2017 – Page 19 – KPOPREVIEWED

[Album Review] Palette (4th Full Album) – IU

April 25, 2017April 24, 2017Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged IU1 Comment

I said a few days ago that I would write an album review for IU’s latest album, Palette. And everything went perfectly okay until Ending Scene was released with a music video on Monday. Which reminded me that we also got a teaser for Jam Jam, which probably means there is a music video of Jam Jam as well. So the issue is now, when shall I do Jam Jam‘s review? Ultimately, I have decided to not do another full review for Jam Jam and will only do the song review part here as part of the album review. Let’s get this show on the road!

1..Now (이 지금) – The instrumental consist of classical instrumental which makes you remember the music of the past. It is a very bright song overall, with a cuteness element mixed into it somewhere. However, her voice does bring some elegance to the song, with its mature tone. It is instantly a song that makes me smile and I like it a lot. (9/10)

2. Palette (팔레트) ft. G-Dragon (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Palette (9.5/10)

3. Ending Scene (이런 엔딩) – Click here to read the full review for Ending Scene (9.5/10)

4. Can’t Love You Anymore (사랑이 잘) ft. Oh Hyuk (Pre-release Track) – Though it was a pre-release, I actually never got around to reviewing it because there was no accompanying music video. But it is another track off her album that sounds amazing. There is a nice jazzy sound to it and right off the bat, I wouldn’t mind listening to this song in a cafe somewhere, with it playing softly. Oh Hyuk’s vocals fit very well into the song and it goes nicely with IU’s breathy vocals. Put the two together and you have another spectacular collaboration off this album (9/10)

5. Jam Jam (잼잼) – Her breathy vocals come into the play once again in Jam Jam. The song has a more upbeat instrumental which had disco vibes, which I liked quite a bit. I love the way she whispers for the pre-chorus and that launches into such a catchy chorus. I really want to see a live performance for this song because while it does have a distinct uniqueness, there is a Kylie Minogue feel coming from certain parts in the song. An artist that I grew up with because Kylie was constantly on TV when I was younger.(10/10)

6. Black Out – This is going down as a personal favourite. There is something about this song that makes it so good. I am not sure if it is her vocals in the song. She is half singing and half talking for the most part. However, especially during the chorus, she lets her vocals out and they do all the modelling in this song. The instrumental is quite nice. Nothing too overpowering, almost relaxing. (10/10)

7. Machimpyo (마침표) – Another ballad joins the mix. This one sounds like something off the soundtrack of a popular movie that made everyone cry. It sounds like the background song for remembering someone you were extremely fond of. Her vocals were softer here, but the emotions were still strong. (10/10)

8. Through The Night (밤편지) (Pre-release Track) – Click here to read the full review for Through The Night (10/10)

9. And So Love Is (그렇게 사랑은) – Boy, this song sounds sad. But it stills my breath away. The instrumental comprises of only guitar. With her emotional vocals in this song, the two elements leave a haunting sound. Even in the brief moments of silence, you can hear her voice echoing (probably was filled in my own mind) but it leaves a big impression on me. And it also proves her capabilities to anyone who still questions her in any way. (10/10)

10. Dear Name (이름에게) – The final song on the album is also another ballad. This one reminds me of Machimpyo (above) because it too sounded like it came off the soundtrack of a popular movie that made everyone cry. The orchestral feel in the song makes it sound so much more amazing. If it means anything, it is another song that gets me swaying along. And it took my breath away. (10/10)

Image result for Palette IU teaser image — Palette Teaser Image (Source: ALLKPOP)

Overall Album Rating – 9.5/10

[Review] Ending Scene – IU

April 25, 2017April 24, 2017Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged IULeave a comment

I am currently writing up the album review for IU’s fourth album, Palette. She previously announced her long-awaited comeback back March. And since then released two pre-release singles. Last week she finally dropped the album and the title track, Palette, which features G-Dragon. On Monday, she unveiled the accompanying music video for Ending Scene and hence the only reason why I am writing a separate review for Ending Scene.

IU has done it again with another ballad. Her voice suits ballads, so it is hard to find any fault in her songs (you know what situation I am in once my album review is released later today). Her vocals in this song seem to drift side by side, matching the swaying that my head can’t help doing once I start listening to the song. They are emotional, which you can hear throughout the song. The only issue if I were to overly critical with this particular song is that the instrumental sounds pretty generic. But the combination of her vocals and instrumental makes the song so impactful. It makes me want to go back and listen to it again and again. It’s another good song to add to the list from IU. And it is another good song off her latest album, which joins the other 9 songs on the album….

But as I mentioned earlier on, the reason why I decided to write a separate review for Ending Scene is the music video. I think it is an amazing video. It features Kim Soo Hyun, who previous stared alongside IU in the drama Producer. The video shows IU and Soo Hyun tied up in the clouds together, preparing for their breakup. They spent time watching the memories that they made together. Throughout these memories, you see Soo Hyun lipsync to IU’s voices, but with messages that “You will be able to sleep well soon” and that everything will soon feel better. As they watch, IU seem to have second thoughts on their breakup. In the end, we return to back to the scene where they are tied up again. And IU begins to cut some of Soo Hyun’s string and you see him start to drop, while Soo Hyun does the same to IU’s string. Cutting the strings symbolises moving on. Falling out the sky was the final step and after that, they could say they moved on. Soo Hyun administered the final snip, so he doesn’t make her feel burdened and we see him fall down. We then see IU attempt to cut her string, but the screen blackens before we see it happen, possibly suggesting she didn’t cut them. IU probably didn’t want to or wasn’t ready to move on. Overall, it is a very impactful video and it was quite interesting to watch.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9.5/10

[Review] Across The Universe – JUNGGIGO

April 24, 2017April 23, 2017Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged JungGiGoLeave a comment

JungGiGo has returned with his first full-length album since his debut over 8 years ago! His full album titled as Across The Universe features the title track of the same name and the collaboration which was released early this year with Chanyeol (EXO), Let Me Love You.

Across The Universe is a really good track. It is quite calming and relaxing to listen to. The song has its roots in RnB, but the instrumental makes it sound like pop. Overall, the instrumental adds a nice upbeat feel, which you don’t commonly associate with RnB. His vocals are on point throughout the song. Not once wavering despite singing at such a high pitch. It is quite catchy and addictive. Honestly, while listening to the song and writing this review, I have been bouncing along to the sound. The song itself has a romantic meaning to it. The lyrics are like a confession that makes you go “nawwss…” when you read them. It’s the type of song that I won’t mind listening to constantly and it is the same type of song that puts a smile on my face when I listen to it. And that is just from the tone and melody of the song itself! Highly recommend!

The music video simply contains shots of a couple going on dates and hanging out together. It is a simple video, which matches with the simplistic sound that comes from the song. The shots were taken quite nicely, with the aesthetics shining brightly throughout the video. That is quite ironic because the entire video was quite dark. Not too troubled by it since it contributes to the aesthetics. It is also the first video in the history of KPOP and Korean culture that has made me feel lonely. Not sure if that is a good thing, but hey, it meant the video was impactful! Overall, the video was very nice to watch.

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

[Review] Will You Go Out With Me? – DIA

April 24, 2017April 23, 2017Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged DIALeave a comment

DIA has returned with their first full-length album, YOLO. The title track off this album is Will You Go Out With Me?. This is their first comeback since Mr. Potter, which was released last year. DIA also collaborated with Hong Jin Young and Kim Yeon Ja for their pre-release. This is also their first comeback as a 9-member girl group, with the recent addition of Jueun and Somyi.

I have not been much of a DIA fan since their songs haven’t really caught my attention. I am on the fence for this one, which I guess could be considered as a start. The song is made to sound overly cute, which annoys me to an extent because it sounds exaggerated. However, through that overload of exaggerated cuteness, the song has its moments. The “어머어머어머어머” or “eomeoeomeoeomeoeomeo” did catch my attention. The chorus was also quite catchy. The instrumental doesn’t stand out, but it adds a little more liveliness to the song with its consistent and bright sound. However, there were parts that I didn’t really enjoy. First of all, that exaggerated cute sound I was talking about. Secondly, the opening rap sequence just sounded odd. Thirdly, those small speaking segments in the middle of the song. I just am not a fan of them and their use just doesn’t change it (awkwardly sounding). Overall, it is an okay song. I can’t say it is terrible, but at the same time, I can’t say it is a good song.

The music video shows the members in Tokyo (I think). The majority of the video is having them wander around the city and show shots of them having fun. Chaeyeon is the main member of the video and she wanders the street, wondering if she should contact her crush. She does have a few scenes where she does contact him through messaging and they were cleverly inserted into the music video alongside the scenes shot outside. The video reminds me of their debut music video, which also showed them wandering the streets in Hong Kong. Overall, I thought it was a pretty nice video to watch. It was smart and it worked. Not too sure on their marketing for this comeback though.

The dance was actually fun to watch. I see hearts everywhere in this choreography, which is pretty cool. Their first heart formation during the chorus was really hard. Let’s just say, it looked cool and it looked easy. But I tangled my arms and that is probably another reason why this review is out a few days late…

Song – 5/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 6/10

[Review] Easy Love – SF9

April 23, 2017June 15, 2020Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged SF9Leave a comment

SF9 has returned with their second comeback this year. They previously made their return to the stage with Roar. This time they are promoting Easy Love, from their second mini-album, Breaking Sensation.

Easy Love is probably their most solid song to date. I didn’t mind the group’s past title track, but they were dominated by synth sounds that I sadly never got to connect with. I hate to say that the instrumental was more ‘traditional’ sounding, but the group opted for a less synth dominated instrumental, which made it easier to get into the track. The song also had a cleaner melody, which I enjoyed. It sadly did sound generic at times, but I liked it for its cleaner sound. The chorus was probably the best part. It was catchy and definitely was the kick the song needed. The verses didn’t captivate me. But once the chorus kicked in, it gave me nostalgic feels, as it made the song sound something that could have been released back in the 2009 or 2010. The raps were quite good here, which is similar to my comments in their other reviews. However, the vocals have been parts that I was never fond of. But this time around, the vocals sounded a lot better. Both the raps and vocals style here give the group a more mature side and both showed me the level of improvement of the group since debut so far. The start of the song probably left the biggest impression for me, which made it quite memorable. And in combination with the chorus, it makes it hard to not go back.

The video is full of anger and angst, which matches the lyrics of the song quite well (the song is all about how cruel love can be). Hence the video is made up of closeup shots of the members stuck in the moment and can’t get over their breakup. So, there isn’t much going on in the video. The choreography shots are probably the only thing that has me coming back (more on that later).

The choreography is really good. It is fitting for the song. There really isn’t much to talk about, but it looks good. The dance may not be sharp or extremely powerful. Instead, the anger I mentioned before is subtly there and it goes a long way, making the performance look cool.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7/10

[Weekly Chart] 3rd Week of April 2017

April 23, 2017Posted in Weekly ChartsLeave a comment

April is almost up. And Easter has already gone past us. Damn, this year is going too quickly. I hope you all have been well. I was sick during the week (hence my absence for two days) but I am all better now. Just a sniffle here and there. There are some songs that I missed out due to my absence, but I will get them out this week. I have two extra day offs this week, so I will hopefully write and post them then.

This week’s top 5 is all dominated by girl groups. Girl’s Day and EXID are the only two groups that remained in the top 5 from last week. Girl’s Day takes the second position on the chart, while EXID remained constant at no. 3. Dream Catcher rose from 7th to 3rd this week. The number one spot went to Laboum, with their newest track Hwi Hwi. Berry Good took 5th place with their song, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo.

My prediction for next week will be the rise of IU’s two early releases and Palette, her title track off her fourth album. DIA and Lee Hae Ri’s title tracks were meant to be new debuts this week, but due to me completely missing the tracks, they will start their 9 weeks off this week instead. Joining all of them also are Jonghyun, Snuper, K.A.R.D, Changsub and Momoland.

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.

	16th Apr – 22nd Apr 2017
	Title	Artist	Status
1	Hwi Hwi	Laboum	(new)
2	I’ll Be Yours	Girl’s Day	(↓ 1)
3	Night Rather Than Day	EXID	(=)
4	Good Night	Dream Catcher	(↑ 4)
5	Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo	Berry Good	(new)
6	Beautiful	Monsta X	(↓ 4)
7	Never Ever	GOT7	(↓ 2)
8	Really Really	Winner	(↓ 4)
9	Coloring Book	Oh My Girl	(↓ 3)
10	Love Is	Teen Top	(↓ 1)
11	Fool	Winner	(↑ 2)
12	Wee Woo	Pristin	(↑ 4)
13	Ninano	Gong Minzy	(new)
14	I’m Serious	DAY6	(↓ 6)
15	Rollin’	Brave Girls	(↑ 7)
16	Steal Your Heart	Unit Black	(↑ 19)
17	Plz Don’t Be Sad	HIGHLIGHT	(↓ 3)
18	Paper Umbrella	Yesung (Super Junior)	(new)
19	It’s Still Beautiful	HIGHLIGHT	(↑ 7)
20	Make Me Love You	Taeyeon (SNSD)	(↓ 10)
21	Would U	Red Velvet	(↑ 7)
22	She’s A Baby	Zico (Block B)	(new)
23	Take Me Home	Baekhyun (EXO)	(new)
24	Easy Love	SF9	(new)
25	Fingertips	Gfriend	(=)
26	Hibernation	Yesung (Super Junior)	(↑ 30)
27	WoW!	Lovelyz	(↑ 12)
28	Between Us	CN Blue	(↑ 5)
29	A Girl Like Me	Gugudan	(↑ 1)
30	Dream In A Dream	Ten (NCT)	(↑ 2)

Songs leaving the chart this week (and will not appear starting next week):

Title	Artist	Peak Position	No. Of weeks in Top 30	Final Week’s Position
I Got Love	Taeyeon (SNSD)	5	4	43
Knock Knock	Twice	2	6	39
Should Have Held On To You	Astro	23	3	49
Sketch U	100%	10	5	36

Hope you all have another amazing week and hope to see all you back next Sunday.

[Review] Palette – IU ft. G-Dragon (Big Bang)

April 22, 2017April 23, 2017Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged BIGBANG, G Dragon (BIGBANG), IULeave a comment

The digital queen is officially back. This is her first major release in the last three years. On top of that, this is her first return to the stage in four years. Who am I talking about? It is IU, of course. And with her already (and always expected) chart topper, she is bringing out the big guns with one of the most unexpected collaborations to date. G-Dragon features on her title track and that will be reviewed today. And don’t worry, I will be getting an album review out for her fourth album, Palette, sometime next week!

Her last song was titled as 23, due to her age. This song seems to be an extension of that idea, but this time, IU is 25. However, the sound is completely different in comparison to her previous track. It’s a slow track that doesn’t much going on it. It doesn’t rely on a heavy instrumental. Instead, it is very minimalistic. The song reminds me of a white room or a blank canvas. Sure, it may sound boring to some people, but it can mean a lot and be interpreted differently by others. And with that minimal sound (or white room or blank canvas), it gives her vocals the chance to shine. We already know of her vocal capabilities, but with this song, she displays a much more mature sound that we haven’t heard from her. Her higher pitch during the chorus and the slowness of the song makes the track sound so much better. Furthermore, the song is addictive and extremely catchy. I have already replayed it a number of times and I am singing along (in my awful voice) every time the chorus kicks in. Finally, G-Dragon’s rap sequence sounds pretty cool, I can’t really deny that. It was extremely fitting and added an urban sound to the song. Something that brings the song down a bit, since IU was singing her parts at a higher pitch before G-Dragon came in. Overall, it is an amazing song, so do check it out.

I mentioned the idea of the white room before. And the video was shot is a white room, as well. And yes, while a white room may be boring, but it is what IU does in the room (besides stealing the spotlight, of course) does fill it up. It’s an odd idea and it’s one that didn’t occur to me until I started writing this part. But her presence fills the room. And in a sense, that does paint on the white walls. It is just a thought that I had while writing this, but it made me go back and watch the video a couple more times. We are also shown other shots. One that stole the show was when she appeared in her Good Day outfit (I think. It’s the one where she is wearing the pink dress with her name and the age ’18’ written at the bottom of the video). It shows how far she has come. From Good Day, which was her big breakthrough in the industry, to her current video and matured style. I think the video is amazing. Like the song, it is minimalistic, but that does speak volumes in certain cases and this is one of those cases. Watching the video many times already and I have yet to feel bored.

[UPDATED] The accompanying choreography isn’t a big part of the comeback. She only dances during the chorus of the song and it is that little segment seen in the video. It wasn’t needed but I didn’t mind it. It too showed a more mature side to IU, matching the mature sound of the song. She also rapped G-Dragon’s part for her first stage. That blew me away. Search up the performance to watch her perform Palette!!

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 8/10 [UPDATED]
Overall Rating – 9.5/10 [UPDATED]

[Double Review] Paper Umbrella + Hibernation – Yesung (Super Junior)

April 22, 2017Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Super Junior, Yesung (Super Junior)Leave a comment

Yesung from Super Junior has made his return to the stage with a brand new mini-album, Spring Falling. Hibernation was the pre-release single from the mini-album, while Paper Umbrella served as the main title track. It has been a while since we heard from him. He last promoted Here I Am back in April of last year. He also participated in the drama, Voice, earlier this year.

Yesung’s two songs delve back into the ballad genre in music. Hibernation has a nice melody but it fails to reel me. The percussion in the song felt dominate and did take the attention away from his vocals, which should have been the highlight of the track. His vocals are good but they don’t sound as emotional as his other songs. It just wasn’t as memorable. There were actually other tracks on his mini-album which could have easily served as a pre-release single instead and left a stronger impression on me than what Hibernation did.
Paper Umbrella is a much better ballad in comparison. The orchestra based instrumental makes the song sound grand and elegant. His vocals are much better here. You could feel the emotions in his voice. There was also a nice buildup in both the instrumental and Yesung’s vocals in this song. However, similar to the Hibernation, Paper Umbrella fails to capture my attention. It sounds good in the moment, however, it just doesn’t have me coming back for more.

Hibernation’s accompanying video was boring to watch. There wasn’t much to it. Yesung was singing, while the lead actress in the music video went about on her day. There was no interaction between the two in any form. However, the video does seem to suit the song.
Paper Umbrella’s video was far more interesting. The video shows a Yesung and his former lover on a rainy day. The two seem to remember when they were younger and how they spent their rainy days together. There seemed to be other couples in the video (not too sure about this though). The use of colour in this video is excellent. The present day where they have separated, the clouds are grey and there is barely any light when they meet up on the bridge. Meanwhile, their memories are of days where there was a nice golden glow from the sky and the colours are much brighter overall.

Hibernation
Song – 5/10
Music Video – 5/10
Overall Rating – 5/10

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

[Review] Steal Your Heart – Unit Black

April 21, 2017April 21, 2017Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged BOYS24, Unit BlackLeave a comment

Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to go through the details of where this boy group came from (BOYS24 – you can check the Wikipedia page for the show. I didn’t really follow it). However, that won’t stop me from reviewing their debut single. This is the first promotional unit from the television show BOYS24, named as Unit Black. The group consisted of Park Do Ha, Hwang In Ho, Oh Jin Suk, Kim Sung Hyun, Kim Young Hyun, Jung Yeon Tae, Yoo Young Doo and Han Hyun Uk. Their debut single is titled as Steal Your Heart.

Off the bat, I would file this under the ‘generic KPOP song’ tab. There isn’t much to set it apart from other songs released currently. Their instrumental is a more tame EDM style, which to an extent is a good thing. However, the majority of songs that has come out in the last year that utilised EDM were quite tame and didn’t overpower the overall song. Their vocals and raps were great. But there weren’t anything in that area of the song that amazed me or made me fall for the song. There were some good points, however. The chorus was catchy. Maybe not too much. But it does enough to get me going back to the track. Also, the melody at the chorus was quite nice as well. Which leads me to my next point, its smoothness is something that stands out for me. From the start to end, you feel like you slide along with the song. The beat drop at the end was typical, but it provided that lift that the song required.

Unit Black probably means that they will be using the shade of black quite extensively throughout the video. If done right, everything would look classy and stylish. And that is what exactly what happened. Some of the sets looked cool, using that black aspect quite nicely, such as their choreography scenes where they wear the red suits. Others relied on the members wearing black, and it didn’t seem to do the job nicely. As for the plot of the video, were they trying to steal fame? Cause that is what I got out of it. Essentially, they devised a plan to steal something, which looked okay at first. But once the mission was successful and they opened the bag, they get teleported to the stage, where they perform for the rest of the video. That looked lame if I was honest. But it does make sense (to an extent – it is something that I would not do – steal fame, that is), because they probably did that to grab everyone’s attention, including their crushes.

Performance wise, they did a good job for a generic sounding song. Without the song influencing my thoughts on the dance, it was dry and dull to watch.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 5/10
Overall Rating – 6/10

[Review] Ninano – Gong Minzy ft. Flowsik

April 21, 2017April 21, 2017Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Flowsik, Gong MinzyLeave a comment

It has been a long time coming, but Minzy has finally made their solo debut with the mini-album, Minzy Work 01. Uno, and the title track, Ninano. Gong Minzy is a former member of the popular girl group 2NE1. She withdrew from the group in April 2016. 2NE1 ended up disbanding at the end of 2016.

Right from the very first second, the track sounds very exotic and intriguing. The instrumental is bass heavy, which makes it feel highly intense throughout. There seems to be a string instrument in the instrumental, which dominates the entire track and it is probably the one thing that makes me want to go back to the track. Minzy’s vocals don’t really feel like it was shown off here. The track doesn’t seem to reach a peak, as well. Instead, the track builds up to the chorus and then it seems to settle back down. This is different, and it makes the track interesting. Within the instrumental, there was some emptiness. However, the emptiness should not be seen as a flaw, but rather a medium to help intensify the track. Given her lack of solo songs while under YG Entertainment and as part of 2NE1, I expected a song that really shows her off. The instrumental catches my attention, but her vocals don’t really. Flowsik’s rap sequence fits wonderfully in the song. It is expected from a person of his magnitude in the industry. It leads to the ending of the song and caps those powerful vibes quite nicely.

The video is pretty good. While it does consistent to just closeups and choreography, everything that I spoke about in the song review was channelled throughout the video. You have the intensity. You have the toughness. You have the powerful vibe. She even added sexiness to the video. Overall, it does the job well done. The editing is wonderful. Though I think I have mentioned how I am not a major fan of some of the transitions between shots in the past, they are used consistently and you can’t really argue against that. The sets are also quite nice. While my review for the music video is relatively short, it is still perfectly suited for the song.

The choreography is as expected with the quality of the song. It is tough, it is powerful and it is sexy. It doesn’t go over the top though. All of those aspects are well balanced.

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

[Review] Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo – Berry Good

April 18, 2017April 22, 2017Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Berry GoodLeave a comment

Berry Good has returned to the stage with a song that has probably the most annoying title to write out and pronounce. I am only joking. But seriously, need to send a few words of thanks to the person who created the copy and paste function. Berry Good last year returned with Angel and Don’t Believe, two songs that put the group on my radar of groups to look out for.

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo is a change up from their previous songs. This one focuses on more a brighter sound and falls within the typical branch of KPOP songs, something that their previous track did not conform to. However, that being said, the typical KPOP sound did work well in the song. To be honest, it was a mistake to listen to the song while watching the video (more on that later), so my first listen ended with me concluding that the song was probably one to stay away from. But after a few more listens (without the visual presence of the music video), it is a really catchy song. Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo is extremely difficult to say on its own, so obviously, it makes it harder to sing that line. But it made the song catchy. The instrumental uses a Summer tone, which made the song feel fun. The vocals were okay, but I don’t think it was their best (Angel takes that crown). The only probably that left me disappointed was the rap sequence. It was not needed. I absolutely hate it when they talk like that in songs because it tends to ruin the mood of the song. But overall, it is still a pretty catchy track to listen to.

Unfortunately, Berry Good is not a money-making machine for their company. And sadly, their comebacks end up being missed. Which means that their next comeback would have a lower than normal budget. Even crowd-funding was required for this comeback. The lower budget could obviously be seen here and it was such a low-quality video that I can’t bring myself to rewatch. As mentioned before, I watched the video and listened to the song in one go for the first time. And because of the video, I almost decided to not return to the video. It is probably because viewers as myself are more accustomed to aesthetics and better quality videos, that this video felt bland and boring in comparison. On a better note, the use of colour was great, just the camera didn’t catch the boldness the colours added and made very feel dull. If it was shot with a little more money, I could see it being a typical KPOP video. And that to me, would have been an improvement. On another side note, but the teaser look liked it had a much better budget than the actual music video. What happened there?

I saw a live performance on YouTube today for the track. The dance is pretty good. Sure, it doesn’t feel memorable (it is quite generic) but nonetheless, it looks good and suits the song.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 2/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 6/10

[Review] Hwi Hwi – Laboum

April 18, 2017May 9, 2017Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged LABOUMLeave a comment

Laboum has returned with a brand new song and mini album. 2016 was a big year for the band as they released multiple songs such as Journey to Atlantis, Shooting Love and Winter Story (didn’t get around to reviewing this song, unfortunately), which all help grow their fan base. Now the girls have returned with their second mini album, Miss This Kiss and the title track Hwi Hwi or 휘휘.

Laboum, in the past year, has consistently put out great songs. And they continue that level of success with Hwi Hwi. Just listening to the song for the first time, I could tell it is a part of another league. No, it doesn’t have a new sound or an element to make it stand out. To be honest, it uses very generic and traditional pop sounds. But what makes it sound so good is that it is done right. It ticks off all the boxes as a fun, addictive and fun song. The whistles and level of brightness that the track starts off with really sets the tone of the song from the very start. I love the overlapping between the raps and vocals just before each chorus. Oh, and don’t me get started on the chorus. It is the definitely the part of the song that shines the brightest, especially with the “Miss This Kiss” part. There may not be anything new in the song, but the song manages to cement itself in being one of the top songs of the years. And as a final plea, do not sleep on this song. I recommend it to anyone who wants to listen to a bright song, that actually also prepares us for the coming Summer months.

The music video is pretty good. The video is shot in a similar style to Shooting Love (i.e. camera angles and cinematography made the video look more amazing than if it was shot with a camera moving back and forth). While I do want something more to the video that really grabs people’s attention, the video’s level of brightness and colour really does fit the song’s vibes. The sets look pretty ordinary, but somehow they managed to make it all look good. Watching the girls perform the song in the video alone brought a massive smile to my face. The song did as well, but not to the extent of my grin after watching the video. Some of the props they used did remind me of a few videos released by other girl groups. I don’t know if I overemphasised them in my mind or if it was intentional, but it seemed like a clever.

The dance is also quite simple, but it goes a long way. I am totally in love with it, as I am with the rest of the comeback. It is cute but it doesn’t overdo it, which is a mega plus. It doesn’t necessary standout, but it compliments well with the song.

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 8/10
Dance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 9/10

[Review] She’s A Baby – Zico (Block B)

April 17, 2017Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Block B, Zico (Block B)Leave a comment

Zico, the leader and main rapper of Block B, is finally back. He also happens to be one of the biggest solo acts active at the moment. Zico has a massive portfolio ranging from solo tracks, such as I Am You, You Are Me, to songs in which he produced such as Flower Road by Gugudan’s Sejeong. She’s A Baby has been rivalling IU’s chart-topping songs since its release. Block B also recently made a comeback with Yesterday as well.

Each time Zico releases music, it is always something that is different and doesn’t fit his past styles. And I like that about Zico, the fact that he is not afraid to try. However, this comes at a big risk as it will be hard to satisfy everyone’s taste in music. Sadly, that is the case with this song for me. I don’t really enjoy it that much. The song feels quite bare. There really isn’t that much to the instrumental. The guitar really stands out, mainly because there really isn’t much to accompany it or overpower it. It also makes the song feel jagged and disjointed. His voice seems to tie all the jagged fragments together and the way he sang some parts gave the song a more dynamic profile, something that the instrumental would have usually provided. The tempo of the track is also worth talking about because it makes the song feel quite slow. But somehow the track ends feeling like a 1 minute, rather than the 3 minutes it actually goes for. I wouldn’t say this is a bad song, it just doesn’t appeal to my taste.

The music video seems to be shot in the same style as Ladies Code’s Galaxy. Likewise, I have no idea what is going on in this video. My guess is that Zico and the girl are in love. But Zico finds out that the girl he loves is like a baby, but he finds that cute. So instead, Zico adopts a more caring side rather romantic side. Instead of letting her eat a cupcake with candy sprinkles on top, he swaps it for a carrot cupcake. He sleeps on the floor instead, while giving her the bed. All seem to support what I think. But I would like to hear (or read) other theories. Videos like this are quite nice to watch and fascinating because they make you think about what is happening. Some things are not explicitly shown, and you have to fill in the gaps. The use of colour in this video also makes it look cool. Despite what I said at the end of the song review, I feel like this video did drag out the song. It may be problematic for some songs, but not that much with this song.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.2/10

[Review] Take Me Home – Baekhyun (EXO)

April 17, 2017Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Baekhyun (EXO), EXOLeave a comment

Baekhyun’s recent solo release is the third song in the SM Station Season 2 project. Red Velvet’s Would U and Ten’s Dream In A Dream are also other songs in the project. For a review, I don’t think I ever repeated the artist’s name so many times before.

Baekhyun went with a ballad that does a pretty good job at bringing out his vocal’s capabilities. His vocals are on point throughout the song. Take Me Home fits perfectly into the season of Spring, with its more upbeat and brighter melody. Complimenting the Spring season, you can hear the romantic vibes that Baekhyun and the instrumental try to get across to the listener. But the instrumental is pretty standard, and there isn’t anything to comment on. I love how his voice buildups in the song, rather than the instrumental. That, or you can hear the buildup in his voice more apparent here. The song doesn’t have me coming back for though. It is the type of song that you would be happy to listen to, but you don’t necessary go back to replay it. There wasn’t a memorable moment that I tend to look for in ballads. Overall, it is a beautiful song but probably not one for me.

The video compliments the song quite nicely. I expected the video to be more on the dull side, but it wasn’t. The entire song was about how Baekhyun wanted to help his friend (the girl) get over her ex. The whole video shows Baekhyun’s attempt of moving her attention away. In the end, he successfully drags her away from the memories that sadden her by getting her to do a small dance and finally sharing a smile with each other. The end shows him holding the picture and the flower, but no friend was present, suggesting that she had moved on and his job was completed. My initial thoughts of Baekhyun’s attempts to get her mind off of things was that he was flirting and was consistently rejected. I guess lyrics and some fan comments do go a long way. As I previously said, it is a nice video to watch.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7/10

[Weekly Chart] 2nd Week of April 2017

April 16, 2017April 23, 2017Posted in Weekly ChartsLeave a comment

Happy Easter All!!! As you can tell, I went a little overboard with the featured image. But then again, you can never have too many easter eggs!! Currently on my week off, but still busy as ever. You are given a ‘week off’ but in reality, you are just catching up on work that you have yet to start or complete.

Girl’s Day returned to the top of the charts this week, with I’ll Be Yours. Monsta X dropped down one position to second place, with their ‘Beautiful‘ song. EXID and their song “Night Rather Than Day‘ makes their debut at 3rd position. Rounding out the top 5, Winner with their song, Really Really, which was “Really Really” good and GOT7’s Never Ever. For more of the charts, scroll down below.

Baekhyun released his SM Station song on Friday and I should get around reviewing it today (if I have time) or by tomorrow. The song will be included in next week’s chart. Joining Baekhyun are Berry Good, Zico (I know I mentioned him last week, but I have been busy), Minzy, Wassup, Hyorin & Changmo, Laboum, Yesung, SF9, Jessica Jung, DIA, Lee Hae Ri and (possibly) JungGiGo. Am I going to have time to even relax next week? Or am I going to shook all week?

	9th Apr – 15th Apr 2017
	Title	Artist	Status
1	I’ll Be Yours	Girl’s Day	(↑ 1)
2	Beautiful	Monsta X	(↓ 1)
3	Night Rather Than Day	EXID	(new)
4	Really Really	Winner	(↑ 5)
5	Never Ever	GOT7	(↓ 2)
6	Coloring Book	Oh My Girl	(↓ 2)
7	Good Night	Dream Catcher	(=)
8	I’m Serious	DAY6	(↑ 7)
9	Love Is	Teen Top	(new)
10	Make Me Love You	Taeyeon (SNSD)	(↓ 5)
11	Tension Up	IMFACT	(↑ 36)
12	2GETHER	INX	(↑ 41)
13	Fool	Winner	(↑ 6)
14	Plz Don’t Be Sad	HIGHLIGHT	(↓ 4)
15	Don’t Recall	K.A.R.D	(↑ 9)
16	Wee Woo	Pristin	(↓ 2)
17	Movie	BTOB	(↑ 13)
18	Echo	Seven O’Clock	(↑ 7)
19	How Can I Say	DAY6	(↑ 1)
20	The Spring	Eunji (APINK)	(new)
21	Spring Day	BTS	(↓ 3) (Final Week)
22	Rollin’	Brave Girls	(↓ 16)
23	Without U	Romeo	(↑ 22)
24	Wake Me Up	B.A.P	(↑ 3)
25	Fingertips	Gfriend	(↓ 8)
26	It’s Still Beautiful	HIGHLIGHT	(↓ 4)
27	Not Today	BTS	(↓ 15) (Final Week)
28	Would U	Red Velvet	(↓ 17)
29	Through The Night	IU	(↑ 5)
30	A Girl Like Me	Gugudan	(↓ 22)

Songs leaving the chart this week (and will not appear starting next week):

Title	Artist	Peak Position	No. Of weeks in Top 30	Final Week’s Position
Spring Day	BTS	1	9	21
Not Today	BTS	2	9	27
Rain	Soyu (Sistar) & Baekhyun (EXO)	14	3	N/A
Kiss On The Lips	MelodyDay	9	6	46
Don’t Recall	K.A.R.D	1 (x2)	9	15

I hope you are having a wonderful time this Easter. If you don’t celebrate Easter, I hope you have another amazing week!

[Album Review] High Five (2nd Full Album) – Teen Top

April 15, 2017Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged Teen TopLeave a comment

Teen Top has returned with their second full album, High Five. This is their first comeback since the departure of L.Joe and as a five member group. I had previously written a full review for their title track, Love Is. If you had missed that or want to re-read it, then scroll down below and click the hyperlinked link!

1..Origin – As it is only the introduction to the album and lasts around 30 seconds, it will not be included in the final rating.

2. Love Is (재밌어?) (title track) – Click here to read the full review for Love Is. (7.5/10)

3. Because I Care (손만 잡고 잘게) – I think the song is good, but there really isn’t anything that captivates me in the song. It is one of the songs that, regardless how times I play the entire album, I end up skipping it. It sounds very ordinary and is forgettable. The vocals are okay but compared to the rest of the songs on the album, it does fall short. (5/10)

4. Call Me – Probably one of the better tracks on the album. The instrumental is amazing. It probably would sound much better if the bass was stronger and would fit perfectly in the club setting. But it still sounds amazing. The vocals are pretty good, but it did feel constricted. I haven’t judge the song based on its live stage (this song was also performed alongside their title track during the first week of promotions) but the dance gives it more energy and lifts the song to a whole new level. (9/10)

5. I Love Girl – As a person who English is my first language, I cringe at the title. But after listening to the song, I guess the missing article in the title was intentional. In the song, the “I Love Girl” sounds like “I Love Her”. If my assumption is right, it is quite clever. The instrumental seems pretty standard, with no flashy moments. It seems to be an upbeat form of RnB, which doesn’t sound too bad. However, the song doesn’t really reel me in. Maybe because the lyrics and romantic vibe don’t appeal to me. (6/10)

6. Make Me Sick (화나게 해) – This song is actually quite good. The beat of the song is quite addictive and the chorus almost sounds sensual to an extent. If you listen carefully, you can hear very heavy breathing in the background, which is matching to the beat of the song. But what makes the chorus the highlight of the song is the vocals. They sound so good in this song. There were some processing, but either way, it sounds quite good. The ending of the song sounded more dragged out than it should have been, but that is not a problem. (8/10)

7. July (7월의 만남) – It’s another one of those ballads that make me sway along. We know the more dance and synth heavy version of Teen Top, so this provides a different sound for the group. I say it as if it is the first ballad they have ever done and I am quite sure it isn’t their first. But since I haven’t paid attention much to their B-side tracks before, it was their first ballad, for me, at least. Vocally, the song is strong and showcases their vocals. The same can also be said about the rap sequence. (8/10)

8. High Five (안녕!) – This is one of the more brighter songs on the album. If there was anything such as a “boy next door” type of song, this would probably be it. The vocals are quite good here and the harmony during the chorus made the song worth listening to. The stripping of the music from the end, leaving only the vocals, was probably my personal favourite part of the song. The vocals do add a more dynamic side to the song. They boosted the very generic sounding acoustic instrumental to a ‘high-five’ worthy song. (8.5/10)

9. What’s The Problem (뭐가 문제야) – One of the two personal favourites on the entire album. It may not be your typical synth-heavy Teen Top song, but it fits the group’s style quite nicely. The song, for a while, reminded me of Shinhwa, especially during the rap (I don’t know what to call it) towards the end of the song. The whistles (I think they were distorted but very subtly) made the song more addictive. The vocals and raps in this song were probably their best on the album. I also love the “Why, Why, What you want?” chant, which was catchy to me. (9/10)

10. You & I – This is the other personal favourite on the entire album. Vocals and raps are on point in this song. I love the very simple “You & I” chorus. It makes the song incredibly smooth and it is catchy as heck. I continually replay the song very single day because I just can’t get enough the chorus. Even writing this part of the review, I am having a hard time just go onto the next song. What this song needs? Nothing else, but a live performance would be nice. (10/10)

11. Mirror – The album ends up with another standard song. It is another song that I ended passing by because I didn’t really enjoy it as much. Nor did it have anything worth coming back to. The same comments I made about Because I Can can be applied here. The only good side to the band that it does showcase their vocals quite nicely. But besides that, there wasn’t much else. (5/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.6/10