This week, we’re journeying back half a decade to look at K-pop’s best releases of 2015! 2015 was a prime year for K-pop. It saw the return of industry royalty, as Bigbang blitzed the market with no less than seven singles. It acted as the launchpad for many of today’s top acts (Twice, Seventeen, GFriend, … Continue reading
A review is just a snapshot in time, and sometimes I end up regretting the way I rated a song. There are so many factors that influence the longevity of K-pop. Familiarity, album context, live performances and cultural saturation can all boost or sink a song’s fortune. I run this feature during the mid-point of … 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 2021 Overall Thoughts So far, the rule of 2021 seems to be “expect the unexpected.” … Continue reading
While I’ve never counted UP10TION among my personal favorite idol groups, they’ve elbowed their way into my year-end top ten list a couple of times. Their singles tend to be hit or miss — but when they hit, they hit big. Funny enough, Spin Off encapsulates this contrast into one song. It boasts many excellent … Continue reading
K-Pop debuts can be tricky things. At times, they’re the best song a group delivers. Sometimes, they’re the only song a group delivers! But, debuts can also be huge wtf moments in an artist’s career. In this feature, I’ll be looking back at debut songs through the prism of time, re-evaluating how well they hold … 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! February … Continue reading
As hard as I’ve been on most of Lee Jinhyuk and Kim Wooseok’s solo releases, it might seem like I harbor some vendetta against UP10TION. That couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, I even included one of their singles in my “Top 100 K-pop Songs of All-Time.” I think you can still admire … 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! December … 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. March 2021 Overall Thoughts I’ve heard whispers around social media lamenting that 2021 has been a … Continue reading
Barring a few exceptions, MCND’s music tends to take awhile to grow on me. What initially feels loud and obnoxious becomes a total earworm over time. This happened with both Ice Age and Crush. I find that it also helps to watch the guys perform the songs. They have such gleeful stage presence that it’s … 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! July … 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 2021 Overall Thoughts It’s the start of a new year, and new possibilities when it … Continue reading
KEEMBO’s Love Me 4 Me caps off an underwhelming week of K-pop releases. I’d be lying if I said my mind was really on K-pop anyway, given the events of this first week of 2021. But, I do appreciate when the industry kicks off the new year with a bang. I still remember when SM … Continue reading
Rookies MCND quickly established their sound in 2020 – a playful blend of energetic hip-hop and trendier boy group tropes. Their music was at its best when it embraced its inherent goofiness (Ice Age remains a guilty pleasure), and new single Crush (우당탕) returns to that tone. The song is more of an extension than … Continue reading
I am not a dancer, but I do enjoy some great K-pop choreography. Point dances and exciting formations can really vault a strong song into legendary status, so I think it’s important to take a look at idol dances each year. As usual, this is not a countdown of the most technically impressive or complex … Continue reading
I’m the type who likes to listen to every major K-pop album at least once. Maybe that’s a bit obsessive, but it guarantees that no buried treasures slip through my fingers. And although much emphasis is put on title tracks, more and more the best K-pop songs are relegated to b-sides. This countdown encompasses any … Continue reading
Disclaimer: As with my write-ups on K-Pop’s biggest agencies, this is written from an outsider’s perspective. I’m not privy to any business-related financial information beyond what any other fan would know. The purpose of these articles is to examine how well these agencies are serving their artists and the general k-pop fan-base. Make sure to … Continue reading
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, 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. A few years ago, UP10TION were one of K-pop’s most promising … 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! August … Continue reading
I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m baffled by Top Media’s plans for UP10TION. The group has two members who gained huge popularity through Produce X 101 and could inject some life into this struggling brand, yet the agency has pulled them away for solo work while having the rest of the guys continue … Continue reading
