Red Velvet’s Wendy has already established a successful solo career, but it’s existed mostly through ballads that suit her strong vocal power and expression. For new single Wish You Hell, she’s embraced an edgier sound that feels more in line with her group material. As suggested by its title, Wish You Hell slots firmly within … Continue reading
The high points in Red Velvet’s discography are so high, but if I really think about it I haven’t cared for one of their title tracks since 2019. As with most groups approaching their tenth year in the industry, their comebacks have become less frequent, but today they deliver a wealth of new material on … Continue reading
Before the end-of-year countdowns next month, I like to take a look at many of K-pop’s biggest agencies and see how their year went. Obviously, 2023 is not over yet so any upcoming changes to an agency’s grade will be reflected next year. We’ve got a lot to pick apart over the coming weeks, so … Continue reading
Christmas songs. Lots of Christmas songs. That’s pretty much what December in K-pop entails – especially this year. Usually, the month will open with a few big-name releases before devolving into wintery fare, but I think the World Cup has pushed most new comebacks to next year. SM Entertainment seems particularly festive this December, blitzing … Continue reading
Longtime readers of The Bias List will know how stingy I am when it comes to rating songs nine and above. But, there’s plenty of music that qualifies. In fact, I’ve got a playlist of over 600 of them sitting in my iTunes. The vast majority of these are singles or title tracks, but there … Continue reading
This year’s leg of Red Velvet’s ReVe Festival has taken a classical detour, melding well-known orchestral samples with the group’s quirky style. This sounds good on paper, and resulted in a solid hit with March’s Feel My Rhythm. But, the approach tends to leave me cold. I get what they’re trying to do, but the … Continue reading
This feature has gradually shifted from a December to a November tradition, leaving more space for next month’s sprawling end-of-year countdowns. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be looking at many of K-pop’s biggest agencies and offering my thoughts about how their 2022 went. First up is SM Entertainment. As usual, the thoughts are my … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I look back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists. I take my own ratings into account, but there’s a bit of wiggle room as certain songs tend to grow or fade. October 2022 Overall Thoughts First off, I want to recognize Korea’s national period of mourning and … Continue reading
Rather than contain my “Risers and Fallers” feature to a single post in June, I’m going to share a bite-sized version at the end of each month. This will let me account for more songs and make a nice lead-in to the monthly round-up post. I anticipate most of these ratings adjustments will be negligible: … 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. Seulgi’s debut mini album blossoms as … Continue reading
There was a time in SM Entertainment’s history where solo releases were not common. That’s switched dramatically over the past decade, with so many popular groups launching equally-popular solo projects. The members of Red Velvet have already released sub-unit and solo work, but 28 Reasons marks Seulgi’s official debut after appearing in her fair share … Continue reading
K-pop’s title tracks might gain most of listeners’ attention, but many album tracks are worth equal spotlight. I call these “buried treasures.” Beyond this, K-pop’s albums deliver thousands of additional tracks that settle for a more limited audience. It’s these songs that will become a part of my “battle of the b-sides” feature. In this … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I look back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists. I take my own ratings into account, but there’s a bit of wiggle room as certain songs tend to grow or fade. March 2022 Overall Thoughts I’m eager to write a super effusive, super excited monthly round-up. Unfortunately, … Continue reading
When it rains, it pours – and Red Velvet fans are feasting on new music this month. Not only did the group make a long-awaited comeback last week, but their first full Japanese album also looms on the horizon. Before we get there, the ladies have revealed new J-pop single Wildside. SM artists have a … Continue reading
It’s the year 2022 and Red Velvet’s “ReVe Festival” remains open for business. The group first unveiled the carnivalesque concept in 2019 but took a break for last year’s Queendom. Now, the festival queues are bustling once more as the ladies invite us to feel their rhythm. Given the song title, you might expect an … Continue reading
Several years after launching their ambitious SuperM project, SM Entertainment has developed a similar strategy for their female artists. From what I can gather, Girls On Top will encompass multiple mix-and-match units. First up is GOT The Beat – a performance unit comprised of BoA, SNSD’s Taeyeon and Hyoyeon, Red Velvet’s Seulgi and Wendy, and … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I look back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists. I take my own ratings into account, but there’s a bit of wiggle room as certain songs tend to grow or fade. December 2021 Overall Thoughts After spending the past few weeks counting down everything under the sun … Continue reading
Ahead of a new 2022 project, BamBam is closing out 2021 with pre-release single Who Are You. The song has already garnered attention thanks to a guest feature from Red Velvet’s Seulgi, but it deserves praise on its own merits as well. After a solo debut that felt a little throwaway, Who Are You takes … Continue reading
While I don’t incorporate a song’s video into the reviews on this blog, I’m definitely not immune to a striking visual. Music videos are a vital part of the industry, and it’s time to celebrate my favorites of 2021. 2021 YEAR-END MASTERPOST Honorable Mentions: ONEWE – Rain To Be U-Know – Thank U Kingdom – … Continue reading
It’s not quite December yet, but I’m going to kick off this annual feature a little early this year! Over the next few weeks, I’ll be looking at many of K-pop’s biggest agencies and offering my thoughts about how their 2021 went. First up is SM Entertainment. As usual, the thoughts are my own and … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 