Showing off her powerful vocals in her new ‘adult ballad’ single, “Are You There”, Ali reminds us of the popular old K.I.S.S. principle — “keep it simple, stupid!”. To get …
Read More »[Review] BTS churn out a cloying commercial jingle with “Permission To Dance”
There’s a fine line between polished, sugary radio pop and cloying commercial jingle, and that difference was perfectly illustrated by BTS’s “Dynamite” and “Butter“. The two songs are quite similar in sound, style …
Read More »[Review] (G)I-DLE’s Soyeon is assertive on an otherwise bland “Beam Beam”
In perhaps the most unsurprising K-pop news of 2021, (G)I-DLE’s Soyeon has released her first solo album. I mean, she technically debuted as a soloist in 2017 before re-debuting as …
Read More »[Review] Taeyeon’s “Weekend” is SME’s “Say So” without the enduring hook
Despite being best known for her ballads, some of Taeyeon’s most enduring work has spawned from daring musical turns. Songs like “Something New” and “I Got Love” harnessed rhythmic energy …
Read More »[Review] OMEGA X provides a second chance, but after “VAMOS” they might need a third
Think of OMEGA X as the idol group version of 2017’s The Unit. The group attempts to take members of disbanded (or disbanding?) acts and bring them together for a …
Read More »[Review] Nissy puts his own stamp on retro trend with “Do Do”
Nissy has released a string of singles this year, forging a cinematic universe with a series of music videos that see him teleporting from place to place. This teleportation power …
Read More »[Review] Pink Fantasy compare favorably with Dreamcatcher on potent “Poison”, which deserves to be their breakout
Honestly, I was concerned about Pink Fantasy for a while. After making their debut back in 2018, they transitioned to a darker horror type concept in mid-2019 with “Fantasy” that …
Read More »[Review] Brave Girls deliver on their summer anthem promise with the undeniably fun “Chi Mat Ba Ram”
By their own admission, Brave Girls were about to disband earlier this year, but following the famous revival of “Rollin’” the group now has new life and have shot up …
Read More »[Review] TWICE step out of the box on “Alcohol-Free”, which could’ve used a shot
TWICE have made a conscious effort to mature their sound of late, with standout tracks like “I Can’t Stop Me” and “Cry For Me” showcasing that they can definitely do …
Read More »[Review] EXO’s “Don’t Fight The Feeling” does fight itself
With four members currently enlisted in the military, EXO have released their first album in nineteen months. “Don’t Fight The Feeling” arrives with much anticipation, including my own. As one of …
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