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’m still processing the fact that, … Continue reading
Kick around this K-pop blogospere for long enough and you’ll eventually get to write about the return of a true legend. Forever 1 celebrates Girls’ Generation’s fifteenth anniversary – a huge milestone for any idol act. I know I’m not alone in counting the group among the most foundational forces that cemented my love for … 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 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
It’s been a while since we had a song from SM’s NCT Lab project. So far, this showcase has given us a Mark Lee solo and a dance unit. Now, it’s time to focus on the group’s vocalists. Rain Day brings together Taeil, Kun and Yangyang for a mid-tempo designed for laid-back summer days. NCT’s … 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 don’t want to jinx it, … Continue reading
Only a fraction of K-pop groups last beyond their initial seven-year contract, but Super Junior are still going strong after seventeen (!) years. I’d wager that’s longer than the age of many K-pop fans, and it’s a legacy that should be respected. The group is currently in a phase where they just release what they … Continue reading
Based on agency clout alone, aespa were always going to be successful. However, I recall their AI, lore-heavy concept raising many eyebrows pre-debut. And although it was a hit for me right away, the addictive Next Level took time to seep into public consciousness. But quicker than you can say “Kwangya,” we’ve arrived at the … Continue reading
I’ve been wanting to write this post for awhile because I think it’s really fun to look back at old reviews and re-evaluate them with fresh eyes. Opinions on music change over time, and that’s just as true for songs I despised when they were first released. Here, you’ll find the nine lowest-rated songs in … Continue reading
We’ll take a brief hiatus from the usual Sunday Open Discussion post today because my annual “Risers and Fallers” feature always spurs conversation. Every July, I like to take a look at which songs have either grown or sunk on my own playlist. With years of reviewing under my belt and a pretty solid understanding … Continue reading
Yesterday, I struck a disappointed note when rounding up this year’s strongest singles, and this albums list is going to be quite similar. 2022 has delivered some decent albums so far, but nothing close to a My Name/City Of ONF, Don’t Call Me/Atlantis, YES, Summer Queen, Gatcha or The Chaos Chapter: Freeze. In fact, I’m … Continue reading
K-pop royalty Super Junior are returning with their eleventh full-length album (twelfth if you count 2015’s “special album” Devil). It’s set to be released in two parts, and new song Don’t Wait serves as a pre-release for the first half. New Super Junior material is always welcome, and I’m thankful for how frequently they deliver … Continue reading
Though HYBE has made the BTS brand synonymous with K-pop around the world (at least to casual listeners), I still think SM Entertainment is the agency others are most seeking to emulate. Even during times their industry cachet has lulled, SM has remained an inexorable through-line when thinking about K-pop on a macro scale. Aespa … Continue reading
The Bias List launched at the beginning of 2016, making that year’s song countdown the first I published in any meaningful way. I’ve since gone back to look at 2015, 2013 and 2012 (hmmm… I guess I need to fill the holes that are left…). Now that it’s been almost six years, I thought it … Continue reading
With over 3,000 songs on my iPhone’s “K-Pop Singles” playlist, I thought it would be fun to add a bit of unpredictability to my song review posts. So as a result, we have the “Random Shuffle Review” feature. The rules are simple. I fire up my playlist, press “shuffle,” and whatever song plays first gets … 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. May 2022 Overall Thoughts So… we’re almost halfway through 2022 and…. hmmm. Compared to the songs … Continue reading
Yesterday on the blog, we spent some time discussing genre and highlighting underutilized styles we’d like to see more often in K-pop. 90’s hip-hop came up as an option, just in time for NCT Dream’s repackage track Beatbox. This song has been pitched as a fun 90’s hip-hop throwback. This is some clever marketing but … Continue reading
SHINee is one of those select K-pop groups whose Japanese output is on par with their Korean work – both in quality and volume. This extends to their solo projects, with multiple members making inroads to the J-pop market. On the heels of his latest mini album, Onew is set to release the Japanese language … Continue reading
Since 2017, Girls’ Generation’s Hyoyeon has established a successful career as a dance artist, exploring various avenues of EDM across a series of singles. For me, her output has been hit-or-miss, with highlights like Punk Right Now and Badster far eclipsing the likes of Second and Dessert. But even if I don’t connect with all … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 