As Wanna One’s first center and a bonafide variety show star, Kang Daniel is easily the most anticipated of the group’s post-disbandment debuts. He’s spent the past few months locked in a legal struggle with his former agency, but has come out victorious with his own label and (presumably) a new sense of artistic control. … Continue reading
Sometimes it feels like K-pop releases are preceded by endless weeks of teasers, so Mamamoo’s surprise drop of Gleam (다 빛이나) is a refreshing new strategy. It makes me wonder if an idol act will ever release an entire album without an extended promotional lead-up. Of course, Gleam is essentially a soundtrack for a CF, … Continue reading
Despite largely being produced by the same team, VAV’s singles run has been pretty hit or miss. They’re at their best when forgoing trends and focusing on polished songwriting and dynamic instrumentals. This was the case for March’s Thrilla Killa, which bolstered the group with forceful, funky production and a charismatic concept. This is not … Continue reading
Rookie girl group GWSN have drawn attention thanks to their signature sound of aegyo-infused deep house. And though I’d prefer to remove the first half of that description, I admire that the group has such a specific vision when it comes to style. Rookies are a dime a dozen nowadays, but these girls have already … Continue reading
The year of debuts rolls on with 2019’s second Wanna One-spawned idol group. CIX will likely enjoy instant success due to the presence of member Bae Jinyoung. They’re C9 Entertainment’s first male idol group, following the ill-managed Good Day, who have yet to deliver a single comeback since their 2017 debut. With the continued popularity … Continue reading
Sometimes K-pop salvation comes from the most unexpected of places. With most of July’s big-name comebacks disappointing, it’s up to the industry’s under-the-radar artists to pick up the slack. With the Ghostbusters-sampling BlockBuster, Dongkiz have done just that. The group first burst on the scene with November’s Nom, which was later recycled for their official … Continue reading
Before EXO’s Chanyeol and Sehun debuted as an official sub-unit, they paired together to deliver last year’s SM Station track We Young. That song offered a nice balance between hip-hop and harmonized melody, with a warm tone that took advantage of the interplay between the guys’ voices. This weekend’s pre-release Just Us 2 followed suit, … Continue reading
The rise in popularity of K-hip-hop and K-r&b has fundamentally changed the K-pop landscape, and we’re reeling from those effects this summer. Hip-hop sub-units are nothing new for idol groups (hello, Infinite H!), but in a climate where this sound is becoming more ubiquitous they no longer feel like an unpredictable novelty. Bringing together members … Continue reading
Hyoyeon’s transformation into an EDM DJ initially felt like a gimmick, but last year’s addictive Punk Right Now proved that she was willing to have fun with the genre. With Badster, she delves deeper into the scene, offering a convincing dose of psytrance that throws much of its focus on crafting a high tempo instrumental. … Continue reading
TVXQ have been busy in both Korea and Japan since both members were discharged from the military in mid-2017. But so far, nothing they’ve released has quite matched their pre-enlistment material in my opinion. Yunho’s recent solo album brought back some of those old-school TVXQ vibes to great success, and will hopefully act as a … Continue reading
Like it or not, this summer in K-pop has been completely hijacked by downtempo hip-hop and r&b — a holding pattern that is likely to continue next week with big releases by EXO-SC and Kang Daniel. I personally despise this turn of events, but what are you going to do? The music charts want what … Continue reading
Here’s a road map to the lead-up of Pentagon’s new comeback, as seen through my jaded eyes: 1. The group releases teasers for a summertime single. Good! Fun summery songs have been almost nonexistent this year. 2. The title track is revealed to have been produced by hip-hop artist Giriboy. 3. Ugh. Here’s the thing. … Continue reading
Fans of Monsta X are very lucky. Hardly a month goes by without some kind of release from the group or its members. They tour constantly, including a hefty amount of international stops. From the point of view of someone who’s been waiting nine months for a damn Golden Child comeback, this regularity of content … Continue reading
KNK made a long-awaited return this January with new member Lee Dongwon. And although title track Lonely Night didn’t exactly set the world on fire, it was a good first step towards reestablishing the group’s standing after a nearly 18-month hiatus. Now that they’re back, the guys can move on to more interesting sounds. New … Continue reading
In a July that has seen an unprecedented amount of downbeat, forgettable comebacks so far, DAY6 have returned to inject some life into the month. We last heard from the band in December, when they released the excellent Days Gone By. December releases tend to fade from memory this time of year, but Days still … Continue reading
With over 2,600 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
With over 2,600 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
With over 2,600 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
Rookie boy group 1TEAM debuted this March with a laid-back hip-hop sound that left me thoroughly underwhelmed. Judging from their new single and all of the b-sides they’ve released so far, this chill, heavily Western-influenced vibe will become the group’s signature style. If that’s the case, I’m afraid 1TEAM’s music will not be for me. … Continue reading
Whatever your opinion on Sori’s solo music may be, everyone can agree that she’s paid her dues within the K-pop industry. Her career thus far has been a constant series of starts and stops. Her quirky duo CocoSori disbanded earlier this year. A potential MIXNINE-spawned girl group was never given the opportunity to debut at … Continue reading
