Beat Win came back last year with the underrated Stalker, but they’re the kind of group that never creates much buzz around their releases. Because of this, I came to their new single, Your Girl (니 여자친구), without expectations of any kind. This was probably a positive approach, as the song instantly resonated with me much … Continue reading
Last week, Zhoumi pre-released the Chinese version of his stately ballad, Empty Room. With What’s Your Number, he flips that sound completely, opting for a synth-drenched dance track. It’s a break from the ultra-trendy EDM SM has been giving its solo artists of late, hearkening back instead to the carefree pop fellow SJ-M member Henry … Continue reading
Rock is not a typical genre in the k-pop idol world, especially that which could be safely described as “heavy” or “hard.” After releasing a more standard brand of radio-rock for many years, FTIsland were given leeway last year to record material more closely aligned to their personal preferences. This resulted in a heavier sound … Continue reading
Stellar are back with their second title track of the year. They’ve been making great use of the makestar crowdfunding site, which presumably has allowed them the budget necessary to work with a producer of Brave Brothers’ caliber this time around. My ears perked up as soon as I heard his name, since he’s one … Continue reading
Back in March, I suggested that Eric Nam move back to an uptempo pop track for his next comeback, and somebody must have been listening because Can’t Help Myself is his brightest, most exciting single since 2014. Buoyed by the fame his personality has helped foster, Nam finally gives us the aural equivalent to the … 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. The concept of NCT is infinitely promising. But as much as … Continue reading
Rookie group Snuper have forged their sound upon working exclusively with composing team Sweetune. They’re the only ones to do it consistently at the moment, and for that I’m very thankful. Their 80’s-tinged Platonic Love was a wonderful surprise back in March. New single You=Heaven (너=천국) is a different beast altogether. While it possesses many … Continue reading
It’s been a long wait for Infinite fans. I’ve made no excuses for my bias towards them and their music, and I had totally pumped myself up for a July comeback only to hear that it would be postponed to late summer or fall. Luckily, they’ve thrown us a bone in the form of That … Continue reading
Few k-pop stars bring the drama the way Shinee’s Taemin does. I’ve been a massive fan of his solo material from the start, so hearing that he would release a Japanese mini album later this month was a very nice surprise. I’d be lying if I said the ballad-meets-dubstep nature of Sayonara Hitori (さよならひとり) is … Continue reading
Wonder Girls’ Reboot was my favorite full length k-pop album of 2015, and this is coming from someone who had never really been a massive fan in the past. I’m delighted that they’re keeping with their new band formation, but I worried when it was announced that Why So Lonely would be primarily reggae-based. I … 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. I was a little (or maybe a lot) harsh on Taeyeon … Continue reading
It’s rare that we get a pre-debut music video that’s not a solo or sub-unit. From what I’ve heard, Pledis Girlz (hopefully not their final name) will debut as a ten-member group. We doesn’t feature all ten members, but feels like a good indication of their color, especially since the girls directly participated in its composition. … Continue reading
One of my biggest annoyances of the past year or so in k-pop has been the lessening influence of classic producers like Brave Brothers, Sweetune, Thomas Troelsen and Yoo Young-Jin. Yes, we have newly popular talent in the form of Black Eyed Pilseung, LDN Noise and the Iggy/Youngbae duo, but my love of k-pop was fostered … Continue reading
Beast has already had quite a year so far. Coming off of a commercially underwhelming 2015 (by their high standards), they lost a member in Hyunseung, turning their reliable 6-member team into a five piece. They’re in desperate need of a shot in the arm, allowing them to remind Korea why they are one of … Continue reading
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
