It was incredibly smart for ONF to enlist in their mandatory military service together, assuring they would return as a full group within two years. So many boy groups choose a staggered approach, which is fine if you actually release music during these configuration changes. But too often, this simply results in diminished returns. If … Continue reading
Lee Chaeyeon’s Knock experienced unexpected longevity on the charts, lodging its catchy hook in many listeners’ brains. She’s found her niche in quirky dance pop, which perfectly compliments the musical perspective of her agency WM Entertainment. New single Let’s Dance seeks to build on this success by smoothing the edges and delivering an explosive energy … 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. July 2023 Overall Thoughts This July was characterized by several things, but on this blog it … Continue reading
I’m a sucker for a great summer K-pop track, and we haven’t had many of those this year. Enter: Oh My Girl — with a track that’s literally called “Summer Comes.” It’s been a long time since we’ve heard from the group, and they have a bulletproof back catalog to build upon. Their take on … Continue reading
To be honest, there haven’t been many K-pop albums in 2023 that I’ve played more than a couple times through. Similar to my singles list yesterday, nearly all of these picks come with some qualifiers. However, there are a more than a few gems to uncover. *As usual, albums must have at least four full … 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. As I anticipated, the hook of … Continue reading
Lee Chaeyeon’s debut album was a quirky introduction that stood out. It seemed to promise an interesting musical future for the soloist, and if WM Entertainment’s track record is anything to go by, we’re in for a wild ride. New single Knock is another step in the right direction, though it falls short of becoming … Continue reading
ONF continue to find ways to remain relevant even when on military hiatus. After releasing a mini album last summer, co-leader and main vocal Hyojin has delivered a winter ballad. Though I’m not generally one for ballads, it’s nice to be reminded that ONF are indeed coming back – sooner than later. The state of … Continue reading
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
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
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
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
One of this K-pop generation’s biggest mysteries is how Oh My Girl went from being a leading girl group to an act that barely gets promoted anymore. WM Entertainment has really dropped the ball with this one, and that fumble has extended to their musical choices. This spring’s Real Love was a breezy little bop, … 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
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. October 2022 Overall Thoughts First off, I want to recognize Korea’s national period of mourning and … 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. I was a super casual fan … Continue reading
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
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
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
Yesterday, I struck a disappointed note when rounding up this year’s strongest singles, and this albums list is going to be quite similar. 2022 has delivered some decent albums so far, but nothing close to a My Name/City Of ONF, Don’t Call Me/Atlantis, YES, Summer Queen, Gatcha or The Chaos Chapter: Freeze. In fact, I’m … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 