One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Chill (from The War / The Power Of Music – 2017) Opening with a blast of icy synth, Chill soon moves into a skittering verse that combines an unusual rhythmic structure with bursts of funk brass. Overall, this is one of EXO’s … Continue reading
Over the course of the past eight years, Super Junior have offered a template for how to deal with Korea’s mandatory military enlistment. Though they’ve promoted almost every year, the group hasn’t been whole since 2011. Now that all of their active members have finished serving, the current 9-member configuration is as close as we’re … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Can’t Bring Me Down (from Lotto – 2016) Can’t Bring Me Down’s opening verse promises so much more than the song ends up delivering. The instrumental supplies an aggressive, militant beat underlined by psychedelic synth and a few left-field vocal flourishes. It’s … Continue reading
When SM Entertainment announced their SuperM project in early August, my first reaction was an eye roll. This had nothing to do with SuperM’s concept, which grafts together members from popular SM acts to create a K-pop super group. I actually think that’s pretty cool. Where else are you going to see SHINee’s Taemin, EXO’s … Continue reading
When asked to name individual members of boy group ZE:A, casual fans might remember actors like Siwan or Hyungsik. Fans of variety shows will undoubtedly be familiar with Kwanghee. I can’t imagine than many will recall Ha Minwoo. He was ZE:A’s first member to enlist in the military, and has been part of the group’s … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Call Me Baby (from Exodus / Love Me Right – 2015) Enlisting new jack swing legend Teddy Riley as songwriter, Call Me Baby felt like the next evolution in EXO’s sound upon its 2015 release. The song has only grown more impressive … Continue reading
Over the course of his burgeoning career, Jeong Sewoon has alternated between groovy, acoustic guitar-driven pop songs and slower, more emotive ballads. I prefer that his sound stays focused on the former. It’s not that he’s incapable of a good ballad. It’s just that Korea already has its fair share of balladeers – especially this … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Boomerang (from The War: The Power Of Music – 2017) After a brief dalliance with funk in 2015, EXO largely abandoned the genre in favor of other trends. Boomerang revisits this sound with an 80’s synth pop edge. Opening with a bright … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Black Pearl (from XOXO / Growl – 2013) In 2013, dubstep was all the rage. Black Pearl incorporates just enough to make the song trendy, but relies more heavily on pulsing electronics and staccato hooks. Perched somewhere between mid-tempo and dance track, … Continue reading
Purple Beck’s June debut Crystal Ball was promising but unpolished, slotting them comfortably alongside K-pop’s quirkier girl groups. But, more important than a debut is its follow-up, especially when it comes to acts from smaller agencies. Financial constraints are very real in these cases, and if an agency splurges on an underwhelming debut, subsequent material … Continue reading
When releasing an album, Zico often promotes more than one title track. On his 2017 album Television, he backed up the freewheeling Artist with the more melodic Anti, and this cross-genre approach worked well. With the first half of his new album Thinking, Zico seems to have replicated this release strategy. While Daredevil is a … Continue reading
After leaving Seven Seasons (home to his group Block B) late last year, Zico has gone on to create his own label, KOZ, for future solo activity as well as recruitment of outside artists. This seems like a good strategy for him, as he’s always had his feet in both the idol and underground hip-hop … Continue reading
Despite being a big fan of the group, no EXO solo or sub-unit has connected with me this year. The guys are now elder statesman in the K-pop industry, and with that comes guaranteed success for any new material they release. But rather than branch out and push K-pop forward, the guys have channeled their … Continue reading
ONEUS made a splash when they debuted with the incredible Valkyrie this January. Their follow-up single Twilight has grown on me a lot, and the guys have proven to be reliable conduits for solid mini albums, but I fear that they offered their strongest punch right off the bat. A fantastic debut is important, but … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Been Through (from Universe – 2017) Taken from the group’s third winter album, Been Through doesn’t share much connective tissue with the season other than its subdued nature. Its verses have a fitful structure — trap-adjacent without fully embracing the genre. This … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Beautiful (from Exodus / Love Me Right – 2015) Though 2015’s Exodus album includes some of EXO’s best tracks, I find its second half to be a bit sluggish. Beautiful is a fine mid-to-uptempo r&b track, but apart from its catchy synth … Continue reading
A legacy can be both a blessing and a curse. TVXQ’s storied past includes some of my favorite K-pop ever, and the guys continue to be incredibly active since their return from the military in 2017. Yet, each time they release a new song, I expect it to hit me the way that their past … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Bad Dream (from Don’t Mess Up My Tempo / Love Shot – 2018) Led by a fluid instrumental that seems to exist in a constant state of flux, Bad Dream draws upon harmony as its greatest calling card. There are elements of … Continue reading
It’s only been a short while since BTS emerged from their late-summer break, but J-Hope is already gracing fans with a surprise single — the trilingual Becky G collaboration Chicken Noodle Soup. The song is a cover of the insipid, siren-filled original from Webstar and Young B. At the very least, J-Hope and Becky G’s … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Baby, Don’t Cry (from XOXO / Growl – 2013) One of EXO’s most iconic slow jams, Baby, Don’t Cry opens with an evocative piano riff that sets the tone for an extended r&b plea. In doing so, it pulls the best from EXO’s … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 