Amid the continuous countdowns and round-ups that mark the tip of the 12 months, THE BIAS LIST is celebrating an essential milestone. Immediately is the weblog’s tenth anniversary!
Jeez. Ten years. In concept, a decade doesn’t appear that lengthy, however once you have a look at simply how a lot modifications in that point it’s fairly astounding. For the previous few weeks, I’ve been attempting to map out what this anniversary submit would seem like. Do I do some large, momentous countdown? (an excessive amount of work) One thing tremendous private? (probably not my factor) Merely embed the YouTube video for The Chaser and name it a day? (tempting…)
When it comes all the way down to it, anniversaries are an excellent alternative to look again, and there’s so much to look again at over these previous ten years.
Really, it’s been longer than ten years. I first began running a blog about music nineteen years in the past. Once I first launched THE BIAS LIST, it was simply as I used to be beginning to really feel left behind by the worldwide pop music I had coveted for thus lengthy. Ok-pop had taken over my playlists for awhile and confirmed no signal of letting up, so I made a decision to make it my pastime to doc, critique and have a good time the trade. I’ve since come again to world music in a giant manner, however these first couple years of the weblog I used to be listened to Ok-pop nearly completely. In fact, it helped that the trade was nonetheless at a really excessive level again then.
My first authentic submit for THE BIAS LIST was ten years in the past at present, and it was a assessment of EXO’s Sing For You. In case you scroll again to the start of the weblog, you’ll see a number of opinions dated sooner than that, however these have been transitioned from my previous weblog and have been backdated. So for the needs of anniversaries, I take into account December twenty seventh to the be the official “begin” of THE BIAS LIST.
Within the time this weblog has been round, we’ve seen quite a lot of developments come and go – musical and in any other case. Along with Ok-pop’s common sonic touchstones, we’ve been deluged with tropical pop, lure, noise music, teen crush, metropolis pop, synthpop, future bass, “beigepop,” charismatic sing-talk and plenty of different genres (a few of which I’ve needed to coin my very own names for). Songs have dropped from 4 minutes to 2 minutes. Tremendous producers have been changed by tune camps. Ok-pop has exploded globally in methods we’d by no means seen earlier than. It has remodeled from a distinct segment curiosity to one thing I frequently hear spoken about at present. Produce 101 premiered and led to the glut of survival sequence we love and hate now. HYBE was established and rapidly devoured up many smaller companies. We’ve moved from third gen to fourth gen and now fifth. Subtitled selection and dramas grew to become simply accessible. Vlive got here and went. The Universe app got here and went (leaving many irreverent tune opinions in its wake). Ok-pop artists went from barely touring the States to doing so frequently. You should buy Ok-pop in Goal and Barnes and Noble at present, which might have completely shocked my 2015 self.
But, round these elements of the web not a lot has modified in any respect. Positive, my early opinions tended to be far more harsh than they’re now (particularly contemplating the wealth of nice materials I needed to work with again in 2016), however my core type and rankings system has remained intact and I nonetheless proceed to put in writing about Ok-pop each rattling day. Actually, as a testomony to my very own madness, I’ve written about Ok-pop for 3,590 consecutive days with out skipping a single one. Inside these days I’ve revealed 7,345 posts with a complete of over 2.6 million phrases. That makes me drained simply studying it. Over the course of the last decade, the weblog has been visited over 36 million occasions and over 72,000 feedback have been shared. An enormous shout out to my prime two commenters: mymagoogle and EijiDoesThings! You two have to be simply as loopy as I’m.
My first ever remark got here from a reader referred to as nessi456 and my first detrimental remark got here from a special customer a month later. My prior weblog solely targeted on music I preferred and praised, so detrimental feedback have been nonexistent on the time. On that day, I nonetheless keep in mind pondering “what have I gotten myself into?” (btw, that commenter had a fantastic level and comes throughout as utterly tame when in comparison with the unhinged stuff that goes across the web today).
Since its launch, THE BIAS LIST has been accessed from each nation/territory on the earth besides Western Sahara and Svalbard (that are territories, I believe?). I even managed one go to from North Korea. I’m so curious to know which submit it was and the circumstances across the go to. My prime “markets” are america, Philippines, United Kingdom, India and Canada. My prime posts of all-time are:
1. The place To Purchase Ok-pop Albums On-line: The Finest Shops Reviewed! (hopelessly outdated, btw)
2. The Prime Ten Finest Songs By SEVENTEEN
3. The Prime Ten Finest Songs By GOT7
4. The Prime Ten Finest Songs By NCT
5. The Prime 40 Pop Songs of 2022 (20-1) (to this I say… WTF?)
6. Track Assessment: BLACKPINK – How You Like That
7. The 100 Finest Ok-Pop Songs of All-Time: #1
8. Track Assessment: BLACKPINK – Pink Venom
9. Track Assessment: (G)I-DLE – Nxde
10. Grading The Ok-Pop Businesses 2020: BIG HIT LABELS
So, the most-viewed posts are both countdowns or opinions for songs I usually didn’t like. Nice. I am glad about quantity seven being up there, although. Total, my mammoth “100 Finest Ok-pop Songs” countdown is certainly one of my most learn options. It’s additionally in all probability probably the most formidable factor I’ve carried out on the weblog over the previous decade. I’m fairly happy with it, although I typically marvel if it wants an replace.
For individuals who are newer to the weblog, I wish to hyperlink another options and posts that I’m happy with or assume can be value your time. One in all my favourite issues to do on this weblog is get a bit historic and look again at previous many years of labor. This isn’t at all times the most-viewed or trendiest sort of challenge, however I’ve at all times thought it’s essential to place music in context and be taught the legacy of an trade. For this, I’d level you towards two nostalgic options:
Each goal the 90s and early-00s – a specific candy spot for me and an period that doesn’t get mentioned almost sufficient in on-line Ok-pop/J-pop circles.
Along with that, I needed to hyperlink some miscellaneous options that in all probability gained’t present up simply on a search however are enjoyable to look again at anyway:
From Savage Backyard to Golden Little one: My Pop Music Timeline
Eight Classes that 2019-era Ok-pop May Be taught from INFINITE’s The Chaser
How a Submit-Produce 101 Trade is Stifling Ok-pop’s Creativity
Largely, I simply wish to say because of all of my readers — the previous and the brand new. I actually by no means anticipated this weblog rising into what it’s at present and the truth that you all proceed to go to is the most important motive I proceed to supply my ideas on daily basis. I could attempt to give you a extra momentous characteristic someday subsequent 12 months to totally have a good time the weblog’s decade of existence, so keep tuned for what is going to hopefully be a fruitful interval for each Ok-pop and THE BIAS LIST.