Despite my interest in their concept, I haven’t yet become a fan of XLOV’s musical output. However, one song on their new album stood out to me, and not just because of its unique title. Tooth Gem Chiwawa (투스젬치와와) comes closer to fashioning the kind of offbeat electronic pop the group seem to be pursuing. … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. But each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And even more than that, I’ll attempt to rank them from my least-to-most-liked. I invite you to share … Continue reading
XLOV have built their name on a high-concept, visually striking rollout that has garnered a dedicated fanbase. And with their most recent album, that concept started to pair with music that felt more fleshed out and befitting of the group’s natural theatricality. New single Hush continues the forward electro motion but forgets that a great … Continue reading
I haven’t done this before, but now that 2026 is halfway over I thought it would be interesting to see how my “top ten” rookies of last year are doing. Any best-of countdown is tied heavily to the time it was written, but the rookie countdown is particularly malleable because these acts can easily explode … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. But each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And even more than that, I’ll attempt to rank them from my least-to-most-liked. I invite you to share … Continue reading
There are some groups in K-pop that I want to love even as their music keeps me at an arm’s length. Such is the case with XLOV, who have a wonderful concept and compelling imagery. However, most of their songs just haven’t matched that potential so far. Because of this, I’m happy to see them … Continue reading
It’s time once again for someone who knows next to nothing about dance to rank his favorite dances of the year. As usual, I tend to prefer quirky, iconic moves to technically difficult material. The thing is, the vast majority of idol choreo has become so polished that it’s hard to choose which routines are … Continue reading
I’ll take a look at K-pop’s established artists tomorrow, but I like to share my thoughts about this year’s rookies first. For me, 2025 was defined by its rookies. This is probably my most competitive countdown this year, as there were so many new groups I found compelling. Surprisingly, many of these emerged from survival … Continue reading
Tomorrow, The Bias List‘s comprehensive end-of-year countdowns will officially kick off with the first ten songs on my Top 50 countdown. Over the course of the next few weeks, you’ll get round-ups from every angle of K-pop: rookies, artists, b-sides, etc. I’ll also continue my tradition of recapping the industry’s year-end music festivals. In other … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. In 2025, I thought I’d try something new and add a weekly feature to supplement my monthly round-up. Each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And … Continue reading
As I stated in my previous review for XLOV’s Rizz, I really want to love this group. It’s frustrating when an act debuts with a legitimately unique concept yet can’t find the music needed to compliment that. I’m waiting for XLOV’s management to realize that their songs can be as compelling as their visuals, but … Continue reading
At the end of each month, I compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. In 2025, I thought I’d try something new and add a weekly feature to supplement my monthly round-up. Each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And … Continue reading
XLOV’s genderless concept is so welcome in K-pop and makes me want to support the group wholeheartedly, but I’ve struggled with the disconnect between their image and their music. This summer’s 1&Only became a sleeper hit for me, but even then the song felt much too straightforward for XLOV’s ambitions. Sadly, new single Rizz is … 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. June 2025 Overall Thoughts We’re now at the midpoint of 2025, which means I’ll be publishing … 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 compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. In 2025, I thought I’d try something new and add a weekly feature to supplement my monthly round-up. Each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And … Continue reading
XLOV debuted earlier this year with a concept that boldly challenges gender norms. This is an exciting development for K-pop and has potential to spawn equally exciting music. So far, the presentation has been more interesting than the songs, and that continues with the pleasant but slight 1&Only. Afrobeats has become a huge genre touchstone … 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 compile my top three K-pop title tracks and list a ton of honorable mentions. In 2025, I thought I’d try something new and add a weekly feature to supplement my monthly round-up. Each Sunday, I’ll offer a compendium of the week’s new releases featured on the blog. And … Continue reading
Seven days into the year and we have our first notable debut of 2025 (KickFlip’s song earlier this week was a pre-release). Three of the four XLOV members were contestants on 2023’s Boys Planet, ensuring a certain level of notoriety even before the release of I’mma Be. The group also has a “genderless” concept, which … Continue reading
