If there’s anything I’ve learned from covering pop music for over a decade, it’s that songwriters and collaborators are just as important as the artists themselves. Though they often work behind the scenes, this feature is a chance to shine the light on some of k-pop’s most innovative and accomplished producers and composers. Steven Lee … Continue reading
After the ambitious release of three promoted title tracks this spring, SHINee certainly don’t owe us any more material in 2018. Yet, here they are, returning to put a bow on top of their already strong Story of Light album. Countless (셀 수 없는) feels as if it came out of nowhere, teased by SM … Continue reading
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 wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Even though it ranked as one of my top three singles of … Continue reading
When last year’s contract negotiations ended with three of its members leaving SM Entertainment to pursue other endeavors, the future of Girls’ Generation seemed to be in flux. The group could have easily seen their tenth anniversary as a natural ending point and went their separate ways. But lucky for us, Girls’ Generation is back … Continue reading
With over 2,300 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 the … 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. August 2018 Overall Thoughts Well, if July was disappointing, August was downright anemic. For the first … Continue reading
As the third season of SM’s digital Station platform continues to shine light on unexpected collaborations, the pairing of EXO’s Baekyun and rapper Loco arrives with much expectation. It’s been awhile since we’ve heard any EXO-related material, and fans are more than ready. Luckily, Young gives the duo an interesting piece of trend-free electro-pop music … Continue reading
2017 set the bar incredibly high for NCT’s youngest unit with the February release of Dream’s buoyant My First and Last. In fact, I’d argue that SM Entertainment hasn’t delivered a stronger single since. And as NCT begins to paint all of its units with a similar hip-hop brush, it makes me wonder whether we’ll … Continue reading
Since returning from their military enlistment, Super Junior’s Donghae and Eunhyuk have released a steady stream of music in Japan, culminating in their recently unveiled album Style. But, it’s been over three years since the duo was last active in Korea. The shadow of 2015’s Growing Pains looms large over their music, standing as a … Continue reading
Even though a large portion of SM Entertainment’s Station releases tend to be unadventurous ballads, I’ve missed the weekly infusion of new music since season two of the project wrapped in April. For the kickoff of Station’s third season (called Station X O), SM has brought out the big guns. Page 0 pairs Taeyeon with … Continue reading
With over 2,300 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 the … Continue reading
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 wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. It was difficult to pick a “buried treasure” from Red Velvet’s … Continue reading
SM Entertainment’s summer drought finally comes to an end with the release of Red Velvet’s new mini album. The girls conquered the summer of 2017 with their monster hit Red Flavor, giving any new seasonal song a lot to live up to. But rather than return to Flavor producers Caesar & Loui, new single Power … Continue reading
After kicking off a series of digital singles with last November’s Here We Are, Super Junior’s Donghae and Eunhyuk are on the cusp of dropping their first Japanese album in three years. For whatever reason, SM Entertainment never seemed that intent on establishing Super Junior in the Japanese market, but these two have found success … Continue reading
In just a few short years, Taeyeon has gone from being the leader of Girls’ Generation to one of SM Entertainment’s most bankable solo stars. And with the recent arrival of her Japanese debut, she’s released just enough singles for a top ten list. Now, my favorite Taeyeon song of all time happens to be an … Continue reading
To celebrate SHINee’s tenth anniversary, and their recently completed Story of Light project, it’s the perfect time to look back at their impressive catalog of album tracks and b-sides. This was a post I was both looking forward to and dreading. SHINee’s discography is too strong and vast to narrow down to only ten tracks. … Continue reading
With over 2,300 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 the … Continue reading
As part of my 2018 mid-year retrospective, it’s time to look at those songs that either rose or fell as the months have passed. Some songs are slow-burners. Others impress in the moment but fizzle out quickly. And sometimes, a song surpasses expectations to become a cultural phenomenon. This year has actually seen more risers … Continue reading
Now that I’ve had a chance to spotlight the year’s best singles, it’s time to look at the standout albums of 2018’s first six months. As usual, I split the categories between full and mini, with three strong contenders from each. What are your picks? FULL LENGTH ALBUMS Infinite – Top Seed While their first comeback … Continue reading
As we move into July, we’re entering K-Pop’s third quarter of releases for the year. As always, it’s a good time to take stock of what 2018 has offered so far. Back in early spring, I remember feeling pretty pessimistic about this year’s singles, but I’ve actually been able to compile a strong mid-year list. … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 