In K-pop’s summer of long-awaited second-gen returns, one group stands above them all for me. Infinite are my ultimate idol group — the act I’ve written most about on this blog and the one I hardly let myself believe would actually make a full-group comeback after such a long hiatus. But after founding their own … Continue reading
There’s a small cavalcade of (mostly underrated) J-pop groups I follow extensively. You’ll find me marching alongside Fantastics, Genic, Ryugujo, XY and One Love One Heart. All have consistently released some of my favorite music of the last year. After unveiling their debut album at the start of 2023, One Love One Heart have dropped … Continue reading
After revealing the rocky, anthemic pre-release Back To Me last week, The Rose have returned with their latest single Alive. Like Back To Me, this is an English-language release. It sees the group tackling a groovier sound than normal — even incorporating a dubstep-influenced breakdown before the bridge. This experimentation is welcome, especially since I … Continue reading
Snow Man’s Dangerholic acts as the ending theme to member Meguro Ren’s newest drama Trillion Game. The series’ fast, freewheeling energy requires an equally splashy, confident song. Dangerholic delivers this energy, stuffed with brass and guitar and big, singalong hooks. The guys have performed shortened versions of this song for weeks now, so I’m not … Continue reading
There can often be a long lag between a J-pop song and its accompanying music video. I first wrote about Fantastics’ Tell Me when it came out in early June, but now that we have a video I can give it the full review it deserves. And I have to say, the wait was worth … Continue reading
The Wind’s debut album has been one of my K-pop highlights this year. They’re one of the few new-gen boy groups fully embracing melody and opting for an earnest, hummable sound that sets them apart. The group is set for their first comeback next week, but before that they’ve pre-released the buoyant Summer Vacation (여름방학). … Continue reading
In a summer characterized by second-gen comebacks, K-pop’s girl groups have kind of been left out. Aloha aims to fix that. It’s not the full Sistar return we’re all begging for, but it’s probably as close as we’re going to get. The song reunites Soyou and Bora with producers Duble Sidekick, the team responsible for … Continue reading
It’s been almost three years since I wrote about Saturday, which is practically a lifetime in K-pop. The group is down to four members and has substantially changed their sound for new single Stay (있을게). Along with ILY:1, they’re the second act to mine old Gfriend sounds today. As far as I’m concerned, this is … Continue reading
When we last saw ILY:1, they were mining Oh My Girl’s old production team for a glistening facsimile that became an early 2023 highlight. With the changing of the seasons, the group has also changed its influence. This time, My Color targets an early-GFriend sound — a style I happen to be an enormous fan … Continue reading
HORI7ON were brought together through MLD Entertainment’s Dream Maker series, and have already revealed a couple of songs (to various degrees of success). They’ve just released a mammoth, twenty (!) track debut album, though a number of those tracks are only available on the physical CDs. SIX7EEN is their newest single, and sees them approaching … Continue reading
I’m a sucker for a great summer K-pop track, and we haven’t had many of those this year. Enter: Oh My Girl — with a track that’s literally called “Summer Comes.” It’s been a long time since we’ve heard from the group, and they have a bulletproof back catalog to build upon. Their take on … Continue reading
I went to watch the video for ETA on YouTube and it was immediately preceded by an iPhone advertisement backed by the song’s hook. Make no mistake what HYBE is doing here. This NewJeans EP is branding at its most integrated. In fact, imagining these brief, jingle-like songs as stylish commercials may offer a more … Continue reading
The MBTI personality test is one of those popular trends that’s totally passed me by, but NCT Dream’s pre-release Broken Melodies has only grown stronger with time. So even though I have no idea what an “ISTJ” is (Google says an ‘Introverted, Observant, Thinking, and Judging’ personality), I’m eager to check it out. This 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. It’s been a packed week for … Continue reading
Somehow, early-00’s Craig David has emerged as the biggest influence on this week’s K-pop (and K-pop adjacent) releases. We’re hearing a ton of garage-inspired tracks, but none have managed to pair those addictive beats with songs compelling enough to transcend the homage. To call Seven a much-anticipated release would be putting it lightly. Many of … Continue reading
(G)I-DLE are the latest in a long line of K-pop acts recording English-language material with with the aim of further global expansion. Given the… interesting… nature of this group’s English-language lyrics so far, a full song may not seem like the most exciting prospect. However, paired with influential music company 88rising, (G)I-DLE have leaned into … Continue reading
Look, it’s been a rough year for K-pop tunes. I’ll take a banger wherever I can find one, and if that means approaching some glorified Pepsi jingle with great anticipation, so be it. Of course, I Want is no ordinary Pepsi jingle. We have IVE onboard for this one, and their upbeat, melodic music has … Continue reading
Debuting in 2019, Exile Tribe’s Battle Of Tokyo is one of the coolest projects developed by any entertainment company. It brings together the agency’s Jr.Exile groups under fictional guises in a futuristic battle royale. It’s a multimedia project, including videos, books and — of course — music. This week, the third chapter in the series … Continue reading
Co-ed dance group Koyote are holding it down for K-pop’s 90’s class, continuing to deliver comebacks decades into their career. Their music knows exactly what it wants to accomplish, and new single Wish (바람) is another fun burst of energy. I can’t say I’m always in the mood for a Koyote banger, but the group … Continue reading
Three out of four members of Sistar are making comebacks this summer, leading fans like me to long for the summer bops of yore. Nobody did summer better than Sistar, and it’s impossible for solo releases to fully recapture this magic. With This Love (이게 사랑이지 뭐야), Hyolyn takes a slightly more subdued path toward … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 