One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Falling For You (from For Life – 2016) Unabashedly festive, Falling For You is the musical equivalent of a warm holiday party on a snowy day. Bolstered by jubilant brass and splashes of vocal harmony, the track has a lush, upbeat swing … 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 usually pretty quick at picking these buried treasure songs, but … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Fall (from Universe – 2017) Fall opens with a simple arrangement of acoustic guitar and percussion, but soon grows more grand with haunting, layered vocals and distorted synth. The chorus is among EXO’s most idiosyncratic, possessing a uniqueness of tone like nothing … Continue reading
Ever since breaking out with the self-penned Rooftop earlier this year, N.Flying have taken more creative control of their music. This has been something of a mixed bag. Their follow-up single, Spring Memories, was an oddly subdued choice and failed to set the charts alight in the same way as its predecessor. With new release … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Exodus (from Exodus / Love Me Right – 2015) One of the few genuinely upbeat tracks on the initial version of EXO’s 2015 album, Exodus hearkens back to the r&b-laced dance pop of the early 2000’s. It pulses on a nimble electronic … Continue reading
I think I may have been underrating this Lim Hyunsik guy. I never covered his 2017 solo track Swimming, and I kind of want to time travel and give “past me” a slap in the face. BTOB are a group flush with talented vocalists, as well as big personalities. Hyunsik is chief among the group’s … Continue reading
Super Junior have spent the better part of a year exploring Latin rhythms, which has helped bolster a growing South American fan base. But, the title of their new album Time Slip — the first in eight years as a complete group — promised something more retro. And while pre-release I Think I offered a … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! The Eve (from The War / The Power Of Music – 2017) Opening EXO’s 2017 album with a dark blast of creeping pop, The Eve takes an almost militant approach to its verses before pulling back to a vocal-rich pre-chorus. The chorus … Continue reading
I have a playlist on my phone called “K-pop for People Who Hate K-pop.” It’s stuffed with the least offensive music I can imagine, designed for use when in mixed company. K-pop’s wilder ambitions aren’t for everyone, and that’s okay. American-sounding, coffeehouse-type tunes that just happen to be performed in Korean tend to become affable … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! El Dorado (from Exodus / Love Me Right – 2015) A fan favorite, El Dorado is a perfect representation of EXO’s signature sounds. You’ve got the moody r&b of the verses, largely carried by the group’s smooth vocals. Then there’s the towering … 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. Rather than call All to Action ATEEZ’s first full-length album, I … 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 can already tell that ONF’s Why is going to be … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Drop That (from Countdown – 2018) For as bombastic as their music can be, EXO really don’t have that many straight-up party tracks. Drop That was clearly designed with concerts in mind — the kind of repetitive, high-energy song that spells out … Continue reading
After the remaining B.A.P members left the hellhole that is TS Entertainment earlier this year, it seemed as if the group had essentially disbanded. We could certainly get a reunion in the future, but for now the guys are focusing on solo projects. For Jung Daehyun, that meant a mini album of ballads earlier this … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Don’t Go (from XOXO / Growl – 2013) EXO’s first full album is flush with these kind of lovelorn mid-tempos. The truth is, if it wasn’t for their vocals, any boy group of EXO’s era could have tackled a song like Don’t … Continue reading
This May, Ladies’ Code connected with producers 1Take and TAK to deliver the funky, brass-filled Feedback. It felt like a return to the group’s older sound — heavy on groove and sassy vocal delivery. The song emerged after an extended hiatus, which itself was preceded by years of more subdued material. If new single Set … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! Diamond (from The War / The Power Of Music – 2017) Undoubtedly one of EXO’s more polarizing tracks, Diamond sees the group move past their signature style and into a swag-heavy blend of EDM and trap. After an exciting, melodic build up, … Continue reading
Over the past few months, Stray Kids’ experimentation with electronic influences has transformed their music into a vital, trend-setting part of the K-pop landscape. It’s easy to forget that, at their heart, the group thrives on a more straightforward hip-hop style, anchored by their trio of composers/producers 3RACHA. Personally, I prefer when Stray Kids pull … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with EXO’s A-Z reviews here! December, 2014 (The Winter’s Tale) (from Exology Chapter 1: The Lost Planet – 2014) Released as a special winter track on the group’s first concert album, December, 2014 is an easy EXO song to overlook. It’s a standard r&b ballad, driven by … Continue reading
Compared to other girl groups, Lovelyz doesn’t often receive much attention for their individual members. Their music favors sentiment and cohesion over big, standout moments. But over the years, Kei has quietly become one of my favorite female vocalists in K-pop. As a singer, she’s the sort who gives 110% — almost to the point … Continue reading
