It’s no secret that I’ve found the past few weeks of K-pop releases dull, uninspiring and – in some cases – outright bad. All the while, one name loomed at the edges of my mind. “TWS. TWS. TWS.” My top rookies of last year placed all seven of their promoted tracks in my top 50 … Continue reading
It’s been tricky being a Kis-My-Ft2 fan lately. I’ve long held them up as my favorite J-pop group and recently ran down their entire discography when it finally made its way to streaming (check the posts out here and here!), but I haven’t cared for any of their material in the past couple years. And … Continue reading
There’s this K-pop sub-genre lovingly referred to as “Christian horse girl music.” Think early efforts by GFriend, Lovelyz, Oh My Girl, April and the like. If you have time, do yourself a favor and go down the YouTube rabbit hole of this music, as it encompasses much of my favorite girl group output of the … Continue reading
The Boyz have pulled off a feat that once seemed impossible in K-pop: changing agencies with their entire roster, group name and music catalog intact. Now, they’re back with their first work under label One Hundred, presumably with greater creative control than ever. It’s interesting to learn what a group thinks their biggest strengths are, … Continue reading
Big, fun “recession era” pop music has slowly been creeping back into global music trends and I’ve had my fingers crossed that it would eventually find its way to K-pop as well. I didn’t expect this to happen via a group like NTX, who have thus far flown under the radar with a variety of … 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. Defying expectations for a rookie group … Continue reading
I watched last summer’s survival series Makemate (and even featured one of their songs on the blog), but it left such little impression that I struggle to recall many details about it. Its debuting group NouerA is here to fix that, arriving with a whopper of an electro-funk track that definitely leaves its mark. K-pop’s … Continue reading
ZEROBASEONE have always released solid music, but they really found their footing with last year’s Cinema Paradise album. Teaming with K-pop legend Kenzie on title track Good So Bad was an inspired choice, and the group has replicated that success with new single Blue. The song is nostalgic and energizing, buoyed by one of the … Continue reading
There’s this meme going around lately about pop artists “reheating their nachos,” which is basically an obnoxious way of saying “returning to the sounds they popularized and do best.” I get the sense that, although this is said in a loving nature, there’s a bit of reluctance threaded into the metaphor. But for better or … Continue reading
K-Pop’s first generation is often referenced as the foundation for the industry we enjoy now, but there aren’t enough good English-language sources that give its music the focus it deserves. I’m hoping to change that with a continuing flashback series, spotlighting personal highlights from the era – both iconic and obscure. The era in question … Continue reading
K-Pop debuts can be tricky things. At times, they’re the best song a group delivers. Sometimes, they’re the only song a group delivers! But, debuts can also be huge wtf moments in an artist’s career. In this feature, I’ll be looking back at debut songs through the prism of time, re-evaluating how well they hold … Continue reading
Sandwiched between Western and Lunar New Year, January has been pretty dry when it comes to new music. And, most of what’s been released hasn’t felt particularly noteworthy. In many ways, it’s as if we’ve simply kicked the start of 2025 down the road, finally ready to open the floodgates next month. If that’s the … Continue reading
Mixed-gender group Genic have been one of my favorite J-pop acts for the past few years, and last year’s N_G album only cemented that. Unfortunately, since then I haven’t connected with any of their singles in the same way, making me worried for their upcoming album If. However, the splashy It’s Showtime gets us right … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Water Flower (from LOL – 2016) Right from the start, Water Flower’s live band sound captures my attention. It’s not a production style GFriend used often, but it fits them like a glove and adds a ton of oomph to this song. … Continue reading
K-pop idols thrive on building a steady, dedicated fan base. This is most often accomplished by a constant stream of releases and deluge of content. But within the vast K-pop industry, there are more than a few “one hit wonders” – acts who release one single or album and are scarcely heard from again. It’s … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Under The Sky (from Flower Bud – 2015) Under The Sky is a fantastic example of how charming GFriend’s early music could be. It’s delicate in sound but muscular in execution, tying symphonic elements to bounding percussion and electric guitar. It’s also … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with GFriend’s A-Z reviews here! Please Save My Earth (from The Awakening – 2017) Previous Thoughts: “The earnest hook is classic GFriend, but it feels more dreamlike here. There’s a lot going on in the track itself, but it’s so tightly packed that every element seems to … Continue reading
K-Pop’s first generation is often referenced as the foundation for the industry we enjoy now, but there aren’t enough good English-language sources that give its music the focus it deserves. I’m hoping to change that with a continuing flashback series, spotlighting personal highlights from the era – both iconic and obscure. The era in question … Continue reading
K-Pop’s first generation is often referenced as the foundation for the industry we enjoy now, but there aren’t enough good English-language sources that give its music the focus it deserves. I’m hoping to change that with a continuing flashback series, spotlighting personal highlights from the era – both iconic and obscure. The era in question … Continue reading
K-Pop’s first generation is often referenced as the foundation for the industry we enjoy now, but there aren’t enough good English-language sources that give its music the focus it deserves. I’m hoping to change that with a continuing flashback series, spotlighting personal highlights from the era – both iconic and obscure. The era in question … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 