When a song hits big in K-pop, the industry tends to drive that same sound into the ground over the next few years. With aespa’s Supernova and Whiplash both major hits in 2024, it was only a matter of time before pounding club beats and spoken-word attitude lodged itself within the girl group oeuvre. STAYC’s … Continue reading
Despite hailing from one of K-pop’s biggest agencies, NMIXX’s ascent has been slow and steady. While their debut single polarized fans, the group has surged in popularity with each passing year and started to develop a diverse catalog of sounds. Their singles tend to be very hit or miss for me and often take some … Continue reading
A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. Sometimes, b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. As is often the case with … Continue reading
When last we heard from LE SSERAFIM, they urged us to “act like an angel and dress like crazy.” The actual song that accompanied these lyrics wasn’t nearly as boundary-pushing as its sentiment expressed, but I appreciate how the group tried to bring some campy fun to the table. New title track Hot pulls things … Continue reading
Girl group Say My Name debuted late last year, the first act under Kim Jaejoong’s iNKODE label. Despite this pedigree, their single WaveWay was surprisingly faceless K-pop — the kind of song that could have been peddled by just about anyone. New single ShaLala manages to be generic in a different way, though it’s a … Continue reading
A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. Sometimes, b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. ITZY’s Yeji made a splash this … Continue reading
It’s hard to believe that SF9 will be celebrating their tenth (!) anniversary next year. Their discography has remained remarkably consistent, and every once and awhile they’ll pull out a total stunner. As with many of their recent releases, Love Race sees their group configuration slightly reduced with six out of eight members promoting this … Continue reading
The music video for XG’s not-quite-new single Is This Love was delayed to improve quality, only to have fans calling out its use of AI transitions. I don’t really have a horse in this race so I’ll bow out of the controversy, but I am always interested in the music. Thus far, XG have swerved … Continue reading
Today is the day of girl group members gone solo, as Red Velvet’s Seulgi joins ITZY’s Yeji with new material. Baby, Not Baby is her second official solo single, though she was recently a duet partner with K-pop legend Kim Wan Sun on the 80’s throwback Lucky. This time around, she’s gone for an edgier … Continue reading
Though Yeji burst onto the scene as part of girl group ITZY, she first stepped onto my radar as a contestant in SBS’s 2018 talent audition show The Fan. In fact, a ton of talent ended up flourishing from that program! Even back then, it was clear she had the makings of a charismatic soloist … Continue reading
1. Heat It Up // 2. Dangerous // 3. Way You Are // 4. Umbrella // 5. Sad Loop // 6. Where U R WHERE U R If I was to say anything about this album as a whole, it’s consistently solid but never thrilling. This could be seen as praise, but in a world … Continue reading
HYBE has gotten very good at delivering anthemic pop/rock confections from their boy groups, and I eat them up every time. Japanese act &TEAM has cornered the market on this style, but their soon-to-be-formed junior group seems poised to take up the baton. The final team will be decided as part of yet another survival … Continue reading
1. Heat It Up // 2. Dangerous // 3. Way You Are // 4. Umbrella // 5. Sad Loop // 6. Where U R UMBRELLA A K-pop song that’s almost five minutes long?!? I can’t even remember the last time I saw that, but here we are with the 4:42 minute Umbrella. Some of the … Continue reading
1. Heat It Up // 2. Dangerous // 3. Way You Are // 4. Umbrella // 5. Sad Loop // 6. Where U R WAY YOU ARE As part of my “K-Pop A-Z” feature, Infinite receive a write-up for any new material released in perpetuity, so of course that includes their fifteenth anniversary album Like … Continue reading
Comebacks from beloved, established artists are difficult. I wish I could fully embrace them, unencumbered from the legacy of incredible music that forms their foundation. But more often than not, this history gets in the way and I end up wishing for material that matches the potency of their peak artistic era. This situation happened … Continue reading
Debuting in 2019, ONEWE has amassed a large catalog of music in their just-over-five-years. Today’s album is already their third full-length and is heralded by title track The Starry Night (별 헤는 밤). Rather than tackle the moodier ballads they’ve become known for, the song is a sprightly blast of indie-rock intensity. Bright synths kick … Continue reading
A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. Sometimes, b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Having listened to the new G-Dragon … Continue reading
A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. Sometimes, b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. For the second time in a … Continue reading
The King of K-pop has graced us with two new music videos on the day he returns with his first solo album since 2017. We’ve already heard the funky Power and nostalgic Home Sweet Home, and today’s stark Drama offered another nuance in his artistic palette. For the Anderson .Paak-featuring Too Bad, it seems all … Continue reading
It’s been fun to watch G-Dragon’s Home Sweet Home go from surprise midnight drop to buzzy MAMA Awards stage to chart-conquering mega hit. It’s what someone of his stature in K-pop deserves and its success has made his long-awaited return feel like an even bigger event. Speaking of “long-awaited,” the roll-out for his latest album … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 