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
2018 arrived still reeling from the lingering aftereffects of tragedy, as Jonghyun’s passing continued to loom large in everyone’s minds. But the year went on to deliver one of the strongest Januarys in memory. Title tracks pin-balled between genres and there seemed to be a renewed, free-wheeling energy within the idol industry. The Winter Olympics … 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 2018 Overall Thoughts After two and a half years, it finally happened. June’s cumulative rating … Continue reading
Ever since their debut in late 2016, The East Light have provided a steady stream of music in collaboration with their producer Midas-T. Taking into account pre-releases, title tracks and follow-up promotions, the group has never truly gone on hiatus in almost two years. This unending schedule would be tiring if the music wasn’t always … 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 2018 Overall Thoughts All things considered, May was a pretty solid month. It definitely had … Continue reading
The East Light’s January release Real Man was one of that month’s biggest growers, and its disco pulse proved to be a perfect match for the young band. With new single Love Flutters (설레임), the guys have reverted to the tropical pop they dabbled in last year, this time with an acoustic edge. Love Flutters’ … Continue reading
It’s been exciting to watch The East Light’s music grow since their debut in late 2016, especially as they settled on the perfect disco-infused sound with January’s Real Man. Though the group hasn’t gotten all that much attention compared to some of their idol peers, their performances on weekly music shows are reliably energetic and … Continue reading
In the months since its conclusion, season two of Produce 101 has dramatically altered the k-pop landscape — at least when it comes to boy groups. Its reach extends to so many corners of the industry that it can be difficult to keep up with it all. That’s where this handy guide comes in, as … 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. January 2018 Overall Thoughts It’s a brand new year, which means all possibilities are on the … Continue reading
The last time I reviewed a single by The East Light, I bemoaned the fact that they’d reverted to a more juvenile sound. This is — of course — an exceedingly young group. If anyone has the right to produce child-like hits, it’s these guys. But after bursting onto the scene with 2016’s raucous Holla, … Continue reading
When The East Light debuted late last year with the giddy power pop of Holla, it felt exciting to have such a young group tackling a different sound than expected. Since then, the boys have fallen into the tropical trend, moving away from a live band style in favor of a poppier approach. This isn’t … Continue reading
Another day, another tropical-inspired k-pop track. Last year, when I was complaining about the overuse of this particular sub-genre, I thought it would be on its way out. But so far 2017 has doubled down on the trend, causing so many recent singles to sound the same. Of all the groups that could have fallen down … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I’ll 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 2016 Overall Thoughts As expected, the last month of the year was comparatively sparse when it … Continue reading
One of the things I look most forward to each year in k-pop is the rise of new rookie groups. 2016 was particularly kind when it came to promising new artists, with a few offering some of the best songs of the year. Unlike the MAMA Awards, I won’t be considering the massively successful I.O.I as … Continue reading
Though it’s hard to gauge whether The East Light has made any meaningful impact on the k-pop scene thus far, they’ve been an unexpected highlight of the year for me. It’s refreshing to see a young group come on to shows like Music Bank playing instruments (or at the very least, miming them!) and tackling … Continue reading
The end of the year countdowns are here! We’re starting things off with the big one… the 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. Unlike last year, j-pop releases will be placed in their own countdown, … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I’ll look back at my three favorite title tracks by k-pop artists. Unlike my end-of-year countdowns, jpop and Japanese releases by kpop artists are ineligible, though I will give the great ones a spotlight. For my top three tracks, I’ll take my own ratings into account, but there is a … Continue reading
K-pop rookies seem to be getting younger and younger with each passing year, so the emergence of The East Light (with an average age of 15) isn’t all that surprising. But unlike the hyper-polished pop of similarly-aged NCT Dream, these guys are tackling a less likely genre of music: classic garage rock. And despite their … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 