Treasure’s new mini album feels a little looser and livelier than usual. I like this side of them – and of YG artists in general. Immediately following the EDM party-starter Hello, we have a hard left turn into rock-fueled hip-hop. Sub-unit track VolKno is a tour de force of the group’s talents, opening another new … Continue reading
Last time we heard from Treasure, they had re-invented their slow jam Darari into a rollicking pop rock banger. That version appears on their new album, which also sees the members taking greater creative control. Thankfully, this results in a dynamic blend of upbeat sounds that recall standout eras in YG Entertainment’s past. Title track … Continue reading
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 wasn’t originally going to feature … Continue reading
My initial thoughts on BLACKPINK’s Pink Venom included words like “predictable,” “catchphrasey” and “severely underwhelming.” Those thoughts still stand, but I can’t deny how catchy that big, dumb hook has become. Pink Venom isn’t particularly “good,” but its ridiculousness is fun in an awkward way. And as a pre-release, expectations must be set accordingly. BLACKPINK … Continue reading
K-pop’s title tracks might gain most of listeners’ attention, but many album tracks are worth equal spotlight. I call these “buried treasures.” Beyond this, K-pop’s albums deliver thousands of additional tracks that settle for a more limited audience. It’s these songs that will become a part of my “battle of the b-sides” feature. In this … 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
It feels momentous every time I write the elusive words “BLACKPINK are back.” They return so infrequently. The last time we had an honest-to-goodness comeback, we were still mired in year one of the Covid pandemic. We didn’t even have a vaccine yet! Lovesick Girls was a great return to form for the group, hearkening … 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. July 2022 Overall Thoughts Counting up all of July’s releases, I’m not sure we’ve ever had … Continue reading
Oh, BLACKPINK. What are we going to do with you? You’re K-pop’s eternal influencers, but you only grace us with new music every once in a blue moon. With more direct competitors emerging each year, I’m amazed how loyal fans have remained given such little return on their investment. We’ve been promised a BLACKPINK comeback … Continue reading
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. Preceding the release of their newest … Continue reading
With half of its members completing their military service, Winner have found the perfect window to release an album before another inevitable hiatus. When it comes to most groups, military enlistment feels like a huge upheaval of momentum and schedules. But, YG Entertainment makes its fans suffer through lengthy periods between releases anyway, so a … Continue reading
We’ll take a brief hiatus from the usual Sunday Open Discussion post today because my annual “Risers and Fallers” feature always spurs conversation. Every July, I like to take a look at which songs have either grown or sunk on my own playlist. With years of reviewing under my belt and a pretty solid understanding … Continue reading
So… here’s the thing. This mid-year singles list is usually reserved for songs that are all-but certain to end up in my top ten at the end of the year. If judging by the quality of past years, the songs below would most likely fall in the teens or twenties, meaning we’re either going to … 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. May 2022 Overall Thoughts So… we’re almost halfway through 2022 and…. hmmm. Compared to the songs … Continue reading
Sometimes a song arrangement can make all the difference. Back in January, Darari was released on Treasure’s newest mini album. It was a fine – but forgettable – mid-tempo, casting a subdued groove that spotlighted the guys’ vocals. Now, a remixed rock version has been released as follow-up promotion. Suddenly, the song has my complete … Continue reading
Though they participated in last year’s Kingdom: Legendary War, iKON haven’t made a comeback since just before that competition started. Blame YG Entertainment’s always-slow promotional approach, I guess. Since losing leader B.I in 2019, the band has undergone big changes and But You’s switch to moody synth-pop has to be their most drastic sonic switch-up … 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. April 2022 Overall Thoughts In a paradoxical trend, the average song rating on this blog has … Continue reading
K-Pop debuts can be tricky things. At times, they’re the best song a group delivers. Sometimes, they’re the only song a group delivers! But, debuts can also be huge wtf moments in an artist’s career. In this feature, I’ll be looking back at debut songs through the prism of time, re-evaluating how well they hold … Continue reading
I have a few “holy grails” in K-pop – comebacks I’ve wished for so long they seem impossible. BIGBANG’s return is one of these landmark moments. Hints of a comeback first emerged back in 2020, waylaid by the pandemic. Two years later, the group confirmed they would finally release new music, and I couldn’t have … Continue reading
With its members in various states of pre and post military enlistment, Winner is currently in a bubble that’s allowed them to schedule a full-group concert for later this spring. I wonder if they’ll release new music to go along with this milestone? For now, we’ll make do with a solo single from the group’s … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 