Patience pays off. Monsta X is a group I’ve wanted to love for a long time. I watched their debut survival series. I’ve seen them live (twice, now). Their music has gotten better with each album, though never quite to point where I found myself totally captured. But with Fighter, they’ve broadened their sound and … Continue reading
Earlier this year, I picked HIGH4 as the most underrated boy group in k-pop. I really root for them, and I was thrilled to see their Makestar crowdfunding campaign become such a big success. But with this said, I have no idea what they’re doing with this HIGH4 20 sub-unit. The duo is composed of rappers … Continue reading
With Heartbeat, SM Entertainment has completed their f(x)-driven EDM trilogy that started with Wave in May and continued with July’s All Mine. Given the strict adherence to genre structure, all three tracks feel somewhat interchangeable, but this helps create a welcome sense of continuity when they’re taken together, one right after another. Heartbeat was released as … Continue reading
Girl group Dal Shabet were one of the first k-pop acts out of the gate this year, with their addictively fun Brave Brothers track, Someone Like U. Throughout their five year career, I’ve found Dal Shabet’s output to be pretty hit and miss. Someone happened to be one of their very best tracks. But new … 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. The general consensus seems to be that most of the … 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. The very best GOT7 tracks, whether it’s A, Just Right … Continue reading
After my disappointment with March’s Fly, I was afraid that GOT7 were moving in a musical direction that just wasn’t going to be for me. Hard Carry (하드캐리) does little to assuage those fears… but at least it’s a much stronger release. And while I long for the sound of their excellent 2015 material, a … Continue reading
After what feels like ages, Crayon Pop has finally returned with their first full album. Much has been made about the fact that this release includes production and composition work from the girls themselves, but those expecting its music to sound any different from previous releases will likely be disappointed. Personally, I’m relieved that Doo … Continue reading
In general, k-pop is in a transitional place right now. The old guard is slowly being taken over by the current crop of super rookies. With the likes of GFriend and Twice making such waves, what does a group like Apink do to prove that they’re still young and relevant? It’s a tough question, and … Continue reading
Throughout their seventeen-year career, mega-successful j-pop group Arashi have traded in a variety of sounds. Of those, Power of the Paradise represents my absolute favorite — a dramatic mix of bombast and symphonics, all powering a sugar rush of propulsive pop melody. Though they’ve recorded better songs in this genre, Paradise pulses forward as a celebratory singalong, … Continue reading
For SM Entertainment’s latest Station release, the agency give us a duet between artists from two of their most successful groups. First, we have Bada, who was part of their mega-successful, late 90’s girl group S.E.S. Joining her is Super Junior’s Ryeowook, who had a strong solo earlier in the year and is a self-professed S.E.S. … Continue reading
In honor of the release of Infinite’s sixth mini-album, Infinite Only, I’ll be taking an in-depth look at each track. Every day this week, I’ll review one song, working through the album in chronological order. Eternity (intro) The Eye Air One Day True Love Thank You ZERO For the past few years, Infinite have known to … Continue reading
Soloist Jung Jinwoo rose to fame on the latest season of singing competition K-Pop Star, as the only male contestant in the live shows. He also stuck out as the series’ most current-sounding participant — a singer/composer with enough forward-looking quirk to fit right in with successful artists like Zion. T and Crush. It was … Continue reading
In honor of the release of Infinite’s sixth mini-album, Infinite Only, I’ll be taking an in-depth look at each track. Every day this week, I’ll review one song, working through the album in chronological order. Eternity (intro) The Eye Air One Day True Love THANK YOU Zero Though Infinite are most famous for their dance tracks, … Continue reading
I’m noticing a new trend with Mamamoo. When it’s time for a comeback, instead of giving us the main title track right away, they’ve developed a pattern of dropping a series of pre-releases — some with music videos, and some without. Though the girls gave us unit tracks at the end of August, New York inches … Continue reading
In honor of the release of Infinite’s sixth mini-album, Infinite Only, I’ll be taking an in-depth look at each track. Every day this week, I’ll review one song, working through the album in chronological order. Eternity (intro) The Eye Air One Day TRUE LOVE Thank You Zero For the throwback r&b of True Love, Infinite worked with production … Continue reading
Nearly two years ago, Secret’s Song Ji Eun made her solo debut with the utterly addictive pop of 25. That track suited her light, girlish vocal tone perfectly, so I was a little worried when Bobby Doll (바비돌) seemed to be taking a darker, more midtempo approach. As with many of TS Entertainment’s most recent … Continue reading
In honor of the release of Infinite’s sixth mini-album, Infinite Only, I’ll be taking an in-depth look at each track. Every day this week, I’ll review one song, working through the album in chronological order. Eternity (intro) The Eye Air ONE DAY True Love Thank You Zero It’s a common request from longtime Infinite fans that … Continue reading
In honor of the release of Infinite’s sixth mini-album, Infinite Only, I’ll be taking an in-depth look at each track. Every day this week, I’ll review one song, working through the album in chronological order. Eternity (intro) The Eye AIR One Day True Love Thank You Zero In writing about title track The Eye, I noted … Continue reading
With BTOB’s transition into a ballad-focused group, I feel like most of the issues I’ve had with their recent material has centered around the awkward shoehorning in of rap sections. But with this new sub-unit, composed of vocalists Eunkwang, Sungjae, Changsub and Hyunsik, rap is definitely not a concern. True to expectations, BTOB-Blue are given … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 