[Review] Dream In A Dream – Ten (NCT)

A week has passed since the first SM Station release for the second season. Which means another SM Station digital single has been unveiled for us! Last week, Red Velvet released Would U and this week, Ten from NCT, is the featured artist in the single, Dream In A Dream.

Out of all the tracks that I have reviewed and listened to (KPOP has dominated my life for the past 7 years), I had never heard with a Chinese-influenced sound (as far as I can remember). That being said, the track also infuses calming synths with the cultural sounds. It sounds quite nice and very refreshing. It reminds me a lot of chill-step, a subgenre of music that I enjoy, other than KPOP. The song is mainly instrumental, with a few lines here and there of English lyrics. It might sound boring to some people, but remember that SM Station is a way for the SM Entertainment to play around and experiment with different sounds. That is what they had done here and quite successfully might I add. While the vocal work is limited, Ten’s vocals fit the soothing nature of the song. Once the beat drops and the song start to pick up, it sounds spectacular! It’s a unique song and it’s a style that we probably won’t ever hear again for some time.

The main focus of this release is probably the dancing. You may or may not know, but Ten appeared on Hit The Stage, which gave viewers a chance to view the choreography and dancing abilities of KPOP dancers. Listening to the song, I had high expectations. And those high expectations were answered. While I think we saw Ten perform routines that were more powerful, what we get to see in the video fits the song perfectly. From his time with the back-up dancers to the interperetive couple dance, everything felt just right in this video. The colours did put me off a bit, but it didn’t ruin the experience for me. Also read somewhere that the recent SM Rookie member, Lucas, appeared in the video. Don’t know what for though, because those extra scenes made no sense. The choreography scenes would have been fine on their own. Maybe it was meant to be a confusing dream?

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 7/10 
Overall Rating – 7.5/10

[Review] I’m Serious – DAY6

The 6th of April just passed a few days ago, so guess what that means? DAY6 has returned with a brand new track. The 6th came unexpectedly fast. Maybe it was because I was occupied with my endless amount of assignments, but I just remember How Can I Say being released just yesterday! But who cares! The most important thing is that if you wanted more DAY6, you get more DAY6!

If this song proves anything, it shows everyone how versatile and flexible DAY6 is with their style and sound. While their past songs have been more rock influenced or ballad-like, I’m Serious sounds more upbeat and bright. There is a warm tone, which makes it suitable for the warmer months (which Korea and the Northern hemisphere are approaching). Though I do miss the more powerful sounds, the song is quite nice to listen to. The song also focuses more on the vocals, leaving out any possible rap sequences. All the member sings, even the rapper (Young K) taking the bulk of the chorus, which also shows the versatility of the members. The song itself is quite catchy. You catch yourself nodding along to the song, especially the chorus. But by then, you just nod your way through the rest of the song (with a smile on your face, of course) because you already started. The post-chorus is quite addictive and adds a little more colour to the song. I wouldn’t mind listening to just the instrumental of the song, as well. It sounds quite nice, with the softer and (at times) acoustic music.

The music video just shows the guys having a road trip, down by the beach and singing along to the song. There really isn’t much to say about the video. The idea of it is suitable for the song and it makes sense to go in that direction. The colour palette seemed to be dull, but it probably made things look a lot better than what it really was (the day looked cloudy and not that sunny, like in Summer).

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.5/10 

 

[Review] Good Night – Dream Catcher

Dream Catcher is finally back. The group made their official debut at the start of the year with Chase Me, which automatically caught my attention (and the attention of many others) with their unique rock sound and horror concept. This comeback is the continuation of their previous comeback, which video ends with a “To Be Continued” message.

And such, the group delivers again with that rock sound that attracted me. However, they didn’t launch into the song as such. Instead, they used a lullaby as the introduction, which gave the song that extra edginess. Then they launch into the rock dominated instrumental. Like their debut track, the song feels like it came from the OST of Japanese anime, or a song sung by Japanese artists. There were times in the song that I thought the instrumental just wasn’t as intense. It’s getting better as I listen to it more, but there is a little air of underwhelming-ness that I can’t really shake off. However, the vocals and raps of this song made up for that. Their vocals are getting stronger, and they seem more suited for a rock style song this time around. But for me, what stole the show was the rap sequence. Damn, that was quite amazing. You don’t really expect such a deep voice from a person (like the rappers). It was unexpected, but it felt just right. Overall, the group essentially has done it again. There were parts that didn’t feel perfect, but this track still manages to continue on from their debut, which is probably the most important thing here.

This music video is more confusing. It seems like Dream Catcher used to be alive and had a book full of dark magic that could control them. However, they lost it, and it somehow fell into the hands of the guy from the first music video. It seems like he used the dark magic to kill them in their own world (i.e. through the mirror). But somehow, they came back to haunt him and remind him of his wrongdoings (the events in the first music video). It seemed to all be an attempt to reclaim the book and destroy it once and for all, which they did so in this video. That’s my recount of the events in the music video. It definitely makes the storyline more confusing. However, that horror concept still lives on in this video, and it makes it a great video to watch. I personally thought some things looked quite cool, like the forest set. It kind of gave a dark spin on the story of Red Riding Hood. Maybe they were Red Riding Hood and the man was the Big Bad Wolf? Who knows!

The dance this time is quite impressive. I mentioned that Chase Me‘s dance was underwhelming. This time, they manage to fix that and perform a routine that attracts your attention. Their introductory tutting routine with the lullaby started the performance on a high note. The rest of the performance followed on quite nicely. The way they got back into formation in the final seconds to end the song was quite amazing as well.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.5/10

[Review] Make Me Love You – Taeyeon (SNSD)

Taeyeon has returned once again this year with a brand new song. This time around, she released a repackaged and ‘deluxe’ version of her solo album, My Voice, which was released last month. Make Me Love You joins Fine and I Got Love as the lineup of title tracks for the album. There doesn’t seem to be any promotions for this new release, which is quite disappointing.

Taeyeon’s newest song has me screaming approval from the very first listen. It is a simple pop RnB song that stood out of the pack (as in the many songs that were released the same day). While it was simple, it had a very grand production sound to it and the song overall could have described as elegant and classy. Taeyeon’s vocals are beautifully incorporated into the track. The elegance and classy nature of the song are lifted up higher with the presence of her vocals. There is no doubt to why many people say Taeyeon is one of the best soloists in Korea, with this song serving as promising evidence. The buildup to the chorus is worth mentioning. It’s a slow incline but it allows for the chorus to shine very brightly. Once the beat drop, we enter a very familiar chorus. I say familiar because it reminds me of Ellie Goulding’s Love Me Like You Do. Both tracks are quite similar in sound and style. The chorus in Taeyeon song isn’t overly complicated. It’s quite short and comprises of just a few English lines. While this has been done before in other songs, there is something that makes it click. And there is something that makes me sing along to it. I would have liked it if she had a more powerful ad-lib at the end, to give it that ‘cherry on top’. This song is definitely one that I would recommend to anyone!!!

The music video is fabulous. What was done here matched the song quite nicely.  I am glad that they didn’t make her sit in one place and just have that, especially for the chorus. Instead, many different shots of her sitting and walking around (and smiling at the camera) were in the video. I didn’t watch the video first and imagined the video to be exactly that and it was exactly that. The cool chromatics looked quite cool as well. The cinematography makes the video seem like it came out of a movie. While I said that I was glad they didn’t make her sit in one place, the scene where she sits in a room full of flowers (the feature image of this post) was probably the one scene that summed the video up quite nicely and showed off the elegance quite nicely. As I said, the video goes perfectly with the song. It might be boring after a while, but for now, it is definitely worthy to watch.

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 10/10
Overall Rating – 10/10

recommended red round grunge vintage ribbon stamp

 

[Double Review] Really Really + Fool – WINNER

WINNER has returned with 2 brand new title tracks Really Really and Fool. This is the group’s first comeback since Baby Baby and Sentimental, which was released over a year ago. This is also their first comeback since Taehyun withdrew from the group due to health issues. Hence, WINNER has returned as a four-member group instead.

Really Really is a ‘really really’ addictive track. Hahahaha… I had to. The song falls under the tropical house genre and is the more upbeat track out of the two title tracks. The instrumental itself is already quite appealing, and it reeled me in. I absolutely fell for the song with the first listen, mainly because of the instrumental. Chuck in the vocals and raps and you have an almost perfect song. I say ‘almost’ because there is a little concern from my end of how long can the track stay on my radar. While I praise and compliment the track, I do see myself losing interesting in it (as fast as I fell for it). I am not too certain if the hook is strong enough, but we will see as time goes by.

Fool is the slower track of the two. Fool falls into the ballad category. This is also the track that seems to fit in nicely with their past releases, due to its slowness and style. However, it also sets itself apart from their previous tracks. Their vocals are quite impactful in this song, and that makes the song stand out. I have been bored with Winner’s past releases mainly due to the vocals, so it is finally nice to hear two songs (from Winner) where I actually like the vocals. The only problem is that it fails to attract my attention. I enjoy listening to slower ballad songs as much as I like the fast and upbeat tracks, but this one just doesn’t pique my interest.

Really Really looks classy with the black and white filter. However, its track demands attention, and while the aesthetics do the job, the lack of colour does make the video feel dull. The settings where the video was shot looked quite nice. When all the ladies started walking into the filming area and started to dance around the members looked quite cool. It felt simple, but it worked. I find some of other stuff in the video quite cringeworthy. Mainly the dabbing and bouncing cars. But besides that, the video was nice to watch.

Fool felt more like a YG video. Mainly due to the camera angles and cinematography. It was much more interesting to watch, compared to Really Really, due to the many scenes and small details that you find scattered throughout. Actually, after rewatching the entire video, it seems like there is a lot more to the video than what I expected. But don’t ask me what it means, I don’t know. It seems like the members are reflecting on some past actions where they somehow hurt (maybe possibly killed) their partners, which is why the members are singing about themselves being ‘Fools’. If you do have some sort of understanding the video, please do share in the comment section below! But overall, a very interesting video to watch.

[UPDATED] I don’t think Really Really‘s choreography was intended to be ‘fun’. But that is what I got out of it. The main dance during the chorus is simple and has the potential to become the next dance move at a party. There was also a nice sexy vibe and the interaction between the dancers and Winner themselves is quite noteworthy here. Fool didn’t need a dance, but it had one. It was extremely fitting for the song and still beautiful to watch. But it not necessary.

Really Really
Song – 8/10
Music Video – 6/10 
Performance – 8/10 [UPDATED]
Overall Rating – 7.5/10 [UPDATED]

Fool
Song – 6/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 7/10
[UPDATED]
Overall Rating – 7/10 [UPDATED]

 

[Review] Coloring Book – Oh My Girl

Oh My Girl reaches new heights with their latest comeback. They have returned with their latest and 5th mini album, titled as Coloring Book. Their title track shares the same title as well. Oh My Girl became a group to look out for back in 2015, when they released Closer. 2016 confirmed their presence on my radar with the releases of Windy Day and Aing~.

And it seems like Coloring Book is another track to add to that list. It is a really good song. The track literally launches right into the energised and upbeat track. There is no holding back. They don’t give us a break at all, but instead they push ahead with it. The song falls into the same category as any of their past songs. Bright, funky and addictive to listen to. What makes the song a little awkward is the chorus. I am not sure if it is awkwardly placed but it seems to be a little premature. But besides that, I genuinely liked the chorus. It’s the more of the progression into the chorus and how they do it that throws me off. Maybe I am just not used to the style as it is different from their past songs and more traditionally structured songs. It’s just a minor detail that honestly didn’t affect my listening experience. Literally, the second listen in and I was bouncing along in my chair.  Maybe I should have left that ‘bouncing’ detail out. Anyway, like yesterday how I mentioned about Red Velvet’s song making you smile, this does the exact same thing. The vocals sound really good in this song. I have enjoyed their past vocal works, but here, they sound like they have worked on perfecting their vocals. Overall, it is a catchy song that, to me, is a worthwhile listening to. Just give it a few tries before you make up your mind!!!

From the title of the song, I assumed that they would start off with a blank canvas. And that is what we saw in the video. Just the blank canvas was a floating house in the sky. And while they attempt to make a cake (a rainbow cake, as shown at the end of the video), they end up colouring or splashing themselves with paint. I honestly want to know how many dresses were stained in the making of this video. They proceed to leave the house and paint more of the world by adding more colour. How they went outside, though, was with a physically impossible bridge. Watching it the first time, my geekiness came through and I just randomly thought “That bridge could not hold according to physics. It wasn’t even complete“. Thinking about the video, it’s the type of video that I would find boring. There really isn’t much in the video to talk about. However, for some unknown reason, I keep on coming back. Maybe Oh My Girl is rising in the list of groups that I stan. Or that the video pops with the rainbow colours that they use. I don’t know, but I am rewatching the video for the fifth time today, which is something that I don’t often do for that type of video.

Something I didn’t mention in the song part of the review, but it is a very intense track. And likewise, the choreography is just as intense. As I always say, it’s fitting for the music and it maintains that cute image that the girls have, without going overboard.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 8/10

[Review] Would U – Red Velvet

Red Velvet’s latest release marks the return of the SM Station project for its second season. SM Station is a project where SM Entertainment promised the release of multiple songs on a weekly basis for an entire year. The project saw never-seen-before collaborations between SM artists, along with other artists from other companies, something that seemed foreign when it came to SM. The project saw some big hits and some of the songs released were reviewed on this website, such as Rain by Taeyeon, Spring Love by Wendy and Eric Nam, and Heartbreak Hotel by Tiffany ft. Simon D. While I didn’t get around to reviewing every single song, I do hope that I will be able to do more reviews from SM Station project for its second season.

Red Velvet is a girl group well known for their more retro and upbeat based songs. On occasion, they have also returned with much slower and ballad-like songs. While this particular song does seem to fall into the ‘slower’ category, it is a nice mix of style between the slow and upbeatness. The instrumental is quite bright, and it makes you smile while you listen to it. The song uses a sweet melody that is hard to miss. The piano adds a more classical touch to the song. While it isn’t anything new or impressive, its addition makes the song sound a lot better. But the thing worth mentioning in this song are the vocals. The girls sound amazing. Sure, it isn’t powerhouse vocals, or none of the members is belting out a high note. It is simple yet still, leaves an impression on you. Their harmonies sounds amazing and probably the one reason why I keep on returning to this track. Also the “Would U, Would U” is unavoidably cute and catchy as well.

The music video features Irene and actor Kim Min Jae. The video is probably based on a well-known French story that I probably have no idea existed. Essentially, Irene has to find clues on where the mysterious man, who keeps on leavings these clues about. As she solves one, she gets a step closer to the man. I don’t like the video but I don’t mind it. It is very fitting for the song and the video does make you smile, as well. Irene is quite pretty too and she did look like an angel in the video. Loved the use of lights. I think the video was shot outside, but there was the use of artificial light. But the combination made Irene look like she was glowing and it made the video feel fresh.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8/10

[Album Review] Girl’s Day Everyday #5 (5th Mini Album) – Girl’s Day

I have been focusing on doing a few album reviews lately. However, the majority of them were albums from boy groups. I have been wanting to do an album review for a female artist or group, so when Girl’s Day confirmed their comeback, I knew it was the one. This is their fifth mini album and the fifth in the Everyday series. This is also their first comeback in nearly 2 years.

Image result for Girl's Day everyday 5
Girl’s Day Everyday #5 Album Cover

1..I’ll Be Yours (Title Track)click here to read the full review for the title track, I’ll Be Yours (9.5/10)

2. Thirsty – First impression told me that this was a good track. It is something that you would find as a B-side of a really popular artist in America. The instrumental has a nice electronic synth that makes it addictive to listen to. The repetitive clicks and synth work really well with each other. And they work well with the vocals. Thirsty isn’t necessary a powerful sounding track, but their light vocals somehow manage to pack a punch. (9/10)

3. Love Again – This is a very interesting song. I am glad they picked this song as their other promotional track because it shows a more vocally talented side of the group. The instrumental is quite simple, with a simple yet amazing guitar sound. But what stole the show for me were the vocals. As mentioned, it showcased their vocals. Everyone sounded amazing. But the member that stood out the most was Sojin and her high pitch lines. The way they manipulated her voice is perfection to my ears. It is harder to describe her vocals in this song, but do check it out! (10/10)

4. Kumbaya (Come By Here) (Sojin Solo) – Finally, the forgotten vocalist of Girl’s Day finally has a solo track to her name. Once again, it is a simple ballad. But the way Sojin sings it makes it many times better. Her ad-libs sound amazing. It is another song that makes me sway along and fall into the music. The song also managed to leave an impression on me. Not sure if it because it is the first track where Sojin shines or of the nice melody, though. (10/10)

5. Truth (Minah Solo) – I am literally shaking from writing this review because as I listen to each song, I am blown away. Minah’s solo manages to blow me away even more. It is yet another ballad, so no surprises there. But unlike their other ballads on this album, this one has a more grand and orchestral instrumental. They also incorporated electronic synths in the song, giving it a modern feel. But we can’t proceed without mentioning Minah’s breathtaking vocals. It is REALLY breathtaking. Was  I too subtle with that comment? (10/10)

6. Don’t Be Shy – The final song on the mini-album is a dance song. It brings Yura and Hyeri back into the track list and gives a more upbeat ending to the mini-album. The song also manages to showcase their vocals. The auto-tuned was probably not needed but they don’t get in the way. The build-up to the chorus is amazing. I am not too sure how to describe the sound of the song. But the instrumental uses the marching band sound as its basis and then adds extra electronic synths as layers on top. You can tell from it that the song tries to sound powerful and tough, but it misses the intended sound by just a fraction. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 9.5/10

Image result for Girl's Day everyday 5
Teaser Image

recommended red round grunge vintage ribbon stamp

 

[Weekly Chart] 5th Week of March 2017

Welcome to the 5th week of March. It’s kind of odd, but normally we say there are 4 weeks in a month. But I did the counting, and it works out to be 5 weeks. I had a big test this week and am still recovering from it. I did okay (I think) and need to focus on these other assignments. So that means it’s a great time to start on the next 5 reviews and also write up this week’s chart!

As predicted this week, Girl’s Day return did earn them the top spot this week. I predicted something, and it happened. Shhh… Don’t need to tell everyone it was guaranteed. Monsta X and GOT7 both rose to second and third place, knocking out all of last week’s Top 3. Instead, CNBLUE and GFriend hold out fourth and fifth place. The previous week’s number 1, Plz Don’t Be Sad by HIGHLIGHT, dropped to sixth place. To not ruin the rest of the chart for you, scroll down to find out which songs placed where on the chart!

April, especially the first two weeks, is shaping to be a battleground (quite sure I used this analogy a few weeks back, but it has been a few weeks, so I don’t see anything wrong with it). Next week alone, we will be seeing Winner, Dream Catcher, Red Velvet, Oh My Girl, INX, Taeyeon (SNSD), IMFACT  and DAY6 make their respective comebacks. There is more coming in the second week, as well. And I am having a hard time working which days to publish reviews for just the first week.

And I am having a hard time working which days to post reviews for just the first week. I don’t want to fall behind with the reviews. But I have university and other commitments that I need to account for. It sounds like a few late nights are in order. Or the better use of my train rides on a daily basis.

Here is a legend to help you understand the chart’s status column below:
Green (↑)  – Song has gone up in ranking
Red (↓) – Song has gone down in ranking
Blue (=) – Song has remained in the same position as the previous week
Orange (new) – Song debuts on the chart
Grey (Final Week) – Song appears on the chart for its final week.

26th Mar – 1 Apr 2017
Title Artist Status
1 I’ll Be Yours Girl’s Day (new)
2 Beautiful Monsta X (↑ 2)
3 Never Ever GOT7 (↑ 2)
4 Between Us CN BLUE (↓ 2)
5 Fingertips GFriend (↓ 2)
6 Plz Don’t Be Sad HIGHLIGHT (↓ 5)
7 Rollin’ Brave Girls (↓ 1)
8 Through The Night IU (new)
9 It’s Still Beautful HIGHLIGHT (↑ 11)
10 Wake Me Up B.A.P (↑ 1)
11 Movie BTOB (↓ 2)
12 Rookie Red Velvet (↑ 10) (Final Week)
13 Not Today BTS (↓ 1)
14 Wee Woo PRISTIN (↓ 7)
15 Don’t Recall K.A.R.D (↓ 7)
16 Knock Knock Twice (↓ 2)
17 Spring Day BTS (↓ 2)
18 WoW! Lovelyz (↓ 5)
19 Eyez Eyez VICTON (↓ 1)
20 How Can I Say DAY6 (↓ 10)
21 1.2.3 B.I.G (↓ 5)
22 Alive J-Min (↑ 2)
23 Should Have Held Onto You Astro (↑ 18)
24 Echo Seven O’Clock (↑ 9)
25 Without U Romeo (↑ 11)
26 A Girl Like Me Gugudan (↓ 7)
27 Yesterday Block B (↑ 18)
28 Spring Again Cao Lu (Fiestar), Yerin (Gfriend) & Kisum (↑ 9)
29 Yeah BLANC7 (↓ 12)
30 My First & Last NCT Dream (↓ 2)

Songs leaving the chart this week (and will not appear starting next week):
[Note: Some songs have left earlier than their expected 9 weeks due to the no appearance on the charts (Top 30 or Below 30) for the past few weeks]

Title Artist Peak Position No. Weeks on Chart No. Of weeks in Top 30 Final Week’s Position
Rookie Red Velvet 2 9 9 12
The Song Zion.T 16 9 2 47
Me & You Jung Joon Young ft. Jang Hye In 27 8 2
Draw Me Wonder Girls 28 7 1
Crossroads Sunny Hill 30 7 1
Make Me Ah BP Rania 29 7 1
An Obvious Melo Gavy NJ 48 5
Please Be My First Love IMFACT 5
Don’t Wait For Your Love Suzy (Miss A) & Park Won 4

Easter is fast approaching. Like two more weeks and the Easter Bunny will be giving out chocolate eggs. But that means submission dates are fast approaching for me. But enough me, I hope you all have an amazing week!!!

[Review] Through The Night – IU

My apologies for this somewhat late review. I totally forgot about IU’s pre-release for her soon-to-be-released album. I honestly didn’t remember until I was trying to schedule some reviews in and realised that IU’s song was missing from the list. Moving along, IU will be making her first comeback since 2015, when she released Twenty Three and her 7th mini album. She has been relatively quiet in the past year, with her primary focus on acting. Her 4th album is scheduled to be released on the 21st of April, and she is gearing up for another pre-release in early April (both I will not forget).

As mentioned previously, IU has been absent from the KPOP scene for two years. And usually, artists who stay away for an extended period of time become a distant memory. But despite all of that, IU has managed to topped charts and score perfect all kills with Through The Night. And I can see why. Through The Night is a ballad that sounds perfect with IU’s trademark husky vocals. The instrumental delves into acoustic, but it also sounds like there is a folk tone in the way the guitar is strummed. There isn’t much to it, but it sounds quite nice. It also sounds hollow to an extent. But a ‘hollow’ song doesn’t sound like a beautiful description of a song. To me, the ‘hollow’ nature of the instrumental compliments her vocals. To the point where the vocals seem to fill that missing core of the song. I can see the instrumental alone being incredibly boring. Her vocals are definitely the highlight of the song. The harmonies that she has with the background vocals make her sound like an angel. Currently, I am in Autumn, and this is the perfect song to be listening to. You can sit outside on a cloudy day, have this song playing and watch the leaves fall to the ground.

In connection with the final comments in the last paragraph, the video seems to play with that Autumn feel. The video uses colours that we tend of associate with the season of falling leaves. Maybe it is me trying to relate the video to myself (I say this because Korea is currently in Spring) but it does come off that way. The focus of the video is on her, and I am in love with that. She is a beautiful person and the video highlights that, despite the video being shot with a candle or dimmed lights. It is as if she is glowing. One thing I do with these reviews is that I keep on switching between watching the video and writing the reviews. While switching, I managed to see something quite nice. The ball of yarn that rolled down the stairs managed to be time with the beat of the song. While this may not be as spectacular for some of you, to me, it goes to show how nicely (with, of course, everything else in the video) the video was shot. The cinematography is fantastic and extremely fitting with the sound of the song. If you want to relax or calm down (for whatever reason), try watching the beautiful song and the equally as beautiful music video.

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 10/10
Overall Rating – 10/10