As a Sweetune fanatic, it’s been depressing to watch the production team fade into obscurity over the past two years. With retro pop the trend of the day, I want nothing more than their patented sound to make its way back into the K-pop mainstream. But alas, 2019 and 2020 have seen the team’s output … Continue reading
One song. Every day. Alphabetical order. Keep up with f(x)’s A-Z reviews here! Love (from Pinocchio / Hot Summer – 2011) As far as I know, Love is the only instance where production team Sweetune has worked with SM Entertainment. That’s kind of surprising when you think about it, but just shows how much of … Continue reading
Since the start of The Bias List in January 2016, I’ve always looked back at my three favorite title tracks by K-pop artists each month. Now, it’s time to look even further into the past, one month at a time. And, yes, the top three rankings count toward The Bias List’s personal artist scorecard! March … 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
There are few things I enjoy more than a great summertime song. They’re bright, they’re exciting, and they remind me of my favorite time of the year. There’s no telling what this summer in K-pop will bring, but over the next few weeks I’ll be flashing back each day, showcasing a highlight from past summers. … Continue reading
KEEMBO’s Scandalous emerged as a welcome surprise back in May, a rare Sweetune-penned pop track that proved the production team hadn’t lost their touch. Yet for me at least, Scandalous had far less staying power than I would have expected. I’ll partially attribute this to KEEMBO’s under-the-radar (ie: nonexistent) promotion keeping the track off my … 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
KEEMBO consists of ex-Spica members Boa and Bohyung, re-debuting as a duo. They’ve gotten precious little attention so far, but I’m here to change that for one very important reason: they’ve brought my lord and savior (and occasional Spica collaborator) Sweetune along for the ride! Sweetune have been MIA for too long now, only popping … Continue reading
If you’re anything like me, you’re very upset that legendary production team Sweetune has been sidelined from the K-pop industry for the past year or so. I’d kill for some new Sweetune music in 2020, but for now we’ll have to settle for past glories. I’ve combed my archive to bring you some Sweetune tracks … Continue reading
So, inquiring minds want to know: where has our beloved Sweetune gone? Well, they’ve seemingly shifted into ballad mode, working with idol band IZ and ex-Boyfriend member Jeongmin over the past year. While it’s always nice to have them around, this is certainly a worrying development. Sweetune can rattle off an excellent pop ballad in … Continue reading
By all accounts, I should be obsessed with IZ by now. They’ve collaborated with producers Sweetune for their last three singles, and continue to do so with new release The Day. Yet, none of these songs have connected very strongly with me, and none sound much like what I’d expect from Sweetune. Maybe it’s the … Continue reading
2013 was a high-concept, musically diverse year in K-pop. Hip-hop hadn’t yet taken over, and melody was still king. Instrumentals aimed for the rafters of stadiums, bringing in explosive guitar, sledgehammer beats and bombastic electro riffs. Songs played around with structure in artful, unexpected ways, often polarizing opinion before unveiling themselves as future classics. Here … Continue reading
2013 was a high-concept, musically diverse year in K-pop. Hip-hop hadn’t yet taken over, and melody was still king. Instrumentals aimed for the rafters of stadiums, bringing in explosive guitar, sledgehammer beats and bombastic electro riffs. Songs played around with structure in artful, unexpected ways, often polarizing opinion before unveiling themselves as future classics. Here … Continue reading
2013 was a high-concept, musically diverse year in K-pop. Hip-hop hadn’t yet taken over, and melody was still king. Instrumentals aimed for the rafters of stadiums, bringing in explosive guitar, sledgehammer beats and bombastic electro riffs. Songs played around with structure in artful, unexpected ways, often polarizing opinion before unveiling themselves as future classics. Here … Continue reading
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. This phrase seems fitting to describe K-pop in 2019. The industry was forced to deal with some hard truths this year, and the reckoning was a long time coming. However, that didn’t make it any less messy. For the past few years, I’ve … Continue reading
It’s been a rough year for us Sweetune fanatics. 2018 gave us several new classics, but all 2019 has offered are a couple of way-below-the-radar boy group tracks, a standout Japanese Hara (RIP) track, and a trio of IZ singles, which don’t sound like Sweetune at all despite being composed by the team. Oh, and … Continue reading
Among other things, 2019 has suffered a distinct lack of Sweetune-produced tracks. Their work has been relegated to severely under-known boy groups and idol band IZ, with none of their songs making waves outside of small fan bases. So, when I heard that former Kara member Goo Hara would be returning with a Sweetune-penned Japanese … Continue reading
Idol rock back IZ have been active here and there, releasing one mini album each year since their debut in 2017. None of their title tracks really sound the same, which has made it difficult for them to cultivate a solid fan base. To be honest, I probably wouldn’t be writing about them now if … Continue reading
Compared to this time last year, 2019 has seen a disturbing lack of Sweetune. You can imagine how well this has gone over with me. So unlike everyone else on the planet, salivating for Twice’s new comeback, I was off in a tiny corner of the internet waiting with bated breath for Beautiful (아름다워) — … Continue reading
Songs like Wake Up are easy to dismiss. They’re too catchy. They’re not self-serious enough. They have no redeeming artistic value. These are the kinds of criticisms that define what are considered “guilty pleasures” by many, and this outlook has been drilled subconsciously into my thinking as well. And yet, when I imagine the kind of … Continue reading
