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
It’s been over a year since Taeyeon released her impressive full length album, My Voice, which went a long way towards fostering her versatility as a performer. With Something New, she continues to experiment with genre and prove why she’s one of SM Entertainment’s most valuable assets. From the outset, Something New is a different … 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
K-pop is a highly visual medium, and although my song reviews try not to focus on the accompanying music videos, I certainly have my opinions! Here are my top ten visual moments of 2017, along with quite a few incredible honorable mentions. + Make sure to check out the rest of the year-end countdowns here! … Continue reading
The end of the year countdowns are here! We’re kicking things off with the big one… the top 50 songs of the year! Each day this week, I’ll be counting down ten of the year’s best, until number one is revealed on Friday. To be eligible for this top 50 list, songs must have had … Continue reading
Over the past few years, SM Entertainment has made an annual tradition of releasing the same sort of gentle piano ballad for Christmas. All have been enjoyable in their own right, but none have matched EXO’s utterly gorgeous Miracles in December from 2013. EXO will be coming back with another winter single next week, but … 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. Daniel Caesar … Continue reading
The Snowball Project mockumentary has been one of 2017’s best surprises, offering continually entertaining doses of heightened behind-the-scenes mischief for SM and Mystic Entertainment. The series’ soundtrack has been more hit and miss. The unapologetically lame Lemonade Love kicked things off in upbeat, earnest fashion, but Snowball‘s next mission saw each agency cover a song … 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 2017 Overall Thoughts August was a weird month. Based on prior releases, if you would have … 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. While SM Entertainment doesn’t always pick the right title tracks … Continue reading
Of the two title tracks released from Girls’ Generation‘s tenth anniversary comeback, the bright Holiday was clearly designed to be the wide-appeal, summer-themed pop hit. It feels like a natural follow-up to 2015’s Party, but thankfully downplays that song’s gimmickry in favor of something less saccharine. In fact, Holiday more closely recalls the kind of … Continue reading
SM Entertainment has promised a second half of the year that sees a return of some of its biggest legacy artists. That kicks off with the tenth anniversary comeback of Girls’ Generation. It’s been two years since the girls’ last album, and this extended wait has built up plenty of anticipation. As enjoyable as the … Continue reading
Hyoyeon — known as one of the main dancers in Girls’ Generation — made her solo debut with last year’s SM Station track Mystery. It left a lot to be desired, especially since Hyoyeon herself possesses so many aspects that make for a compelling solo act. New single Wannabe improves a bit on Mystery, but … 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. E-TRIBE 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. Listening to the preview clips of Taeyeon’s new album, I … Continue reading
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
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
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
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
After receiving a boost of much-deserved spotlight for her dancing on summer series Hit The Stage, Hyoyeon is the latest Girls’ Generation member to get a crack at a solo single. And while distributing it digitally through the SM Station platform is a bit of a cop-out to those waiting for an accompanying mini album, … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 