With a title like “Dumb Litty,” the only feeling I could muster around the lead-up to KARD’s new single was morbid curiosity. How bad would it actually be? Yeah, I …
Read More »[Review] Dreamcatcher deliver a standout in “Deja Vu” by turning the volume both up & down
Dreamcatcher are calling ‘Raid Of Dream‘ a special mini, likely due to the ‘King’s Raid‘ mobile game tie-in, but the teasers for “Deja Vu” also seemed to indicate they would …
Read More »[Review] ANS’s “BOOM BOOM” more mindless repetition than song
When 2019 is over, I have a feeling that the year will have set a record for debut groups. Though my opinion on 2019’s K-pop slate has soured over the …
Read More »[Review] SEVENTEEN help elevate the moody trope of “Fear”
I’ve made peace with the fact that Seventeen’s funky days are (largely) behind them. International audiences seem to prefer “dark” concepts, and worldwide fame is too tempting to ignore. The …
Read More »[Review] IZ*ONE get a shockingly poor mix on underdeveloped “Vampire”
Back in February, IZ*ONE made their Japanese debut with the stirring Suki to Iwasetai. It remains my highest-rated song by the group, but it turned out to be a total …
Read More »[Review] Produce 101 Japan’s “It’s Coming” builds to a fittingly obvious climax
There was a time when I would have been excited by the prospect of a Japanese Produce 101 spin-off, but the series has reached the point of over saturation. I’m …
Read More »[Review] Dreamcatcher (barely) managed to make a mesh of trop house & rock work on “Breaking Out”
The primary reason I fell in love with Dreamcatcher was that their music meshed extremely well with my preferences. Sure, things escalated from there but it always comes back to …
Read More »[Review] CLC merge their past & present towards their future in relentless & catchy “Devil”
2019 has been a rough year for K-pop. It’s only motivated me to write a review, one way or the other, a handful of times in the past few months …
Read More »[Review] MOMOLAND go cheerleaders on helium in Japan for “Pinky Love”
After their incredible 2018 success, Momoland are in the process of navigating the tricky business of follow-ups. Their name is known throughout Asia, and they’ve attempted to capitalize on that …
Read More »[Review] Sunmi sacrifices melody for attitude on “LALALAY”
Since debuting as a soloist, Sunmi has been a reliable producer of high-quality, slightly left-of-center K-pop. She had a particularly strong 2018, perfecting a musical style that drew heavily on …
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