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CLC Set A Good Foundation With “No. 1”
CLC has long had problems with their image. Namely, they don’t have one, not really. Like many other groups searching for that breakthrough song, they’ve cycled through a plethora of concepts, from...
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TST Fail to “Wake Up” an Audience
After making a splash with their debut in 2017, Top Secret unfortunately faded into the K-pop landscape; something not helped by the conviction of member Kyeongha for sexual assault last June....
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Tiffany’s ‘Lips On Lips’ Fails to Ride Trends
One of the most interesting aspects of the slow disbandment of Girls’ Generation is the many different directions the ladies have taken their music — Taeyeon’s got that pop-rock lean, Seohyun turned...
View ArticleThe SB Playlist: 2/28/2019, Should Be A Bond Theme
Bond. James Bond. There’s something about that three-word phrase that just kicks the imagination into overdrive. Explosions, gadgets, women; it’s all encompassed in that simple utterance. Of course,...
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Sunmi’s Dark Wit Captivates in “Noir”
2018 saw the resurgence of female soloists fully take shape, with women taking the stage in evocative ways; bringing their own life experiences to K-pop in a way that hadn’t happened before. Among...
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VAV’s “Thrilla Killa” is Unsettling in All the Wrong Ways
The most apparent aspect of Thrilla Killa is the shift away from 70s and 80s influences for a modern dance sound. Honestly, this feels like a serious misstep for VAV, as their throwback sound was...
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Black Pink’s “Kill This Love” Is An Aesthetic Mess
2019 is proving to be an ambitious year for Black Pink, what with their American debut, touring North America and Europe, and slot performing at none other than Coachella. Given that those latter two...
View ArticleThe SB Mixtape: 4/10/2019, The Anti-Anxiety Edition
I am, full confession, a very anxious person. My default setting is to expect the worst possible outcome for everything. Normally, I cope with this by preparing for all scenarios and burying my nerves...
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Music & Lyrics: God Save the Queens
There’s something special about the idea of queens. Often thought of as one half of a pair, queens have long captivated the mind as an all-too-rare example of a powerful woman. She might be sweet,...
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Verivery’s ‘Vari-able’ Fails to Achieve Its Full Potential
Following their successful debut in January, Verivery has made their first comeback. Attracting attention with their bright debut, “Ring Ring Ring” and EP Veri-us, their new offering, Veri-able is in...
View ArticleSide B: The Many Facets of Eric Nam
Eric Nam has always tread an interesting line, split between idol and indie. He’s a singer-songwriter who utilises that most classic of instruments: the acoustic guitar. Yet, he’s also built a sizable...
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“The Fifth Season” Showcases Classic and New Oh My Girl
It’s indisputable that the K-pop market has shifted to minis and even digital singles over full albums, but sometimes that has weird ripples. For instance, a group passing it’s four year anniversary...
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Ladies’ Code Enchant In “Feedback”
It’s been over 2 years since Ladies Code has promoted as a group. They’ve been present, with multiple members making solo debuts, but it’s been a while since the trio was, well, a trio. Now returning...
View ArticleThe SB Mixtape, 05/22/2019: Coping With Horrendous Disappointment
2019 has let me down. Yes, the entire year. We’re not even halfway through but I am already fed up with everything. It’s not even that 2019 has been worse than 2018; it’s that I started with such high...
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Yoona’s ‘A Walk To Remember’ Is Easy To Forget
I’ve had a long-standing fascination with the solo debuts of Girl’s Generation. I’m not entirely sure why. Maybe it’s a sense of morbid curiosity to see if they can define a sound for themselves out...
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Side B: The Confidence of Gugudan
It’s hard to believe that it’s been three years since Gugudan debuted with “Wonderland”. In the interim, they’ve gone coy, catty, kooky, and confident. There’s also been the debuts of two subunits,...
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Chungha Flaunts Herself on “Flourishing”
Chungha is continuing her quest to become the next queen of K-pop. After her early year single “Gotta Go,” she is returned with a summer-targeted EP, Flourishing. It is a decent release and lead...
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Nature Embraces Vanity in “I’m So Pretty”
The summer of 2019 is heating its peak in the northern hemisphere. K-pop summer songs are doing the same. One contender in the race for song of the summer is “I’m So Pretty” by girl group Nature....
View ArticleThe SB Mixtape 7/18/2019: Report To The Dance Floor
There are songs you can dance to. There are songs you want to dance to. And then there are songs that you have to dance to. The songs that instantly fill the dance floor. The universal jams. The songs...
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NCT Dream Make An About- Face in “Boom”
There are some groups where a change in concept is expected, some where it’s encouraged, and some where it comes out so far out of left field, it was in the stands. NCT Dream is one of those groups....
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