EXO’s Chanyeol is slated for another solo album soon, and today he’s teasing us with pre-release Happy Accident. Alongside female vocalist Sole, he’s delivered a vibey slow burn guaranteed to take the edge off any feelings you may be having today. Chanyeol’s singing voice has a very calming quality and works well within this sonic … Continue reading
For the first time in years, I listened to Teen Top’s first full album No.1 yesterday. Apart from some classic singles, the album itself is just okay, but it opens with a hilariously overblown intro that made me miss some 2013-era K-pop’s inherent silliness. Teen Top are one of a few second-gen groups who still … Continue reading
In many ways, 8TURN’s December single Like A Friend was the smash that got away — a spring/summer track released in the dead of winter as everyone was cobbling together their year-end best-of lists. Making matters worse, the group never promoted it until weeks later. I haven’t listened to that song nearly as much as … Continue reading
Moonbyul has proven to be one of the most prolific Mamamoo members, releasing multiple singles during each of the past few years. This music has covered a large amount of ground, making her solo career quite unpredictable. That chameleon-like quality continues on Goodbyes And Sad Eyes. Judging simply from its title, you’d expect some mopey … Continue reading
I haven’t written about a new Secret Number track in almost two years. The group has never quite been able to crawl out of nugudom, but that’s not due to a lack of talent. Secret Number became known for their vocals early on and have been at their best when given material that spotlights that … Continue reading
Kep1er’s most recent Korean title track Tipi-Tap felt like a non-entity — a song so slight that it tippy tapped its way from memory almost instantly. But after that, they released the surprisingly boisterous Yum in Japan. After performing that song at this year’s KCON LA, they teased new single Bubble Gum. This song exists … Continue reading
Monsta X are celebrating their tenth anniversary with their first album in two years. We’ll have to wait a couple weeks to hear the full project, but like so many others they’re teasing us with a pre-release today. While watching their set at this year’s KCON LA, I noticed how heavy it was on their … Continue reading
I don’t know why all these distinctly summer songs are releasing right before I have to go back to work for the new school year, but the timing is not to their advantage. Summer songs need weeks to brew and connect with all the great experiences listeners enjoy during the season. At any rate, Red … Continue reading
First impressions are important, and in K-pop they often come via pre-release. Big Hit’s new boy group CORTIS made a lousy first impression with GO! last week. However, I’d say a follow-up is even more important than the first impression. With new expectations and information driving the listener experience, this is where an artist either … Continue reading
BOYNEXTDOOR made their official Japanese debut last summer, but it was with a re-recorded version of a single they’d already released in Korea. Count To Love is their first original J-pop single, and thus feels more like a proper step forward for them. It’s also the first BOYNEXTDOOR single to directly echo the sound of … 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. Not too long ago (2021, to … Continue reading
K-pop album promotion cycles are usually short, and as norms have changed in the Western pop market that brevity has become the case here as well. Artists often release several songs leading up to an album but rarely promote any new singles beyond that. With Dream, BLACKPINK’s Lisa has plucked a track from her February … Continue reading
Thus far in their career, Young Posse have waffled between quirky, colorful music and more subdued bids to be taken seriously in the hip-hop realm. They’re at their best somewhere in the middle, such as last year’s fun 90’s throwback Ate That. New single Freestyle borrows some of this energy but also falls victim to … Continue reading
I don’t know what’s happening over in YOUNITE world, but the promotion for Bomba is concerning. The song was released over a week ago to no fanfare and only now has a (performance) video. The group has yet to promote it on music shows. None of these developments bode well for the agency’s confidence in … Continue reading
Let’s get the obvious out of the way first: ZOONIZINI is an awful sub-unit name. I’m sure it has some special meaning as all K-pop monikers do, but saying it out loud instantly makes me feel stupider. ZOONIZINI is Astro’s third sub-unit, made up of members MJ and JinJin. Previous units delivered mixed results, but … Continue reading
Given TWS’s incredible success last year, there are worst song titles to debut with than “Plot Twist“! AtHeart have used the familiar title for their first foray into the industry, though they teased us with a pre-debut earlier this year. The group hails from Titan Content — an American based company that seems to have … Continue reading
Back when she was rattling off power notes with GFriend, I considered Yuju to be one of my favorite vocalists in K-pop. However, vocals don’t matter much without great material to showcase them and her solo career thus far has been mired in a lack of musical ambition that’s quite frustrating. Like so many idols-turned-soloists, … Continue reading
Oh, AMPERS&ONE. You debuted with such a strong track, but since then it’s been dimished returns for every single comeback. The guys have quite a few great b-sides to their name (and their new album’s highlight medley suggests there will be more), but their title tracks have struggled to harness any hint of unique identity. … Continue reading
Everyone and their mother has had a pre-release this year, and NCT Wish are the latest to jump on the trend. Ahead of their new mini album, they’ve unveiled summer single Surf. Though we’re currently in the middle of a heat wave in my neck of the woods, it feels a bit late in the … Continue reading
In a year already stuffed with competitive boy group debuts, it’s time for another new act. idntt (pronounced “Identity”) is the brainchild of Jaden Jeong, the man behind LOONA, tripleS and ARTMS. The group follows the same interactive system as tripleS, with twenty-four members split into sub-units based on fan input. The agency is also … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 