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. July 2022 Overall Thoughts Counting up all of July’s releases, I’m not sure we’ve ever had … Continue reading
I’ve decided to try something new! Rather than contain my “Risers and Fallers” feature to a single post in June, I’m going to share a bite-sized version at the end of each month. This will let me account for more songs and make a nice lead-in to the monthly round-up post. I anticipate most of … 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. I have a strong bias toward … Continue reading
After eight months without a comeback, SF9 have returned as SF6. Such is the reality for K-pop’s boy groups, who must juggle military enlistments as their career matures. But, that’s beside the point because the guys have finally stepped out of their moody, sensual style and embraced sunny summertime pop! They’ve delivered an entire album … Continue reading
K-pop’s title tracks might gain most of listeners’ attention, but many album tracks are worth equal spotlight. I call these “buried treasures.” Beyond this, K-pop’s albums deliver thousands of additional tracks that settle for a more limited audience. It’s these songs that will become a part of my “battle of the b-sides” feature. In this … Continue reading
Okay, I’ve had my fun (?) with these Universe releases and their half-mvs. Universe has actually gotten better at uploading the full videos to YouTube (whether we want them or not!), but it’s hard to get excited about a K-pop product that feels like a total afterthought. With that in mind, I’m going to let … 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 2021 Overall Thoughts We may still have December before us, but according to the norms … Continue reading
I went into this year’s Kingdom: Legendary War familiar with SF9’s music but not attached to the group itself. I’m not sure the competition changed that much, but their interpretation of Taemin’s Move offered a potential inroad that caught my attention. Its sleek, dancefloor-ready sound and stylish image informed parts of their summer comeback Tear … Continue reading
K-pop’s title tracks might gain most of listeners’ attention, but many album tracks are worth equal spotlight. I call these “buried treasures.” Beyond this, K-pop’s albums deliver thousands of additional tracks that settle for a more limited audience. It’s these songs that will become a part of my “battle of the b-sides” feature. In this … Continue reading
K-pop’s title tracks might gain most of listeners’ attention, but many album tracks are worth equal spotlight. I call these “buried treasures.” Beyond this, K-pop’s albums deliver thousands of additional tracks that settle for a more limited audience. It’s these songs that will become a part of my “battle of the b-sides” feature. In 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. July 2021 Overall Thoughts Well, July was… interesting. And by “interesting,” I mean unimaginably dull. Other … Continue reading
K-pop’s title tracks might gain most of listeners’ attention, but many album tracks are worth equal spotlight. I call these “buried treasures.” Beyond this, K-pop’s albums deliver thousands of additional tracks that settle for a more limited audience. It’s these songs that will become a part of my “battle of the b-sides” feature. In this … Continue reading
Fresh off their participation in MNET’s Kingdom, SF9 are the first group to make their post-show comeback. Though they didn’t win the competition, the guys showcased their versatility as performers. I was a big fan of their Move stage, and hoped their future music would embrace that fashionable, forward-thinking concept. New single Tear Drop flirts … Continue reading
Two years ago, I took a look at my favorite “Songs of Summer” between 2012 and 2018. Now that we’re getting closer to the season, I think it’s time for an update! This time, I’m cheating a bit. I kept this feature’s original title for continuity’s sake, but my top song of summer for 2020 … Continue reading
Warning: This recap is not spoiler-free. Proceed at your own risk! Other Recaps: Episode One // Episode Two // Episode Three // Episode Four // Episode Five // Episode Six // Episode Seven // Episode Eight // Episode Nine Friends, I have disturbing news… . . . . . . The final episode of Kingdom … Continue reading
Warning: This recap is not spoiler-free. Proceed at your own risk! Other Recaps: Episode One // Episode Two // Episode Three // Episode Four // Episode Five // Episode Six // Episode Seven // Episode Eight ‘NO LIMIT’ ROUND We’re back with the rest of the No Limit round performances (and Han’s goofy hat). Last … Continue reading
In addition to my weekly recaps of each Kingdom episode, I like to write a special post dedicated to the music itself. Since we’ve yet to see these songs performed, it’s a great chance to discuss them on their own merits — free from set pieces and visuals and stunts. With that in mind, here’s … Continue reading
Warning: This recap is not spoiler-free. Proceed at your own risk! Other Recaps: Episode One // Episode Two // Episode Three // Episode Four // Episode Five // Episode Six // Episode Seven LAST WEEK’S DANCE UNIT RESULTS After watching both dance performances, I ranked the “It’s One” team over “Mayfly,” but they were essentially … Continue reading
Warning: This recap is not spoiler-free. Proceed at your own risk! Other Recaps: Episode One // Episode Two // Episode Three // Episode Four // Episode Five // Episode Six MORE RANKINGS THAN YOU EVER ASKED FOR Episode seven opens with about twelve minutes of rankings. We get round one, round two (minus online views?) … Continue reading
Warning: This recap is not spoiler-free. Proceed at your own risk! Other Recaps: Episode One // Episode Two // Episode Three // Episode Four // Episode Five THE PRELUDE We’ve already reached the eve of Kingdom‘s final round. And to celebrate, the show is going to pause for a… sports day. Ironically, as much as … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 