Buried Treasure: Lee Chaeyeon – Don’t Be A Jerk
Review

Buried Treasure: Lee Chaeyeon – Don’t Be A Jerk

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 I anticipated, the hook of … Continue reading

The Top 10 K-Pop Albums of 2022
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The Top 10 K-Pop Albums of 2022

Compared to 2021, this year definitely felt weaker when it comes to albums. Mini albums faired better than full-lengths, but apart from a few mega-standouts, most K-pop releases took a piecemeal approach to their music — too often stuffing tracklists with a horde of different producers rather than settling on one unique vision. Like usual, … Continue reading

Grading the K-Pop Agencies 2022: Part Two (KQ, MLD, P Nation, RBW, TOP, Wake One, WM, Yuehua)
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Grading the K-Pop Agencies 2022: Part Two (KQ, MLD, P Nation, RBW, TOP, Wake One, WM, Yuehua)

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. If you’re curious … Continue reading

Battle of the B-Sides: STAYC, IZ*ONE, YooA, PSY, JJ Project
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Battle of the B-Sides: STAYC, IZ*ONE, YooA, PSY, JJ Project

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

Song Review: Lee Chaeyeon – Hush Rush
Review

Song Review: Lee Chaeyeon – Hush Rush

We’ve seen quite a few post-IZ*ONE solo debuts over the past two years, and by-and-large they’ve been successful. In fact, former bandmate Kwon Eunbi also has a comeback today! Lee Chaeyeon’s visual teasers promised a Halloween-friendly concept, complete with religious iconography sure to raise the eyebrows of some listeners. But despite all this daring styling, … Continue reading

Song Review: ONF – Your Song
Review

Song Review: ONF – Your Song

With the release of their new special album, ONF have rewritten the rules for how boy groups handle military enlistment. I’m no expert, but I thought idol groups weren’t able to release music during enlistment because of laws related to wages and income. However, WM Entertainment had the foresight to record and prepare this material … Continue reading