Managing Military Enlistments in a Changing K-pop Industry

The Hallyu industry has an inherent brake in its system: mandatory military enlistment for all able-bodied men aged 18–35. In 2018, the maximum ag…

Kountry: The Start of Something New

You’ve heard of K-pop. You’ve heard of K-rock. You’ve heard of K-R&B. Now get ready for K-country, aka Kountry. Korean music has been around s…

Music & Lyrics: Dear Mom

Mother’s Day is celebrated annually, although on differing days for certain countries. For most of the world, it is celebrated on May 12 this year…

Side B: The Rise of BTS

It’s just over a week since BTS dropped Map of the Soul: Persona. At the dawn of a new musical era, the band shift their focus from the universal …

BTS Stays Experimental with “Map of the Soul: Persona”

BTS has accomplished a lot over the course of their careers so far: from music show trophies and clinching daesangs to winning at the Billboard Mu…

BTS’ “Boy with Luv” Turns its Strengths into Weaknesses

My cousin once described the Chicken Little movie in this manner: "The only highlights were all in the trailer." Unfortunately, the same can be sa…

Music & Lyrics: Butterfly

The butterfly is present throughout all societies, with most civilizations granting it a meaning. These associations have been passed on to the cu…

The SB Mixtape: 2/28/2019, Should Be A Bond Theme

Bond. James Bond. There's something about that three-word phrase that just kicks the imagination into overdrive. Explosions, gadgets, women; it's a…

Music & Lyrics: Rain

The soothing sound. The distinctive smell. The cool feeling. Rain is such a sensory phenomenon that it’s almost impossible not to have our emotion…

The SB Mixtape, 1/31/2019: Swaying Not Swinging

There's a strange feeling at the beginning of the year, once everyone has returned to their routines but the drudgery of the grind has not set in yet.…