Admittedly, the solo career of Jackson Wang (GOT7) wasn’t for me initially. Frankly, I was baffled by a lot of his choices (or the choices that were made for him) …
Read More »[Review] Brave Girls provide straightforward nu-disco fun on “Thank You”
Following the revival of “Rollin’” and their careers along with it, Brave Girls delivered an impressive follow-up mini in ‘Summer Queen‘, and the repackage that included “After We Ride” was …
Read More »[Review] Cherry Bullet continue to carve out their place in K-pop with energetic, dramatic “Love In Space”
Considering the growth of FNC Entertainment in recent years, it’s kind of perplexing that Cherry Bullet has only had two single albums and two mini albums (including ‘Cherry Wish‘) in …
Read More »[Review] Rocket Punch’s “CHIQUITA” injects some life into 2022 with synthy quality
Things have been relatively dull in K-pop over the last month or so aside from maybe a few standouts, and at least I’m not alone in that feeling since Korea …
Read More »[Music Video Review] Taeyeon’s beautiful “INVU” invokes Artemis & Orion
While “INVU” was at least a solid addition to Taeyeon‘s discography, the song was outpaced by its music video, which even at the surface level was a gorgeous work of …
Read More »[Review] Jo Ha Eun makes her mark with the intimate “LOVE IS BAD”
Either I’m missing something or Jo Ha Eun (Instagram) is extremely new to the scene, having debuted just late last year (with “Aiya“). Either way, stumbling upon her music was …
Read More »[Review] DAHADA get it “RIGHT” with promising debut
DAHADA (YouTube, Instagram) are new to the scene, making their debut some weeks ago with “RIGHT“, and it’s a hell of a start for the co-ed five-person band consisting of …
Read More »[Review] Hyolyn reminds us what we’ve been missing on sultry & sexy “Layin’ Low”
When I think about it, Hyolyn has come off surprisingly anonymous for the last few years compared to even 2018 solo efforts, much less when she was in SISTAR. Not …
Read More »[Review] “Catch The Stars” is a simple burst of energy that should help woo!ah! continue their gradual ascent
woo!ah! is a relatively new group that has showcased a lot of potential in the last couple years, and that’s somewhat reflected in their slowly rising popularity. While I haven’t …
Read More »[Review] ‘Cyber Trance Presents Ayu Trance 2’ is a timely reissue, reminder of J-pop’s once towering soft power
Do you like Trance? Do you like Ayumi Hamasaki? Are you a DJ? Then you probably know what this is. To the rest of you, this year marks the 20th anniversary of 'Cyber Trance presents Ayu Trance', an official remix project commissioned by Avex to get the biggest names in trance to remix their J-Pop superstar Ms. Hamasaki. It would end up being a hugely successful and influential endeavor, leading to another 3 volumes and Ayu finding her way into DJ crates around the world. For many outside of Japan, this was the gateway into 21st century J-Pop.
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