In a summer stuffed with second-gen comebacks, it seemed EXO might be left out of the rush. There’s been a ton of legal drama behind the scenes, potentially sidelining their planned return. But according to reports, we’ll be getting a new studio album after almost four years. Before its title track drops in a few … 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
Before SHINee make their long-awaited return at the end of the month, they have a gift for fans in the form of pre-release single The Feeling. This song was previously revealed as part of the group’s recent fanmeet and marks the first time we’re hearing all four members on a new Korean track since the … Continue reading
NCT’s Taeyong has released solo work before, but today marks the debut of his first solo album. I’m surprised more NCT members haven’t promoted as soloists. After all, there are so many guys to choose from! To be honest, I didn’t have high hopes for Shalala (샤랄라). Taeyong’s moments in NCT’s tracks tend to drive … Continue reading
Wow, it’s been a loooong time since I’ve written about a new single from Zhoumi. He picked a hell of a day to make a long-awaited comeback with SM Entertainment! I can’t help but feel bad for the guy. New single Mañana pairs him with Super Junior’s Eunhyuk, a member he used to work with … 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 2023 Overall Thoughts We’re not quite to the halfway point of the calendar year, so … 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
Hey, it’s that guy who’s technically part of Super Junior but never performs with them anymore! I find this situation (and the reason behind it) quite odd, but I’m happy Sungmin still gets to release solo music. In the case of Lovesick (사랑이 따끔), he’s bringing a blast of upbeat trot music. I appreciate trot … Continue reading
The spring of 2023 will be characterized by a quartet of top-tier girl group releases. The results have been mixed so far, with IVE’s I Am throwing down the gauntlet in rousing fashion but LE SSERAFIM’s Unforgiven missing the mark. Now, aespa sweep us into the final stretch before (G)I-DLE bring things to a close … 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
SM’s Station releases are often forgettable little trifles, but at their best they offer the chance for the agency’s artists to stretch their wings and record a song that wouldn’t fit on a typical idol album. Hybrid is a meeting of two giant voices. TVXQ’s Changmin is known for his powerful high notes, while Guckkasten’s … Continue reading
Ahead of their album release next week, aespa have returned with the evocative Welcome to MY World (yes, the capitalization of “MY” is intentional!). Rather than hitting us over the head with intense hyperpop sounds, the track offers a more languid energy. Welcome to MY World builds gradually, moving from downbeat, rock-influenced trap-pop to symphonic … 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. April 2023 Overall Thoughts I’ve been complaining about K-pop a lot this year, but April was … 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
This subunit name is a mouthful, isn’t it? Rather than opt for something more streamlined (“NCT V” was right there, SM!), the powers-that-be have smashed together the names of this trio, “Brangelina” style. DOJAEJUNG unites NCT vocalists Doyoung, Jaehyun and Jungwoo. Too often, vocal-based sub-units are relegated to ballads or coffeeshop fare. But, there’s nothing … Continue reading
Rumors have been swirling that Mark’s new solo track Golden Hour is a Gordon Ramsay diss track, stemming from an infamous Twitter exchange. The idea alone is humorous. But although the famous chef is mentioned in the lyrics, the song itself is much weirder and more inscrutable. Whatever I may think about Golden Hour (honestly… … Continue reading
In this feature, I zoom into some of K-pop’s most legendary weeks — short periods of time that delivered multiple classics. K-pop is usually a Monday through Friday affair (at least in my time zone), with some weeks stuffed to the brim with releases. But, not all include multiple 9+ rated songs. Here, I’ll through … 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. March 2023 Overall Thoughts So… when does the good stuff start? Seriously, we had yet another … Continue reading
This isn’t a title track or a “buried treasure,” but aespa’s new Tetris OST seems noteworthy enough to receive a write-up. Yes… you read that right. “Tetris OST.” We’re living in the upside-down, here. Thankfully, this upcoming Tetris movie is billed as a biopic/thriller and not one of those awful animated cash-ins that ruin a … 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
