Kpop

by Nick on October 1, 2023 at 2:13 pm

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 → […]

by Nick on September 30, 2023 at 2:08 pm

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 2023 Overall Thoughts After a very strong August, it felt like we entered the K-pop … Continue reading → […]

by Nick on September 29, 2023 at 2:45 pm

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 → […]

by Nick on September 29, 2023 at 4:32 am

Jungkook has found a winning formula with singles that cater to Y2K pop sounds and feature a popular American rapper. His summer hit Seven proved more durable then expected, offering a breezy take on garage music with a simple — but addictive — hook. If Seven borrowed liberally from Fill Me In era Craig David, … Continue reading → […]

by Nick on September 28, 2023 at 2:05 pm

Given that this week is Chuseok, there have been way more K-pop (and K-pop adjacent) releases than I’d expected. Even so, today is empty until a trio of soloists return at midnight. Luckily, I missed a song from yesterday. Kwangmin is a member of Boyfriend (now known as BF) — one of K-pop’s most underrated … Continue reading → […]

by Nick on September 27, 2023 at 1:27 pm

Though I still wouldn’t call myself a fan, XG’s music has appealed to me more and more as their discography has grown. Last month’s New Dance was a catchy earworm, while GRL GVNG felt like their most convincing hip-hop track yet. After months of pre-releases, their first EP has finally been released alongside the music … Continue reading → […]

by Nick on September 27, 2023 at 1:22 pm

Oh, come on now! That song title is so cheesy it’s got me physically cringing. Yet, its earnestness is also disarming in a way, and this perfectly illustrates the duality of K-pop. BYOB is the first of two tracks from Billlie, the second of which will be released next month. It’s a breezy trifle of … Continue reading → […]

by Nick on September 27, 2023 at 5:12 am

The Boys Planet spin-off groups continue to spawn — this time, Japanese style! TOZ consists of trainees Anthonny, Hart, Yuto, and Takuto. During my recaps of the series, I made no bones about my soft spot for quirky Takuto. It became a bit of a running gag but was mostly serious. He’s got his own … Continue reading → […]

by Nick on September 26, 2023 at 3:45 pm

ITZY have been releasing Japanese material for some time now, leading up to the release of their first J-pop album next month. Prior to this, they’ve dropped the music video for the album’s promotional single. Ringo (or “Apple,” if you want an English translation) feels like their K-pop sound transcoded onto Japan, which should please … Continue reading → […]

by Nick on September 26, 2023 at 2:05 pm

When looking back at their discography, I released it’s been a couple of years since a ONEUS title track really grabbed me. Their music is always solid and they come back frequently, but their sound has been stuck in this nebulous zone since 2021, borrowing from various trends rather than developing their own perspective. Baila … Continue reading → […]