Zico has been incredibly prolific over the past few months, releasing single after single. As a big fan of his group Block B, I’m just a little bitter that his solo career seems to be taking precedence over a full group comeback, but you can’t blame the guy. Everything he releases climbs straight to the … Continue reading
There’s no denying the fact that girl group GFriend’s speedy rise to fame has been nothing short of astounding. They debuted around this time last year without any real fanfare. And with a name like “GFriend,” I didn’t exactly have my hopes up. But like the good kpop fan I am, I took a look at … Continue reading
The guys of 2PM have been in the kpop scene in one form or another for over seven years, which means that the time is drawing near for their mandatory 2-year military conscription. As such, I fully expect that we’ll be hearing a lot from them for the next year or so, and that starts … Continue reading
Amoeba Culture is really a label on the rise. Fueled by the incredible success of Zion.T, they’ve cultivated a stable of artists that are at the forefront of Korean r&b. While not having the same unique character to his vocals as Zion.T, Crush has already proven himself a hitmaker despite being a relatively fresh debut. … Continue reading
The Legend is one of those kpop boy groups who just hasn’t been able to establish a solid sound for themselves. This has caused my opinion of their music to veer pretty wildly from release to release. I loved their Shadow from last summer, but thought November’s Nail was a total bore. Luckily, Crush On … Continue reading
It’s been awhile since we’ve heard one of these cross-genre, mash-up type of singles. There was a time when it was kind of a trend, exemplified by Girls’ Generation’s mega-hit I Got A Boy. The formula is a difficult one, and its success rests on how well the song’s disparate elements are fused together. As … Continue reading
Let’s get the strange stuff out of the way first. The concept of this song is “finger love,” as the guys remind us over and over again in English. I know what they mean, but I can’t help but feel that this phrase’s more…adult… connotations were lost in translation! Now on to the song, … Continue reading
The second of News’ double a-side single releases, Hikari No Shizuku, which translates to Drop Of Light, is a very different beast from their other single, Touch. In short, it’s a traditional News ballad, making use of the guys’ powerful harmonies and performance style. As a ballad, it’s not the best they’ve ever released, but it’s … Continue reading
I feel like you have to be in the right mood to properly enjoy a Korean ballad. More often than not, they adhere to a very specific (some would say schmaltzy) formula that fits best as the background to a k-drama. However, this particular ballad carries a bit of a different pedigree to it, given … Continue reading
Girl group Stellar have been engaged in quite a provocative push and pull with the kpop world ever since their debut. They’ve veered wildly from flourescent bubblegum, to in-your-face sexuality, to demure penance for their in-your-face sexuality, and finally back to all-out “sex sells.” Last year’s Vibrato, with its downright uncomfortable music video, was their … Continue reading
Originally debuting in 2010, Teen Top was known for their light, uptempo tracks (usually produced by Brave Brothers) that fit their name and image well. Since 2014, they’ve taken a more mature shift in sound, and though their excellent, underrated Natural Born mini album last summer marked a brief return to that fun vibe, … Continue reading
MyName is one of those kpop groups that just haven’t received the recognition they deserve. They’re consistently solid, but haven’t produced that breakout hit that could bump them up a tier or two. One of the problems is that they’ve been incredibly active in Japan, where they enjoy a certain amount of success, and that’s … Continue reading
So far, 2016 seems to be the year of the collaborations. This feels like a somewhat odd one, between CNBlue’s frontman Jung Yong-Hwa and Sunwoo Jung Ah, who is primarily known as an in-house songwriter (and occasional singer) with YG Entertainment. I’m not exactly sure what brought these two together, though Yong-Hwa seems to be … Continue reading
Let’s get the personal out of the way first. G-Dragon’s Crooked was released a day before I took off for a two-week trip to the U.K. The song, and its accompanying album, became the soundtrack to that trip, as I meandered though London streets, tube stops and alleyways. Crooked is a song for the city, … Continue reading
I have great admiration for Shinhwa as a group and love a lot of their material, but for some reason none of the members’ solo output has done anything for me. Unfortunately, Shin Hye Sung’s new song continues the trend. It really comes down to personal preference, because the song succeeds in what it sets out … Continue reading
Fans have been (justifiably) clamoring for a return from Winner after their successful debut in the summer of 2014. Now, it looks as though they’ll be releasing multiple singles and (partial) albums, following the promotional path YG set out for Bigbang and iKON last year. I’m not a huge fan of this release schedule, … Continue reading
I’ve been to a lot of concerts in my life, even a few kpop shows. But even before the show started, Infinite’s tour was going to be different. There’s nothing quite like seeing your bias group live, in person, for the first time. In some ways, it felt like a surreal dream. It took quite awhile … Continue reading
I remember when I first heard of Lucky J in the summer of 2014. It was when they were promoting Can You Hear Me, and among all of the other music around that month, I couldn’t help but think it sounded tremendously American — especially that charismatic female vocalist. Then, Unpretty Rapstar became a … Continue reading
Nugu girl group FlaShe, previously known for their cute releases, have succumbed and crawled down the sexy route. Unfortunately, Lip Bomb is kpop firing on half-cylinders. The song itself isn’t bad, despite sounding like a copy of a Brave Brothers’ track, but the production definitely lets it down. In order to stand out in the … Continue reading
For as insular a world as kpop is, I’m surprised that these cross-company collaborations don’t happen more frequently. I mean, it doesn’t take a genius to realize that EXO’s Baekhyun + miss A’s Suzy = $$$. Because of this, the two of them could have sung the phone book and been a major success, which … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 