As SM Entertainment’s Avengers-like super group, SuperM have been deployed as K-pop ambassadors, scooping up CFs in a variety of spaces. Occasionally, this results in new music. 2019’s Let’s Go Everywhere was a fun advert for Korean Air, while the newly released We Do soundtracks a partnership with Prudential Corporation Asia. Songs like this threaten … Continue reading
Whenever I see a new girl group track with an onomatopoeia title, I get nervous. If I could change one thing about current girl group trends, it would be to replace all the chirpy dum diddy la la la bum bums with melodies that show off the performers’ vocal skills. It’s not that this assembly … Continue reading
Kim Jaehwan has a voice that can elevate any pop song. Too often, these voices are relegated to ballad after ballad after ballad. But, I love nothing more than hearing a powerful vocalist collide with an equally powerful dance or rock track. It’s one of the factors that made me such a huge fan of … Continue reading
Whenever Exile drops a new single, it feels like we’ve reached the final boss level. With more focus on the various Jr. Exile groups, their releases are less frequent than in years past. But, Exile is still the pillar of the whole enterprise, pulling in performers from various units to create a powerhouse squad. To … Continue reading
It’s hard to believe D-CRUNCH has been around since mid-2018. With exactly one mini album released each year, the group’s long hiatuses make it difficult for their music to stick in memory. Each time they make a comeback, it’s like a long-lost friend returning to say hi. Often, their title tracks feel like they could … Continue reading
After a 2020 spent in rehabilitation after an awful accident during rehearsals for 2019’s SBS Gayo Daejun, Red Velvet’s Wendy makes a triumphant return with her first solo mini album. I feel like SM releases a ballad-heavy album every year around this time, and they rarely elicit anything more than a sigh from this particular … Continue reading
I fell in love with Astro’s music over the course of their debut year. In fact, I picked them as my favorite rookies of 2016 – above even the much-hyped NCT. However, I’ve barely recognized Astro in their past two comebacks. It wasn’t just that their concepts had become “darker.” The music itself felt increasingly … Continue reading
A K-pop group’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. WJSN have released yet another strong … Continue reading
Given their vast array of members and talents, I’m surprising we haven’t seen many solo projects from Seventeen. The group is approaching its sixth debut anniversary, which seems like the perfect excuse to further explore this possibility. Perhaps the release of Hoshi’s mixtape Spider will be the fuel for that fire. Before getting into the … Continue reading
3YE have released a variety of different title tracks, and each has drawn upon edgier sounds than many girl groups tackle. I think the trio are at their best when given an insistent electro groove, such as last year’s Queen. New single Stalker replicates this charm in bits and pieces, and is at its strongest … Continue reading
It feels like ages since WJSN made a comeback. I’ve missed their music, and consider them one of this generation’s most consistently great girl groups. Apart from a few notable offshoots, the girls have cultivated an identifiable sound and twisted it just enough to remain fresh. New single Unnatural twists that style a bit more … Continue reading
There’s so much to unpack when it comes to NTX’s debut. First, there are those uncomfortable teaser photos, where the guys cosplay as different “cultures” in the most awkwardly stereotypical way imaginable. Then, there’s the song’s nearly-eight minute music video, which opens with a lengthy credits sequence just as it should be drawing the attention … Continue reading
With Brave Girls’ unexpected resurgence, there’s been a renewed interest in Brave Entertainment as well. This puts DKB in an awkward position. Clearly, they’re not the Brave Sound group the general public is interested in hearing from at this moment, but that’s hardly their fault. I’m sure this comeback has been in the works for … Continue reading
Since her solo debut, Kim Sejeong has become synonymous with ballads. But now that Gugudan is no more, it makes sense that she would expand her palette and maybe even absorb some of her former group’s charms. New single Warning isn’t exactly adventurous, but it injects a welcome variety to her music, delivering the optimistic … Continue reading
Even before the formation of Winner, I longed for a Kang Seung Yoon album. His early solo songs – Wild & Young, Stealer, It Rains – hinted at a gutsy rocker. And paired with some of YG’s best in-house talent, the music itself was fantastic. So, I was kind of disappointed when Seung Yoon was … Continue reading
It’s been a challenging few weeks for fans of Kim Sung Kyu. His departure from Woollim Entertainment – after over a decade with the agency – throws into question the future of his solo work and of Infinite as a group. As consolation, he’s released one final album with Woollim, and it brings him back … Continue reading
With so many idols (and former idols) branching into international markets, it’s becoming harder to decide which songs to write about on this blog. I mean, Jackson’s LMLY can hardly even be considered K-pop. It’s performed entirely in English by an artist who now works mainly in China. But, we can’t overlook Jackson’s history with … Continue reading
IU is supporting her new album with a good old-fashioned double title track strategy. We don’t see double promotions in K-pop nearly enough anymore. I’ve always thought it was a great way to showcase a full album, incorporating more sounds and moods than a single title track can convey. In Lilac’s case, IU chose the … Continue reading
Earlier this year, IU teased the release of her fifth full-length album, dropping digital single Celebrity as a taste of what was to come. She’s since spoken about how the album is meant to sound bigger than most of the coffee shop-friendly singles she’s delivered over the past few years. And with retro influences dominating … Continue reading
With over 3,000 songs on my iPhone’s “K-Pop Singles” playlist, I thought it would be fun to add a bit of unpredictability to my song review posts. So as a result, we have the “Random Shuffle Review” feature. The rules are simple. I fire up my playlist, press “shuffle,” and whatever song plays first gets … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 