Debuting with YG Entertainment in 2014, sibling duo Akdong Musician are the very best act to come out of competition series K-Pop Star. Their acoustic pop sound pulls in a seemingly endless mix of genres, bursting with creativity and a sense of boundary-pushing inventiveness. Despite only having three proper studio albums to their name, they’ve … Continue reading
Every story has a beginning, and k-pop’s idol world starts with first generation groups like H.O.T. Though their music is forever tethered to the 90’s, their experimentation paved the way for many of the genre’s tropes that are still in use today. Here’s a look at my top ten favorites from their singles run (and … Continue reading
Debuting in 2014 as Woollim Entertainment’s first girl group, Lovelyz quickly rose to fame on their quirky synth-pop sound. Though they’re most known for a light, cutesy image, their music has experimented with different tones as the group has matured. With only eight full-group promotional releases, I had to cheat a bit and add two … Continue reading
100% debuted in 2012 as Top Media’s second group after Teen Top. Though they’ve struggled to find a strong identity for themselves and have had to endure a general lack of promotion in comparison to their label mates, the guys have also managed to deliver a remarkably strong discography. In fact, it was difficult to … Continue reading
Few groups have switched sounds and concepts as drastically as Stellar. Debuting in 2011, they began as an ultra-quirky girl group with a heavily processed, unique sound that felt as experimental as it was grating. Moving briefly toward fluffy bubblegum pop, the group ultimately landed on sleek and sexy. Here are all ten of their singles, … Continue reading
Debuting in 2015, Seventeen are still a very new group, but their unique configuration of vocal, hip-hop and performance units within the larger group has rounded out their promotional material to create a singles discography just big enough for a countdown. And honestly, they’re one of the biggest and best k-pop acts of the moment, so … Continue reading
J-Pop is often on the eccentric side, but even in that context, Bullet Train (超特急) are unique. Rather than stick with the traditional boy group configuration, the group consists of two vocalists and five dancers, who are usually positioned at the center or front of performances. The group’s music is also not always for the … Continue reading
Debuting in 2013 as Universal Music’s first foray into the k-pop world, Boys Republic are one of the genre’s most underrated groups. Though they’ve never had that one breakout hit that would shoot them to superstardom, they’ve delivered a consistently awesome series of singles that have run the gamut from light pop fare to edgier, … Continue reading
There aren’t that many solo female k-pop acts that are equally as comfortable with upbeat dance tracks as they are ballads. As one of the sole examples, Ailee brings something completely new and vital to the genre. Debuting in 2012, she’s gone on to carve quite a successful career for herself, blending her powerful vocal … Continue reading
With the release of this week’s Mysterious, girl group Hello Venus finally have enough title tracks for a proper top ten countdown. The group has undergone quite the shift in sound and image throughout the years, starting with a quirky/cute concept before amping up the sensual side of their music. For me, their output has … Continue reading
Since their debut in 2003, Epik High have been one of Korea’s most interesting hip-hop groups. Whether they’ve been part of a small or major label, they’ve always incorporated multiple genres into their sound, resulting in an exciting alternative to mainstream k-pop. They also have a remarkably consistent track record of releasing quality singles. Whittling … Continue reading
Bigbang has mastered the art of sub-units and solos, scoring enormous hits even when its members aren’t together as a group. Given that I have already counted down solo tracks from G-Dragon and Taeyang, those songs are ineligible for this list. Luckily, there are more than enough singles left over for a strong top ten. … Continue reading
I’ve been wanting to do a miss A countdown for awhile now, but the problem is that they only have nine actual singles. This is despite being together for over five years. And with an uncertain hiatus holding the future of the group hostage, it’s unclear whether we’ll ever be getting more songs to add … Continue reading
Following in their label-mates FTIsland‘s footsteps, CNBLUE were the second big idol band from FNC Entertainment. They perform in a somewhat lighter, pop and funk influenced style, and have enjoyed incredibly success in both Korea and Japan. And although their biggest digital hit to date, I’m A Loner, didn’t quite make it on my list, … Continue reading
As a companion to my Top Ten Singles lists, it’s time to look at some of the best album tracks and b-sides from the best artists. In light of the very sad news of 2NE1’s disbandment today, it seems like a perfect time to take another look at their discography. In true YG style, they’ve … Continue reading
90’s boy group Sechs Kies have recently returned after sixteen years away from the music scene, signing with mega agency YG Entertainment. Back in k-pop’s first generation of idols, the title track system wasn’t quite as refined and uniform as it is now, so it was a bit tricky to decide which songs would actually … Continue reading
As the weather gets chillier and December approaches, it’s the time of year to dust off the old K-pop Christmas playlist. Korean acts have been giving us special holiday songs for years, but I narrowed my ten picks to tracks released over the past five years. Some have official music videos, and some do not. … Continue reading
Though they’re relative newcomers to the k-pop world, Mamamoo have quickly established themselves as a girl group with a different sound than any of their peers. Their powerful vocals are perfectly suited to the old-school soul/r&b that has defined their work since debut. And though they’ve got much more ahead of them, they’ve released just … Continue reading
As a companion to my Top Ten Singles lists, it’s time to look at some of the best album tracks and b-sides from the best artists. Though Block B haven’t released as many b-sides as most of their contemporaries, for them it’s a matter of quality over quantity. Here are ten of their best. Honorable … Continue reading
Sub-units are common in k-pop, but few end up being more popular than the actual group that spawned them. Though they haven’t released anything in two years, Orange Caramel has arguably leapfrogged over their parent group, After School, when it comes to awareness and chart success. Consisting of members Nana, Raina and Lizzy, the trio … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 