When The East Light debuted late last year with the giddy power pop of Holla, it felt exciting to have such a young group tackling a different sound than expected. Since then, the boys have fallen into the tropical trend, moving away from a live band style in favor of a poppier approach. This isn’t … Continue reading
My interest in new girl group P.O.P (Puzzle of Pop) went from zero to a hundred the moment I read that their title track would be produced by the Iggy/Youngbae duo. Responsible for all of GFriend’s singles and most of Astro’s, these producers gave us many of 2016’s best pop hits and easily became my … Continue reading
We’re entering the season of rookie debuts, as a multitude of new boy and girl groups are scheduled to unveil their music over the next few weeks. Leading the pack are Music Works’ first boy group MYTEEN, who have begun to build a fan-base through pre-release videos and performances. New single Amazing (어마어마하게) has already … Continue reading
Now that Queens of Summer Sistar have disbanded, much has been made about who their successors might be. So far, I’d give the 2017 crown to Red Velvet, but there are still several weeks of summer left. Riding high on the success of their Hwi Hwi comeback in April, Laboum are the latest girl group … Continue reading
Though primarily focused on a trendy (at the time) high energy dance pop, Turbo has always shown the potential for a more retro-inspired sound. Their 90’s mega-hit Twist King was entirely indebted to this nostalgic appeal, and in some ways Hot Sugar (뜨거운 설탕) feels like its successor. Of course, flash forward twenty years and … Continue reading
As one of k-pop’s most legendary groups, TVXQ needs no introduction. Today’s idol world strives for big numbers and a big sound, often bloating groups to twelve or thirteen members. TVXQ (or DBSK, as they were known at the time) had only five vocalists — and yet still Rising Sun manages to sound more immense … Continue reading
Offbeat j-pop group Bullet Train have really been pushing the boundaries with their more recent material, forging a path toward an everything-goes pop style that feels more divisive than much of their past work. New single My Buddy (mostly) dials down on the instrumental hyperactivity, painting a bright melody that fully embraces its own cheesiness. … Continue reading
In one of the most unexpected collaborations of the year, balladeer (and notable NCT fanboy) Parc Jae Jung has teamed with NCT’s Mark for the newest SM Station track, Lemonade Love. The song spawns from the web series Snowball Project, which has been one of the more entertaining (and delightfully awkward) variety shows of the … Continue reading
Though I didn’t really care for their debut, KNK absolutely knocked it out of the park with last year’s Back Again. That song seemed to mark them as true successors to 2nd generation idol groups like Beast. But since then, it feels like we’re dealing with ever diminishing returns. I’m not sure whose idea it … Continue reading
Thinking back to when Akdong Musician were just an awkward pair of siblings competing on season two of K-Pop Star, it’s hard to believe they’ve managed to become such a force within the k-pop industry. Their quirky talent shone from the beginning, but with each new comeback it’s becoming clear that their sound doesn’t need … Continue reading
Over the past year and a half, underrated group Snuper have gone from strength to strength, solidifying a signature sound and cultivating a growing fan base. They were never going to be an act who hits it big right out of the gate. For the most part, their music bucks current trends in favor of … Continue reading
Most newer Korean groups make an effort to court international fans, but few have gone as far as KARD. The co-ed quartet are practically unknown in their homeland, yet have amassed an impressive international following in the space of only eight months. With the constant tours and promotional videos comes a trendy brand of music … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-side tracks deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. If the executives at SM Entertainment had put me in … Continue reading
Though his band CNBLUE has released more than their fair share of great music, the format of a pop/rock group has always seemed to limit Jung Yonghwa’s innate sense of showmanship. The guy knows how to command a stage and pull the audience right into a song. His first solo album in 2015 spawned a … Continue reading
Unfairly or not, comeback tracks by top-of-the-pack artists like EXO will always be held to a higher standard. K-pop moves so fast, with each month stuffed full of releases big and small. Within that framework, there are a handful of acts that command attention across the entire k-pop spectrum. This sets expectations sky-high, but throughout … Continue reading
Better late than never, I suppose. Though Love doesn’t get a music video that actually features PSY and Taeyang in it, I’m happy that the song is still garnering some promotion. When PSY’s album was released back in May, it was heralded by a pair of title tracks that stuck to his tried and true … Continue reading
Produce 101 hasn’t even been off the air for a month and we already have groups moving to capitalize on its success. Of course, this is exactly what these mid-to-lower tier acts should be doing, given the potential upside of being pulled into Produce 101’s orbit. The fact that Hotshot can count one of their … Continue reading
When SM Station Season 2 was announced earlier this year, it was promised to feature collaborations from foreign artists and folks who were not part of SM’s roster. But with All That You Want, I struggle to find how exactly the song connects to SMent. The Solutions aren’t an SM group, and I don’t see … Continue reading
Only a month after the release of their first full-length album, Cosmic Girls have returned with a bid for the summer crown once held by their former label-mates Sistar. With their peppy, mile-a-minute style, you’d think Cosmic Girls + summer would be a match made in heaven. And with the right song, I still think … Continue reading
Ever since her high-profile resurgence with 2015’s Unpretty Rapstar, Jessi has struggled to convert her immense charisma and variety show talent into a broadly successful music career. Though many pigeonhole her as a rapper, Jessi’s heart seems to lie in her more vocal-driven material. Over the past year, she’s released a few solid (if not … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 