Just like last year, I wanted to share my top twenty most-viewed posts for 2025. I find this list an interesting gauge of which acts are popular or buzzy at the moment (at least among netizens who read reviews). There aren’t many surprises, here. The list is dominated by a couple of the most popular … Continue reading
Tag Archives: stray kids
2025 MBC Gayo Daejejeon: Recap & My Top Performances
It’s the last year-end festival of 2025! MBC’s Gayo Daejejeon is synonymous with the new year, as it also acts as a new year’s eve celebration (except for last year when it was postponed). As I always say, this adds a welcome sense of ceremony to the proceedings and makes it a special I look … Continue reading
THIS WEEK IN K-POP: Ranking the New Releases from November 23 – 29
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
Song Review: Stray Kids – Divine
Stray Kids almost always follow up their title tracks with additional videos, but this time they’ve designated Divine (신선놀음) as a double title track, complimenting the relatively subdued Do It that premiered alongside the mixtape. I’ve seen quite a few fans say they prefer this one, and it certainly leaves more of an impression. Where … Continue reading
THIS WEEK IN K-POP: Ranking the New Releases from November 16 – 22
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
Song Review: Stray Kids – Do It
Out of curiosity, I went back to see the last time I was genuinely excited about a Stray Kids track (ie: rated it an 8.5 or higher), and that turned out to be all the way back in 2022 with their Mixtape track Time Out (which wasn’t really promoted beyond a music video). Since then, … Continue reading
Grading the K-Pop Agencies 2025: JYP ENTERTAINMENT
It’s that time of year again! While December is filled with year-end countdowns, I like to take a look back at some of K-pop’s biggest agencies during November. Before reading (especially if you’re new to the blog), it’s helpful to know that my grading focuses most heavily on music releases and how comebacks are managed … Continue reading
K-Pop Risers & Fallers: September 2025
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
THIS WEEK IN K-POP: Ranking the New Releases from August 31 – September 6
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
Song Review: Jun. K (2PM) – R&B Me (ft. Stray Kids’ Changbin)
Straight-up R&B can be a tough sell in the glossy K-pop idol world, but most of the hits we know and love are built on elements of the genre. Jun. K and his group 2PM are very familiar with a great R&B-influenced croon, and he’s enlisted Stray Kids’ Changbin for back-up on new single R&B … Continue reading
Song Review: Stray Kids – BLEEP
Each time Stray Kids release a new album, they tend to film music videos for multiple tracks. As my interest in their music has waned over time, I haven’t always written about these follow up songs — especially now that I have a weekly post where I can spotlight any notable b-sides. Album opener BLEEP … Continue reading
THIS WEEK IN K-POP: Ranking the New Releases from August 17 – 23
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
Song Review: Stray Kids – Ceremony
Over the years, Stray Kids have grown into one of K-pop’s premiere groups. In fact, their popularity is so global that it almost feels as if they’ve transcended the industry altogether. Once upon a time, they also topped my year-end singles chart. Gosh, that seems like lifetimes ago. The group is back today with their … Continue reading
THIS WEEK IN K-POP: Ranking the New Releases from June 8 – 14
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
New & Noteworthy J-pop of the Week (June 15, 2025)
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
Song Review: Stray Kids – Hollow
Since their Japanese debut in 2020, Stray Kids have amassed a rather large J-pop discography. JYP Entertainment has always been good at keeping multiple markets fed, and Stray Kids’ self-producing status ensures a certain level of continuity between their multi-language catalogs. New single Hollow hails from their upcoming third Japanese mini album and sees them … Continue reading
THIS WEEK IN K-POP: Ranking the New Releases from March 23 – 29
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
Song Review: Lee Know & Seungmin (Stray Kids) – Cinema
Rounding out Stray Kids’ blitz of unit tracks, we’ve got Lee Know and Seungmin’s Cinema. Thus far, I’ve enjoyed Changbin and I.N’s Burnin’ Tires the most, though none of the songs have really caught fire for me. As two of the most notable vocalists in the group, Cinema promises a very different sound than the … Continue reading
Song Review: Bang Chan & Hyunjin (Stray Kids) – Escape
Over the past few days, Stray Kids have been releasing music videos for each of the unit tracks on their new mixtape. We’ve already heard from Changbin, I.N, Han and Felix, leaving four more members to go. Up next is Bang Chan and Hyunjin. Their Escape brings just as much bombast as the past two … Continue reading
Song Review: Han & Felix (Stray Kids) – Truman
After yesterday’s unit track from members Changbin and I.N, Han and Felix are next on the docket with a music video for their entry from Stray Kids’ new mixtape. We’re moving from rock intensity to a hard-hitting blend of EDM and hip-hop. After a moody, ornate opening, Truman‘s beat pushes us into an off-kilter sonic … Continue reading