2019 has seen more idol group debuts than any year I can remember, making it difficult for new acts to stand out. BVNDIT have managed to find a burgeoning fan-base despite a sound that isn’t particularly unique. The girls have worked with top-tier songwriters like MosPick and Flow Blow, but their style has remained generically … Continue reading
When E’Dawn left Pentagon and Cube Entertainment, it seemed like a career-killer for both him and his former band. At the time, he was arguably Pentagon’s most well-known member, yet not established enough with the general public to ensure solo success. But soon after, PSY scooped up both him and HyunA as artists under his … Continue reading
If I’m being completely honest, the first few months of PSY’s P Nation have been a dull disappointment. The agency has delivered a string of digital singles, none of which has pushed their artists in new or interesting directions. For all the hype, P Nation feels like business as usual. If anyone is ready to … Continue reading
Unlike K-pop, it’s not unusual for C-pop albums to be promoted by more than one music video. WayV were quite a tease in this regard, dropping their mini album with Moonwalk as the title track last week, only to reveal additional teasers for Love Talk (秘语). They made a smart choice in picking this song, … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Machine (from Mama – 2012) They don’t make ‘em like Machine anymore. But even though this song is the product of a bygone era, it feels like the direct fore-bearer to much of NCT’s experimental material. The difference is that Machine fully … Continue reading
Most of this year’s releases by Johnny’s Entertainment artists have left me underwhelmed (hence, the lack of new reviews). But lately, the agency is enjoying a sort of renaissance. The new Sexy Zone singles were both stronger than the group has been in a year. The upcoming Kis-My-Ft2 tracks sound super promising. Arashi are finally … Continue reading
B.I.G have been on hiatus for over two years. In that time, a member has enlisted, another member has been added, and the guys struggled through the failed opportunity that was KBS’s The Unit. Although I’m an eternal optimist, I’d long since given up hope that B.I.G would ever return to the idol landscape in … Continue reading
Back when I used to have more interest in UP10TION, I never imagined a future where we would get a Wei (Lee Jinhyuk) solo album. That’s no dig on him, but other members were clearly being positioned for more popularity with the general public. However, I couldn’t have foreseen the immense popularity of Produce 101, … Continue reading
Earlier in the year, fueled by my frustration over Golden Child’s long hiatus, I compiled a list of post-2016 debuts who had been out of the spotlight for the longest time. Poor Victon landed at number four. Nostalgic Night (그리운 밤) acts as their first title track in over seventeen months – a lifetime in … Continue reading
Longtime readers will not be surprised to hear that I’ve had trouble getting into GOT7’s music these past few years. Ever since they started writing more of their own material, their sound changed in a way that just wasn’t for me. However, their May mini album offered hope. I wasn’t overly enamored by the title … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Lucky (from Growl – 2013) When it comes down to it with a pop song, I look for good energy and a good melody above all else. Lucky is not one of EXO’s boundary-pushing tracks. In fact, it’s one of their most … Continue reading
Though I’ve already written about (and ranked) the Queendom finale songs, (G)I-DLE have made the smart move to pair their track Lion with an official music video. I think they deserve a full review for their efforts, right? While the song does nothing to dispel the accusations of cultural appropriation that swirl around the group … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Lovin’ You Mo’ (from Countdown – 2018) After a bevy of high-octane electronic dance tracks, EXO’s Countdown dials things back a bit for the groovy, skittering Lovin’ You Mo’. The song opens in understated fashion, reliant on its sneaky bassline to build … 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 always expect Taeyeon albums to be 100% ballads, and I’m … Continue reading
Second chances are rare in K-pop, but for four of Pristin’s ex-members (Eunwoo, Minkyeung, Gyeongwan and Yaebin), a new opportunity has emerged in the form of girl group HINAPIA. However, this debut comes from a much smaller entertainment company, lacking the industry clout (and budget) of Pledis Entertainment. Nevertheless, Drip arrives with its fair share … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Love, Love, Love (from Overdose – 2014) Writers more clever than I have described Love, Love, Love’s otherworldly beauty — its sharp melding of musical instruments and ideologies from around the world. But, as important as it is to acknowledge its ambition, … Continue reading
So much of K-pop is about style, but some groups put extra effort into establishing their aesthetics and lore. This approach paid off for girl group LOONA, and now their creative director Jaden Jeong has set his sights on OnlyOneOf. I can’t say the group’s music has done much for me so far, but the … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Love Me Right (from Love Me Right – 2015) Released at the height of EXO’s funk-pop era, Love Me Right is a dynamo of a comeback. Right from the start, the instrumental deposits us into the groove, like a warp portal to … Continue reading
Over the past few years, my connection to GFriend’s music has started to fracture. From 2015 to 2017, they released some of my absolute favorite K-pop songs in recent memory, culminating in the flawless trilogy of Rough, Navillera and Fingertip. Since then, the group has lost too much of the power from their “powerful innocence” … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Lights Out (from Universe – 2017) Ending EXO’s 2017 winter album in theatrical fashion, Lights Out is as close to a torch song as the group has given us. Its impassioned melody rises and falls over a piano instrumental. Lights Out is … Continue reading
