1. The Stranger // 2. Night Tale // 3. Nothing But A Stranger (On Team) // 4. Anti Hero (Off Team) // 5. Good Place // 6. Collab NIGHT TALE It’s been awhile since I’ve written a track-by-track in-depth album review, but ONF are long overdue for one. The six tracks I’ll be covering in … Continue reading
There’s this meme going around lately about pop artists “reheating their nachos,” which is basically an obnoxious way of saying “returning to the sounds they popularized and do best.” I get the sense that, although this is said in a loving nature, there’s a bit of reluctance threaded into the metaphor. But for better or … Continue reading
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
Following a tradition first established in 2020, I’m celebrating the holidays today with the opening of gifts. These packages come in the form of seasonal K-pop tracks not yet reviewed on the blog. Like last year, I’m either keeping the gifts or planning to return them. Unfortunately, there was a lot of coal in the … Continue reading
After taking a look at K-pop’s biggest agencies, I’d like to turn my attention to the smaller (but still important) players in the K-pop game, three at a time. 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 … Continue reading
Rather than contain my “Risers and Fallers” feature to a single post in June, I’m going to share a bite-sized version at the end of each month. This will let me account for more songs and make a nice lead-in to the monthly round-up post. I anticipate most of these ratings adjustments will be negligible: … 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 2024 Overall Thoughts Over the past few years, the month of August has trended toward … Continue reading
Oh My Girl have been through several distinct musical iterations, but many fans remember them best for the fairy-like, ethereal quality of early singles like Closer and Windy Day. It’s been awhile since they’ve revisited this style and new title track Classified seeks to recapture some of that magic. Like agency-mates ONF earlier this year, … Continue reading
Many readers have been asking for it, and I’m finally ready to unveil this year’s Bias List Legendary Songs Inauguration Ceremony! A total of forty-nine songs have already been inaugurated as part of this feature, including a few J-pop highlights. As a rule, this ceremony only covers material released since The Bias List‘s inception (Jan … Continue reading
Soloist Lee Chaeyeon has developed a quirky discography, taking advantage of her skills as a dancer to find upbeat rhythms that lodge themselves in your brain. Though most of her material has been solid, I wouldn’t say it’s had a consistent sound or energy. New single Don’t flips things once again, offering her take on … 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. April 2024 Overall Thoughts K-pop years aren’t always frontloaded, but January was so strong that its … Continue reading
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. It’s so nice to have ONF … Continue reading
If we imagine the K-pop industry as a shopping street, ONF’s music is that quirky little boutique sandwiched between big box stores. Their continued pairing with producer Hwang Hyun has resulted in a discography that — while varied in sound — boasts a consistent character and perspective. This has made them the only K-pop act … Continue reading
Rather than contain my “Risers and Fallers” feature to a single post in June, I’m going to share a bite-sized version at the end of each month. This will let me account for more songs and make a nice lead-in to the monthly round-up post. I anticipate most of these ratings adjustments will be negligible: … Continue reading
YooA’s 2020 solo debut was a slam dunk, unveiling a unique musical scope and vision that complimented her work with Oh My Girl while pushing into new territory. Since then, she’s switched things up in increasingly generic ways and I’ve struggled to connect with her title tracks. Rooftop is another sonic shift, with one foot … Continue reading
This week, I was fortunate enough to attend the opening night for ONF’s first North American tour — or, to put it more accurately… Canadian tour. Brought to us courtesy of the newly established company J&B Entertainment , I’m hoping this tour does well enough to bring more artists into the Vancouver area. It’s 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. January 2024 Overall Thoughts Well, what a nice surprise this month has been! After many years … Continue reading
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. B1A4’s new album blitzes through three … Continue reading
In my eyes, B1A4 are one of K-pop’s all-time greats, and nothing they do now will change that. However, I’ve struggled to connect with most of their music as a trio. I miss those unique elements that only all five could deliver. And while new single Rewind doesn’t try to rekindle that magic, its throwback … Continue reading
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
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 