As a spin-off to my Battle of the B-sides feature, I’m pleased to announce the arrive of “Battle of the Title Tracks!” In this feature, I’ll be pitting three K-pop title tracks/singles against each other and choosing a winner. These songs will mostly be from pre-2016 since I’ll try to focus on music I haven’t … Continue reading
During this lull in new K-pop releases, I decided to go back and watch 2012’s MBC Gayo Daejun – the end-of-year extravaganza that ushered in 2013. Not only was it a euphoric time capsule of excellent music and stunning performances, but it brought to mind many thoughts after twelve years of K-pop fandom. Here were … Continue reading
Sungmin has found a comfortable niche in trot music, a sound that’s still very popular in Korea. And with SM Entertainment set to debut a trot boyband of their own, the genre seems poised for even more of a resurgence. For my part, I appreciate a great trot track (especially when performed live) but very … Continue reading
SM Entertainment is having a busy Monday, with no less than three comebacks across both the Korean and Japanese market. Super Junior’s Donghae and Eunhyuk join Red Velvet and NCT Wish in celebrating new music with the release of Japanese single You&Me. And like many acts this month, they’ve opted for a bright, funky summertime … 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
Surprise drops don’t really exist in K-pop, but Super Junior’s Show Time is as close as we get. Teased only days ago, the digital single arrives without much build-up. It’s their first group comeback since 2022, though the individual members and sub-units have been active more recently. Show Time feels tailor-made for live performances. Its … 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. March 2024 Overall Thoughts Okay, this year’s already a little weird. We kicked off with an … Continue reading
As covered in my review of pre-release Rose, Super Junior-D&E’s GGB has been mired in controversy over the implications of its title. As a foreign listener without the cultural context to be offended, it’s easier for me to ignore this and focus on the merits of the song itself, though I don’t understand why the … Continue reading
Super Junior-D&E haven’t even made their comeback yet, but it’s already embroiled in controversy. Title track GGB will not be performed on music shows after its title was deemed derogatory toward women. Honestly. I had to look up what “GGB” means before I realized that the real issue likely stems from the Korean version of … Continue reading
As Super Junior-L.S.S.’s releases have gone on, the material has felt more and more like a joke. Now, they’re saying the quiet part out loud with the appropriately titled… Joke. It’s hard for me to see this sub-unit as anything but novelty, and I guess novelty has its place in the pop landscape. Unfortunately, it … Continue reading
New sub-unit Super Junior-L.S.S. has somehow become the most prolific project from the group, releasing multiple Japanese tracks and now the one-two punch of Suit Up and C’mon. Though it had high points, Suit Up squandered much of its potential by failing to find an engaging chorus to compliment its fun funk instrumental. Follow-up C’mon … Continue reading
Super Junior-L.S.S. made their debut last summer with the fun Close The Shutter. They’re the sixth Super Junior sub-unit, consisting of members Leeteuk, Shindong and Siwon. Beyond the unique configuration of members, I’m not sure if L.S.S. have a specific musical goal different from Super Junior itself, but thus far their songs have veered toward … 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
Before the end-of-year countdowns next month, I like to take a look at many of K-pop’s biggest agencies and see how their year went. Obviously, 2023 is not over yet so any upcoming changes to an agency’s grade will be reflected next year. We’ve got a lot to pick apart over the coming weeks, so … 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
Wow, it’s been a loooong time since I’ve written about a new single from Zhoumi. He picked a hell of a day to make a long-awaited comeback with SM Entertainment! I can’t help but feel bad for the guy. New single Mañana pairs him with Super Junior’s Eunhyuk, a member he used to work with … Continue reading
Hey, it’s that guy who’s technically part of Super Junior but never performs with them anymore! I find this situation (and the reason behind it) quite odd, but I’m happy Sungmin still gets to release solo music. In the case of Lovesick (사랑이 따끔), he’s bringing a blast of upbeat trot music. I appreciate trot … Continue reading
September-October 2008 Overall Thoughts In addition to my monthly K-pop round-up, I’ve taken a look at my favorite three singles from each month since 2009 and factored them into my ultimate Bias List scorecard, which can be found here. The problem is, prior to 2009 it becomes harder to find reliable sources for K-pop release … 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
May-June 2008 Overall Thoughts In addition to my monthly K-pop round-up, I’ve taken a look at my favorite three singles from each month since 2009 and factored them into my ultimate Bias List scorecard, which can be found here. The problem is, prior to 2009 it becomes harder to find reliable sources for K-pop release … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 