Key makes his official solo debut with One Of Those Nights, which features successful R&B artist, Crush. His title track is featured on the album titled as FACE and it also features the pre-release single, Forever Yours (featuring Soyou) which was released a few weeks back. Key is the third member of SHINee to make his solo debut, after Jonghyun (RIP) and Taemin. Onew has been confirmed to make his solo debut with an album next month before his military enlistment, leaving Minho as the only member to not branch out in a solo music career yet.
But today’s focus is on Key’s solo release, which I quite like. The instrumentation combines guitar and house beats, which is now a classic combination. And it makes the track quite addictive despite it not offering anything that we can consider new. I think the stand out element of the song has to be the vocals. Both Key and Crush’s vocals actually sound quite alike and both suit this style of music very well. If I wasn’t watching the music video, I wouldn’t be able to tell who is singing, which I think is a smart idea for when Key has to perform the song alone. That being said, Crush’s featuring in the chorus allows for Key to dance during the chorus and I too like that idea very much. Overall, I thought the song was quite clean cut and easy to listen to/get into.
The lyrics of the song talks about having ‘One of Those Nights’ where you cannot forget about your ex. And I thought the music video did a good job at portraying that. Key’s acting was really good, showing off facial expressions that make him look lost or just completely zone out due to these memories. I liked how Crush featured in the music video. But he was tucked into the scenes, such as Key dancing on the train carriage and Crush singing in the background. I thought that was really cool. I also thought the sets were very nice in the video.
This seems to be an artistic performance. While we cannot see much in the music video, the verses do show some graceful moves to fit the tempo and tone of the verses. When the chorus kicks in, everything becomes more energetic and upbeat. The bridge and final chorus look like it is going to be very powerful highlights in the performance, so I am looking forward to that.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
Making his solo comeback after 2 years is Mino, the main rapper from Winner. I consider this to be his “comeback” despite it being marketed as it “solo debut”, as Mino started off his solo endeavours through Body, which was released alongside Bobby’s Holup! and MOBB’s (Mino & Bobby’s collaboration) Hit Me back in 2016. This time around, Mino released FIANCÉ, the title track off his first solo studio album, XX. And since its release yesterday, it has topped all the major charts in South Korea!
FIANCÉ opens up with a guitar riff that feels very country-based for the verses, which later progresses into a hip-hop dance track. Along the way, there are trot samples used in the background to give off a very unique effect. It is an interesting take on hip-hop which is Mino’s known associated sound and it makes it into a very colourful song. The delivery of his lines was quite nice. Though, I was wanting some buildup towards the end to really get the energy pumping. I felt like the ‘La La La‘ ending was good as a hype mechanism and definitely fitted the song. But it felt too straightforward. In the end, it felt like it lacked intensity. I would have liked a strong hooker. I didn’t find the main hook of FIANCÉ to be that memorable, so it did feel like it would be a forgettable song, especially in the midst of yesterday’s comebacks.
I think what Mino did nail with his release is the music video. The quality of the music video definitely fits in the YG scope, especially when it comes to set design. While the music video does show Mino surrounded by a lot of ladies (which may or may not allude to some themes based on the way they are dressed), the producers did a good job with making the main focus of the video to be Mino rather than the ladies, which would have caused a public outcry in today’s media. I thought the incorporation of the historical Korean set and outfits was really nice, especially since the song contained samples of Korean trot music.
The choreography looks interesting. With the way the song is presented, there is a form of edginess that I think Mino portrays well. I think the choreography for the second verse, where the soloist dances with each dancer, is going to be a very a very big moment in the performance.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.6/10
Returning of the second time this year is NU’EST W with Help Me. They previously returned with Deja Vu in June. This will be NU’EST W’s last comeback as a subunit, with the impending return of Minhyun, who has been promoting as part of Wanna One, as he finished in the top 11 of Produce 101 Season 2. There is a slight nod towards this long-awaited reunion at the end of the music video. But before getting to the music video, let’s have a closer look at the song.
Help Me is one powerful and dynamic title track. Out of all the NU’EST W comebacks so far, this is probably their most promising yet. It is described as an R&B pop fusion track, featuring orchestral and rock elements in the background. I think the first thing that needs to be mentioned is the energy that this song manages to deliver in each punch (or chorus). It makes the track extremely memorable. I think the rapping (performed by JR) is very powerful in this track. But the vocals manage to match that same level of energy, so really they also shine. I particularly like the complete slow down for the first half of the final chorus and how it managed to fit in with the rest of the song. And then that return to the same impactful energy was just perfect. The point of exclaiming ‘Help Me‘ is to get someone’s attention and I can confirm that they have mine.
The music video features the member seeking help from someone. The lyrics paint a picture of a collapsed world and that this someone is the member’s saviour. And I thought the video did a really good job of creating a dystopian or non-existing world. And within each world, the members are lost and seeking that needed assistance. I think the most shell-shocking moment of the music video was the end, with the door opening. I think every fan of the group (me included) jumped up at that moment and assumed that it is alluding to the return of Minhyun, who I assume is the saviour (It doesn’t help that the footsteps sounded heavy – like a male’s footstep). Together, they reform as NU’EST once again.
I really liked the fast pace of the choreography, matching the energy of the song in a spectacular fashion. I was waiting for a really strong highlight of the choreography but I don’t think there was any. Instead, I was in complete awe of their moves and I was not left disappointed. Especially that entire dance break at the end.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
Joining the November comeback influx is Lovelyz. Known for their youthful comebacks, the girl group has been growing even more popular with each comeback. Now, the group has returned with their fifth mini album, Sanctuary, which features the title track, Lost N Found. This is their first comeback since Wag-Zak (released back in June) and the release of their first compilation album (Muse on Music), which is made up of instrumentals of many of their past tracks.
In just the first few seconds of the song, I thought Lovelyz was going to have a dramatic change in their sound. It was 100% techno, so that was very surprising. But within another few seconds, the group returned to their usual sound, with that techno infused into it. Well, during the purely instrumental sections, it felt more like distortion. But it gave their usual sound a facelift, which I thought was really clever. Their vocals brought the traditional Lovelyz sound and a hint of cuteness to the track. It was a really good track up until the bridge. I thought that the transition between the chorus to the bridge felt a little too sudden and this just cut the flow of the song for me. Its buildup back to the final chorus was quite lacklustre, nor was there really anything to call a ‘peak’. Overall, the song is good but not their best.
What they had visually was a very nice video. I just didn’t understand the imagery or symbolism of what they were doing. It might be retelling a story of a certain someone, where this certain someone fits in with the objects they were holding and the lyrics of the song but I have no idea who (maybe a Goddess). But besides the plot of the video, I thought the set looked really beautiful. It matches Lovelyz bright personality and beauty.
To fit in with the beauty and the concept, each of the members is holding microphones covered in flowers. While this seems quite ‘normal’ when you think about it, it is rather smart when on stage. Instead of drabby looking microphones, why not have them fit the theme or their outfits. I thought the intro choreography looked really nice and it matched the edgy side of the techno music extremely well. There was also this staggering move that I liked during the bridge.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.2/10
HIGHLIGHT returned earlier in the week with their special mini-album, Outro. This special mini-album serves as the group’s final mini-album before the member’s impending enlistment into the military. Doojoon, the leader of the group, has already enlisted, with Yoseob following in January of next year. Despite that, Doojoon does feature on the mini-album. The group also paired up, treating us with two duets (Yosoeb & Dongwoon and Junhyung & Gikwang).
2. Wind (바람) (Yoseob & Dongwoon) – Wind is an R&B ballad that combines the vocals of both Yoseob (who is known for his solo work in R&B and ballads) and Dongwoon (who I believe has released a few ballads in the past). It is a nice and warm track that I think would be ideal on a cold day. Vocal work is nice. But there really isn’t much else to the song. I didn’t really get into it because it quite slow for my liking and the melody wasn’t that appealing to my personal taste. The instrumental didn’t offer much but I did like the fading out, which complements the slow nature of the song and genre. (6/10)
3. Leave Me Alone (내버려 둬) (Junhyung & Gikwang) – The way Leave Me Alone starts off felt like a G-Dragon song. It isn’t until Junhyung starts rapping and Gikwang starts singing does it feel like a Highlight song. It was upbeat and something up my alley. It felt dynamic and I like the way they autotuned some of their vocals to give a different effect. Both members shined in this song, so there wasn’t a really dominant member, which shows a successful collaboration. I liked the wholesome feel of the ending, minus the actual sharp stop to the song. (8/10)
4. Nightmare (오늘같은 밤이면) (Doojoon Solo) – Doojoon managed to record Nightmare prior to his enlistment. And I wanted to hear his vocals on the album, as it wouldn’t feel like a proper HIGHLIGHT release without him. And to make things even better, Doojoon’s participation on the album is through a solo single. Nightmare sounds like something very dark. But for this song, it is rather bright and light, quite like a sunny day. I like the pop feel from his song and the melody, which felt refreshing. I think I would have liked something a little heavier sounding, but Nightmare was still quite nice. (7/10)
6. Take Care (잘 지내줘) – Coming right after the instrumental track for Loved is Take Care. It is another ballad, but it serves as their ‘outro’ song for the next two years. I like this ballad more than the previous ballad, with the piano making the song sound so beautiful. Their vocals and raps were amazing in this song. I particularly like Junhyung’s rap sequence in the song, which was done so well for the slow song. For once, it is the music rather than their vocals that convey emotions. And it is this emotion that makes it memorable for me. (9/10)
It is the weekend, so you all know what time it is! Weekly KPOP Charts time! I have been working on the site all week so there has been a huge influx on posts this week. On top of that LOONA’s Music Video Theory is in the works, along with a very special surprise coming up next Saturday, so be prepared. If you want to know when I just posted a brand new post (let it be Music Video Theory, reviews, album review or Weekly KPOP Charts), follow my Twitter (@kpopreviewed).
But on with the charts before I can publish anything else! Topping the charts this week is EXID’s newest release, I Love You. Following very closely behind are Wanna One’s Spring Breeze and HIGHLIGHT’s Loved. All of these are new releases in the past week and they have taken over the charts. Remaining steady for the third week in a row is TWICE’s YES or YES, while completing this week’s top 5 is MONSTA X’s Shoot Out. For more of the charts, scroll down below.
There is a new debut in the midst of the onslaught of comebacks in the month of November. THE MAN BLK is a 10 member male group under Stardium and their member lineup consists of Jinhwan, Sungyong, Se-ung, Junwon, Hyeongseok, Chanyi, Woojin, Seungho, Jeongyu and Taewoo. Free Fall is the group’s debut title track, which is featured on the group’s first mini-album, Various Colors.
I think Free Fall does a good job of showcasing the group’s vocals and rapping ability. The song can be described as a synth-based ballad, which tends to be an interesting combination of what is usually dance music and the soothing nature of a ballad. And this allows for the focus on the vocals and raps to be prominent. What I did like about the song is that it has a very mature feel to it, which is one bold move. This makes the song memorable for me. I did like the atmosphere and the instrumental of the song, which does fit into the common sound we hear nowadays. But it isn’t all praises for this song. The biggest lacking element in the song is momentum. It relies too much on that soothing nature that it doesn’t really accumulate energy like all other dance songs do. The song is repetitive and doesn’t really have any elements to dispell this repetitiveness. And as a result, the song does feel quite dry.
To match the mature sound of the song, many of the scenes in the music video had slow motion applied for to it. Not too bothered by it as it is quite fitting but it makes the video a tad slow. Also, I thought the Autumn style they members went for in all their scenes was definitely fitting for the song and season. The brown, grey and golden colour palette were also quite nice. Besides that, the music video shows choreography and close-ups, so there isn’t much else to talk about.
Starting off the performance is actually a pretty nice ‘free fall’. It may be the simplest of things but what I have determined here is that ‘sometimes simple is best’. And it starts the performance with impact. The performance is quite fitting for the slow nature of the song. It looked graceful and elegant at times.
Song – 7.5/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 8/10 Music Video – 7.5/10
ATEEZ made their debut at the end of October with Treasure. Since the release, the group have been actively promoting both Treasure and Pirate King on the weekly music shows. In my Treasure review, I did state that Pirate King was some sort of pre-debut single for the group and I believe I misstated that it wasn’t included in the actual album release (I was wrong with this latter bit). Their debut allowed for the release of the music video and proper promotions for the track, bumping it up to title track status.
When I heard the ‘Pirate King‘ titled, I expected something along the lines of Pirates of the Carribean. Don’t ask me why that is the first thing that popped into my head but it just did. The song isn’t anything like that official soundtrack. Instead, we get a very bombastic EDM track, which did have a slight theatrical flair and actually could be a part of a soundtrack to some sort of grand movie. I really like some of the synths in the song, which added electrifying details to the song to make it very appealing. The main concern with the song was that the instrumental was quite heavy and loud (not really an ideal track to blast over and over again). One of the possibilities that this could lead to is the overshadowing of the vocals and raps. However, this wasn’t the case as both vocals and raps were definitely well-heard and clear. And like their debut single, vocals and raps were on point!
We don’t have an actual music video for Pirate King, but instead, we have a performance version. For those who are new, you can get two official videos for a title track – the actual music video and a performance version (if there is choreography involved, though this one tends to be optional for some groups). Usually, you get the performance video in one set only. But we are treated to various sets for this video, which I believe to be the same deserts observed in the Treasure music video. It is quite good and the editing between the sets was great.
Amazing performance. The way they moved looked so cool. I particularly like the formation at the start of the second verse and the chorus. And that ending was so powerful. Honestly, I think I know which group I need to look out for (performance wise) next year!
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 7.9/10
Since wrapping up their promotions for Regular a few weeks back, we have been teased with an impending return with the repackaged version of their first studio album, And now, NCT 127 has returned for the third time this year with Simon Says, which the title track off their 1st Repackaged Album, Regulate. Interestingly, the music video for Simon Says was released well ahead of the actual release of the repackaged album. But we aren’t here to talk about this experimental release method. Instead, Simon Says to start this review!
Simon Says is a return to that hip-hop and electronic sound that NCT 127 hasn’t really done that much this year. Touch was a rather bright release, while Regular was an attempt at the Latin trend. So, it is quite nice to go back to some familiar territory. The instrumental has this experimental side to it, which makes it interesting as the style isn’t that clear-cut as their past songs. The verses are formed to give attention towards the rappers, who do a really good job with the song. There are attitude and charisma flowing throughout. The song focuses on the vocalists through the bridge of the song. While it is a little short, we do great a nice little breather from the intensity of the verses/chorus. As for the chorus, I thought it was quite catchy. The song is quite powerful and definitely aggressive in a more subtle manner. Overall, Simon Says is a pretty cool song.
The music video takes that aggressive and powerful nature touched upon earlier and develops into a very aesthetic music video. There is definitely some sort of message hidden throughout this video through the symbolism that I am no way near smart enough to understand. Here are what I could see. Taeyong is Simon, as he is the leader of the subunit and all the members move around him. He is also the first member to take off his mask and the rest of the members follow suit. And talking about the masks, how amazing do they look? Visuals along, this is one video to watch.
Like all the other components of this comeback, the performance is very intense and dynamic. Each of the members do a really good job at captivating the audience through their charisma alone. Their moves make this comeback so much better. My favourite part has to be the fast-paced chorus.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
Making his second comeback of the year so far is Hwang Chi Yeul. His first release of 2018 is My Only Star, which was unveiled back in April. The soloist returned on Tuesday of this week with Learn To Love, his first digital single release.
Learn To Love no doubt takes on what the soloist does best, ballads. And like the rest of his title tracks, Learn To Love is another typical ballad. It has a nice orchestral-like instrumental, which is rather standard of ballads. It was definitely quite nice sounding though, so I am not too much troubled by the typical nature of the song. Hwang Chi Yeul brings his raspy vocals into play, which I quite like. His voice captivates you, which is definitely a selling point of any ballad. I did like how his vocals pushed higher and felt more emotionally influenced during the chorus, allowing the song to be boosted in appeal. The song peaked wonderfully during the bridge, with the combination of his vocals and the instrumental, reaching up higher than before. I do want to see him go into different areas of ballads or music one day, as his stages on Immortal Song proves his potential. But this is still quite nice.
The song sounds quite sad but when you inspect the lyrics and the video, there really isn’t a hint of sadness (at least how I am interpreting them). The lyrics seemed to be a commitment to love at the start of a relationship. He sings “I did not know that that I was the only one learning to love”, which seems to show that the two are starting their love life afresh with each other. The music video shows that through scenes of the two getting to know each other and slowing things down. A few times they seem to go in for a kiss but they hold back (most likely in their own past relationships, they rushed things). I did think the dullness of the colours/filter was a little too dark, which made me think the song was a sad one at first. But other than that, it was a good video.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.6/10
NATURE is back with a brand new song, titled SOME (You’ll Be Mine)! For those who do not know NATURE, they are a relatively new group who debuted with Allegro Cantabile back in August. They were meant to debut with 9 members, however, one member left just before they debuted (she did not participate in promotions but was still featured n the music video). With this comeback, the number of members is bumped back up to 9 with the addition of Loha.
If you were looking for a song similar to Allegro Cantabile, you have come to the wrong place. But if you came for something a little more out there, you may stay and have a listen. SOME start off a standard KPOP track, bright and bubbly. But the chorus is a little different, going with seems to be an addictive EDM drop that I am digging a fair bit. It attracts attention and hypes up the atmosphere. It caught me off guard but I really did enjoy the chorus. I thought the pre-chorus section was amazing, which I thought was a great limbo between the bright start and the dramatic change for the chorus. The rapping to the song was awesome, fitting in extremely nicely. And I thought the vocal work was showcased well, where both the vocals and the raps draw you in. The bridge slows it down but I didn’t mind it too much as the buildup back to the chorus was awesome. Overall, it is another great song for this week.
The first thing that jumped right at me was the colours. I thought it was extremely bold and very bright, which definitely matches the atmosphere of the song. It does fall under the category of a typical music video but it is the atmosphere of it that makes this a great watch. The classroom set reminded me of a combination of TWICE’s One More Time colour palette, while the classroom reminded me of TWICE’s Signal. I am not trying to suggest that they copied but rather point out an observation I made. I feel like with the song’s drop and the dance moves, they could have been more out-there. For example, funny costumes would have been fun in this video.
I think the main focus of this comeback is the dance. Once again, I am reminded of another group’s performance. If you cast your mind to Momoland’s Wonderful Love choreography for EDM remix, I think this would be the equivalent to that. And once again, the choreography during the chorus lived up to the song’s crazy drop, atmosphere and expectations.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.7/10
Wanna One has returned with their assumingly final release before their impending disbandment at the end of the year (even though that hasn’t been 100% confirmed yet). This final release comes in the form of 111 = 1 (Power of Destiny) – I couldn’t include the number bit in the title of this post as its format doesn’t show properly. The album consisted of 11 songs, including an intro track (which I didn’t include in the review), the title track Spring Breeze and a special CD only track.
3. Home (집) – Home is what I wanted when I mentioned something more energetic and upbeat in my Spring Breeze review. Home is an upbeat dance track, with a very normal instrumental and I admit that the song is quite linear throughout. Despite that, the song has impact, which does level out the linear nature. I thought the song’s instrumental had a decent build-up, which allowed the chorus to be very strong. Vocals were showcased in a very cool manner, with a very melodic factor reeling me in for more. The raps were perfect for the song. A right level of energy and roughness made it fit right in. I do hope they have a performance for this as I want one so badly. (9/10)
4. Flower Bomb (불꽃놀이) – Living up to the second half of the title, the chorus was explosive in comparison to the rest of the song. This is what I wanted with the song when I first heard the title. The burst of energy made the song robust and appealing. The vocals and raps were still at the forefront of the song, which was a concern at first given the nature of the chorus instrumentation. But I am glad that they were clear because their vocals in this song were a nice element. Besides the chorus explosion, I thought the delayed and staggered explosive nature of the final chorus was a really great way to make the song less repetitive and more interesting. (8/10)
5. One Love (묻고싶다) – I like the overall sound of One Love. It starts off as a typical R&B song, but it picks up into something a little more upbeat and intriguing. I really like the slight twist that follows the main chorus (the ‘One Love…’ lines) because it gave a punch to the song, which made it enjoyable (and hence that ‘typical’ nature disappeared). What makes this song even better is that it showcases the rappers (Daniel, Jihoon, Guanlin and Woojin), who usually do not get much limelight in some of the group’s other songs. The vocalists were also amazing, but I felt the song did the rappers justice. (8/10)
6. Deeper – Deeper is my pick for the most aesthetic song on the entire album. Not just the lyrics but I thought the sound was rather aesthetically pleasing. I thought the vocals (excluding the chorus vocals) and the raps had a heavy tone to them, which I guess goes hand-in-hand with the ‘Deeper’ title. I thought their echo-y ‘Deeper’ to be a very strong and interesting hook to the song. The vocals at this part seem to be like shouting, which contrasts nicely with the rest of the deep and husky vocals/raps you hear in the song. I thought the instrumental was nice, which went for a piano and drum beat mix. (8/10)
7. Hide And Seek (술래) – Hide And Seek is similar to slow ballad-like song on this album. Like most songs on the album, the vocals are quite crisp and clear. I thought the rapping added a nice dynamic to the song, particularly during the bridge. The melody of this song was decent, making me sway along to it. The only issue is that it doesn’t lose that typical feeling. It just feels like any ballad and that doesn’t really live up to the standard set by the other songs on the album. Hence, I find it to be the least captivating. But don’t misunderstand, the song isn’t terrible in any way. (6.5/10)
8. Awake – I think if we were to pick one member who stood out in the synth-heavy Awake, it would have to be Woojin. His rap sections were just so amazing. I really like the fast tempo of the song during the chorus and the upbeat nature was quite addictive. Vocally, the song was awesome. I thought the people who sang the chorus had the best bit of the song (besides Woojin’s rap sequences). It is one song that I personally want to see a performance, as I think they can nail it a dance to this song. Personally, it is one of my favourite tracks on the album. (9/10)
9. 12th Star – This song is only present on the physical album, so I wasn’t going to review it. However, after checking a lyric video for it on YouTube, it will be rather disappointing to miss out on talking about this ballad. There is a lot of emotion in this song, which you can hear behind the voices of both singers and rappers. I liked the many attempts to keep the song from becoming too repetitive, which is a common occurrence in ballads. The harmonizing at the end and the slight stillness in the instrumental kept the song appealing and impactful. (8/10)
10. Pine Tree (소나무) – Pine Tree is a touching tribute to their parents. It is a pop ballad that sums up their gratitude to those who raised them from young. With such an emotional song, you can’t help but wonder how their parents reacted to the song. Surely, some tears were shed, and smiles were formed. I felt like every member shined in this song. I am not saying that because it was for their parents. But I genuinely thought everyone was well-balanced with one another and no one really became showcased, so it was not just a song for their own parents but for each other’s parents, as well. (9/10)
11. Beautiful(Part II) – When I first heard the highlight medley, I was automatically drawn to this track. The reasons were obvious. It has a more pronounced ballad feel, with the much slower and more orchestral heavy instrumental in the background. There are a few familiar melodies and moments from Part 1, with a number of tweaks throughout the song. I like how with some of the lines that were the same between the two songs were sung in a different manner in this one, giving a new form to the older song. The rappers also had a fair amount of singing lines in this song, which I thought was nice (as they have good voices). Overall, Beautiful (Part 2) is a beautiful ending to the album. (10/10)
Baek A Yeon is the second artist to make their comeback today. The soloist from JYP Entertainment returned with Sorry To Myself, which is the title track off her fourth mini-album, Dear Me. This is her first comeback since Sweet Lies (featuring The Barberettes), which was released at the start of last year.
Sorry To Myself, as expected from the title, is a very emotionally driven ballad. Baek Ah Yeon’s recent title tracks have been of the brighter nature, so it is nice to see something different than the usual. Honestly, I had the chose to two ballads to review today and I chose this one because I was more drawn to it. There is something about her voice that makes the song sound so heartbreaking and desperate. Maybe it is because you can hear a hint of innocence, which makes the song so much more impactful. I really like the melody in the chorus, which I believe to be the strongest peak of the song. As for the instrumentation, there isn’t anything special about it. Instead, it is rather standard. But besides that, it is a good song.
The music video shows a heartbroken girl, who is reminded of her ex-partner through many things. We are treated to a number of flashbacks during their happy memories, to make sense to why apples and a rubber duck keychain makes her sad (i.e. fond memories of her partner). We are then shown the moment they break up, which is the start of her devastation. I thought the actress’ acting was amazing, especially during the scenes where she is all alone. She took the emotion behind the vocals and portrayed it successfully in the video. From what I saw I think there was a turning point where she started to retreat in a confident manner, which went extremely well with the ‘He doesn’t deserve to be hated’ lyrics.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
This is the comeback that I have been waiting for all week. EXID has finally returned, along with Solji who has been absent from group promotions for almost two years now! Welcome back Solji! Their comeback single is titled as I Love You and is their first comeback since Lady, which was released back in April. Since then, the group (with Solji) made their official Japanese debut with their hit track, Up & Down.
I Love You opens up with the most addictive hook of the year. I have no idea if I will find it annoying in the future, but at the moment, I am totally digging it. It is definitely attention-grabbing. The verses were good but there isn’t much to talk about. I like how the chorus comes into play. Both Hyelin and Solji have ‘louder’ sections with their vocals jumping right at you. It is unexpecting but it manages to fit in. To avoid being too repetitive, the song takes a change for the second verse, becoming a lot more techno-y and much sexier. I love Hani’s whisper that comes at the end of the verse, which I thought was another highlight of the song. I do think the Solji’s high note at the end clashed with the song, making the ending appear slightly messy. But other than that, I Love You is probably my next favourite song.
Hopefully, you did not gag throughout this music video. EXID did a lot of gagging, which seems a little odd at first. I had a quick look at the lyrics but they don’t really fit the gagging into the song. It seems like there is some sort of regret going on, as Hani changes the course of the video to prevent each member from gagging/throwing up by editing some footage, which allows everyone to spend a more enjoyable night. And the worst thing after a night out is the hangover in the morning! I liked the comedic effect the video touched on and the Elmo character in the background for some of the scenes. The music video was also very colourful, which I thought added to the atmosphere of the video.
And I love the choreography. The moves associated to the hook were simple and can potentially rival their Up & Down hip thrust that drove them to the top of the charts. It was also sexy and oozed confidence, which is right up EXID’s alley. I also thought it was rather interesting they staggered the same dance move in the middle of the song, which I thought was a nice effect.
Song – 9.5/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
HIGHLIGHT is back with their third mini-album, Outro. This is the group’s first comeback since Celebrate (the group’s second mini-album under the name HIGHLIGHT), which featured the title track Can Be Better. The title track for Outro is Loved and it is also the first single to not feature Doojoon, who is currently carrying out his military enlistment. I believe this is also the group’s last release for the time being as other members will be enlisting in the next year. But in the meanwhile, let’s have a look at Loved.
The song started off as your standard dance track. The start felt very ‘done-before’, leaving the start to be underwhelming to my ears. However, the song started to pick up around Junhyung’s rap. From then on, the song started to gain momentum. But my most favourite part was the chorus. While the concept was rather ‘done-before’, it was totally awesome. The kick the distorted violin gave was much needed and very attention-grabbing. The way it presented was rather bold and I liked that. It did remind me of Ribbon, which also had violins of the same nature. The vocals were pretty good overall, with all the members doing an amazing job. I particularly like the autotuned ‘사랑했나봐’ just before the chorus. I also liked how mature it sounded, compared to their title tracks from last year which I wasn’t much of a fan of.
I liked the way the video was shot. It seems to show the actress walking through each of the member’s scenes and then the HIGHLIGHT members turning up a second too late. It doesn’t sound like a very normalised topic when it comes to Korean media but I think it was well shot. It goes hand-in-hand with the lyrics, particularly the ‘I will wait for you’ line towards the end of the song. I also like the choreography shots. Especially, the change between lack of colour to an infusion of colour, which resulted in some life and energy to the video.
The choreography, from what I can see in the music video, looks amazing. I think the chorus looked really cool and the staggering that they do with the backup dancers for the second half of the chorus was extremely smart and allowed for some aesthetics. I would like to see what else the dance will offer, so most likely I will return to update this section.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 (I will return to update this section) Overall Rating – 8.5/10
Wanna One has returned with what could be their last album release before their scheduled disbandment at the end of the year. The album is titled 1¹¹=1 (Power Of Destiny) and it features the title track, Spring Breeze. But despite the talk of this being their last release, there are ongoing rumours that are giving fans some hopefulness of contract extensions, with concert venues booked for January of the next year and the need to represent Wanna One at the award shows occurring at the start of next year. Whatever the outcome is, Wanna One and their influence will never be forgotten!
Spring Breeze is another dance track to add to Wanna One’s portfolio with the inclusion of some synth pop in the background. Like the song’s title and lyrics, the song felt fitting for a nice breezy day. You know those scenes with long grass on a nice sunny day with a constant breeze. That’s the day I am imagining when I listen to this song. I was quite surprised by the final outcome of the track, as I thought they would have gone with something a little more ‘Energetic‘ or upbeat. But they went with calming and soothing, instead. Like Beautiful, Spring Breeze zone right into the group’s vocals which I thought were nice, overall. The raps, on the other hand, were underwhelming for me. I guess I something a little more hard-hitting when it came to the raps, rather than rap-speaking. I think the way they ended the song, with all the members joining in, was an excellent way to close the song but also close this chapter with each other.
While there are many ways to interpret a song and a music video, if you are given the context you can only interpret them one way. There is no doubt that this is what I am doing with this comeback as it seems to be the right interpretation. The video shows the members having fun with each other. They enjoy each other’s company through the many interactions together. I particularly like the panning from left to right just before the choruses, which shows the members just doing that, similar to their chorus in I.P.U. But their close-ups show something else. The members look very passionate and intense in their close-ups, which could potentially be showing how sad they are in regards to their end. I found those scenes to be heartbreaking yet touching. I thought the choreography scenes looked spectacular with regards to the grand sets they had.
[Updated: My original comments still stand] We do not get to see much of their dance in the music video and their first live performance isn’t until this Thursday. However, the music video shows what I think will be the highlights and the main pointers to their choreography. I liked how they fitted their dancing into the slower tempo and how it looked extremely graceful. My favourite bit has to be the choreography for the first half of the first chorus (when Jaehwan starts singing). Their movements were so fluid yet strong in a subtle way.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 10/10 Performance – 9/10 [Updated: Original Performance Score Remains] Overall Rating – 9.3/10
KPOPREVIEWED 