A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. Sometimes, b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. NCT Dream’s Beat It Up grew … Continue reading
Out of curiosity, I went back to see the last time I was genuinely excited about a Stray Kids track (ie: rated it an 8.5 or higher), and that turned out to be all the way back in 2022 with their Mixtape track Time Out (which wasn’t really promoted beyond a music video). Since then, … Continue reading
I remember a time where male idols went off to serve their mandatory military conscription and didn’t (or weren’t allowed?) to promote during this hiatus. Nowadays, it’s common for these idols to pre-record entire albums and videos to dole out while they’re away. The only thing that’s missing are music show performances! Cha Eunwoo enlisted … Continue reading
When last we heard from girl group VVUP, they were inviting us to their house party — over, and over, and over again. That pre-release promised upbeat sounds for their first mini album and the colorful (and very LOUD) video for title track Super Model certainly backs that up. We’re in full camp territory here, … Continue reading
One of my biggest pieces of advice for any newly debuted group is: don’t give the public time to forget about you. Starship Entertainment seem to agree when it comes to their promotions for IDID. The group actively promoted and performed their debut track for almost two months and now they’re extending that blitz with … Continue reading
The apostrophe-averse Baby DONT Cry debuted earlier this year with two promoted songs and a fun, upbeat sound in need of development. Several months later, they’re back with the defiant I DONT CARE. Music aside, it’s become clear that the group’s management doesn’t care about the rules of capitalization and punctuation. I’d love to hear … Continue reading
This is a repost of my “buried treasure” write-up for this song since it’s now been given a music video and extra promotion. I don’t always repost these, but given BABYMONSTER’s popularity it makes sense to push this back to the top of the blog. It also gives me a chance to re-evaluate the song, … Continue reading
After not caring for much of their music last year, NEXZ has slowly and surely won me over in 2025. This culminated with last month’s Beat-Boxer, a song that has proven to be one of my biggest growers in recent memory. I love its stupid, cartoonish energy and nonsense lyrics. It’s made me realize that … Continue reading
I haven’t written about a solo track from Infinite’s Dongwoo since 2019, which might as well be a lifetime ago. Since then, the guys have regrouped under their own agency, toured extensively and released new music that (sadly) hasn’t done much for me. Now, it’s time for Dongwoo to showcase his own talents with a … Continue reading
HYBE’s new Japanese boy group aoen has had an absolutely fine debut year, but so far none of their music has pointed toward a distinct direction for the guys. Both The Blue Sun and Seishun Incredibles felt generic in their own way, with more interesting material slotted in as b-sides. Fortunately, their team has decided … Continue reading
I don’t know what’s gotten into me this year, but there have been several boy group tracks I’ve loved that — in the past — I might have dismissed as “noise music.” I suppose as this trend has softened it’s made the sound less infuriating. Or, maybe the songs have just been more fun. Chief … Continue reading
I’ve made quite a swerve with ALLDAY PROJECT’s Famous since its release back in June. The first impression was not favorable, and as the song started to gain purchase on the charts I couldn’t help but wonder why. However, repeated listens (and eventual ubiquity) helped Famous worm its way into my brain until I became … Continue reading
A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. Sometimes, b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. We love a repackaged album that … Continue reading
A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. Sometimes, b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. For awhile now, I’ve preferred most … Continue reading
Back in the mid-2010s, there was a micro-trend of big, brassy girl group tracks — no doubt inspired by global megahits like Jessie J’s Bang Bang. I didn’t appreciate this sound as much as I should have in the moment, but looking back it was a great opportunity for K-pop’s girl groups to bring the … Continue reading
As K-pop’s 2025 release schedule starts to slow ahead of the end-of-year festivals and award shows, Starship Entertainment is having a few of their artists release digital singles. This is a smart way to feed their fan base without needing to invest in larger projects during a time that’s already busy. Monsta X have an … Continue reading
As I stated in my previous review for XLOV’s Rizz, I really want to love this group. It’s frustrating when an act debuts with a legitimately unique concept yet can’t find the music needed to compliment that. I’m waiting for XLOV’s management to realize that their songs can be as compelling as their visuals, but … Continue reading
Absent a full-group comeback, the girls of ARTMS have been blitzing the market with digital singles. Next on the docket is Heejin, who’s shifted into a new genre with sAvioR. The last time I wrote about her on the blog she was dabbling in new jack swing, but sAvioR takes a hard turn toward grungy … Continue reading
Funny (?) story: I actually listened to sub-unit idntt unevermet’s 8:11 (8시 11분) yesterday when it was first released but promptly forgot all about it before I even had a chance to write a review. I’m not sure that’s ever happened before, but it goes to show you how little impact idntt’s debut had on … Continue reading
Within the K-pop industry’s hyper-polished, hyper-controlled framework, Jessi has always been a necessary cog in the machine. She’s gone through so many iterations since her debut twenty (!) years ago, but every style and configuration has been anchored by her inimitable personality and bold attitude. Even when the music hasn’t connected, her persona has. New … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 