Longtime readers of The Bias List will know how stingy I am when it comes to rating songs nine and above. But, there’s plenty of music that qualifies. In fact, I’ve got a playlist of over 600 of them sitting in my iTunes. The vast majority of these are singles or title tracks, but there … Continue reading
Tag Archives: sm
Song Review: BVNDIT – Jungle
Ironically, the BVNDIT song that’s stuck with me the most wasn’t a title track at all. In fact, it wasn’t even performed in Korean. February’s odd, lyrically cringey Cool wasn’t perfect, but at least it had a personality. Apart from that, the group’s discography has felt completely generic. It’s competent – as all modern K-pop … Continue reading
Song Review: Raiden x Chanyeol – Yours (ft. Lee Hi & Changmo)
May is quickly shaping up to be the month of superstar collaborations. Yours brings together EXO’s Chanyeol and DJ Raiden, and throws in Lee Hi and Changmo for good measure. This buffet of talent offers a little something for everyone, and each performer is used well – even if the song takes a minute to … Continue reading
Song Review: BOL4 x Baekhyun – Leo
Just a day after IU and Suga teamed up to deliver the kind of superstar collaboration that the digital charts wet themselves over, BOL4’s Ahn Jiyoung and EXO’s Baekhyun have paired to unleash some healthy competition. But while yesterday’s Eight bucked expectations as a driving pop track, Leo (나비와 고양이) sounds exactly how you would … Continue reading
Song Review: Taeyeon – Happy
More than almost anything else in the world, music makes me happy. There’s a certain indescribable rush that my favorite songs give me, and it can’t really be quantified. I don’t need a song to tell me to be happy. If it’s good enough, that thrill will come automatically. With that said, I certainly don’t … Continue reading
Looking Back: The Top Three K-Pop Songs of January 2012
Since the start of The Bias List in January 2016, I’ve always looked back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists each month. Now, it’s time to look even further into the past, one month at a time. And, yes, the top three rankings count toward The Bias List’s personal artist scorecard! January … Continue reading
Buried Treasure: NCT Dream – Love Again
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, 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 may be in the minority, but I firmly believe that … Continue reading
Top Three K-Pop Songs of April 2020
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 2020 Overall Thoughts With stay-at-home orders in effect all month, there was certainly time to … Continue reading
Song Review: NCT Dream – Ridin’
NCT’s rotational nature is in full effect this year, with the news that Mark would be re-joining NCT Dream later in 2020. Before that happens, the unit’s six-member configuration has returned with Ridin’, an urban dance song that builds upon the their current trajectory while drawing upon SM Entertainment’s musical past. The result is a … Continue reading
Best of the B-Sides: Vol.02 (Kim Sung Kyu, Kis-My-Ft2, Nine Muses, TVXQ)
Longtime readers of The Bias List will know how stingy I am when it comes to rating songs nine and above. But, there’s plenty of music that qualifies. In fact, I’ve got a playlist of over 600 of them sitting in my iTunes. The vast majority of these are singles or title tracks, but there … Continue reading
Looking Back: The Top Three K-Pop Songs of December 2011
Since the start of The Bias List in January 2016, I’ve always looked back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists each month. Now, it’s time to look even further into the past, one month at a time. And, yes, the top three rankings count toward The Bias List’s personal artist scorecard! December … Continue reading
K-Pop’s Greatest Singles Runs
Different groups are loved for different reasons, but one of my favorite concepts within pop music is the “imperial phase” — a (usually) brief era when every promoted song an act releases is absolutely superb and iconic. This got me to thinking: what are K-pop’s greatest imperial phases? I combed through my exhaustive playlists and … Continue reading
Looking Back: The Top Three K-Pop Songs of October 2011
Since the start of The Bias List in January 2016, I’ve always looked back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists each month. Now, it’s time to look even further into the past, one month at a time. And, yes, the top three rankings count toward The Bias List’s personal artist scorecard! October … Continue reading
Looking Back: The Top Three K-Pop Songs of September 2011
Since the start of The Bias List in January 2016, I’ve always looked back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists each month. Now, it’s time to look even further into the past, one month at a time. And, yes, the top three rankings count toward The Bias List’s personal artist scorecard! September … Continue reading
Song Review: Changmin (Max of TVXQ) – Chocolate
Most of SM Entertainment’s solo releases could be classified as such: ballad, ballad, rock ballad, piano ballad, retro ballad, etc. Given this, it was only natural for me to expect yet another ballad from TVXQ’s Changmin. After all, that’s already his sweet spot. But, when the teasers for Chocolate started dropping, my hope renewed. Then, … Continue reading
Top Three K-Pop Songs of March 2020
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 2020 Overall Thoughts I don’t know about you all, but my mind wasn’t exactly on … Continue reading
Song Review: Suho (EXO) – Let’s Love
So… the EXO solos haven’t exactly panned out the way I would have hoped. So far, it’s been an unending stream of ballads and mid-tempos, each blending into the other without any real artistic differentiation. It’s not that the music has been bad, but it feels like SM Entertainment have developed a real narrow pathway … Continue reading
Looking Back: The Top Three K-Pop Songs of August 2011
Since the start of The Bias List in January 2016, I’ve always looked back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists each month. Now, it’s time to look even further into the past, one month at a time. And, yes, the top three rankings count toward The Bias List’s personal artist scorecard! August … Continue reading
Random Shuffle Review: Girls’ Generation-TTS – Holler
With over 2,900 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
Looking Back: The Top Three K-Pop Songs of June 2011
Since the start of The Bias List in January 2016, I’ve always looked back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists each month. Now, it’s time to look even further into the past, one month at a time. And, yes, the top three rankings count toward The Bias List’s personal artist scorecard! June … Continue reading