Hip hop dies, Wambop rises: A review of five 31 March music releases

Hip hop is dying. A new genre, ‘wambop’, is being born from the fusion of hip hop, pop, and regional musical forms such as ‘K-Pop’ and Latin music (one need look no further than Young Miko’s excellent recent work). Today, on March 31st, five albums dropped. I would like to echo Pitchfork in giving them … Continue reading Hip hop dies, Wambop rises: A review of five 31 March music releases →

Blackpink in Dallas Day 2: Brilliance redefined from the greatest show on Earth

Blackpink has returned to Dallas, Texas, for a second day of its magnificent American leg of the Born Pink world tour. To skip songs one to seven, ‘Playing With Fire’ is predictably fantastic, and the crowd is surprisingly enthusiastic compared with night one of the tour. The instrumental prelude to ‘Tally’ is beautifully underlaid to … Continue reading Blackpink in Dallas Day 2: Brilliance redefined from the greatest show on Earth →

Blackpink in Dallas, Texas: Dancing in the Moonlight — a Comprehensive Concert Review

What a show. Blackpink’s solid and surprising debut to 20,000 fans at the KSPO Dome in Seoul, South Korea, has been matched by an extremely competent and at times riveting performance to thousands more fans at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. The opening ‘How You Like That’ is a perfect way to introduce … Continue reading Blackpink in Dallas, Texas: Dancing in the Moonlight — a Comprehensive Concert Review →

Jennie is the Kanye of Blackpink

First published on 18 October 2022. Blackpink’s announced leader is often said to be Jennie, who like overlooked member Jisoo is older than the younger prominent members Rosé and Lisa. Jennie also has a new song, played at the Seoul debut of the world tour for Blackpink’s second LP, Born Pink. And it got me … Continue reading Jennie is the Kanye of Blackpink →

The significance of Lisa’s MTV Award victory over BTS, Twice, and Itzy

Breaking free from a group is hard. Already three Blackpink members have gone solo, along with two of BTS’ members — albeit in collaborations with Charlie Puth and PSY. Lisa’s solo venture, drawing on Blackpink producer Teddy’s production skills in various styles in global pop and hip hop, is remarkable if only for its sheer … Continue reading The significance of Lisa’s MTV Award victory over BTS, Twice, and Itzy →