Reviews

More News

• Review: South Korean Rapper Hwaji Succeeds With A Sweeter Sound On 'Gypsy Girl' From His New Album 'Zissou' [AUDIO]

  The bulk of the material on "Zissou," released Feb. 2 by Hwaji, could be considered experimental, but when he strips down his sound on the track "Gypsy Girl" that the Korean rapper is at his best.

  02.11.16 | 7:59PM EST

• K-Pop Double Take: 2NE1's CL Takes America On Her Aggressive U.S. Pre-Release Single 'Hello Bitches' [VIDEO]

  On the 2NE1 vocalist's US debut, released Nov. 21, CL sets her sights on her competition across the Pacific. The result is a a warning shot across the bow of Western popular music.

  02.12.16 | 9:50AM EST

• K-Pop Beyond The Charts: zzapa Shows Why He Ranks Among South Korea's Elite Talent On 'Gotta Get Along Well' [AUDIO]

  South Korean R&B artist-producer zzapa's latest single "Gotta Get Along Well," released on Thursday, has all of the consistency and creativity that has made him a difficult artist to match.

  02.10.16 | 5:55PM EST

• Review: Skrillex Unleashes His Arsenal Of EDM Sounds To Create 4Minute's Sassy New Club Banger 'Hate' [VIDEO]

  "Hate," the new single from 4Minute, released on Monday as part of their seventh EP "Act.7," includes some highlights of the past work of the song's EDM celebrity producer Skrillex.

  02.02.16 | 7:21PM EST

• Album Review: K-Pop Boy Band WINNER Show An Edgier Side On Their New 5-Song EP 'EXIT: E' [AUDIO]

  After more than a year without any new releases, WINNER returned in a big way on Monday, with their new five-song EP "EXIT: E" revealing a whole new side to the K-pop boy band.

  02.02.16 | 11:51AM EST

• K-Pop Beyond The Charts: Korean Rapper Donutman Turns A Somber Piano Riff Into A Testimonial On 'Good' [AUDIO]

  Donutman doen't rely on contrived concepts or empty bombast on the mic for his single "Good," released on Tuesday, instead creating a highly musical backdrop for his skilled rapping with a somber classical piano loop.

  02.01.16 | 8:09PM EST

• K-Pop Throwback: Epik High Turns The World Into One Big Dance Party On Their 2003 Track 'GO' [AUDIO]

  On "GO," from Epik High's 2003 debut album "Map of the Human Soul," the rap trio shows how certain styles of music hold sway across the globe, highlighting the similarities we all share over our differences.

  01.29.16 | 1:35PM EST

• K-Pop Beyond The Charts: Bumkey Blends Scratch-Happy Classic Rap With 1920s Jazz On 'backindadayz' Featuring Dok2, Sanchez, Microdot [VIDEO]

  On "backindadayz," Bumkey combines "Great Gatsby"-era swing and the seminal '80s rap sound from the days when acts like Run-D.M.C., Public Enemy Eric B. & Rakim turned the turntable into an instrument.

  01.28.16 | 8:10PM EST

• Album Review: Stellar Celebrate The Eclecticism Of K-Pop On Their Exciting New EP 'Sting' [AUDIO]

  "Sting," the inventive new six-song extended play album released on Jan. 18 by the K-pop girl group Stellar is a celebration of K-pop's willingness to experiement with an endless variety of musical genres.

  01.27.16 | 8:38PM EST

• Review: Teen Top Lead With Their Funkiest Song In Years On 'Warning Sign' The 1st Single From The New EP 'Red Point [AUDIO]

  Though much of Teen Top's recent material, including the EP "Red Point" released on Jan. 18, shows a more introspective side of the group, "Warning Sign" is as fired up as anything in their recorded output so far.

  01.27.16 | 7:27PM EST

• Review: Why Gfriend's 'Rough' Is The K-Pop Girl Group's Best Offering Yet [VIDEO]

  On Monday, the six-member South Korean pop act GFriend's released their best song yet with the melodic dance single "Rough," proving that this girl group has staying power.

  01.26.16 | 2:09PM EST

• K-Pop Double Take: Zion. T Brings Together The Best Of The Past And Present On 'No Make Up' [VIDEO]

  On the single "No Make Up," released on Oct. 15, the 26-year-old South Korean hip-hop artist and producer Zion. T demonstrates a deep knowledge of the past while still sounding contemporary.

  01.25.16 | 8:08PM EST