It’s not quite December yet, but I’m going to kick off this annual feature a little early this year! Over the next few weeks, I’ll be looking at many of K-pop’s biggest agencies and offering my thoughts about how their 2021 went. Next up is YG Entertainment. As usual, the thoughts are my own and … Continue reading
Up to this point, we’ve been lucky to get one or two tracks from Somi each year. Now, she’s released her first full album with (brace yourself…) four new songs! Beggars can’t be choosers, and I’m glad she has a chance to flesh out her sound. New title track XOXO is composed by the usual … Continue reading
Somi’s solo career has existed in drips and drabs, with no more than a single comeback each year since debut. All three songs have been co-produced by Teddy, whose familiar touch has crafted most of BLACKPINK’s discography (along with so many other YG artists). As the years have gone on, his ‘beat drop chorus + … Continue reading
So… we can all just pretend that last year’s Birthday didn’t exist, right? I know that song has its defenders, but it was an incredibly odd, underwhelming debut for someone with as much hype as Somi. I have my issues with new single What You Waiting For as well, but it actually sounds like the … Continue reading
After taking a look at SM Entertainment over the long weekend, it’s time to move onto an agency with very different activity in 2019. Prepare yourselves, friends. It’s YG Entertainment. As usual, the thoughts are my own and aren’t privy to any insider information. I’m not taking into account things like profits and stock value. … Continue reading
It’s been a long road leading up to Jeon Somi’s solo debut. As the center for I.O.I, she enjoyed instant fame and shouldered endless speculation over where her career would go after the project group split up. After signing with YG’s Black Label (an unfortunate move, given recent YG-related scandals), she’s been paired with producer … Continue reading
It’s been a rough couple of weeks for k-pop, with releases dwindling to a trickle in light of presidential elections and holidays and a general springtime slump. With such a scarcity of quality music, I’ve been especially thankful for Korean variety shows. And this year, no series has been more consistently fun than the second … Continue reading
Other than the inherent awkwardness that comes with pairing underage Somi with 28-year-old Eric Nam for a love song, You, Who (유후) makes total sense on paper. Both artists are known for their amiable personalities. Both have international roots and enormous fan bases. And while neither is what you would call a powerhouse vocalist, both … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 