Over the past few years, B1A4‘s Japanese releases have become a welcome continuation of the sound they’ve established in Korea. The group self-produces almost all of their material, and that extends to music composed for the j-pop market. This has proven to be a treasure trove for fans like me, as it means more title … 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
Back in 2016, it felt as if Oh My Girl were poised to become one of the leading acts of k-pop’s new wave of girl groups. They can still get there, but their level of promotion needs to increase. All that 2017 gave us was the polarizing Coloring Book, and that was nine months ago. … Continue reading
Though the Bias List focuses almost exclusively on k-pop, many Korean artists make a foray into Japan as well. Those releases deserve their own countdown, paired with a number of their Japanese counterparts. Huge disclaimer with this countdown. I am a k-pop blogger, first and foremost. My j-pop exposure is limited, and tends to be … Continue reading
Hundreds (if not thousands) of songs are released each year in Korea, but only a fraction receive full title track promotion. This leaves behind many buried treasures in need of a spotlight. Here are forty of 2017’s best: NUMBERS 40-21 HERE + Make sure to check out the rest of the year-end countdowns here! 20. LOONA … Continue reading
Hundreds (if not thousands) of songs are released each year in Korea, but only a fraction receive full title track promotion. This leaves behind many buried treasures in need of a spotlight. Here are forty of 2017’s best: + Make sure to check out the rest of the year-end countdowns here! 40. TWICE – 24/7 A … Continue reading
As I was looking back in preparation for this countdown, I realized that it’s actually been quite a strong year for mini and full albums, even if 2017 as a whole seemed to lack impact compared to past years. Quite a few solid albums failed to make the cut due to this heavy competition, but … Continue reading
For me, the arrival of rookie groups can often be more exciting than the work of their established peers. I love nothing more than discovering a new artist and witnessing their potential unfold as they grow. 2017 was a year without any major agency debuts, making the rookie field much more competitive. Like last year, … Continue reading
The end of the year countdowns are here! We’re kicking 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. To be eligible for this top 50 list, songs must have had … Continue reading
Disclaimer: As with my write-ups on the Big Three 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. Read Part … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-side tracks deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. Judging from commentary online, B1A4‘s Rollin‘ comeback has disappointed a … 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. September 2017 Overall Thoughts September is oftentimes underwhelming, since it marks the point in the year where … Continue reading
There are few “sure things” in k-pop. but the beauty of a self-produced group is that you can be assured of some sense of musical consistency. B1A4 has been that group for the better part of their career, driven primarily by the songwriting prowess of members Jinyoung and CNU. Leader Jinyoung has been in charge … 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. August 2017 Overall Thoughts August was a weird month. Based on prior releases, if you would have … Continue reading
Most of the time, a kpop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-side tracks deserve recognition, too. In the singles-oriented world of kpop, I wanted to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve. There have been some big name rookies already this year, … Continue reading
Despite their ridiculous group name, new rookies ONF have much to live up to. They’re the newest act from WM Entertainment, home to the consistently fantastic B1A4 and burgeoning boundary-pushers Oh My Girl. The agency is known for its quirky output, raising anticipation for how ONF would sound. With debut single On/Off, the group opts for … Continue reading
One of the many admirable things about B1A4 is that they compose almost all of their own material, and this includes their Japanese releases. When most k-pop groups go j-pop, the difference between the two outputs can be shocking. But with B1A4 at the helm of their own career, there’s a nice consistency that all … Continue reading
Though k-pop rises or falls on the strength of its singles, a group’s real strengths can often be found in the lesser-known material that makes up their mini albums and full lengths. The definition of “album” in k-pop is so wide that I’ve got to lay down some ground rules before composing any sort of … Continue reading
They may not have hit quite the same level of success as some of their 2015-debuted peers, but Oh My Girl has consistently released interesting — at times challenging — pop music. In a genre known for its adherence to trends, a little bit of experimentation is never a bad thing. K-pop is at its … Continue reading
Over the past few years, I’ve been to quite a few k-pop concerts. And despite being a genre that might seem a little uniform on the surface, each show has had its own personality. As a group, B1A4 are quite different from other idols. Some acts focus on their hard hitting image, or precise, detailed … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 