At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. But each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And even more than that, I’ll attempt to rank them from my least-to-most-liked. I invite you to share … Continue reading
Tag Archives: sm
New & Noteworthy J-pop of the Week (February 22, 2026)
In connection with my desire to fully keep up with the J-pop industry, I’m planning to do a weekly round-up of any new releases that have caught my ear. Some of these may have been covered on the blog already, but my hope is that this will become a one-stop shop for anyone interested in … Continue reading
Song Review: Hearts2Hearts – RUDE!
As SM Entertainment’s bid for fifth-gen girl group domination, Hearts2Hearts had a slow start but have charted progressively better with each comeback. New single RUDE! arrives with plenty of hype, not only because of the group’s potential but also because it finally breaks a late-winter hiatus for the industry. So far, my favorite Hearts2Hearts track … Continue reading
Song Review: RIIZE – All Of You
Of all the K-pop agencies, SM Entertainment boasts the largest legacy in the Japanese market. J-pop discographies from BoA, TVXQ, Girls Generation and SHINee match or eclipse their Korean counterparts, as the company invested in Japan early. However, the past few years have seen a more scattershot approach. New releases are infrequent — especially from … Continue reading
THIS WEEK IN K-POP: Ranking the New Releases from February 8 – 14
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. But each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And even more than that, I’ll attempt to rank them from my least-to-most-liked. I invite you to share … Continue reading
New & Noteworthy J-pop of the Week (February 15, 2026)
In connection with my desire to fully keep up with the J-pop industry, I’m planning to do a weekly round-up of any new releases that have caught my ear. Some of these may have been covered on the blog already, but my hope is that this will become a one-stop shop for anyone interested in … Continue reading
The Top Three K-Pop Songs of January 2026
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. January 2026 Overall Thoughts January can be quite exciting for new music. After a year has … Continue reading
THIS WEEK IN K-POP: Ranking the New Releases from January 18 – 24
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. But each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And even more than that, I’ll attempt to rank them from my least-to-most-liked. I invite you to share … Continue reading
EXO REVERXE: In-Depth Album Review – Flatline
EXO have been inaugurated into my “K-Pop A-Z” feature, which means anything they release automatically gets a full review. To be honest, I’ve regretted that rule over the past few years since I haven’t vibed with the group’s albums since 2018. Is there new work REVERXE any different? Read on to find out! 1. Crown … Continue reading
EXO REVERXE: In-Depth Album Review – Touch & Go
EXO have been inaugurated into my “K-Pop A-Z” feature, which means anything they release automatically gets a full review. To be honest, I’ve regretted that rule over the past few years since I haven’t vibed with the group’s albums since 2018. Is there new work REVERXE any different? Read on to find out! 1. Crown … Continue reading
K-Pop Risers & Fallers: January 2026
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 these ratings adjustments will be negligible: … Continue reading
EXO REVERXE: In-Depth Album Review – Back Pocket
EXO have been inaugurated into my “K-Pop A-Z” feature, which means anything they release automatically gets a full review. To be honest, I’ve regretted that rule over the past few years since I haven’t vibed with the group’s albums since 2018. Is there new work REVERXE any different? Read on to find out! 1. Crown … Continue reading
EXO REVERXE: In-Depth Album Review – Moonlight Shadows
EXO have been inaugurated into my “K-Pop A-Z” feature, which means anything they release automatically gets a full review. To be honest, I’ve regretted that rule over the past few years since I haven’t vibed with the group’s albums since 2018. Is there new work REVERXE any different? Read on to find out! 1. Crown … Continue reading
EXO REVERXE: In-Depth Album Review – Suffocate
EXO have been inaugurated into my “K-Pop A-Z” feature, which means anything they release automatically gets a full review. To be honest, I’ve regretted that rule over the past few years since I haven’t vibed with the group’s albums since 2018. Is there new work REVERXE any different? Read on to find out! 1. Crown … Continue reading
EXO REVERXE: In-Depth Album Review – Crazy
EXO have been inaugurated into my “K-Pop A-Z” feature, which means anything they release automatically gets a full review. To be honest, I’ve regretted that rule over the past few years since I haven’t vibed with the group’s albums since 2018. Is there new work REVERXE any different? Read on to find out! 1. Crown … Continue reading
EXO REVERXE: In-Depth Album Review – Back It Up
EXO have been inaugurated into my “K-Pop A-Z” feature, which means anything they release automatically gets a full review. To be honest, I’ve regretted that rule over the past few years since I haven’t vibed with the group’s albums since 2018. Is there new work REVERXE any different? Read on to find out! 1. Crown … Continue reading
Song Review: EXO – Crown
EXO haven’t had a proper comeback since 2023, but to be honest I haven’t really liked one of their title tracks since 2018’s Tempo — and even that song had some issues for me. These diminishing returns are a far cry from the group’s first seven years, when they reliably churned out some of the … Continue reading
THIS WEEK IN K-POP: Ranking the New Releases from January 11 – 17
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. But each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And even more than that, I’ll attempt to rank them from my least-to-most-liked. I invite you to share … Continue reading
New & Noteworthy J-pop of the Week (January 18, 2026)
In connection with my desire to fully keep up with the J-pop industry, I’m planning to do a weekly round-up of any new releases that have caught my ear. Some of these may have been covered on the blog already, but my hope is that this will become a one-stop shop for anyone interested in … Continue reading
Song Review: NCT Wish – Hello Mellow
There have been an increasing number of Japanese groups formed by Korean agencies who end up promoting in Korea much more often than their home country. With this in mind, NCT Wish have split their efforts pretty well between the two countries, building a large fan base in the process. Apart from a song here … Continue reading