As mentioned previously, iKON has returned with their third release of the year. The group started off the year with Return, their first studio album and the insanely popular title track, Love Scenario. In August, the group returned with their first ever mini album, New Kids: Continue, which featured Killing Me. And now, the group has returned with New Kids: The Final and the title track Goodbye Road (link for this is posted below). Today we will be having a look at their latest mini-album, so let’s not delay any more.

1..Goodbye Road (이별길) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Goodbye Road. (8/10)

2. Don’t Let Me Know (내가 모르게) – Don’t Let Me Know falls into the category of an upbeat track, very different to their title track. But while this was upbeat, the song wasn’t as intense as their past dance tracks. Instead, it felt like a traditional pop sound. The song was quite plain, without much to really make it feel that special. The chorus was relatively simple yet addictive. The group opted for their anthem style ending for the chorus that they do regularly (i.e. when all the members sing together). Vocally, the song was quite good, and the rapping was, per usual, amazing. I personally like iKON’s more intense side, but this was still pretty good. (7.5/10)

3. Adore You (좋아해요) – Adore You combines the bright nature of the previous song and matching it with the tempo of the title track. This becomes a winning combination as it manages to develop a very powerful ballad. I like the simplicity of the instrumental, going for a raw and acoustic sound instead of the usual synths. Like the previous two songs, amazing vocals and rapping once again from all the members. I particularly love Yuhyeong and Jinhwan’s vocals during the bridge, which gave the song a nice peak. Once again, the group opted to sing together for the final chorus, which felt very fitting for the song. (9/10)

4. Perfect (꼴좋다) – The initial comments made for Adore You can also apply to this song. But it ends up having a completely different sound, which I think was a nice relief. I think this song is more ballad-y than the previous track as it doesn’t really move anywhere. Great vocals once again and the rapping was quite good. I like the ad-libs for this track, as they felt improvised rather than rehearsed. I think if I were to be critical about anything, it would be the ending. It just didn’t feel right. I felt like a fade-out would have been nicer (and less sudden) but also it would complement the stylistic choices of the song. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.1/10