For the first time in their four-year history, mega blockbuster boy group EXO have returned with double title tracks. Designed to show us the lighter side of their music is Lucky One, which is more Love Me Right than Overdose. Though I can appreciate all sides of EXO’s sound, my taste naturally gravitates towards more … Continue reading
I wasn’t a big fan of KNK’s debut a few months ago, and that hasn’t really changed. But, I also make sure never to write a group off based solely on their debut track. Rookie debuts often end up sounding unlike anything else in their discography, and this is definitely the case so far with … Continue reading
Since going solo, Xia has almost always come back with an edgy, ambitious title track that redefines the boundaries of what kpop can be. But time after time, I find myself wishing that this experimentation carried through the entire running time of his accompanying albums. As crazy-good a dancer as he is, it feels like … Continue reading
Oh My Girl continue to move from strength to strength, offering more invention and excitement within their kpop concoctions than almost any other group so far this year. As of May, their Pink Ocean album is my favorite girl group mini of 2016, and the inclusion of Windy Day only makes it stronger. It’s worth … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-side tracks deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Monsta X is well-known for its hard-edged hip-hop sound, but … Continue reading
BTS’ Save Me has been around for two weeks now as part of their Young Forever repackage, so it has the benefit of time behind it. But, I wanted to wait until its music video had been released to review it. Before getting into the song, it’s worth noting just what a transformative and fully … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-side tracks deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. As much as I can appreciate a good Korean ballad, … Continue reading
Don’t be alarmed, but Shinee have just quietly unveiled the music video for their best Japanese single in years. Their jpop material has always been pretty diverse, from ornate balladry, to campy dancefloor fillers, to boyband power pop, but with Kimi No Sei De (君のせいで), they give us a song that perfectly captures what they do … Continue reading
Very few artists can get away with the sort of non-chorus hype track that I so often complain about in my reviews. Bigbang pulled it off with last year’s Bang Bang Bang, and BTS certainly did with the awesome Dope. Now, Bangtan is back with what feels like Dope‘s spiritual successor, in the form of … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-side tracks deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. With a title like Six Feet Under, this may be … Continue reading
Many kpop acts have ridiculous names, but few make me giggle as much as Berry Good. It’s just so horribly punny and painfully uncool. It’s memorable, yes, but doesn’t exactly make me itch to hear their music. And that’s a shame, because I fear that most casual listeners will miss out on the surprisingly excellent … Continue reading
VIXX have promised us a trilogy of single albums this year, taking their concepts from Greek gods. First up is Dynamite, which springs from Zelos, the god of jealousy. With this emotion driving the track, you’d be forgiven for expecting something dark and tortured. But surprisingly, Dynamite is their funkiest, most pop-influenced single in awhile. … Continue reading
Now this is more like it! I’m not sure it’s possible for a single song to make up for an underwhelming March, but Without You certainly feels like a kick in the butt. Without any gimmicks or concessions to trends, it flies out of the gate on the strength of its melody and performance alone. … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-sides and album tracks deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Oh My Girl’s entire Liar Liar mini is … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-side tracks deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Now that B1A4’s Jinyoung is finally getting recognition as a … Continue reading
Jpop is not nearly as accessible to the western market as kpop has become, so I’m often late to the party when it comes to new releases. Yell has actually been available for a few weeks now, but I’ve recently become interested in boy group Bullet Train and wanted to offer my thoughts on the track. The … Continue reading
From time to time, it’s just not enough to write about individual singles. In the case of jpop group News’ Quartetto, I wanted to take a deep dive into several tracks. And, given the fact that I’ve already reviewed most of the album’s singles, it just made sense to take a look at the entire … Continue reading
Despite being a self-confessed Sweetune addict, I thought Snuper’s debut single was pretty lousy. For Platonic Love, they’ve worked with the production team again, this time to much greater effect. Sweetune has always been heavily 80’s influenced, but it’s been awhile since one of their title tracks has been so explicitly indebted to the era. From … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-sides deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. By all accounts, Taemin’s album Press It is a total triumph. … Continue reading
I came into this song without a lot of expectation. I know that new group Astro have a bit of a following due to web series and other online promotion, but I know next to nothing about them. In fact, I’d even say that my initial feelings for their music was less than positive, and … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 