As if this day wasn’t already stuffed with enough new K-pop releases, NCT Dream have surprise released a teaser for their upcoming album due out next month. The Sun acts as their first new music since Mark left the group and paints a sentimental vibe that that seems to point toward a more mature presentation … Continue reading
Rookie band V01D debuted earlier this year but, for whatever reason, I never got around to writing about their music. My Youth was meant to come out a week ago but got pushed back. They compete with a surprising number of new, young K-bands who occupy a space that artists like DAY6 and N.Flying re-popularized … Continue reading
The guys from TVXQ grace us with their musical presence every now and then, releasing singles and albums tailored toward their comfortable place in K-pop legacy rather than attempting to break through with a new generation. This has resulted in a few great tracks, but more often than not this approach feels like it’s simply … Continue reading
To me, EVNNE has always felt like a group with an identity crisis. They’ve tried on many boy group styles over the past few years. Some have been more successful than others, but few have pointed toward any sort of signature sound for the guys. After hearing this spring’s Backtalk, I was eager for them … Continue reading
It’s the year of Seventeen sub-units, as the group has been unable to make a full comeback while members serve their mandatory military enlistment. So far, we’ve had DxS (DK & Seungkwan) and V8 (Vernon & The8). Now, it’s time for Jeonghan and Joshua to make their sub-unit debut as JxJ. While the previous two … Continue reading
Around this time last year, NMIXX scored the biggest hit of their career. The mammoth Blue Valentine and its accompanying album seemed to point toward a period of chart dominance for the group. This spring’s Heavy Serenade has stuck around the charts as well, but never felt nearly as buzzy as its predecessor. Now, the … Continue reading
IVE has developed a pattern of pre-releases prior to their title tracks, and these songs are often more successful on the charts than the actual comeback. That was the case with both Bang Bang and Rebel Heart, and we’ll soon see if new pre-release Looks Can Kill will continue the trend. They’re certainly playing to … Continue reading
The emergence of Lee Soo-man’s A2O groups has been the most exciting thing to happen to K-pop in awhile. Both A2O Lite and A2O Soul released killer tracks this week, each of which only grew on me as the days went on. Global group A2O May have been releasing singles for a couple of years … Continue reading
Though Hearts2Hearts have only released one mini album in Korea this year, they’ve been busy with one-off singles and other releases. We had Japanese track Iconic Heart and most recently the Kia tie-in Moonride. Now, it’s time for the group’s first English-language release, which also happens to be a tie-in. Next Chapter promotes mobile game … Continue reading
Maybe it’s just me, but tripleS’s 2026 release slate has felt like a series of stealth attacks. They’ve been releasing several songs in the Japanese market recently and I’m always surprised when a new one pops up. Now, we have new Korean track Andless, which also seemed to arrive with very little teasing. Again, maybe … Continue reading
With much of the music that’s been released this week, it feels like K-pop is doing a tribute to its own second generation. Now, we have the return of a group who actually debuted in the second gen. That’s right, Teen Top is back again with a new mini album and the promise another big … Continue reading
I continue to write about Yuju’s solo music out of respect and admiration for the great work she did with GFriend, but with each new release it becomes clearer that her former group’s high octane pop music isn’t something she’s interested in replicating. It seems that she’s much more comfortable in the corner of an … Continue reading
Lee Han Gyul has an impressively large record in the K-pop industry. Over the course of his career, he’s been part of X1, BAE173, IM, H&D and Polarix. That’s a ton of different groups and projects, most of which came and went pretty quickly. The guy is certainly tenacious, and has earned the right to … Continue reading
After finding success on Boys II Planet, Flare U debuted earlier this year with a song I found quite toothless. The rest of their mini album was stronger, and pointed toward a light pop sound that had potential. The guys maintain this easy appeal with their first comeback Bloom (너의 계절이 찾아와). Bloom is the … Continue reading
DAILY:DIRECTION are one of a few new boy groups this year that are attempting to paint themselves with a quirky brand in order to stand out among competing acts from bigger agencies. So far, this has resulted in a mixed bag of music, but their output has grown stronger with time. New single Which Way … Continue reading
My favorite K-pop group, Infinite, has had trouble picking great songs over the past few years. I’m not sure if it’s a lack-of-A&R situation or a lack-of-great-material-to-choose-from, but while the guys are mega talented with so much star power, I just don’t trust them when it comes to picking title tracks that best suit their … Continue reading
There’s no denying that K-pop has entered a techno trend. This isn’t the kind of techno music that swept the industry’s first generation, though you can still draw comparisons. There was a time around 1999 where it felt like every other new idol track came underpinned with a steady club beat. As a lover of … Continue reading
There’s been a lot of talk about K-pop’s second generation on this blog lately, but if you really want a taste for what was popular in Korea during the early half of this era you couldn’t ask for more representative artists than Epik High and Davichi. Both have lasted the long run, still releasing music … Continue reading
After leaving the agency he founded, SM Entertainment’s Lee Soo-man quickly began planning his next moves. This resulted in the founding of a new agency, A2O Entertainment, and some loosey singles from various A2O artists aimed toward global markets. Now, it’s time for him to throw his hat back in the K-pop ring with the … Continue reading
After leaving the agency he founded, SM Entertainment’s Lee Soo-man quickly began planning his next moves. This resulted in the founding of a new agency, A2O Entertainment, and some loosey singles from various A2O artists aimed toward global markets. Now, it’s time for him to throw his hat back in the K-pop ring with the … Continue reading
