2018 – Page 21 – KPOPREVIEWED

[Album Review] Escape The Era (2nd Mini Album) – Dream Catcher

May 27, 2018May 27, 2018Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged Dreamcatcher3 Comments

One of the few albums that were released in the past few weeks that I was aiming to have a closer look at is Dream Catcher’s Escape the Era. But unfortunately, my studies got in the way and prevented me from writing any album reviews (mainly because they are time intensive). So with no further delays, this is my review for Dream Catcher’s latest mini-album and comeback. Like always, I have opted to not look at the intro or instrumental of the title track in this review.

dreamcatcher-escapetheera-2 — *Escape The Era* Album Cover

2. You & I (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of You & I. (10/10)

3. Mayday – With the constant comment that their songs are suitable for the Japanese anime opening markets, it was no surprise that one of their side tracks would fall into the same category. The song is takes on that rock style that has been associated with them since their debut last year. What was interesting was that there were moments in which the intense rock sound contrasted with the softer opening line to the second verse and the bridge (which introduced some piano into the song). While I did feel like the song lost energy through this, the way they brought their energy back up to complete song was really nice, which gives it that seal of approval from me. (8.5/10)

4. Which A Star (어느 별) – Taking us on a different route, Dream Catcher throws in a pleasant pop sound that is incredibly softer than any of their past title tracks. In a way, it was a well-earned rest from the intense nature of the title track and preceding song. The song features great vocals and had amazing melodies which made it nice to listen to. Some singers tend to go down the emotional route with their changeup on track lists, so I liked how Dream Catcher managed to go in a different direction (most likely as their title tracks are emotional driven). (8/10)

5. Scar (이 더럽고도 추한…) – Ending the album is the sound that do best. They bring back the rock instrumental for this ballad-like song. Unlike the other songs, I thought the verses were the strongest part of the song, as it showed more of the group’s vocal capabilities (it somehow felt more delicate and softer than in the previous song). The chorus was surprisingly lacking in energy despite the instrumental and the vocals in the chorus didn’t really have any momentum. I did also like the rapping and its accompanying instrumentation, which gave the song intensity and energy that was lacking from the chorus. (7/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.4/10

dreamcatcher-escapetheera-3 — Escape The Era Teaser Image

[Weekly Chart] 4th Week Of May 2018

May 27, 2018June 3, 2018Posted in Weekly ChartsLeave a comment

Welcome to the 4th week of May. Time is going insanely fast and I can’t believe that we are already here. I am hoping that I will be able to catch up on the reviews I have missed, as I have a week off from university before exams kick in. There are more reviews coming today and a number of album reviews will also be released this week. So prepare yourselves!

It is no surprise that BTS takes over the charts this week, as they top every single chart throughout the world with their latest comeback. Dream Catcher rises one position to take over the second position overall on the charts. Doing an impressive jump is UNI.T’s debut track, No More, while N.Flying also rises to the fourth position. The only new track this week to begin their run in the Top 5 is BOL4’s Travel (Starlight follows right behind in the 6th position).

While UNI.T did jump up 34 spots this week, it wasn’t the biggest jump on the charts. HALO’s OMG managed to climb a whopping 41 spots to 11th place on the charts this week.

Finally, we have a number of comebacks next week including AOA, Pristin V, SHINee and Samuel. I also believe LOONA’s final predebut subunit, LOONA yyxy, is happening this week (and I can confirm they will appear on the charts next week if they manage to enter the top 30).

	20th May – 26th May 2018
	Title	Artist	Status
1	Fake Love	BTS	(▲ 15)
2	You And I	Dream Catcher	(▲ 1)
3	No More	UNI.T	(▲ 34)
4	How R U Today?	N.Flying	(▲ 11)
5	Travel	BOL4	(new)
6	Starlight	BOL4	(new)
7	Time For The Moon Night	GFriend	(▲ 3)
8	LATATA	(G)I-DLE	(▼ 6)
9	Scentist	VIXX	(▲ 17)
10	Shine	Pentagon	(▲ 11)
11	OMG	HALO	(▲ 41)
12	Go Away	Junhyung (HIGHLIGHT)	(▲ 7)
13	Snapshot	IN2IT	(▲ 7)
14	Jealousy	Monsta X	(▲ 11)
15	Angel	IZ	(▼ 6)
16	That Day	Lovelyz	(▼ 10)
17	Sense	UNB	(▲ 17)
18	Tulips	Snuper	(▼ 17)
19	Touch It	Cross Gene	(▼ 15)
20	Call My Name	JBJ	(▲ 9)
21	Bonnie & Clyde	24K	(new)
22	Love It Like It	YDPP	(▼ 8)
23	Time Of Sorrow	VICTON	(new)
24	Lady	EXID	(▲ 3)
25	Selfish	Moonbyul (Mamamoo) & Seulgi (Red Velvet)	(new)
26	Blooming Day	EXO-CBX	(▼ 9)
27	Only One	UNB	(▲ 11)
28	District 9	Stray Kids	(▲ 21)
29	Seoul Night	Teen Top	(▼ 22)
30	Giddy Up	The Boyz	(▼ 25)

Songs leaving the chart this week are:

Jealousy – Monsta X
District 9 – Stray Kids
The Chance Of Love – TVXQ
All Eyes On Me – Hoya
One – Samuel ft. Jung Ilhoon (BTOB)

Thank you once again and I hope to see you all next week!

[Review] Chain – NCT 127

May 26, 2018Posted in JPOP, ReviewsTagged NCT, NCT127Leave a comment

NCT recently wrapped up their album promotions in Korea, which involved all members from the 3 NCT subunits (NCT 127, NCT U & NCT Dream). But the members of NCT 127 are not on a break yet, with their return to the Japanese music scene with their first single, Chain. The album officially dropped during the week (May 23rd) but the music video has been available online since the start of the month, so it is about time I got around to reviewing it.

If I had written a review for this song when it was first uploaded on YouTube (May 8th), it would have had the comments ‘very messy’ and ‘not that great’ written all over it. But with a lot of replays and time to take in this ‘mess’, it is a decent track that fits in well with NCT 127’s past work in Korea. That being said, it still isn’t the greatest song, mainly because you still have to work your way through its metallic clanging to get to the good stuff. The raps were decent and the vocal work was quite good. When the drop kicked in, I thought the high pitch screeching was extremely fitting for their rap-heavy track. The only issue that I have is the metal clanging, which is really in-your-face throughout the song and I wished they toned it down. The moments where they did stop the clanging gave the song some relief and allowed me to have a better grasp of the song. I like how they did keep their roots for their Japanese song, which is something you don’t really see all too often.

The music video for this release showed off a different persona that we don’t really see often in their Korean promotions. From what I can see, the video taps into their masculinity and dominant side. It definitely fits in with the intensity and fierceness of the song. And because fangirls don’t find anything sexier than a bunch of men posing with tools (I guess). Maybe this is my science mindset kicking in but there were moments that I wasn’t sure about the safety of the members. Don’t think holding a saw or a drill up close to your safe is considered safe in the manual. But overall, I thought it was a good video for the song.

The performance was surprisingly good. At first glance, the moves seemed rather slow. But watching it a few times, I thought the choreography did a good job at contrasting with the tempo and intensity of the video. There were some slow movements (more of the sexy slow though), while still balancing out with some fast moves.

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

[Double Review] Travel + Starlight – BOL4

May 26, 2018May 26, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged BOL4, Bolbbalgan4Leave a comment

I haven’t reviewed BOL4 (or Bolbbalgan4) before, despite them being chart-topping artists in the past two years. With the release of their latest mini-album, Red Diary Page. 2, I thought it would be nice to finally talk about them on this site. This review will focus on Travel, which is one of the title tracks (the other being Wind, with no music video yet), and Starlight, which is a side-track (which has a music video, hence its inclusion in the review).

Travel is your Summer time song that talks about taking a break and going on a vacation. Something I would like to have right now. It is a fun and bright song that really makes Jiyoung’s nasal vocals pop out. The song was extremely catchy with its catchy hook and you can genuinely feel the happiness in her vocals. The instrumental was extremely nice and I thought the guitar worked incredibly well with the rest of the song. Travel is one awesome song that I have been playing on repeat since its release and I have no plans on stopping.

Starlight takes on more of a ballad sound compared to Travel or any of their previous title tracks. It is quite breathtaking with the instrumental flowing around the vocals and the nasal vocals leaves you in awe. It is so good that I can’t really find anything that I dislike about it. I think there was a mix of electric and acoustic guitar in the song, which went extremely well with the orchestral and piano based instrumentals. Like Travel, the song has been on repeat since its release. And both songs are so good that I cannot choose an absolute favourite.

Each music video does an amazing job at compliment the song. As stated previously, Travel was a fun and bright song. And the video focused squarely on those two elements portraying a fun travel adventure where the duo seem to be carefree and having the time of their life, while the colours popped to make it such a bright video. Starlight, like the song, allows you to take in some of the views of where they took their holiday (I assume). Majority of the video was focused on the duo but I must admit, it is shot beautifully. The ending when the sky changes to the night sky (via post-production editing) was really nice. What puts the icing on the cake for me in this video is how perfect the wind is. Fake or not, it was done well and to reasonable proportions (and not over the top).

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

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

[Review] Bonnie & Clyde – 24K

May 26, 2018May 26, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 24KLeave a comment

24K is making their first comeback in a very long time with their 4th mini-album and the title track, both titled as Bonnie & Clyde. This is their first comeback since the release of Only One last year. Once again, there were lineup changes with the addition of Kiyong. Kisu is currently on hiatus due to military enlistment, while Hui and Daeil left the group at the end of 2017.

Bonnie & Clyde takes a step back into familiar terrain with the use of heavy synths and the song falling nicely into the dubstep genre of music. At first glance, the song does seem overloaded with the instrumental and it does become a little hard to hear the individual members. They do lower the intensity when it comes to the vocalists, which was pretty good. But I felt the rappers got the short end of the stick when it comes to the instrumental. Pretty much, they had to put more force into their voices in order to be heard. There is this catchy effect, which pretty makes me hang around for some more. For those who don’t know, Bonnie & Clyde is an infamous criminal couple in American history, whom people associate to bank robberies. The song does a good job of portraying the dangerous love life the couple had through its lyrics. The intensity of the song does a pretty good job of complimenting this as well. I thought the song was decent and ended up being quite listenable when you overlook the heaviness.

While Bonnie & Clyde was known to approach banks as part of their dangerous lifestyle, a bank robbery portrayed in the video wouldn’t really go hand-in-hand with the music style. So the option for the more modern racing scene was definitely the perfect arena for a song like this yet still keeping that dangerous lifestyle in check. Also matching the song style was the flashy nature of the video, which I usually would not really enjoy. However, it works perfectly with the song. I am a little confused with the addition of the female model. Yes, she was hot. But her interaction with the members doesn’t really add anything to the video, which is why I am slightly confused. But other than that, it was a good video.

The performance does a really good job of fitting into the intensity levels. I did expect something a little more in that short instrumental sequence just prior to the end of the song. But it was still decent to watch.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.8/10

[Album Review] Love Yourself: Tear (3rd Studio Album) – BTS

May 25, 2018May 25, 2018Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged BTS1 Comment

Apologies for the delayed release of this album review. I just had some last minute things to focus on. Here is the long review for BTS’s latest album, Love Yourself: Tear. They had their comeback stage at the Billboard Music Awards this past Sunday and officially kicked off their promotions in South Korea last night. So with no further delays, here is my review!

bts-loveyourselftear-2 — *Love Yourself: Tear* Album Cover

1. Intro: Singularity (V Solo) – Opening the album is an R&B track with a really ‘smooth’ instrumental that does a really good job of reeling you into the song. While this is the case, the song is a tad too slow for my liking. But as it features only V, it allows him to stand out. His vocals are extremely husky here and it sounds awesome when it is on a blank canvas, like this minimalistic instrumental. (8/10)

2. Fake Love (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of Fake Love. (9/10)

3. The Truth Untold (전하지 못한 진심) (ft. Steve Aoki) – The group previously collaborated with Steve Aoki for Mic Drop last year, so it was quite surprising to see another collaboration between the two. This around, however, the focus is on the vocal line, who put out a really beautiful ballad. Their vocals alone just amaze me. I loved how it climaxes at the bridge by bringing some percussion into the mix. And the ending was just perfect, giving the song the perfect ending. (10/10)

4. 134340 (Pluto) – The song manages to becomes its own thing by the inclusion of the flute in the instrumental. You don’t really hear them all too often in KPOP, so it definitely has this fresh feel. The song ended up having this jazzy or coffee shop vibe, which I thought was rather cool. I like how the vocals pushed the boundaries of the song, particularly the chorus and how the rapping sat so well within the boundaries. (10/10)

5. Paradise (낙원) – Unfortunately, Paradise didn’t really appeal to my taste, mainly because it became rather repetitive towards the end. The song had thumping from the very start, which I thought gave the song a strong foundation. I think I am going to side with the raps in this song, rather than the vocals. Don’t get me wrong, the vocals were fantastic but the raps felt like they had more edge. I did like the end where everyone was singing together though. (8/10)

6. Love Maze – Once again, the song features great vocals and rap sequences where the emotions that the members put in were easily felt. The harmonies during the chorus were quite nice. But I wasn’t too drawn to the song as it felt quite ‘simple’. The song doesn’t really scream excitement and the instrumental felt plain than anything else. It was a decent song, just not the best. (7.5/10)

7. Magic Shop – As I hear more songs that mixes amazing vocals with EDM or electronic based music, I am definitely falling harder for them. Magic Shop definitely throws in amazing vocals and raps, similar to what we would get from a ballad from the group. But with the addition of a great drop and EDM-based, it just gives the song a boost of life. The song wasn’t exactly catchy but it was breathtaking. The only other thing that I wasn’t keen on were the raps. (9/10)

8. Airplane Pt 2 – This song features a Latin-based sound, which seems to be a growing trend within the industry. In this song, the members take you to a trip around the world with their lyrics. The raps did a good job at keeping the song feel so linear. They also added some roughness through the huskiness of the rapper’s voices. The vocals were nice. But I wasn’t really drawn towards the song. (7/10)

9. Anpanman – Anpanman is a Japanese cartoon superhero character, which I assume would be famous throughout Asia. The song falls onto the hip-hop side of the group, however, there was this enjoyable yet fun element to its sound, which made it memorable for me. Not particularly a fan of the vocals of the song, which were drawn out or adjusted to be deep. The rapping and bridge, on the other hand, were great points throughout the song. (7.5/10)

10. So What – Despite it featuring a heavy beat and a house genre instrumental, the song was quite easy on the ears. The song was exceptionally groovy and had a burst of energy from the chorus. It is one of the songs that I would consider to be actual ‘hype songs’ and can easily be slipped into a playlist at a party. Really liked RM’s opening line to the rap. Overall, it was one great song. (9/10)

11. Outro: Tears – The song focuses on the rapper line. Like how movies tend to end on cliff-hangers, this song is probably the equivalent of that. The song basically keeps you on edge the entire time and despite it closing up very nicely, it does make you want the next album release instantly. It also shows off the rappers and their potential once again. The instrumental was a lot darker in comparison to rest of the album. The only section I am not into is Suga’s autotuned rap but it was one damn good outro song. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.5/10

bts-loveyourselftear-3 — *Love Yourself: Tear* Teaser Image

[Review] Time Of Sorrow – VICTON

May 24, 2018May 24, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged VICTONLeave a comment

Apologies for the lack of reviews for the past few days, I have been extremely busy with studies once again. But today I make my return (and a start on a bombardment of reviews) with my review for VICTON’s latest comeback, Time Of Sorrow. This is the group’s first comeback since Remember Me, which was released in November last year.

The group takes on a more emotional and mature sound with their latest comeback. They do nail the emotional side of the song, which I could feel through their vocals. While I am on the topic, the vocals were nice. I really liked the combination of the high and low notes in the song, as they really do mix well. By doing this, they keep to the song’s nature throughout the song (without unnecessary changeups) but also manages to bring out the best of each member. Like the vocals, the raps were also quite good. I was a little skeptical within the first few seconds how the raps would be incorporated but now, I don’t know why I was worried. I don’t want to say that the song is exactly soothing (due to the nature of the lyrics) but that was what my initial thought was. The only downside is that the song doesn’t seem to be that memorable. Firstly, the song doesn’t really climax, staying relatively linear. There were nice melodies and synths in the song but I don’t think either really made the song that memorable for me.

The video showed the members having some fun times (via flashbacks) with a girl who was in the same class. In the present, however, it is clear that she left (or something happened to her), which left the members visibly upset. At the end of the video, one of the members leave a flower on her desk. Now, this can either be a love confession but I am more convinced (as all the members were upset) that something happened to her, as this would explain the flower at the end. I thought the video was quite nice, fitting well with the song. The choreography scenes in front of that olden day looking building was really well done and my absolute favourite scenes in the entire video.

The one word that you would describe a dance that accompanies a song of this tempo is graceful. And I think that is the perfect word to describe it. While I do see moves that fit into a more dance centred performance, the performance does a great job of staying within that very fine line of balance between the two elements, which make it a standout performance to watch.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.8/10

[Special] LOOΠΔ Predebut Solo Song Reviews – Part 4

May 23, 2018May 23, 2018Posted in KPOP, Reviews, SpecialTagged LOOΠΔ, LOONALeave a comment

Please note these special posts are designed to be long and may require some time to read (if you plan on reading the entire post). To help shorten the length, the music video will be inserted as hyperlinked titles, so feel free to click the title of each section to watch the video.

After multiple requests about LOOΠΔ and reviews for their pre-release singles, it is time to start focusing on what seems to be a very promising girl group. Each Wednesday for the month of May, I will be releasing a special set of reviews for the LOOΠΔ members, which will focus on both their main and side-tracks as well.

LOOΠΔ is a 12-member girl group under Blockberry Creative. While they have yet to officially debut, their pre-debut promotion is extremely unusual. Starting in October 2016, each month a new member of the group is unveiled to the public. This continued until the end of March 2018. And with the completion of this pre-debut promotions, the group will be preparing and gearing up for their official debut which has been rumoured to be October this year.

Once I heard the project, I decided to wait for all the songs to be released (similar to what I did with previous project releases). I just didn’t anticipate for it to be such a long wait, as they also unveiled subunits made up of the already revealed members along the way, which drew the project out even longer. Talking about subunits, this is not the first time I have spoken about LOOΠΔ, as I have taken some time out to review and look closely to their subunit releases, which you can find out below.

LOOΠΔ 1/3 – Love & Live & Sonatine
LOOΠΔ Odd Eye Circle – Girl Front & Sweet Crazy Love

Today’s post will look at the side tracks that were released alongside the main tracks for the final 6 members. I couldn’t find any music videos for these songs, so the reviews may appear shorter.

Love Letter (Jinsoul & Kim Lip)

Jumping right at me for this song is how well the song flows. And with that, there was also a very delicate feel to the song. I liked how the vocals from the two members were brought out, highlighting their potential well. At first, I thought the song could have had a bolder drop into the chorus. However, what we got seemed to compliment their vocals quite well and I am satisfied with it. I particularly liked the twinkling sounds just before the chorus. On the other hand, I am not a major fan of the verses, which felt dull. And the poor English. But other than that, it was a decent song.

Puzzle (Jinsoul & Choerry)

The song had an exotic vibe to it, which I thought was nice. Once again, the vocals do jump out at me. But rather their normal pitch vocals didn’t do much of the screaming. Instead, the falsetto which they sang the chorus with stood out really well. However, while I do praise their singing, I am a little conflicted how it went with the instrumental. The vocals built up and you can hear the contrast between the different sections. The instrumental fell flat when it should have carried the vocals further. The whispering raps were too soft for my liking, as they could easily be missed. But it did offer some more texture to the song.

D-1 (Yves)

In contrast to her main track, new, D-1 manages to bring out the more delicate vocals that Yves didn’t really get to show. There is a mixture of singing and rap-speaking, which shows off some versatility. The song is honestly too dry for my taste. However, it did feel like something that Lim Kim or Jang Jane would release with their nasal vocals. I did like the harmonies with the background vocals and the indie-changeup during the bridge. I also liked her falestto note, which peaked the song nicely.

Girl’s Talk (Chuu & Yves)

We start to enter some grey area with the next few songs. I personally thought the vocals for this track was too light and high-pitched, in comparison to the rest of the songs on this list. The song does have a pop-diva type sound (almost disco with a modern twist), which was one likeable element. I really liked Yves rapping. It was limited but sounds awesome. I felt like the song was missing a breakdown, which could have given the song some life and appeal. Maybe it is because I put a lot of emphasis on the vocals, that I don’t really feel like they appeal to me in this song.

See Saw (Go Won & Chuu ft. Kim Lip)

Two things liked about this song: the opening vocals for all three members (Chuu was the best sounding overall in the entire song) and the drop into the chorus. The rest of the song just didn’t have enough for me to like. The chorus could have been more dynamic and filled more with content to become more catchy and appealing. Same could be said about the instrumental. I am not too sure why Kim Lip featured in the song, as she seemed to only get one line. Someone said that her line linked back to her song but I just don’t see the necessity to feature someone just for one line.

Rosy (Go Won & Olivia Hye ft. Heejin)

The final song I will be reviewing for the entire LOOΠΔ predebut project is Rosy. And I am glad it ends on a good note. The song contains youthful vocals that do sound quite cute, something that we didn’t get to see in either of Go Won’s or Olivia’s main tracks. The harmonies were nice. The bridge was my favourite part as it sounded quite random and quirky. Likewise, the instrumental on the end gives it a lasting impression and it also adds to the quirky side of the song.

Click here for Part 1 of the LOOΠΔ Solo Pre-debut reviews

Click here for Part 2 of the LOOΠΔ Solo Pre-debut reviews

Click here for Part 3 of the LOOΠΔ Solo Pre-debut reviews

Thank you all for reading the final part of my very late LOOΠΔ Solo Pre-debut reviews. I will be back with a new special segment in two weeks time, so click the follow button below so you know when it is out!

[Review] No More – UNI.T

May 20, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged UNI.TLeave a comment

One month after the male side of The Unit: Idol Rebooting Project show (UNB) made their official re-debut with Sense, it is time for the girls (UNI.T) to make their long-awaited re-debut. UNI.T compromises of Yang Jiwon (former member of Spica), Woohee (Dal Shabet), Yoonjo (former member of Hello Venus), ZN (Laboum), NC.A, Lee Hyun Joo (former member of April), Lee Suji (former member of The Ark), Euijin (Sonamoo) and Yebin (DIA). The mini-album release, Line, features the title track No More.

No More takes on the reggae-pop genre. While it does feel underwhelming at first, the song does grow quite a bit on you. Admittedly, it isn’t the catchiest piece of music released in the past week. However, it does feature a decent hook that appealed to my taste, at least. Like most songs, I thought the chorus was the main highlight. Rather than due to the actual music, it was the melody and vocals of the members that I liked. That may be due to fans picking a solid vocal line, as there wasn’t a rap section in the song. The ‘No More’ repetition is definitely growing on me and I loved how they voices did that part justice. The pre-choruses had that extra backing, which felt so much more interesting than the preceding verses. The only section which I thought was the messiest was the bridge with the unnecessary extra chimes and cymbals. All in all, it was a decent debut track that did the job nicely.

The video takes on a mature yet sensual concept. For some of the members who tend to fall towards the cutesy side of the girl group spectrum, this would be interesting. However, everyone fitted in nicely and no one looked out of place. I don’t know about you but I think it is clear that their company is favouring UNB, in terms of budget. UNI.T gets only one music video (so far) and it looks underbudget, especially with some of the scenes. Also, the editing for this looks rather poor. I don’t like how the camera angles were a little abstract but then no one shot remained for more than a second. Together, this creates a little mess that is really hard to miss.

I like how their performance started off with smaller groups and you don’t really get to see the whole team bridge. Despite the same moves appear for the chorus, you don’t really grow tired of it, regardless of how simple it turned out. Like the video, the choreography takes on a sensual vibe, which looks amazing. Overall, I thought it was one damn good piece of choreography.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.1/10

[Album Review] Heal (4th Mini Album) – Lovelyz

May 20, 2018May 20, 2018Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged LovelyzLeave a comment

Apologies for the lack of album reviews in the past week. I had to drop them temporarily due to my studies (it got hectic real fast). Now that the first hurdle is over, I am glad I can finally edit and publish on that I was holding for a few weeks now. Lovelyz made their comeback with That Day, which earned them their second trophy. It is the lead title track off their 4th mini-album, Heal. With no further delay, here is my album review!

2. That Day (그날의 너) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of That Day. (7.9/10)

3. Bizarre (미묘미묘해) – Bizarre is an upbeat and bright pop track with a cutesy vibe and retro feel. It is super catchy. It follows well after the title track with its ‘fun’ sound. Despite that, there was a ‘serious’ pre-chorus, which zoned right into the strong vocals and built up perfectly into the chorus. The verses were extremely colourful, which I really liked. Most awkward part of the song was definitely the end, where this deep tone came in. Quirky can be used to describe it but too random for my taste. Overall, a near-perfect song. (9.5/10)

4. Temptation – This contrast nicely with a more serious and mature tone. I really like the synth in the background that gives the song an almost futuristic sound. While the vocals don’t really hit that peak as in their previous two tracks, it sounds equally as nice here. The chorus provided a blast of energy which made it feel so refreshing. And the change-up did wonders to the track. Lovelyz don’t rap too often, so it did feel a little foreign to hear a rap sequence in their song. Following the rap was a soft piece of melodic music. Not too much of a fan of that but it gave a very different feel. (9/10)

5. Watercolour (수채화) – The mandatory ballad on all album releases is back to bite us. The song does showcase nice vocals, like in their previous tracks. There were nice ballads. However, it felt like your typical sweet-sounding ballad that girl groups tend to throw onto their albums. It sadly is the least interesting track on this album but still decent to listen to. (7/10)

6. SHINING★STAR – The song fondly reminds me of their previous album. It starts off with a very typical pop sound but instantly changes up with a chaotic piece of music lasting for a few seconds, which reminds me of ‘retro sounding video games’. The thumping in the verses and fast tempo really makes the song stand out. Chorus was nice however I felt the vocals were overshadowed by the intensity of the instrumental. From the second verse onwards, the song was quite repetitive, with nothing new to offer. The end of the song follows an energetic formula but was sadly too abrupt for my taste. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.3/10

[Weekly Chart] 3rd Week of May 2018

May 20, 2018Posted in Weekly ChartsLeave a comment

Since all the TV shows that I follow have ended, I guess I now have more time to type these posts. But before I get onto that, we must go through the weekly charts for the 3rd Week of May 2018 because it just ended and I am trying to avoid studying. Anyway, welcome all to this week’s edition of the weekly charts!

Topping the charts this week is Snuper’s Tulip. Following behind them is (G)I_DLE’s LATATA. Dream Catcher’s latest track, You & I, take out the third position, while Cross Gene’s Touch It finishes in the fourth position. Rounding out the Top 5 is The Boyz’s Giddy Up, which has been on the charts for a number of weeks now.

With Fake Love being the biggest release of the past week, next week is going to get very interesting. Also possibly joining next are The EastLight, Bolbbalgan4 and 24K.

But before we get to next week, have a scroll through this week’s chart.

	13th May – 19th May 2018
	Title	Artist	Status
1	Tulips	Snuper	(▲ 3)
2	LATATA	(G)I-DLE	(▲ 1)
3	You And I	Dream Catcher	(▲ 13)
4	Touch It	Cross Gene	(▲ 11)
5	Giddy Up	The Boyz	(▲ 19)
6	That Day	Lovelyz	(▼ 5)
7	Seoul Night	Teen Top	(▲ 4)
8	Boomerang	Wanna One	(=)
9	Angel	IZ	(▲ 47)
10	Time For The Moon Night	GFriend	(▼ 8)
11	Where Are You From?	Favorite	(▲ 3)
12	Just Do It	BSS (Seventeen)	(▲ 6)
13	Light It Up	Spectrum	(▼ 3)
14	Love It Like It	YDPP	(▼ 9)
15	How R U Today?	N.Flying	(new)
16	Fake Love	BTS	(new)
17	Blooming Day	EXO-CBX	(▲ 14)
18	The Light	IMFACT	(▲ 31)
19	Go Away	Junhyung (HIGHLIGHT)	(=)
20	Snapshot	IN2IT	(▲ 2)
21	Shine	Pentagon	(▼ 15)
22	Baby	The Rose	(▲ 1)
23	Dally	Hyolyn	(▼ 2)
24	One	Samuel ft. Jung Ilhoon (BTOB)	(▲ 14)
25	Jealousy	Monsta X	(▲ 2)
26	Scentist	VIXX	(▼ 6)
27	Lady	EXID	(▲ 19)
28	My Only Star	K.Will	(▲ 12)
29	Call Your Name	JBJ	(▼ 17)
30	What Is Love?	TWICE	(▼ 23)

Leaving the charts this week (and hence won’t be appearing on it next week) are:

Boomerang – Wanna On
Just Do It – BSS (Seventeen)
Bibidi Babidi Boo – Honey Popcorn
Sudden Shower – Junhyung (HIGHLIGHT) ft. 10CM

Thank you all reading this post and I will see you next week!

[Review] Wake Me Up – TWICE

May 19, 2018Posted in JPOP, ReviewsTagged TWICELeave a comment

Recently making their return to Japan is TWICE with Wake Me Up. They just wrapped up their promotions for their expectedly popular What Is Love? and have gone forth with a new song already! This is the group’s 3rd Japanese single and their second comeback in Japan for 2018 (the first being Candy Pop).

While it does have that catchy beat and simple hook that may get you singing along, the song doesn’t really feel that special. Instead, it feels mediocre and very typical, at best. The song started off with chanting (and this repeated throughout the song) and it felt quite cheesy, which left a lasting (not-so-great) impression on the rest of the song. It does sound quite childish, come to the think of it. The lyrics seem to have a supportive message. But given the cheesy nature of the song, I just can’t help to connect with the song. The instrumental, which felt very poppy, just feels a little disconnected with the song. Instead of going hand-in-hand, they just simply felt like they were layered underneath the vocals. Vocally, the song isn’t that bad. They sounded decent. The rapping was okay, not their absolute best. If I were to pick one moment that I thought was the best was Mina’s ‘dramatic life‘ line.

What I did like about the video was how high definition it was. I know, it says a lot about me. The video centres around Chaeyoung, who is editing the video for uploading. I guess even the top KPOP stars have to make some sort of living when they aren’t promoting. Hahaha… Besides that, there isn’t much else to the video.

The choreography, at least, looks like it was the most decent part of the whole comeback. It looked quite fun and the members looked like they enjoyed the entire routine, which in turn, speaks volume in its presentation and energy. It isn’t the next TT or Likey but it does the job just fine.

Song – 4/10
Music Video – 5/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 4.9/10

[Review] Fake Love – BTS

May 18, 2018May 18, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged BTS2 Comments

This is currently the most anticipated comeback of the year thus far. BTS has returned with their 3rd full-length album, Love Yourself: Tear and the title track, Fake Love. The group is due to make their comeback stage at the Billboard Music Awards this upcoming Sunday, where they are nominated for Top Social Artist for the second year in the running! Not only is this an achievement for both BTS and ARMY, but this is an achievement for KPOP as well! But I am here to review Fake Love, so let’s get on with it!

Fake Love lives up to its hype. Majority of songs that tend to be hyped up end up falling flat and I think this is the first time that it hasn’t. What sets this apart from their previous title tracks is their vocals and rapping. You can hear the emotions pouring into the song. The singers sound amazing yet there is a sense of heartbreak in their voice. The rapping was powerful yet very fragile. Come together with the instrumental, it leaves you speechless (at least for me). The song mixes trap with grunge rock (according to Soompi) and while the combination does sound foreign, it fits into their long list of songs. The chorus was interesting, how it was split across the song. The second half of the chorus, ‘Fake Love’ repetition was heard earlier in the song, while the first half was heard after. I am not too sure if I am describing correctly but that is how I understood the structure. The chorus was addictive, with the ‘Fake Love’ repetition building up inside my head. It does irk me somewhat with the pronunciation of the word ‘Fake‘, which they make it sound like it is two syllables. But that is how Korean’s usually speak (i.e. emphasis on each syllable). All in all, the song is quite promising and definitely has what it takes to a world player.

I just want to start off by saying that literature and art is not my strong point. But there is a lot of visual aspects that allude to both forms which I am not 100% on talking about. From what I can gather from the video itself and the teasers is that the video talks about fear. Each member has a fear (such as V with technology and Jimin with water). Jungkook seems to be the most interesting, with a fear of the darkness and possible the past (seen by his running away from the collapsing floor). Over the course of the video, we see each member come to terms with their fear. Though I am not sure where the video goes from there. I would love to read theories, so please comment with any that you find interesting. Overall, the video was extremely well done. From the aesthetic to that amazing post-production editing for Jungkook’s running, this video nails that artistic vibe in an interesting wall. I liked the sets and their outfits. The only I strongly dislike is their hair for this video. It doesn’t look too good from what I am seeing.

The performance (from what can be seen) looked amazing. From the very start, all their moves looked so good. I really like how chaotic their move and formation got when it came to the ‘Fake Love‘ repetition which matched the overall vibe of the song at that moment. The start did look funny though.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.3/10

[Review] How R U Today? – N.Flying

May 16, 2018May 26, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged N.FlyingLeave a comment

Making their comeback after 4 months is N.Flying, who asks you ‘How R U Today?’. Their last set of promotions was at the start of the year with Hot Potato. The title track, How R U Today?, is featured on their 4th mini-album, How Are You?. Since their awesome comeback at the start of the year, Hwesung collaborated with FT Island’s Hongki, releasing the power-vocal ballad Still Love You. Thought I mention it here since it is a collaboration that you should not miss out on!

N.Flying has had an energetic and fun-filled run with The Real and Hot Potato. How R U Today? tones it down to a very mature sounding level, which I totally think it is a great thing. Firstly, it provides some variety and it does take you back to their debut sound, which was a lot more serious and mature sounding. The alternative rock song does found a little foreign at first. However, it is one of those songs that you really get into after just a few listens. I really liked the buildup from the very start of the song (which was quite soft and almost fragile sounding) to that rock vibe in the chorus (which brings that strong feeling that they have portrayed in their previous title tracks). They did an awesome job with the incorporation of the raps, which I thought wouldn’t go with the song. And like their previous tracks, their vocals are amazing. I am just in awe of the chorus as it has that rock-able element that you seek in most Korean band songs.

In an interview that was released prior to their music video release, the members said that their concept for this comeback was ‘sentimental’ and ‘sexy’. And I think they nailed both quite well. While I am not 100% sure of the ‘sexy’ side of their comeback, they do visually look good. And the visuals don’t just apply to themselves. The video has great natural scenery and views that just leave this video feeling amazing. As for the sentimental side, it fits both the song and their acting. They are still heartbroken about their past relationship, which was well portrayed by all members. Overall, the video does seem to fall towards the boring side, however, it does fulfil the intended concepts of the group.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

[Special] LOOΠΔ Predebut Solo Song Reviews – Part 3

May 16, 2018May 16, 2018Posted in KPOP, Reviews, SpecialTagged LOOΠΔ, LOONALeave a comment

LOOΠΔ 1/3 – Love & Live & Sonatine
LOOΠΔ Odd Eye Circle – Girl Front & Sweet Crazy Love

Today’s post will look at the side tracks that were released alongside the main tracks for the first 6 members. I will be focusing on the song and music video standalone, as I am interested in doing another special post focusing on the connections between their music videos.

I’ll Be There – Heejin & Hyunjin

Jumping right at you is the funky and groovy synthesizer-overloaded song. It just creates an uplifting atmosphere that you cannot really avoid. I think a good word to describe the song is ‘crunchy’, as that is what you get with the synths and overall beat. I also really enjoyed the “dum dum” that was present at the start and during the bridge, almost bringing an acapella effect to the song. The lines and vocals don’t really stand out but the instrumental does a good job covering up that aspect. For the music video, I liked the home video concept and the brightness of the video seems to match the song. Likewise, the choreography looked good.

The Carol – Heejin, Hyunjin & Haseul

The Carol coincided with the Christmas season of 2017, so it makes sense for a Christmas styled song. Following I’ll Be There, the song does make you smile, which is definitely a great thing. However, I thought the song was relatively typical for a Christmas song. The vocals did stand out and I really liked the piano in the background of the instrumental. The video also focuses on the Christmas season, with good vibes coming from it. You can’t really go wrong in that department. There was no choreography for this song.

My Sunday – Heejin & Hyunjin

While this is also another bright sounding song, they toned down the energy and atmosphere. Instead, it is a more acoustic sounding and quite different from any of their main tracks, so it was quite nice to hear it. I don’t remember what I expected at first but the chorus sounded quite different to what I thought it would sound like. Despite that, what we got flowed very nicely. The harmonies between the two members were nice and the bridge really gave the song that peak it needed. The video was quite nice, showing the pair throughout the beautiful sites of Taiwan/China. Once again, there was no choreography.

My Melody – Yeojin & Haseul

Interestingly, My Melody is a similar song to My Sunday. The verses were quite similar (by ear), while the choruses felt quite different. This produced a completely different feel, leaning towards a soothing vibe, which I thought was equally as nice as My Sunday. The bridge did showcase some vocals but it sounded like they were pushing themselves. But it sounded quite nice overall. Like the previous video, it shows the pair hanging out on a nice day.

Everyday I Need You – ViVi ft. Jinsoul

Following the same concept as before, the song is a much slower version of the ViVi’s main track, Everyday I Love You (ft. Haeseul). It is interesting because while the two songs are very similar, the difference in tempo offers a completely different feeling. The slower song does point out her weakness in the vocal department but it is a fair effort. Jinsoul’s rap did push the song along, which I felt was needed towards the end. The shots of the music video were much more graceful, fitting in with the slower speed of the song. It also felt like a lover filmed the entire video, with ViVi being the main focus. Jinsoul did ‘appear’ in the video, however as she was not unveiled yet, her face was not captured.

Twilight – Kim Lip

Sadly, there is no music video for Twilight. Knowing how Kim Lip focused a lot on the performance side for her main track’s music video, I don’t know why I was caught off guard by the changeup. It started off as a ballad, with a nice piano instrumental layered on top of a heavy beat. Then it develops into a dance track. But it isn’t over the top. Rather it keeps in line with the verses but it isn’t a ballad-like sound anymore. The entire track does focus on her vocals as you can grasp a beautiful tone from the track. The song definitely becomes interesting with the chorus. And for that, it is probably my most favourite on this list.

Click here for Part 1 of the LOOΠΔ Solo Pre-debut reviews

Click here for Part 2 of the LOOΠΔ Solo Pre-debut reviews

Check back next week for the 4th (and final) part of the LOOΠΔ Solo Pre-debut reviews

[Weekly Chart] 2nd Week of May 2018

May 13, 2018Posted in KPOPLeave a comment

Welcome back to the next edition of the week charts and the second week of May 2018. Once again, I am extremely busy with university. So today is going to be a fast one. Just to let you know, I will still be posting reviews where possible. However, album reviews have been put on hold until next Sunday. Albums from (G)I-DLE, GFriend, Lovelyz, Teen Top and Dream Catcher are confirmed (and I am still on the deciding/listening through other albums).

Lots of comebacks and debuts this week. Usually, one or two of them pop up in the Top 5. But sadly that isn’t the case this week so I will give you a quick summary: Teen Top, SPECTRUM, Favorite, Cross Gene, Dream Catcher and Junhyung (HIGHLIGHT). It is expected that they will change things up next week. Also, possible artists making their splash on the charts next week include Kanto, BTS, N.Flying and the debut of UNI.T.

Last week’s number 1 song (That Day by Lovelyz) manages to hold onto the first position for the second week in a row. Following behind is GFriend’s Time For The Moon Night, which rises from the third position last week. (G)I-DLE, one of the newer groups in the industry, takes out the third position this week. Snuper’s Tulips enters the top 5 for the first time at the fourth position, while previous chart-topping single, Love It Like It by YDPP returns to the Top 5 in the 5th position.

Once again, there weren’t any ‘impressive’ jumps on the chart this week. However, a number of songs that weren’t in the top 30 last week did make it onto the charts this week. Just missing out on the top 30 this week are UP10TION’s Candyland and EXO-CBX’s Blooming Days.

	6th May – 12th May 2018
	Title	Artist	Status
1	That Day	Lovelyz	(=)
2	Time For The Moon Night	GFriend	(▲ 1)
3	LATATA	(G)I-DLE	(▲ 5)
4	Tulips	Snuper	(▲ 2)
5	Love It Like It	YDPP	(▲ 17)
6	Shine	Pentagon	(▲ 18)
7	What Is Love?	TWICE	(▲ 4)
8	Boomerang	Wanna One	(▲ 23)
9	Still Love You	Lee Hong Ki (FT Island) & Yoo Hwe Sung (N.Flying)	(▲ 26)
10	Light It Up	SPECTRUM	(new)
11	Seoul Night	Teen Top	(new)
12	Call Your Name	JBJ	(▼ 2)
13	Sense	UNB	(▼ 6)
14	Where Are You From?	Favorite	(new)
15	Touch It	Cross Gene	(new)
16	You And I	Dream Catcher	(new)
17	Look	GOT7	(▲ 19)
18	Just Do It	BSS (Seventeen)	(▲ 15)
19	Go Away	Junhyung (HIGHLIGHT)	(new)
20	Scentist	VIXX	(▼ 15)
21	Dally	Hyolyn	(▲ 25)
22	Snapshot	IN2IT	(▼ 20)
23	Baby	The Rose	(▲ 9)
24	Giddy Up	The Boyz	(▼ 7)
25	Love Tint	Hyungseop & Euiwoong	(▲ 12)
26	Potion	Eric Nam ft. Woodie Gochild	(▲ 20)
27	Jealousy	Monsta X	(▼ 18)
28	Everyday	Winner	(▼ 1)
29	New Heroes	TEN (NCT)	(▲ 17)
30	Black On Black	NCT	(▲ 8)