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
I’ll always have a soft spot for a fledging act with a couple hundred YouTube views to their name. As I’m writing this, the visualizer to RE:WIND’s pre-release track RE:SET sits at just over six hundred views, but I have a feeling those six hundred people walked away very satisfied. Even before this release, RE:WIND … Continue reading
1. The Stranger // 2. Night Tale // 3. Nothing But A Stranger (On Team) // 4. Anti Hero (Off Team) // 5. Good Place // 6. Collab GOOD PLACE Even after seven years, my favorite ONF track is still 2018’s Complete. I just think their vocals work so well against a tropical house beat. … Continue reading
1. The Stranger // 2. Night Tale // 3. Nothing But A Stranger (On Team) // 4. Anti Hero (Off Team) // 5. Good Place // 6. Collab ANTI HERO After a bit of a slow down, My Identity roars back to life with its second unit track. Anti Hero comes courtesy of ONF’s “Off … Continue reading
In addition to frequent song covers, ATEEZ members have been stealthily delivering solo tracks through a series called “ATEEZ Present.” I haven’t written about these songs on the blog since I don’t always cover ballads, but Wooyoung’s new Sagittarius has a bit more bounce in its step as well as a glossy performance video. As … Continue reading
Earlier this week, BLACKPINK’s Jennie unveiled the star-studded track list for her upcoming solo album. We’ve already heard her collaboration with Dominic Fike, but she’s also set to partner with Doechii, Dua Lipa, Childish Gambino, Kali Uchis and FKJ. It’s a diverse list of talents, for sure. Doechii’s name stands out in particular, as she’s … Continue reading
Collaborations between Japanese and Korean acts have become more common, and as a fan of both music markets it’s fun to see the artists interact. ReawakeR is a big one, bringing together anime theme queen LiSA and Stray Kids’ ultra-popular Felix on the new OST for season two of Solo Leveling. Though the song has been … Continue reading
1. The Stranger // 2. Night Tale // 3. Nothing But A Stranger (On Team) // 4. Anti Hero (Off Team) // 5. Good Place // 6. Collab NIGHT TALE It’s been awhile since I’ve written a track-by-track in-depth album review, but ONF are long overdue for one. The six tracks I’ll be covering in … Continue reading
Boy group Xodiac have largely flown under the radar despite releasing a handful of solid tracks. Time 2 Shine gives them the (soft) rock makeover that’s proven very trendy in new-gen boy groups. It won’t win any awards for originality, but there’s always room on my playlist for more melodic material like this. Opening with … Continue reading
Mystic Story’s first boy group ARrC debuted last summer with a pair of promoted tracks that mixed quirky ideas with well-worn boy group tropes. Their agency is known for creative concepts but I’m waiting for the music itself to stand on its own. Comeback nu kidz offers an intriguing first step into new territory even … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 