DIA have made their first comeback of 2018 with “Woo Woo“, and it’s also their first without the recently departed Eunjin. While there was minor controversy before its release due …
Read More »[Review] D-CRUNCH at least manage to stand out in “Palace” debut
After a few years of immense growth, K-pop hasn’t seen all that many notable debuts so far in 2018. The industry has become more infatuated with limited run project groups …
Read More »[Review] LOONA debut as 12 with “FavOriTe” and prove to be worth the wait
LOONA effectively got underway back towards the end of 2016, and now just under two years later, we finally get to see all 12 girls together in a release. While …
Read More »[Review] Stray Kids’s “My Pace” goes for hype but suffers with erratic sound
Rookie group Stray Kids released my favorite debut of the year with March’s “District 9“. That track positioned them as an exciting new force in K-pop, blending trendy hip-hop with …
Read More »[Review] Red Velvet go back to ‘red’ side and come up with surprisingly bland “Power Up”
Red Velvet is coming off an excellent 2017, with four of their songs (“Peek-A-Boo“, “You Better Know“, “Talk To Me“, “Red Flavor“) ending up as my favorites of the year. …
Read More »[Review] KAT-TUN thrives with “Unstoppable” thanks to its unrelenting energy
After their reemergence with April’s excellent “Ask Yourself“, KAT-TUN released their first full-length album in four years. Its diverse set of songs does a good job encapsulating the group’s 12-year …
Read More »[Review] iKON’s performance salvages “Killing Me” from lack of peak after constant build
iKON made quite a splash when they debuted in late 2015, but 2018 has really been their coming out party. Not only was “Love Scenario” one of this year’s biggest …
Read More »[Review] SF9’s unconventional “Now Or Never” adds welcome wrinkle
Over the course of their young career, SF9 have tackled a number of concepts. This constant shift in sounds may make it difficult for casual listeners to get into their …
Read More »[Review] LABOUM start fresh with successfully alluring “Between Us”
LABOUM initially attracted my attention with a series of peppy and catchy tracks like “Aalow Aalow“ (this is still THE shit, I don’t care), “Hwi Hwi“, and “Only U“, all …
Read More »[Review] ASTRO’s rather unique “Always You” powered by standout performances
ASTRO have been put through the wringer these past few months, as their agency Fantagio came dangerously close to collapsing. This pushed a planned June comeback to July, restricting the …
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