K-pop’s title tracks might gain most of listeners’ attention, but many album tracks are worth equal spotlight. I call these “buried treasures.”
Beyond this, K-pop’s albums deliver thousands of additional tracks that settle for a more limited audience. It’s these songs that will become a part of my “battle of the b-sides” feature.
In this feature, I’ll be putting on my A&R hat and taking a listen to five randomly-selected K-pop b-sides. I’ll write a mini review for each, including a Bias List rating, and rank them from least to most favorite. The winner will join a special Bias List B-side playlist. Think of it like my own little agency, hand-selecting songs I’d like to pitch to my nonexistent artists!
You can check out all rounds of my Battle of the B-sides here!
TNX – What If (2025)
TNX had a few songs prior to What If that capitalize on this angsty pop/rock sound and it fits them well. It’s become very trendy this year, causing the track to lose a bit of steam in the short term. But in the long term, What If’s melodies and performance are strong enough to endure. I really like the melodic chorus on this one. It has a nice sense of drama that spotlights the guys’ underrated vocals.
| Hooks | 9 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8.25 |
Astro – Heart Brew Love (2019)
Oh, how I miss Astro’s bright poppy sound! Even on an album that saw them mature their style, they still treated fans to a couple of these bubblegum bops. Their vocal tones are so well suited to these fizzy tracks and Heart Brew Love is at its best when it embraces full pop melody. I’m a little thrown by its future bass influenced chorus, which seems to needlessly complicate the arrangement when a more buoyant sound would give the song added lift. Still, this is quite pleasant.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.25 |
SHINee – You & I (2018)
SHINee’s Story Of Light project was ambitious and a bit uneven, but a strong sense of solidarity powered every song. You & I is one of the slower moments on the three part album, offering a pensive sound that benefits from the group’s emotive performance and a few melodic twists that keep interest high. The song blooms nicely as it unfolds, building to an utterly gorgeous bridge highlighted by sparks of falsetto. It’s a very meaningful piece of music and easy to admire. I don’t play it often, but it feels like an important part of their discography.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8.25 |
PSY – Rock Will Never Die (2017)
It seems a bit silly to follow-up a very serious, very important SHINee track with a blast of shallow ear candy and then go on to rate the ear candy higher, but it’s hard to deny the appeal of dumb, fun pop hooks. PSY has plenty of those in his arsenal and I especially love when he croons a rock track. This one’s even got an ultra-cheesy electric guitar solo at its climax. If I’m imagining the type of track I’d flock toward when I need a boost of energy, this is it!
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
Luna – My Medicine (2016)
Luna’s Free Somebody mini album has some great dance bangers on it, so it’s a shame the subdued ballad My Medicine was the track to pop up on shuffle today. This song is also very accomplished, of course, but I’m almost always going to prefer more up-tempo material. The track itself is rather uneventful but quite pretty and Luna has an excellent voice so it’s always nice to hear her make full use of it. This sounds like something you’d listen to under an umbrella on a rainy day.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.5 |
Fifth: Luna – My Medicine
Fourth: TNX – What If
Third: Astro – Heart Brew Love
Second: SHINee – You & I
First: PSY – Rock Will Never Die
Congratulations to PSY’s Rock Will Never Die – the sixty-ninth winner of my Battle of the B-sides!
Readers, what do you think? Did you discover any hidden gems? Leave your own ranking in the comments!
