Despite a general shift toward lighter, more ebullient fare in k-pop over the last year, Monsta X have never strayed too far from their hard-hitting sound. Last October’s bombastic Fighter was a red herring in their discography, but one that I personally enjoyed very much. With Beautiful (아름다워), they’re back to what most listeners love … Continue reading
Of all current k-pop acts, none feels more closely tied to America than BTS. This is kind of ironic, since many groups nowadays count American members among their ranks. In contrast, all seven members of BTS hail from Korea, and only their leader Rap Monster speaks fluent English. Nonetheless, their music speaks to international audiences in … Continue reading
It’s been eight years since CNBLUE made their debut. After so long, it’s got to be hard to keep new material fresh. I imagine that rock groups find it particularly difficult, as the k-pop world affords them a smaller selection of concepts compared to their more performance-based peers. And as much as I have enjoyed CNBLUE’s … Continue reading
As Beast closed out their career with the melancholic drama of last summer’s spectacular Ribbon, the newly renamed Highlight opens theirs with a much more upbeat offering. The guys have been self-composing their material for awhile now, but leaving their former agency has given them license to try on some new sounds. This is a pretty … Continue reading
Akdong Musician have always seemed older than their years, bringing a sense of world-weary maturity to even their lightest pop songs. Since their first album in 2014, they’ve been going from strength to strength on the back of older sibling Lee Chanhyuk’s brilliant songwriting. And with The Tree (나무), they’ve brought that idiosyncratic vision to … Continue reading
B1A4 have recently switched agencies for their Japanese material, signing with the massive Universal Music Japan. While this irritates me on a personal level since Universal almost never uploads full versions of music videos, it’s certainly an upward move for the group. I love how both of their j-pop labels have let them compose most … Continue reading
It’s already mid-March, but it doesn’t feel like 2017 has given us any real notable debuts yet. This time last year, we’d already seen the first releases by Astro, KNK, Cosmic Girls and Imfact. 2017 hasn’t been quite as prolific so far, but it just got a kick-start with MVP’s Take It (선택해). The new … Continue reading
By all accounts, the original Pick Me wasn’t a great song. Yet, it waltzed its way into the top twenty of my 2016 best-of countdown. On the surface, its incessant, chirpy repetition seems utterly ridiculous, but within the context of Produce 101‘s kitschy battle royale pageantry, it became a real showstopper of a moment — and eventually, a … 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. Alongside the excellent Fingertip, GFriend have released their strongest album … Continue reading
Since their debut in 2015, boy group Romeo has suffered a bit of an identity crisis. Of course, being absorbing into a different agency right as your career is starting can certainly result in some growing pains. But in less than two years, the guys have been a mini-Infinite (Lovesick, Target), a mini-Shinee (Miro) and now … Continue reading
For better or worse, Brave Girls have always been a delivery method for songs by their agency head, Brave Brothers. This obviously limits their sound somewhat, but for fans of the Brave Brothers style, they’re pretty much the gift that just keeps on giving. And now that bigger groups like AOA and Sistar have (mostly) … Continue reading
Since their return in late 2015, B.A.P have swung wildly between concepts and tones, giving us lighter fare like Feel So Good and That’s My Jam sandwiched between the edgier Skydive and Young, Wild & Free. They’ve maintained a remarkably high quality throughout, and that doesn’t change with new single Wake Me Up. Wake Me Up … Continue reading
Since their late-career surge in 2015 with the brilliant ballad It’s Okay, BTOB have hit the ground running, releasing a steady stream of albums just as their contemporaries are beginning to slow down. And now that Beast has left Cube Entertainment and 4minute has disbanded, the group are at the top of the pack within their … Continue reading
It’s March 6th, which means another entry in DAY6’s 2017 monthly project. Three releases in and it’s clear that the quality of music will remain high throughout the year. But even better, it feels like DAY6 are utilizing this extended release schedule as an opportunity to showcase different sides of their music. Rock groups are … 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. Though not as strong as their debut album, Lovelyz’ R … Continue reading
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
