With over 2,900 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
With over 2,900 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
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, 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. In a normal week, this buried treasure probably would have been … Continue reading
With so many of their peers heading down a darker, moodier route, Dongkiz have become a welcome salve for the boy group landscape. It’s hard to imagine anything called “Dongkiz” being the least-bit edgy, but that’s okay. Given all the chaos and anxiety floating around the world right now, I think we could all use … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, 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. When thinking about picking a buried treasure for NCT 127’s newest … Continue reading
Between Korea and Japan, Dreamcatcher have been quite active these past few months. For each of their most recent promotional periods, they’ve released both a K-pop and J-pop single within mere weeks of each other. Their Korean work has been more willing to experiment, which resulted in the brilliant Scream last month. Japanese tracks like … Continue reading
Despite unlimited potential for new sub-units, NCT’s Korean promotion has largely boiled down to releases from either 127 or Dream. Both have secured plenty of fans under the NCT umbrella, showing a remarkable level of diversity when it comes to genre and style. Still, when I think of NCT 127, I immediately picture experimental soundscapes, … Continue reading
This February left us with a lot of sound-alike tracks, and that included a few debuts. With such a saturated market, K-pop agencies seem scared to offer anything new or risky. The thing is, I’d argue that playing it safe is rarely a good strategy for new groups. It’s so easy to be swept up … Continue reading
AB6IX’s solo project 5NALLY is mostly one long dirge, where the members’ personalities take a backseat to the kind of trendy music that prioritizes “cool” over interesting. Lee Daehwi’s Rose, Scent, Kiss stands as a beacon of authenticity amid all the generic pop surrounding it. It’s not a tremendous track on its own, but benefits … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, 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. In a way, On was the perfect title track to represent … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, 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. A sense of continuity is so important when it comes to … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, 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, I found IZ*ONE’s new album BlOOM*IZ to be a downgrade … Continue reading
Girl group 3YE have been steadily sharpening their sound with each release, injecting memorable touches into an otherwise generic K-pop style. Last year’s otherwise-bland Out Of My Mind thrived on its addictive pre-chorus, which employed the kind of airy, rapid-fire delivery that made Billie Eilish’s Bad Guy such an international success. New single Queen (퀸) goes … Continue reading
Ever since their debut in 2017, I’ve felt that WM Entertainment’s promotion of ONF has been kind of lackluster. Their first few years saw a dearth of comebacks, just as the group needed to start building a fanbase. 2019 was better in this regard, offering two mini albums and a consistent sound. Then, WM started … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, 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, Pentagon were the subject of my ire for … Continue reading
Mamamoo’s massive success has spawned equally popular solo offerings from its members. This time last year, Hwasa unveiled the addictive Twit, which ended up being one of 2019’s most enduring hits. This time around, it’s Moonbyul’s turn. She’s back with her second mini album, which sees her trying on a different style for title track … Continue reading
Though they haven’t made a comeback since last summer, the spirit of ITZY looms large over recent girl group songs. The industry seems intent on harnessing their boisterous formula wherever it can, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. But not every group shares their effortless charisma, and it can be hard to pull off … Continue reading
Girl group BVNDIT spent their debut year releasing trendy music that didn’t reinvent the wheel. Though polished and well-performed, I felt like all of their singles suffered from the same generic template. They weren’t offering anything I couldn’t get elsewhere. Now, the girls are first up for their agency’s digital project New.wav, which aims to … Continue reading
Its not too often that an idol group loses their leader and their main songwriter in one fell swoop. But, this is the reality that iKON now faces after B.I departed the group last year. It’s hard to imagine what iKON would sound like without B.I’s influence, and we don’t have to just yet. Their … Continue reading
For as popular as LOONA have become internationally, their agency has had a difficult time capitalizing on the hype. Sure, the girls attended last year’s KCON LA, but they’ve gone almost a year without a proper comeback. And though the lore surrounding their concept has been detailed and consistent, their title tracks have varied wildly … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 