One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Ooh La La La (from Don’t Mess Up My Tempo / Love Shot – 2018) When Ooh La La La was released last year, it was heralded as the “sexy track” from EXO’s Don’t Mess Up My Tempo album. While this approach … Continue reading
IN2IT’s Run Away popped up on a random shuffle the other day and I realized that I had honestly forgotten about the song. This might sound like a put down, but as the track played, I found my ears lured to its rock-infused dance beat. I couldn’t quite place who the performer was (which probably … Continue reading
Fresh off their success on Queendom, Mamamoo are back with their second title track of 2019. This has been a fruitful year for them, particularly Hwasa. Her name has been lodged at the top of the K-pop brand reputation lists, and her casual but quirky energy has become synonymous with the group’s appeal. Mamamoo have … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! One And Only (from Ex’Act / Lotto – 2016) Melding retro synths with airhorns (!), One And Only’s introduction is a little disorienting. It’s the odd track that manages to feel both languid and brisk, thanks to an insistent beat underlined by … Continue reading
Stray Kids’ Astronaut arrives nearly a week after it was originally scheduled, and several weeks after the departure of the group’s main vocal Woojin. I’m honestly surprised that they were able to release it as early as they did, given the inevitable re-recordings and edits needed to accommodate Stray Kids’ new eight-member configuration. Ironically, the … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! On The Snow (from Sing For You – 2015) On The Snow is an amiable little fellow, groovy and enjoyable in the moment but pretty forgettable thereafter. Its warm, brassy chorus contains plenty of good cheer for the holidays, incorporating sleigh bells … Continue reading
Over the course of their two-year career, Seven O’Clock’s music has been nearly as faceless as their group name. That’s not to say it’s all been bad. Their 2018 mini album was actually quite strong, with double title tracks that both deserved more hype than they received. But, the group suffers from an under-the-radar stature … Continue reading
Since their debut last year, Nature have gone on to develop a quirky, off-kilter sound that sets them apart from other rookie groups. Fans seem to be taking notice, bringing us to the release of their first mini album. Their last comeback I’m So Pretty was an unexpected highlight of the summer, harnessing the power … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Oasis (from Don’t Mess Up My Tempo / Love Shot – 2018) Oasis’s opening line is arresting, emerging with a palpable tenseness as if the melody had finally caught up to you after a long pursuit. From here, trap influences form a … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! My Turn To Cry (from Miracles In December – 2013) My Turn To Cry is tangentially related to the holidays by nature of the album it stems from, but at its heart the song is a typical EXO ballad, riding on sentiment … 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 want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. I’m still not overly hyped about Victon’s comeback track, but the … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! My Lady (from XOXO / Growl – 2013) Closing out EXO’s first full-length album, My Lady offers a bluesy slab of r&b groove. The tempo is always faster than I expect for a song like this, especially as the two-part chorus picks … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! My Answer (from Exodus / Love Me Right – 2015) My Answer is as classic a pop ballad as you’re going to get from EXO. Performed by Baekhyun, D.O. and Suho, the track offers plenty of space to stretch their vocals. 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 want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Gosh, K-pop’s delivered a lot of Run Aways this year, hasn’t … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Moonlight (from Overdose – 2014) Drawing on EXO’s smooth vocals, this moody mid-tempo encapsulates a sound that the group has mastered. The harmonic arrangement is incredibly lush and the soundscape is otherworldly. Everything feels drenched in reverb, giving the track a wet, … Continue reading
With Tattoo, The Boyz have made an odd move. The song is targeted at the Japanese market, yet 99% of it is performed in the Korean language. I’m not complaining – especially since I think pop music is best when delivered in its native tongue – but this is a mystifying approach, and one I … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Miracles In December (from Miracles In December – 2013) I often use the word “sentiment” as a criticism — the last refuge of a song devoid of interesting melody or production work. But, sentiment can be a powerful thing, and often breathes … Continue reading
Rookies 1TEAM have earned fans across the K-pop landscape, but for me they’ve been hampered by their choice of collaborators. All three of their 2019 title tracks have been composed by production team Devine Channel. While there are some songwriters that I naturally jibe with (ahem… Sweetune), I can’t get into most of Devine Channel’s … Continue reading
During what I shall now call “K-pop’s Bummer Summer of 2019,” Dongkiz’s BlockBuster was a welcome respite from the self-serious, downbeat r&b that seemed to clog the season. In hindsight, the song hasn’t held up quite as strongly as I would have thought, but it’s still an enjoyable bit of goofy fun. Then came the … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Mama (from Mama – 2012) It would not be an overstatement to say that Mama was the song that cemented my love for K-pop. I’d dabbled with idol fare before, but this song’s bombastic mixture of Gregorian chants, heavy metal dance breaks … Continue reading
