Now that I’ve taken a look at the new acts that dominated 2024, it’s time to focus on their established counterparts. Though my favorite group of the year was a rookie, most of my favorite music came from artists who debuted in years prior. As usual, the criteria is built around these three factors: Quality … Continue reading
Before I take a look at K-pop’s established artists, it’s time to spotlight this year’s fresh crop of talent! When I ran my first-ever Bias List survey, I was surprised when the majority of respondents noted that this year’s rookies were not particularly exciting. But when I took a look back at the year as … Continue reading
The end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, we’ll 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 end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, we’ll 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 end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, we’ll 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 end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, we’ll 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 end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, we’ll 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 next few weeks on The Bias List will be stuffed with all manner of end-of-year countdowns. From K-pop to J-pop to global pop to dramas, it’ll all be covered. This is a fun way to tie a bow on the year and celebrate all the things I loved in 2024. These countdowns kick off … Continue reading
K-Pop’s first generation is often referenced as the foundation for the industry we enjoy now, but there aren’t enough good English-language sources that give its music the focus it deserves. I’m hoping to change that with a continuing flashback series, spotlighting personal highlights from the era – both iconic and obscure. The era in question … Continue reading
A week after the MAMA Awards, it’s Melon’s turn to throw its annual celebration. Since the ceremony is centered around a digital streaming service, the criteria is more statistics-based than other shows. However, I’m always surprised how many random award categories these events can come up with to make sure everyone goes home with something. … Continue reading
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
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 2024 Overall Thoughts Well… how are we all doing? Given the news of the past … Continue reading
SM Entertainment’s new trot boy group has not followed the traditional rollout for a rookie, and that’s to be expected given their niche genre. Rather than perform on music shows, they’ve been hanging out on their very own reality series Falling for a Trot-dol: Lovestruck Sisters. Officially, they haven’t made their full debut yet, but … Continue reading
The holiday season is upon us, which means K-Pop (and J-Pop) will soon be unleashing their seasonal efforts on the market. Alongside the release of their first Japanese album, NCT Wish are ready to usher in winter with the festive Wishful Winter. The song makes sense for November/December but feels like a throwaway in the … Continue reading
Ten years after her debut with Red Velvet, Irene has finally released her first solo album. Better late than never — especially as the group enters a phase of their career when solo work tends to be more common. Like A Flower is well-suited to this musical era, drawing upon trends to craft a catchy … Continue reading
Last week, WayV pre-released the upbeat High Five, building on the funky energy of this spring’s Give Me That. Now, it’s time to move back into edgier territory. Title track Frequency melds old-school hip-hop rhythms with the harsh performance style many expect from the NCT universe. Compared to similar efforts in this mold, the song … Continue reading
So, I sat down and watched all three days of the MAMA Awards this year. Well… almost all three days (there was definitely some fast-forwarding). After a few years being pretty resigned to the ceremony, I was curious this year because so much of my favorite 2024 music came from artists who were big enough … Continue reading
K-Pop’s first generation is often referenced as the foundation for the industry we enjoy now, but there aren’t enough good English-language sources that give its music the focus it deserves. I’m hoping to change that with a continuing flashback series, spotlighting personal highlights from the era – both iconic and obscure. The era in question … Continue reading
After years of being relatively quiet compared to other NCT units, WayV had a busy 2024. They’ve already released albums in Korea and Japan and now they’re back to close out the year with a new project. High Five is the upcoming album’s pre-release and continues the funky, upbeat sound of June’s Give Me That. … Continue reading
SNSD’s Taeyeon can always be counted on for a long-lasting chart hit, but this summer’s Heaven didn’t seem to have the stranglehold on the public the way most of her singles do despite hinging on similar elements as Sabrina Carpenter’s world-conquering Espresso. New single Letter To Myself is a more comfortable fit for Taeyeon, drawing … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 