It’s been over three years since we last heard new music from Winner’s Kang Seung Yoon. During that hiatus, he’s fulfilled his military service and taken time crafting a new full-length album. The fruits of his labor have finally arrived today in the form of new title track Me (美). Though I haven’t fallen for … Continue reading
Tag Archives: YG
The Top Three K-Pop Songs of October 2025
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 2025 Overall Thoughts October started slow as Chuseok celebrations caused a week or so of … Continue reading
K-Pop Risers & Fallers: October 2025
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
THIS WEEK IN K-POP: Ranking the New Releases from October 5 – 11
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
Buried Treasure: BABYMONSTER – Psycho
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’ll confess that I haven’t given … Continue reading
Song Review: BABYMONSTER – We Go Up
Thus far, BABYMONSTER have followed the tried and true YG Entertainment formula, releasing a bunch of seemingly disparate digital singles eventually cobbled together into a mini or full album. This new comeback feels much more typical of K-pop: a title track and a few new b-sides. They’re not even tacking their summer single Hot Sauce … Continue reading
The Top Three K-Pop Songs of September 2025
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 2025 Overall Thoughts We’ve hit the rare (?) double-header in K-pop with two back-to-back underwhelming … Continue reading
K-Pop Risers & Fallers: September 2025
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
THIS WEEK IN K-POP: Ranking the New Releases from September 14 – 20
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
Song Review: Treasure – Everything
Treasure’s latest mini album is one of those projects where every song is solid but none stand out as classics. There are worse things to release, and consistency is always an asset even if the music tops out at a “B” or “B+”. Multiple songs could have acted as the album’s title track, and Treasure … Continue reading
THIS WEEK IN K-POP: Ranking the New Releases from August 31 – September 6
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
Song Review: Treasure – Paradise
It’s hard to believe YG Entertainment’s Treasure have already reached their fifth anniversary. Their music has gone through several iterations during that time, ultimately leaning into a lighter pop/rock sound than they debuted with. New single Paradise is emblematic of this shift, offering a lightweight pop bop that’s well-suited to summer. This bright, easy-listening approach … Continue reading
K-Pop’s SONGS OF SUMMER 2025
Technically, there are still a few weeks left of summer in my area, but with days getting shorter and back-to-school looming around the corner, we’re quickly transitioning to fall. With that in mind, I thought it would be fun to look back at the past few months and determine my ultimate 2025 summer playlist. I … Continue reading
The Top Three K-Pop Songs of July 2025
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 2025 Overall Thoughts In the context of this year, the past two months have been … Continue reading
K-Pop Risers & Fallers: July 2025
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
THIS WEEK IN K-POP: Ranking the New Releases from July 13 – 19
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
Song Review: Lee Chanhyuk (AKMU) – Vivid LaLa Love
Last week, AKMU’s Chanhyuk pre-released the slow burn Out Of My Mind as a teaser for his second full length album. The album has a retro, synth-kissed sound with an idiosyncratic flair different from the hyper-commercialized 80’s revivalism that took over pop music in the early-2020s. With that said, title track Vivid LaLa Love (비비드라라러브) … Continue reading
THIS WEEK IN K-POP: Ranking the New Releases from July 6 – 12
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
Song Review: Lee Chanhyuk (AKMU) – Out Of My Mind
Lee Chanhyuk’s second solo album is only days away and promises to mine many classic sounds of the 80’s. Prior to its release, he’s shared new track Out Of My Mind (돌아버렸어). From what I can gauge from the highlight medley, its synth-heavy sound is emblematic of what we’ll be getting on the full project. … Continue reading
Song Review: BLACKPINK – Jump
Over the past few months, the members of BLACKPINK have blitzed the market with a variety of solo work, making greater inroads to international markets than ever before. However, it’s been a whopping thirty four months since their last group title track. In K-pop’s fast-moving ecosystem, that’s enough time for a literal change in generations. … Continue reading