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Purple Kiss’“memeM” Questions Expectations By Leaning In
Purple Kiss made a splash by debuting last year with a look and sound that are punkish and power-driven, portraying themselves as less girl power and alpha female than predators seeking prey. Their...
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Music & Lyrics: Marry Me?
Weddings are often seen as the pinnacle of romance. They are the event that transforms a relationship into something permanent, that shifts from being merely dating into life partners; two people...
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Side B: The Brighter Side of TXT
Fairly quickly after their debut, TXT found their sound. They carved a niche for themselves in the Gen Z, pop-punk, “shouting about societal failures and dancing while you do so” lane, and it was a...
View ArticleThe SB Mixtape, 06/02/2022: Take A Victory Lap
Hey, you. Yes, you. You are awesome, and you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. In fact, you should take a victory lap. It’s human nature to downplay our accomplishments, whether from modesty or the...
View ArticleThe SB Mixtape, 04/24/2023: The K-pop Speakeasy
Few locations are as instantly evocative as the speakeasy. It was a fairly localized and short-lived concept– only in the United States, and even then only through Prohibition–but the snapshot it...
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Aespa Become Servants Of Their Music On “My World”
It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly a year since Aespa’s last release. Oh, they’ve been active–international appearances, sold out concerts, an announcement that they’ll be attending the Cannes...
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“Icky” Sees Kard Dive Into The Surreal
It’s been close to a year since Kard’s latest single, and while “Ring The Alarm” was a more laid back outing from them, “Icky” sees Kard regain not just their dark edge, but their bite. “Icky” is a...
View ArticleThe SB Mixtape, 6/15/2023: Birthday Blues
There comes a time in life when birthdays stop being fun and start being mildly terrifying. Mine was three days ago and its rough. It was hard enough being in my mid-twenties, but I am not emotionally...
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VAV Explore the Dark Side of Devotion on “Subconscious”
VAV is one of those groups who have perpetually floated under the radar. They always had a decent amount of international fans, but struggled domestically, and when 2020 came and members began their...
View ArticleThe SB Mixtape, 8/14/2023: K-Proselytizing
Hello, have you heard about our lord and savior, K-pop? There is something in the human soul, that I choose to believe is a form of benevolent generosity, wherein when we find something we love, we...
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Jihyo’s “Zone” is a Job Half-Done
When a member of a popular idol group debuts as a solo artist, there are two main goals: to set that debut apart from their group, and to establish the persona of the idol as an individual. While...
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Key Struggles with the Price of Bad Habits on “Good & Great”
Following the success of his retro horror trilogy, Key has shifted many gears for his next project. His second EP, Good & Great, is not a complete 180, but rather a refocusing. He is still retro,...
View ArticleThe SB Mixtape, 10/05/2023: Girl’s Night In
The girl’s night out is a near-sacred experience. Getting together with your friends for a wild night, nurturing those platonic bonds via debauchery, chaos, and all agreeing to never speak of The...
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(G)I-dle Abandon Their Identity in “Heat”
It is a truth universally acknowledged that musicians will always seek overseas success. It’s a simple math problem: the more people who hear your music, the more fans you can have. And while most...
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B.I’s “Love Or Loved, Part 2” Earns Its Second Half
Multi-part albums are a difficult sell in the current landscape. Over the last few years, they’ve become a cheap gimmick, a way to link projects that have little in common, thematically or musically,...
View ArticleThe SB Mixtape, 1/25/2024: … If It Kills Me
I can’t speak for anyone else, but the last two months of my life have been not particularly fabulous. In no particular order, my job tried to kill me with unneeded overwork, I got three traffic...
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My Demon: Choices and Consequences
If someone told you about a drama where a demon and a CEO enter into a contract marriage, you might have some expectations. Slapstick comedy, absurdist scenarios, and the nature of evil. After all,...
View ArticleThe SB Mixtape, 3/21/2024, 9 to 5, K-pop Style
As Dolly Parton once said: Working nine to five; what a way to make a living. And yet, like most adults, I have one. Bills need paying, food needs buying, and the self needs caring, so five days a...
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“Yuq1” Highlights Yuqi’s Weaknesses
While G(i)-dle has often been associated with Soyeon’s firebrand songwriting, it’s not much of a secret that Minnie and Yuqi’s softer, more introspective songwriting has given the group’s discography...
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Jaejoong’s “Flower Garden” Never Quite Reaches Great
In a musical landscape where reinvention and sound changes are taken as intrinsically good, I’ve always felt there’s something to be said for when an artist knows where their strengths are and how to...
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