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
A J-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 J-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. I don’t usually write “buried treasure” … 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. Forgive the obvious reference, but the … 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. It seems a little silly to … Continue reading
Since leaving iKON and YG Entertainment in 2019, B.I has worked more as a producer than a solo artist. He’s also uploaded music to the online platform Soundcloud, a long-standing site gaining popularity with idols and K-pop stars as a way to share unreleased material. His new EP Love Streaming is forged from those Soundcloud … 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. The best Pentagon albums thrive on … Continue reading
Weeekly have quickly developed an enthusiastic fan base, and it’s easy to see why. Though their bright, bubblegum pop isn’t always for me, the girls boast skill and charisma for days. Debut single Tag Me was a ton of fun, and new track After School recaptures much of that playful hookiness. While the song is … Continue reading
Boy group MY.st debuted last spring, during the height of global lockdown protocols. To be honest, I can’t even remember the song, which tells you all you need to know about its impact. But, I’m always one for second (and third, and fourth…) chances, and when I saw that new single Dazzle (별이 쏟아진다) would … Continue reading
Rookie group DRIPPIN impressed me with their first mini album, but given Woollim Entertainment’s track record with boy groups, I was almost guaranteed to like their music. Still, Nostalgia had a gracefulness that set the group apart. Coupled with an excellent chorus, the song pointed toward an exciting future for DRIPPIN. Follow-up Young Blood isn’t … Continue reading
Though I never featured it as a “buried treasure” last year, I was really impressed by WOODZ’s album track Trigger. It built toward a stomping, bluesy climax bolstered by guitar. I mention this because new single Feel Like comes across as a natural extension of that song. This time, the entire track is driven by … Continue reading
After a jolt of renewed interest from their stint on Road to Kingdom, Pentagon now face the tricky business of military enlistments. Jinho and Hui have already taken their enlistment hiatus, though the latter appears in new single Do Or Not’s audio and music video. In a way, that makes the track feel like the … 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. It wasn’t GHOST9’s debut single that … Continue reading
KAT-TUN are currently celebrating their 15th anniversary, and I hope that means we’ll be hearing a lot from them. It’s been nearly two years since their last album, and because the Kame x Yamapi project was scrapped last year, we haven’t even heard any solo music in the interim. KAT-TUN were one of my entry … Continue reading
Rookie group GHOST9 have blitzed the market with music since their September debut. Three mini albums in less than seven months is quite a feat, and will hopefully give them a foothold within the ever-competitive idol landscape. Their previous two releases were billed as “Pre Episodes,” positioning this new one as the main course. As … Continue reading
NCT’s WayV have arguably been the most consistent unit over the past few years, and for my money they released the best NCT-related material in 2020. Of course, this only sets expectations high, giving new single Kick Back (秘境) plenty to live up to. And while I don’t think the song is as strong as … Continue reading
If you were to map my musical DNA, a sizable portion would be indebted to 90’s J-pop. To me, this is a truly magical time in music, but it’s rarely discussed or shared outside of Japan. Being an aficionado of certain sounds within this era, I’ve tracked down hundreds of highlights over the years. And … Continue reading
