As the whole I.O.I saga comes to a close, I still struggle to understand why the group’s phenomenal popularity just didn’t resonate as strongly with me. After all, I loved Produce 101 and was primed to support the girls’ output as they embarked on their year-long promo, but other than Very Very Very (which added … Continue reading
Girl group CLC have been active for nearly two years now, but four mini albums later and they’re still struggling to break through and distinguish themselves from the pack. This is despite a very promising debut with the addictive Pepe in March of 2015. Given this dilemma, a total aural and image overhaul was a … Continue reading
Though Girls’ Generation‘s last comeback was about a year and a half ago, they’ve remained in the public consciousness through solo releases. The last few months have seen multiple releases by Taeyeon, Tiffany, Yoona and Hyoyeon, but now it’s youngest member Seohyun’s turn. Every solo SNSD track has been different, but they all seem to pull from … Continue reading
Teen Top‘s Niel has returned with his second solo mini album. His work has always reminded me of a lighter version of what Shinee‘s Taemin releases. They’re both clearly inspired by Michael Jackson, but Niel has an airier tone and seems to prefer a less aggressive r&b sound than Taemin’s go-for-broke dance assault. Love Affair … Continue reading
Continuing the trend of veteran acts making comebacks, Rain has released his first new material since 2014’s Rain Effect. Though he hasn’t been all that active these past couple of years, Rain’s legacy of music is ensconced in every fiber of today’s modern k-pop. As with other artists of his stature, he runs the risk … Continue reading
The world of k-pop girl groups is general pretty uniform. I often hear people complain that all boy group songs sound the same, but I’d argue that that’s even more common when it comes to the girls. In 2016, a specific blend of cutesy and quirky became especially prevalent, resulting in some tremendous songs but also … Continue reading
2PM‘s Jun. K, along with many of the group’s other members, will be leaving us for the military soon. But before he goes, he’s released a special album to tide fans over. It feels weirdly wrong to critique this type of release, but before you write me off as some Jun. K music hater, know … Continue reading
I’ve been pretty lukewarm toward Hello Venus’ latest singles, but their sporadic 2016 material seemed like more of a teaser for something bigger than actual comebacks. They’re a group I really want to like more than I do. Unfortunately, their sound has shifted so many times since their 2012 debut that it’s been hard to … 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 year is still very, very young, but in 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. Despite not being entirely in line with what I would … Continue reading
As much as I love VIXX, Ravi’s rap verses have often been my least favorite part of the group’s songs. I know that he has his (many) fans, but I’ve just always found his style to be a little corny and overbearing. Because of this personal bias, I can’t say I was exactly thrilled to … Continue reading
Of all the new generation girl groups, Sonamoo have had the hardest time distinguishing themselves from the pack. Over the course of three title tracks, the girls have given us some decent music, but it’s all been slavishly generic. It’s almost as if their agency doesn’t quite know what to do with them. Unfortunately, the … Continue reading
Barring last November’s toothless Orange, Shinhwa have always done a nice job keeping with the trends and releasing modern, edgy material each time they come back. And now that all sorts of 90’s acts are returning to the k-pop world, that sense of forward-moving momentum really sets them apart. But while that sense of experimentation … Continue reading
Love is a sudden…. what?? English grammar aside, MIXX gave us a surprisingly solid track last May with the slick Oh Ma Mind. And come to think of it, they gave us some wonky grammar as well! They are the classic example of an under-the-radar rookie group, releasing very little actual music but hoping that … Continue reading
Despite their relative newness to the genre, DAY6 are the idol rock band to beat at the moment. Their two mini albums have been consistently great, and the only thing that’s really held them back has been a lack of steady releases. So when it was announced that the group would be putting out a … Continue reading
It’s only the first week of 2017 and we already have two newly debuted boy groups. Varsity has twelve members, and is a joint project from Korean and Chinese companies, with a focus on multi-national members and a global reach. This all makes sense from a business perspective, but I’m always surprised that these relatively … Continue reading
I remember how severely disappointed I was the first time I heard NCT 127’s Fire Truck. I came away feeling that it was nothing more than a bunch of noise, squandering the drop-dead gorgeous vocals of a song like Without You in an effort to catch trends and present a swag-filled, hip-hop image. Several months … Continue reading
Like many freshly debuted rookies, Top Secret is composed of a mix of total newbies and former members of disbanded groups. But that’s not what makes them interesting to me. My excitement to hear debut single She spawns entirely from the fact that the song is composed by Sweetune. That’s honestly all I needed to hear. This … Continue reading
Last time we heard from rookie girl group April, they were dancing around with an egg (seriously…) and singing about fairies. It feels like these things can only happen in k-pop. Since then, the group has lost a member and gained two more. They really have seemed to be in flux since their debut in … Continue reading
Cosmic Girls’ Secret (their first single with I.O.I’s Yeonjung), was the type of pop song that sounded pleasant — if a bit benign — on first listen, but grew into something quite spectacular the longer it stayed around. Songs like these are especially hard to review after only a day or so of release, and Secret‘s … Continue reading
