New JYP Entertainment boy group NEXZ made their debut in Korea earlier this year with the unremarkable Ride The Vibe. Now they’re back with a quick follow-up (and their official Japanese debut) in the form of jubilant pop track Keep On Moving. NEXZ are clearly tackling a lighter sound than many of JYP’s male acts, … Continue reading
Rookies Young Posse have made a name for themselves with quirky hip-hop tracks and bizarre music videos with bad green screen effects. New single Ate That leans into both aspects but stands as their best attempt yet, embracing a full throated G-funk beat. I have a huge soft spot for 90’s hip-hop, particularly when underlined … Continue reading
To me, SF9 have always come across as musical chameleons. Their material is reliably polished and well-performed but doesn’t always have a distinct musical character. Instead, they flit between genres and often land on a winner. January’s Bibora was one of those lucky draws, gifting the guys a sleek dancepop confection that went on to … Continue reading
Apart from the status of Golden Child’s contract (by my count, their renewal deadline is in… nine days?), the biggest Woollim Entertainment mystery is which of its artists will be the first to break the agency’s dreaded three-track album curse. The last time a Woollim artist released more than three songs at once was all … Continue reading
Fresh off a commanding stint as headliner at this year’s KCON, SHINee’s Taemin is back with his first release under BPM Entertainment. Moving agencies — especially from one as distinct as SM Entertainment — has the potential to alter the sound of an artist. Taemin has always held an idiosyncratic vision and thankfully BPM seems … Continue reading
Fresh off the success of her recent single Rockstar, BLACKPINK’s Lisa is back with a big-name collaborator in tow. Spanish singer Rosalía makes for a compelling feature, herself a genre-bending, forward thinking popstar who can certainly match Lisa’s charisma. And as a song, New Woman is infinitely more interesting than its predecessor. However, “interesting” doesn’t … Continue reading
I don’t often review trot music, but new unit Atlantis Kitsune may be of interest to more casual K-pop fans. One of its members is Kim Sohee of disbanded girl group Nature. Nature’s most exciting material had a silly, trot-like energy at times, so the move makes sense. Atlantis Kitsune pairs her with Japanese singer … Continue reading
On top of their hit-filled Korean discography, IVE are quickly establishing a solid string of Japanese singles. Crush is their follow-up to last year’s Wave, a song I enjoyed and one that already seems to be a fan favorite. Now, the group has returned to the grand pop sound of highlights I Am and Love … Continue reading
&TEAM’s pre-release Koegawari has snuck up on me to become a real sleeper hit this summer. I love the understated warmth of its rhythmic instrumental and the way its arrangement allows spotlight on the members’ vocals without needless studio effects. If Koegawari was a delicious appetizer, it’s now time for the main course. Aoarashi is … Continue reading
Formed on SBS’s reality show Universe Ticket, UNIS made their debut this past March with a solid — but unspectacular — track. With their first official comeback, they’ve upped the energy and ambition, opting for a strutting glam rock beat and an in-you-face performance style. It’s a good move for them, even if the song … 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. Many specific K-pop sounds get repurposed … Continue reading
Super Junior’s Eunhyuk and One Pact’s Jongwoo have gotten into the idol group business with the production of multi-national boy group Celest1a, formed through the series K-pop House. From what I can tell, much of their promo thus far has been in Japan, but debut single Panda sees them performing mostly in English. As far … Continue reading
**NOTE: This review was originally published as a “buried treasure” but now that the song is being promoted I wanted to bump it back up to the top of the blog and add the music video to the post. The song rating has also been updated! ENHYPEN’s second full album is a mellow affair and … Continue reading
BTOB are most celebrated for their stately ballads and light pop music that showcases their vocals. However, the group are capable of much more than that. I’m partial to their many dalliances with new jack swing, mostly because those songs let the guys have fun in a more carefree way. New sub-unit single Tang Tang … Continue reading
I don’t always write about Stray Kids’ follow-up singles because they tend to release so many music videos for songs that otherwise go un-promoted. However, this is very slow period for K-pop due to the Paris Olympics pre-empting music shows, so I might as well make an exception for Mountains. Mountains opens the group’s newest album … Continue reading
Thus far, XG have presented several distinct styles. Most prominent is their mix of hard-hitting hip-hop and R&B flourishes, which has already won them many devoted fans. But every once and awhile, the group shifts things over to the dancefloor. New single Something Ain’t Right is the most full-throated move in this direction yet. Taking … Continue reading
K-pop idols thrive on building a steady, dedicated fan base. This is most often accomplished by a constant stream of releases and deluge of content. But within the vast K-pop industry, there are more than a few “one hit wonders” – acts who release one single or album and are scarcely heard from again. It’s … Continue reading
After uniting on a band version of Gaho’s Start Over in 2020, KAVE have transformed into an actual group with a proper debut. Fronted by Gaho, the band boasts an eclectic mix of producers that add a unique touch to Korea’s K-rock scene. Legend acts as their first title track and delivers a mix of … Continue reading
When debuting a new K-pop group, I’m convinced that agencies either pull a random handful of letters/numbers from a bag or crack open a dictionary, close their eyes and choose the first word their finger lands on. “Dignity” is a perfectly nice word. It’s beautiful, even. However, it doesn’t immediately conjure the image of a … Continue reading
Kara are one a few second-gen groups to make a long-awaited return these past few years. If I’ve learned anything from these comebacks, it’s that nostalgia can lead to unrealistic expectations. The chances of a group returning to their musical peak (or launching a new peak era) are usually pretty slim. For most fans, it’s … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 