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 2019 Overall Thoughts We’re deep in the winter doldrums, and that’s exactly what February’s K-pop … Continue reading
Many idol group members have gone solo, but few boast a singles run big enough for a top ten countdown. SHINee’s Taemin is one of those few, starting with his solo debut in 2014. His music borrows elements from SHINee’s repertoire, but draws on a different type of artistry. It’s at turns powerful, sexy, smooth … Continue reading
SHINee’s Key is slated for his mandatory military enlistment soon, but before going on hiatus he’s teased a repackage of his excellent debut album. Cold is a prelude to that, digitally released as part of SM Entertainment’s Station project. But unlike the retro-pop and EDM found on his album, the song is downbeat and emotional. … Continue reading
Nowadays, K-pop song descriptions often lead with genre classification. Track A is a “cheerful song of the tropical house genre,” or Track B is a “dance song based on elements of trap and future house.” It’s as if the actual melodic construction and performance are secondary to the buzzword a title track can hitch itself … Continue reading
It’s time to flash back seven years to 2012, an era of huge choruses, thumping dance beats and an endless supply of sci-fi influenced music videos. 2012’s charms were endless, but here are fifty of the absolute best singles. To be eligible for this top fifty list, songs must have had a Korean release as … 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. December 2018 Overall Thoughts What is there to say about December, really? This month is basically … Continue reading
I may not be a trained dancer, but I do watch music shows each week! In 2018, intricate and catchy choreography continued to play a huge part in K-pop comebacks. Here are the ten routines that caught my eye this year: Honorable Mentions Seungri – 1, 2, 3! NCT U – Boss Seventeen – Oh … Continue reading
I rarely get a chance to talk about K-pop’s music videos, even though they are without a doubt one of the industry’s most important facets. A dynamite video can really make a song stand out, and the following ten clips brought memorable visuals and storylines to the year’s K-pop offerings. + Make sure to check … Continue reading
2018 was a fantastic year when it came to album tracks. In fact, many of them were stronger (and more interesting) than their title track counterparts. This makes for a very competitive top 40 list, as well as a host of honorable mentions. Honestly, I could’ve tripled the amount of honorable mentions and still had … Continue reading
I always feel like I need to post a disclaimer before this particular countdown. In most “best artist” categories, the nominees are determined by taking things like sales and popularity into account. My top artists countdown is a bit different. This is a countdown for artists that made waves in 2018. Maybe they’re a newer … Continue reading
Though I’ve had my misgivings about many aspects of K-pop in 2018, it was actually a very strong year for albums. I could have easily expanded my “honorable mentions” list even more than I already did. Surprisingly, many of my top ten have one thing in common: the strongest tracks on them weren’t selected for … Continue reading
The end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, things kick off with the big one… The Bias List’s top 50 songs of the year! Each day this week, I’ll be counting down ten of the year’s best, until number one is revealed on Friday. To be eligible for this top 50 list, … Continue reading
The much-dreaded (but inevitable) SHINee hiatus begins next week when leader Onew will begin to serve his mandatory military conscription. Before that, he’s gifted fans with his very first solo album — a collection of ballads appropriately titled Voice. His rich tone has been an anchor for so many SHINee songs, but I don’t think … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of k-pop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Key’s title track One Of Those Nights is totally solid, but … 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 2018 Overall Thoughts November is always packed with comebacks, but rarely have we seen one … Continue reading
Song Review: Key (SHINee) – One of Those Nights (ft. Crush)Now that Key has unleashed his first full-length album upon the world, the SHINee pentagram of solo releases is nearly complete. Leader Onew’s material is set for release next month, so that just leaves rapper/vocalist Minho. He’s got to come out with solo work sometime, … Continue reading
In what has become an annual tradition, it’s time to take a look at K-pop’s biggest agencies and offer my 2018 verdict. First up is SM Entertainment. As usual, the thoughts are my own and aren’t privy to any insider information. I’m not taking into account things like profits and stock value. The purpose of … Continue reading
When I think of Taemin as a soloist, I often want to give him a “Korean Michael Jackson” sort of label. But, when it comes to title tracks his music has often been more subdued than that comparison warrants. This is especially true in Japan, where both of his previous singles were lyrical, mid-tempo works … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of k-pop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. In one of the week’s best surprises, Taemin’s new Japanese album … Continue reading
In addition to a fantastic full album, SHINee’s 2018 has seen new Japanese work from Taemin and a posthumous release from Jonghyun. One member we don’t hear from as often when it comes to solo music is Key. Four years ago, he formed the project duo Toheart with Infinite’s Woohyun, but beyond that he’s only … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 