When writing about their debut Nun Nu Nan Na, I gave Cignature a lot of flack for an approach that’s plagued too many current girl groups. More often than not, their performance style favored chirpy, infantile affectations rather than robust singing, making their music feel more like a nursery rhyme or playground taunt. Follow-up single … Continue reading
Like Japan’s leading purveyor of male idol acts, Johnny’s Entertainment, the groups of Exile Tribe have their own individual quirks but largely adhere to a proven house style. Generations are the agency’s most quintessential boy band, complete with a princely, straight-out-of-an-anime character in vocalist Katayose Ryota. They’ve been churning out music for over seven years … Continue reading
Of all the Jr. Exile groups, The Rampage have consistently been my favorite. Though they have sixteen (!) members among their rank, I’ve always found their trio of vocalists to be their greatest appeal. Group center Kawamura Kazuma is a particularly magnetic performer, with one of the most charismatic hip-hop tones of this pop era. … Continue reading
I haven’t written much about any of the artists from Japan’s LDH empire since 2016, but I’m hoping to change that this year. Over the past few months, I’ve actively engrossed myself in the history of the agency’s Exile Tribe brand of groups, inspired by a late-2019 streak of excellent singles. That streak has continued … Continue reading
Hong Jinyoung’s new music often seems to arrive as we’re moving into spring, and she’s just the right person to soundtrack that transition. As K-pop’s leading purveyor of trot crossover, her singles are usually upbeat and enthusiastic – two qualities we could certainly use right now. Last year’s Love Tonight veered in a more straightforward … Continue reading
Though ONEWE’s most recent single never made it onto any of my year-end lists, I ended up liking Regulus far more than my initial review let on. I enjoyed it despite its unnecessary, trap-inspired moments because when the song actually embraced ONEWE’s strength as a band, it totally soared. But overall, I don’t understand RBW … Continue reading
Even in the middle of a global pandemic, Monsta X are reliably churning out new music. Their trilingual career is turning out to be one of modern K-pop’s most prolific. Seriously, hats off to their work ethic. Though to be fair, I’ll bet Wishing On The Same Sky was recorded some time ago. After all, … Continue reading
The scandal and dissolution of MNET’s Produce 101 series has left the guys of X1 in a lurch. While the series’ popular 2017 season buoyed nearly every trainee who was lucky enough to be part of it, the 2019 Produce X aftermath has been far messier. We’ve seen a few winners (Victon, Lee Jinhyuk), but … Continue reading
New boy group TOO has a cool-sounding (and completely ridiculous) name. TOO stands for “Ten Oriented Orchestra,” which makes me imagine some super ambitious, symphonic performance group. In reality, the guys were formed through yet another MNET survival series called World Klass. This show had a heavy presence at last year’s KCON LA, with the … Continue reading
So… the EXO solos haven’t exactly panned out the way I would have hoped. So far, it’s been an unending stream of ballads and mid-tempos, each blending into the other without any real artistic differentiation. It’s not that the music has been bad, but it feels like SM Entertainment have developed a real narrow pathway … Continue reading
With over 2,900 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
Debuting a K-pop group is fraught with difficulty even under the best circumstances, but it seems especially ambitious to launch a rookie during a time when promotional opportunities are limited. The industry is rightfully taking a lot of health precautions right now, which means that MY.st’s promos will largely be digital. Still, agencies can’t wait … Continue reading
I fondly remember watching YG’s Who Is Next variety show back in 2013. At the time, I was a supporter of Team B, who would eventually go on to become iKON. But, when Winner debuted in the summer of 2014 I was completely won over. Their first album had a more subdued energy than their … Continue reading
In a double-hitter, two of Wanna One’s most prominent members have released new music this week. Kang Daniel went first yesterday with the slick 2U, and Ong Seong Wu is right behind him with Gravity. So far, Seong Wu’s music has played things down the middle, opting for pleasant, generic fare over more daring material. … Continue reading
Between comebacks, Stray Kids have done a nice job maintaining interest through a series of Mixtape releases. I suppose that’s one of the benefits of self-producing so much of your material. Not all of these tracks have been title track-worthy, and few have felt like actual standouts. But, something is better than nothing, and it’s … Continue reading
After taking an extended break from the K-pop industry, Kang Daniel has returned with the release of his first mini album. Never mind that two-fifths of the EP is a repackage of his November single. It’s good to have him back, and hopefully with a renewed strength in mental health. New title track 2U sees … Continue reading
ONEUS kicked off their K-pop career in stunning fashion, wowing with the dynamic Valkyrie in early 2019. Since then, I’ve felt that their singles run has slowly declined in quality, though the strength of their album tracks remains intact. Even their latest Japanese single was paired with some stunning b-sides. New release A Song Written … Continue reading
After several years of success in Korea, Seventeen made their Japanese debut with 2018’s excellent Call Call Call. Since then, the group has released one J-pop follow-up, which sacrificed Call’s upbeat funk-rock energy for something more in line with their newly “matured” Korean work. New single Fallin’ Flower (舞い落ちる花びら) largely replicates this mood, albeit with … Continue reading
With over 2,900 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
Only three releases in, and rookie group PurpleBeck have gone from having Kim Jaejoong guest star in their music video to releasing a self-filmed, ultra-low-budget product like VALENTi. This downward curve is not unique to new groups from small agencies, but it’s always a bit depressing. After debuting last year with the quirky Crystal Ball, … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 