As part of my “A Career in Song Ratings” feature, I’ve been looking at trendlines for idol releases. When it comes to song quality, most groups start strong and taper off as they go on. This makes sense, as those early years are vital for gaining a foothold in the industry. In this way, CRAVITY … Continue reading
1. All The Possibilities // 2. You, You // 3. Why You So Bad? // 4. Get It Now // 5. Fire Escape // 6. Back To Strangers ALL THE POSSIBILITIES All The Possibilities was revealed a month earlier than the rest of the album at TWS’s most recent fancon, leading many fans (myself included) … Continue reading
The phrase “crying on the dancefloor” connotes a certain type of dance record — propulsive and sleek but driven by a sentimental (often melancholic) melody. It’s a contrast many of us love and even though the title of Lee Chaeyeon’s new single promises the exact opposite, its melding of emotion with club aesthetics is very … Continue reading
It didn’t take long for QWER to go from little-known girl band to chart mainstays. 2024’s T.B.H shot them to instant stardom and they’ve been successful ever since. Bands have enjoyed a resurgence overall in K-pop, but I love when QWER function less as a band than a poppy idol group who just happen to … Continue reading
Since leaving RIIZE, Seunghan has re-debuted as the XngHan&Xoul project, releasing the upbeat Waste No Time last summer. That song showed a ton of potential but didn’t quite fulfill on its ambitions. Now, with new mini album Glow, he takes a deeper dive into club music and the sound feels more assured and exciting. House … 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. This will be a weird “buried … Continue reading
Over five years since STAYC’s debut, High Up Entertainment has debuted a new girl group. UNCHILD have one of those K-pop names that sounds ridiculous at first but will likely become common parlance as the group establishes themselves. However, it’s not a name built to last. Can you imagine a bunch of forty or fifty … Continue reading
Close Your Eyes had a banner 2025, though I didn’t connect with their most recent album as strongly as their first two. This is despite their movement into a more dance-oriented style, which would usually appeal to me. I guess I prefer when a group takes time to establish a signature sound before experimenting with … Continue reading
As you might have expected from a new group debuting under Big Hit, Cortis have blown up since the release of their first album. Big Hit has used scarcity to their advantage, promoted tracks from that album but holding off on a comeback until later. That comeback is finally scheduled for next month, and pre-release … Continue reading
Xdinary Heroes have distinguished themselves from other idol bands through their willingness to move past sentiment into whimsical theatricality. Early efforts in this vein weren’t quite to my taste, but they’ve found a satisfying middleground lately. New title track Voyager offers a slightly different sound for the group, bolstering their anthemic songwriting with celestial synth … Continue reading
Well… look who’s back! I (along with everyone else) assumed DXMON had faded into the K-pop ether. They haven’t released new material since 2024 and for a group of their stature that’s usually a tacit disbandment or at the very least an “indefinite hiatus.” However, today they’ve surprise released new single SSS (She’s Sweet & … Continue reading
A few weeks ago, TWS collaborated with American rapper 24kgoldn for the first release in the “essential; studio” series of promotional tracks. As TWS songs always do, the hooks grew on me the more I listened to it. Next up is agency seniors Seventeen — or more accurately, DK and Seungkwan, who debuted as a … Continue reading
Along with his work in One Pact, Jay Chang has had a side career as a soloist. This makes sense given his talents as a vocalist. Not many idols can effectively drive an entire song on their own, but his voice has the polish and weight to make any material compelling. He’s already tried his … Continue reading
Mnet loves wringing as much as possible from its survival series, so in addition to ALPHA DRIVE ONE, Boys II Planet gives us a spinoff group. MODYSSEY is comprised of Chinese members who didn’t quite make the cut, promoting in Korea with a song by Stray Kids’ 3racha. This is a set-up for instant success, … 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. Kiss Of Life’s Who Is She … 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. The KickFlip machine at JYP Entertainment … Continue reading
Hwasa scored a mega hit last fall with Good Goodbye — a song that took a moment to top the charts but didn’t relinquish its place once it got there. That success was a welcome surprise. I didn’t care much about the song itself, but I’ve always liked Hwasa. Time will tell if those good … Continue reading
After exploring various sub-genres of hip-hop (my favorite being 90s G-funk), Young Posse have turned their attention toward a sound closer to hyperpop. This resulted in the utterly awful Visa earlier this year, but they’ve managed some refinement since then. New single We Don’t Go To Bed Tonight is much more palatable. There’s a great … Continue reading
Kiss Of Life have been teasing a comeback for some time now, no doubt hoping to recapture the buzz of their early work before a large chunk of the K-pop fandom turned on them. With new single Who Is She, they’re smart to return to some of the 2000s sounds that first brought them to … Continue reading
One thing about JYP groups is that they’re always going to be very prolific. KickFlip debuted just over a year ago and are already on their fourth mini album. That frequency and consistency has quickly built a catalog of music that feels unique to them. I’m loving their youthful pop/rock sound and am happy that … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 