When talking about girl group vocals I love, Woollim Entertainment’s Lovelyz often comes up. The group is home to some of my favorite vocal tones in K-pop, and Ryu Sujeong is certainly one of them. Since Lovelyz went on hiatus she’s developed an indie-pop solo career, most of which I haven’t written about here. However, … Continue reading
ASC2NT debuted last year and caught my attention with their strong vocals. Neither of their songs so far have fully taken advantage of this asset, but I can tell the group could do great things with the right material. New single Don’t Move gets closer to fulfilling that potential, offering an addictive electro thump. We’ve … Continue reading
Apart from the K-pop ecosystem we all know and love, there’s a thriving trot industry in Korea that most foreign listeners may never be exposed to. I don’t often write about trot music, as it’s its own genre with unique quirks and vast history. However, sometimes a song crosses over in a way that embraces … Continue reading
Earlier this year, STAYC found their dancefloor groove with the addictive Bebe. Though that song didn’t totally click with me initially, it gradually grew into one of my most-played tracks of the year. With new summer single I Want It, they group keeps the energy high with an early-2010’s EDM twist. As soon as I … 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. Of all possible K-pop artists, I … Continue reading
In my review of 1VERSE’s pre-release Multiverse, I described how I became a fast and fervent fan of the group thanks to their YouTube content. Hopefully some of you followed that path as well, and if you did today is a big day because it marks the group’s official debut. While Multiverse offered a sweet, … 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. Earlier this week, I was lukewarm … 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. SM Entertainment has been on a … Continue reading
We haven’t had a Korean comeback from IVE since February, but their Rebel Heart has remained on Korean charts since then and new mega-hit hit single Golden (from the K-pop Demon Hunters soundtrack) has been widely compared to IVE’s past hits. In other words, the group hasn’t exactly been absent from public consciousness. Now, they’re … Continue reading
Not only is it a busy day for K-pop comebacks, but we’ve got a few Japanese releases as well. xikers have already made their Japanese debut and are back with the poppy rush of second single Up All Night. This group’s sound has been all over the place, but I tend to enjoy their songs … Continue reading
Just a day after her fellow Sistar member Hyolyn released a new single, Soyou is back with new music of her own. Two summers ago, she carried on Sistar’s sonic legacy with the excellent Aloha, but like Hyolyn she’s decided to explore different summer sounds with PDA. PDA feels much more indebted to the early … Continue reading
Hyoyeon from SNSD has developed a nice solo career as a DJ/performer, though SM Entertainment has yet to give her an actual album to flex her skills. I guess full/mini albums aren’t as common in dance music as in other genres, but if you were to string all her prior tracks together you’d have a … Continue reading
Every so often, a song charms me in spite of itself. NCT Dream’s pre-release BTTF made so many musical moves that usually draw my ire. Its shouty sound couldn’t be more “NCT,” which has become less of a strength as time has gone on. Yet somehow, the song crossed the rubicon of annoyance and wormed … 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. Like title track Snowy Summer, Close … 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. Overall, Twice’s new album is a … Continue reading
ATEEZ have had a busy few weeks. Fresh off their latest comeback, the group has embarked on another big world tour and re-signed with their agency for an unprecedented seven (!) more years. Now, they’ve released a special edition of their latest album with new English-language track In Your Fantasy and a solo song from … Continue reading
Over the past few months, the members of BLACKPINK have blitzed the market with a variety of solo work, making greater inroads to international markets than ever before. However, it’s been a whopping thirty four months since their last group title track. In K-pop’s fast-moving ecosystem, that’s enough time for a literal change in generations. … Continue reading
I enjoy learning about the meaning behind the names of new K-pop acts — especially the stranger ones. As expected, “CrazAngel” is a combination of “crazy” and “angel,” which is quite funny on its own when taken literally. It also means “Craze on Stage, Angel in Life,” which feels like the PG version of a … Continue reading
Cube Entertainment’s NOWZ (formerly Nowadays) are in the middle of a reinvention. And while I initially dismissed last month’s pre-release Fly To The Youth as too lightweight, that song has dug its talons into my brain and emerged as a stealth summer highlight. The group’s new title track Everglow continues the rock soundscape from Fly … Continue reading
One of the most surprising (and welcome) developments of the year has been the strong musical identities of a trio of survival series spawned boy groups. Close Your Eyes, AHOF and NouerA have all debuted with great material that feels unique to them. In Close Your Eyes’ case, the guys bucked expectations by emerging with … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 