One of the most popular trainees from the recent season of Produce 101 has made his solo debut, with Sixteen. Samuel Kim was undeniably one of the favourites to make it in the top 11. For unknown reasons, he only made the top 18. For those who don’t know him, Samuel Kim was previously a trainee under Pledis (before moving to his current company, Brave Entertainment) and was part of the now-disbanded duo, 1PUNCH.
The first thing I noticed when I listened to the song was the autotune. While I have expressed my dislike of autotune in the past, I am not too troubled by its usage in this song. It wasn’t as heavy or over-the-top like other songs. But using auto-tune throughout the entire song did make it more noticeable than it should have been. The song is quite good but I don’t think it was strong enough for a debut. There were parts of it which I did like but the rest of the track seemed quite neutral and standard. The chorus was quite catchy and it felt like it was the most dynamic part of the song. The way he opened the chorus and the rhythm that I got out it made it quite enjoyable. The rest of the track did fall short though, feeling quite bland and boring. Changmo’s rap was pretty good, but it did feel somewhat disjointed from the rest of the song.
The music video had some good scenes in there. But what I noticed that some details were cropped out of view because of the borders. The borders made it feel quite constricting and fast editing made everything breeze past. Overall, everything felt nice. The night scenes looked cool and the choreography scenes were awesome. The party and supermarket scenes though seemed very dry and unconvincing. I feel odd writing this (since this is his video), but I felt like the focus was a touch too much on Samuel, when it should have been with the interactions between him with the surroundings and the others in the background. For example, at the party, he threw the confetti up as the camera zoomed onto him. But the others were busy interacting with everyone else but him. So it looked a little awkward.
The choreography looks amazing. It’s not groundbreaking but it pretty good. I could only dream to be half good as he was. The first time I watched the choreography, I didn’t notice the sixteen symbol he made with his hands. But now, I notice it every single time the chorus kicks in! That, to me, was impressive.
Song – 6.5/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 7/10
Welcome back to this week’s ‘Favourites’ post. We are back to non-title tracks because my list of non-title track songs are overflowing and need to be reduced. I am officially keeping the Favourites post as a list of five because it is more manageable to write in a short amount of time.
Please note that I am open to suggestions of what else I can do with this segment. So far, I have decided on non-title tracks, choreography and K-drama OSTs. But I know there are many other topics that I can write about. I have a few in mind but am happy to see what you all suggest! Also open to any positive or constructive feedback! But let’s get the show on the road!
Airplane – F(x)
Pink Tape (2nd Studio Album)
Airplane is one of the few songs that I did put a review out for, despite it not being a fully dedicated promotional track. That shows you that one mention of this song on this site isn’t enough. Airplane will need a lot more than two mentions and it might just get another in the near future. I love all the elements from the vocal work to the undeniably ear-catching instrumental.
Time’s Up – Miss A
Independent Women Part III (2nd Mini-Album) / Hush (2nd Studio Album)
If you want your electro music fix, you have come to the right place. Following Airplane, this hidden gem was featured on both Miss A’s Hush album and Independent Women Part III mini album. It required many mentions because of its addictive nature. Once the beat dropped, the song was sold instantly to me. The instrumental, too, caught my ears back when it was released and has been on my playlist since then!
Secret – IU
Last Fantasy (2nd Studio Album)
If you have been reading these posts and my reviews for a very long time, you will know that I love anything with orchestral vibes. And that favouritism was probably awakened by this one song. I thought it was one amazing song that displayed IU’s vocals wonderfully with the orchestral background. And once you think the song had finished, she comes back with one extra line to finish you off once and for all.
Beautiful – Pentagon
Ceremony (3rd Mini Album)
Beautiful was the pre-release single to Pentagon’s latest comeback. And it is one ‘beautiful’ song to listen to. What drew my attention to this song was the amazing melody that the song’s instrumental and the members brought together. Each member, regardless if they were part of the vocal line or the rap line of the group, shined brightly in the song. The harmonies were definitely a highlight of the track and the rap segments fitted snugly into the track without being awkward or foreign.
For You – Sistar
If I got my way, this would have been the track that I would vote to be their farewell track. Lonely was already amazing, but I feel like For You meaning suited the girl’s departure and was more directed towards the fans. Even Bora, who is usually limited to the raps, was given an opportunity to sing alongside the others. I think the song overall was very touching and it was definitely a pity to hear that they would not perform this song as part of their farewell stages.
GFriend is back with a brand new Summer time song. It has been three years since their debut and each of those three years, there has been Summer comebacks from these girls, Me Gusta Tu and Navillera. Is it me, or are they slowly becoming the Princesses of Summer with their comeback? Joining the GFriend Summer lineup is Love Whisper, the title track off their 5th mini-album, Parallel.
The girls with a sweeter sound with this comeback. While the group have had successful singles in the Summer, this one sounds less dynamic and intense as their previous tracks. While there is a GFriend sound to this song, it seemed a lot weak and I can’t help but be disappointed with that (for now). There didn’t seem to be much of a hook to the chorus, which did leave the song hanging. The verses didn’t seem memorable, as well. They, instead, bring out the guns towards the end of the song, when it came to the bridge and final chorus. But then, it was too late to have an impact on the rest of the track. Let’s move onto the better parts of the song. Per usual, the short instrumental break for the infamous dance breaks was included and I thought that alone brought more impact to the song than the other parts. Their vocals seemed really consistent throughout the song, which was something I liked. There is a fresh and vibrant sound that suits the Summer season very nicely, which I liked as well.
The music video seemed a little interesting. The girls find an old radio under the bed and go on an adventure to figure out the source of some sound. Why? That makes it interesting. I guess they heard some sound (i.e. the love whisper) and wanted to know where it came from. In the end, it was a butterfly, which told them there was a tape in the radio. Now, that was pretty disappointing. But it gave a nice touch to the story. What drew my attention of the video though was how it reminded me of the music video for Me Gusta Tu. The scenery and the countryside really do take you back to memories from two years ago. What I thought was even better was their choreography scene, where they danced in water. It seemed unnecessary in this video, but I can’t help but think how empty the video would have been without it. They are known for their complicated dance moves and if they can pull off this choreography well in the water, I think that gives more than enough reasons to include that in the video.
Just the small snippets alone shows the complexity of the dance. The heel dance move seems hard to pull off in the midst of everything else (Refer to the 1:36 part of the dance and focus on their feet for a few seconds). And when it comes to GFriend, you can’t miss out on the dance break. It looks impressive and 10 times better with water spraying about in the music video.
Song – 6/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 7/10
It has taken the JJ Project duo five years to make their first comeback since debut. But as the saying says: ‘better late than never’. JJ Project is made up of JB and Jinyoung, who went on to debut as GOT7, released Bounce in 2012. Their latest release, Tomorrow, Today, was released today as part of their first mini-album, Verse 2. This is also the start of the many solo and unit promotions that GOT7 will be undertaking for the second half of 2017.
If you are after a dance track such as Bounce, you have come to the wrong place. Tomorrow, Today is a completely different track, with a completely different song style that we have yet to hear from JJ Project or GOT7 themselves. The song itself is stripped of its standard dance and electronic elements and feels more ballad-like. The instrumental seemed like it was pinched from a DAY6 album, which is a good thing because we all know how good DAY6 instrumentals are. The guitar and the rolling drum beat in this song make me want to go back for some more. But what I liked, even more, is that the song felt pure and untouched. The song gets you into that swaying motion, which I have recently announced my love for. The melodies just make you feel warm and bubbly. And don’t get me started with their voices. Even as a guy, I find their voices so dreamy and soothing. My favourite part of the entire song was Jinyoung’s part in the chorus, which provided an amazing hook that caught me for the rest of the song. The only part which I felt could have been better or scrapped entirely was the rap. It wasn’t needed and didn’t fit in with the rest of the song.
I am going to be brutally honest here, I found the video extremely boring to watch. Sure, it fits in perfectly with the song’s overall sound and style. Sure, it felt like it gave the viewers some raw footage of the guys while they were on some holiday trip, which I am sure fans enjoyed. But there wasn’t anything amazing to hold me there and make me want to watch and rewatch it some more. Unless I find idols lying on the ground quite captivating, this video just didn’t feel like your standard music video. It felt like a home video that I was awkwardly made to watch when visiting some relatives. Though the scenery was nice and some of the symbolism made sense.
I did like the choreography for this the performance though (I staked out the live stream for the first stage). The symbolism of past and present was more apparent here than the music video, with each member doing selected movements before the other. It too fitted the song and for the rest of the performance, they were in sync with each other, which I thought was cool. Hopefully, what I saw hold and it wasn’t the members missing the timing to sit down or step off the chair together!
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 6/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
My vote for best album of 2016 went to Wings, BTS’s second studio album. Hence, today I decided to take some time to look back on their award-worthy album. However, as the album was re-released with new songs in 2017, I have decided to combine the two albums and make one long album review for it. The Wings album was dropped on October 10th of 2016. It was then re-released as You Never Walk Alone on 13th of February 2017. Please note that this is a very long review and that I apologise for that.
Wings Album Cover
1..Intro: Boy Meets Evil – J-Hope opens the entire album with Boy Meets Evil. And while it is just an intro track, it deserves to be an entire song on its own. J-Hope does not hold back, throwing his lines out at us in a manner that makes it sound so dark and intense. That intensity matches the string/dubstep instrumental of the track. The lyrics themselves are quite deep. (9/10)
3. Begin (Jungkook Solo) – While Jungkook does seem to go down the ballad route, he manages to add synths and elements that could potentially make it into a dance song. The lyrics are definitely something to look at here, as he references the members whom he basically grew up with. The track is amazing but there is just one minor detail. It seemed a little repetitive. It kept to itself, which was good, but I was expecting some change up to make it more interesting to my ears. (9/10)
4. Lie (Jimin Solo) – That classical orchestra instrumental. It gives the track a very grand and epic feel. I love the twist and turns that this track provide. Everything felt so mysterious and dark through the verses, but the chorus caught me off guard because it went higher than what we have heard. Jimin’s vocals have always shined throughout BTS releases, but it managed to shine brighter here. Good enough that I give it a (10/10).
5. Stigma (V Solo) – Out of all the BTS members, I always thought that V’s vocals were the most interesting out of all the members. And this song proves just that. His raspy vocals and higher tones just blow you away. The slow jazz based instrumental is quite good. But if you ever get the chance, try looking into the English translation for this song. Following the other tracks, this one is equally as deep, dark and mysterious. (10/10)
6. First Love (Suga Solo) – I am not really into songs that are mainly based around raps. But there is always something about Suga’s songs that catch me off guard. The instrumental is relatively quiet at the start but his voice adds the dynamic side to the song. As the song progresses, the instrumental build up into a grand orchestral piece, which I thought was spectacular. Listening to it by itself, you can hear the emotions. But once you look up the lyrics, you can tell the level of emotion that was put into the song. (10/10)
7. Reflection (Rap Monster Solo) – The instrumental of this song is 100% eerie and I love that. It slowly becomes a nice instrumental that is calming and soothing. However, it was still powerful enough to fit Rap Monster’s delivery of his lyrics, while maintaining that calmness. Once again, the lyrics leave a huge impression on you. Just try searching up the translations for these songs and you will be blown away. The just felt very neutral throughout and after listening to Suga’s solo, it needed some sort of buildup to keep me there. (9/10)
8. Mama (J-Hope Solo) – Unlike the previous songs, which went down the emotional route, J-Hope takes a different direction with a more upbeat and happier sound. That being said, the same level of emotions are present, just delivered in a different manner. It was super easy to get into the groove of this song and it was really catchy. He writes about his mum in the song, which made it extremely touching. His voice sounds so good and it shows a softer side, compared to his powerful and strong raps that we hear often in BTS title tracks. (10/10)
9. Awake (Jin Solo) – The most underrated member (vocally, that is) finally get justice by having his own solo track. That is a celebration in itself. This song just proves that the group needs to use his vocals more. Here it is so dreamy and so damn amazing. The melody of the song is the type that I really enjoy. That is, the type that gets you swaying along to it. He also appeals to my taste of violins and classical type instrumentals, which I love. Combine them together and you got a winning combination. (10/10)
10. Lost – This is a song that features the vocal line of BTS (Jungkook, Jin, Jimin & V). Given their vocals in the solo songs that featured before this track on the album, it was a given that they would sound amazing. And they did. The song delivers a burst of energy, that was needed after listening to the slow, ballad-like tracks. It was a song that was easy to get into and the second half of the chorus (the ‘lost my way, way, way~’) was super duper catchy. (9/10)
11. BTS Cypher Pt. 4 – I am quite sure this is meant to follow on from the rest of the Cypher tracks in which BTS releases on their albums. I don’t really listen to them, so I am not going to include this track in the final album rating score. But if you want to hear a hip-hop centred track from the 3 rappers of BTS, do check this one out. It is pretty good from first glance.
12. Am I Wrong – My most favourite track off the entire album. And no, it is not wrong to fall for this song. I first heard it watching it on stage at one of the weekly music shows. While the rest of the album was serious and on the emotional side of things, it was nice to hear a few lighthearted and fun sounding songs to lighten up the mood. The raps and vocals in this song are pretty good as well. And most importantly, it is really catchy, which makes me go back for more. (10/10)
13. 21st Century Girls – All you ladies put your hands up! I personally thought the song was quite good. It wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, though. The song itself provided empowerment for the female listeners, hence may be the reason why I am not into the song as much. But the rapping here was good and the vocal work was amazing. I feel a little rude to describe the song this way, but it had a carefree feel to it, while also maintaining a level of seriousness. (8/10)
14. Two! Three! (Still Wishing There Will Be Better Days) – From what I am reading, this particular track is a song for their fans. And it one pretty good song. Just the lyrics alone already pack a punch with their meaning. The rapping fitted the more mellow song, while the vocals contributed to the sweeter melodies during the chorus. What makes the song even better is that it ends with all the members singing to the chorus, making it a worthwhile song for anyone who identifies as an Army. (10/10)
15 & 18. Outro: Wings – This track is the Interlude on the Wings album but an extended version is present on the You Never Walk Alone album. And it too is a damn good track. It ends both albums on such an upbeat and fun-sounding note. The instrumental is striking and BTS sounds amazing. (10/10)
19. Supplementary Story: You Never Walk Alone – We have reached the final song on this review. And they managed to finish off the album with one fantastic song. Suga and J-Hope sang in the song, which caught me off guard. What I loved about the track was the “Walk, Walk…Walk, Like it, like that” part which the vocalists each sing. It was super catchy and gave the song a nice pop vibe, which I totally dig from time to time. (9/10)
Overall Album Rating – 9/10
You Never Walk Alone Teaser Image (Source: ALLKPOP)
Hello, everybody!!! The charts are finally posted early for once. Finally, my promise to myself has finally come true. I try to get these done in the morning but some weeks, such as the past two months, I end up going out in the mornings and don’t return home until later in the afternoon. And these take much longer than the normal reviews to write up, so it doesn’t really help. But this week means change and hopefully, I keep this up!!!
Just a quick reminder of the posting schedule I have outlined in the past few weeks! Reviews – As soon as possible Weekly Charts – Sundays (weekly basis) – Already following Album Reviews – Mondays (weekly basis) – Starting 31st of July Special/Favourites – Wednesdays (weekly basis) – Already following Just note that there will be times where I will deviate from the schedule due to the overload of great comebacks (i.e. to keep on top of things, I may post 2 album reviews in one week).
Now, that quick summary of the Top 5 for this week! KNK rose to the top with their new song, Rain. They take over KARD’s position from last week and sit neatly on this week’s throne. Hola Hola has dropped down to the fourth position this week. Also rising to the top and sitting on the second position is AKMU’s Dinosaur. Red Velvet remains in the third position, while Mamamoo moved up one rank to 5th place. For more of the charts, scroll down below to see where your favourite artist is sitting on the charts.
Also, some things that will help you denote the chart: 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.
23rd Jul – 29th Jul 2017
Title
Artist
Status
1
Rain
KNK
(▲ 6)
2
Dinosaur
AKMU
(▲ 13)
3
Red Flavour
Red Velvet
(=)
4
Hola Hola
KARD
(▼ 3)
5
Yes, I Am
Mamamoo
(▲ 1)
6
Only U
Laboum
(new)
7
Jelly
HOTSHOT
(▲ 3)
8
Fly High
Dream Catcher
(new)
9
As If It Is Your Last
BLACKPINK
(▼ 5)
10
Remember
Nine Muses
(▲ 14)
11
Happy
Cosmic Girls
(▲ 6)
12
I Smile
DAY6
(▲ 22)
13
Runner
UP10TION
(▲ 13)
14
Amazing
MYTEEN
(new)
15
Shine Forever
Monsta X
(▼ 2)
16
Camo
BoA
(▲ 9)
17
Stars of the Stars
Snuper
(▲ 4)
18
Ko Ko Bop
EXO
(▼ 16)
19
What’s My Name
T-ARA
(▲ 11)
20
Hi Hello
DAY6
(▼ 4)
21
Outside
Crush
(▲ 6)
22
Newton
Monsta X
(new)
23
Lonely
SISTAR
(▲ 14) (Final Week)
24
Hot Sugar
Turbo
(new)
25
Baby
ASTRO
(▼ 17) (Final Week)
26
Swimming
Hyunsik (BTOB)
(new)
27
That Girl
Peniel (BTOB)
(▲ 11)
28
Why Don’t You Know
Kim Chungha
(=)
29
Cherry Bomb
NCT 127
(▼ 11)
30
If You
NU’EST W
(new)
The following songs will be leaving the charts this week and will not be appearing on the charts starting next week:
Only U – 24K
Baby – ASTRO
Mayday – APRIL
Lovesick – APRIL
Calling You – HIGHLIGHT
Sweet Lies – Baek Ah Yeon
Lonely – Sistar
Wannabe – Hyoyeon (SNSD)
And that is all for this week! Finger cross and I will be early again next week! Until then, enjoy your week!
Joining the industry this week is the newly debut boy group from The Music Works. MYTEEN is a 7-member boy group consisting of Taevin, Chun Jin, Eun Su, Xi Heon, Jun Seop, Yu Vin and Han Seul. Their debut single, Amazing is featured on the group’s first mini-album, titled as MYTEEN Go!.
Some people may find a particular member of the group familiar. Yu Vin actually made his debut prior to debuting with the group as he participated Superstar K6. In one of his solo tracks, he features alongside Baek Ji Young in Garosugil, which is one of my personal favourite ballad tracks in KPOP.
The group boasts members of young ages. How young? Well, all of them are born in the late 90s, with one member born in 2001, according to a profile site. And given their young age, it was a little obvious with the route that they would go down (however, don’t be fooled. There is also a video for a more mature concept released). Amazing is a super catchy song that features a very pop-dominating sound. It has a generic instrumental, which I enjoyed but it didn’t really feel ear-catching. However within the first listen in, the song caught my attention with its great hooks and its simplicity. That can be attributed to the chorus of the song, which definitely sticks in my head after the song finishes. But with more listens, I am drawn to their vocals and raps. For a rookie group, the vocal line is already doing an ‘amazing’ job. They shine the most in the second-half of the song. The rappers sound decent. But they could have had a more energy-filled sequence, which would have showed off more of their potential. I could hear it, but the limited length didn’t play towards their skills. But despite that, the rookie group caught my attention pretty fast and it is definitely an “amazing” song.
I wish I could say the same thing about the music video. But it sadly doesn’t draw my attention. There really isn’t much going on, in the video. The video mainly consisted of close-ups and choreography shots, so there isn’t much to comment on plot wise.The ending did catch me off guard, though. There was a choreography shot where they danced in water., which usually does amaze me. But I don’t think that was necessary for this video because it didn’t fit in with the aesthetics of the video.
The performance was just what the song called for (and I say that as a compliment!). It had a nice fun feel to it, which suited the song and their ages. It isn’t spectacular, but it did the job nicely.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 5/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7/10
Monsta X has already had an action packed year. They have made two comebacks, Beautiful and Shine Forever, this year. On top of that, they have been busy going on tour between comebacks and even after their most recent comeback. Now, the group has returned with Newton, a Summer single, just weeks after their Shine Forever comeback.
Even Summer won’t stop Monsta X from releasing an EDM song. And it is a pretty good one, as well. I honestly don’t have much else to say about the song because the song does feel very standard. There really isn’t any amazing aspects that make me go wow or amazes me. But that being said, it is not a terrible song. The Summer feel is very fresh and vibrant. Once the beat drops for the chorus, I couldn’t help bouncing my head along to the music. The vocal work here is quite good, but I felt the verses could have been more memorable. The raps were good but it felt like there could have been more. Even from my comments, it sounds like a typical Summer song. But overall, it is still decent to listen to.
The music video is being described as the prequel to Shine Forever video. If that was the case, then the difference in terms of concept escalated quite quickly. I did like how the colour was vibrant, especially Kihyun’s yellow shirt. Totally suiting the Summer concept. To me, the video felt like a standalone video. The guys were just travelling in a van and having fun on a trip. Not really much else to say about the video. Though, it seems like they shot in the same place where Snuper shot their music video for their most recent comeback. The colours here made the scenery look so much better in comparison to the Snuper video. But both are still pretty good videos, suiting their respective songs perfectly.
Song – 7.5/10 Music Video – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.5/10
The girls of Dream Catcher are back with their 1st mini album since their debut at the start of the year. As mentioned, they debuted in January with Chase Me and later returned with Good Night. The mini album is titled as Prequel and features 4 songs alongside their title track, Fly High.
Following their previous tracks that placed them onto their fan’s and my radar, the girls returned with another rock-infused dance track. And like the previous tracks, this would be perfect as an anime opener. I mentioned in the past reviews that Good Night felt less intense in comparison to Catch Me, but it seems like the girls recovered from that ‘slump’. Instead, the track has bursts of energy when the choruses come into play, which provided that intensity. It maintained an appropriate level all throughout. Even some parts that didn’t feel that intense felt okay because they were spaced out and didn’t last long. The bridge was a little iffy. I thought it did take the rock vibes away a little too much but it may just require some warming up to. Once again, their vocals must be mentioned. They were amazing. Everyone shined. But the rapper of the group shined the most with her short parts prior to the choruses and the part at the end. There is a roughness to her voice that suits Dream Catcher songs (and possibly rock songs in general) perfectly. Overall, even though it was released a few hours ago, it will be replayed constantly over the weekend and beyond.
And like the past two videos, the accompanying video to Fly High follows on. But in this case, it was more like a prequel, like the name of the mini-album. My take seems to tell the story of how they got into dark magic, which was seen throughout the Good Night video. And it seems like they innocently stumbled upon it while staying at the mansion, where everything from the first two videos takes place. While the song does have a much brighter sound, the video is definitely creepy, through the ways the members suddenly stares into the camera and or the end, where you see her running through the halls of the mansion, only when you think she is trying to escape, she closes the gate, not letting anyone else in or out. While it doesn’t answer all my questions, it definitely does drag you to the edge of your seat. The cinematography and the editing combined made this an amazing video to watch, especially if you are busy connecting Catch Me,Good Night and now Fly High together to form one story. I hope they continue telling the story and that this is not a trilogy, which is a common trend in KPOP at the moment.
The choreography has big shoes to fill given my comments of the song and the music video. And they manage to do just that. Something that has changed since their debut is their stage presence. Their stage/performance was extremely captivating. Watching their dance moves and formations managed to leave me speechless today.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 10/10 Performance – 9.5/10 Overall Rating – 9.5/10
KARD has returned with their debut mini album. While they have been around for over 6 months now, the group didn’t make their official debut until last week, with Hola Hola. All the singles they have released before hand are also featured on the mini-album. To be honest, this album review should have been completed earlier. But due to a lovely thing called procrastination, I have been putting it off. But here it is, a week after their debut!
Please also note that starting 31st of July, I will be posting 1 album review each week on Monday.
5. I Won’t Stop (나는 멈추지 않는다) – While I did expect some of KARD’s other tracks on the album to be EDM based, I did not expect that slow start. That provided a nice contrast between the two styles. The dubstep (?) chorus is really intense and while I thought the drop could have been a bit better, it did sneak up on me. But minus the chorus or the instrumental, the rest of the song didn’t seem memorable, which is a pity, given their previous tracks. (7/10)
6. Living Good (Special Thanks To) – I am not a big fan of hip-hop (can you say it is hip-hop, I am not sure) but I can’t help but get into the groove for the first part of the song. While it is a fan-service song, it is a little different, in the sense that the sound is a lot lighter, compared to the songs above in the album. The second part is a recording from a concert or something, which I thought was an interesting way to present a fan-song. (8/10)
Welcome back to the ‘Favourites’ segment of my site, where I share my personal picks regarding different aspects. As you may notice, I have decided to go with ‘Favourites’ as the segment name, because they are my favourites. I have also decided to cut down the list from 10 (as originally planned) to five because it would be easier and quicker to write.
This week, I have decided to focus on OSTs or Official Sound Tracks from K-Dramas. I don’t watch that many and the few that I do watch don’t get that much spotlight. But that doesn’t stop the songs from popping up on my playlists or me investigating the various songs that do get released. So in no particular order, these are 5 of my favourite K-Drama OSTs.
Back in Time – Lyn The Moon Embraces The Sun
I start off the list with the very first OST that I fell in love with. While it was released back in 2011 for the drama, The Moon Embraces The Sun, it is an OST that I keep on going back to for its epic orchestral sound. While Lyn has a few other massive OST hits under her belt (some which I enjoyed), I still firmly believe that this track tops the rest of them. Her vocals draw you in and hold you there for the entire length of the song, not once letting you go.
Stay With Me – Chanyeol (EXO) & Punch Goblin
Out of all the songs on this list, I think many of you will agree with this one. It’s a more recent OST release, from the K-Drama Goblin and was released in December of last year. The instrumental of the OST is extremely striking and the combination of both Punch’s and Chanyeol’s husky vocals make this one damn good song to listen to.
Talk Love – K.Will Descendant of the Sun
It has been a while since we last saw K.Will on the stage. However, he has been active in the OST world, singing tracks for a few dramas. One of them belongs to the hit drama, Descendant of the Sun. It makes the list because it makes you smile. I find it quite catchy and K.Will’s vocals are undeniably amazing in this song.
All For You – Seo In Guk & Jung Eunji (APINK) Reply 1997
This chart-topping OST from 2012 features both Seo In Guk and Eunji (APINK), who also played the lead roles in the same drama. What makes this a great OST is it was easy to get into. It was a simple song, with a simple sound. The English lyrics made it catchy and appeal to many people, including international fans. The vocals of the two were also sweet and dreamy, making them an amazing duet and on-screen partners.
Rise and Shine – Kyuhyun (Super Junior) & Tiffany (SNSD) To The Beautiful You
The entire drama To The Beautiful You was produced by SM Entertainment and hence it makes sense that the entire OST album was performed by SM Entertainment artists. The standout song from the mix was Rise and Shine, which is an upbeat track, full of amazing vocals from both the main vocalists of Super Junior and SNSD. It reminds me of a musical and gives off a bright atmosphere.
Laboum has returned with their second comeback of 2017. They previously released Hwi Hwi back in April and earned their first win on the weekly music shows. Now, they are back with a special Summer album, which shares the same title as their title track, Only U.
The girls join a long list of Summer themed comebacks, which automatically make the expectations of the song quite high. For the most part, I think the song manages to hit that mark. The instrumental just screams Summer from the very start. It has a very nice retro vibe and it definitely makes you smile when you listen to the song. The catchiness of the chorus really does hook you to the song, which I am absolutely loving. I also like how they bring back their cute sound in the song, which I think fits nicely with the style and theme of the rest of the comeback. But honestly, I am a little disappointed. While I did say the song is catchy, I felt like the song didn’t have anything else that was interesting. It felt like it only hit that high standard, rather than overshoot it. Another reason requires me to go back to the vocals in Hwi Hwi. While the vocals here are good, the vocals in this song are not as explosive in the previous song and that does let me down a tiny bit. But regardless, it is definitely a Summer song I am putting onto my playlist.
I don’t mind the video but I think it could have been better. The video shows each girl form a massive crush on the guy, who is waiting for his lover to come (which I am assuming from the two fairy floss sticks he is holding). And that is basically the video summarised in one sentence. Besides the outfits they wear, the video doesn’t feel like it can be associated with the season of Summer. Though, I did think the menu was funny. If you do get a glimpse of the menu, you do notice they sell ‘homemade’ and ‘homemade vegan’. But my favourite: Sno cones.
The choreography is a completely different story. I am totally loving it. While I think they could have gone with a better start to the chorus, the whole thing comes together quite nicely. It does bring back the cute side of the girls that were missed. My most favourite part was the 2:40 mark of the music video. I thought that looked really cool.
Song – 7.5/10 Music Video – 6/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 7.5/10
Friday has just whisked by and as expected, a new SM Station track was dropped. And Mark from NCT has been on a roll with his collaborations. This time, he performs alongside Parc Jae Jung, who is a male solo artist known for winning Superstar K5. Their song, Lemonade, was dropped last Friday.
When it comes to the drink Lemonade, you would associate it with refreshing and cooling. And like the drink, the song comes off in the same way. Lemonade is a nice summer-time RnB track. With Parc Jae Jung’s husky vocals and Mark’s raps, the track becomes a refreshing treat for fans. I personally like the song. It has a nice melody and is relatively simple to get into. It is very easy going and light, in terms of sound. Like in a few of my past reviews, it is always nice to have a step back from the synths and dance tracks that do dominate the KPOP industry. I may not have said much in this review, but it is a good song. Actually, going back to my initial statements, the song is like that refreshing cup of lemonade on a hot Summers day.
The music video features Mark and Parc Jae Jung, who are in turn interested in a girl, who sells lemonade by the beach. Both guys try their best to get her attention, but their attempts end up failing. Mark, on the way to give a flower to her, sees a man (played by Henry) approach her and give her a bouquet, to which she accepts. Parc Jae Jung comforts Mark, but it turns out he saw everything and is hiding his own flower behind his back. The video also features Yoon Jong Shin, who plays the drink truck’s owner (and the girl’s boss). Overall, I thought it was a nice video to watch that had a fun storyline and suited the song’s sweetness.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
Welcome to this week’s weekly chart! We are flying through the month of July already, almost to the end. Don’t blink, or else you will be seeing Christmas lights and walking into shopping malls with Christmas carols blaring over the radio system. Hahaha…
Just want to take this time to remind you that I will be changing my posting schedule. I posted this last week (also in last week’s chart post), but here is a quick reminder. Reviews – As soon as possible Weekly Charts – Sundays (weekly basis) – Already following Album Reviews – Mondays (weekly basis) – Starting 31st of July Special/Favourites – Wednesdays (weekly basis) – Already following
Seventeen’s Don’t Wanna Cry ends its run on this week’s charts after appearing on the charts for the maximum 9 weeks and lands itself in the Top 5 at the fifth position. We also see BLACKPINK rise back to the fourth position. Red Velvet drops down from the first position to third and was overtaken by EXO (who is in 2nd position) and KARD, who debuts in the first position with their latest songs.
Possibly joining the charts next week will be Hyunsik (BTOB), Turbo, Laboum, Monsta X, NU’EST W and Dream Catcher, who will be making their respective comebacks next week!
But in the meantime, scroll down below to see this week’s charts!
Also, some things that will help you denote the chart: 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.
16th Jul – 22nd Jul 2017
Title
Artist
Status
1
Hola Hola
KARD
(new)
2
Ko Ko Bop
EXO
(new)
3
Red Flavour
Red Velvet
(▼ 2)
4
As If It Is Your Last
BLACKPINK
(▲ 4)
5
Don’t Wanna Cry
Seventeen
(▲ 13) (Final Week)
6
Yes. I Am
Mamamoo
(▼ 4)
7
Rain
KNK
(new)
8
Baby
Astro
(▲ 8)
9
Five
APINK
(▼ 5)
10
Jelly
HOTSHOT
(new)
11
Here I Am
HALO
(▲ 6)
12
Sun, Moon, Star
KNK
(▲ 16) (Final Week)
13
Shine Forever
Monsta X
(▼ 7)
14
That Girl
Jung Yonghwa (CN BLUE)
(new)
15
Dinosaur
AKMU
(new)
16
Hi Hello
DAY6
(▼ 13)
17
Happy
Cosmic Girls
(▼ 4)
18
Cherry Bomb
NCT 127
(▲ 8)
19
Party Time
Favorite
(=)
20
Archangels of Sephiroth
Stellar
(▲ 7)
21
The Stars of Stars
Snuper
(new)
22
Black
Lee Hyori
(▲ 11)
23
ABC (Middle Of The Night)
VAV
(▲ 18)
24
Remember
Nine Muses
(▼ 15)
25
Camo
BoA
(▼ 15)
26
Runner
UP10TION
(▼ 15)
27
Outside
Crush
(▲ 16)
28
Why Don’t You Know
Kim Chungha
(▼ 8)
29
Critical Beauty
Pentagon
(▼ 8)
30
What’s My Name
T-ARA
(▼ 25)
I have decided to list out the songs which will be leaving the charts for this week, which replaces that time-consuming and confusing table. Note that they will not appear starting next week:
Alone – Urban Zakapa
Beautiful – Pentagon
Don’t Wanna Cry – Seventeen
Bling Bling – iKON
B-Day – iKON
Cactus – A.C.E
Hello Hello – B.I.G
I’m Ready – MAP6
Anck Su Namun – Yezi (Fiestar)
Sun, Moon, Star – KNK
And that is all for this week! Check back next Sunday for next week’s post and will see you via the reviews and other posts I will have up during the week!
A few days ago, EXO made their highly anticipated comeback with Ko Ko Bop. I did make a sneaky post in the comment section, saying I would make an album review for EXO’s 4th studio album, The War. So here it is.
But before we delve into the album review, I just want to take this moment to notify you all that album reviews will be released on a weekly basis every Monday starting on the 31st of July. This is so I can keep track of things and not go overboard with the number of album reviews as I did in the past few weeks! Now, onto the review.
The War Album Cover
1..The Eve (전야) – The album opens up with one killer track. As soon as the song plays, you are attacked with amazing vocals from the members. The slowness of the track was also another interesting aspect. While I don’t the track changed much, you could feel the build up through the instrumental, which creates a tense atmosphere, which ended bringing their vocals/raps into the spotlight. (9/10)
3. What U Do? – This is my personal favourite of the entire album. Like the first track, the vocals of the members are put into the spotlight. I love the dynamics of the track, which made me want to get up and dance. The chorus was super catchy and has the ‘What U Do‘ (which all the members participate in) ringing in my head after the song finishes up. (9/10)
4. Forever – This track could have received the same comments as What U Do and The Eve. But I wasn’t impressed with the introduction. It was intriguing but it didn’t feel like it leads well into the rest of the track, which turned into one epic song, which could have rivalled the two songs mentioned. Once again, the vocals are on point, but I thought the first half of Chanyeol’s raps could have been better. The raspiness and speed during the second half were felt needed in the first half. (8/10)
5. Diamond(다이아몬드) – A part of me wants to like the track. It has an interesting yet strong beat. The instrumental has a Middle Eastern influence, which you should know, usually ticks the box for me. However, I didn’t like how the rappers kept on adding small parts throughout the song. To me, it gets annoying after a while and just feels likes a ‘remember me’ technique. It also wasn’t a memorable song, compared to the predecessors in this album. (7/10)
6. Touch It (너의 손짓) – And like Diamond, this song wasn’t that memorable. Instead, it seemed to have gotten lost in the mix of good and disappointing songs. Which was a pity because when it is by itself, I got a good sense of its groovy and funk vibes. The vocal work and rapping were pretty good. I love the ‘na na na‘ at the end of each chorus. It was the catchiest part of the entire track and the accompanying female background vocals suited the groovy vibe, so nicely. (7.5/10)
7. Chill (소름) – Chill is a chaotic mess and I say that in a bad way. To me, it felt like all the aspects you could ask for just did not work well together. The instrumental felt like one mess, with all the different elements not coming together well. Furthermore, there was an odd mix of styles, which didn’t sound ear-catching to me. The same could be said about the raps and vocals. Overall, not a song that I would want to revisit. (4/10)
8. Walk On Memories (기억을 걷는 밤) – This is one amazing song. The melodies in this song are definitely one to die for. The vocals in this song are just blissful, where all the members are singing. The harmonies as well. Even the instrumental was beautiful. The aesthetics of the song is on another level and it just leaves me breathless and speechless. (10/10)
9. Going Crazy (내가 미쳐) – Two things caught me by surprise with this track. Firstly, the sudden breakdown. It was unexpected but I felt it went with the rest of the song nicely (unlike in other tracks). It did give the track a more ‘out-there’ feel, which I guess is the ‘crazy’ side of the track. The second thing was that sudden high note at the end of the song. And everything else in between sounded like a really good. It is safe to say that the album ends on a good note. (9/10)
Snuper is back with the repackaged album of their Back:Hug release, which was dropped in April. Their repackaged album has been retitled as The Stars of Stars, the same title as the promotional song.
The Stars of Stars is a pretty good song. It is extremely refreshing and it can be described as a smooth mix of trance elements. The more happy vibe seems to fit in nicely with the Summer theme that comebacks are aiming to achieve. Their vocals and raps were pretty good. The chorus hooks you in with its melody and catchy lyrics. However, there were disappointing aspects of the song. For example, the instrumental was very consistent. Too consistent. It let the track fall to the more boring side of the spectrum. In agreement with that, the overall instrumental mix was good but not impressive. I was waiting for some more intense or bolder sounds, but that was never seen. Here is where I contradict myself, but I would gladly replay it over and over again, for some reason. But what I said before was what I felt when listened to the song.
It is always hard to find fault in a music video where the idea behind it is to just have some fun. While there were many different scenes in the video, it was all about hanging out and have a good time. And the guys looked like they were having a fun time, while still shooting the music video. The views where they shot the choreography scenes were breathtaking. While I am sure there are people who would disagree about the aesthetics of the wind farms, I think a wide shot of them looks spectacular. The only thing that I felt that the video could have been better at was its colour. It could have been bolder and more vibrant. But that pale filter was applied, which robs the video of that boldness.
I have watched the performance a number of times since yesterday and I can say the introductory segment was amazing. And while I thought the rest of the choreography suited the song, it just didn’t feel memorable.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
KPOPREVIEWED 