September 2018 – Page 3

[Album Review] Another (3rd Mini Album) – Jeong Sewoon

September 9, 2018September 8, 2018Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged Jeong SewoonLeave a comment

Finally getting around to completing the album reviews for this week. I haven’t cancelled them (or else I will fall behind even further) so I will be posting 3 album reviews in the span of a few days. This album review is for Jeong Sewoon’s latest mini-album, Another, which I think he has completed promotions for already. So let’s stop wasting time and get on with this album review!

1..20 Something (Title Track) – Click here for the review of 20 Something. (7.5/10)

2. Waterfall – I think the first thing that grabs me is his husky voices. And I love the mash-up between the classical piano and the synth-heavy instrumental, which peaks during the chorus. The chorus is quite chaotic but the good kind. There is a sense of order that makes it very aesthetic to listen to. I also like how his vocals manage to be put on display, as his voice could have been pretty much hidden under the chaos. I thought the song had an impact, making it one of my favourites on the album. (9/10)

3. Eye 2 Eye – The song is quite different from the chaos in the second song. It goes for an acoustic approach and shows off the husky nature of his voice even more than the previous song. It is songs like this where the instrumental allows the vocals to shine, allowing you to appreciate the vocals even more. The instrumental was quite ballady, but it had that foot-tapping effect that felt country-like. I love the acapella ending and that very light high note at the start of the final chorus. Also, the song was quite catchy. (9/10)

4. La La – Opening the song was the very surprisingly low tone in his voice, which I thought was extremely nice. It creates some contrast and texture in the song, which I thought gave the song some colour. The instrumental already presents the song with some colour but more is added with the said introduction. I like the build-up to the bridge, but it could have used a high note to really pick it up even more. I would like to see a performance for this song, mainly because it could have been similar to his debut stage (which I actually quite liked). (8.5/10)

5. I Wonder – Once again, we return to a more acoustic sound. The guitar is the only instrument within the instrumental. While that is a little different from the majority of the songs in the industry now, it too does a good job of allowing his vocals to shine. There is a dreamy notion regarding his voice that makes you sway you along. The whistling was quite nice and his falsetto during the final chorus was quite nice. (8/10)

6. Shadow – Once again, we find a song that allows for the vocals to shine. It takes the electronic application and balances it with the acoustic sound, which allows for the vocals to shine. As mentioned, there is a nice balance and I can’t help to think if all the songs on the album build-up to it. The song felt like an OST for some Korean Drama. And while I have mentioned his singing, Sewoon also takes on rapping in this song, which I thought he nailed quite well. Overall, I thought it was a nice song to end the album on. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.5/10

jeongsewoon-another-3 — *Another* Teaser Image

[Review] Chaser – UP10TION

September 8, 2018Posted in JPOP, ReviewsTagged UP10TION1 Comment

UP10TION made their Japanese comeback one month ago today with Chaser. Yeah, it has been some time since its release and I apologise for the delayed review. Actually, it was meant to be reviewed last Saturday but due to personal reasons (and most likely tiredness), I decided to delay it until this week. Hence, it will be one of the two JPOP reviews published this week. So, let’s stop chasing the review so you can have a read of my thoughts about it.

At first, I thought it would be the Japanese version of Runner as the two words used in the titles are essentially synonyms of each other. However, they turned out to be different. Chaser has a very intense feel to it, which I actually like. The suspense built during the pre-chorus and the actual drop to the chorus definitely made the song sound so good. I liked how the vocals were louder than the instrumental, as it could have been easily drowned out during the chorus if it was any lower. I liked the vocals to the song, especially how breathy the verses were. And I liked how the rapping gave some impact and wasn’t just thrown into the song. It could have had some more individuality, considering the use of EDM by Korean artists in the JPOP industry. But overall, Chaser is definitely a great song.

The music video was good but it could have been a little more interesting by throwing in a short storyline. We are shown a very dark city (possibly futuristic), Wooshin running, a golden stopwatch slowly dropping to the ground and time reversing. I have no idea what to make of this. There was some intensity but I think it would have been better with some more background. I like the use of lights in the open space for the choreography shots, which matched the sound of the song very well.

The choreography is another positive aspect of the comeback. I personally do not have much else to say in regards to choreography. But I liked its energy and (once again) the intensity it delivered alongside the song.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10

[Review] Drama – BLANC7

September 7, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged BLANC7Leave a comment

Returning to the KPOP scene earlier in the week is BLANC7. Their latest comeback song is Drama, which is the title track off their latest single album, Take Off. Their last comeback was with Hello back in August 2017, thus making this their first comeback in over a year. While I did miss their first comeback, I did write a review for their debut track, Yeah, last year. But today, we are here for some ‘Drama’, so let’s continue.

Drama is a nice song. While it falls within the electronic music genre, it isn’t as hard-hitting as other tracks, making this a very nice soothing song to listen to. I personally thought the song, as a whole, was very refreshing, feeling almost like a cool breeze on a nice sunny day. I thought the vocals and raps were quite nice, balancing out with the calming atmosphere the song had. The instrumental was nice but I wasn’t too keen on the chirping synth that was present throughout the chorus. I also thought the instrumental was rather linear and I did expect it to pick up somewhere along the way (which it didn’t, for me). My favourite part would have to be the start of the song. It just offers something a little different from an extremely upbeat song that is overloaded with synths.

The start of the video featured one of the members running along with a girl. And then when the song starts, the entirety of the video is simply the choreography scenes and close up shots of the members. So my question is, where is the rest of that storyline? Who is she? What is their story? It just felt so random to put them in with nothing else to the story. Other than that, I thought the rest of the video was pretty much standard, with the members shooting in areas which have been shot at numerous times before.

The choreography felt quite smooth and classy, similar to how the song was presented to us. However, I think some finetuning could have made this performance even better to watch.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.2/10

[Review] Right Here – The Boyz

September 6, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged THE BOYZ2 Comments

The Boyz have been quite busy this year. In April, they released and promoted Giddy Up as their first comeback single. In July, they released KeePer as a digital single (which was produced by Park Kyung from Block B. And just yesterday, the group released their first single album, The Sphere, which features Right Here as the title track. So with the review obviously ‘Right Here‘ on this page, continue reading onwards!

The initial thought I had about the song was that it seems to be Giddy Up version 2.0. And that is a good thing, especially since I really enjoyed Giddy Up when it came out. I really liked the upbeat feel that the electro-pop song, which felt like it had some retro mixed into it. It doesn’t really slow down, which is one point of appeal which makes me like the song quite a bit. I like how hyped the pre-chorus felt, which made the launch into the chorus quite spectacular. Vocally, the song was quite good. What I felt the song needed was a dedicated rap section. There was rapping but it was very sparse throughout the song. The song needed some edge and I think that would have made it so much better. My favourite bit would have to be the extremely catchy hook during the chorus (the ‘Ooh baby baby baby’), which is still ringing in my ears.

For the music video, I really like the colours between the sets and what they are wearing. It allows them to stand out yet fit right into the video. Given their teasers, I would expect more emphasis on the circle, which would have been nice since that was the concept of the single album. I also thought the darkened choreography scene (where they are wearing caps) was a nice change up to the rest of the video (and providing that sense of edge).

The choreography was really good for this performance. The entire chorus was amazing. The stationary side shuffle looked cool but I really like the ‘Ooh baby baby baby’ lineup that they did, which was definitely another highlight for the choreography. It looked fun and allowed the members to be a little crazy than in a set routine.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 910
Overall Rating – 8.2/10

[Review] Lil’ Touch – Girls’ Generation-Oh!GG

September 5, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Girls' Generation-Oh!GG, SNSD3 Comments

Fans became shocked to learn that 3 of the members of SNSD (Tiffany, Sooyoung and Seohyun) did not resign their contracts with SM Entertainment last year. However, fans were reassured as the 8-member group would remain together as SNSD. For the time being, it seems like SNSD is focusing on their solo activities or, in this case, subunit activities. SNSD has launched SNSD-Oh!GG a 5-member subunit made up of the members who chose to remain at SM Entertainment (Sunny, Taeyeon, Hyoyeon, Yoona and Yuri). Their ‘debut’ single, Lil’ Touch was released today.

Like all subunits, Lil’ Touch does not conform to what SNSD commonly releases. This song is a lot edgier than any of their previous releases, which I thought was a real charming point of the song. The song takes on a minimalistic approach with its pop instrumental. The beat is repetitive, accompanying the catchy melody and making this track quite addictive, as promised by the members. I thought the song was vocally quite good, especially during the pre-chorus. The verses seemed to be mixed up with a little rap-speaking, which I thought was rather different. Overall, Lil’ Touch may be very different but it definitely one cool track.

The music video is a little confusing. The members are running away from something but you don’t really see what they are running away from. They enter each room or set very cautiously, which I thought was rather interesting. Besides that, each member becomes very charismatic throughout the video, showing off their sexy side during their close up shots. If the plot doesn’t grab your attention, their looks will do the job very sufficiently. It was a good video to watch, minus the confusion.

The choreography looked quite cool. We could only see snippets throughout the music video but there was enough to confirm the following. It is a super upbeat performance, proving very fitting for the song. I like how they incorporate that edginess from the song into their dance as well.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.3/10

[Review] Siren – Sunmi

September 4, 2018September 8, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Sunmi6 Comments

After Gashina and Heroine, Sunmi has finally returned with the final part of this trilogy. I personally had no idea that this was a trilogy, though the music videos had similar elements. Siren is Sunmi’s new release and it features on her second mini-album, Warning. So before we get a ‘Warning’ for delaying the review, let’s move along.

Another great song from Sunmi. It is a really catchy song that I have already replayed too many times since its release a few hours back. I can see how some people may say that it is similar to the previous songs in the trilogy but I can definitely see the uniqueness of the song. The chorus reminds me of pop songs you would have heard from the Western music industry in the ’00s, hence there is a sense of nostalgia. I feel like the verses were the biggest letdown of the song, as it felt like it was the plainest sections of the song. I like the chorus the most, due to its catchy nature. But the breakdown in the bridge was the most interesting. It felt odd but it ended up working really well when you look back at the song.

Once again, the music video for Siren is quite similar to what we got in Gashina and Heroine. The closeup of Sunmi at the very start is a clear example of how similar the videos looked. This time around Sunmi is getting ready, casually sneezing and then returning to touch up her eyelashes. I thought the use of the different Sunmi’s throughout the video gave it some interesting momentum to drive the video forward. As for the cage during the bridge, I am quite sure Sunmi could have fitted through the bars. But other than that, it was a really good video.

I thought the dance was quite cool, particularly around the chorus of the song. I also love the low lunge just before the chorus, which I thought was very seductive. I liked the use of the makeshift cage, which added a cool element for the performance as well.

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

[Review] Heart – 100%

September 3, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 100%3 Comments

Summer isn’t over just yet, with 100% making a last-minute comeback with a song that would fit perfectly into the hot season. This is the group’s first comeback since Grand Bleu, which was released a few weeks ago as a special single. Heart is the title track off their Sunshine mini-album, which was one of the few comebacks today.

Heart takes on the tropical house genre that dominated KPOP for the most part of the past year. And while it isn’t as prevalent as a year ago, some songs still feature this genre. Like how I started off the review, it does feel slightly delayed. But that isn’t too much of an issue. I do like the vocal/rap work of the song and the tropical house instrumental of the song. However, they don’t necessarily blend together as nicely as you expected. It just feels like the vocals were slapped on top of the instrumentation and nothing was done to really bring the song together. That is what I had felt when it came to the song.

The music video was definitely a plus for this comeback. It was extremely high quality and bright like most Summertime music videos. The scenes inside the jungle or forest looked really well polished and the post-production made it look so good. The group also puts others to shame by dancing in a freaking swimming pool. Usually, groups perform in a very shallow amount of water but this was a little more than that. An impressive music video that draws your attention to their comeback.

The choreography for this looks quite good. Putting the swimming pool setting aside, the moves looked really technical and made this performance look very promising. It was upbeat and definitely fitting for the energetic side of the song.

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

[Review] If You Are Only Fine – Nam Woo Hyun (Infinite)

September 3, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged INFINITE, Woohyun (Infinite)Leave a comment

Nam Woo Hyun is officially back with his first solo comeback since his solo debut (Still I Remember) back in May 2016. Since May 2016. Woohyun has been participating in a range of musicals and making comebacks with Infinite, with the most recent being at the start of the year (Tell Me). Woo Hyun’s latest title track, If You Are Only Fine, is featured on his second mini-album, Second Write….

If You Are Only Fine is a ballad, following his solo debut track. And it is a very serious and emotional ballad from the very start. There isn’t anything upbeat or lively about this ballad, confirming the fact we are approaching that time of the year when every ballad that is released comes from an emotional or moving perspective. I personally do not mind as it allows seems fitting for the season. The song doesn’t get to the exciting territory until we get to the second half of the first verse, as this is when the instrumental slowly picks up. It builds up to be a nice orchestral ballad piece but feels very typical. Woohyun’s vocals do also buildup, giving us some power vocals that have a heavy dose of sadness throughout it. I will have to be honest though. It is a good song to listen to but it doesn’t have that wow factor that gets me wanting more or returning for further listens.

The music video recounts the moment a couple meets for the first time and the events in between, up until when the couple sadly splits up. It does a terrific job of encapsulating the saddening elements of the song and present it to us within a 4-minute video. I would have liked to see some more acting when it came to the sad ending because it doesn’t feel enough. What we got was good but I wanted more to further illustrate the heartbreak. However, it was good to watch.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 7/10
Overall Rating – 6.7/10

[Album Review] Summer Magic (2nd Summer Special Album) – Red Velvet

September 2, 2018December 9, 2018Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged Red Velvet1 Comment

Taking on Summer once again is Red Velvet, following the success of Red Flavour and The Red Summer (released last year). The mini-album, Summer Magic, features 7 songs. I will only be reviewing 6 of the song (with the last one being Bad Boy (English Version), which I believe they performed at a KCON event). And with Summer wrapping up in the Northern hemisphere, let’s quickly have a closer look at the album before it gets too chilly.

redvelvet-summermagic-2 — *Summer Magic* Album Cover

1.Power Up (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of Power Up. (6/10)

2. With You (한 여름의 크리스마스)– With You reminds me of Summer due to the presence of the instrumentation (hollow drums reminding me of the Caribbean and the tropics). The song itself also features great vocals from the members. The best part was when they sing together for the chorus, while some of their solo moments to give the chance for each member to stand out. There is a hint of catchiness making this a decent song to listen to. Not sure how Christmas relates to the Summer sounding track (I, unfortunately, do not have time to look up lyrics for this review), as the final Korean word in the title is ‘Christmas’. (8/10)

3. Mr. E – This song reminds me of another song which I cannot pinpoint yet. But its sense of nostalgia is greatly appreciated. It has that exotic vibe which sounds quite nice. The song itself is quite addictive, consisting of a very catchy hook and great melodies throughout the rest of the song. Like the previous song, the song also features great vocals. I also liked the rapping in the song but would have liked some more, to be honest. (8/10)

4. Mosquito – Probably my most favourite song on the entire track list. From the instrumentation to the vocal work, everything seemed perfect. But it is even better when everything feels epic. I like the hip-hop feel in this song, which gives a little flavour to the song that is unlike any other on this album. It also gives this song that extra edginess, which is why I describe it as ‘epic’. I liked how the instrumentation was relatively simple, but the suspenseful thumping came at the right time. Favourite line of the entire song has to be the ‘Na Na Na’ (10/10)

5. Hit That Drum – Following nicely from Mosquito is Hit That Drum that carries the same momentum. It sadly isn’t as epic sounding, but it has that catchiness that the previous song through its chorus. I have been humming the song since I first heard of it. It does remind me of another KPOP song, but I cannot figure out which (or even its it was by Red Velvet or not). It does need a little more of something to make it even better, but it was still another favourite. (9/10)

6. Blue Lemonade – Blue Lemonade aims to be a refreshing song and it nails its job perfectly. While its elements are very traditional, the overall feel of the song has that fresh tone which you want to hear with any new song. I like the bubbly effects the song contains, which personalises the song to the group very well and allow for the title to come to life. Once again great vocals, especially the ending to finish off the song. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.3/10

redvelvet-summermagic-3 — *Summer Magic/Power Up* Teaser Image

[Weekly Chart] 5th Week of August 2018

September 2, 2018Posted in Weekly ChartsLeave a comment

Welcome back to this week’s Weekly Chart post. While we have entered September, we need to have one last look at the final week of August and where the songs are positioned during the week.

The top song for this week is IMFACT’s NANANA, which rose 1 spot from last week’s second position. SHINHWA’s Kiss Me Like That takes the second position, while NCT Dream’s We Go Up takes out the fourth position, where both songs are newcomers for this week. iKON returned to the 3rd position with Killing Me, while Mamamoo’s Egotistic returns to complete the top 5. Where are the rest of your favourites? Scroll down below to check out the post.

	26th Aug – 1st Sep 2018
	Title	Artist	Status
1	NANANA	IMFACT	(▲1)
2	Kiss Me Like That	SHINHWA	(new)
3	Killing Me	iKON	(▲26)
4	We Go Up	NCT Dream	(new)
5	Egotistic	Mamamoo	(▲22)
6	Upside Down	BIGFLO	(▼ 5)
7	IDOL	BTS	(▲7)
8	Woo Woo	DIA	(▲4)
9	Hi High	LOONA	(▲1)
10	Between Us	Laboum	(▼ 7)
11	Now Or Never	SF9	(▼ 3)
12	Oh My!	SEVENTEEN	(▲18)
13	HANN	(G)I-DLE	(▼ 9)
14	Dance The Night Away	TWICE	(▲14)
15	My Pace	Stray Kids	(▼ 6)
16	Friday n Night	LONGGUO	(new)
17	Shooting Star	NEWKIDD02	(▲18)
18	Always You	ASTRO	(▼ 11)
19	Ride On The Wind	KARD	(▼ 19)
20	So Beautiful	UP10TION	(▲34)
21	Where R U From	Seungri (Big Bang) ft. Mino (WINNER)	(▲33)
22	favouRiTe	LOONA	(▼ 5)
23	I’m So Sick	APINK	(▼ 5)
24	Young	Baekhyun (EXO) & LOCO	(new)
25	Ya Ya Ya	MXM	(▼ 19)
26	Page 0	Taeyeon (SNSD) & Melomance	(▲10)
27	Power Up	Red Velvet	(▼ 16)
28	1,2,3	Seungri (Big Bang)	(▲4)
29	Green Apple	Berry Good	(▼ 14)
30	Touch & Sketch	Leo (VIXX)	(▲24)