Last month, China partially lifted its nine-year ban on Korean content, including K-pop concerts and releases. This news didn’t receive nearly as much attention as it should have, especially considering the massive effect it may have on the industry. Given this year’s global affairs, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if K-pop agencies pulled resources … Continue reading
Rather than contain my “Risers and Fallers” feature to a single post in June, I’m going to share a bite-sized version at the end of each month. This will let me account for more songs and make a nice lead-in to the monthly round-up post. I anticipate most of these ratings adjustments will be negligible: … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. In 2025, I thought I’d try something new and add a weekly feature to supplement my monthly round-up. Each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And … Continue reading
Last spring, Mamamoo’s Solar dipped her feet into a more upbeat dance sound with the club-ready Colors. In general, the Mamamoo members have done a nice job experimenting with their solo material. And when you’ve got vocals as strong as they do, you can get away with interpreting just about any genre. This sense of … Continue reading
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
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. May 2024 Overall Thoughts There were a number of big-name releases in May, yet somehow the … Continue reading
Rather than contain my “Risers and Fallers” feature to a single post in June, I’m going to share a bite-sized version at the end of each month. This will let me account for more songs and make a nice lead-in to the monthly round-up post. I anticipate most of these ratings adjustments will be negligible: … Continue reading
There’s not a great deal of consistency across Solar’s new album. Placing a song like Colors right next to title track But I is crazy whiplash. You could say she’s painting with a variety of tones and stretching her wings, but it doesn’t make for a cohesive listen. I’ll let others decide for themselves how … Continue reading
A few weeks ago, Mamamoo’s Solar released a teaser of what appeared to be her take on a drag anthem. That song turns out to be the opener of her new album Colours and hasn’t yet been promoted with a full video. Instead, we have title track But I — a total genre shift into … Continue reading
Nearly two years since her solo debut, Mamamoo’s Solar has returned with her first mini album. Just like 2020’s Spit It Out, she continues to subvert expectations by embracing upbeat grooves rather than the balladry some might have imagined. For better or worse, Honey (꿀) follows in the footsteps of many recent Mamamoo singles – … Continue reading
A couple weeks after the MAMA Awards showed the potential of an audience-less, pre-recorded stage show, KBS went far less ambitious. Now, it could be argued whether this broadcast should have happened at all given K-pop’s surging Covid cases, but the producers opted to cobble together what they could. I’m curious why this year’s Gayo … 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. April 2020 Overall Thoughts With stay-at-home orders in effect all month, there was certainly time to … Continue reading
Since releasing last November’s mega-hit Hip, Mamamoo have taken a well-deserved break. But, that doesn’t mean the girls haven’t been busy. February saw Moonbyul release the solid Eclipse, Hwasa dueted with label-mates ONEWE earlier this month, and now leader Solar has unveiled a new solo single – her first to eschew typical balladry for something … Continue reading
Honey Bee is one of those songs that’s just oozing potential from the get-go. Taking f(x)‘s Luna, EXID’s Hani and Mamamoo‘s Solar and setting them loose on a big diva pop track is definitely an exciting prospect. But as we learned with last year’s Triple T collaboration, big names don’t always mean quality songs. While … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 