I don’t often write about K-pop’s many OST releases, but The Boyz have filmed an entire music video for their new track Echo. The song supports the Solo Leveling webtoon, and encapsulates my general feelings about The Boyz: they’re an immensely talented group with charisma to spare, too often let down by subpar material. This … Continue reading
We’re down to the wire now with K-pop’s final year-end festival. MBC’s show is usually my favorite. It feels the most festive, bridging the gap between New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. It also tends to have the most robust artist line-up. Like every festival of the past two years, this one revolved around … Continue reading
Each year, it feels like my B-Sides and Album Tracks list grows stronger and stronger. Too often, K-pop agencies miss the boat on releasing these incredible songs as title tracks. 2021 was no different, revealing a host of gems that would have topped my Singles list had they been promoted. Instead, I’ve got two days … Continue reading
Whenever groups make a quick comeback (less than three months in The Boyz’ case), I want to assume it’s because they found an incredible track and simply can’t wait to share it with the world. Ah, wouldn’t that be nice? Honestly, The Boyz are in need of a killer comeback. Their sales and popularity may … Continue reading
A K-pop group’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. Unsurprisingly, The Boyz’ Thrill Ride has … Continue reading
The Boyz have enjoyed explosive growth in popularity over the past few years, buoyed by appearances in shows like Kingdom and Road to Kingdom. Unfortunately, this seems to have slowed the progression of their once-prolific release schedule. The guys’ last comeback happened nearly a year ago, when The Stealer impressed with its dynamic arrangement. New … 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 2021 Overall Thoughts Well, July was… interesting. And by “interesting,” I mean unimaginably dull. Other … Continue reading
Up to this point, music released through the Universe app has felt extraneous to an artist’s discography, making its restricted music videos less frustrating. Still, I’m surprised by just how much content this platform is churning out. Whoever’s funding this launch seems to have an unlimited budget, releasing glossy videos almost every week. The latest … Continue reading
I think it’s obvious that I love a good statistic. In addition to my core rating system, I’ve got my top three songs of each month, my yearly countdowns and more data breakdowns than anyone could ask for. None of these are perfect ways to categorize or quantify something as subjective as music, but they … Continue reading
Two years ago, I took a look at my favorite “Songs of Summer” between 2012 and 2018. Now that we’re getting closer to the season, I think it’s time for an update! This time, I’m cheating a bit. I kept this feature’s original title for continuity’s sake, but my top song of summer for 2020 … Continue reading
Warning: This recap is not spoiler-free. Proceed at your own risk! Other Recaps: Episode One // Episode Two // Episode Three // Episode Four // Episode Five // Episode Six // Episode Seven // Episode Eight // Episode Nine Friends, I have disturbing news… . . . . . . The final episode of Kingdom … Continue reading
Warning: This recap is not spoiler-free. Proceed at your own risk! Other Recaps: Episode One // Episode Two // Episode Three // Episode Four // Episode Five // Episode Six // Episode Seven // Episode Eight ‘NO LIMIT’ ROUND We’re back with the rest of the No Limit round performances (and Han’s goofy hat). Last … Continue reading
In addition to my weekly recaps of each Kingdom episode, I like to write a special post dedicated to the music itself. Since we’ve yet to see these songs performed, it’s a great chance to discuss them on their own merits — free from set pieces and visuals and stunts. With that in mind, here’s … Continue reading
Warning: This recap is not spoiler-free. Proceed at your own risk! Other Recaps: Episode One // Episode Two // Episode Three // Episode Four // Episode Five // Episode Six // Episode Seven LAST WEEK’S DANCE UNIT RESULTS After watching both dance performances, I ranked the “It’s One” team over “Mayfly,” but they were essentially … Continue reading
Warning: This recap is not spoiler-free. Proceed at your own risk! Other Recaps: Episode One // Episode Two // Episode Three // Episode Four // Episode Five // Episode Six MORE RANKINGS THAN YOU EVER ASKED FOR Episode seven opens with about twelve minutes of rankings. We get round one, round two (minus online views?) … Continue reading
Warning: This recap is not spoiler-free. Proceed at your own risk! Other Recaps: Episode One // Episode Two // Episode Three // Episode Four // Episode Five THE PRELUDE We’ve already reached the eve of Kingdom‘s final round. And to celebrate, the show is going to pause for a… sports day. Ironically, as much as … Continue reading
Warning: This recap is not spoiler-free. Proceed at your own risk! Other Recaps: Episode One // Episode Two // Episode Three // Episode Four ROUND TWO: MY FINAL RANKINGS One thing I’ll say for Kingdom is that it wastes no time getting started. Unlike the Produce 101 franchise, this series doesn’t spend endless minutes on … Continue reading
Warning: This recap is not spoiler-free. Proceed at your own risk! Other Recaps: Episode One // Episode Two // Episode Three THE AFTERMATH AND THE RE-BIRTH Following last week’s ranking, the groups head back to the respective agencies to celebrate or lick their wounds, depending on their outcome. BTOB thinks their performance lacked story, while … Continue reading
If there’s anything I’ve learned from covering pop music for over a decade, it’s that songwriters and collaborators are just as important as the artists themselves. Though they often work behind the scenes, this feature is a chance to shine the light on some of K-pop’s most innovative and accomplished producers and composers. 13 (SCORE … Continue reading
Warning: This recap is not spoiler-free. Proceed at your own risk! Other Recaps: Episode One // Episode Two THE FINAL THREE PERFORMANCES This week completes the first round of performances, with the final acts added to last week’s trio. And, the show wastes no time getting to the first performance, which means I’ll waste no … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 