After giving us the brilliant Sympathy, rocker Jung Joon Young is back with his group (formerly known as JJY Band and now called Drug Restaurant). While his solo material tends to be more ballad-focused, Joon Young really gets the chance to rock out when he’s with his band mates. Mistake ups the tempo substantially, taking … Continue reading
U-KISS are back in Korea after an extended hiatus. Though they’ve been away for about a year and a half, it’s been even longer since they’ve returned with a dance track. The beat-driven Stalker recalls the glory years of their 2009-2012 output, while also sounding different from anything they’ve released so far. Stalker kicks off … Continue reading
Heize and DEAN are two artists looking to break out. At the moment, it seems like DEAN has the better chance of doing so. His more recent songs have charted well digitally, and he enjoys a certain amount of clout as a songwriter. Meanwhile, Heize has the benefit of Unpretty Rapstar behind her, though I … Continue reading
Seo In Young delivered an incredibly strong (and totally underappreciated) club track last year with Scream, but now she’s slowed things down with Embraced In Your Arms (너에게 안겨), which allows her to show off her unique vocal tone without many distractions. The track’s midtempo pop sound feels like it could have been sung by … Continue reading
I wasn’t a big fan of KNK’s debut a few months ago, and that hasn’t really changed. But, I also make sure never to write a group off based solely on their debut track. Rookie debuts often end up sounding unlike anything else in their discography, and this is definitely the case so far with … Continue reading
After the incredible one-two punch of Up & Down and Ah Yeah, it appeared that EXID had become an unstoppable force in k-pop. Then they released the less-incredible Hot Pink and revealed a chink in their pop armor. New single L.I.E (엘라이) promised us something completely different, and that’s certainly true. But I’m not sure … Continue reading
Girl group Fiestar have hit nearly every kpop genre imaginable, from cloying cuteness… to “light” sexy… to “dark” sexy. With Apple Pie, they merge these concepts into one for a sort of “cute-sexy” approach. Even though members Cao Lu and Yezi are enjoying a certain amount of notability as individuals, it doesn’t appear that anything … Continue reading
SM’s assembly line of solo releases continues with the first single from f(x)’s powerhouse vocal Luna. It was probably safe to assume that the song would be a ballad, but luckily the powers-that-be have decided on a high energy dance track instead. SM has had quite a love affair for this specific, early 90’s club … Continue reading
As CLC returns with their second title track of 2016, I’m realizing that they just may not be the girl group for me. Pepe was such a strong debut last year, but ever since then they’ve limped back to the kpop scene without a clear identity or purpose. Coming from a large company like Cube, … Continue reading
Five months after their most recent single, YG rookies iKON are back with the gentle #WYD, a prerelease for their upcoming promotions. So far, iKON has had a sound that’s been a bit all over the place, veering from hard hip-hop tracks to light pop confections without much focus. Luckily, they’re able to pull off … Continue reading
Since going solo, Xia has almost always come back with an edgy, ambitious title track that redefines the boundaries of what kpop can be. But time after time, I find myself wishing that this experimentation carried through the entire running time of his accompanying albums. As crazy-good a dancer as he is, it feels like … Continue reading
Another week, another SM Station release. One of the cool things this music platform has done is allow EXO members to have long-overdue solos. Granted, the songs aren’t really promoted or given the budget a full-fledged solo debut would have, but it’s still nice to hear the guys branch out a bit. Next on the … Continue reading
It’s hard to get very excited about the commemorative “songs for the fans” that tend to be released during groups’ anniversaries — especially when that group is Boyfriend and all I really want from them is another Sweetune-produced masterpiece. But before we (hopefully) get back to the awesome stuff, we must settle for the pleasant, if hardly … Continue reading
Oh My Girl continue to move from strength to strength, offering more invention and excitement within their kpop concoctions than almost any other group so far this year. As of May, their Pink Ocean album is my favorite girl group mini of 2016, and the inclusion of Windy Day only makes it stronger. It’s worth … Continue reading
It’s been so gratifying watching Block B‘s Park Kyung rise to prominence as a solo artist. In an idol group with a leader as incredibly successful as Zico, it’s not easy to stand out, but Kyung has always been my preferred member due to his entertaining persona and lighthearted, cleverly constructed music. Last year he … Continue reading
You’ve got to feel for a group like Tahiti. They’ve been around since 2012, released seven singles, and yet still remain an almost unrecognizable presence in the kpop world. Their songs come out, they’re performed on music shows, and the girls return to relative obscurity without the momentum they so desperately need. It’s a vicious … Continue reading
Freshly debuted boy group MAP6 have done a complete 180, pulling away from the dark, post-apocalyptic pop of last year’s Storm in favor of the boisterous fun of Swagger Time (매력발산타임). Smartly, they’ve also been paired with a notable production/songwriting team in Duble Sidekick. There’s a reason certain producers’ names stand out in kpop. Duble … Continue reading
If we’re to talk about Shinee members’ solo material in incredibly simplified terms, Jonghyun would be the Prince to Taemin’s Michael Jackson. His music tends to be fussier and more cerebral — just as concerned with a complex, meticulous arrangement as it is with a good groove. Personally, this has made it easier for me … Continue reading
Boyfriend have been away from the kpop scene for too long. Throughout their career, they’ve released a truly under-appreciated barrage of modern pop classics. Luckily, their Japanese discography has also been pretty strong, so we have those releases to fill the long gaps in between comebacks. Glider is the most recent, and it is super, … Continue reading
Romeo gave us two of the best pop songs of last year, working with Sweetune to deliver a dynamic, propulsive sound similar to early Infinite. With the news that they had recently switched agencies, I was nervous how that might affect their music. It’s too early to tell, because even thought Nightmare (악몽) enlists new producers … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 