K-pop’s title tracks might gain most of listeners’ attention, but many album tracks are worth equal spotlight. I call these “buried treasures.” Beyond this, K-pop’s albums deliver thousands of additional tracks that settle for a more limited audience. It’s these songs that will become a part of my “battle of the b-sides” feature. In this … Continue reading
As part of my “Top 100 K-pop Songs of All-Time” countdown, I took the effort to dive deeply into my top ten picks and break them down moment by moment. But, there are plenty of other songs that deserve this same treatment. So, The Bias List proudly presents an in-depth feature: “Breaking Down the K-pop … Continue reading
I think it’s obvious that I love a good statistic. In addition to my core rating system, I’ve got my top three songs of each month, my yearly countdowns and more data breakdowns than anyone could ask for. None of these are perfect ways to categorize or quantify something as subjective as music, but they … Continue reading
Over the years, perfectly-scored, 10/10 songs have developed a sort of mythical status on The Bias List. I didn’t intend for this to be the case, but my hesitance to give full marks on release day has resulted in the concept of a “legendary song.” Last year, I inaugurated a handful of songs into this … Continue reading
Whatever happens going forward, I will always have a soft spot for Snuper. At their prime, the group delivered some of the best K-pop of this past decade. The frustrating irony is that most of that music has gone underappreciated and unknown, lost in the wake created by a-list acts with much bigger followings. But … Continue reading
In celebration of The Bias List’s fifth year anniversary, I’ve embarked on my most ambitious project yet. After years of hemming and hawing, I’ve finally ranked what I consider to be the best 100 songs in K-pop. There will never be a definitive list of this nature, because it’s impossible to rank something that’s inherently … Continue reading
In celebration of The Bias List’s fifth year anniversary, I’ve embarked on my most ambitious project yet. After years of hemming and hawing, I’ve finally ranked what I consider to be the best 100 songs in K-pop. There will never be a definitive list of this nature, because it’s impossible to rank something that’s inherently … Continue reading
In celebration of The Bias List’s fifth year anniversary, I’ve embarked on my most ambitious project yet. After years of hemming and hawing, I’ve finally ranked what I consider to be the best 100 songs in K-pop. There will never be a definitive list of this nature, because it’s impossible to rank something that’s inherently … Continue reading
If you’re anything like me, you’re very upset that legendary production team Sweetune has been sidelined from the K-pop industry for the past year or so. I’d kill for some new Sweetune music in 2020, but for now we’ll have to settle for past glories. I’ve combed my archive to bring you some Sweetune tracks … Continue reading
Over the years, I’ve been asked several times to create a post where I reveal my previously-reviewed songs that I would now bump up to a perfect, 10/10 rating, allowing them to officially join my Legendary Songs category. I guess it took a global pandemic for me to finally spend the time to compile this … 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 want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. I haven’t reviewed Snuper’s newest Japanese single because… well, it’s pretty … Continue reading
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! Which … Continue reading
It’s that time of year again. The sun comes out, the temperature climbs, and K-pop goes tropical! Well, it wasn’t always this way. A few years ago, summer didn’t instantly mean tropical pop music, and I hope we’re working our way out of this persistent trend. But tropical or not, many of my top K-pop … 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 2019 Overall Thoughts Last year, January bucked expectations and became my favorite musical month of … Continue reading
Those who have followed The Bias List for some time have gone on the Snuper journey right alongside me. It’s a story that starts with Sweetune-fueled promise, climaxes with Sweetune-fueled perfection, and takes a nasty little turn with a non-Sweetune-fueled 2018 that is better left forgotten. Time will tell if there are still pages left … Continue reading
I can’t remember a time when a group’s music has fallen off my personal bias list as quickly as Snuper’s. The group went from releasing two of my top three singles of 2017 to churning out an album so faceless and unappealing that I choose to pretend it doesn’t exist at all. And now, they’ve … Continue reading
As Snuper’s Korean success begins to stall, it seems as though they’re being shipped out to every territory imaginable to help garner an international following. This has proven especially fruitful in Japan, where they’ve enjoyed surprising popularity by embracing J-pop’s more idiosyncratic sounds. Summer Magic (夏のMagic) is their third original single for the Japanese market, … Continue reading
Modern K-pop has always felt the need to position its male groups as edgy and badass, but the moodiness has seemed to kick into overdrive this year. Call it the BTS-effect, or the mirroring of current trends in Western pop, but for a lover of upbeat production and colorful melodies, this trend has resulted in … Continue reading
The day has finally come. Snuper have released enough singles to warrant a top ten list! It’s disappointing that the song to put them over the top is the supremely underwhelming Tulips, but I’m happy to say that the top four entries on this countdown are near-perfect, A+ examples of k-pop. If you haven’t checked out … Continue reading
I’m a massive proponent of groups finding a small circle of collaborators and sticking with them long enough to develop a signature sound. Over the past few years, Snuper and Sweetune have been a match made in heaven, crafting a near-flawless run of distinct (but not identical) singles. With Tulips (튤립) — and the introduction of … Continue reading
