The newest and youngest kids on the block. Golden Child, who is currently under Woolim Entertainment, the same company that brings you Infinite and Lovelyz, made their official debut yesterday with DamDaDi. The group is made up of 11 members (too many to name) and have already received attention for their knife like choreography, something that Infinite was known for when they debuted and made consecutive comebacks.
The song is surprisingly good. Given their ages, I thought they would go down the typical cutesy KPOP debut track. But instead, the group went with a more funky and energetic sound, which I thought was unique. The sounds fit the warmer seasons perfectly. Some moments felt very retro, while other moments felt modern. The hooks in the song are pretty good. It did get a little repetitive towards the end but they worked pretty well because it has me coming back for more. Their vocals and raps are good but it didn’t the wow factor that you want to hear from a new group. While I am very satisfied with the song, a part of me wants the song to go that extra length and amaze us. That way, the group can secure a more permanent spot in the industry, something that rookies don’t really get an express route to.
The music video had that hazy filter on it, which could have been removed entirely. The song calls for a bright and bold atmosphere, but the hazy filter made it feel dull. The colours seem to look vibrant but the filter just doesn’t convey it. The entire video sees the guys prepare for a baseball competition and they have some fun on the way. It is a good video but it doesn’t leave me with much else to say.
The group is already known for their choreography skills. The performance for DamDaDi seems very good, with the entire group in sync for the entire dance. And visually, that makes it look so perfect. But I feel like they could have gone for a more energetic dance to fit the song, especially during the chorus. It is good but it isn’t as memorable as it should have been.
Song – 7.5/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.5/10
It has been two years since the VIXX subunit made their official debut with Beautiful Liar. VIXX LR is officially back with a brand new mini-album and title track, Whisper. While it has been a while for the duo, VIXX has been busy with multiple comebacks over the past two years, with Shangri-La being their most recent one.
Whisper is an unexpected song. I originally expected that they would go down the Beautiful Liar route with a similar song. But instead, we get a completely different sound with a fresher appeal. It took a few listens for me to warm up to it and I can officially say it is a pretty dynamic song. The softness that you feel through Leo’s vocals and the roughness from Ravi’s rap blend very well with each other. Actually, certain parts felt like VIXX LR was actually whispering the song to us, which I thought was quite nice. The summer perfect hip-hop style instrumental is quite nice and it takes the backseat for a majority of the song. They seemed to pick it up for the final chorus but it seemed a tad late then. It probably wouldn’t fit the whisper aspect that I mentioned a few lines above, but I felt the song could have done with more bass or a bolder instrumental. But what we got, in the end, was pretty awesome itself and I think I like it quite a bit now.
The music video for Whisper is what I wanted to talk about the most. There is a distinct storyline to the video, which I like. Leo and Ravi, as showed at the end of the video, are connected by a very thin line. What their relationship is, however, is up to the interpretation of the viewer. But it clear that both members seem to play opposites of each other (hence the red and blue colour profiles). Leo seems to play the more innocent and submissive side of a person, which I felt was prominent from the way he caressed the books and yarn. Ravi played a more dominant and rebellious figure, from the way he sits in the car and dresses. There also seems to be a connection between both VIXX LR videos. The imagery in some scenes was there and I thought that was pretty cool. My guess is that Whisper is the prequel and it leads to the development of the characters played by Leo and Ravi in Beautiful Lair (i.e. Ravi plays the dark angel, while Leo plays the easily persuaded person). Overall, I thought it was a pretty good video to watch.
I don’t find myself drawn to the performance of the song. The choreography was okay but VIXX LR seemed to take more a backseat this time around. I am not that troubled by that but it leaves me with little to say. That part in the music video (which doesn’t seem to be in the performance due to Leo singing at that same moment) is probably my most favourite.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
I have been dying to review this album and the time has finally come. I have to be extremely selective with the albums that I review as I don’t have time to write many reviews. But as soon as I heard this one, I just had to put it on the list. Taeyang is a chart topper with his previous songs and while his performance this time around has been underwhelming, he still manages to hit it out of the park with the awesome album (just repeating if you haven’t got that key detail).
White Night Album Cover
1..White Night – It is such a pity that this is just an intro. I would love for an extended version of White Night. While I am not that fond of the choppy instrumental, there is something about it that manages to compliment Taeyang’s vocals. The buildup just gets you hyped and I love the “I Just Wanna… Hold… You.. Close!” line which gives so much suspense in just a matter of a second. (10/10)
4. Ride – To me, Ride is your standard RnB track, with a more upbeat feel. It feels nostalgic for some reason with its sound and the way the song faded to silence at the end. It is not the most dynamic track on the album but it doesn’t lack in any areas. I can picture an amazing performance for this song, which you probably bring us all down memory lane to his Wedding Dress days. (9/10)
5. Amazing – Down right the best song on the entire album. It is a song that you just want to get up and just move your body to. It is extremely catchy with the “Amazing Amazing Amazing” hook in the song. I’ll admit that it isn’t musically ground-breaking, but the song hits me in all the right place and makes me feel ‘Amazing’. (10/10)
6. Empty Road (텅빈도로) – If you want a vocally centered track, Empty Road is the way to go. To me, I love his vocals here, more than in Darling. For the majority of the track, Taeyang’s vocals pair well with the soft rock sound of the track. It initially didn’t attract my attention, but I was dealt a blow once he started increasing the intensity with his vocals towards the end of the song. The start actually felt like an Ed Sheeran song, while the ending felt like a KPOP song. (9/10)
7. Naked – Probably the most understandable song to get banned in South Korea at the moment. Just by listening to the song, it seems like Taeyang is conveying a not so subtle message. But jokes aside, the song is quite nice. I love the instrumental of track, which has an interesting mix of synths. I love the dynamic vibes of the chorus but the verse felt a little plain and sluggish for my tastes (8.5/10)
8. Tonight(오늘밤) ft. Zico – This is probably the most interesting track on the entire album. The way Taeyang sings this song gives off an interesting and compelling atmosphere. There is something with the deep brass sound and drum mix for the chorus that gives off an epic feel. Zico gives off a nice contrast with that piano instrumental and faster-paced delivery. But most importantly, the rock dominate ending was the probably an unexpected but worthwhile way to end the song. (10/10)
Welcome to this week’s charts. If you read my post last week, I made some ambitious predictions with some of the songs on the chart and that completely flopped through. So anytime in the future, I make some predictions, stop me. I must save what pride I have left after all those horrible predictions that never went through. Hahahaha…
If you scroll down, you may notice that there have been many jumps in the charts, particularly those that have not been in the top 30 in the past week. Sometimes, my chart is spontaneous like that. For example, KARD jumped up 17 positions to sit snuggly in the third spot. And it seems I have jumped on the Wanna One train as their debut track, Energetic has taken out the top spot for this week’s chart. SNSD’s Holiday dropped down to second place, while Sunmi and Sonamoo take their positions at 4th and 5th for this week.
And if you scroll down, even more, there are songs leaving the charts this week! But replacing them will be comebacks from VIXX LR, Hyuna, Henry, Sungjae and Primary. Furthermore, Good Day and Golden Child will be making their respective debuts next week!
For the entire charts, scroll down below!
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.
19th Aug – 25th Aug 2017
Title
Artist
Status
1
Energetic
Wanna One
(▲ 3)
2
Holiday
SNSD
(▼ 1)
3
Hola Hola
KARD
(▲ 17)
4
Gashina
Sunmi
(new)
5
Friday Night
Sonamoo
(▼ 3)
6
Can’t Stop
DIA
(new)
7
The Real
N.Flying
(▲ 3)
8
All Night
SNSD
(▼ 5)
9
The Stars of Stars
Snuper
(▲ 31)
10
We Like
PRISTIN
(new)
11
Ice Chu
Gugudan OguOgu
(▲ 22)
12
Love Whisper
Gfriend
(▲ 11)
13
Rain
KNK
(=)
14
Tomorrow, Today
JJ Project
(▼ 9)
15
Jelly
HOTSHOT
(▲ 1)
16
Newton
Monsta X
(▼ 2)
17
Unbelievable
VICTON
(new)
18
Red Flavour
Red Velvet
(▼ 12)
19
Wake Me Up
Taeyang (Big Bang)
(▲ 12)
20
Love City
Nine Muses
(▼ 12)
21
Amazing
MYTEEN
(▲ 18)
22
Ko Ko Bop
EXO
(▲ 5)
23
Sorry
The Rose
(▲ 22)
24
If You
NU’EST W
(▲ 23)
25
Five
APINK
(=) (Final Week)
26
Darling
Taeyang (Big Bang)
(▲ 6)
27
Party Time
Favorite
(▲22)
28
On/Off
ONF
(▲ 2)
29
Fly High
Dream Catcher
(▼ 18)
30
Summer Storm
Jessica Jung
(▼ 11)
The following songs will be leaving the charts this week and will not be appearing on the charts starting next week:
Five – APINK
Camo – BoA
Archangels of Sephiroth – Stellar
Runner – UP10TION
Young & Free – Mark (NCT) & Xiumin (EXO) [Leaving Charts Early]
Heyahe – ONE [Leaving Charts Early]
Gettin’ By – ONE [Leaving Charts Early]
Loop – Raina ft. Aron (NU’EST) [Leaving Charts Early]
DIA is also another group to make their return with a brand new song Can’t Stop (or E905). While DIA’s return is welcomed, the promotion of their comeback felt very sudden and that is an issue that I find common throughout the industry. But nonetheless, this is DIA’s first return since their promotions of Will You Go Out With Me?earlier this year.
Can’t Stop is your traditional KPOP girl group song. There isn’t new about it, but it has a very refreshing sound that I can’t help but go back to. The vocals in the song are quite nice and the instrumental is something that I totally dig. Sure, the violins were made to fit the cute sound, but it still sounds amazing nonetheless. The chorus wasn’t exactly catchy but there was enough to make you want to go back for more. Moving to some of the things I didn’t like regarding the song. The ending was sloppy and didn’t give time for the song to actually end, in my opinion. It felt like a knife came down at that exact moment onto the song. The rap sequence for the bridge was disappointing. While I know the members had moments in the past where their rapping was quite good, the way it was edited and presented in this song felt awkward and mismatching. Overall, I think this is their best song yet, despite there being some things that don’t suit my taste.
I actually think the school-girl concept fits them quite nicely. The entire video revolves around the girls having fun during school time through sports and just hanging out in general. And while I did like all the scenes, it seems like the photo booth seemed a little dis-coordinated from the rest of the video. It didn’t match the school theme of the video. The cinematography was quite nice. The camera angles and work did feel a little too overdone, but it wasn’t too bad. While it did seem like Chaeyeon had fewer scenes this time around, her close-ups were just a subtle way of marketing her, compared to the rest of the members, who had to share scenes with each other. But overall, nice video to watch.
I actually liked their performance. Though it keeps to that traditional side of KPOP, those kicks at the end of each chorus were amazing. Not exactly fond of that ribbon that features during the verses, but everything else looked great!
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
VICTON has returned with their brand new mini album and single, Unbelievable. The group previously made their comeback at the start of the year with Eyez Eyez. Since then, it has been relatively quiet and honestly, I may have forgotten about the group. Their comeback seeks to bring them to the surface and attract some attention to it.
But sadly, the song doesn’t seem to fulfill that. Unbelievable is quite boring. I have listened to the song a number of times, but I don’t remember it when it finishes. There are no memorable sections and it just doesn’t attract my attention in the moment. And that is a major issue. The vocals or rap aren’t terrible but they aren’t that great as well. For example, the song opens up with the rapper singing. And while I normally like that, it sounded a little odd. The chorus is normally meant to be the catchiest part of the song. But there was no hook and it was quite bland overall. The only thing which I did personally feel was great about the song was the Summer time instrumental. But even that felt very familiar and didn’t really set it a part from the rest of the group’s competition. It just isn’t the song for me this time around.
And like the song, I found the video to be quite boring as well. There really isn’t anything in there to separate it from the rest of the Summer themed music videos where the singers have a little fun. The guys were quite bubbly and happy, but the video just didn’t convey those same feelings to me. And besides those comments, the video doesn’t leave much for me to talk about.
The performance wasn’t that captivating but I think it was the better part of the comeback. The chorus had a few sharp moves in there and the post-chorus had a nice feel to it. Though, watching the performance, I noticed a member with the mullet. And now I can’t unsee that, even in the music video. WHY????
Song – 5/10 Music Video – 4/10 Performance – 6/10 Overall Rating – 5/10
After their debut, Pristin has returned with their brand new song, We Like and mini album, SCHXXL OUT.Wee Woo, their debut song, managed to put them onto the KPOP rookie map for 2017. Given their performance so far, it is likely that the group has their eyes set on a few Rookie of the Year awards.
We Like is a pretty good song. From the very start of the song, the girls launch into their major hook. The ‘du du du du’ was undeniably catchy and constantly replayed in my head. Just the first second in and I could tell that this song is going places. The first verse down was the only let down of the entire song, with the rest of the song more enjoyable. I found the first verse to be quite dry and disappointing. It wasn’t until they launched back into their catchy chorus that I felt more at ease. Both the vocals and raps of the song were pretty good. The instrumental was a little smothered by the vocals (i.e. I couldn’t hear it that well) but the combination of the vocals and instrumental made it into a song that hypes you up. The tune was familiar but I don’t remember exactly where I have heard it before. Overall, it is a fun song that I liked a lot. Pristin has managed to do an amazing job with We Like.
The song grabs your attention with its sound. The music video did live up to that same standard. The girls went on a rampage, taking over a department store after hours. I liked the sets as the colours were quite bold. The flashing lights in the choreography scenes during the chorus was perfect. It’s the small details that make me happy when I look at these videos. I felt the crime board ending felt overdone in the sphere of KPOP but their cute twist seemed nice. The security guard is probably by far the worst one I have ever seen, but I guess since he did catch them (despite them giving up on running away) in the end.
The choreography didn’t seem that spectacular. Like they could have gone all out and had something that fits the intensity. But they mixed it with their cute side, which was okay. But it didn’t fit the energy and hype that the song had.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 8.5/10
After Wonder Girl’s surprise disbandment at the start of the year, we have heard little news in regards to solo comebacks or activities from the girls. But that is all about to change with the return of Sunmi. She boasts solo singles such as 24 Hours and Full Moon. And with her new management MakeUs Entertainment, which also houses Urban Zakapa, it is exciting to see what she has in-store for her fans.
Unfortuately, I don’t think Gashina had what it takes to top her previous two successful solo songs. Right off the bat, the song was underwhelming. I just wasn’t drawn to the song as I were for her other songs. It might take a bit of warming up to. The instrumental was quite mute compared to the vocals, which didn’t really go well with her vocals. The drop for the chorus shours have been more intense or gripping. But it lacked so much energy and felt empty for the entire song. The only element that I did like was Sunmi’s vocals. They did draw some of my attention but it was not enough. I liked her husky vocals in the song and loved it how her lines were sharp. It gave, an otherwise dry and bland song, something interesting and defined.
While the song isn’t to my preference, the music video was totally something that I would happily replay. There was a lot going on in the video. Not too much to be overflowing but enough to make me want to go back and see what I missed out. Sunmi basically lets loose in the video. The chemistry between her and the camera was no joke. Something about the blank stars were very intriguing and sexy as the same time. Sure, the video was a little wacky but everything still manage to come together in the video. From her prancing in the diner to her Grandma style head scarf, everything felt fun. And that made the video feel quite enjoyable.
The performance was actually quite nice. I love how one second she is smiling in a very cute manner and then the next second she has a acary glare on her face. I think that element came very nicely from the video. It isn’t the most mind blowing stage ever but her facial expressions stole the show this time around.
Song – 6/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8.5/10 Overall Rating – 7.5/10
The biggest group in the industry is no doubt Wanna One. Their debut completely smashed the charts. Digital or physical (albums) charts were completely dominated by Wanna One, who even managed to knock down a very legendary group of KPOP. Their debut mini-album, titled as 1×1=1 (To Be One) is just the start of their journey for the next year and a bit. At first, I wasn’t sure whether I would be reviewing their mini-album, but given their performance in just the first two weeks of their careers, it would be rather disappointing to not look at them even further.
1×1=1 (To Be One) Album Cover
1..To Be One (Intro) – Despite it being very short, it does grab your attention from the get-go. It was a powerful piece of music that does what it was intended to do. The drop was a little unexpected but gave the track a very interesting side. Though I don’t tend to include the intros into the rating, I happy to, as this scores quite high in my books. (9/10)
2. Burn It Up (활할) – If you want to get the full experience with Burn It Up, I recommend listening to the performances. The fans (for some odd reason) give it a hyped feel, which I think suited the song quite nicely. Just listening to the audio, I could feel the song needed bass. However, the performances have so much that is makes the song sound so great. Burn It Up is extremely catchy and intense from the get go. All the elements work extremely well, from the rap to the vocals. (8/10)
4. Wanna Be (My Baby) – If the title track was there, this could easily have been the title track. I actually thought this song nudged ahead and was the best song on the entire album. The combination of the raps, vocals and instrumental felt more dynamic in the song. It was definitely a ‘loud track’ that didn’t hold back and I actually liked that. Despite that, the bridge managed to slow down for a few seconds, which gave the listeners much-needed relief from the intensity that they already felt and what was to come for the rest of the song. (10/10)
5. Always (이 자리에) – If I am not mistaken, Always was the song that all the trainees performed in the finale as a reflective piece for their time on the show and a way of saying thanks to all the viewers. To me, it was a bitter-sweet end to the album. Wanna One does a great job of carrying that same level of emotion that was felt in the finale through this song. It is a beautiful ballad, which evens out the intensity that the rest of the songs contributed to. But listening to the song reminds me of the other trainees who could have made it into Wanna One and that makes me sad. (9/10)
Welcome to the 3rd week of August. Nothing much happened this week, which I think it is a good thing. Next week is going to be hectic so reviews may not be released on the day of the song’s release, which I have trying to do. Just a little heads-up. I may also decide to disappear with no notice, if things get too much, but I think I should be okay.
Big releases this week, but if you scroll down below, you will notice that both Taeyang’s releases are missing. They actually debuted at #31 and #32. Just after reviewing them, I never got around to listening to the songs again. But they will probably be replayed constantly in the next week.
SNSD holds out in first and third position. Sonamoo has taken over second position, bumping last week’s second position JJ Project to the fifth position. And like all charts around the world, Wanna One rose with their debut song to fourth position. For more of the charts, scroll down below.
But before that, (most likely joining Taeyang’s releases in the top 30) we have the following comebacks to anticipate: Red Velvet, Sunmi, Momoland, DIA, Pristin and VICTON.
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.
13th Aug – 19th Aug 2017
Title
Artist
Status
1
Holiday
SNSD
(=)
2
Friday Night
Sonamoo
(new)
3
All Night
SNSD
(=)
4
Energetic
Wanna One
(▲ 15)
5
Tomorrow, Today
JJ Project
(▼ 3)
6
Red Flavour
Red Velvet
(▲ 14)
7
As If It Is Your Last
BLACKPINK
(▲ 10) (Final Week)
8
Love City
Nine Muses
(▼ 4)
9
Love Me Love Me
Winner
(▲ 19)
10
The Real
N.Flying
(▼ 5)
11
Fly High
Dream Catcher
(▼ 1)
12
Only U
Laboum
(▼ 5)
13
Rain
KNK
(▼ 1)
14
Newton
Monsta X
(▲ 7)
15
What Can I Do?
DAY6
(▼ 9)
16
Jelly
HOTSHOT
(▲ 19)
17
Remember
Nine Muses
(▲ 17) (Final Week)
18
Island
Winner
(▲ 4)
19
Summer Storm
Jessica Jung
(▼ 10)
20
Hola Hola
K.A.R.D
(▲ 18)
21
Shine Forever
Monsta X
(▲ 8) (Final Week)
22
Hi Hello
DAY6
(▲ 5)
23
Love Whisper
Gfriend
(▼ 5)
24
Sixteen
Samuel Kim ft. Changmo
(▲ 21)
25
Five
APINK
(▲ 11)
26
Yes, I Am
Mamamoo
(▼ 3) (Final Week)
27
Ko Ko Bop
EXO
(▲ 10)
28
We Young
NCT Dream
(new)
29
Star
Boyfriend
(▼ 15)
30
On/Off
ONF
(▼ 19)
The following songs will be leaving the charts this week and will not be appearing on the charts starting next week:
Remember – Nine Muses
A Daily Song – Hwang Chi Yeol
Shine Forever – Monsta X
Yes, I Am – Mamamoo
As If It Is Your Last – BLACKPINK
And that is all of the charts for this week. Check back next Sunday for next week’s version of the chart!
Red Velvet has been extremely busy throughout 2017 and we are only in August. Red Velvet as already made two comebacks this year with Rookie and Red Flavour. They have also released 1 SM Station track, titled as Would U. Rebirth is their second SM Station track of 2017. So it will be interesting to see what SM has planned for Red Velvet for the rest of 2017 or if their hard work has finally earned them a break.
If you took Would U and slowed that song down to a very slow tempo but kept everything else the same, Rebirth would be the final product. The cute and sweet sound that they are going for is nailed perfectly. I just felt the song could have done with a little more boldness or something that changes it up. It felt too constant and consistent at the same time. And while that is nice, you do get bored of the same thing over and over again. I think the rap sequence was included to do just that. But it felt awkwardly placed and it didn’t deliver a change that I was after. The vocals are nice but I couldn’t differentiate between the different members for some odd reason. They all sounded quite similar throughout the song. Overall, the song didn’t sound too bad but it just didn’t suit my personal tastes.
The music video was slowed down to match the tempo of the song. It is a little different from the usual videos, in the sense that the entire video is in slow motion. Essentially, Red Velvet is sitting in the middle of the screen at their desk, with all the other students doing other things around them. And the handsome cartoon teacher walks in, which surprises everyone. And while everyone else scrambles to their seats, Red Velvet stare in awe at their teacher. The entire video is pretty good and it suits the song quite nicely. My only issue with the video is the pole that is at the back of the classroom. My mature mind automatically thinks stripper pole. I guess other people would think pole dancing. But out of all the items present in the video, the pole seems to be the most misplaced.
Song – 6/10 Music Video – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7/10
NCT has made their return to the stage with their youngest subunit, NCT Dream. NCT has already had two NCT 127 comebacks this year and We Young marks NCT Dream’s second comeback of 2017, the first being My First & Last.
We Young is a very bland song. The first time I heard it, I thought they were going to mash up the two NCT 127 and NCT Dream styles that they are known for. But it ended being quite lackluster in the end. The sound isn’t the bad aspect of the song. I thought the instrumental was quite nice, which ended up being a Summer time sound with its tropical-inspired sounds (almost resembling safari music that you would hear in cartoons as you were growing up!).I think the reason why I didn’t like the song was the various tempos. The first half was just very boring and sluggish. It wasn’t until the raps kicked in that I felt it could turn out to be a decent song. The raps seem to give it some speed, which made the song feel more energetic and upbeat. The other problem is the song didn’t seem to react to their lift from the raps. Instead, the song remained in that neutral stance and the vocals in the second half didn’t feel that different from the slow start. Overall, I don’t mind the song but it is not to my taste. And it doesn’t match or compare with their debut or recent comeback.
I did expect something a little more imaginative with their comeback. While they did tick the imaginative box nicely, the presentation of it looked rushed and last-minute. I am mainly talking about the green screen effect that they used in the video for the choreography scenes. It looked cheesy and kind of awful, in my eyes. The solo shots were fine and actually, they reminded me of their first video. But the choreography shots were major no-nos. It seems like the guys are telling the cartoon girl to have some fun and enjoy life while they are all young, which I thought was a nice message.
The same comments could be said for the performance. I don’t know why but I expected something a little more fun. I think that built up from the expectations from their last comeback. While at times it did look like a party but other times it just didn’t feel right. Though, they were in sync and that looked cool.
Song – 6/10 Music Video- 5/10 Performance – 6/10 Overall Rating – 5.5/10
This is the second review for Taeyang’s latest comeback. The previous post for his other promotional track, Wake Me Up, can be found by clicking the name title. As mentioned in the previous post, This is Taeyang’s first comeback since Eyes, Nose & Lips.
Compared to Wake Me Up, Darling does have that same level of energy or suspense to it. However, despite it being a ballad, it does leave a very deep impression on your mind and has an impact, in its own way. The song, overall, is brilliant. I liked how striking the piano is, in the background. I also liked how the piano was the main instrumentation for 2/3 of the song. The final 1/3 of the song brought in some drums and percussion. It have the song an extra dimension, which I thought was quite cool. But what stole the slow was his vocals. I really like how he projected his voice throughout the song. We know how capable he is with his vocals but here, it felt beautiful and like no other song that he had released in his career so far.
The video does feel underwhelming. For the most part, it did suit the song quite nicely. The different scenes through the video made it feel amazing. The drone -aerial shots looked spectacular and added aesthetics to the video. The scenes with the female model was what I felt was the underwhelming part of the video. They didn’t seem to be that much going on with her and Taeyang. While i didn’t expect them to hold heads and skip in a field, her addition felt like it wasn’t needed, especially when majority of the video featured Taeyang and beautiful shots. But overall, the video was still quite nice to watch.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 7.5/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
Taeyang has marked his return to the stage with his latest solo comeback. Taeyang attempts to make another successful comeback with Wake Me Up and Darling as successful as his previous solo tracks, like Eyes Nose and Lips. But since we are talking about Taeyang himself, there is no doubt that he will reach that same level of success or even possibly go higher this time around.
Wake Me Up is one epic song. I don’t know what other words could describe the song better than ‘epic’. Compared to my previous comments for his last comeback, Wake Me Up is a song that sounded unique and unexpected at the same time. It started off very silent in terms of the instrumental. I almost thought he would have gone towards an acapella type of song. But instead, it was all for the suspense. Once the beat dropped for the chorus, it felt like bliss. The suspense throughout the start was amazing. The chorus itself (with the beat drop) was what gave it that epic feel. He maintains the momentum and his signature vocals are on full display in this song. So, what more could you ask for? The impact was there and the lasting impression is strong.
Well surprise, surprise. Taeyang is not wearing a shirt in this video. To add to the oddness, Taeyang doesn’t have some weird or wacky hairstyle. On a more seriousness vote, I thought the video was very elegant. There is an obvious lack of colour in the video during the more slower parts of the song and once the beat drops, you get that golden colour that is replayed constantly through the video. It is a little confusing to piece everything in the video together (and I am sure there is a story to be told) as the editing was made to match the upbeat and fast pace music. But besides that minor detail, it is a great video to watch.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9.5/10
Sonamoo is back with a brand new single. Friday Night starts off three months of back-to-back comebacks for the girl group. They previously made their last comeback at the start of the year with I Think I Love U.
How can I my immediate attraction to this song in a sentence? Right off the bat, the girl’s latest song catches my attention for its extremely catchy feels and addictive beats. It is not exactly the perfect song because there was one thing that I think would have made it into a better track. What I would have liked was to see the retro/disco sound in the verses. Instead, it only transformed into that style when we reached the chorus, leaving the verses lacking character and hype. But by no means am I disappointed with the out come. I have actually replayed it an unhealthy amount of times since the song came out 3 hours ago. That is another story, however. Besides that, I love everything else in the song. The instrumental was amazing. The vocals were spectacular and the raps were just perfect for the song. All the elements worked well with each other as if it was a harmonious recipe for a cake. I just feel like the song is missing the cherry (improvement to the verses) on top.
The music video is a lot weaker in terms of quality. The actual video itself was really low quality, which raises some concern regarding the once thriving TS Entertainment. Quite disappointing actually. Once again, dancing in the water looks cool but it doesn’t suit the song style, nor the rest of the video’s stylistic approach. I am not too sure about the slow motion sprinkled heavily across the video. While slow-motion is used to highlight curves and beauty, it doesn’t really have that effect in this video.
Performance wise, I thought the dance was pretty good. Once again, not mind blowing. But there is enough to do justice to the song.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 5/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.5/10
SNSD or Girl’s Generation wrapped up their promotions for Holiday and All Night yesterday. But their 10 year anniversary celebrations aren’t over yet!! I haven’t done my album review yet!! (hehehehe…). I wrote the comments for each song before this introduction, so there is something that I observed. I mentioned it down below but the vocals in this album are flawless. I am amazed because this is the first time where I loved 99% of the vocal work. To find out about what else I like, read down below (Another long review, I apologise).
Holiday Night Album Cover
1..Girls Are Back – It actually has been a while since SNSD brought the girls out. So their first song was appropriately named in a way that exclaimed there were back. And the track did just that. Not once letting you down, the funky dance track lets you know the girls are still sticking around. I love the chorus, which gives it a dynamic and groovy feel. The vocal work here is also phenomenal! (10/10)
4. Fan – Fan is an upbeat track that reminds me of the KPOP in the 90s, almost like a Shinhwa track from that era. There is a level of intensity that makes this an unforgettable song. That being said, there was a part of the verse that I felt was too soft for the rest of the song. But everything else in the song was spot on. From the vocals to the instrumental, everything felt just right. Taeyeon’s ad-lib at the end was amazing. (9.5/10)
5. Only One – It’s the ballad that you just can’t help by swaying along to the music. There is a part of me that thinks this is a solid song, while the other part of me feels that the song is somewhat disjointed. If you listen carefully, the instrumental tends to change around a bit which makes it sound a little odd. Once again, the vocals are on point. If this somehow sounded sweeter, I think I would dig this track more. (8/10)
6. One Last Time – Out of the all the songs on the album, excluding the title tracks, this is my most favourite. There is an emotional side to the song, which you feel very strongly as you listen to the song. They don’t really hold back on the sadness. More over, their vocals are highlighted nicely with the melodies and the ballad instrumental. I can’t find any flaws in this song. It is genuinely my pick for a perfect song. Understanding the lyrics of the song does make me a little sad, as it would be perfect as a disbandment song. But I won’t go there. (10/10)
7. Sweet Talk – Right off the bat, it sounds like a song that Ariana Grande or some other Western pop star would have put out. And it would have been a direct hit as soon as it was released. The vocals are amazing but the raps could have been given more boldness and backing. They felt weak in comparison to the rest of the song, which was disappointing. I like it but if the raps were stronger, I would have loved it some more. (8/10)
8. Love Is Bitter – There is a nice Broadway sound to the song, which gives it some character. The title makes it sound like a cheesy ballad, but instead, we get something a little bolder. What I liked is how they gave the start of the chorus to the people who usually get the least amount of lines in the song (Hyoyeon and Yuri), giving the girls a chance to show off what they got. Of course, they do a splendid job and remind us of their hidden talents that should get the stage spotlight all the time as well! (9/10)
9. It’s You (오랜 소원) – It’s You is a song written by Yuri for the fans who have stood by their side for the last 10 years. It is a decent song that I am sure all SONEs around the world would love. Personally, it doesn’t suit my tastes but the song’s meaning is clearly touching. I felt like it could have better melodies or some sort of deeper backing vocals to give it some foundation. But overall, it is still a good song. (8/10)
10. Light Up The Sky – What a way to end off the album. The song seems to be directed to a particular someone who used to be by the side of the 8 girls for the last 10 years. As a fan, that does hit home quite strongly. Once again, the vocals are amazing. Each member has clearly poured themselves into the song, which is why I think this is also a remarkable song. The chorus of this ballad has a catchy sound to it, with the way it is presented. I keep on coming back for more and so should you! (10/10)
KPOPREVIEWED 