on a high energy dance track instead. SM has had quite a love affair for this specific, early 90’s club … Continue reading
It’s been so gratifying watching Block B‘s Park Kyung rise to prominence as a solo artist. In an idol group with a leader as incredibly successful as Zico, it’s not easy to stand out, but Kyung has always been my preferred member due to his entertaining persona and lighthearted, cleverly constructed music. Last year he … Continue reading
Freshly debuted boy group MAP6 have done a complete 180, pulling away from the dark, post-apocalyptic pop of last year’s Storm in favor of the boisterous fun of Swagger Time (매력발산타임). Smartly, they’ve also been paired with a notable production/songwriting team in Duble Sidekick. There’s a reason certain producers’ names stand out in kpop. Duble … Continue reading
If we’re to talk about Shinee members’ solo material in incredibly simplified terms, Jonghyun would be the Prince to Taemin’s Michael Jackson. His music tends to be fussier and more cerebral — just as concerned with a complex, meticulous arrangement as it is with a good groove. Personally, this has made it easier for me … 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 completely understand why Good Luck (review) was chosen as … Continue reading
While I enjoyed Monsta X’s title tracks last year (particularly Hero), I always felt that they were spending too much time trying to be “hard” instead of focusing on the more interesting aspects of their music. Songs like Trespass seemed more self-serious than playful, which stopped me from really getting on board. All In definitely … Continue reading
I’ll never be able to forget B.I.G’s (Boys In Groove’s) auspicious debut back in the summer of 2014. Hello was so lyrically cringeworthy that it almost became a case of “so bad, it’s actually good.” But more than anything, it just made me feel sorry for the guys. What a lame debut song to be saddled with. Since then, … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 