It’s not unusual for an idol group to perform an OST track, but most of these songs are outsourced to producers who may or may not have a history with the group’s discography. Very few OST songs could be considered highlights within an artist’s catalog. More often, they’re generic pop tracks or melodramatic ballads. In … Continue reading
In celebration of The Bias List’s fifth year anniversary, I’ve embarked on my most ambitious project yet. After years of hemming and hawing, I’ve finally ranked what I consider to be the best 100 songs in K-pop. There will never be a definitive list of this nature, because it’s impossible to rank something that’s inherently … Continue reading
True to form, Stray Kids are promoting their first full album with a series of music videos. Last month’s Blueprint was a smart chose for summertime spotlight, though it doesn’t look like they’re actually going to perform it on music shows. Instead, that honor goes to Easy. Quite frankly, I’m not sure why. Personally, I … Continue reading
Looking back at this feature from 2019, it seems like I identified quite a few risers and few fallers last year. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for 2020. Most title tracks — even the ones I loved — just haven’t enjoyed the same staying power. I’m not quite sure why this is. Maybe it … Continue reading
After looking at the year’s best singles (so far), it’s time to turn attention to 2020’s albums. I’ll reiterate what I said yesterday: relative to previous years, it’s been slim pickings. Consistently good mini albums have been particularly hard to find this year, at least in my opinion. But even though the overall picture may … 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. June 2020 Overall Thoughts This may not seem like much within the context of 2020’s continual … Continue reading
Stray Kids’ God’s Menu has grown on me since its release, but I still think their album Go Live boasts a handful of tracks that would have made much more satisfying singles. Luckily, JYP Entertainment is in the habit of releasing multiple music videos for the group, and that approach has resulted in Blueprint (청사진) … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. In an alternate timeline, Stray Kids just released their new mini … Continue reading
I always get a little nervous when it’s time for another Stray Kids comeback. I adore so much of their material, but their hard-hitting hip-hop sound can also be pretty hit-or-miss when it comes to my personal taste. I tend to enjoy their songs best when they incorporate an additional instrumental element, from psy-trance to … 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 2020 Overall Thoughts Well… I’m officially worried. We’re almost halfway through the year, and at … Continue reading
Stray Kids’ TOP has been rattling around for awhile now, but I wanted to wait until the music video was out before offering my thoughts. Though released in several different languages, TOP is essentially the group’s debut J-pop single – at least when it comes to original material. And as with most J-pop singles, it’s … Continue reading
Over the years, I’ve been asked several times to create a post where I reveal my previously-reviewed songs that I would now bump up to a perfect, 10/10 rating, allowing them to officially join my Legendary Songs category. I guess it took a global pandemic for me to finally spend the time to compile this … Continue reading
Between comebacks, Stray Kids have done a nice job maintaining interest through a series of Mixtape releases. I suppose that’s one of the benefits of self-producing so much of your material. Not all of these tracks have been title track-worthy, and few have felt like actual standouts. But, something is better than nothing, and it’s … Continue reading
Though they’ve only been around since 2018, Stray Kids have quickly amassed enough singles to be eligible for a top ten list. Not only have they made constant comebacks since their debut, but they’ve also filmed videos for many of their side tracks. Because of this, I had to leave a few strong tracks off … 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. December 2019 Overall Thoughts December always feels like a throwaway month for K-pop, and this was … Continue reading
Honestly, I came into tonight’s festival feeling pretty pessimistic. KBS’s Gayo was largely forgettable, and tonight’s line-up was missing some of my favorite acts. But, MBC ended up balking expectations and being the most enjoyable of the three gayos overall. When I think about it, this isn’t too surprising. I’ve always loved MBC’s more intimate … Continue reading
You can’t have a K-pop comeback without choreography! However, this is not a list of 2019’s most difficult or technically impressive dance routines. I’m nowhere near qualified to judge that. Instead, these are the top ten performances that really stood out to me this year. Honorable Mentions Cosmic Girls – La La Love Dongkiz – … Continue reading
This is always one of my favorite end-of-year posts, as if gives me the chance to write about a vital facet of K-pop that I rarely touch on throughout the year. Visuals can make or break a song’s legacy, and these ten videos helped to improve and expand their already-strong soundtracks. + Make sure to … Continue reading
Even as the year comes to a close, Stray Kids keep churning out new material. Less than a month after their most recent comeback, the group has unveiled a mixtape project. Since debut, they’ve included a special mixtape track on the physical version of each of their albums, with some even being paired with music … Continue reading
The end-of-year festivals officially kicked off this Christmas, with SBS’s Gayo Daejun once again opening the three-night festivities inside the immense Gocheok Sky Dome. Unfortunately, this year’s proceedings were marred before they even started, with Red Velvet’s Wendy suffering a horrible accident during rehearsals. I’m sure that idols were (understandably) concerned about the safety of … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 