With such a busy slate of K-pop releases, I don’t always have a chance to rave about some of my favorite J-pop. This week, I’ll be giving an overview of some of my favorite acts and songs. Hopefully you’ll find a new obsession to add to your playlist! Why I Love Pick Me Up (and you … Continue reading
With such a busy slate of K-pop releases, I don’t always have a chance to rave about some of my favorite J-pop. This week, I’ll be giving an overview of some of my favorite acts and songs. Hopefully you’ll find a new obsession to add to your playlist! Why I Love Kitakaze to Taiyou (and … Continue reading
After a lengthy hiatus, girl group Elris reconfigured as “Alice” earlier this year. The rebrand was devoid of fanfare, as the group emerged with a barely-promoted ballad. It turns out this was just a teaser for their true comeback. New single Dance On re-introduces the girls with a bang, drawing upon K-pop’s retro trends for … 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
RoaD-B have had an outsize presence on The Bias List relative to their lack of recognition elsewhere. I’m pretty confident that 99.9% of K-pop fans who don’t read this blog have yet to even hear their name. After all, they’ve only had one televised performance. Still, their debut single Nonstop was a huge highlight of … Continue reading
With over 4,000 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
With their recent contract renewal, Twice have beaten K-pop’s “seven-year curse” and established themselves as one of the longer-running girl groups within the industry. Fans have plenty to celebrate, and the group is ready to provide the soundtrack without much delay. The aptly-titled Between 1&2 acts as a bridge between stages in Twice’s career, and … Continue reading
Key’s Another Life was first revealed almost a year ago during the live stream of his Groks in the Keyland concert. Now it’s finally found a home on his upcoming album, and although the video is taken straight from the concert interstitial, I’m going to call it a pre-release because I want to write about … Continue reading
Having vaulted to the a-list only a few months after debut, IVE have entered an early ‘imperial phase’ where anything they touch is all-but guaranteed to be a hit. This kind of instant success can lead to quick stagnation, but the group has a great track record so far. Both Eleven and Love Dive have … Continue reading
It’s ‘Golden Child comeback’ time again, which means a track-by-track review of their new mini album, Aura! Check back each day of the week as I make my way through the five new songs. 1. Aura (Intro) // 2. Replay // 3. Knocking On My Door // 4. 3! 6! 5! // 5. Purpose // … Continue reading
It’s ‘Golden Child comeback’ time again, which means a track-by-track review of their new mini album, Aura! Check back each day of the week as I make my way through the five new songs. 1. Aura (Intro) // 2. Replay // 3. Knocking On My Door // 4. 3! 6! 5! // 5. Purpose // … Continue reading
With retro synth emerging as a dominating trend of the past few years, it’s been interesting to see which groups fit it naturally and which feel shoe-horned in. Exile Tribe’s Fantastics have totally suited the sound – so much that I hardly want them to stray from it! 2020’s High Fever ended up becoming a … Continue reading
One of the most frustrating things about this era of K-pop is that — with all its sonic and producer shifts — there aren’t many groups I can count on to consistently release music I’ll love. It can feel like a total grab bag, and after Golden Child’s regrettable Japanese discography earlier this year 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. I’m still processing the fact that, … Continue reading
Kick around this K-pop blogospere for long enough and you’ll eventually get to write about the return of a true legend. Forever 1 celebrates Girls’ Generation’s fifteenth anniversary – a huge milestone for any idol act. I know I’m not alone in counting the group among the most foundational forces that cemented my love for … 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. If I’m posting a “buried treasure” … Continue reading
Around 2015-2016, K-pop saw a boom of what most would call wistful, “cutesy” girl groups. On its face, this description feels a bit reductive, but the music itself was universally strong. Lovelyz, April, Laboum… early GFriend! These groups delivered a headrush of candy-coated pop hooks that emphasized vocal ability and sweeping, soaring melody. It’s a … Continue reading
One of the nicest things about summer break is having the time to catch up on music from markets I love but don’t always follow with as much discipline as K-pop. Ado’s New Genesis (新時代) may have been released last month, but I’d be remiss not to write about it regardless of how many days … Continue reading
After last summer’s delightful Hello Hello, Snow Man have returned with their newest summer single Orange Kiss (オレンジkiss), which also serves as the theme to leader Iwamoto’s new movie. I haven’t been shy about my admiration for Snow Man’s music. Their personality and charm enhances every song, but the music is no slouch on its … Continue reading
I saw a headline somewhere that referred to Naniwa Danshi as “glitter idols,” and that’s probably the best moniker you could use to describe them. Johnny’s has opted to give them a classic idol concept, complete with over-the-top costuming that’s popped right out of a manga. It’s not remotely trendy, but that’s the point. A … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 