Like many k-pop fans, I was highly entertained by season one of rap “survival” show Unpretty Rapstar. Even so, I was never interested enough in Kisum as a performer to check out her post-show music. Blame it on Rapstar‘s bigger personalities sucking all the oxygen out of the room, I guess. Whatever the reason, I’m … Continue reading
R&B crooner Babylon has featured on some pretty big hits, but has yet to fully break out as a solo artist. His voice is one half Taeyang and one half G.Soul, which works to both his advantage and detriment. Crush On You (처음 본 여자는 다 예뻐) does a fine job showcasing those vocals, yet … Continue reading
I haven’t had a chance to write about Japan’s mega girl group E-girls yet, though they are one of the few j-pop artists I listen to. More often than not, their sound is bright and cheerful, echoing much of what is going on in k-pop currently. For Strawberry Sadistic (Strawberry サディスティック), they maintain the up-tempo catchiness, … Continue reading
Newly debuted rookies O21 (O To One) have already received some attention for taking an edgier approach when most of their peers are sticking with an innocent sound. This was enough to catch my attention, but only a good song would maintain that interest. With Show Me, I feel myself drifting somewhere in between curious … Continue reading
What do you do when you want to love a group but you have no faith in the agency that supports them? Such is the case with Madtown. By all accounts, they have the skills, charisma and personality to make it big. Their most visible member, Jota, has also proven himself an eminently likable variety … Continue reading
For better or worse, Sistar have become known as the queens of summer. For the past few years, the primary sound of their title tracks has been bright, breezy and entirely indebted to a connection with the season of beaches and tank tops. I’ve seen a fair amount of criticism leveled at the girls because … Continue reading
When deciding which kpop tracks to skip when writing my reviews, the ones that usually pass by without any commentary are the ballads. There’s just not much to say about most of them. But on this uncharacteristically slow Monday, the only major releases to choose from are ballads. Of the choices, Baek Yerin is likely … Continue reading
Last time San E and Raina paired (back in 2014), they gave us the ubiquitous mega-hit A Midsummer Night’s Sweetness. It only makes sense that they’d re-team in an attempt to repeat their success. And while I don’t see Sugar & Me having nearly the same effect on the k-pop zeitgeist, it’s still a decent … Continue reading
SM Entertainment’s Station platform seems to have taken a turn towards the uptempo now that summer is approaching. This week’s track pairs SM royalty BoA with popular rapper Beenzino, and it’s a smart match. They’re given a somewhat generic dance track to work with, but manage to imbue it with enough of their own style … Continue reading
As BTOB continues to rise in their homeland, they’ve also carved out a pretty successful career in Japan. Though I find much of their j-pop material to be more reductive and schmaltzy than their Korean output, there’s no denying that the big balladry of L.U.V allows the guys a platform to display their substantial vocal … Continue reading
Last time we heard r&b soloist Wheesung, he was giving us a powerful, theatrical ballad-with-a-beat, so when Hold Over opens with EXID’s LE spitting an attitude-filled monologue, it comes as a bit of a surprise. In fact, the whole track sounds like it might have been at home on EXID’s latest album. Hold Over coasts … Continue reading
Long before I started covering k-pop exclusively, I learned the importance of following songwriters and producers, rather than just focusing on artists and groups. After all, a song doesn’t pop into the universe from out of nowhere. Even though a bias group may be able to elevate it with their talent and performance style, the same … Continue reading
As a member of popular 90’s group S.E.S, Bada could rightfully be considered k-pop royalty. As a solo artist, she hasn’t been very active for quite a few years, apart from a few singles and OST songs. Flower marks her first solo single in two years, and it’s an interesting take on the typical dance … Continue reading
I really had no idea what to expect from this collaboration. We’ve got veteran Younha, who’s most know for her soft balladry, Wonder Girls’ HA:TFELT (Yenny), who gave us the beautifully intense Ain’t Nobody two years ago, and Cheetah, the attitude-filled winner of Unpretty Rapstar season one. On paper, they each bring incredible strengths to … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-sides deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. I’ve noticed that there seem to be quite a few people … Continue reading
Well, this is a pleasant surprise! I try not to have many k-pop blind spots, but ballad group 2AM is just one of those groups I know very little about. In my ignorance, I assumed the members’ musical interest started and ended with ballads (though of course Jo Kwon did have his dancey thing going … Continue reading
Now that Double S 301 have gotten their big Korean and Japanese comebacks out of the way, they’re free to release something a little looser and a lot more fun. Ah Ha (아하) arrives on the 11th anniversary of their parent group, SS501, and thankfully is not some drippy ballad. In fact, it’s the best … Continue reading
After the tremendous success of girl group competition show Produce 101 and the domination of its resulting group, I.O.I, it makes perfect sense that MNET would green light an all-male spin-off series. And like Produce, which had its representative song in the form of the quirky Pick Me, BOYS24 has released the pop bombast of Rising … Continue reading
As part of new album EX’ACT, EXO have reveled in both the darkness and the light. If Lucky One was the opening salvo to the summer season, Monster‘s bass-heavy assault takes us into the nighttime hours, pulling the group back to the dramatic, dark fantasia of older material like Overdose, Mama or Wolf. Of course, … Continue reading
For the first time in their four-year history, mega blockbuster boy group EXO have returned with double title tracks. Designed to show us the lighter side of their music is Lucky One, which is more Love Me Right than Overdose. Though I can appreciate all sides of EXO’s sound, my taste naturally gravitates towards more … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 