Debuting in 2019, Exile Tribe’s Battle Of Tokyo is one of the coolest projects developed by any entertainment company. It brings together the agency’s Jr.Exile groups under fictional guises in a futuristic battle royale. It’s a multimedia project, including videos, books and — of course — music. This week, the third chapter in the series … Continue reading
Co-ed dance group Koyote are holding it down for K-pop’s 90’s class, continuing to deliver comebacks decades into their career. Their music knows exactly what it wants to accomplish, and new single Wish (바람) is another fun burst of energy. I can’t say I’m always in the mood for a Koyote banger, but the group … Continue reading
Three out of four members of Sistar are making comebacks this summer, leading fans like me to long for the summer bops of yore. Nobody did summer better than Sistar, and it’s impossible for solo releases to fully recapture this magic. With This Love (이게 사랑이지 뭐야), Hyolyn takes a slightly more subdued path toward … Continue reading
During this summer of second-gen comebacks, 2NE1’s Sandara Park fits right in. She’s released solo material before, but never a Korean album. (She did record a mini album in the Philippines before debut, though!) New single Festival sees her aiming toward summer sounds, building its chorus around an interpolation of Uhm Jung Hwa’s hit of … Continue reading
EXO are one of my “K-pop A-Z” artists, and that means I’ve committed to write about anything they release in perpetuity. So, here are my thoughts about every track from their new Exist album! 1. Cream Soda // 2. Regret It // 3. Hear Me Out // 4. Private Party // 5. Cinderella // 6. … Continue reading
EXO are one of my “K-pop A-Z” artists, and that means I’ve committed to write about anything they release in perpetuity. So, here are my thoughts about every track from their new Exist album! 1. Cream Soda // 2. Regret It // 3. Hear Me Out // 4. Private Party // 5. Cinderella // 6. … Continue reading
Debuting in 2019, Exile Tribe’s Battle Of Tokyo is one of the coolest projects developed by any entertainment company. It brings together the agency’s Jr.Exile groups under fictional guises in a futuristic battle royale. It’s a multimedia project, including videos, books and — of course — music. This week, the third chapter in the series … Continue reading
It feels like &TEAM have promoted recent single Firework more frequently on Korean broadcasts than in their native Japan, making the whole ‘Korean-agency-debuts-Jpop-act’ approach even more nebulous. Thus far, &TEAM’s output has basically been K-pop performed in Japanese — a trend many agencies are attempting to replicate. My thoughts on this aside, Firework is a … Continue reading
ENHYPEN’s One And Only is a collaboration with Pokémon, though the song’s line distribution ensures we never get to hear Pikachu’s beautiful falsetto. Instead, the colorful pocket monsters appear in the music video. Without those added visuals, One And Only is a pleasant summer bop — airy and mid-tempo. ENHYPEN have a few tracks like … Continue reading
I can hardly keep up with all the twists and turns in the LOONA story, but I know one thing for sure: after nearly six years’ hiatus, Odd Eye Circle are back with new Korean music. Their work represented some of LOONA’s early peaks, offering an edgier take on K-pop’s girl group fare. After signing … Continue reading
NMIXX were smart to pre-release Roller Coaster last week. That song takes some time to get under your skin, but it’s blossomed into a subdued summer hit for me. Title track Party O’Clock plays within similar sonic territory. It’s far less successful in its execution. The name “Party O’Clock” conjures ideas of massive EDM drops … Continue reading
Debuting in 2019, Exile Tribe’s Battle Of Tokyo is one of the coolest projects developed by any entertainment company. It brings together the agency’s Jr.Exile groups under fictional guises in a futuristic battle royale. It’s a multimedia project, including videos, books and — of course — music. This week, the third chapter in the series … Continue reading
It’s a big day for K-pop boy groups, with one veteran act returning after a long hiatus and the year’s most anticipate rookie making their debut. ZEROBASEONE were brought together through MNET’s audition program Boys Planet, which I chronicled on this blog back when it aired. Though I was pleased with the final line-up for … Continue reading
I’ll always have a soft spot for EXO. They were one of my gateways into K-pop, way back when they made their debut eleven years ago. It’s been a rocky ride the past few years, with member enlistments and other roadblocks preventing the group from making their yearly comeback. Instead, fans have waited two years … Continue reading
Debuting in 2019, Exile Tribe’s Battle Of Tokyo is one of the coolest projects developed by any entertainment company. It brings together the agency’s Jr.Exile groups under fictional guises in a futuristic battle royale. It’s a multimedia project, including videos, books and — of course — music. This week, the third chapter in the series … Continue reading
I have only a passing familiarity with Tokyo Gegegay (mostly through their collaborations), which caused me to miss the video for Break The Romance (破壊ロマンス) when it was released two weeks ago. But with a new album out this week, I dove into this single and won’t be looking back. I love when a song … 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. Starship Entertainment’s current A&R team is … 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. Teen Top’s HWEEK is a certified … Continue reading
Formed through Yoshiki Superstar Project X, XY is more like a performance troupe than a traditional boy group. It’s an insanely ambitious idea: bring together vocalists, dancers, a rock band (and a baton twirler for good measure) and see what you can come up with. The result is absolute magic. I feel similar about XY … Continue reading
If I had a time machine, I’d go back to 2016 and tell myself that – in seven years – I’d be writing the words “& Jonas Brothers” in the title of a blog post on The Bias List. It’s been quite a journey, my friends. Who would have ever thought we’d end up here? … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 