The rise of Chungha as a soloist has been astonishing to watch. While she finished in the top four of ‘Produce 101‘‘s first season, she always seemed to be overshadowed …
Read More »[Review] GFriend’s “Sunny Summer” is simple but thrives on execution
In the heated battle to release 2018’s K-pop song of the summer, GFriend have pulled out the big guns and enlisted producer Duble Sidekick for their new title track. Duble …
Read More »[Review] Triple H leans all the way in on nostalgia with (effectively) repetitive “Retro Future”
Triple H made their unit debut in May of 2017, bringing together soloist HyunA and Pentagon members Hui and E’Dawn to form a trouble-making trio. “365 Fresh“ was a wonderfully …
Read More »[Review] SEVENTEEN seem to coast a bit with the surprisingly modest “Oh My”
Since their debut in 2015, SEVENTEEN has established themselves as an idol group that never disappoints. There’s a sense of comfort whenever they return because you know the song won’t …
Read More »[Review] MAMAMOO don’t quite find the right fit with Latin pop on “Egotistic”
After kicking off the year with the colorful music video for power ballad “Paint Me“, MAMAMOO have embarked on a release schedule centered around colors and seasons. March gave us …
Read More »[Review] Gugudan SEMINA’s talents prove more memorable than “SEMINA” itself
Before there was Gugudan, there were Sejeong, Mina, and Nayoung, who made a splash during the first evaluation of ‘Produce 101‘. Their performance unleashed vocal firepower, but their work in …
Read More »[Review] SKY-HI mixes hip-hop, ska, alternative sounds on jubilant “Snatchaway”
Though their music differs vastly in sound, I like to think of AAA as J-pop’s answer to Big Bang. AAA’s members form a uniquely amazing unit when put together, but are …
Read More »[Review] TWICE switch things up on fun but underproduced “Dance The Night Away”
The competition for Korea’s girl group song of summer is incredibly tight this year, with almost every big name throwing their hat in the ring. TWICE has an edge based …
Read More »[Review] Holland takes a confident step forward on “I’m Not Afraid”
Holland made waves earlier this year as Korea’s first openly gay idol star, and most of us were happy to overlook a relatively subdued (some would even say “dull”) debut …
Read More »[Review] Lovelyz’s “Wag-zak” feels and sounds like a perfunctory summer release
I’m never one to balk at the thought of new music, but “Wag-zak“’s existence is a bit of a head-scratcher. Released quietly on a weekend, days before the comeback of another …
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