Today’s album review is DAY6’s latest release, Shoot Me: Youth Part 1. Given the title, it suggests there will be a continuation of this album, which I am highly anticipating. While there are a few albums released prior to this one that I should be reviewing, I had to push this one up due to the quality of the music! On top of that, Young K penned each song, which I thought was really cool. If you want some good music, continue reading cause that is what you will get!
Shoot Me: Youth Part 1 Album Cover
1..WARNING! – Starting off the album is a rock number. It is a great yet very intense opener. There were a few interesting aspects that make the song stand out. The opening words (‘It’s dangerous’) were sung in a way that I thought was very intriguing and appealing. The silence just before the choruses created suspense and really allowed Jae’s voice to pop. I thought the ‘Warning’ (sung by Dowoon, according to comments on YouTube) was highly appropriate and what I had expected with a song titled as so. The execution of the vocals and melody was also well done. (9/10)
3. Somehow (어쩌다 보니) – The presence of the keyboard throughout the song what drew me to the song initially. Despite that, the song can be described as a breakup song with an intense rock instrumental. The build-up to the chorus was spectacular and this can be attributed to the presence of the drums (which was amazing throughout the entire song). The bridge brought everything down, which was rather interesting in my opinion. It cuts the intensity, providing some relief and gives a moment of fragility to the song, which in turn compliments the lyrics (though I am not sure if this is its intention). (9/10)
4. Feeling Good – Feeling Good tones down the explosive nature seen in each of the three preceding songs, opting for a much more poppy and brighter instrumental. There is also an experimental nature within its sound, which I thought worked really well. The atmosphere that came off from the song was rather positive, which makes it quite attractive. I liked the catchiness of the hooks, which makes it become an addictive side track to listen to. I also liked the ‘zap’ into the chorus. While this is just a small detail within the song, it definitely goes a long way for me. (9/10)
5. Talking To (혼잣말) – Talking To felt retro to me. Not sure if it is even a valid description to the song but I thought that was the case with the hollow/echo-y effect placed onto the vocals at the start. I really liked the inserts of background vocals throughout the verses, which felt cool. I also thought it was interesting how this was the only song with rapping in it, which was decent sounding. Standout vocals from Jae, particularly during the bridge. Other than that, I thought the song could have benefited from a more exciting drop. But it still a good song. (8/10)
6. Still (원하니까) – At first, I had my doubts about the song but with multiple listens afterwards, it turns out to be a quite beautiful sounding song. Still is the closest song to a ballad. It reminds me of some of the songs from their monthly project last year. The emotions could be felt via the vocals. I thought the instrumental was well balanced and didn’t overpower the vocals (which were amazing). Its calm nature ended the album on a good note. (8.5/10)
Golden Child is a boy group that I am keeping my eye out for. I am a major fan of their It’s You title track from their earlier promotional run in the year and was super excited when they followed up with their awesome Lady b-track. And now they are back with their 1st single album, Goldenness, which features their latest title track, Let Me.
Let Me has a similar feel to a Summer pop track released by Western boy group (i.e. One Direction). And while I am not a fan of songs released by these certain groups. Golden Child does a pretty good job with it. The song seems to be infused with a bit of rock which can be heard during the chorus of the song. The vocal work was pretty good, with the bridge standing out the most. But I think this song let the rappers shined more. Sure, the rappers are limited sections. But I felt that their parts were extremely dynamic, particularly how there was an addition of a siren-like synth (in the background) paired with the rap sections. The “Let Me Let Me” felt like it was repeated one too many times in the song, though I may have an inkling that it might become a really addictive hook after a few more listens. Other than that, Let Me is a really good Summer song.
Suiting their image thus far, the group has returned with a fun concept, which is also bright, colourful and well-suited for Summer. It seems like the members start off by trying to impress a cute girl. As the video goes on, I noticed that she doesn’t appear anymore and the video is more of the boys having fun. I thought the snapshots that were taken throughout the video was really cool and the members looked cute throughout those parts. I really like the background which they used throughout the video. The sports theme appears once again through the on-field location that they use, while the indoors locations looked very stylish and it would be somewhere I would like to hang out.
There doesn’t seem to be much choreography scenes within the music video that actually focus on the choreography (or that many wide shots for that matter). As a result, I will update the performance section of this review tomorrow once a live performance is released.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – TBA Overall Rating – 8.4/10
One year ago, I celebrated a year worth of charts by posting a recap of the song which topped the charts for each week. Today, I plan to the exactly same thing for the charts published between July 2017 and June 2018. It has been an exciting year for the charts, with an actual full years worth of charts and the growth of the segment on the site. While they do take some time to write, I am always enjoying publishing them and the attention which they currently get.
For this post, I have listed the songs and the weeks in which it was ranked as number 1 on the charts. It will make a little more sense once you see it. Let’s get going!
In a number of days, Teen Top will be celebrating their 8th year together. And they will be celebrating with the newly released repackaged album for Seoul Night(which was released yesterday), Teen Top Story: 8PISODE. The title track (Lover) will not be promoted on the weekly music shows, with the group opting to perform Lover for the very first time at their upcoming solo concert. As a result, this will not be a full (song, m/v and performance) review.
Lover uses a standard formulation of the tropical side of EDM and heavy bass to bring some momentum to the song. While that gives the song a good beat, it just feels a little too dry and repetitive. As a result, I personally find the song very disinteresting and lacking in impact. I think what the producer was trying to do was in the right direction but the song could have benefited from some more elements that could either cause the song to change up slightly or add a little more energy to the song. I think out of all the sections within the song, I was most impressed with the verses as they did attract my attention. The vocals were good, particularly during the chorus, with its delivery of the lyrics being the driving force which I enjoyed.
The music video isn’t really a music video. It is more of behind the scene footage for their teaser images leading up to the release of the repackaged album. So there is absolutely nothing to comment about.
Song – 6/10 Music Video – 5/10 Overall Rating – 6.6/10
Apologies for the lateness of this album review. I am still trying to catch up with some of the albums from a few weeks ago and keeping up to date with some of the latest albums. But we are here for Taeyeon! The vocalist released ‘Something New’ two weeks ago, along with her 3rd mini-album, which shares the same name as the title track. I have noticed that some people have been searching the site for this review, so I bumped its release to be a little earlier than what I had planned. So let’s not waste anymore time and get the show on the road!
2. All Night Long (저녁의 이유) (ft. Lucas from NCT) – The pop-reggae song opens up with Lucas rapping, following with Taeyeon singing the rest of the song. It is here where I get a bit of Where Is The Love (by Black Eye Peas) vibes and this stays throughout the song. I personally liked the chorus of the song, which has this bright and upbeat feel that makes me sway along to the beat of the song. It also makes you feel good, which is amazing (considering how stress I have been the last few days). Taeyeon’s vocals shine here as well, especially the high note at the end. (9/10)
3. Baram X 3 (바람 바람 바람) – Baram X 3 has this upbeat feel that you won’t get anywhere else on this album. And for that, the song does standout quite a lot. I thought the horns used in the instrumental for the track really gave the song that pop, which makes it stand out even more. The chorus was super catchy, especially how she sings the Baram Baram Baram with a lot of enthusiasm, which gets the listeners interested. (9/10)
4. One Day (너의 생일) – The song opens up with instrumentation (xylophone or triangle?) that has a really nice twinkling effect. It sets the tone for the song and instantly sets you to a calm mode, which I really like. Other than that, Taeyeon manages to show off her vocals throughout the song, which isn’t any surprise. However, it sounds so nice. It is a nice song to have a stroll to. The English line that starts off the chorus is surprisingly catchy, sticking in my head for a very long time after the song ends. (9/10)
5. Circus – With a title like this, I expected the song to be have some fun vibes. Instead, the song takes a ballad approach. And while this wasn’t to my expectations, the song is definitely show-stopping enough. Its very simple instrumental, consisting of piano and percussion makes you feel like you are alone with her on a very beautiful starry night. Her vocals were exceptional, to the point where when I listen to the song, I can’t do anything but take a moment and listen to its entirety. It ends the album on a truly beautiful note and is easily a song that I do end up going back for more. (10/10)
APINK is a group once known for their cute concepts and addictive songs. This time around, APINK returns with a completely different image and concept. The ladies of APINK are back with their 7th mini-album, titled as ONE & SIX, which also features the title track, I’m So Sick. We last saw them on stage last year with Five.
Right off the bat, you can tell that the song has a completely different feel to any of their previous releases with those background vocals at the very start (and throughout the song), which are used as instrumentation. They do sound quite questionable but it definitely attracts your attention to the song. The verses were a little interesting, as they seem to be a more bright and cutesy feel to it, which contrasts interestingly with the rest of the song, particularly with the chorus. I thought the upbeat instrumental was really nice and provided an addictive atmosphere. The ‘Bye Bye‘ line in the chorus was quite catchy, with it (along with the background vocals) being key memorable moments of the song. I also thought the electric guitar at the end of the bridge (prior to the of the final chorus) was extremely well-suited for the song and would have loved to hear a bit more of it throughout the song. Overall, I’m So Sick is a really good song that will be on my replay list for days to come.
The lyrics of the song basically tells of a simple message. That the girls are sick of the love they are receiving and are losing interest in their relationship. In the music video, the members do a good job of portraying that. They look really disinterested in what they are doing, while still staying in character throughout the video. It is a very bold video, given its concept and stylistic approaches. This is definitely their most mature look yet. I thought the sets were nice and definitely something that really looks visually appealing.
I thought the performance was extremely fitting for the song. Very mature and sensual at times, words which I never thought I would use to describe APINK. I feel like they could have been a little sassier with some moments, as that would leave a longer lasting impression on the audience.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.8/10
Lovelyz have made their return to the stage with their first Summer digital single, Wag-Zak. They have already started promotions for the new song prior to its release on Sunday (yesterday), which doesn’t occur all that often. The girl group previously promoted That Day and wrapped their promotions about a month ago. They are, however, short one member this time around, with JIN sitting out of promotions due to health issues.
Wag-Zak fits perfectly into the growing Lovelyz song protfolio, keeping true to their cutesy and bright image that they have maintained throughout all of their songs to date. It also does its job as a ‘special Summer single’, even though the first descriptive word might be questionable. It is extremely cold where I am at the moment, so I enjoyed listening to the song throughout last week, as it does paint a nice image of blue skies and a sunny environment that feels warm. The song does feature a tropical sound, which was felt prominently throughout the post-chorus instrumental break. However as I write this, it does feel very cliche to go down that route for the Summer season, particularly after last year’s tropical-dominated releases. On top of that, I thought the song was rather lacking in terms of memorability. While the instrumental and overall vibes from the song were okay, I just didn’t find myself humming the tune or awkwardly mouthing along to the lyrics (which I do with most addictive songs). Instead, I would describe the song to be more suited for casual listening.
The music video simply shows the members having some fun at the beach (or resort). While it has definitely be done before, the combination between the beach theme and the song is pretty much the only video concept/idea that would sound plausible and make the most sense. I thought their enjoyment seemed genuine to an extent and the cutesy vibes that they had going on were nice.
The performance for this song did seem a little rushed for the stage. Though, this promotional round would only be for a week, so I don’t see the need for this to be overly perfected. But as a disclaimer, there wasn’t anything too impressive if that is what you were expecting. However, it does feel nice and fitting for the Summer vibes from the song.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.3/10
Over the last few weeks, SHINee have been releasing segments of their 6th Studio Album, The Story of Light, as a unique form of promotions. Each of these segments featured a couple of songs and their own title tracks. EP. 01 featured Good Evening, while EP. 02 featured I Want You. EP. 03 is the final segment, featuring Our Page and is the final installment of their latest album. I have linked my album reviews for the first two segments below, so you can read them if you have yet to before we get started on the final part.
2. Tonight – I really liked the piano that was repeated throughout the ballad. It really sets the tone of the song, creating a nice atmosphere for the song, which reflects well with the lyrics of remembering a lover who had left them. The song zones into the vocals, who each do a wonderful job at delivering the lines. While the raps do feel like very standard KPOP raps, they fit extremely well into the song and gives the song a little more interesting notes in order to keep the song from becoming that repetitive ballad that you would get bored of easily. Tonight won’t be one of those and I am extremely glad for that. (9/10)
3. Retro – Retro is a very unique song which takes on a jazzy type of song. I liked the upbeat vibes from the song, which does set it part from the rest of the admittedly depressing feels that this section of the album present. I thought the chorus was nice, with the ‘Emotional motional mo motional‘ line being my absolute favourite in the entire track. I thought the vocals were really nice but the raps felt very underwhelming. Overall, it was a nice track overall. (8/10)
4. I Say – This is another song that focuses right on the vocals of the group. It takes a classical approach to the ballad genre, which you know that I am a major fan of. What I like about the song is that they manage to change up each section of the song (i.e. verse, chorus etc.) allowing the members to buildup the song with their vocals alongside the instrumental. While that is expected in most songs, it is much more noticeable with a classical-based instrumental. I really liked it how they sing together towards the end and the harmonies at the 1:50 mark of the song really got my attention. This is probably one of their best works on the album. (10/10)
5. Lock You Down (Special Track) – Catching most fans (including myself) offguard, the song features the vocals of the late Jonghyun, who passed away at the end of last year. And while the song is quite lively and upbeat, it is really nice to hear him alongside his bandmates for one last time. Moving back to the song, the rap sequence and the chorus was definitely my picks for highlights of the song. The opening rap sequence was really attention-grabbing but its effect was far greater when it appeared midway into the song. The chorus, especially the falsetto vocals, and the ‘Run Run Run‘ hook was superb. The ending was an equally awesome section as well. (9/10)
With June officially over as of today, we have officially reached the half mark of 2018. It has been an awesome 6 months in the Korean Pop industry with a lot of exciting comebacks and promising debuts. And it guarantee that this will continue onwards. But before we move forward, let’s have a recap of the songs for the final week of June 2018.
An entirely new top 5, made of new releases, have taken over the charts, with all songs in the Top 5 last week dropping by different amounts. Topping the charts this week is DAY6’s Shoot Me. Following behind is Momoland’s BAAM, NU’EST W’s Déjà Vu, SHINee’s Our Page and UNB’s Black Heart. For more of the charts, scroll down below as usual.
The final week of June also marks another year of the Weekly Charts. So as per last year, I will be writing a special post that recaps the song that reached the top of the charts each week in the past year. I did something similar last year in celebration for a year’s worth of charts, which you can access here!
We have seen a number of Korean artist make their first step into the Japanese market. Joining artists such as Seventeen and GFriend, Red Velvet will be release their anticipated Japanese debut mini-album and single, #Cookie Jar, in July. This is the group’s first Japanese release since their debut in 2014 and it features the Japanese version of some of their biggest Korean hits, such as Russian Roulette, Dumb Dumb and Red Flavour. Today we are here to have a closer look at their debut single, so let’s get going!
#Cookie Jar was a little tame from what I had expected. Given Red Velvet’s portfolio of different and unique Korean hits (combined with the well-known oddness that Japanese media is known for), I had expected the track to be wild, at the very least. But instead, the song takes a more standard pop sound. I would have liked if the song had a little more colour to it. While the song is colourful, I little pinch of quirkiness would have allowed the song to become more memorable and unique in my opinion. That being said, the song does feature a decent retro instrumental, which gave it some colour. The chorus felt fun, with the ‘#Cookie Jar‘ opening to the choruses and the ending of the song being the most memorable moments of the song. For the vocals and the raps, I just didn’t feel like it was their best effort but they still sounded good. Overall, #Cookie Jar was a decent track for their debut but it doesn’t live up to what I had expected.
With the title of #Cookie Jar, it was expected there be a sweet theme for the video. And that is what we got exactly. Though I am not sure how the sweet theme presented in the video reflects the lyrics of the song, especially the ending of the video when they find out all their foods isn’t that fresh and edible. I really liked the colours that they used in this video, with some of the sets reminding me of the colour palette that they used in Russian Roulette. It was a decent video to watch, overall.
From what I could see in the music video, the choreography can be described as mediocre as best. Other than that, I wasn’t impressed with what they had presented us with.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 5/10 Overall Rating – 6.6/10
ELRIS has made their return to the stage with their Summer single, Summer Dream. This is my first time reviewing a song from these ladies, so let’s get acquainted with them. ELRIS is a 5-member girl group under Hunus Entertainment, who made their debut last year in 2017, with We, First. Summer Dream is their second comeback as the girls made their first comeback in September 2017 with Pow Wow. The group consist of Sohee, Yukyung, Bella, Hyeseong and Karin.
Summer Dream is your standard KPOP cutesy track fitted well for the Summer season. It isn’t necessarily the most catchiest or memorable song out at the moment but it has a few moments that really had me interested in the song. Despite the song being ‘standard’, the song does give off APINK’s Remember vibes. That being said, the two songs are not the same. Another section which I felt was odd was the instrumental breakdown at the bridge. It doesn’t necessarily suit the cutesy vibes of the song but it manages to work well together. The girls also have really nice vocals. Throughout the song, I was drawn to the song through the vocals, especially the moments where they are singing without any instrumental playing in the background as they sound the best there. Apart from that, the ‘standard’ issue does get to you. If they managed to make the chorus more dynamic and make the hook more catchier, I think they would have a really nice song. For now, it is decent.
There really isn’t much in the video to talk about. Summer makes you think of the beach, so this is where the video is set at. It does also take a cutesy approach, which was expected from the song’s sound. They also went with a sailor outfit, which looked cute. They managed to bold the colour blue, which really made the music video pop. But other than that, I wasn’t that interested in the music video.
It was a nice performance to watch, fitting in with the cutesy vibe of the song once again. But it wasn’t a memorable stage that makes me want to return to watch their performances.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 6/10 Performance – 5/10 Overall Rating – 6.3/10
It has been a very long wait for fans but BLACKPINK has a mini-album under their name! Woo! With multiple digital hits, BLACKPINK have gone past the level of success which their previous hits have reached with their latest title track, DDU-DU DDU-DU. Many records have been broken by the ladies themselves with this comeback. So without waiting any further, here is my review of their Square Up mini-album.
2. Forever Young – Opening up the song is Jennie, whose voice in this song reminds me of CL a lot. The song ended up being quite memorable, with a catchy beat and vibrant sound. The song feels very Summery, which would make sense with its youthful lyrics. The vocals and rapping were quite cool. And for that, the first two minutes of the song becomes quite memorable. The only issue I had with the song was the last minute. I think it could have been a song on its own and created this massive mismatch with the sound/vibe that came off the first two minutes of the song. It did bring the members together as a closer but it just didn’t feel right. (8/10)
3. Really – Really has a very simple R&B/hip-hop beat and hook, which makes me hear the song as ‘standard’. As a result, it doesn’t really hit the mark or feel that memorable. The vocals and raps were nice but not exactly their best. The raps attempted to give the song some texture but sadly I don’t think it was enough to make me fall for the song, like what the other songs on the album did. Personally, I think it is their weakest track on the album and in their portfolio. (6.5/10)
4. See U Later – I really liked how the song started for some unknown reason. I cannot pin the reason why but it set the verses up for success. And they delivered as a result. The verses had this bright feeling to them which made them pop out for me. But what was unexpecting was the chorus’s drop, which also included a drop in the tone and entrance into a more serious hip-hop domain. But it works wonderfully. The raps and vocals were awesome. Best part of the song has to be the sassy ending. (9/10)
Right after wrapping up their Sense/Only One promotions, UNB announced that they will be going straight into preparations for a new album. And they didn’t mess around with that announcement, as the newly debut group has officially dropped their second mini-album, which shares the same title as their title track, Black Heart. This comeback also features 4 special guests: Jungha (BEATWIN), Hangyul (IM), Jueun (DIA) and Anne (SIS).
From my understanding, none of the special guests participated in the recording of the song. Black Heart is a great dance song that is fast beoming another highly addictive song. I really liked the showtune-like piano introduction at the start of the song, which built up the suspense for what was to come. The song then progresses into a synth based dance track, which somehow felt unexpecting at first. There is this energy buildup within the verses, which allows the entrance into the chorus sound so much good. On top of that, I thought the chorus was really well done, especially with how all the members singing together. It gives the song a punch in its melody and makes it memorable. I really liked the post-chorus instrumental break as well. To keep the song from becoming repetitive, the song returns to that showtune piano introduction during the bridge, which also works wells within the song. The only thing I think the song is missing is a rap sequence, which could have added some interesting textures to the song. But othet r than that, it was a really good song.
Out of the 4 guests, the music video only features the male guest (that is, Jungha and Hangyul). To why it is only them, I am not too sure. But I have to admit, they fitted in pretty well. It did cause some friction within the screentime department, however, which is quite sad to hear. All the members (and the male guests) had good chemistry with the camera, which makes this video even better. I really liked the edgy vibe that was coming from their outfits. I thought the dance-off concept was rather interesting and well executed.
All 4 special guests feature in the performances. And I think it help boosts the number of people of stage, which contributes to the livelihood of the performance. I really liked the start of the performance, when some of the members are doing acrobatic-like jumps. The performance also features awesome footwork, seen most prominently during the post-chorus instrumental break. Also, the ending looked quite good.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
Please note that this theory may not be right and is just my understanding/take on the video. This is also a very long post!
Welcome to my theory for GOT7’s Flight Trilogy, which was released over the 2016-2017 period. A total of 6 videos formed this theory (Departure Trailer, Fly, Turbulence Trailer, Hard Carry, Arrival Trailer and Never Ever). If you have yet to watch the videos, I have linked a playlist below for your viewing pleasure.
For this theory, it will be extremely tedious to write out each member’s name. So I will be using the following key when referring to the members:
The entire video starts off the series with GOT7 going on a road trip. JB is driving while the rest of the members are having some fun. Notice what some of the members are doing (JS is filming the road trip, BB’s face is being drawn on, JB is close to a bird and MK is listening to music). In the midst of all of this, JY goes to sleep.
Snapshot of members having fun
He wakes up in a foggy environment and it seems he is the only one present in this scene.
JY then wakes up in the room, surrounded by the members. Take note of the surroundings and the members, everything seems to be a replication of the van that they were travelling in the initial scenes (the walls are littered with stickers and graffiti of the same kind seen on the van’s windows, JS is still filming, JB is holding a bird etc.). During this time, JY realizes something is up when JS turns to film JY but simply pans the camera over him (as if he isn’t there). He does make eye contact with MK in the room, who seems to know he was there.
He wakes up again and finds himself in the van. Everyone is outside. Like in the room, JY does not interact directly with the members nor do the members refer to him, regardless of what is going on. Once again, we see a similar replication of the van (i.e. graffiti on the ground is the same type as on the windows of the van and the walls of the room; same goes for the stickers; JS is filming again). JS’s footage catches YJ flying, with JS following soon after. BB, YG and MK are seen flying soon after. JB isn’t seen flying with the others but instead floats on top of a bed, with 5 other birds flying around with him (the birds signify the other members minus JY).
YJ is the first to fly. JS catches it on camera and starts to fly afterwardsJB is the last character (apart for JY) to fly and he does so in the presence of 5 birds
JY wakes up once again, this time around he is standing on top of a building and he falls down.
JY falls off the building
Personally, I do not think we can really interpret much from this. It isn’t until we get to the later videos that we can start connecting things together to form a proper story (i.e. why the members are flying; why JY is alone and cannot interact with the members; what really happened to the van).
Fly Music Video
The music video continues on where we left off in the trailer. It is assumed that JY falls off the building and join in with the flying fun. But it turns out he is the only one unable to fly and this only becomes a realization once he continues to drop while his friends continue to fly about. Also, I think at this moment he realizes that something bad happened to his friends, which can be implied through the teardrop while falling down. The rest of the members see JY falling down very fast. He then eventually falls into the mist and wakes up once again.
As JY falls down, he cries. Most likely because he realized something happened to his friends.
The music video’s second half is all we got to contribute to the storyline but it is probably one of the most defining moments of the trilogy. However, what did actually happen to his friends has not been explicitly visualised in the music video. It has only been implied. All we know for now that JY is alone and he knows he is separated from his members.
Turbulence Trailer
We deviate a little from the storyline in this video with the entire GOT7 group on a flying plane. The members are mucking around of the plane in a similar manner to the car trip (JS is filming once again, BB’s face is drawn on again and cushions are thrown about). JY, on the other hand, is watching their antics once again but sitting away from the members. He also listens to music, which he does with MK during the car trip.
The plane then experiences some turbulence. JY tries to get to warn his friends however the flight attendant tells him to remain put. The rest of the group, ignoring the warning messages and lights, continues mucking about. The turbulence gets worse, so JY tried to warn the members once again but was held down by the same flight attendant (who also forced an oxygen mask onto him).
Flight attendant tells JY is stay put.
The video then shows JY sliding into a tank filled with water. He then wakes up, realizes where he is and struggles within the tank. We then are shown YJ opening a birdcage and removing the bird from its confines. We are then returned to the plane with the other members, along with flashbacks from both the Departure Trailer and Fly music video.
JY then wakes up at the scene of a plane crash. He is saved by paramedics but none of the other members are around. He turns to the side to see JS’s video camera lying about with footage from the trip.
JS’s camera found at crash site
I think this is the video that confirms that the members (excluding JY) are dead. The plane isn’t real but rather another representation of the van seen in the Departure trailer (proven by the presence of the footage on the camera). The video also gets somewhat cryptic with the YJ’s scene. My guess is YJ is freeing JB from the confines of the cage, as JB is the only member with a bird during the Departure trailer (and isn’t represented by a bird when he dies).
Due to the length of this post, I have decided to split it into two different sections. This is Part 1. To view Part 2, click here!
Please note that this theory may not be right and is just my understanding/take on the video. This is also a very, very long post!
THIS IS PART 2 OF THE GOT7’S FLIGHT TRILOGY THEORY. IF YOU HAVEN’T READ PART 1, CLICK HERE!
Welcome to my theory for GOT7’s Flight Trilogy, which was released over the 2016-2017 period. A total of 6 videos formed this theory (Departure Trailer, Fly, Turbulence Trailer, Hard Carry, Arrival Trailer and Never Ever).
For this theory, it will be extremely tedious to write out each member’s name. So I will be using the following key when referring to the members:
All members outside of car, with JY the only member suck inside car
Throughout this video (and Never Ever) we get a glimpse into what happened during the accident. The first thing we see in this video is the members at the wreckage site. Firstly, notice how we don’t see a plane but rather a car, which suggests that in this scenario, the plane represents the car. Secondly, every member is outside of the car with JY being the only member stuck in the car. Given that only JY survived, it is likely that the rest of the members returned to save JY but perished in the process.
The following I didn’t pick up until I watched the YouTube link and read some of the other theories below. We see JS on the plane, which suggest he may have died in the vehicle. BB grabs onto the oxygen mask in the ambulance, suggesting he died on route to a hospital. JB’s surroundings (floating green trees) suggest he made it to the surface but went back to save the others. He is later seen surrounded by the same trees but they are dead. JY, in the midst of this, starts to float up like how JB does in the Departure trailer but is dragged back down by the members (which confirms that the members went back).
JY flies up like how JB does in the Departure Trailer, but is pulled down by the other members right after
MK, during the second verse, is seen only in the plane wreckage, suggesting that he may have gotten stuck when trying to save JY (this becomes a little more clearer in the Never Ever video). YG was seen outside of the wreckage (which becomes an important detail in the next video). Note that both MK and YG’s scenes alternate between the plane and car wreckage. In JB’s next scene (with the dead trees), we also see him opening the bird cage and getting into the bird cage, which instantly transitions of YJ’s scene where he takes out the bird (which confirms that JB dies as well). We also see for a very small fraction of a second worth of YJ and the birdcage at the wreckage site (with YJ in white). In my culture, white is commonly worn as the colour of mourning. But I am not sure if this is relevant.
JB was previously in the same scene with green trees. Here, the trees are dying.
JY is in a box filled with water, representing the car filling up with water. YJ is outside of the box (in the ocean) and smashes the glass (i.e. break a window) to get JY out. From the Departure trailer, YJ flies first so he dies first. Hence, this very act caused him to lose his life. The other members (apart from YJ) swims to JY to help him.
YJ smashing the glass box in which JY is trapped inside of
Hard Carry is filled with different details which may look very complicated. But once you kind of list things as they happen in the video, you see bits and pieces come together. One of my working theories is that YJ represented teamwork in this (and Never Ever) as when he smashes the window, all the members come along to help JY. While this is plausible, I may have put too much thought into the one scene, hence why I didn’t include it into the main section.
Never Ever Music Video
I skip to the Never Ever video because it follows on from the Hard Carry video. The Arrival Trailer seems to occur after and concurrently with the Never Ever video.
The video starts off with JB inside a car on the passenger side, filled with plants. But no one is driving. This suggest that JB had no control over the van prior to the accident. We then see JY inside the car, surrounded by plants. If you skip forward, JY is in a similar glass box as Hard Carry, surrounded by plants. Hence, the glass boxes represents the confines of the car. We also see MK with the reflection of water on his face, standing outside the car (which goes back to MK dying in/next to the plane wreckage while saving JY). Finally, JS’s impact with the wall occurs at the same time as the car/van makes impact with the bridge, which is also the same bridge which the group was driving along in the first video.
JS breaks concrete wall on impact
At the end of the first chorus, we see JB drowning on the outside of the car, alongside the sinking car, which confirms that he drowned. We then see YJ (dressed in white) smashing the glass once again, with MK being the one to save JY this time around. After smashing the glass, we do see YJ unable to do much because he is on the other side of the fence, which prevents him from helping MK, which confirms his final actions were the ones that killed him.
MK swimming to save JY
In the bridge and final chorus, we focus more on the hospital scenes (i.e. aftermath of the rescue mission). Only YG, BB and JY appear here. BB is shown to breathing through another gas mask, suggesting he died due to lack of air. YG seems to be the only member (other than JY) to make it to the hospital bed but dies while the staff are trying to save him (shown through the transition between the two), while the video ends with JY waking up once again. There is something about his face that has me thinking that he finally works out what happened to the other members.
BB and the gas maskYG in the hospital hallway
So here is an extremely quick rundown of the order of events, which doesn’t make that much sense, out of all honesty. Car goes underwater, all the members (excluding JY) gets out. YJ realizes JY is left behind and goes back to smash the windows to get him out but dies along the way. JS dies next, for unknown reasons. BB most likely drowned but does get picked up by some rescuers, who are unable to save him. JB makes it to shore but realizes what is happening to the members, so he goes back in to search for them. MK goes back and saves JY by going through the hole created YJ. MK’s successful rescue attempt manages to get JY out but he gets stuck and drowns as a result. YG manages to get rescued but dies on route/at the hospital. It is presumed that JB got lost while still searching for the others but no one can find him. As a result, he is presumed to have died.
That is my understanding of the order of events. JB dies last as shown by his scene with the 5 birds in the Departure trailer. JS’s death is the only one that doesn’t fit the timeline exactly. We can assume his impact with the concrete shown in this video signifies he died on impact but that would mean he is the first to die (whereas YJ is shown to die first with JS following shortly after). It is plausible that the impact caused his injuries which lead to his death (assuming that the impact collision hindered his possibility of swimming back to the surface).
Arrival Trailer
The end of the entire trilogy seems to be presented in the Arrival Trailer. Note that parts of this video occurs concurrently with the events in Never Ever (i.e. mainly the following paragraph).
JY washed up on the beach, alone
JY wakes up on the beach and realizes he is alone. This scene is a little ambiguous as it could be the scene in which he makes it to shore. Using this thought process, he remembers the events in the water, which leads to the written commentary of ‘I was trapped’. He also says ‘I failed’, which seems to be in reference to him not being able to get to his friends. The more likely scenario of what is happening can be told through the line ‘I don’t exist anymore’, as he believes he is in limbo (and why the video seems to emphasis the loneliness of JY in this scene). This is further proven by the next scene, where he wakes up in the hospital (same ending as the Never Ever video).
JY wakes up in the hospital
We then move back to JY in the snow. The following commentary is given. ‘Most people when they fail, they just give up and don’t challenge themselves. But I’m different. I will never give up. I am not afraid of anything because you were there. I am ready to fly‘. We then see the other members playing off in the distance with JY noticing them and looks at them from a distance. There is a smile on his face.
JY smiling while watching the othersGOT7 members (excluding JY) having fun in the snow
The above scene could easily be a message for fans to not give up, even during life’s hardest moments. It also shows JY commitment to continue living, as he has everyone around him, even though they are not physically there. But I think otherwise. I think JY is still barely holding on and that he still slips in and out of consciousness. He has only seen the other members in one scenario, when he was in danger of dying (i.e. unconscisouness). Hence, the only possible way for him to see them is if he is unconscious. But in all of the other scenarios, JY directly attempted to help them or be with them (i.e. getting up on the plane, struggling to get out of the confines of the box, jumping off the building to fly). The other members saved him in each scenario (JY waking up at the end of each scenario). So rather than trying to be with them in the moment, he learns that this around he has to accept death, whenever it comes. This does mean he gets to live but accepting death is the only way he can one day join them, without alerting the others to his dangers.
And that is my take on the Flight trilogy. What do you think of the music videos and the storyline?
After topping the charts with their smash hit Boom Boom, Momoland is back at it again with a new song in hopes that it replicates the same chart performance as Boom Boom (which is still on the charts as we speak). BAAM is the title track off their 4th mini-album, Fun To The World. The girls have also recently made their Japanese debut with their insanely popular song.
While the BAAM does sound similar to Boom Boom, BAAM is loaded with energy from the get-go. It has this club heavy beat and saxophone synths that really open it up to be quite catchy. The ‘BAAM BAAM’ repititon proved to be quite addictive and also added an element of fun. The song also takes a moment to focus more of the vocals of the group, particularly during the pre-chorus. The only section that I am not falling for (once again) is the rap sequence. It just doesn’t flow in this song felt too distinct for the rest of the song. I felt like they could have lost this section enitrely and still would have been fine with another verse, similar to the first. While I do like the song quite a bit, it is a little disappointing that the group didn’t venture into something different. But I understand why they are returning with a similar song, as it aims to build upon their success.
Watching the teaser for the video, I was wondering how the public would view the various cultures that was represented in this video. In the music video, we have France, Vietnam, Egypt, Korean, Mexico, Phillipines and America shown in the video. While I didn’t take offence through their depiction of the ladies in Ao Dai using a cucumber as a phone (I am Vietnamese), some other cultures and people may be. For example, I am seeing some issues arising in the comment section of the music video due to the presence of the Phillipines’ flag (this is actually the first time I have heard that is was illegal to show the flag). Besides that, it was a fun and lighthearted video, which worked well with the fun elements of the song. I thought the scenes with the Korean person in Ancient Egypt was funny.
I am a little torn about the choreography. The routine for the chorus was a little too similar for my liking to theirBoom Boom dance (i.e. the hip swaying). On top of that, I thought the shuffle was rather unoriginal and have been the main point of a few dances (such as TARA’s Lovey Dovey). But I really liked the bridge of the song and the overall feel of the dance, which was also quite fun.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 7.5/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.6/10
KPOPREVIEWED 