With over 2,300 songs on my iPhone’s “K-Pop Singles” playlist, I thought it would be fun to add a bit of unpredictability to my song review posts. So as a result, we have the “Random Shuffle Review” feature.

The rules are simple. I fire up my playlist, press “shuffle,” and whatever song plays first gets the full Bias List treatment!

Year Released: 2013

During the height of One Direction’s popularity in the west, there were more than a few What Makes You Beautiful rip-offs in the K and J-pop world. But Beautiful was a crackerjack of a pop song, so I didn’t really mind the sound-alikes — especially if they came from a group as distinguished as SHINee.

The guys had tackled lighter pop fare in the past (hello…erm, Hello), but Boys Meet U still feels like one of their most shamelessly commercial singles. The song might not hold a candle to the more innovative portions of their discography, but there’s a palpable sense of joy bursting from its guitar-fueled power pop frame. Its verses are pure cheese, to the point that you wonder how the members were able to deliver their lines with straight faces. But then that arena-ready chorus roars to life and the gargantuan hook carries you away. Boys Meet U was released in what could arguably be coined the Year of SHINee, as the group delivered an incredible seven singles between Korea and Japan (nine, if you count Green Rain and Colorful). And even with its obvious inspirations and limited artistic ambition, Boys still managed to stand out.

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