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
On their first few releases after debut, idol band XDinary Heroes felt a little too gimmicky for me. Songs like Happy Death Day and Hair Cut seemed overly enthused by their own cleverness, so it was refreshing to see the group unleash a straight-ahead rocker with last year’s Break The Brake. For the release of … Continue reading
Before the end-of-year countdowns next month, I like to take a look at many of K-pop’s biggest agencies and see how their year went. Obviously, 2023 is not over yet so any upcoming changes to an agency’s grade will be reflected next year. Following SM Entertainment and YG Entertainment‘s analysis last week, it’s time to … Continue reading
Though past reviews might not suggest so, I’m very eager to board the Xdinary Heroes train. I’ve got my ticket on standby, waiting for the right song to coax me into the train car. After all, I love idol rock music and — judging by DAY6’s output — JYP Entertainment actually has a decent track … Continue reading
When it comes to Xdinary Heroes’ music, I just can’t gain a foothold. Thus far, I’ve found almost every chorus grating and gimmicky, and their punky aesthetic feels like cosplay coming from a mega-corporation like JYP Entertainment. New single Freakin’ Bad is an improvement, though the song is still unlikely to find its way on … Continue reading
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
Sometimes it feels as if the K-pop industry is toying with their fans – seeing just how awkward a song they can force upon us. This year, no agency has been guiltier than JYP. From NMIXX’s mixx-pop excursions to ITZY’s footwear fantasies to Stray Kids’ ping ping pings, it’s as if everyone at the agency … Continue reading
Xdinary Heroes debuted late last year with an interesting concept but a disappointing song. So far, their music feels like a punkier version of DAY6’s idol rock, which makes sense since they hail from JYP Entertainment. Come to think of it, their big-budget music videos also have strong “fight the system” Stray Kids energy. The … Continue reading
Kicking off a season of debuts for JYP Entertainment, new band Xdinary Heroes make their first push into the market with Happy Death Day. As the agency’s second band, they have big shoes to fill. DAY6 has been a critical and commercial success, making it difficult for Xdinary Heroes to stand apart. To the group’s … Continue reading
It’s not quite December yet, but I’m going to kick off this annual feature a little early this year! Over the next few weeks, I’ll be looking at many of K-pop’s biggest agencies and offering my thoughts about how their 2021 went. Next up is JYP Entertainment. As usual, the thoughts are my own and … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 