2018 has been pretty light on debuts from K-pop’s bigger agencies, making me wonder if the industry’s rapid proliferation has started to slow. This is advantageous for rookies currently seeking …
Read More »[Review] GFriend are a perfect fit in Japan with “Memoria” and its uplifting chorus
GFriend debuting in Japan always just made sense, as their concept and sound always seemed to an ideal fit. Well, it took a while for an original release, but they’ve …
Read More »[Review] WJSN’s “Save Me Save You” unfolds gently but ends up as something rather majestic
WJSN debuted with a pretty airtight sound, melding the trends of the day with a spacey, synth-filled style in keeping with their group name. Over the past two years, they’ve …
Read More »[Review] UNI.T go out with a bang on high-energy, hook-centric “I Mean”
‘The Unit‘ may not have drawn huge ratings, but the series has spawned a universally solid run of singles. This is surprising, as I wouldn’t normally trust a huge conglomerate …
Read More »[Review] Dreamcatcher continue to excel on intense, vocal-centered “What”
Dreamcatcher may have concluded one nightmare with “You And I“, but they’ve been teasing the start of a new one for over a week now in form of “What“. There’s …
Read More »[Review] GOT7’s “Lullaby” is an improvement, but is still hit-and-miss
Back in March, GOT7 became Exhibit A in my diatribe about messy K-pop verses. Their “Look“ was only half a great song, with its memorable chorus waylaid by all the …
Read More »[Review] EXO’s Chanyeol & Sehun team up and execute chill vibe nicely on “We Young”
Lately, it feels like SM Station has become an extended teaser for that new EXO album we’ve all been waiting for. It’s hard to believe that six years into their …
Read More »[Review] SHINee manage to elevate “Countless” and impressively come through with more quality in 2018
After the ambitious release of three promoted title tracks this spring, SHINee certainly don’t owe us any more material in 2018. Yet, here they are, returning to put a bow …
Read More »[Review] Oh My Girl’s “Remember Me” comes with a fascinating chorus that’s sure to divide
After a brief detour into monkey-themed madness with sub-unit Banhana, Oh My Girl have returned as a full group, picking up where they left off with January’s stately “Secret Garden“. …
Read More »[Review] Pentagon continue down familiar path on “Naughty Boy”, which is still a lot of fun
There’s no shame in seeking to replicate the success of a hit single. MOMOLAND did it earlier this year when “BAAM“ all but plagiarized their own “Bboom Bboom“, and now …
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