STAYC’s 2024 material has been increasingly quirky, marked by oddball earworms like Cheeky Icy Thang. Their music’s appeal has always been a bit left of center, which is a good thing. But in a current girl group landscape that favors beige easy-listening, it’s interesting to hear them adjust to the trends. New single GPT does … Continue reading
SNSD’s Sooyoung actually started her idol career in a short-lived J-pop group before eventually debuting in Korea. It’s funny, then, that it took this long for her to release a solo single in Japan. Better late than never, as Unstoppable recaptures some of the magic from SNSD’s discography while showcasing Sooyoung’s own charisma. A song … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Fever (from Fever Season – 2019) What I said then: “There are moments when the song wants to take off (especially the breathless, synth-dripped pre-chorus), but like so many tracks of this style, Fever constantly has to work its way back to … Continue reading
The sheer audacity of ITZY’s uneven Gold has (sort of) won me over, but when their newest album was released most fans were more focused on its b-sides. I didn’t find many of these b-sides all that engaging myself. However, Imaginary Friend immediately stood out as a highlight. JYP seems to think so too, as … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Fallin’ Light (from Fallin’ Light – 2019) What I said then: “Much of it plays like the quintessential GFriend song, but even when the beat kicks in for the chorus, it just doesn’t hit the highs I know they’re capable of. Apart … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Fall In Love (from LOL – 2016) Preceding the epic Navillera on an album was never going to be easy, but Fall In Love’s strings intro promises more excitement to come. The song is light and breezy, underpinned with distorted guitar to … Continue reading
Hello Gloom may still be a rising name in Korean music, but he’s crafted some of the best pop music of the past few years — both for himself and label-mate from20. His Mamacita is one of my favorite tracks of the year, delving deeper into dance music than ever before. New single Somebody slows … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Eye Of The Storm (from Song Of The Sirens – 2020) Okay, now we’re talking! I’m a sucker for Eye Of The Storm’s bombastic opening. It’s like the kickoff to a musical. You know you’re in for some drama, and the rest … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Eclipse (from Labyrinth – 2020) Eclipse feels like a blend of the earthy tones of this album’s title track (Crossroads) and the swinging energy of GFriend’s debut era. I love the violin that winds its way through the instrumental, giving over to … Continue reading
What does one do during a severely underwhelming month in K-pop? Return to the classics, of course! And there’s no performer more classic than Cho Yong Pil. The 74-year-old legend has returned with his first album since 2013’s very good Hello. It’s also his twentieth work. Remember, he was largely active at a time when … Continue reading
Around this time last year, AMPERS&ONE debuted with the ebullient On And On, setting expectations for a bright, exciting discography. This year’s follow-up Broken Heart swerved in a different direction, muddying those same expectations. That song grew on me a bit but felt like an overall dip in quality. Thankfully, new single He + She … Continue reading
Over the past few years, Purple Kiss have flirted with quite a number of genres. Their singles run tends to bounce between negative and positive reviews on this blog. I prefer their more melodic tracks, especially given the strength of their vocalists. New single On My Bike offers a bit of everything, melding their various … Continue reading
Pre-release tracks aren’t necessarily meant to become the biggest hit of an artist’s career, but aespa’s Supernova surprised everyone by lodging itself at the top of the charts for the better part of the year. Karina’s recent solo track Up seems to be doing the same, adding to aespa’s red hot ascent. Now, the full … Continue reading
*This was originally a “buried treasure” review, but now that we have an official mv, it’s been changed to a “song review” post. My rating hasn’t changed. It’s been quite some time since a Seventeen album has captured me, and new release Spill The Feels (such a cheesy title) is unlikely to break that trend. … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Crush (from The Awakening – 2017) GFriend’s music was often bolstered by new jack swing elements even if it never pushed definitively in that direction. Crush is the closest they got, tying a mystical tone to funky percussion that gives the song … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Crossroads (from Labyrinth – 2020) What I said then: “My central issue with Crossroads is that it’s just too lightweight. Yes, there are string sections aplenty swirling around the bulk of the song, but the percussion is too thin and inconsequential to … Continue reading
After years of infrequent releases, the BLACKPINK members have blitzed the market with solo singles over the past few weeks. Some of these have featured international stars, like Lisa’s duet with Spanish pop queen Rosalía. Now, it’s Rosé’s turn to join forces with a global hitmaker, pairing up with Bruno Mars for the quirky, irreverent … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Contrail (from The Awakening – 2017) There will be some songs in this feature that have already received short write-ups as part of other reviews, but I don’t plan to reference those old thoughts while writing about them this time. It’ll be … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Compass (from LOL – 2016) LOL was a great debut album and holds up very well – especially within its sugary pop genre. Compass is pure sweetness, underlined by a propulsive beat that builds to an astounding chorus. The synth percussion has … Continue reading
This spring, 82MAJOR’s Choke impressed with its addictive hip-hop production, but its lackluster hooks were quickly overshadowed by a similarly-themed comeback from fellow boy group YOUNITE. Still, the guys showed promise as hip-hop idols and new single Stuck (혀끝) seeks to capitalize on that sound. The instrumental isn’t quite as addictive this time around, but … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 