TREI are the latest in an already-robust slate of 2019 rookie groups to debut over the last few weeks. Hailing from Banana Culture (home to popular girl group EXID), the guys’ have arrived with limited fanfare and a surprisingly subdued roll-out. That approach extends to their debut title track. Gravity (멀어져) plays it straight, lacking … Continue reading
The other day, I cobbled together a playlist of every LOONA-related song and hit the shuffle button. I’ve had my gripes about their music in the past (mostly tied to personal taste rather than objective quality), but hearing the breadth of their sound was quite a striking experience. In less than two years, the girls … Continue reading
Monsta X have made a quick turnaround from last October’s Are You There, releasing another full album instead of a simple repackage. Back-to-back releases like this are exceedingly rare in K-pop, putting them right up there with the busiest of idol groups. As someone who usually prefers Monsta X b-sides to their title tracks, a … Continue reading
AAA’s Nissy is celebrating five years since the launch of his solo career with a greatest hits compilation. Never mind the fact that all of his solo work can be found across just two albums, making a greatest hits somewhat redundant. I’ll take new music where I can get it, and this compilation comes with … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of k-pop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Gfriend’s Korean title track Sunrise also served as a Japanese single, … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of k-pop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Sometimes buried treasures come from the most unexpected of places (I … Continue reading
The year of debuts rolls on, but not every rookie will hail from a huge agency with tons of pre-debut hype. For every ITZY or TXT, there will be dozens of new acts struggling for recognition. These groups often do not have the budget necessary for elaborate teasers or expensive music videos, but it doesn’t … Continue reading
