Year: 2018

[Review] My Pace – Stray Kids

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Stray Kids are back with their very first comeback since their debut, District 9, in April this year. My Pace is the name of the title track for their second mini-album, I Am Who, which follows in the footsteps of their rap-heavy and hip-hop dominated debut track. In between the promotions for District 9 and My Pace, the group also followed up their debut promotions with Mirror (a single from their first mini-album).

From the very start, the one word that can describe the song very accurately is ‘energetic’. There is no moments in the song that felt it lacked energy or intensity, for that matter. And that makes it a perfect fit for the most active season of the year. Even the start of the song, the rough and deep ‘NaNaNaNa‘ by Changbin really grabs your attention and kicks the song off with a punch. The rapping in this song continues this momentum with the vocals giving a moment of relief from the punches we keep on getting. The chorus was very simple but works extremely well with the rap heavy side of the song. I really like the very heavy-handed approach on the instrumental which basically goes back to that energetic aspect of the song. My most favourite part was the suspense filled launch into the final chorus which just nudged the song along that bit further. Overall, the song was awesome and impactful.

The various scenes that make up the video are stringed together so well that it made the music video feel that much edgier when paired with the song. I liked how the camera shots got up close and personal with the members, giving us different angles that we don’t see so much of today. The uNDerground street racing concept was really good as well, fitting both the song and their image. Not too keen on the random break we got just before the bridge, because that cuts the energy. But other than that, a really good video.

The choreography reminds me of Block B. Maybe because it has that wild side that I do recognise from the senior boy group. And like the song, the performance does pack a punch, leaving us energy depleted (because listening to an energetic track and watching a very active performance is really energy draining!) and wanting more.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.6/10

[Album Review] Sunny Summer (7th Mini Album) – GFriend

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Two weeks ago, GFriend made their Summer comeback with Sunny Summer. The song features on the mini-album of the same name. Interestingly, the mini-album is also marketed as the girl’s 1st Summer mini-album, which alludes to the fact that there may be more in the future, which definitely sound very interesting and super exciting. But today, we are here to delve a little more into their Sunny Summer mini-album, so let’s just do that!

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Sunny Summer Album Cover

1..Sunny Summer (여름 여름해) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Sunny Summer. (7.5/10)

2. Vacation – Fitting neatly into the Summer theme of the entire mini-album, the song starts off with sounds you would commonly associate with the beach. It develops into a very bright song and it is the type you expect to be the soundtrack of a holiday music video that KPOP does a fair share of. It is a catchy and lively song, especially with the cute way they spell out the word ‘Vacation’ at the end of the choruses. It also features nice vocals which makes it a very pleasing song. (7.5/10)

3. Sweety – Sweety has a pop sound but it features a very quirky instrumental that is full of various synths and effects that really make it different. These differences occur at varying tempos allowing for a different atmosphere to be present in almost every different section of the song. I must admit the chorus was a letdown, as I didn’t mind it that memorable/catchy. So the saving grace for this song was the instrumental. Vocals were good, overall. (7/10)

4. Windy Windy (바람 바람 바람) – Initially, the song started off with a soft sound but within seconds the song transformed into this upbeat sound. It did end up feeling like a typical pop song from a girl group but there was an unknown element that managed to make it one of the better songs on the album. I did like the melody of the song, but I found the chorus to be quite masked and mashed into the verse, which was a little confusing. Once again, I liked the vocals and really liked the transition between the bridge and final chorus of the song. (8/10)

5. Love In The Air – I think the girls saved the best for last. I really enjoyed how smooth the song was and how it managed to flow overall. There is a nice melody and the instrumental made the song feel promising. It became quite dynamic towards the end (with a number of synths/effects to give texture but maintaining that smooth element. The vocals also contributed to this smoothness, which made it quite memorable. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.8/10

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Sunny Summer Teaser Image

[Weekly Chart] 1st Week of August 2018

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Another week has already passed and we find ourselves on a Sunday, so we all know what that means! Welcome back to the Weekly Charts for the 1st Week of August 2018. It is time to see where the songs are ranked on the charts this week. And with a number of new releases that felt me speechless, I am very interested to see where these songs lie on the charts.

Last week’s number 1 song (Oh My! by Seventeen) dropped down by 3 to the 4th position, leaving the top spot for this week vacant for Laboum (with their song Between Us) to rise to the top of the chart for this week! Also rising to the 2nd and 3rd positions are 1,2,3 by Seungri (Big Bang) and I’m So Sick by APINK (who just won’t budge from the top of the charts). Finishing off the top 5 is KARD’s Ride On The Wind.

There were a number of songs jumping up a fair bit. But none of was that impressive when compared to Hyolyn’s jump from 48 to 13 (a total of 35 spots) from last week. For more of the charts, scroll down below!

29th Jul – 5th Aug 2018
Title Artist Status
1 Between Us Laboum (▲6)
2 1,2,3 Seungri (Big Bang) (▲9)
3 I’m So Sick APINK (▲5)
4 Oh My! SEVENTEEN (▼ 3)
5 Ride On The Wind KARD (▲8)
6 Now Or Never SF9 (new)
7 Love U Kim Chungha (▼ 3)
8 Black Heart UNB (▼ 3)
9 Shoot Me DAY6 (▲9)
10 Egotistic Mamamoo (▼ 1)
11 Sunny Summer Gfriend (▲17)
12 Killing Me iKON (new)
13 SEE SEA Hyolyn (▲35)
14 SoulMate Zico (Block B) ft. IU (new)
15 KeePer The Boyz (▲15)
16 BAAM MOMOLAND (▲15)
17 Always You ASTRO (▲8)
18 DDU-DU DDU-DU BLACKPINK (▲11)
19 Complete ONF (▼ 3)
20 I’m So Afraid Holland (▲18)
21 She Bad MYTEEN (▼ 18)
22 Our Page SHINee (▲1)
23 Twenty Something Jeong Sewoon (▼ 17)
24 Retro Future Triple H (▼ 2)
25 Dance The Night Away TWICE (▼ 23)
26 Touch & Sketch Leo (VIXX) (new)
27 Sunset Kim Dong Han (▼ 3)
28 Something New Taeyeon (SNSD) (▲21)
29 When It Rains BTOB-BLUE (new)
30 Let Me Golden Child (▼ 4)

Songs leaving the charts this week and will no longer be on the charts starting next week are:

  • Light -Wanna One
  • DKDK – Fromis_9
  • Lady – Yubin
  • Complete – ONF
  • Take Me Higher – A.C.E

Thank you for reading this post and hope to see you all again next week!

[Review] Summer Night – 100%

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Last week, I decided to review 100%’s recent Korean comeback, The Grand Bleu, instead of the intended Japanese week. With some shuffling around, I will be reviewing their recent Japanese comeback, Summer Night, which is their 4th original single in Japan. The music video for this track was released at the end of June, so apologies for the really late review.

The song has this pretty decent tropical influence club beat as its instrumental which makes the song explosive, particularly around the chorus of the song. It does feel very standard around the verses which seems to show more of that tropical influence. But that isn’t too off-putting, especially with a cool chorus like this that picks up the song just at the right time. However, the vocals are the one aspect that had me diving for more. The way Rokhyun sings the chorus feels very JPOP-like, reminding me of some Japanese pop vocalists that I listen to. The other members do a pretty good job. One way of describing the song is that it is like their Korean vocal-driven songs were smashed with this style of EDM (which works really well). The rapping was also quite good and was another moment that I really liked. Overall, 100% did an amazing job with this song.

As much as I find the colour blue very refreshing, I can’t help but notice how blue the music video was (literally!). It felt like it should have been overused, particularly at the start. But after the first chorus, they changed to multiple shades of blue (in their outfits), which really cuts the heaviness of the blue. And for that, I actually thought it was an interesting of colour. I did like the helipad setting for the choreography, which I still think is really scary yet really beautiful at the same time.

The choreography was good and felt fitting for the song. Not else to say other than that, to be honest.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 6/10
Overall Rating – 7.9/10

 

[Review] SEE SEA – Hyolyn

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It was expected that we would see Hyolyn back on stage during the season of Summer, given how her former group had a really grand reputation for Summer releases and how Summer will be able to give her the opportunity to show off some of her sexiness. She returns with See Sea, which was released mid-July. Hyolyn ends her three singles project with this release (the other two singles were To Do List and Dally).

See Sea is another Summer song released that really grabbed my attention (just don’t ask me why it took me a number of weeks to actually write the review). To me, I don’t think this falls into the broad genre of KPOP. Instead, I personally think the sound falls neatly into the Western market. There is something about it that makes it feel very distinct and refreshing from the usual Summer songs that we get. I am not too sure about what that ‘something’ is but whatever it is, it is doing its job. I really like the chorus, which was quite addictive. The way she sang her lines during the chorus left an impression on me. It was quite melodic but that was delivered through her vocals rather than the instrumental (which was borderline typical for me). The pre-chorus/buildup was awesome as well. Overall, I like the song quite a bit.

The music video was very typical for a Summer release. There was a lot of focus on Hyolyn, who showed a fair bit of skin in this music video (but I am not complaining!). There were also some nice shots of scenery (with Hyolyn) in them which felt very urban. Correct me if I am wrong but it seems like Hyolyn filmed this video somewhere in the US (most likely LA or Hawaii). The video does a good job of reflecting Summer but I am sure she could have avoided the typical route.

The performance was quite captivating. It isn’t an overtly sexual performance, which Dally touched upon. Instead, the performance was quite smooth and I liked the tone down touch fo sexiness. Her use of Western backup dancers confirms the Western influence on the comeback, which I don’t mind.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 8.6/10

[Review] When It Rains – BTOB-BLUE

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BTOB-BLUE has finally returned with a brand new single titled as When It Rains. The subunit, which comprises of BTOB’s vocalists, made their subunit debut in 2016 with Stand By Me. While it has been two years since their last release, BTOB’s comeback have proven to be quite popular with Movie, Missing You and this year’s Only One For Me topping the charts.

When It Rains taps into a under appreciated treasure chest. While we do get a fair bit of amazing vocals from the vocalists when they perform as BTOB, you don’t get too many heartfelt vocals. When It Rains allows this to occur and it makes the song quite strong. The song, for the first verse, second verse and first chorus, remains very linear like most ballads. They do push a bit during the first chorus but it isn’t that spectucalr to really dwindle on. But it is the entrance into the second chorus that really comes out of nowhere for me. And it is this section that really grabs my attention. And I like how they maintain this energy through to the end of the song. I like the background vocals and the instrumental, which does get me swaying along to the song. Overall, I think it is a really good song that protrays their vocals in a very good light, which didn’t really occur in their debut track.

The music video opens up on a rainy day with Hyunsik getting ready before the sun rises in his cafe. Throughout the video, we see the rest of BTOB-BLUE go about on their day on the rainy day. There is a lot of staring into the sky and rain, which works well with the song. Interestingly, at the end of the video, we are shown that all the members are converging to the cafe, which is where they all work. I think this was a very interesting plot-twist. I do like how they manage to cut the sadness from the song when they interact together at the end, which was nice.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

[Review] Killing Me – iKON

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It is rare for a YG group to make multiple comebacks within a year. IKON actually acknowledged this in an interview today. But it seems like YG Entertainment has finally allowed their groups to fully take on the industry with comebacks within months of each other. IKON returned at the start of the year with Love Scenario and Rubber Band. And within 5 months, iKON has returned with their 1st mini-album and the title track, Killing Me.

The song took me by surprise. Not in the sense where I was caught off guard by the style of song but rather how the instrumental just creeps up at you. The song opens up with a very minimal instrumental and it slowly builds up. The buildup isn’t anything that special taking on a more typical approach. However, once the chorus drops, we get this funky concoction that draws your attention in and delivers an impactful blow of addictiveness to your ears. And it is this chorus that really holds me in my seat for the entirety of the song. The vocals were really good and the rapping was superb. The ending feels more like a club and anthem vibe combined together and I think this makes the song feel a lot like iKON’s usual sound. Overall, I thought the song was amazing.

YG Entertainment always releases high-quality music videos. So expectations were quite high for this video. But out of all the music videos I can think of, this one feels the most typical of a KPOP music video. There aren’t any elaborate sets that really make you go wow. And there are no really smart shots or amazing editing that grabs my attention. So I am a little disappointed. I did like the camera work, with the more upbeat parts getting the shaky camerawork whereas the rest of the video gets smoother camerawork.

The performance looks good, from what I can see in the music video. I don’t think there was a live performance yet, as the song just came out. I particularly like how the choreography for the chorus goes as it channels the change of energy quite well. It is a complicated drop but the simple change in the choreography was definitely impactful.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

[Review] SoulMate – ZICO (Block B) ft. IU

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This is probably the collaboration of the century. Zico is a very well-known producer known for his chart-topping hits such as I Am You, You Are Me and Boys and Girls. IU is the digital queen, with all her songs taking over the charts as soon as they are released. So it was no surprise that their collaboration rose quickly to the top of the charts. And that is why we are here today – to review this highly anticipated (yet very unexpecting) collaboration.

SoulMate begins with the vocals of both collaborators. Zico’s vocals seem to change a little each time, complimenting the style of the song. IU’s signature husky vocals are definitely impactful here. Together, there is this extremely smooth feel. The instrumental has this subtle jazz vibe, which was nice. I liked how despite the song being notably Zico (as he produced it), it could easily have slipped into IU’s albums. Zico’s rap was nice and I liked how IU sang along with some of the rap lines. The choruses wasn’t that memorable in my opinion, however, it reminded me of Spring, which is fast approaching. My favourite bit of the song was the bridge, where both singers seem to push themselves a little further, allowing that section of the song to resonate with me. Overall, the song does really speak volumes when you listen to it as a whole and with this quality of music, it is no wonder why they always top charts.

While this may look like the longest elevator wait ever, you all should come to my university. You will be able to replay the song a few times before any elevator opens up. Putting that aside, I thought the video was a nice way of presenting the idea of finding soulmates. I liked the small cameo that Crush made, with this blue hair being a very obvious giveaway (I know he recently returned but I couldn’t think of anything regarding his song). I was also surprised as both artists appeared in the video, which isn’t a usual case for some collaborations (i.e. one artist is usually absent).

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Review – 8/10

 

[Review] Touch & Sketch – Leo (VIXX)

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Leo is the main vocalist of VIXX and he has officially made his solo debut with Touch & Sketch. Leo joins a long list of solo acts whom have debuted over the past few years despite still being active as part of their groups. He is also an accomplished musical actor, as well. Touch & Sketch is featured as the title track on his first mini-album, titled appropriately as Canvas.

I personally expected Leo to go down the ballad route for this solo debut (which I really should stop doing because they never go down the ballad route). So it was a plesant surprise that he went with an upbeat song. But keeping with the aura that Leo has, the song features a decent melody during the verses. I am not too big on the verses because they felt slow, compared to the upbeat chorus which I liked a lot more. However, his husky vocals did give off a smooth vibe, which highlights the sensual nature of the song. I really like the lead into the chorus (I believe the lyrics are ‘Now I feel lips‘) and the small sequence of drums that feels like the gateway to a nice chorus. I like how the chorus goes and its catchiness makes the song quite memorable. While it isn’t Leo’s expertise, I would have liked a rap sequence somewhere in the song. As much as it feels cliche, it needed something more to give it some edge. But overall, Leo’s debut song was pretty cool.

I liked the music video because it shows a side of Leo that I have not seen. I know him to be the very quiet member from his debut days so to see him in this sensual lighting was a little odd for me. But it works well with that aura that I mentioned in the prior paragraph. He likens the idea of love to art, as you you have to be able to feel both to connect with it. I did find some of the editing a tad choppy for my liking, often passing over a scene very quickly. It could have been a lot smooth to reflect well with the song’s smoothness. But other than that, it was a good video.

The performance was good and fitted the song quite well. I like how the chorus had a certain level of fierceness, which gave the performance that edge that the song lacked. He looked super focus, which I guessed works well with the serious sensual nature of the song. And that sensual nature mentioned in the other paragraphs was felt strongest through the choreography.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 7.6/10

 

[Review] Now or Never – SF9

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SF9 has returned with Now Or Never, which is the title track on their Sensuous mini-album, which was released today. The group has gone for a complete image change with their latest comeback compared with Mamma Mia, which was released back in February this year. I will be writing an album review for Sensuous and that will be released (hopefully) next week because the highlight melody is very promising.

I am really excited for this song because it has been a while since I have heard a fantastic song from the group. Right off the bat, I am impressed with this song as it appeals to me taste immediately. The opening line was amazing and definitely upholds expectations I have for the song. While the instrumental was predominately electronic  club synths featuring a  mysterious vibe, I could hear a layer of R&B at the bottom, which probably gave the song that seductive nature. To me, the song contains a dynamic chorus. The first part (which could easily be a pre-chorus) featured the drop of the century (yep, you heard it first here) which created a nice level of suspense. It was followed up with an upbeat and funky vocal pop vibe second half. The rest of the song follows the same sound yet it does grow as it is hyped along. Vocals and raps were all fitting. Finally, I liked how the song ended as it returns as a full circle to the start of the song, which I thought was cool. Overall, Now or Never is my new favourite song.

The new image change is reflect in the music video. There is a mysterious vibe which definitely adds to the song’s appeal. I really liked all the different scenes and how they were interlinked with various transitions. The use of a dominate colour in each scene was spectacular, perfect for Summer yet makes the otherwise serious song pop out of its shell. Something that needs to be acknowledged is their confidence shown throughout the video. It makes them look more sexier and adds an extra layer of appeal for the viewers to be left shaken. Overall, it was a good video.

The choreography looks amazingly perfect for the song. I am astounded when I first saw the music video and it made me jump straight for their showcase. And that left me wanting more. I really liked the Michael Jackson infused intro (seen at the showcase) and the moves overall were just so sharp. My favourite part was how well-timed the moonwalk during the performance was.

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

 

 

[Album Review] Red Moon (7th Mini Album) – Mamamoo

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Mamamoo returned 2 weeks ago with a brand new mini-album titled as Red Moon and the title track Egotistic. When this album was first released, I noticed a connection between their previous mini-album, Yellow Flower. Red and Yellow are colours that two of the members wore during their Paint Me single release earlier this year. If we were to follow this trend, we will be seeing a blue and white themed album release in the future. Just an observation I made. But let’s refocus and look closely at the songs on the Red Moon album.

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Red Moon Album Cover

1..Midnight Summer Dream (여름밤의 꿈) – Opening this track up is this music box effect which really makes the R&B song twinkle. While this does sound like an odd combination, it actually works extremely well. I love the vocals and raps of the members from all the members especially with the odd quirk or two that keeps the song feel repetitive and linear. I really liked the burst of energy from the chorus which really gives the song some life. It was a great opener for the album and definitely drew my attention to the album. (9/10)

2. Egotistic (너나 해) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of Egotistic. (8/10)

3. Rainy Day (장마) (Pre-Release SIngle) – The pre-release single for this album was not apparent on my daily check for new releases. The song is an R&B ballad but it doesn’t feel forced or that ‘mandatory ballad’ that girl groups tend to put on their album. I am drawn to the song for their fantastic vocals, which make me feel very sorrow and sad. With the rainy days where I live, the song is perfect to put on and do a lot of sad reflection. There is also that swaying effect that makes me feel at ease. It was a change up from their previous tracks on the album but it was nice. (8.5/10)

4. Sky! Sky! (Innocence) (하늘하늘 (청순))) – I think out of all the songs which I heard in the past by Mamamoo, Sky! Sky! seems to conform to that typical girl group sound the most. But a song from Mamamoo cannot be typical. I really like the simplicity of the chorus and it does feel very nice. But what makes me go wow every time I listen to the song is Moonbyul’s rap section which was completely unexpected and different to the rest of the song (it goes for a very mindblowing hip-hop sound). By far, this is my favourite song on the album and definitely going on my replay list. (9.5/10)

5. Sleep In The Car (잠이라도 자지) – WOW! Mamamoo had their share of a hip-hop rap-heavy track through their playful Taller Than You a few years back. But this takes that song to the next level by being 1000 times more intense and unexpected. It is a fierce track on the album, going well with the already strong title track. They don’t hold back and definitely put all their energy to make sure that this ‘different’ track is successful in its delivery. And while you expect this song to be layered with deep meaning, it was more about how hard the work they do is and focused more on their wild car trips between schedules. (8/10)

6. Selfish (Moonbyul Solo) (ft. Seulgi from Red Velvet) – Click here to read the full review for Selfish. (8/10)

Overall Album Review – 8.5/10

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Egotistic Teaser Image

recommended red round grunge vintage ribbon stamp

 

 

[Weekly Chart] 4th Week of July 2018

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July has flown right past us as we land ourselves on the chart post of the final week of July 2018. Welcome back and I hope you all had a lovely and fantastic week. I am cold and extremely busy, so let’s get cracking on!

Maintaining the top spot on the charts for the second week in a row is SEVENTEEN’s Oh My!, which is quite addictive as you can tell. TWICE’s Dance The Night Away will not budge from the Top 5 as it rises to the second position. In the thrid position, we find MYTEEN’s She Bad, while Kim Chungha’s Love U rose an incrdible 22 spots to take ouot the fourth position. And finally, filling in the fifith position (and completing the top 5) is UNB’s Black Heart, which I am still enjoying despite it being out for a number of weeks already.

I am still trying to catch up on reviews as there are a number of artists who made their comeback last week that I yet to review. I should have some of the reviews up in the coming day.

ALSO – I will be postponing the ‘Music Video Theory’ posts to the week after their schedule release (I will update this tomorrow) as I am quite busy with many assignments stacking up and job-hunting.

For more of the charts, scroll down below!

22nd Jul – 28th Jul 2018
Title Artist Status
1 Oh My! Seventeen (=)
2 Dance The Night Away TWICE (▲ 2)
3 She Bad MYTEEN (▲ 5)
4 Love U Kim Chungha (▲22)
5 Black Heart UNB (▲ 8)
6 20 Something Jeong Sewoon (new)
7 Between Us LABOUM (new)
8 I’m So Sick APINK (▼ 5)
9 Egotistic Mamamoo (▼ 7)
10 Zero Minseo (new)
11 1,2,3 Seungri (Big Bang) (▲ 11)
12 Bingle Bangle AOA (▲ 24)
13 Ride On The Wind KARD (new)
14 Summer Night’s Dream FTISLAND (new)
15 Take Me Higher A.C.E (▲ 1)
16 Complete ONF (▼ 1)
17 Only One For Me BTOB (▼ 7)
18 Shoot Me DAY6 (▼ 9)
19 Light Wanna One (▲ 9)
20 Fallin’ In Love Woo Jin Young & Kim Hyun Soo (▲ 12)
21 déjà vu NU’EST W (▲ 6)
22 Retro Future Triple H (▼ 10)
23 Our Page SHINee (▲ 2)
24 Sunset Kim Dong Han (▲ 5)
25 Always You ASTRO (new)
26 Let Me Golden Child (▲ 18)
27 Sorry For My English IN2IT (new)
28 Sunny Summer Gfriend (▼ 22)
29 DDU-DU DDU-DU BLACKPINK (▼ 24)
30 KeePer The Boyz (▼ 19)

Songs leaving the chart this week and will no longer appear on the charts are:

  • Good Evening – SHINee
  • Bingle Bangle – AOA
  • Get It – PRISTIN V
  • Wind – BOL4
  • Teenager – Samuel ft. Lee Ro Han
  • love4eva – LOONA yxyy
  • Dramatic – NOIR
  • Strong – WJMK

Thank you once again and I will see you all back here next Sunday for another edition of the Weekly Charts!

[Review] Grand Bleu – 100%

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 3 Comments

Saturdays are usually my ‘JPOP’ review days where I take a closer look at Japanese songs released by Korean artists. The intention for this week was to publish a review for 100%’s latest Japanese comeback – Summer Night. However, the group did make their comeback earlier this week with Grand Bleu, so I will be reviewing that first (and the JPOP review will be published next Saturday). This is also the group’s first comeback since member Minwoo passed away earlier this year.

The song was nice but it isn’t spectacular. 100% returned with more vocally centred tracks in the past few years and this does fall into that category (to an extent as their vocals are very toned down). However, it does have that Summery feel that makes is very fitting for the current season in SK. There was a nice melody to the song, which does leave a smile on your face. It is a little weak on the memorability front, especially as the song remains very linear throughout and it didn’t have a catchy or strong hook to really deliver a punch. Instead, it reminds me of some songs that you would gladly listen to while having that stroll down a beach and the weather isn’t too hot or cold. The song does talk about cross an ocean (the Grand Bleu) to reach a love one, which I can’t help but think it is a song that is dedicated to their leader.

The music video was simply behind the scene shots to some photoshoot on the beach. There really isn’t anything special with the video besides the acknowledgement that they look like they are having fun. It did make me question the budget and effort the company did put in for the group but when I think of the song, I can’t think of any other way to present a music video for it.

I wouldn’t describe the performance as light but it isn’t heavy by any means whatsoever. Instead, it was a nice combination allowing for focus on their vocals/raps. Though, I did think there was a classy element to the performance. I really liked it personally and is another example of how simplicity shines brightly.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 5.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 6.5/10

 

 

[Review] Sorry For My English – IN2IT

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KPOP has its share of questionable English lines in the past. But they are becoming much better with the incorporation and intention behind their use of English nowadays. However, I didn’t expect the industry to apologise for its past usage, let alone being in song format. IN2IT recently returned with Snapshot earlier this year and have returned once again with Sorry For My English (which probably is the most random title ever in KPOP).

Sorry For My English is a funky disco track, filled with the expected retro vibes that past disco/funky songs have presented and upbeat energy, giving some appeal to the song. The title intrigues me, particularly how it is incorporated into something meaningful. Judging from the translations I can find, the song seems to be the bridge between the members and a foreign person, as they say, they want to communicate via body language rather than verbally.  And English isn’t the only language in the mix, as the song also contains phrases (such as Beautiful and Hello) in Japanese, Malaysian, Bahasa and Chinese Mandarin. I did like the catchy chorus, as they do a fair attempt at engraving the repeated title into your mind. I liked their vocals and rapping. The song just doesn’t really exceed the expectations and standard set by Snapshot, but it is still very good.

Instead of having a tutoring class, the members opt to go to a disco. That is essentially the entire plotline of the video if you can call that a plotline. Other than that, it is what you expect from a disco-themed video. Colour flashing lights and a freaking disco ball! What more do you want? Though I did cringe at the one scene with the guy ‘shaving’ his non-existent beard. But other than that, good video.

I liked the choreography for this song. It is definitely in line with the disco-themed song. But it just doesn’t go for those certain dance moves. Instead, it feels like a choreography for a disco-themed song released in 2018. I thought the dance break was quite cool and the circle formation at the very end looked amazing on stage.

Song  – 7.5/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.6/10

[Review] Between Us – Laboum

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Laboum quickly rose to the towards the top of my ‘favourite artists’ list in the past few years, so with the announcement of their comeback, I was super excited. Unexpectedly, the group has forgone their cute image and gone for a more mature concept this time. This concept is delivered via the song Between Us. Since their last comeback (Only U), Yulee left the group (and is now a mother/engaged to Minhwan from FTISLAND), while ZN re-debuted as part of the project group UNI.T (Haein and Yujeong also participated on the show but did not get as far).

Between Us is an interesting mix of good but also boring points. The mature sound is definitely very appealing in my opinion, showing a different side of the group. And while it is mature sound, there is also this hint of fragility which I find very intriguing for some odd reason. However, as much as I want to enjoy the song, I do find it very stagnant in terms of buildup and lacking in any energy whatsoever. The song does provide some moments in which it cuts the slow atmosphere, such as that squeaky synth halfway through the 1st verse and the buildup to the final chorus. I did like their vocals and thought the chorus was decent, despite the slowness. Overall, I thought the song has potential but it does need some more energy to make it more memorable.

The music video was well shot yet simple for a sensual video. The scenes seem a little cryptic, especially for an audience who doesn’t know the Korean language. For example, why was Solbin kissing the mirror reflection? It did bring my attention to a peak but I wasn’t sure why that was the case. I liked the dark background for the choreography shots and the overall feel was appropriate for the sound and mature concept.

I actually liked the choreography, which was fitting for the slowness of the song. I liked moves featured during the chorus and the bridge.  The issue with the performance was their blue outfit (shown in the music video), which I think was ill-fitting for the song. It screams beach concept and bright songs, not sexy and mature. The dress was more fitting for the concept, overall.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.5/10

[Review] Summer Night’s Dream – FTISLAND

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FTISLAND is officially back on stage with a brand new single, Summer Night’s Dream, which is featured on their 6th mini-album, What If. The band, celebrated 10 years last year, with the release of Wind marking the milestone. And they didn’t stop after that, as the group released an album in Japan earlier this year. Minhwan became a father to a young boy back in May (and became engaged to Yulhee – former member of Laboum).

Summer Night’s Dream doesn’t really appeal to me. I found the song conforming to the sound of some of the younger band’s in the industry, which really feels like it was a backwards move in my mind. To me, FT Island releases these intense songs but this one feels too sugary for me, in comparison. It does lack energy and definitely that intensity aspect that I know FT Island for. The song took on a light reggae sound and they managed to throw in some rock, which I thought was decent, towards the end. Hongki’s vocals were good but they weren’t amazing as in the past. I did like how some of the other members contributed to the song throughout the song, which was a first I believe (usually one of them only get a small section). Maybe if the rock was more prevalent with a side of reggae instead, I would have enjoyed it more but sadly that was not the case this time.

The music video shows Hongki falling in love while working with this lady, who is also in the same line of work (mascots giving out flyers). He picks up with magical magnifying glass and it shows him this alternate reality where he does manage to take her out on a date and kind of woo her with a spectacular onstage performance. Once the credits roll, we see Hongki wake up in her presence but in reality, he wakes up with the rest of FTISLAND kicking him. I am not too sure what the purpose of the rest of the group was in the video, though there were some weird vibes given out. Going back to the sugary vibe from the song, the video is practically coated with it. I myself am not too keen on it but it was quite fitting for the song.

Song – 5/10
Music Video – 6/10
Overall Rating – 5.4/10