It always amazes me how quickly artists can jump back into work after their military enlistment ends. Jay B returned less than a month ago, yet today he’s released his first full album. He may have been working on this for years, but it’s still impressive he was able to get it off the ground … Continue reading
Seventeen are here to cap off an incredibly successful 2024 with the release of a new Japanese single. Shohikigen (消費期限) has been available for awhile now (I first wrote about it as part of a J-pop round-up), but they’ve just unveiled the music video for the song. While it’s rare for a K-pop act to … Continue reading
TWS has been a musical balm this 2024, offering structurally diverse bursts of exciting pop when everyone else was going beige and repetitive. To me, there hasn’t been a debut year this airtight in years and now the guys are tying a bow on their successful 2024 with a shift to a more sentimental sound. … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Memoria (from Fallin’ Light – 2018) Previous Thoughts: “This is not the high-octane dance pop many might have expected. It’s far more restrained, gradually developing its story rather than hitting listeners all at once.” (full review) Updated thoughts: GFriend’s Japanese releases always … Continue reading
ICHILLIN’ released a couple great tracks early this year, but both ended up falling off my playlist much quicker than expected. They each felt more like production showcases than enduring melodies — an approach that often struggles in the long run once the excitement of that production wears off. I predict a similar future for … Continue reading
I was a bit overzealous when writing about G-Dragon’s Power because I was simply so excited to have him back in music after seven long years. That zealousness continues with a review for Home Sweet Home, even if the song has no accompanying music video, and grows even more intense with fellow Bigbang members Taeyang … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Luv Star (from Snowflake – 2016) For awhile, GFriend and Lovelyz’ sounds intersected. To me, Luv Star feels much more like a Lovelyz track, down to the shimmering synths and light vocal approach. This isn’t a bad thing at all, since GFriend … 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. Though it won’t be topping any … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Love Whisper (from Parallel / Rainbow – 2017) Previous Thoughts: “In some ways, Love Whisper is as GFriend as GFriend gets, but mostly it sounds like a generic post-Luv Apink track. On first listen, the song’s lack of ambition feels like a … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Love Spell (from Walpurgis Night – 2020) Walpurgis Night is GFriend’s most genre-shifting album, which is kind of frustrating since it also served as their swan song. Love Spell’s rootsy guitar and clap-along percussion give off a totally different vibe from most … Continue reading
After years of being relatively quiet compared to other NCT units, WayV had a busy 2024. They’ve already released albums in Korea and Japan and now they’re back to close out the year with a new project. High Five is the upcoming album’s pre-release and continues the funky, upbeat sound of June’s Give Me That. … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Love Oh Love (from Time For Us – 2019) This song directly references GFriend’s debut era, almost to the point where it feels like a re-creation of songs like Me Gustas Tu and Glass Bead. I’m not complaining, since this “powerful innocence” … Continue reading
I’m losing track of how many tripleS sub-units we have now, but I guess the sprawling nature of the project is kind of the point. Less than a month after the debut of Visionary Vision, we have a Japanese single by the newly-unveiled “∞!”. This unit takes a moodier approach, utilizing now-ubiquitous musical elements from … Continue reading
SNSD’s Taeyeon can always be counted on for a long-lasting chart hit, but this summer’s Heaven didn’t seem to have the stranglehold on the public the way most of her singles do despite hinging on similar elements as Sabrina Carpenter’s world-conquering Espresso. New single Letter To Myself is a more comfortable fit for Taeyeon, drawing … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Love Bug (from Time For The Moon Night – 2018) We’ve entered the segment of this feature that will cover songs starting with the word “love.” There are five of them in GFriend’s discography (seven if you count “luv” and L.U.V” as … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! LOL (from LOL – 2016) Ah, the literal title track of GFriend’s first album. I always thought it would be funny if this had been a ballad given its title, but true to form LOL is a burst of K-pop joy. The … Continue reading
When the credits for Jin’s new album were unveiled, my eyes immediately fell upon one name: Gary Barlow. I would have never expected to see the British Take That member’s credit on a K-pop release. Barlow has written a fair amount of fantastic music, but his taste also tends to be a bit milquetoast. Of … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Life Is A Party (from Parallel/Rainbow – 2017) Previous Thoughts: “Life Is A Party is a fluffy little throwback, driven by retro synths, bass guitar and a repeated drum loop. In some ways, it’s quite restrained, yet offers a take on the … Continue reading
Though I haven’t often loved Bibi’s music the way others do, she was a fantastic addition to this year’s KCON LA and offered a contrasting style to many of the festival’s idol acts. She’s also a bundle of charisma, able to captivate with simply a whisper or sigh. New single Derre (데레) capitalizes on this … Continue reading
When last we heard from Primrose, they teased us with a Nordic title and imagery only to deliver the same cacophonous stomp favored by many of their peers. Freyja was a letdown, for sure. However, they’re back with yet another new sound. Steal Heart is a far funkier effort that puts great focus on their … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 