Quite like wrapped chocolate, with CIX, you know what you’re going to get. The well-rounded four piece make good use of what they have. Their voices sit nicely next to each other like siblings on a bench in a family photo; there is no standout timbre, but rather always a comfortableness to their sound. Cinema…
Category: Album Reviews
BSS Turn Up the Energy with Second Mini-Album “TELEPARTY”
January can often feel bleak, but SEVENTEEN’s unit BSS (BooSeokSoon) provide much-needed vitamin supplements to make us happy and cheerful. It’s been two years since BSS released the mini-album Second Wind, which saw them go viral and achieve record-breaking figures thanks to its title track, the optimistic Fighting (feat. Lee Young Ji). The unit, consisting…
K-Pop 2024: Hits, Highlights, and Rising Stars
As 2025 approaches, let’s reflect on the successes of K-pop in 2024. The industry, as always, has proven to be a treasure chest of gold. Over the past twelve months, we’ve witnessed countless releases, sold-out tours, and the debuts of many promising rookie groups. It wouldn’t be the phenomenon it is without the endless creativity…
Riaan & Dane: Promising Soloists Make Their Debuts
2024 has been a fantastic year for Asian musicians. BABYMETAL are still going strong, Beabadoobee, Audrey Nuna, Laufey, Peggy Gou, Griff, Sarah Kinsley, and ATARASHII GAKKO! all dropped huge albums, and beloved artists of their niches like yeule, ONE OK ROCK, two of the three DPRs (and endless others) all made releases in the past…
Taemin Embraces Sensual Power in His New EP “ETERNAL”
SHINee’s Lee Taemin can be described in various ways, but he is undoubtedly an artist who is a risk-taker and who isn’t afraid to blur the lines of gender and the exploration of sexuality in his artistry. His 2023 album Guilty signalled a return to form following his military discharge, indulging in sensuality with songs…
Creativity and Artistry in Jimin’s “MUSE” – EP Review
Originally conceived in classical Greek Mythology, nine muses were born from the union of Zeus and Mnemosyne, one for each night the couple slept together. However, it was Apollo and the nymph Eufime who raised them, thus literally and metaphorically giving birth to the association between the muses and the arts. While traditionally the muses…
ALL(H)OURS Takes You on an Electronic Joyride in Their First Comeback EP “WITNESS”
Whipping up something a little bit different than the edgy pots-and-pans music making the rounds in the K-pop boy group recording booths, ALL(H)OURS made a promising debut six months ago. Their sound is loud – there’s no doubt about that. But it’s drenched in thicker layers of EDM, and a little bit less of the…
Deliciously Smooth And A Little Bit Cheeky: Young R&B Artist cyd’s EP “SAVIOR” Review
What’s the smoothest thing you can think of? Likely velvet and silk; honey and butter spring to mind instantaneously at the thought. But there’s a handful of singers whose voices flow like they’ve never experienced a cough or a croak once in decades – and the sound is a top contender for that earlier question….
K.Will’s “No Sad Song For My Broken Heart”: A Heart-rending Journey Through Love and Loss
If you enjoy Korean ballads and the more melancholic side of K-pop, you are likely familiar with Kim Hyung-soo, better known as K.Will. Since making his debut in 2007, the artist has established himself as a singer with one of the most powerful voices in the Korean music industry. K. Will is also affectionately referred…
ATEEZ Search for Their Golden Hour with New Mini-Album “Golden Hour: Part 1”
Being able to stand out amongst the ever-growing K-pop groups of today is no easy feat, but ATEEZ makes it look simple, as proven by their tenth mini-album, Golden Hour: Part 1. The eight members have said goodbye to their pirate world but still provide the treasure with six golden tracks. Following the success of…
VIEW OF THE ARTS 