Momoland’s Bboom Bboom only improved the more popular and ubiquitous it became. There’s something irresistible about cultural touchstones — hooks and moves and moments that everyone knows (whether they enjoy them or not). But this mega-hit status presents one very big problem. How do you follow up on a phenomenon? Years ago, Crayon Pop were faced … Continue reading
Nu’est’s post-Produce 101 ascendance has been nothing short of extraordinary, and I’m surprised that they took so long to follow up on last October’s successful Where You At. Despite that song’s adherence to the annoying-instrumental-drop-as-chorus trend, I eventually came around to enjoying its dynamic arrangement. In contrast, new single Dejavu feels much more subdued and less … Continue reading
Ever since the announcement of SHINee’s sixth album promotions, many were wondering how the group would address the unavoidable — the tragic passing of founding member Jonghyun late last year. It was there in the melancholic edges of Good Evening, and even in I Want You’s wistful lyrics, but it’s woven into every fiber of … Continue reading
Ever since their debut in late 2016, The East Light have provided a steady stream of music in collaboration with their producer Midas-T. Taking into account pre-releases, title tracks and follow-up promotions, the group has never truly gone on hiatus in almost two years. This unending schedule would be tiring if the music wasn’t always … Continue reading
Before Block B struck gold as an edgy idol group, members Zico and Park Kyung cut their teeth in the music industry with underground hip-hop releases. It’s interesting, then, that their story has come full circle. Recently, both rappers’ solo hits and variety appearances have eclipsed those of their full group. It makes me wonder … Continue reading
To be clear, there is no reason for a pop song to be preceded by a hash tag. And under no circumstance whatsoever should that hash tag actually be part of the chorus. But here we are, with Red Velvet’s #Cookie Jar. This Japanese debut is likely to be their most polarizing title track since … 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 wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Back in k-pop’s second generation (approximately 2003-2011), agency collaboration albums were … Continue reading
I love a good comeback. And I don’t mean “comeback” in the new promotional cycle sense (though I obviously love those, too). I mean an honest to goodness resurgence in popularity after years of increased obscurity. J-pop group Da Pump has been around since the late 90’s, though they’ve struggled to maintain commercial success ever … Continue reading
With over 2,300 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 the … Continue reading
Just last week, former JBJ member Longguo released his solo debut. Right on his heels is Kim Donghan, the project group’s youngest. More often than not, I struggled to connect with JBJ’s music, so I can’t help but approach these solos with deflated expectations. But that sense of ambivalence makes Sunset all the more impressive. … Continue reading
Ever since their 2015 commercial resurgence with cathartic ballad It’s Okay, BTOB have fallen into a pattern of increasingly toothless pop music. They’ve never been more successful than they are now, so it’s hard to fault them from sticking to a winning formula, but I fear that any bit of edge has been completely ironed out … Continue reading
It’s been over a year since Taeyeon released her impressive full length album, My Voice, which went a long way towards fostering her versatility as a performer. With Something New, she continues to experiment with genre and prove why she’s one of SM Entertainment’s most valuable assets. From the outset, Something New is a different … Continue reading
Only a day before their Korean comeback, DAY6 will drop their second original Japanese single. Japan seems like a natural fit for the group, as the country’s rock scene is still thriving amidst the arrival of trendier genres. And with Stop The Rain, the band has released a solid follow-up to March’s If (We Meet … Continue reading
Last year’s proliferation of idol survival shows continues to generate content. This time, it’s in the form of Woo Jinyoung and Kim Hyunsoo, two participants of YG’s failed MIXNINE project. Both hail from a subsidiary of Happy Face Entertainment, and will no doubt be thrown into a boy group sooner than later. But for now, … Continue reading
After what seems like a decades-long wait, BLACKPINK has returned with new material. This long hiatus approach has been a staple of YG Entertainment for years, and becomes especially problematic for the agency’s newer generation of artists. In BLACKPINK’s case, every title track they’ve released has gone straight to the top of the charts, but … Continue reading
With Clover, it feels like we’re entering the second stage of the post-Produce 101 boy group landscape. This will kick off in earnest next year when Wanna One disbands and its members are scattered throughout the industry. But before that, we had the dissolvement of popular 101 project group JBJ. Member Kim Donghan will have … Continue reading
Rookie group Girlkind debuted earlier this year with the hip-hop heavy Fanci, which displayed promise even if the song itself left something to be desired. I guess the girls felt embarrassed for sticking that “i” in place of the standard “y” in their title, because they spend most of follow-up single S.O.R.R.Y simultaneously apologizing and proving that … Continue reading
As SHINee move into the second part of their Story Of Light promotions, they’ve set a high bar for themselves. I’m still reeling from last month’s awesome Good Evening, which means new single I Want You arrives with some unfair expectations. The fact that the song adheres to k-pop’s seemingly unending tropical trend makes things … 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 wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Though they’ve yet to develop a unique sound for themselves, fromis_9 … Continue reading
With over 2,300 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 the … Continue reading
