ILLIT’s music has always been good at capturing the K-pop zeitgeist of the moment, resulting in a very trendy — but often uneven — discography. My favorite ILLIT tracks have gone against the grain to carve out a niche that feels more unique to them. With new single It’s Me, the group has tried on … Continue reading
1. All The Possibilities // 2. You, You // 3. Why You So Bad? // 4. Get It Now // 5. Fire Escape // 6. Back To Strangers WHY YOU SO BAD? Why You So Bad is the third English-language track from TWS, following Unplugged Boy on their debut mini and the awesome anime theme … Continue reading
It’s a day of solo releases from members of some of my favorite girl groups. Unfortunately, these songs usually pale in comparison to work from the members’ respective groups. In the case of Yuju, this is by design. Nothing she’s released on her own has tried to recapture GFriend’s appeal. That’s completely within her rights … Continue reading
Any time I write about a Sistar member releasing new music, it’s only natural to lament the absence of one of K-pop’s strongest girl groups. That’s not fair to the members and I’m sure they’re eager to put past history behind and develop their own artistry, but when you come from a group with as … Continue reading
AOMG is primarily known as a hip-hop agency, but they’re getting into the idol business with girl group Keyveatz. The group hasn’t officially debuted yet, but pre-debut single Key Beats offers a taste of what we can expect. There seems to be an appetite from agencies to develop this style of swaggy hip-hip girl group. … Continue reading
It’s been three years since Park Jihoon was last featured on this blog. That’s practically a decade in K-pop time, as an entire generation of new fans crop up with no real idea who this guy is. For those unsure of the name, Jihoon was one of the pillars of Wanna One, the group formed … Continue reading
These MNET survival shows are getting out of hand because I didn’t even know Unpretty Rapstar: HIP POP Princess existed until I heard about the group spawned from it. H//PE Princess is scheduled to make their full debut soon but they’re testing the waters with pre-release Stolen, which arrives in its Japanese/Korean/English version before the … Continue reading
After some time as a trio, Lucy have returned as the four-piece they’re meant to be. The group is celebrating with their second full album, which includes new tracks as well as updated versions of songs released over the past few years. Title track All Ages (전체관람가) sums up their appeal nicely. Opening with Gwang … Continue reading
As part of my “A Career in Song Ratings” feature, I’ve been looking at trendlines for idol releases. When it comes to song quality, most groups start strong and taper off as they go on. This makes sense, as those early years are vital for gaining a foothold in the industry. In this way, CRAVITY … Continue reading
1. All The Possibilities // 2. You, You // 3. Why You So Bad? // 4. Get It Now // 5. Fire Escape // 6. Back To Strangers ALL THE POSSIBILITIES All The Possibilities was revealed a month earlier than the rest of the album at TWS’s most recent fancon, leading many fans (myself included) … Continue reading
Rookie group KEYVITUP is now on their third music video from their debut EP. I haven’t been a fan of much from them yet, and calling a track “legendary” is only setting listeners up for disappointment. The word legendary is thrown around too cavalierly in my opinion and certainly doesn’t apply to this song. Rather … Continue reading
While I’ve found 82MAJOR’s output to be a mixed bag so far, I’m always interested to hear what they come up with. Of all the younger boy groups pursuing hip-hop as their guiding force, these guys seem to have the most fun with it. Recently, their music has taken a more EDM shift but new … Continue reading
The phrase “crying on the dancefloor” connotes a certain type of dance record — propulsive and sleek but driven by a sentimental (often melancholic) melody. It’s a contrast many of us love and even though the title of Lee Chaeyeon’s new single promises the exact opposite, its melding of emotion with club aesthetics is very … Continue reading
Fresh off the massive success of last year’s Blue Valentine, NMIXX are gearing up for its follow-up album. That album is set to release next month, but they’ve started its campaign early with Crescendo. JYP groups have been absolutely prolific at the moment, with multiple acts from the agency promoting at the same time. I … Continue reading
It didn’t take long for QWER to go from little-known girl band to chart mainstays. 2024’s T.B.H shot them to instant stardom and they’ve been successful ever since. Bands have enjoyed a resurgence overall in K-pop, but I love when QWER function less as a band than a poppy idol group who just happen to … Continue reading
Since leaving RIIZE, Seunghan has re-debuted as the XngHan&Xoul project, releasing the upbeat Waste No Time last summer. That song showed a ton of potential but didn’t quite fulfill on its ambitions. Now, with new mini album Glow, he takes a deeper dive into club music and the sound feels more assured and exciting. House … Continue reading
It’s nice to fall in love with a group’s music right off the bat, but I also love when an act wins me over bit by bit until I become a huge fan. Such is the case with NEXZ, whose Beat-Boxer impressed last year but just kept growing more and more addictive as the months … Continue reading
Given K-pop’s less-than-stellar track record over the past few months, I’ve been putting all my eggs in a basket called TWS. That’s way too much pressure to put on one release, but the group has earned the anticipation. Since their debut in 2024, their run has been absolutely impeccable, maintaining a bright, melodic color while … 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. This will be a weird “buried … Continue reading
All of a sudden, it feels like a certain type of EDM has taken over K-pop — or at the very least taken over HYBE Corporation. This isn’t an unwelcome development in my eyes (anything to kick up the industry’s tempo a bit!), but we haven’t yet arrived at the anthemic, melodic, euphoric early-2010s EDM … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 