Everything about WJSN Chocome’s Super Yuppers (슈퍼 그럼요) is disarmingly silly. First there’s that ridiculous song title, which effectively previews the giddy energy of the music itself. Then there’s the tongue-in-cheek video, which hearkens back to similar efforts by groups like Crayon Pop and Orange Caramel. I’m delighted to see a big-name comeback opt for … Continue reading
This was a very uneventful year for K-pop rookies. There were no big agency debuts until Xdinary Heroes a few days ago, leaving 2021 to acts who were more under-the-radar. For me, none of these rookies were consistently excellent. Some released one or two knockout songs, only to follow-up with underwhelming returns. Others are too … Continue reading
The end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, we’ll kick off with the big one: The Bias List’s 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, … Continue reading
2021 has been relatively short on big-name debuts, but December is ready to squeeze in a few before we flip the calendar. Leading the pack is Starship’s new girl group IVE, who arrive with tons of hype thanks to two members hailing from IZ*ONE. Their visual and audio teasers seemed to promise a sleek, sophisticated … 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. November 2021 Overall Thoughts We may still have December before us, but according to the norms … Continue reading
Disclaimer: As with my write-ups on K-Pop’s biggest agencies, this is written from an outsider’s perspective. I’m not privy to any business-related financial information beyond what any other fan would know. The purpose of these articles is to examine how well these agencies are serving their artists and the general K-pop fan-base. Make sure to … Continue reading
Monsta X’s Gambler made a very good case for increasing creative control in idol comebacks. Co-composed and arranged by member Joohoney, the song felt like a genuine expansion of the group’s sound. New single Rush Hour pulls a few more producers into the mix, and comes across as an amped up version of Monsta X’s … 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. October 2021 Overall Thoughts When I averaged all my song ratings of October, I was surprised … 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
As with each of their albums, CRAVITY have followed title track Gas Pedal with a second music video. Seriously… I wish this promotional tactic was used more often for groups whose music I actually enjoy! In CRAVITY’s case, their inconsistent discography has been consistently frustrating. I want to connect with it, but every time their … Continue reading
K-pop history is stuffed with great albums, and there’s only so many Buried Treasures and Battle of the B-sides features available to cover all these noteworthy tracks. The album format has always been special to me. Whether it’s a full-length or mini, albums have the opportunity to tell stories and develop an act’s personal style. … 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. September 2021 Overall Thoughts September is usually a hit of miss month. Releases tend to be … Continue reading
The Universe app continues to bear musical fruit — if you’re willing to go through all the rigmarole to view the full mv! Luckily, the complete audio is available for anyone who wants to listen, and the latest act to deliver a new song is WJSN. Most Universe releases have elicited little more than an … 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
After a couple of years spent ignoring music from the west, I’ve started to listen to more American and European pop in 2021. You can thank standout releases by big acts like Dua Lipa and The Weeknd for that. Granted, my Western pop consumption is still ridiculously small when compared to K-Pop and J-Pop, but … Continue reading
CRAVITY have had a very successful debut year, but I’ve yet to connect with any of their title tracks. Some of their b-sides and follow-up promotions have shown more promise, but the group’s sound seems stuck in this noisy, shouty style that takes promising concepts and upends them with ill-fitting breakdowns. This was especially apparent … Continue reading
When I first launched The Bias List, I hoped to build the kind of K-pop blog that I, as a fan, would want to read. I sought consistency, passion, and… yes… a certain level of bias. I didn’t want to be a glorified press release, automatically loving every piece of music for fear of disappointing … 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
In a month lacking K-pop releases, the Universe app is offering some of July’s few big-name “comebacks.” That’s a pretty sad state of affairs, especially since the full music videos aren’t even made available outside the app. Regardless, it’s always nice to hear from Monsta X – even more so on the heels of their … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 