We’re knee-deep in wintery releases this month, and SM Entertainment has always been a huge fan of the snow-draped ballad or festive midtempo. WayV are the latest to deliver a winter-themed album, though title track Eternal White (白色定格) is malleable enough to play all year. Rather than throw sleighbells at the song, Eternal White is … Continue reading
ALLDAY PROJECT have been one of the year’s biggest success stories, and they’ve been pretty successful on my own playlist as well. After a rough start, Famous grew on me immensely and last month’s pre-release One More Time was an instant hit. In general, I find co-ed groups pretty exciting and it’s been nice to … Continue reading
Most people know Yim Siwan as one of Korea’s leading actors, but once upon a time he was also in boy group ZE:A. If nothing else, I’d love for this review to be an excuse for readers to go back to ZE:A’s discography, which is truly one of K-pop’s most underrated. We simply don’t get … Continue reading
We’ve officially reached the point where numerous Boys II Planet contestants start to release their first post-show music. Just this week, we’ve had the pre-debut of ALPHA DRIVE ONE, a long-awaited comeback for participants VERIVERY and the solo debut of Chuei Li Yu, who came in tenth place during the series’ finale. My only questions … Continue reading
To my great continual regret, I “recapped” the entirety of this year’s Boys II Planet, though these write-ups became shorter and less enthused as the series went on. If you want to read the perspective of someone losing interest in real time, I guess I’d recommend you check them out. Otherwise, you’re probably safe to … Continue reading
It’s about time for K-pop to start unveiling its special winter songs. We haven’t had too many yet this year. tripleS released a track video last week and Rainbow18 stealthily dropped an unpromoted, Sweetune-produced (!) carol that even passed me by. Now, fromis_9 have taken the baton with White Memories (하얀 그리움), their soundtrack to … Continue reading
Fresh off the members’ participation in Boys II Planet (none of them made the final group), VERIVERY are hoping to pull a Nu’est and re-emerge with new material and a vaulted level of success. Time will tell if that will happen. K-pop is fickle and the guys have been away since 2023. However, Jellyfish Entertainment … Continue reading
Greatest Hits compilations are rare in K-pop. In fact, I think Japan is the only music market where they’re still commonly released. Nevertheless, SNSD’s Taeyeon has just released a twenty-three track anthology (including a not-as-good 2025 mix of her best song Time Lapse). To celebrate this album, she’s also unveiled new song Panorama (인사). Taeyeon … Continue reading
Cha Eunwoo’s recently released Saturday Preacher was the rare song review on this blog that garnered absolutely no engagement (ie: comments) from readers. That tells me something, and it’s a contrast I’ve long suspected: Cha Eunwoo the actor and variety star? Mega success. Cha Eunwoo the solo singer? Pleasant but uncompelling. It also tells me … Continue reading
This business of finally releasing your solo debut days before you enlist in the military is kind of frustrating, right? It’s like, “Here’s all this potential. Now, buh-bye!” NCT’s Jungwoo was a late addition to the group, yet his age (and of course, nationality), means he’s next in line for an enlistment hiatus. Before that, … Continue reading
Stray Kids almost always follow up their title tracks with additional videos, but this time they’ve designated Divine (신선놀음) as a double title track, complimenting the relatively subdued Do It that premiered alongside the mixtape. I’ve seen quite a few fans say they prefer this one, and it certainly leaves more of an impression. Where … Continue reading
The K-pop industry continues to churn out new generations of bands, which is refreshing in a global market where rock music isn’t often at the forefront. THE SSYNDROME are most notable through association. They’re the first act since Dreamcatcher to come from Dreamcatcher Company. Their ‘double S’ name also suggests that you must make a … Continue reading
What we now know as modern K-pop emerged at a time when new jack swing was a dominant musical force around the world. This has tied the genre to the industry ever since, with so many idol acts replicating the sound over the years. One of the earliest new jack swing successes was duo Deux, … Continue reading
There have been a few acts this year who have subverted my expectations in great ways. Leading that pack are NOWZ, who rebranded from “Nowadays” earlier this year and have finally been given great material. Both Fly To The Youth and Everglow were fantastic summer highlights and converted me into a fast fan. Now, they’re … Continue reading
The year in K-pop is slowly winding down and we’re squeezing out the last few releases before eligibility for my year-end countdown closes. Girl group RESCENE found their way onto last year’s countdown with the catchy Love Attack, but I’ve struggled to connect with any of their 2025 work. Earlier this month, they dropped a … Continue reading
In keeping with their enormous group configuration, tripleS have blitzed us with an equally enormous fleet of comebacks today. “msnz” is a “universe” within tripleS (their words, not mine) with four “dimensions,” each of which has released their own song and music video. I rarely have enough stamina to write about four tracks from even … Continue reading
In keeping with their enormous group configuration, tripleS have blitzed us with an equally enormous fleet of comebacks today. “msnz” is a “universe” within tripleS (their words, not mine) with four “dimensions,” each of which has released their own song and music video. I rarely have enough stamina to write about four tracks from even … Continue reading
In keeping with their enormous group configuration, tripleS have blitzed us with an equally enormous fleet of comebacks today. “msnz” is a “universe” within tripleS (their words, not mine) with four “dimensions,” each of which has released their own song and music video. I rarely have enough stamina to write about four tracks from even … Continue reading
In keeping with their enormous group configuration, tripleS have blitzed us with an equally enormous fleet of comebacks today. “msnz” is a “universe” within tripleS (their words, not mine) with four “dimensions,” each of which has released their own song and music video. I rarely have enough stamina to write about four tracks from even … Continue reading
Whenever a group I enjoy states they’ll be releasing a song that “sounds nothing like anything we’ve done before,” I get nervous. Yes, I want groups to push outside the box and experiment with new sounds, but in K-pop “nothing like we’ve ever done before” tends to mean attempting some (bad) global trend an agency … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 