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
In connection with my desire to fully keep up with the J-pop industry, I’m planning to do a weekly round-up of any new releases that have caught my ear. Some of these may have been covered on the blog already, but my hope is that this will become a one-stop shop for anyone interested in … Continue reading
I’ll confess this right at the top: despite enjoying Yesung quite a bit as a performer, I nearly didn’t listen to this new solo track at all. My bias (and his musical history) had me expecting a specific type of ballad that just isn’t my thing. I very rarely have much to write about these … Continue reading
K-pop teasers can be deceptive if you’re not paying close attention. Take a look at the visual teasers for Yesung’s new comeback and you might expect a gritty punk rock track. I’d love to hear him tackle something like this – a song that gives his strong vocals more bite. But beyond the visuals, it … Continue reading
Super Junior’s Yesung pre-released the emotional ballad Phantom Pain a little over a week ago, and as part of that review I expressed my hope for more upbeat material in the future. I suppose Beautiful Night is as good as we’re going to get when it comes to increased energy. Like his bandmate Kyuhyun, Yesung … Continue reading
Super Junior’s Yesung surprised fans with his announcement of a new mini album this week. The initial teaser seemed to indicate he’d be back in less than 24 hours, which would be a quick turnaround even by K-pop standards. But, that timetable ended up referring to a good old-fashioned pre-release. In the K-pop world, pre-releases … Continue reading
K.R.Y. was Super Junior’s first official subgroup, formed almost fourteen (!) years ago. Yet, in all this time, they’ve never had a Korean album to call their own. It seems silly to use the word “debut” when talking about veterans of the industry. But in a way, When We Were Us (푸르게 빛나던 우리의 계절) … 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 2019 Overall Thoughts Well… June happened. The K-pop gods giveth and they taketh away, and … Continue reading
Super Junior’s Yesung first debuted as a soloist in 2016, and pretty much all of his Korean work has gone down the same emotional ballad route. He’s an excellent vocalist, for sure, but my favorite Yesung track is actually 2017’s Splash, an uptempo J-pop single that positioned him as an easy-listening, funk-pop performer. Thankfully, Pink … Continue reading
On paper, the combination of Yesung and Chungha seems like an odd one. You’ve got a member of Super Junior’s vocal line, and a soloist most strongly known for her dancing. Rather than draw on either of these strengths, Whatcha Doin’ splits the difference and winds up as a pleasant but forgettable affair. This isn’t … Continue reading
With Kyuhyun soon to fulfill his mandatory military conscription, there’s a hole for another solo Super Junior balladeer to fill. Yesung seems to be up to the task, releasing the very OST-sounding Paper Umbrella (봄날의 소나기). This follows his spring-like Here I Am from last April, which I was not a fan of. When it … Continue reading
I want to preface this review by noting that I named Super Junior’s Devil as my top kpop song of 2015. I mention this because I know how fan loyalty and bias can color the work of groups and individuals, especially those from acts as big as SJ. I’m sure I’ll be just as biased with … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 