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
A K-pop group’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 hate to admit it, but … Continue reading
With Queendom, Red Velvet have come off the longest hiatus of their career. It’s been over a year and a half since 2019’s Psycho. And while the girls have kept busy with solo projects, the unique Red Velvet sound has been missed. Momentous comebacks call for momentous songs, and Queendom’s dramatic title seems to promise … 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
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
This week, we’re journeying back half a decade to look at K-pop’s best releases of 2015! 2015 was a prime year for K-pop. It saw the return of industry royalty, as Bigbang blitzed the market with no less than seven singles. It acted as the launchpad for many of today’s top acts (Twice, Seventeen, GFriend, … Continue reading
Tomorrow kicks off my Top 50 2015 countdown with songs 50 to 41! Before that, I’ve got ten honorable mentions that barely missed out on making the main countdown. There are some fantastic tracks within this bunch. 2015 was a very strong year for K-pop, making this countdown pretty cutthroat. To give you some context, … Continue reading
Congratulations to Astro’s Breathless! This is a fantastic song, and a personal favorite of mine. But, I’m a little salty with this result because it happened in the exact way I’ve been trying to prevent. I’ve deliberately kept artist names and hashtags off of the polls because I didn’t want an artist’s fan base discovering … Continue reading
The Bias List Summer Bracket begins here! For our first match-up, we’ve got UP10TION’s 2016 track Tonight versus Red Velvet’s 2017 hit Red Flavor. Though one song was more commercially successful than the other, both drip with summertime sounds and energy. But, one will fall today. The choice is up to all of you. Feel free … Continue reading
I think it’s obvious that I love a good statistic. In addition to my core rating system, I’ve got my top three songs of each month, my yearly countdowns and more data breakdowns than anyone could ask for. None of these are perfect ways to categorize or quantify something as subjective as music, but they … 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
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. May 2021 Overall Thoughts 2021’s momentum stalled a bit this month. But, it wasn’t for a … Continue reading
Rather than take an expected route for her solo debut, Red Velvet’s Joy has released an album of covers. She reinvents songs of the past few decades, including title track Hello (안녕). This is a cover of Park Hye-kyung’s 1999 hit Goodbye, and mostly opts for a straightforward interpretation. But, I’m delighted to hear her … 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. April 2021 Overall Thoughts 2021 continues to be a strong year for K-pop. When it comes … Continue reading
After a 2020 spent in rehabilitation after an awful accident during rehearsals for 2019’s SBS Gayo Daejun, Red Velvet’s Wendy makes a triumphant return with her first solo mini album. I feel like SM releases a ballad-heavy album every year around this time, and they rarely elicit anything more than a sigh from this particular … Continue reading
It’s that time of year again! Over the next few weeks, I’ll be looking at many of K-pop’s biggest agencies and offering my thoughts about how their 2020 went. First up is SM Entertainment. As usual, the thoughts are my own and aren’t privy to any insider information. I’m not taking into account things like … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 