STAYC’s 2024 material has been increasingly quirky, marked by oddball earworms like Cheeky Icy Thang. Their music’s appeal has always been a bit left of center, which is a good thing. But in a current girl group landscape that favors beige easy-listening, it’s interesting to hear them adjust to the trends. New single GPT does … Continue reading
In connection with my desire to fully keep up with the J-pop industry, I’m planning to do a weekly round-up of any new releases that have caught my ear. Some of these may have been covered on the blog already, but my hope is that this will become a one-stop shop for anyone interested in … Continue reading
STAYC have leaned further into their quirky side as their career has developed, and that includes their Japanese work. 2022’s Poppy is one of their wackiest tracks, capitalizing on a certain J-pop energy that isn’t always embraced by Korean acts. Despite its silly title, new single Meow is more straight-laced, delivering a brief burst of … 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. July 2024 Overall Thoughts After a stellar June, July was always going to have a hard … 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
Though it wasn’t everyone’s preferred style for the group, I loved STAYC’s transformation into bubblegum pop last year. It provided a nice counter to many of the year’s subdued, cooler-than-cool trends. Judging by its title alone, Cheeky Icy Thang seemed poised to continue this run. I’d love nothing more than a campy summertime anthem from … Continue reading
Now that I’ve taken a look at the new acts that colored 2023, it’s time to focus on their established counterparts. For me, most K-pop years are defined more by their rookies than older artists, and 2023 was no different. As usual, the criteria is built around these three facets: Quality of work Quantity of … 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
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
In connection with my desire to fully keep up with the J-pop industry, I’m planning to do a weekly round-up of any new releases that have caught my ear. Some of these may have been covered on the blog already, but my hope is that this will become a one-stop shop for anyone interested in … Continue reading
STAYC’s had a pretty strong year, though their music has shifted toward poppier sounds. For those unsure about this transformation, new Japanese single Lit references an energy more akin to their debut year. It’s subdued and quirky, eschewing the bright tones of tracks like Teddy Bear and Bubble. The group pull off this sound well … 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 2023 Overall Thoughts For the first time this year, I could have easily filled a … 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
I went on such a strange ride with STAYC’s winter hit Teddy Bear. I liked the song right off the bat, and that quickly grew into love as it became one of my most played songs of the year. But after a month or so, I’ve barely returned to the track and don’t have much … Continue reading
I’m heartened by the fact that only two (!) of my top ten singles of 2022 were released before the month of July. That’s a pretty striking figure, and one I can easily see replicating this year. It’s no secret that I’ve been underwhelmed by the first six months of 2023. It’s not that 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. February 2023 Overall Thoughts I hate to say it, but my interest in K-pop is kind … 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
STAYC have quickly developed a robust fan base, but for me they’ve yet to eclipse the appeal of their debut track So Bad. Though they’ve worked with producers (and agency heads) Black Eyed Pilseung for every title track thus far, their discography has been surprisingly varied. The more subdued sound of last summer’s Beautiful Monster … Continue reading
The end of the year on The Bias List always feels like the K-pop Olympics. I spend 365 days writing about every major (and most minor) releases, and it all culminates in a weeks-long celebration of great music. Yes, there was great music in 2022. We also had to wade through a boatload of not-so-great … 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 2022 Overall Thoughts The calendar may show one month left in 2022, but the year … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 