There are a number of acts who have debuted in the past few decades and have dozens of song ratings on this blog. I thought it would be fun to lay these ratings out in chronological order, line-graph style, and take a macro view of their careers so far. Then, similar to my “Underrated K-pop” … Continue reading
Tag Archives: sm
TAEMIN: A Career In Song Ratings
There are a number of acts who have debuted in the past few decades and have dozens of song ratings on this blog. I thought it would be fun to lay these ratings out in chronological order, line-graph style, and take a macro view of their careers so far. Then, similar to my “Underrated K-pop” … Continue reading
Buried Treasure: NCT Wish – Everglow
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. This will be a weird “buried … Continue reading
F(X): A Career In Song Ratings
There are a number of acts who have debuted in the past few decades and have dozens of song ratings on this blog. I thought it would be fun to lay these ratings out in chronological order, line-graph style, and take a macro view of their careers so far. Then, similar to my “Underrated K-pop” … Continue reading
Song Review: NCT Wish – Ode To Love
NCT Wish debuted just over two years ago but have already beaten many of their 2023-24 peers to the punch when it comes to releasing a full album. SM Entertainment is usually pretty generous with their full albums, and I wonder if that’s because the agency’s genesis came at a time when full albums were … Continue reading
THIS WEEK IN K-POP: Ranking the New Releases from April 12 – 18
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 (April 19, 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
NCT DREAM: A Career In Song Ratings
There are a number of acts who have debuted in the past few decades and have dozens of song ratings on this blog. I thought it would be fun to lay these ratings out in chronological order, line-graph style, and take a macro view of their careers so far. Then, similar to my “Underrated K-pop” … Continue reading
Song Review: Taeyong (NCT) – Rock Solid (ft. Anderson .Paak)
Anderson .Paak has become a go-to global collaborator for K-pop acts. In recent years, he’s paired with G-Dragon and BTS’s RM. Now, he’s joined forces with NCT’s Taeyong, who makes his return from military hiatus with new solo single Rock Solid. Given that 2026 is NCT’s tenth anniversary, I expect we’ll see many more special … Continue reading
Song Review: NCT Wish – Sticky
NCT Wish are set to release their first full album in a week’s time, and like so many idol groups they’re teasing it with a pre-release. I’ve had a love or hate relationship with Wish’s music so far, with many of their tracks (and the execution of those tracks) leaving me cold. Sticky is certainly … Continue reading
Song Review: Donghae (Super Junior) – Good Day (ft. Jay Park & 1iL)
Super Junior remains one of the most active groups of their stature, routinely releasing new music as a collective and as soloists. Today, Donghae is back with a new album of his own, collaborating with Jay Park and 1iL for its title track Good Day. As its title suggests, this is an upbeat, sunny stomper … Continue reading
THIS WEEK IN K-POP: Ranking the New Releases from March 29 – April 4
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
Battle of the Title Tracks: BoA’s “Copy & Paste” vs. Chakra’s “ Oh! My Boy” vs. Hello Venus’s “Sticky Sticky”
As a spin-off to my Battle of the B-sides feature, I’m pleased to announce the arrive of “Battle of the Title Tracks!” In this feature, I’ll be pitting three K-pop title tracks/singles against each other and choosing a winner. These songs will mostly be from pre-2016 since I’ll try to focus on music I haven’t … Continue reading
Song Review: Irene (Red Velvet) – Biggest Fan
Red Velvet’s group work may be quite infrequent at this stage in their career, but a full album from member Irene should tide some fans over. She made her solo debut in 2024 and has also been active in a sub-unit with fellow member Seulgi, but a full project like this affords extra opportunity to … Continue reading
New & Noteworthy J-pop of the Week (March 1, 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 JNJM – Both Sides
Even as its members begin to enlist, NCT’s enormous universe guarantees there will be plenty of music regardless of how many performers may be on hiatus. As the brand’s youngest group, NCT Dream is still very much active, but even they have joined in on the sub-unit approach with NCT JNJM — a duo consisting … Continue reading
THIS WEEK IN K-POP: Ranking the New Releases from February 15 – 21
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 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