SEVENTEEN have returned with their 5th mini-album, You Make My Day. Their new album release has been topping charts and Oh My! have won a few weekly music shows already, further proving their status in the industry. Unfortunately, my introductory paragraph is a little short today as I am in a rush. So, let’s get a move on with this review!
2. Holiday – I really like this song. It has a catchy chorus that stands out for its simplicity. It does have a very standard pop song instrumental but those flutes during the post-chorus really give it a side of uniqueness and is a great hook. I really liked the melody and bright energy, which is truly fitting for the Summer season. I did feel like the verses were a tad empty, which does impact memorability of the song but I did like the ‘Baby Baby’ pre-chorus. The rapping and vocals were pretty good, but I loved Seungkwan’s fast incline to his high note in the bridge. (9/10)
3. Come To Me (나에게로 와) (Vocal Team) – Come To Me is tropical house song which the vocal team of the group performs. I thought this was an interesting yet fitting for the normally ballad-dominated unit of the group. It also shows that they have great diversity in their sound. However, the use of the typical tropical instrumental was a disappointment. It wasn’t special, especially with the ongoing trend. I did like how they toned down the instrumental, however, which fitted their choice for soft vocals in this song. I liked it when they sang together during the chorus. It would be interesting to see a performance for this song, as either a no choreography or light choreography would be suitable. (7/10)
4. What’s Good (Hip Hop Team) – In their past unit track, Minggyu took the reins of vocalist during the chorus (from memory). So I was kind of expecting the same thing. But surprise, surprise. Instead, all the members contributed to a smashing chorus and everyone having their own rap sequence in the song. I really liked the ‘What’s Good’ repetition in the chorus which made the song addictive and memorable. The members have great delivery (as normal) but would have showed off more if the song was longer. (9/10)
5. Moonwalker (Performance Team) – Can I start off by saying how much I love the funky instrumental of this song? It is an aspect of the song that really draws my attention to the song. Likewise, the vocals and the catchiness of the ‘Moonwalker’ chorus hook really do a good job of selling the song. Honestly, I would love to see a performance for this song, as the song (along with the reputation of the unit’s dance skills_ promises a worthwhile choreography routine. Like most abrupt endings, I am not too keen on the ending. But it is one of the group’s strongest songs on the album. (9.5/10)
6. Our Dawn Is Hotter Than Day (우리의 새벽은 낮보다 뜨겁다) – After a series of unit songs, the entire group comes back together to what seems like the longest title for a song (that I have seen in a very long time). I am not too sure about the song. One part of me really likes the overall feel of the song as it doesn’t really take too much of any aspect. I really liked the chorus for this song and how everyone had their moment in the song. But I feel like the song could have had something more to make it more appealing and become a greater closer. (8/10)
They are back! KARD is a co-ed group that debuted last year with a range of tropical house based songs such as Hola Hola and You In Me. And now they have returned with Ride On The Wind, which shows a different side of the same genre. Ride On The Wind is the title track of their 3rd mini-album, which shares the same title.
Like the title of the song, the verses very soft similar to a nice breeze that makes some Summer days much cooler. While this softness may be seen as a weak moment for some people, I think it makes the song very practical and actually quite unique. The tropical house instrumental was very typical, which I am a little disappointed with. However, I did like the little burst of energy once the post-chorus instrumental dropped. Jiwoo and Somin do a pretty good job with their sections, with Jiwoo also returning with some rapping, which did have some Hola Hola vibes. On the other hand, the male members (who have stayed strictly to rapping in their previous songs), each did a combination of vocals and rapping in this song, which I think is pretty cool. I think my other issue with the song was that it went by too quick and I would have gladly enjoyed another half minute of the song.
The music video follows the long line of KPOP videos that seem to focus on the scenery. It becomes a little awkward when you learn that they performed on grass fields littered with cattle poop, which is definitely interesting. But these types of videos are fast becoming unoriginal and dry, which doesn’t make it that memorable. There was also a focus on the members, allowing fans to see their favourite member up close. My favourite scenes throughout the entire music video were the choreography shots on the beach.
The choreography was quite good for this comeback. Though some of their moves from past comebacks are becoming recycled and this will cause the appeal to be lost a little too quickly in subsequent comebacks.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 7.5/10 Overall Rating – 7.6/10
ASTRO has been gaining momentum in the industry with their last comeback in November, Crazy Sexy Cool. However, with indivudal schdueles and the previous concern of Fantigo’s stability due to company politics, ASTRO’s comeback was delayed. But that is no longer the case, as the group have finially released their second special mini-album, Rise Up, and the title track, Always You.
Always You is a more mature sound than what we are used to from the group. It is a shift from their previous work which tends to focus on a brighter canvas. It is even a big shift from their last comeback, which was quite mature sounding as well. For this comeback, they went with a pretty epic piece of instrumentation that really sets the tone of the song. It is nothing special when you think about how it contains synths and electronic influences but it is definitely something. I really like the drop during the chorus, which really does make the song memorable and grabs your attention. I felt that despite it not being your usual Summery song, the song does have momentum and does feel refreshing. Their vocals were pretty good. But I think the real winners of the track are the rappers. I feel like their part showed off a different side of them, a side that we don’t see all too often in their bright and bubbly songs. While it is different, I do like this new sound and hope that they can incorporate it somehow into their future releases (but doing so in a unique manner).
Not exactly sure how the video adds up. Besides the fact that the atmosphere is a lot darker and serious, the members do a good job at portray what I am taking as sorrow and pain. There is a scene within the video which shows the members coming together, which may allude to the fact that they are coming back as a group very soon. That is my guess at the meaning of the video. I did like the cinematography and the use of colours throughout the sets. It makes this video feel even more powerful, going hand-in-hand with the music.
It seems like Moonbin, JinJin and Rocky partipated in the choreography of this song, whereas the other members did not. Not too sure why that was the case. But doing so, the choreography looks extremely well down and powerful, which also goes well with the song (as mentioned previously). [Note that they are not promoting this release so I am basing my review purely on what I saw in the video].
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 8.5/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.6/10
Minseo made her debut this year with The Grand Dreams but I have no recollection of this debut whatsoever. However, she then came back with Is Who in June and this caught my attention. By the time I decided to actually review her, I saw that she will be making an additional release with Zero in July and thought I wait for that. And with the music video for Zero released, we are here today to have a closer look at Minseo, who is under APOP Entertainment.
Is Who caught my attention for its instrumentation which really made the track feel very unique. The song takes on a folk sound, which isn’t something you hear all too often in KPOP nor is it something that I commonly review. However, the instrumentation made the song so colourful, that I couldn’t pass the opportunity. On top of that, her vocals were superb in the song. They were extremely husky and my favourite bit was the bridge (I am not too sure how to refer to it (music jargon is non-existent in my life) but it felt almost like freestyling vocals sound effects).
Zero shows off how Minseo is capable of diversity. Instead of folk, this time around she stays within the parameters of classical music. But the instrumentation is extremely epic sounding that it leaves me in shivering. Another way which I would describe it is a dramatic cinematic soundtrack to a very suspenseful movie. I loved the intensity of the percussion and the dramatic nature of the violins throughout the song. Throw in her clear yet crisp vocals and we pretty much have a winning combination. I pretty much enjoy the song, despite it leaving me speechless each time.
Is Who‘s music video takes on a circus concept, without the circus. I found the video very confusing and found that the words shown on the screen went by a little too fast for my liking. That resulted in me start stopping the video every time some words popped up (even though I didn’t get very far with a plotline). I did like the choreography shots, which I thought were quite cool. Zero’s music video was far more easy to grasp. If you enjoy parkour, this video is pretty much for you. But what I think the video is showing the two people are in parallel universes (i.e. they never interact and appear in the same spot after the other), which shows different perspectives on the world. A little cryptic at the end with how the guy has both the bike and the keyrings. And I am not too keen on her outfit. But other than that, it was a really well-done video.
Is Who has come choreography, which I think fits perfectly with the song’s instrumentation and upbeat vibes. Liked how it also went with the concept of the video as well.
Is Who Song – 10/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 9.3/10
Zero Song – 10/10 Music Video – 9.5/10 Overall Rating – 9.8/10
Personally, I think Jeong Sewoon is one of the best male soloists active at the moment. I have enjoyed the title tracks for his debut and 1st comeback, so I am interested in what type of music he going to release next. And today, he joins the Summer comeback rush with his comeback track, 20 Something, which is produced by Melomance’s Jung Dong Hwan. The song is featured on Sewoon’s 3rd mini-album, Another.
The song has this particular vibe that I have grown to associate with Soyou’s work and collaboration with other artists. The harmonies and the very ‘traditional’ instrumental does feel that way. I say ‘traditional’ because it uses piano and drums, creating a very sombre atmosphere, whereas his previous songs have featured synths and feel more modernised. And with that, I imagine this song going nicely in Autumn environment, especially a walk in the park with leaves falling. I didn’t necessarily get a Summer’s vibe which I thought was interesting. I wasn’t a fan of the ending as this is probably the most absurd of all abrupt endings. I did really like the instrumental break, where his vocals contribute to the instrumental. I thought that section was really unique and memorable. His vocals were pretty good. Overall, I liked the song but there were aspects that don’t feel that typical for a Summer’s release.
The video opens up with Sewoon checking into a hotel but then going for a movie, which I thought was rather confusing for a second. And it seems like he is watching a movie about himself travelling to different places around Europe. The video shows nice residential scenery. While the video does look really good, I think a more Autumn setting to would have been more fitting for the song. For example, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch for the darken piano scenes which were shown during the instrumental break. I don’t know why it is darkened but it really does look cool (and I thought he was going with a dark concept for this comeback). But it was a nice and soothing video to watch.
Song – 7.5/10 Music Video – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.3/10
TWICe made their return to the stage with their latest Summer comeback, Dance The Night Away. And while they are topping charts, the group also unveiled a repackaged version of their fifth mini-album, What Is Love?. The repackaged album is named Summer Nights and features 3 new songs. Today, we will be looking at those three songs. I will put a link down to the other songs originally on 5th mini-album, which I previously reviewed. Note that all songs from both albums are included in the ‘overall album rating’.
2. Chillax – Like the title of the song, there is a soothing and calming nature regarding the song. This actually becomes quite useful as it follows the upbeat (and favourite) title track. I did like the vocals, which gave off this innocent vibe through its youthful sound. Throw in the catchy chorus and you pretty much have a really good track. But it isn’t perfect. I didn’t enjoy the rap as much that opens the second verse. Finally, I feel like them singing ‘chill’ and ‘relax’ throughout the entire song’s choruses defeats the purpose of naming the song ‘Chillax’. But that is me being picky. (8.5/10)
3. Shot Thru The Heart – Unfortunately, the song was a complete miss for me. Shot Thru The Heart is your traditional pop song but it felt extremely light. You know when you bite into a cake, but it was way too sweet for your liking? That is what I felt here. It also didn’t help that the song was the most skippable track on the entire album (including the songs following it). It does have that TWICE brightness that we associate with them, along with good vocal/rap sequences. But that wasn’t enough for me to enjoy the song. (5/10)
Welcome back to this week’s edition of the chart! It is the 3rd week of July. I am back at university now, so things are going to be a little busy for me. But per usual, I will try to keep up with all the releases. Actually, the next few weeks seem like it going to extremely busy, in terms of releases, so it is going to be an interesting schedule. I do know that there are some releases I have yet to review and I will be doing so in the coming weeks!
Topping the charts this week is SEVENTEEN’s comeback track, Oh My! Following closely behind is Mamamoo’s Egotistic. The rest of the top 5 is made from songs from previous weeks. APINK’s I’m So Sick comes in the third position, while last week’s number 1 song Dance The Night Away (by TWICE) dropped down to the fourth position. Completing the top 5 is BLACKPINK’s successful hit, Ddu-Du Ddu-Du.
15th Jul – 21st Jul 2018
Title
Artist
Status
1
Oh My!
SEVENTEEN
(new)
2
Egotistic
Mamamoo
(new)
3
I’m So Sick
APINK
(▼ 1)
4
Dance The Night Away
TWICE
(▼ 3)
5
Ddu-Du Ddu-Du
BLACKPINK
(▲22)
6
Sunny Summer
GFRIEND
(new)
7
BAAM
Momoland
(▼ 4)
8
She Bad
MYTEEN
(▲11)
9
Shoot Me
DAY6
(▼ 2)
10
Only One For Me
BTOB
(▲15)
11
KeePer
The Boyz
(▼ 1)
12
Retro Future
Triple H
(new)
13
Black Heart
UNB
(▼ 7)
14
Semina
Gugudan Semina
(▲4)
15
Complete
ONF
(▼ 7)
16
Take Me Higher
A.C.E
(▲12)
17
I’m So Afraid
HOLLAND
(new)
18
The Feeling
BTOB
(▲33)
19
Never Thought
The East Light
(▲21)
20
Time of Sorrow
VICTON
(▲19)
21
love4eva
LOONA yxyy
(▲5)
22
1,2,3
Seungri (Big Bang)
(new)
23
Hocus Pocus
PTL
(▲11)
24
Something New
Taeyeon (SNSD)
(▼ 9)
25
Our Page
SHINee
(▼ 16)
26
Love U
Kim Chungha
(new)
27
déjà vu
NU’EST W
(▼ 4)
28
Light
Wanna One
(▲5)
29
Sunset
Kim Dong Han
(▼ 13)
30
I Want You
SHINee
(▼ 13)
Songs that have completed their 9 weeks run this week (and hence will no longer appear on the charts are:
Hocus Pocus – PTL
Time Of Sorrow – VICTON
Selfish – Moonbyul (Mamamoo) ft. Seulgi (Red Velvet)
Travel – BOL4
Starlight – BOL4
Love Flutter – The East Light
Bonnie & Clyde – 24K
Thank you for checking out this post (once again)! Have a fantastic week!
HOLLAND’s plans for his latest comeback was a twin singles return. He unveiled his first single, I’m Not Afraid, two weeks ago. In that review, I had predicted that his second single would be titled as On The Second Moon as those were the words that closed off his music video. However, as always, I was incorrect and his second single as part of the twin single comeback is I’m So Afraid.
I’m So Afraid opens up like a ballad but it turns into an EDM track, which I thought was an interesting combination. The synths used in this song is a little more explosive (in volume) that we are used to. But in a way, I thought that this extra volume and the synths contributed to a more suspenseful drop and eerie feel to the song, which I thought plays neatly to the title of the song. Particularly during the buildup to the pre-chorus, there was this very epic yet gradually building feel, which I tend to like in some songs. His vocals throughout the song had some sort of quivering effect, which also worked nicely with a song called ‘I’m So Afraid’. It then closes off as a ballad, ending the song as a full circle. The song seems to allude to his feelings of himself prior to realizing/accepting who he is. Overall, the song was quite good and it is something that I would listen to often, given its epic buildup.
The video starts off with where we left off in I’m Not Afraid. HOLLAND wakes up in the forest, wearing pink pyjamas. However, HOLLAND only appears at the start and end of the video. The rest of the video involves a female dancer, who dances interpretively in a city setting wearing the same pink pyjamas as HOLLAND. I liked her dancing, which spoke in volumes alongside the epicness of the music. Besides that, I don’t really know what the meaning of the video is. I would like to learn a little more about the storyline and the connections between the two videos. Was the first video like the reality but on the inside, he feels more like the second video – conflicted and scared?
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
After 5 years, Seungri is officially back with his first ever studio album! Seungri is the youngest member of Big Bang and is the only member yet to enlist in the military (the rest of Big Bang are currently in the army). He has had a successful solo career so far, with his last release way back in 2013 with Gotta Talk To You. His latest title track is 1,2,3 (셋 셀테니) and this is featured on the studio album titled as The Great Seungri.
1,2,3 is probably going to be next favourite hit of 2018. The song itself is super energetic and upbeat, aspects that I tend to find extremely appealing. It is definitely something that we haven’t heard in a long time. I really like the retro vibes from the instrumental, which can felt most prominently through the bridge of the song. KPOP does retro pretty well and this is probably proof. I also really like the sudden 1,2,3 that throws us (literally) into the chorus, along with the addictive nature of the chorus. I also liked his vocals, which definitely added an extra layer of appeal, in my opinion. Personally, I didn’t expect this song from him, considering his past titles. However, it does fit in with his playful personality, which I do admire him for.
Like the retro sound, the video goes for a retro concept as well. Some parts remind me of the Grease era, especially the leather jacket, the smooth comb over hand movement and the bleachers on which the second verse focuses on. Anda features as the female lead in the music video, who does a jive (or something – I am not a dancer in any way) during the first chorus and rejoins the party in the final chorus. I also like how everyone joins in at the end of the song for the final chorus, which is definitely something we see often in a retro context. The last two minutes showed behind the scene footage, which I thought was nice. Overall, it was an excellent video.
The dancing is definitely quite good. While there isn’t a live performance for the comeback yet, what we see in the music video is definitely convincing me to check out the live performances. Really like the dancing between Anda and Seungri, along with the rest of the choreography.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 10/10 Overall Rating – 9.7/10
Joining the Summer rush is GFRIEND with their summer track, Sunny Summer. The track is featured on their 7th mini-album which also shares the same name as the title track. This Summer comeback comes right after GFRIEND made their comeback in May of this year with Time For The Moon Night.
The first time I heard the song I thought it was a very mediocre song. There wasn’t any special with the song, going with a very normal pop-styled Summer instrumental. But with a few more listens, I find the song quite good in some aspects despite my initial thoughts remaining. The pre-chorus was a section of the song which I liked quite a bit and it did its job of hyping the song to the chorus quite well. The chorus was equally as good with the ‘Yeorum Yeorum Hae‘ entrance my favourite moments of the entire song. I also like how the song focuses more on their vocals this time around, allowing us to hear more of their talent. Other than that, the song didn’t really reach out and it failed to capture my attention. It is still a good song but not their best.
Despite being a fitting music video for the song, I find the idea of shooting a Summer video indoors quite unconvincing. And there have been many fantastic studio-shot Summer videos that looked quite good. Just I never had the opportunity to touch upon it. There is also a number of retro/olden day references throughout the video, like Eunha’s impersonation of the video, the quote at the very start of the video (seems to be Old English/Shakespearean-like) and the silent films’ way of telling us the sound in the video (‘Door. Bang’ at 1:48 of music video). I am not exactly sure of the context behind these shots but they must have some meaning!
Unlike all of GFRIEND’s title track performances, this one is a little more cutesy and lacks any dance break, which I look forward to in each comeback. Hence, I found it a little lacklustre. I did like the fanning during the chorus but other than that, it was an okay performance.
Song – 7.5/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 6/10 Overall Rating – 7.1/10
APINK recently made their return with a completely different image than what we have seen ever before. APINK’s latest title track, I’m So Sick, takes on an exciting mature concept, which is proving to be quite successful. I’m So Sick is also the title track of the group’s 7th mini-album, One & Six, which is the focus of today’s album review. Apologies for the lack of Sunday’s album review. I was so busy that I had to cancel it. It is here now, so let’s move!
2. Alright – Alright is your typical pop song when you just glance over the track. However, when you listen to it, you notice it is a lot more than the ‘typical pop song’ description. Overall, the song felt fitting for the group who establish what can be described as a ‘lovely’ vibe and hence I thought it was a good selection for a promotional track. Starting off the song were these beautiful sounding twinkles, which gave me shivers the first time I heard the song (which is a good thing). The chorus was catchy with the ‘Alright’ repetition and melody. I particularly liked the drop, as it felt just right for the entire song. I really liked the suspense created before the final chorus. (9/10)
3. Don’t Be Silly – The song felt very mature, even more than the title track, which I think is a rather interesting direction for the group. But they pull it off well. The song feels like an R&B dance track with an extra something that makes it work for APINK. I thought the chorus was quite good, despite the questionable English. I liked the epic feel in the bridge, which was my favourite section of the song. I was disappointed, however, when the song didn’t carry on that epic feel into the final chorus. But other than that, it was a good song. (8/10)
4. Forever Star(별 그리고..) – Forever Star is just your typical ballad from a girl group. While the rest of the album did showcase some great ‘typical’ songs, Forever Star doesn’t really feel great. Instead, it felt a little bland and doesn’t really capture my attention on the album. But it was still listenable. It did feature good melody and nice harmonies. It was quite delicate and did a good job keeping that innocent sound that the group is widely known for. (7/10)
5. Promise Me – With the piano in the first few seconds of the song, I thought the song was going down a ballad route. But the way the clock was ticking soon after gave me a hunch that it wasn’t going to be a ballad. This proved true once the violins kicked in and you could hear many synths during the chorus. Once again, I liked how the chorus felt and hook made the song quite catchy. It had a particularly happy tone, which appealed to my personal taste quite well. The song did feature great vocals from all members, but the spotlight was on Bomi and Eunji (especially the end). It is also one of my favourites on the album! (10/10)
6. I Like That Kiss – A review or description of the song will not do it justice. I highly recommend you give the song a listen as it is extremely hard for me to explain in words. The energy on this track and its quirky instrumental makes the song stand out, particularly that changeup prior to the chorus. The chorus was extremely addictive with the title repetition. The bridge was extremely unexpected, going for a remix style feel in the first half and a totally different sound in the second half. As I said, my description isn’t enough, and you should check it out for yourself. (9/10)
Triple H, consisting of Hyuna, Hui and E’Dawn, have finally returned after 1 year and 3 months! Their latest sexy comeback track is titled as Retro Future and is featured on the trio’s second mini-album, REtro Futurism. They previously made their debut last year in May with 365 Fresh. In other news related to the members, Hyuna has confirmed that she will be making a comeback right after these promotions are wrapped up, while Pentagon (where you find Hui and E’Dawn) has been enjoying a lot of popularity over their latest song, Shine.
It is no surprise that Retro Future takes on a retro sound. The fact that they went with ‘retro-futurism’ as the basis of the song makes it very unique and individualistic. The song is definitely quite catchy and enjoyable, with its simple yet very impactful repetitional hook of the title. I just can’t get it out of my head. I loved the opening lines of the song, which definitely sets the tone for the rest of the song. I really liked E’Dawn’s rap in the second verses and Hui’s vocals throughout the song. But my most favourite part is Hyuna’s vocal line halfway through E’Dawn’s second verse rap. It leaves me shaking every single time I listen to it. The only section which I am thinking is a little ambigious is the ‘let’s be funky’ at the very end, which does sound like the members are cursing. But other than that, it is one amazing song.
The song seems like a continuation of 365 Fresh. Likewise, the music video seems to be the three members having a little fun after the evens of the 365 Fresh video (ignoring the fact that they fall off a building). The plotline is rather simple. The lady has contacted the trio to help ‘spice up’ her relationship with her partner and they come running. And by the end of thr video, they complete the mission in which they set up for. There is a werid side to the video about half way through, when Hui is filmed wiping his butt after going to the toilet. It all makes for an interesting video and it works with the vibes set up by the earlier video.
The performance looks amazing. A little disappointed that they slowed down the choreography for the chorus, as the verses/ending was very intense and I really liked that feel from it. It is definitely a more exciting performance that 365 Fresh, which definitely makes want to go back for more.
Song – 9.5/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9.3/10
Kim Chungha is back with a summer single, in time to enjoy the sun and heat! We last saw Kim Chungha on stage in January with Roller Coaster, which ended up ranking high on the charts for many weeks, even after her promotions ended! And to continue that run of success, she has returned with Love U, which is the title track off her third mini-album, Blooming Blue.
Just at first glance, the song reminds me of Chungha’s debut track, Why Don’t You Know. It might be the tropical sound that KPOP is still utilising but there is something else that really has me automatically thinking of her debut song. Her song does feel quite refreshing and very upbeat, which in turns suits the Summer season very well. I really like her vocals in the song. Each song she has put shows some growth in that department and this reflects wonderfully for us listeners. I thought the pre-chorus was nice and there was this certain intensity that made it interesting (to an extent). What I do not like about the song is that is plays to her strengths a little too safely. It doesn’t offer anything new or different, which leaves me a little disappointed. While her skill set and abilities are growing, her portfolio isn’t expanding. If she were to release another song of the same nature, I am not too sure if I would be as appreciative of it. But despite that minor concern, it is still a good Summer track to listen to!
Kim Chungha is extremely pretty and I think the video does an amazing job of highlighting this known fact. With the sun shining brightly in the music video and her choice of outfits, the video does a good job of summarising Summer up in a span of 3 minutes. It was a little dry but still decent. I assume in the end, she finds part of the shooting star which shot over the sky at the start of the video.
I find the performance very nice to watch. It doesn’t go for anything too sexy but it isn’t you traditional cutesy dance. Instead, it is well balanced of both extremes. The first word that came to my mind while watching the performance was that is was ‘prance-y’. I loved how the hearts were incorporated into the choreography, which goes to show how something so simple and small can please me.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
Welcome back to the KPOPreviewed’s music theory segment. It may be so long since I posted my last music video theory (for GOT7) that you have forgotten about the segment, but I am still working on it. For more information on this segment, hop over to the introductory post.
Let’s waste no more time and get on with the segment!
Important Notes
For this theory, I will be referring to the members based on the following code, simply because it is easier to write out.
Some of the members had a narration teaser released prior to the All In and Fighter comebacks, which featured an oath for their X-Clan. A ‘Last Oath’ featuring all members was released prior to the Beautiful comeback. These narration trailers are referenced throughout the theories.
To make it easier, I will be recapping the events surrounding a character (or a group of characters) as this will prevent me from jumping through different stories. I will provide screenshots to help differentiate moments in the storyline.
Anything in italics is more like my interpretation of that detail.
Overall Theory
Probably the most ambiguous video to try to interpret because it doesn’t contain much of a storyline. I wasn’t sure about how this fits in, so I used different theories to make sense of it. This is just my interpretation which fits the other theories I have published. Other theories have pointed out other factors and weaknesses/flaws.
Each member (excluding JH) are locked away in their own small individual rooms. JH is roaming the halls. Anyone locked up in a room is frustrated and demands to be left out (hence why they spend most of the time pressed up against the door).
JH gives each member an object, visually connected to the storyline in the first two videos. Once these objects are given out, the members become calm and understanding of the situation, which is definitely a very important emotion at this point.
The theory is JH is giving something to each member that indicates a personal flaw or weakness. And by overcoming this flaw/weakness, they can gain entrance to the X-Clan.
Jooheon
Going back to the previous section, JH is confirmed to be the leader, the authority figure, the person in complete control. Whether he is the one pulling the strings for everything in the last videos, we can’t be sure about that (but I am fairly confident here). But Beautiful shows that he is the one that locked them away into their individual rooms. He is the one that gives the members their individual items and he is the one that they follow out at the end of the room.
Shownu
SN is the first character we see and he is seen in a room full of plants. The most important plant of all, in this trilogy, is the blue flower, to which is on display in the glass box in the middle of the room.
He is given the glass bottle of the blue liquid. His weakness is insecurity. In All In, he lost his father. Without his father, at this point, he was lost and insecure about standing alone (or depending on others). Hence why he drank the liquid as an escape route of his problems.
He dumps the liquid and doesn’t look back.
Hyungwon
HW is shown to be in a room full of sand on the floor and mirrors everywhere. He is given the magnifying glass.
His weakness could be judgement. He faced judgement from his father in the first video, which caused him to be physically abused, leading to injuries on the face. The magnifying glass could be a reminder of this. But rather revisiting those thoughts, he drops the magnifying glass, showing that he doesn’t care anymore.
Minhyuk
MH is inside a room full of ‘frozen time’ (i.e. pendulums don’t move, balls don’t roll). He given is a pocket watch, which commonly represents time.
His weakness is probably his regret that he didn’t get to HW in time. In All In, when he should have gone back to HW after lighting the house on fire, he stayed behind to ensure the job was done. He wasted time, which he thought could now be used to protect HW. When JH gives him the watch, he holds onto it. Once he understands, he lets go of the watch, so time goes on.
IM
IM is a room full of money and gold. He is given matches.
I am not too sure about his weakness. However, it may be the fact that he has another family/life outside of the Clan. In his narration teaser, he ‘solemnly swears on our honour, lives and everything that we have to the X-Clan to defend ourselves’. In a way, ‘everything’ may encompass the extra life and that the burning of the wealth is him letting go of this for the X-Clan.
Wonho
WH is locked in a mail room or a bank vault. He is given a pen and ink.
His weakness might be loneliness. In every box within the room, there was a letter written from one person, addressed to another. The only time we see Wonho in the video is when he is together with the rest of the clan OR that is he alone. While KH and IM were alone in their parts, they had the capability to interact (IM had the bears and KH interacted with the kidnappers).
Wonho sat down to write a letter, which allowed him to make his first interaction.
Kihyun
KH is a locked up in a very uncluttered room, containing swords and metalwork, which reminds me of the stuff in the Fighter music video. He is presented with a blacksmith’s hammer.
Though this seems to be a little ambiguous. WH used the hammer, while JH and SH encountered a sword. Both hammer and swords can be used to kill people and KH’s weakness would be the fact that he killed someone in Fighter in order to get some information on the flowers. I have a feeling that when he did kill the unknown person, he felt no remorse and that it was for the cause. The holding of the hammer may suggest acceptance of what he had done was wrong.
And that is it for my Beautiful theory! What do you think?
Welcome back to the KPOPreviewed’s music theory segment. It may be so long since I posted my last music video theory (for GOT7) that you have forgotten about the segment, but I am still working on it. For more information on this segment, hop over to the introductory post.
Let’s waste no more time and get on with the segment!
Important Notes
For this theory, I will be referring to the members based on the following code, simply because it is easier to write out.
Some of the members had a narration teaser released prior to the All In and Fighter comebacks, which featured an oath for their X-Clan. A ‘Last Oath’ featuring all members was released prior to the Beautiful comeback. These narration trailers are referenced throughout the theories.
To make it easier, I will be recapping the events surrounding a character (or a group of characters) as this will prevent me from jumping through different stories. I will provide screenshots to help differentiate moments in the storyline.
Anything in italics is more like my interpretation of that detail.
Fighter seems to be set in a completely different world as there is no war and the scenes don’t look like they are a direct continuation. I go on a more Sci-fi route. Whatever that pulsing heart thing is, it ended up sucking the members in OR it killed the members, while transferring their consciousness to a different reality.
Shownu
At the very start of the video, while punching the wall, we see SN’s cell door opening, revealing a red light, allowing for his escape. There are two possible scenarios of who could have saved him. The first being the X-Clan, with JH pulling him to the side right after. The second being JH’s minion (the bears), taking him to the knighting ceremony.
But why was he in jail in the first place? It could be due to his actions during All In video, where he robbed the store for money to help with his father’s treatment. While this might be a different reality, the mind of the individual may play an important part in where they are found in the new reality. SN may have a guilty mind over the robbery hence why he is in prison.
There are also scenes in the video where SH is breathing and the light in the background is pulsing in a similar way to the heart in All In. This kind of proves my theory that they were sucked into the thing, which took them to a new reality.
We later see SH being brought to JH and is knighted, making him the leader of the clan (or a higher up in the clan). Why? SN’s has shown loyalty to JH. Firstly, SN’s holdup at the store allowed JH to steal some objects for himself. Secondly, drug taking is a sign of loyalty. Thirdly, going to jail without mentioning JH as the person who supplied him with the gun.
Kihyun, Wonho and IM
Kihyun is seen dragging a bloody bag (presumably with someone’s body inside). It is assumed that KH is trading the bloody body bag for some information. He is then taken to a room (marked with the X-Clan symbol of X on the door) without being shown the way (bag over head technique) which contains the blue flower grown in a drug house like manner.
Wonho takes on the role of a blacksmith and is building a machine, which is shown later to take the blue flower’s extract and transform them into something else, most likely the gummy bears.
IM is child-like in the video. Playing retro video games (involving teddy bears), surrounded by teddy bears and riding bikes (along with the other two members) with streamers.
The three band together with their resources (i.e. KH = Flower, IM = video game skills and WH – machine) to power up the machine JH, once the three elements come together, joins the members and oversee the production of the gummy bears. The machine could also be used to hack into the security system of the mental asylum and/or prison.
The three members had more important roles compared to Shownu, Hyungwon and Minhyuk for this video. This further proves that they are in a different reality this time around.
Hyungwon and Minhyuk
Their oath (released as trailers for the Fighter comeback) seems to be about being together and how they are interlinked (their oaths reference each other), which is the case of both videos.
The two spend their time during the video in a mental asylum. This might contribute to the fact that they are a couple, as a possible reason to why they are in the mental asylum is that same-gender couples were seen to have a mental disorder in the past.It could also be the fact that HW had eaten the flower (assuming to be just before regrouping in All In) and this put him in a drug-influenced state and altered his mind, causing him to be relocated to a mental asylum. As the oath tells us they are interlinked, this might also be why MH was brought along with HW. They wore stray jackets and looked like they were out of their mind.
JH waltz in as a doctor and present the gummy bears to the HW and MH. While the blue flower extract gave them life, it makes reasonable sense that the flower also has the ability to regenerate the health of the person who ingests the drug. Both HW and MH ate the gummy bears.
End of the video
After ingesting the drug, the members break into the mental asylum in which HW and MH are located, they regroup (because they are a clan after all and after the events of All In, they only have themselves). I think they make their ascent to Heaven but once again a pulsing heart presents to them, which takes them to another reality if we were to follow the same theory established.
Jooheon
Up until now, JH is a very suspicious character. His role in both videos remained the same. He is the ringleader of the clan, so it could be his mission to keep the members together (i.e. save the members from their different realities).
As mentioned prior, JH steals some things for himself during SN’s raid. In All In, he knew where to go for the gun and he passes the bag to SH instead of holding onto it himself. It is as if he knew what would happen (i.e. get locked up). He appears as a king (an authority figure), knighting SH.
He appears to be a doctor, an authority figure in a hospital setting. He gives the gummy bears to the members, asking them to choose between the two.
He doesn’t contribute to anything that KH, WH and IM do until they gather the pieces of the puzzle, same as a gang-boss who lets his people do his dirty work. In fact, the common theory is that JH was the one that arranged KH to be kidnapped and shows him the blue flowers.
What I am getting at is that he is an authority figure in the videos and this emphasized many times. But more than that, he knows different things that no one else knows (i.e. the gun and the flowers). So from how I am interpreting the video, it seems like JH has been planning the events of both videos.
And that is the end of the Fighter theory. What do you think?
Welcome back to the KPOPreviewed’s music theory segment. It may be so long since I posted my last music video theory (for GOT7) that you have forgotten about the segment, but I am still working on it. For more information on this segment, hop over to the introductory post.
Let’s waste no more time and get on with the segment!
Important Notes
For this theory, I will be referring to the members based on the following code, simply because it is easier to write out.
Some of the members had a narration teaser released prior to the All In and Fighter comebacks, which featured an oath for their X-Clan. A ‘Last Oath’ featuring all members was released prior to the Beautiful comeback. These narration trailers are referenced throughout the theories.
To make it easier, I will be recapping the events surrounding a character (or a group of characters) as this will prevent me from jumping through different stories. I will provide screenshots to help differentiate moments in the storyline.
Anything in italics is more like my interpretation of that detail.
Setting the scene for the video (Start from 0:37)
The Oath, presented in the teaser of Shownu and IM, do set the scene for the clan. SN, establishes the clan’s union and it seems to be the beginning days of the clan.
The story begins with all the members going around the neighbourhood together. It was rather clear during this beginning part that JH is the leader of this group, otherwise known as the X-Clan. Their symbol, X, is shown throughout the videos and will be referred to often.
There are many soldiers wearing black bullying a bunch of old men dressed in white, who seemed helpless against these soldiers. From this, we can see two sides of the field (the black-clothed soldiers – representing the new regime and the white clothing – those that are oppressed by the new regime). The X-clan jumps to their defence and effectively telling the soldiers to go away. HW skips to one of the soldiers and places a blue flower into a soldier’s pocket.
Hyungwon & Minhyuk relationship
HW is tracked down by his father, who is dressed in black (and hence belonging to the regime). HW is humiliated with a slap across the face in front of his friends. MH seems to be shocked but knows something else will happen to his friend.
Note that HW is also wearing black. I assume this is for his connection to this authoritative father. There could be a number of reasons to why HW could have been slapped. His (presumed) sexual orientation, which is hinted later on in the video), he is hanging out with people whom his father deem as the ‘wrong crowd’ or the fact that he has the blue flower (its significance will be touched on later).
MH later finds HW wearing a white mask which covers the bruised and injured face of HW. HW was physically punished for any of the possible reasons above. MH is visibly upset at this revelation and gets up immediately to take revenge against HW’s father.
MH is aided by WH and IM, who go and burn up the father’s house or headquarters. They are successful as the place burns down but his father is saved by some soldiers.
The window features an X symbol, which is the mark left behind representing the X-Clan.
The next day, MH goes to find HW but finds HW’s body in a bathtub. It is presumed that HW’s father killed HW as revenge for burning down his house/headquarters. MH spends some time with HW, before pouring in a vial of the blue liquid into the bathtub and getting into the bathtub alongside HW. It is this scene in which many viewers believe to confirm the homosexual relationship between the pair. The final scene for their story shows HW’s hand, twitching while holding onto MH’s, showing one of the different abilities of the blue flower.
Shownu’s struggle
Alternating alongside HW and MH’s story is SN’s story. Despite being a part of the clan, he visits his sick father in the hospital. While holding the white mask, he contemplates some things and decides that he needs to act.
Judging from the context in which we find the white masked, it is the oppressed side’s symbol of strength as WH and IM wear it upon their crusade and it convinces SN to do something drastic. As for HW’s white mask, I assume he was forced to wear it in a mocking way.
Enlisting the help of JH who gets him a gun, he robs a store for some money presumably for his father’s treatment.
Note that JH, while going along with the plan, ends up stealing something a little more from the store, which I will talk about at a later stage. This is something I found while reading another person’s review.
Shownu goes back to the hospital with the money but finds out that his father is now dead and that his little trip was for nothing. After burning the money, he drinks a vial of the blue liquid.
I assume he got the blue vial from JH and had drunk it due to his unstable nature (i.e. wanted to escape the emotions).
The Clan and the Blue Flower
Between the character’s stories, we see a few scenes of the clan together. I presume this part occurred prior to the events in the video. The blue flower is the common thread throughout all three videos, so it is an important detail.
The blue flower can become a drug. When it is in liquid form, there seems to be an intoxication effect as shown by the members. It is assumed that the members take the liquid drug to forget their negative emotions and struggles. Hence, this could be the reason why this is shown during the events mentioned above. Also, it also saves lives as seen in the relationship between HW and MH.
The flower is a Delphinium flower, based on other people’s theories. However, for the rest of the theory posts, I will be referring to them as ‘blue flower’. This is due to a lack of time I have today to go back and update everything.
The War (Back to the start of the video)
I think this occurs after all the events above and that HW is alive alongside the other members during the start of the war. While defending their people, they seem to get split up.
Going right to the beginning of the video, it opens up with 3 members (JH, WH and IM) running through a destruction caused by a war (possibly between the black-clothed regime and oppressed wearing white). We then see MH finding HW once again, who is possibly dead from the war. MH feeds him the flower, which is presumed to save this life once again.
At the end of the video, we see all the members regrouping and running away from one common enemy (assumed to the regime). They go a little further to outrun the regime and stumble across a pulsing heart-like object in the sky.
I think the heart-like object represents safety in the video and KH was the one to first discover it. KH had one solo shot throughout the entire video and it seems like he was in a rush going to the members. At this moment, the snow started falling (which seems to be a signifier that the war was about to start, as during the opening scenes of the video, there was snow falling down), which caused KH to ditch his crutches and move faster. The war takes place and once the members regroup, he leads them to the heart (he is the only member visibly happy, while everyone else is quite shocked).
I will start off the next part of the theory by explaining what I think the significance of the pulsing heart is.
And that is it for my All In theory! What do you think?
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