Girls’ Generation‘s Taeyeon has been all over the k-pop map this past year. Few artists have embarked on such a sprawling solo career, covering the spectrum from acoustic pop balladry to tropical house-influenced dance. Most recently, she teased us with the hypnotic I Got Love, which seemed to polarize opinion. For me, it was one … Continue reading
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. ONEPIECE Years … Continue reading
It took them awhile, but SM Entertainment is doing a nice job allowing EXO’s individual members to embark on solo and duet opportunities. Almost all of them have had a chance to shine on their own or in sub-units, even if the focus tends to be on the group’s main vocalists. Though Chanyeol’s official position in EXO … Continue reading
Taeyeon has been churning out solo material at an incredibly consistent pace since 2015’s I. Along with Mark from NCT, I’d argue that she’s become SM’s busiest single artist. I haven’t been a fan of everything she’s released, but I respect the diverse discography that she’s building. There aren’t a whole lot of solo female acts … Continue reading
Both Sistar‘s Soyou and EXO‘s Baekhyun have become known as popular duet partners, so it’s a no-brainer to pair them together for a digital single. Infuse some of the downbeat balladry that Korea loves and you have a recipe for instant success. Unfortunately, “success” doesn’t necessarily translate to “interest,” and I can’t say I was particularly … Continue reading
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. KENZIE Years … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-side tracks deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. NCT Dream have only recorded three songs so far, but … Continue reading
This is a generalization, but it’s safe to say that SM Entertainment is more notable for hiring outside composers and producers than relying on their artists to self-produce material. Because of this, their idols essentially function as delivery methods for the huge stockpile of songs the agency is sitting on. This isn’t to take away … Continue reading
This time last year, SM Entertainment‘s 52-week Station project kicked off with Taeyeon’s Rain. At the time, it seemed like an exciting prospect that could have gone in any number of directions. And though the end results weren’t usually as thrilling or noteworthy as they could have been, the project itself felt like a total … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-side tracks deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Though Red Velvet’s new single Rookie didn’t quite meet my expectations, … Continue reading
Ever since their debut, SM’s Red Velvet has existed in a somewhat awkward place between mainstream and experimental. Their music has borrowed elements from both extremes of their agency’s girl group output, but every time they score a song that feels like the perfect blend, they seem to take a step or two back 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. January 2017 Overall Thoughts 2017 started with one of the strongest (and most packed) first weeks that we’ve … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-side tracks deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Shinee‘s latest Japanese album, Five, is super solid. The first … Continue reading
Shinee‘s j-pop material has always been stronger than many of their peers, but their new album Five is especially solid. Bolstered by a heavy dose of bombastic funk, most of its tracks see the group moving towards a big, uptempo party vibe that contrasts with their more experimental, nuanced work last year in Korea. Get … Continue reading
Though Girls’ Generation‘s last comeback was about a year and a half ago, they’ve remained in the public consciousness through solo releases. The last few months have seen multiple releases by Taeyeon, Tiffany, Yoona and Hyoyeon, but now it’s youngest member Seohyun’s turn. Every solo SNSD track has been different, but they all seem to pull from … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-side tracks deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Despite not being entirely in line with what I would … Continue reading
I remember how severely disappointed I was the first time I heard NCT 127’s Fire Truck. I came away feeling that it was nothing more than a bunch of noise, squandering the drop-dead gorgeous vocals of a song like Without You in an effort to catch trends and present a swag-filled, hip-hop image. Several months … Continue reading
When writing about legendary girl group S.E.S’s pre-release Remember, I hoped that its sentimental balladry would give way to something more daring when it came time for the full comeback. And although Paradise (한 폭의 그림) doesn’t exactly reinvent the rule book, it offers a dynamite blast of throwback pop/r&b. For the track, the ladies … Continue reading
It’s hard to overstate the influence and importance of first generation girl group S.E.S on modern k-pop. Not only were they SM Entertainment‘s first girl group, but they were one of the first girl groups in the entire genre. Their massive popularity in the late 90’s and early 00’s paved the way for countless followers. … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I’ll 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. December 2016 Overall Thoughts As expected, the last month of the year was comparatively sparse when it … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 