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
Pre-releases have become incredibly common this year in K-pop — particularly from the big agencies. NCT Dream’s album isn’t out quite yet, but they’ve surprised us with new track Flying Kiss during the lead-up to promotions. The song showcases the lighter side of the group, offering a soft burst of pop buoyed by a standout … Continue reading
It’s that time of year again! While December is filled with year-end countdowns, I like to take a look back at some of K-pop’s biggest agencies during November. Before reading (especially if you’re new to the blog), it’s helpful to know that my grading focuses most heavily on music releases and how comebacks are managed … 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. TVXQ just released their best song … Continue reading
NCT’s Doyoung debuted as a soloist earlier this year with a full album. Now, he’s capping off 2024 with the release of new digital single The Story (시리도록 눈부신). Rather than reinvent the wheel, the song sounds like an extension of his previous work, drawing upon his rich vocal for an uplifting ballad. The Story … Continue reading
I’ll confess this right at the top: despite enjoying Yesung quite a bit as a performer, I nearly didn’t listen to this new solo track at all. My bias (and his musical history) had me expecting a specific type of ballad that just isn’t my thing. I very rarely have much to write about these … 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. October 2024 Overall Thoughts I’ve probably opened with this overused phrase during previous Octobers, but I’m … Continue reading
SNSD’s Sooyoung actually started her idol career in a short-lived J-pop group before eventually debuting in Korea. It’s funny, then, that it took this long for her to release a solo single in Japan. Better late than never, as Unstoppable recaptures some of the magic from SNSD’s discography while showcasing Sooyoung’s own charisma. A song … Continue reading
TVXQ are set to release a 20th Anniversary album in Japan early next month. They already unveiled its lead track Sweet Surrender a few weeks ago and now they’re teasing again with the classic ballad Dearest. Some of their most successful Japanese work has been within this musical realm, and given the special occasion it’s … Continue reading
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
Before he enlists in the military, NCT’s Jaehyun is set to hold a two day fancon and has released a new single to tide us over while he enters hiatus. Unconditional arrives only two months since his first solo album and continues the vibey, on-trend r&b sound he established there. This seems to be the … Continue reading
Pre-release tracks aren’t necessarily meant to become the biggest hit of an artist’s career, but aespa’s Supernova surprised everyone by lodging itself at the top of the charts for the better part of the year. Karina’s recent solo track Up seems to be doing the same, adding to aespa’s red hot ascent. Now, the full … Continue reading
TVXQ are celebrating the twentieth (!) anniversary of their Japanese debut with the upcoming release of new album Zone. Before that, its lead single Sweet Surrender has been pre-released alongside a music video. The guys have steadily promoted since their 2017 return from the military, but to be honest it’s been a few years since … 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
NCT’s many members are slowly starting to embark upon solo careers, each with their own musical focus. Yuta has been with the group since the very beginning, debuting in 2016 as part of NCT 127. Since then, he’s felt like one of the more underutilized talents. Regardless of my thoughts on the song itself, I’m … 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. September 2024 Overall Thoughts While the first half of 2024 was quite strong, these past few … Continue reading
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
Pop music has been stuck in a retro romance for this entire decade, seemingly obsessed with referencing past eras rather than pushing forward to new sounds. This has caused genres like synthwave and synthpop to feel quite oversaturated, even if they’re styles I personally love. So, when it was announced that HYO would be drawing … Continue reading
WayV released their first Japanese mini album all the way back at the beginning of August, but weeks later they’ve unveiled a music video for its promoted track Go Higher. I’m not sure what the plan was behind this delay, apart from the fact that J-pop often takes long breaks between various promotions. Either way, … Continue reading
I’ve written about NCT Wish nearly every week in September. Their first mini album has been preceded by two pre-releases and now we’re finally hearing the official title track. Steady is co-written by longtime SM Entertainment talent Kenzie and sees the group tackling their trendiest material yet. Both UK garage and Jersey Club have become … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 