April 2011 | Pop Reviews Now

[Gayo Daejun 2012] Part 1: The 10 Best Performances

The performances I chose are some of the most creative, most confident, and best-executed performances -- they're strong from top to bottom and side to side. These are the performances that bring out some of the best talent in K-Pop, and that really do a good job of showing it off.

The 5 Best Albums of 2012

There are albums that come with fireworks and explosions left and right, but at the same time have all the foundations laid out firmly. It's those kinds of albums that made the list this year, but first I had to find them, because believe me when I say that there weren't a lot.

Six rookies to look out for in 2013

The acts on this list fall into one of those two categories -- acts who I think did a phenomenal job this year and deserve to get even bigger, and acts who I think have the potential to do well next year. These are the rookies who proved themselves, whether it be in one area or all, and managed to stand out.

[#1] Infinite - "The Chaser"

Infinite started out with material a cut above the rest of their fellow rookies and now that as permanent fixtures in K-Pop, they carry on with material that's a cut above everyone else. "The Chaser" is everything this list aims to put forward, and everything that I, as a critic, want from a song.

[#2] Ailee (with Simon D) - "Shut Up"

This is what happens when you give a good song to a good singer and do a good job delivering it. This is what happens when people in the industry pull themselves together and do a good job because they genuinely want to. This, my friends, is called magic.

Saturday, April 30, 2011

[April 30, 2011] MBC Music Core Highlights+Commentary

7:34 PM 4Minute, A Pink, After School, Big Bang, CN Blue, f(x), Infinite, Music Core, Music Show Recaps, Rainbow, x-5 5 comments

Sorry for being MIA yesterday, I had still to take care of and I wasn't feeling very well. Even now I have this horrid horrid migraine that even extra strength, "fast-acting" Advil can't remedy and any second now I'm gonna cry out in pain LOL. But enough about me. Today's MuCore was pretty bare, but that's mainly because a lot of the acts have already said goodbye, and some are just missing LOL.

Thank you SO MUCH

5:05 AM 2011 2 comments

Earlier this year, I said that 2011 is a turning point for me - so many things are happening, changing, and starting that I needed to prioritize and put PRN on hold from mid-January to mid-April.

I was away for 3 months trying to finish high school, choosing between the two top universities in the country, and preparing to leave the life I've known for the past 4 years. Those were my priorities during that time.

A few weeks back, fresh from graduation, I returned to blogging. It took me a long time, and heaps of doubts, to get into writing again, find all my old readers, and recover from 3 months of dormancy, but I did it, and I'm here. With you guys.

I'd just like to assure you that Pop Reviews Now will be my main priority this May - I will get it back to how it was just before I left, even if that means having to put out posts every day. And I would also like to thank you all SO SO SOOOO MUCH for not only welcoming me, but for waiting for me. I cannot stress enough how much PRN's success means to me, and my ambitions - thank you for helping me more than you can imagine.

I built PRN, and my reputation, with nothing less than hard work and sacrifice. Even if I'm not the most talented writer around, I would like to thank you guys for continuously reading my work, and giving me priceless feedback - the only way I know how to repay you is by assuring you that I'm not going anywhere, and that PRN will be the biggest thing on my mind this May.

After School - 'Virgin'

7:26 AM 2011, After School, Album Reviews 2 comments

After I was disappointed yesterday with "Shampoo", I didn't bother waiting up for the album anymore (partially, at least), and boy did I make a mistake. I was listening to the album all day today, and came up with my very first vlog, and my first album review since HoMin's 'Keep Your Head Down'! Yayyyy!

After School - 'Shampoo'

9:32 PM 2011, After School, Single Reviews 1 comment

After School is known for very strong songs - not always in terms of technique or musicality, but in terms of sound. "Diva" and "Ah!" were very Euro dance and it had a hit-you-over-the-head hook and loop, "Because Of You" was very angst-y with the right amount of grace, "Bang!" was punchy in a sharp kind of way, and even "LOVE LOVE LOVE" had spunk. They are known for their conviction - for the fact that they're not cutesy-cutesy and whatnot, but can still call themselves a girl group. Their music is the epitome of the concept of "girl power" in Korea.

BRING ON THE AFTER SCHOOL COMEBACK!

6:45 PM 2011, After School 1 comment

In case you weren't with me last year, I've taken quite a liking to After School, after "Bang!" drew me in. Part of me is in it for the talent, which a lot of them posses, but part of me is in it for reasons I don't know - they make me want to see them do well. I like them - they have attitude, some of them can sing, they've had both decent and amazing material over the years, and they have Jung Ah. End of. If they could all sing well, they'd most probably be my all-time favorite girl group.

So anyway. Since it's been ages since I've done any serious following with the accompanying writing, why not start with After School? This week is comeback week, so for this week, and the week after - I'll be tracing their releases.

[April 24, 2011] SBS Inkigayo Highlights + Commentary

7:21 PM 2011, 4Minute, A Pink, After School, Big Bang, CN Blue, Dal Shabet, DBSK, f(x), Girls Generation, HoMin, Infinite, Inkigayo, Music Show Recaps, Orange Caramel, Raina, Rainbow, SNSD, U-Kiss 7 comments

Inki was in Jeju today! Yay! However, when I found out that little bit of information yesterday, I was less than pleased - more like fearful for my ears. Why? Because one, you have a gazillion rookie groups on today Two, this is Inkigayo - the sound ALWAYS sucks. And three, this is Inkigayo somewhere other than the SBS studio - the sound people aren't used to the venue. Add the fact that they can't even get good results at the SBS studio week in and week out and you have a sonic disaster.

[April 23, 2011] MBC Music Core Highlights + Commentary

7:56 PM 2011, 4Minute, A Pink, After School, B1A4, Big Bang, Block B, CN Blue, Dal Shabet, DBSK, HoMin, Music Core, Music Show Recaps, Orange Caramel, Rainbow, Rania 3 comments

Yes, I will be returning with the regular three music shows a week - this is serious, until I once again get too busy to keep up. Today's MuCore had a pretty good line up, and surprisingly, MuCore sound has greatly improved! A lot of debuts today, as well as f(x)'s comeback and HoMin's farewell stage.

Let's get right into it! Read on for the recap.

[April 22, 2011] KBS Music Bank Highlights + Commentary

8:13 PM 2011, 4Minute, A Pink, Block B, CN Blue, DBSK, f(x), G.O.D., HoMin, Infinite, Music Bank, Music Show Recaps, Rainbow, TVXQ, U-Kiss, x-5 6 comments

Can't believe your eyes? Well, believe them because YES, my music show recaps are back! This is one of numerous attempts to get me back in the zone and writing, so if I do anything crazy or out of the ordinary on this, forgive me - it's been months since I last wrote one of these, and almost a year since my first recap!

A number of things sparked my comeback, but the main thing was MuBank's setlist today. It's their 600th episode (O.O), so everyone promoting was out in full-force. The performances I was holding my breath for all day? 3 members of G.O.D. doing "Lie" after a gazillion years, and HOMIN DOING "RISING SUN", as well as X-5's debut.

You ready? Well, whether or not you are, read on for a recap of today's MuBank episode!

SNSD/Girls' Generation - Mr. Taxi

7:18 PM 2011, Girls Generation, Single Reviews, SNSD 21 comments

I've always had doubts and/or not positive thoughts (not necessarily negative either) about SNSD advancing to Japan. Partially because I hate that they're getting everything so easy in Japan compared to BoA and DBSK and everyone before their generation. I'm not saying they're not working hard, but all they have to worry about now is succeeding - the generation that opened the door for them had to worry about a lot more.

The 2011 First Quarter K-Pop Report: Part 2

1:53 PM 2011, 4Minute, After School, Beast, Chi Chi, CN Blue, DBSK, Girls' Day, HoMin, Infinite, Kara, Kim Hyung Joon, Lee Haeri, Namie Amuro, Orange Caramel, Single Reviews, U-Kiss, ZE:A 15 comments

Sorry for the delay, it's just that things were hectic last week - graduation, graduates' ball, family celebrations left and right, sleepovers, gallivanting with friends in celebration, burning all my university exam reviewers and deleting all my high school files, you know, the usual? Hahah.

I've only gotten the chance to sit down and finish writing this now, with the help of my spankin' new audio technica headphones.

So far, March was THE month of releases left and right - anyone who mattered (and even those who didn't) had something out. Or at least was gearing up to have something out. And to be honest with you, majority of the major releases (LOL) were actually pretty darn good.

The 2011 First Quarter K-Pop Report: Part 1

6:00 AM 2011, 5 Dolls, Big Bang, G.NA, Gahee, IU, Jewelry, JYJ, MBLAQ, Park Jung Min, Piggy Dolls, Secret, Seungri, Single Reviews, Teen Top 9 comments

In case you haven't noticed (and I'm sure you have), I've been gone for pretty much the entire first quarter of 2011 and that's a long time in k-pop land. A LOT of things have happened and even with the short lul in releases a few weeks back, there's just so much stuff to catch up on! Believe me, it took a LOT of will power to control myself from opening up Blogger and typing up truckloads of reviews. But it has paid off, because I GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL! And I'm entering what is most probably the top Comparative Literature program in the country at the top university in the country - I know, I still can't believe it.

But anyway. My point is, I can't exactly write full length reviews on every single release that has come out since I went on hiatus - that's crazy. Or at least you can't expect me to get them done by this time! Gimme a break - I went from graduation, to graduates' ball, to choir camp (I've also formally "graduated" from the choir - even if I'm being asked to stick around in college) and I'm only getting the chance to sit down and contemplate on my life!

I keep on getting distracted - sorry, too many things racing through my mind right now. Writing this should take them all out, for a while at least.

I promised a "big comeback", I deliver a "big comeback"! Beware, this post is ginormous. It literally took me almost a month to put it together - from choosing the songs, to writing the reviews themselves, and to formatting the damn thing. Can you believe that this new layout doesn't support italics and bolds? It pissed me off big time lol.

Read on for more of my ramblings, and the post proper. Go go gooooo!

Mark your calendars, and LET THE COUNTDOWN BEGIN!

8:40 AM 2011 2 comments

Well, well, well - it's been over 2 months since I last published anything decent on Pop Reviews Now, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait a little bit longer. After the facelift I gave PRN the other week, I'm spent! Just joking LOL.

I will be back on April 13, at exactly 5:30PM, with what I PROMISE is a MASSIVE post. If you've seen my tweets, as of the end of March the post was 20 pages long on a word document. O.O Basically I'll be coming back by making up for everything I missed - everything that matters, that is.