Tag: k-pop
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Pop Excellence: Best K-pop songs of 2025
It’s my favorite time of year: the annual best K-pop songs ranking over at my friend Kayla’s blog (which I’ve come to deem Kayla-pop)! This year, I had the privilege of gushing about KiiiKiii, Hearts2Hearts, and Dayoung, among many others. I’ve shared my picks and blurbs below, but I’d highly recommend checking out the full…
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Concert Review: Song Sohee’s Killing Voice
Before South Korean folk musician Song Sohee sings a single note, she introduces herself to the audience with a joke: “It’s your first time seeing somebody on this channel in a hanbok, huh? It’s my first time here, too” (Song). This joke highlights the unexpected space between folk musician and pop star that Song has…
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Our Favorite K-pop Singles of 2024: 1-10
And finally, I wrote about XG’s “IYKYK” and tripleS’ “Girls Never Die.” The Girls Never Die blurb, in particular, might be some of the best music writing I’ve done in years. XG – IYKYK Personality quiz: which act of lyrical terrorism from XG’s “IYKYK” will get stuck in your head, resulting in you Stockholm Syndrome-ing…
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Our Favorite K-pop Singles of 2024: 11-20
I wrote about Katseye’s “Touch” and Rose and Bruno Mars’ “APT.” for this list – check out what I wrote, along with the amazing blurbs from everybody else who participated! Katseye – Touch There’s a reason repetition works so effectively in love songs–there’s something about a crush that can warp your brain, keep it playing…
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Our Favorite K-pop Singles of 2024: Intros and Honorable Mentions
Hi, everybody! It’s always a pleasure to join my friend Kayla over at Pop Excellence and contribute to her annual list of top 20 K-pop singles: I wrote about Lisa and Rosalia’s “New Woman” here! Lisa (ft. Rosalia) – New Woman Whether warbling about dolla bills or teaching us all Japanese, Lisa has cemented herself…
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Pop Excellence: Best K-pop songs of 2023
My good friend Kayla has been kind enough to invite me into an annual tradition: over at her blog, Pop Excellence, she recruits K-pop critics and fans to collectively hash out (and write about) the best songs of the year. I was lucky enough to contribute a whopping six (!!) blurbs to this year’s list,…
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February Fashion Challenge, Day 3: I was really hoping that he will come through
Anybody who knows me knows how much I love K-pop girl groups. I love awkwardly following K-pop choreography and miming high notes in my shower. I’ve lost hours of my life breaking down LOONA’s music videos frame-by-frame and falling down Twitter conspiracy theory rabbit holes. I literally wrote a 20-page college paper on Produce 101…
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Loneliness, self-love, and the strength to keep going in Lee Hi’s “HOLO”
I woke up last Wednesday morning with my left shoulder out-of-place. Unable to sleep the night before, I had wrapped my arms around my pillow, conjuring a warm body in its place. There was nobody left when I opened my eyes – just a phantom throb. A reminder of emptiness. It is stubborn, this ghost.…