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. First up is SM Entertainment. As usual, the thoughts are my … Continue reading
Tag Archives: xiumin
K-Pop Risers & Fallers: October 2022
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
Buried Treasure: Xiumin (EXO) – Feedback
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. According to Xiumin, Feedback was considered … Continue reading
The Top Three K-Pop Songs of September 2022
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 2022 Overall Thoughts Well, September was certainly a contrast to August! With hindsight, August was … Continue reading
Song Review: Xiumin (EXO) – Brand New
We still have some time to go for another EXO comeback, but in the meantime its members are keeping busy with solo work. Next up is Xiumin, who makes his official solo debut with a mini album (though he did release a fun duet with NCT’s Mark a few years ago and an SM Station … Continue reading
Song Review: Xiumin (EXO) – You
When all is said and done, it’s starting to feel like 2019 will be known as the year of debuts and military enlistments. The number of high-profile enlistments that have occurred over the past few months has been staggering, as K-pop’s much-loved second generation of male groups take various forms of hiatus. There’s a new … Continue reading
Song Review: Xiumin & Mark – Young & Free
So far, the 2017 “season” of SM Station has been pretty underwhelming. Even when bigger name artists have gotten involved, it’s usually been in the form of a ballad or forgettable mid-tempo. What we need is a good pop song, and as soon as Xiumin and Mark were announced as the next Station artists, it … Continue reading
Top Three K-Pop Songs of March 2016
At the end of each month, I’ll look back at my three favorite title tracks by k-pop artists. Unlike my end-of-year countdowns, jpop and Japanese releases by kpop artists are ineligible, though I will give the great ones a spotlight. For my top three tracks, I’ll take my own ratings into account, but there is a … Continue reading
Song Review: Jimin – Call You Bae (ft. Xiumin)
What’s with these AOA subunits and solos having such cringeworthy titles? I mean, I know it’s an English translation, but first we have “I’m Jelly, Baby” and now “Call You Bae.” Talk about appropriating the worst of western slang! Still, Jimin’s last solo track was called Puss (!), so I guess I should have tempered … Continue reading