As Super Junior-L.S.S.’s releases have gone on, the material has felt more and more like a joke. Now, they’re saying the quiet part out loud with the appropriately titled… Joke. It’s hard for me to see this sub-unit as anything but novelty, and I guess novelty has its place in the pop landscape. Unfortunately, it … Continue reading
New sub-unit Super Junior-L.S.S. has somehow become the most prolific project from the group, releasing multiple Japanese tracks and now the one-two punch of Suit Up and C’mon. Though it had high points, Suit Up squandered much of its potential by failing to find an engaging chorus to compliment its fun funk instrumental. Follow-up C’mon … Continue reading
Super Junior-L.S.S. made their debut last summer with the fun Close The Shutter. They’re the sixth Super Junior sub-unit, consisting of members Leeteuk, Shindong and Siwon. Beyond the unique configuration of members, I’m not sure if L.S.S. have a specific musical goal different from Super Junior itself, but thus far their songs have veered toward … 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
Before the end-of-year countdowns next month, I like to take a look at many of K-pop’s biggest agencies and see how their year went. Obviously, 2023 is not over yet so any upcoming changes to an agency’s grade will be reflected next year. We’ve got a lot to pick apart over the coming weeks, so … 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
Wow, it’s been a loooong time since I’ve written about a new single from Zhoumi. He picked a hell of a day to make a long-awaited comeback with SM Entertainment! I can’t help but feel bad for the guy. New single Mañana pairs him with Super Junior’s Eunhyuk, a member he used to work with … Continue reading
Hey, it’s that guy who’s technically part of Super Junior but never performs with them anymore! I find this situation (and the reason behind it) quite odd, but I’m happy Sungmin still gets to release solo music. In the case of Lovesick (사랑이 따끔), he’s bringing a blast of upbeat trot music. I appreciate trot … Continue reading
September-October 2008 Overall Thoughts In addition to my monthly K-pop round-up, I’ve taken a look at my favorite three singles from each month since 2009 and factored them into my ultimate Bias List scorecard, which can be found here. The problem is, prior to 2009 it becomes harder to find reliable sources for K-pop release … Continue reading
K-pop teasers can be deceptive if you’re not paying close attention. Take a look at the visual teasers for Yesung’s new comeback and you might expect a gritty punk rock track. I’d love to hear him tackle something like this – a song that gives his strong vocals more bite. But beyond the visuals, it … Continue reading
May-June 2008 Overall Thoughts In addition to my monthly K-pop round-up, I’ve taken a look at my favorite three singles from each month since 2009 and factored them into my ultimate Bias List scorecard, which can be found here. The problem is, prior to 2009 it becomes harder to find reliable sources for K-pop release … Continue reading
Day two of SM Entertainment’s holiday advent calendar is upon us. After Red Velvet and aespa got the ball rolling yesterday, Super Junior are back with another seasonal track. Celebrate also acts as the title of their new mini album, billed as the second half of their eleventh full-length The Road. I can’t imagine grafting … 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
This feature has gradually shifted from a December to a November tradition, leaving more space for next month’s sprawling end-of-year countdowns. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be looking at many of K-pop’s biggest agencies and offering my thoughts about how their 2022 went. First up is SM Entertainment. As usual, the thoughts are my … 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 2022 Overall Thoughts Counting up all of July’s releases, I’m not sure we’ve ever had … Continue reading
I’ve decided to try something new! 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 … Continue reading
A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. 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. I don’t want to jinx it, … Continue reading
Only a fraction of K-pop groups last beyond their initial seven-year contract, but Super Junior are still going strong after seventeen (!) years. I’d wager that’s longer than the age of many K-pop fans, and it’s a legacy that should be respected. The group is currently in a phase where they just release what they … Continue reading
K-pop royalty Super Junior are returning with their eleventh full-length album (twelfth if you count 2015’s “special album” Devil). It’s set to be released in two parts, and new song Don’t Wait serves as a pre-release for the first half. New Super Junior material is always welcome, and I’m thankful for how frequently they deliver … Continue reading
With over 3,000 songs on my iPhone’s “K-Pop Singles” playlist, I thought it would be fun to add a bit of unpredictability to my song review posts. So as a result, we have the “Random Shuffle Review” feature. The rules are simple. I fire up my playlist, press “shuffle,” and whatever song plays first gets … Continue reading
