At the end of each month, I look back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists. I take my own ratings into account, but there’s a bit of wiggle room as certain songs tend to grow or fade. August 2021 Overall Thoughts When it comes to new music, I often mention the “expectations game.” … Continue reading
Over the past couple of years, Sexy Zone have delivered a near-perfect singles run. The momentum was bound to dip eventually. When it comes to Johnny’s groups, that usually occurs with the release of a slower, more sentimental track. Like many J-pop acts, their music is tied heavily to dramas, and Summer Hydrangea (夏のハイドレンジア) serves … Continue reading
Over the years, perfectly-scored, 10/10 songs have developed a sort of mythical status on The Bias List. I didn’t intend for this to be the case, but my hesitance to give full marks on release day has resulted in the concept of a “legendary song.” Last year, I inaugurated a handful of songs into this … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I look back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists. I take my own ratings into account, but there’s a bit of wiggle room as certain songs tend to grow or fade. March 2021 Overall Thoughts I’ve heard whispers around social media lamenting that 2021 has been a … Continue reading
For a brief, shining moment last fall, Sexy Zone were five again. However, they’ve been knocked back to four as member Marius takes a break from the industry to focus on health. But even with these constant shifts in configuration, the group has somehow forged one of the strongest singles runs in modern J-pop. From … Continue reading
It’s hard to believe, but Sexy Zone are celebrating their tenth anniversary since debut. It’s been a musically diverse road for them, starting off with cheeseball pop and eventually winding their way to the triumphant, transcendent Run. To honor this milestone, they’ve released a Greatest Hits package with two new songs, one of which is … Continue reading
One of the unexpected upsides of 2020 was the time and opportunity to get back into dramas. In the past, there had been a handful of series I absolutely loved, but I’d always had a hard time getting into new ones. This year, though, I became somewhat of a drama fanatic, catching up on many … Continue reading
I’ve compiled a “Best of J-pop” list every year since The Bias List started, but it always came from a very narrow point of view. In 2020, one of my personal resolutions was to follow the J-pop industry more broadly and (hopefully) expand my palette in the process. So while those past lists definitely included some epic … Continue reading
I’ve compiled a “Best of J-pop” list every year since The Bias List started, but it always came from a very narrow point of view. In 2020, one of my personal resolutions was to follow the J-pop industry more broadly and (hopefully) expand my palette in the process. So while those past lists definitely included some epic … Continue reading
I’ve compiled a “Best of J-pop” list every year since The Bias List started, but it always came from a very narrow point of view. In 2020, one of my personal resolutions was to follow the J-pop industry more broadly and (hopefully) expand my palette in the process. So while those past lists definitely included … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I look back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists. I take my own ratings into account, but there’s a bit of wiggle room as certain songs tend to grow or fade. November 2020 Overall Thoughts November was absolutely packed with releases, and though only one title track … Continue reading
It’s no secret how much I adored Sexy Zone’s Run. That song felt like the climax to years of musical growth for the group. And immediately after its release, fans were treated to the announcement of member So Matsushima rejoining the group after a nearly two year hiatus. New single Not Found finds Sexy Zone … Continue reading
It’s been awhile! As I’ve started covering more J-pop singles on the blog, there haven’t been as many tracks to feature in a J-pop round-up. But, one of the purposes of this feature is to unearth buried treasures. The seven songs below are a mix of singles and b-sides that have caught my attention over … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I look back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists. I take my own ratings into account, but there’s a bit of wiggle room as certain songs tend to grow or fade. August 2020 Overall Thoughts At the beginning of the year, one of my wishes for 2020 … Continue reading
Don’t be put off by Sexy Zone’s cringy name. It’s basically become a self-parody by now, anyway. Their music holds a unique place within the Johnny’s Entertainment pantheon, going through dramatic shifts in sound. They took a few years to find their footing (if I ever have to hear Lady Diamond again, it’ll be too … Continue reading
Longtime readers of The Bias List will know how stingy I am when it comes to rating songs nine and above. But, there’s plenty of music that qualifies. In fact, I’ve got a playlist of over 600 of them sitting in my iTunes. The vast majority of these are singles or title tracks, but there … Continue reading
I first heard (most of) Run during a live performance back in late March, and I knew right away that this was going to be a big pop moment. It’s rare that a song ticks so many of my musical boxes at once. But due to pandemic postponements, it’s been an excruciatingly long wait to … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I look back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists. I take my own ratings into account, but there’s a bit of wiggle room as certain songs tend to grow or fade. February 2020 Overall Thoughts What to say about February 2020? As the month went on, it … Continue reading
First and foremost, The Bias List will always be a K-pop website. However, that leaves a lot of great J-pop off the table. I try to review singles here and there, but I just don’t have time to spotlight the industry’s many buried treasures. With that in mind, I’ve decided to start a (monthly?) feature … Continue reading
With the Tokyo Olympics coming up this year, I expect the J-pop industry to unveil all sorts of material highlighting Japanese culture and cheering their athletes on. The anthemic sounds often produced by Johnny’s Entertainment seem tailor made for this venture, and Sexy Zone’s new album Pop x Step!? does a good job exploring various … Continue reading
