There are as many romantic metaphors as there are love songs, but certain patterns can be found. This playlist is a brief celebration of one of them: drawing on the natural, the elemental. Whether this device is used to emphasize love’s mysteriousness, its ferocity, or its omnipresence, the vibrant imagery of a good nature-inspired lyric is no joke….which I suppose, is precisely the point ..read more

Welcome back to another instalment of For Your Viewing Pleasure, where we take time out of the week to curate a set of photos from the K-pop landscape. Contrast always adds something interesting. Whether it’s a contrast in music styles for K-pop idols or playing the boy-next-door after playing a murderer in a K-drama, dichotomy makes for fun times. Similarly, today’s collection of photos leans into a “sunshine” or a “midnights” type of theme. From Jeong Yi-seo‘s sweetness-personified look — and her tanghulu lips complete with a strawberry touch — to resident K-pop vampires, Enhypen, take ..read more

Welcome to another edition of SB Week in Review. Here’s all the news you might have missed over the past week: Headlines Aespa‘s Winter underwent surgery for a collapsed lung and will be taking a break from activities while she recovers. The 1st Asia Star Entertainment Awards were held this week with Stray Kids taking home the daesang and album of the year. TXT was crowned best artist, and Jungkook‘s “Seven” won best song. Debuts & Comebacks ONF took a darker turn with “Bye My Monster.” Standing Egg dropped the single “Shinedrop.” Epex explored the highs and lows of youth with “Br ..read more

Influential dancer Boogaloo Kin, commenting on his participation in J-Hope’s new docuseries Hope on the Street, stated, “I didn’t agree to this because J-Hope of BTS asked me. To me, you’re just Hoseok, the kid I met when I was young… who asked many questions with a twinkle in his eye.” The trajectory of J-Hope’s career has led to a search to rediscover the twinkle he had as young Jung Hoseok. His 2018 mixtape Hope World explores his J-Hope persona, from exuding bold confidence in “Baseline” or “Airplane,” to declaring his purpose as a “P.O.P. (Piece of Peace)” for others. His gritty 2022 alb ..read more

Well, look at that — April is here! If you’re a student or a teacher, that means you may be reaching the point where you want summer vacation to just start. So, we need a shot of energy to help us make it through the day, through the week, through the next month. And what better place to turn for that energy than K-pop? Look no further than TXT‘s life crisis anthem “Quarter Life,” IU‘s magical composition “Shopper,” or Le Sserafim‘s hip-moving bop “Smart” — and more — for all of the energy you need to keep going ..read more

Embarking on a journey with the beginning of their ‘Storm’ series last year, Tempest ventured head first into a turbulent storm as they expressed their aspirations for recognition as artists. “Dangerous” was a great start to their adventure, showcasing the members’ vivid charms. Though after going deeper into the storm, the wind and waves proved to be relentlessly fierce as “Vroom Vroom” completely stripped the group of their unique musical color. But as the saying goes, no storm can last forever. And with different styles and ambitions, Tempest have finally made it out of the intense downpou ..read more

Welcome back to another instalment of For Your Viewing Pleasure, where we take time out of the week to curate a set of photos from the K-pop landscape. Sultry and sexy is one way to go when it comes to photoshoots and fashion, but on the other end of the spectrum lies a refreshing and cheerful style to light up the senses. Bright colors pop and draw the eye, especially with the blues that spotlight Noh Sang-hyun and Park Chang-hoon. Sistar‘s Bora offers a different take by charming in white and an adorable hairstyle. Clothes and hair aren’t everything either, with Yuna Kim‘s use of flamboyant ..read more

Welcome to another edition of SB Week in Review. Here’s all the news you might have missed over the past week: Headlines Actress Jeon Jongseo (Burning, Money Heist: Korea) had several rumours of school violence bullying allegations online. Her agency, ANDMARQ, has denied all accusations, and plan to take legal action against unfounded comments and posts. Debuts & Comebacks TXT returned with a fantastical MV for “Deja Vu“. Lucas made his debut as a solo act with “Renegade“. Bang Yedam and Aespa‘s Winter collaborated for “Officially Cool“. Cube‘s new boy group Nowadays debuted with “OoW ..read more

Many veteran artists had comebacks this month, some of whom made long-awaited returns, like Chungha and Day6. BoA, Super Junior D&E, Dynamicduo, and Highlight showed their impressive longevity with their comebacks, while Davichi released a bittersweet final single with their company. BTS’ V and J-Hope also both had releases while enlisted in the military. On the other hand, March also brought listeners numerous debuts and releases from rookie groups (and, in one case, a new project group). This edition of Unsung Artists is dedicated to some of the promising new voices who made a strong imp ..read more

Amidst the enormous pool of fourth and fifth generation K-pop talent, it’s not easy to make a splash. Despite coming from a small company, Kiss of Life did just that with their July 2023 debut. The members, a quartet of industry veterans, have brought consistent skills and striking confidence to all their releases so far, and that continues with their new single “Midas Touch.”   What sets “Midas Touch” apart from previous Kiss of Life comebacks is its incredibly literal interpretation of the Y2K trend—still thriving in K-pop, though arguably past its peak popularity and relevance. As an ..read more