Twice made a convincing English-language debut with 2021’s The Feels. While the language of their lyrics may have changed, the song retained the core elements of the group’s appeal. If an idol group plans to localize for foreign markets, this seems like the way to do it. Sixteen months later and Twice have returned with … Continue reading
Tag Archives: twice
The Top 40 K-Pop Album Tracks & B-Sides of 2022 (20-1)
I spend the whole year plucking “buried treasures” from K-pop’s vast slate of albums, and now it’s time for those b-sides to have their own countdown! As usual, some of 2022’s strongest music was never promoted with a glossy video or music show blitz. Over the next two days, I’ll be counting down my forty … Continue reading
The Top 10 K-Pop Artists of 2022
This year, I’m going to flip things around and honor my top ten K-pop artists before turning to the rookies tomorrow. While 2022 offered many strong debuts, I just wasn’t as thrilled by many of the industry’s established artists. That makes today’s countdown a bit easier to compile. As usual, the criteria is built around … Continue reading
The Top 50 K-Pop Songs of 2022 (Day Four: 20-11)
The end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, we’ll kick off with the big one: The Bias List’s 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. To be eligible for this top 50 list, … Continue reading
Grading the K-Pop Agencies 2022: JYP ENTERTAINMENT
This feature has gradually shifted from a December to a November tradition, leaving more space for next month’s sprawling end-of-year countdowns. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be looking at many of K-pop’s biggest agencies and offering my thoughts about how their 2022 went. Following SM Entertainment and YG Entertainment‘s evaluations, it’s time to dive … Continue reading
The Top Three K-Pop Songs of August 2022
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. August 2022 Overall Thoughts Too often this year, my monthly round-ups have been… kind of a … Continue reading
Song Review: Twice – Talk That Talk
With their recent contract renewal, Twice have beaten K-pop’s “seven-year curse” and established themselves as one of the longer-running girl groups within the industry. Fans have plenty to celebrate, and the group is ready to provide the soundtrack without much delay. The aptly-titled Between 1&2 acts as a bridge between stages in Twice’s career, and … Continue reading
Battle of the B-Sides: Seventeen, CNBlue, (G)I-DLE, Twice, STAYC
K-pop’s title tracks might gain most of listeners’ attention, but many album tracks are worth equal spotlight. I call these “buried treasures.” Beyond this, K-pop’s albums deliver thousands of additional tracks that settle for a more limited audience. It’s these songs that will become a part of my “battle of the b-sides” feature. In this … Continue reading
The Top Three K-Pop Songs of July 2022
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 2022 Overall Thoughts Counting up all of July’s releases, I’m not sure we’ve ever had … Continue reading
Song Review: Twice – Celebrate
It’s been quite a week for Twice’s fandom. A full group contract renewal, news of an upcoming Korean comeback and now a new Japanese single! Twice has long spoiled their fans, releasing song after song after song, but this latest blitz feels especially concentrated. The aptly-titled Celebrate precedes their fourth Japanese album and continues the … Continue reading
The Top Three K-Pop Songs of June 2022
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 2022 Overall Thoughts I’ll be publishing my top songs of the first half of 2022 … Continue reading
Buried Treasure: Nayeon (Twice) – No Problem (ft. Felix of Stray Kids)
A K-pop act’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. As brief as they may be, … Continue reading
Song Review: Nayeon (Twice) – Pop!
Seven years into Twice’s career and the usual solo/sub-unit promotions are almost nowhere to be found. JYP Entertainment tends to be more group-focused with its idol acts, but even Twice’s albums didn’t bear unit tracks until very recently. Because of this, Nayeon’s solo debut almost feels belated. With any luck, it’ll be the first of … Continue reading
Battle of the B-Sides: April, Twice, Super Junior, U-KISS, Younha
K-pop’s title tracks might gain most of listeners’ attention, but many album tracks are worth equal spotlight. I call these “buried treasures.” Beyond this, K-pop’s albums deliver thousands of additional tracks that settle for a more limited audience. It’s these songs that will become a part of my “battle of the b-sides” feature. In this … Continue reading
The Top 40 K-Pop Album Tracks & B-Sides of 2021 (40-21)
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
The Top 10 K-Pop Albums of 2021
2021 offered quite a few strong albums, enough for both of my categories to include numerous honorable mentions. Full albums were especially great this year — a trend I hope to see continue in 2022. Like usual, my top ten list is cut in half, presenting the top five mini albums and the top five … Continue reading
The Top 10 K-Pop Artists of 2021
After ranking my favorite rookies of 2021, I turn my attention to K-pop’s more established artists. This year, the criteria is the same as ever: Quality of work Quantity of work Influence of work on the industry As usual, the first criteria far outweighs the next two, and is entirely subjective. This is not a … Continue reading
The Top 50 K-Pop Songs of 2021 (Day Three: 30-21)
The end of the year countdowns are finally here! As always, we’ll kick off with the big one: The Bias List’s 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. To be eligible for this top 50 list, … Continue reading
Song Review: Twice – Doughnut
“Doughnut” is an odd title for a pop track – -especially a ballad. Apart from the fact that I prefer the spelling “donut” (because it somehow sounds slightly healthier), the metaphor itself is strange. Twice play with the idea of a doughnut hole referring to emptiness (my mind races toward the delicious spherical treat instead) … Continue reading
The Top Three K-Pop Songs of November 2021
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. November 2021 Overall Thoughts We may still have December before us, but according to the norms … Continue reading