Month: July 2019

[Special] Produce X 101 Music Review

Posted in KPOP, Reviews, SpecialTagged 2 Comments

This is another long post. You have been warned. 

Another season of the Produce 101 series wrapped up. The season is a little different to the previous few and it all revolves around the letter X in the new season’s name, Produce X 101. For example, the season introduced the X grade (a lower ranking than the F grade); and that the top 10 trainees (selected based on the votes from the public during the final voting period alone) and an X member (the member with the most accumulated votes from the entire season) would go on to debut in the final group, X1. In the end, the 11 members debuting as part of X1 later this year are Kim Yo Han, Kim Woo Seok, Han Seungwoo, Song Hyeong Jun, Cho Seungyoun, Son Dong Pyo, Lee Han Gyul, Nam Do Hyun, Cha Jun Ho, Kang Min Hee and Lee Eun Sang.

Per usual, I didn’t tune into the program until the 3rd round when they performed their Concept Evaluation stage. This is the round which introduces original tracks in which the members would present on stage for the third round of votes. For this review, I will be focusing on these five songs, along with X1-MA and the few extra tracks they performed on stage during the final episode. Due to the length of this post, you can find the performances in the playlist at the bottom of the page.

X1-MA
Performers: Produce X 101 Trainees

X1-MA is, by far, the least annoying out of the theme tracks. Right off the bat, it takes on board an EDM instrumental like its preceding tracks. But it is not as catchy as Pick Me or Nayana, which might be the reason why I don’t see much fanfare from the track. However, X1-MA makes up this potential flaw with a palatable pop-leaning melody that makes the song enjoyable (and less annoying over time). I find the dance breaks to be quite cool. It amps up the EDM and features a bit of electric guitar as well. Pretty dynamic. Like the instrumental, I find the vocals to not be in-your-face, which also contributes to that less annoying factor. As for the dance moves, the X gesture features a lot. Apart from that, there isn’t that catchy move (as far as I am aware) and the overall performance looked fairly complicated. But it looks good and when on stage with 101 members, it looked cool! The dance break has to be the best bit for me.

Pretty Girl (이뻐 이뻐)
Group: Crayon Pastel (크레파스)
Trainees: Son Dong Pyo, Ham Won Jin, Kang Min Hee, Koo Jung Moo, Song Hyeong Jun, Lee Jin Woo

As much I dislike the cutesy concept, I really can’t complain about it here since this is what was given to their team. However, I found the track to be quite fun and playful, which is what I am sure is the intention of a song like this. The track had nice hooks, especially the ‘Pretty Pretty‘, which wasn’t repeated too much. I also liked the pop instrumental but really enjoyed the change-up with the electric guitar for the bridge. The vocals were good. There are two things that I was left questioning. The choruses ended up going soft, which I wasn’t sure why. And the rapping felt weak in this track, which was slightly disappointing. As for the performance, I found the moves to be nice and it managed to show that youthful and innocent side as one would expect for a song like this.

U Got It
Group:  Got U (갓츄)
Members: Kim Woo Seok, Hwang Yun Seong, Han Seung Woo, Cha Jun Ho, Kim Yo Han, Lee Eun Sang

I think U Got It can be passed off as a track for a number of active male groups in the industry. But its typicalness won’t get it to the title track status. It is a dance-pop track that feels quite ordinary and better served as a B-side track on an album. That being said, I did like the focus on the raps during the verses and vocals during the chorus (which is why I say it can be a track for a number of male groups, especially with many debuting with rappers). Though, I think the group would have benefited if the song was slightly more aggressive, that way the song could have come off as more interesting and bold. There was a nice melody and it was decently catchy. The dance moves were good and I liked their formations. I also thought it was good that they didn’t become shy regarding their dance moves, giving fans a chance to see something captivating.

Monday To Sunday
Group: Daily Vitamin (데일리 비타민)
Members:  Tony, Lee Se Jin, Lee Hyeop, Kim Min Kyu, Kim Dong Yun, Nam Do Hyun, Joo Chang Uk

Monday to Sunday starts off slow and slowly builds to find its footing during the chorus by adding a club beat to make it a little more dynamic for listeners. And I quite like this, as they keep on going back from slow to upbeat, which keeps the song interesting. I find the chorus to be catchy since the melody felt very simple yet smooth sounding. The vocals were impressive within this group, especially with that high note. And I really like the rapping just before the second chorus, which really packs an unsuspecting punch as it does come out of nowhere. The performance looked cool. Their moves were good. While the song did have a somewhat serious atmosphere thanks to the instrumentation, I thought the members did well by keeping it lighthearted with some smiles. This went well with the lyrics of the track, which was all about meeting their lover during the week. It also felt like they managed to strike a fine balance with the atmosphere as well.

Super Special Girl
Group: MamMam (맴맴)
Members: Kim Si Hun, Park Sun Ho, Song Yu Vin, Choi Su Hwan, Kang Hyeon Su, Keum Dong Hyun

Super Special Girl stands out for its energy. From the very first second, the song is loaded with a bright upbeat energy that really makes me want to groove along. It also feels very appropriate for the Summer season in which the show was aired. The brass in the instrumental adds to the energy and makes the track quite catchy (in addition to the hooks. My favourite was the ‘I Go I Go‘ part). The vocals here are quite strong for a fast dance track like this. And the rappers were exceptionally powerful with their parts, evenly showcasing all of the member’s potential. The performance is probably the most intense yet. They were constantly moving and at times, you could hear out that they were slightly out of breath. Despite that though, they pulled off a really fun and energetic performance, which I think is an amazing feat to do.

Move (움직여)
Group: SIXC (6 crazy)
Members: Cho Seung Youn, Kim Hyeon Bin, Lee Jin Hyuk, Kim Kook Heon, Lee Han Gyul, Choi Byung Chan

Move is probably the most intense track on the list of 5 Concepts. The start made it sound like the intensity we would get from a tough KPOP group. But as the song progressed, it loses this particular form of intensity and opted for something a little wilder. The track is also produced by Zico, who I am most familiar with and you can sense the hip-hop influence during the chorus. I find flute in the chorus still intense but in a more subtle manner. The vocals were good but I think the song really let the rappers shined more.  It is also a dance track that manages to show off the group’s potential in the dance department. The moves showcased here were quite cool. But it is the song’s wild side that I thought was well portrayed on stage, which keeps the performance from going into a strict dance routine and allowed a little more freedom on stage.

To My World
Members: Han Seung Woo, Lee Eun Sang, Kim Min Kyu, Lee Se Jin, Cha Jun Ho, Kim Yo Han, Keum Dong Hyun, Cho Seung Youn, Hwang Yun Seong, Song Hyung Jun

Well, they always say leave the best to last. And I think Produce X 101 did just that with the songs. One of the three tracks performed live during the final episode was To My World, a very dynamic and intriguing track performed by half of the final 20 trainees. It is a dance track that features catchy saxophones in the background and an addictive post-chorus hook that I thought was very smooth and very sleek. The track isn’t too intense and it is not underwhelming. Instead, it manages to be well-balanced in all regards. A similar comment could be made about the choreography. The best part of the entire performance has to the routine during the post-chorus hook. However, overall, I found the performance to bring forward very masculine and alluring energy, which I think suits the song so well. Their outfits were perfect for the performance for the same reasons. Out of all the tracks on this review, I think my favourite has to be this one!

Boyness (소년미)
Members: Ham Won Jin, Kang Min Hee, Tony, Koo Jung Mo, Lee Han Gyul, Nam Do Hyun, Song Dong Pyo, Song Yu Vin, Lee Jin Hyuk, Kim Woo Seok

Boyness started off with a more elegant and soft introduction. There is almost a sensual vibe that comes for this paced beginning and during the verses. But it slowly builds up to a club-like dance track. It is a bold route to take given the soft start. But the contrast really manages to make it captivating, especially how the song effortless moves between each section. The vocals were amazing in the track, with falsettos everywhere. The rapping was also quite cool, adding that masculine vibe to the song. And I like how the song goes full circle, ending like how it started. The elegance is revisited, reminding us what type of track it is. And I thought the performance managed to showcase the song in a similar manner. Slow movements during the slower parts and vice versa for the faster sections. The start reminded me of a blooming flower and I thought the red ribbon was a nice smooth touch to the performance, emphasising the smoothness of the entire routine.

Dream For You
Performers: Top 20 Trainees

Finishing off the entire season of Produce X 101 is a ballad. It keeps with the tradition, ending this chapter of their careers with a touching track and thanking those around them for supporting them this far. I don’t think any track is going to top Always on an emotional level. But Dream For You manages to still be touching and reflective at the same time. The vocalists shined with a beautiful melody during the chorus and the rappers had decent sections to contribute in this track. We all know how tricky ballads can be for rappers. The instrumental, when I guess the occasion doesn’t force you to cry, was rather pleasant and soothing to an extent. It was also nice to see the trainees in different pastel coloured outfits, as opposed to their uniform as previous seasons did. Overall, I thought it was another nice track to end the season.

And that is all. These are the new songs from the latest season of Produce X 101. Hope you enjoyed this review and agree with some of my thoughts. For the trainees, they have come so far. After reviewing KPOP releases for many years (almost 8 years now), I know how tough the industry can be. So, I hope every trainee who participated this season well with all future endeavours. We will obviously see some members return in the coming months as they rejoin their old groups or debut as solo artists. And I wish the very best for X1 as they prepare for their debut.

Thanks for checking out my review and I will see you all again for the next special post!

[Review] Tag Tag Tag – VERIVERY

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It can definitely be said that VERIVERY has very big shoes to fill. With the impending military enlistment for all of the VIXX members, the senior male group has been focusing on solo activities (and my guess is that they will be all leaving to enlist soon). This leaves VERIVERY and Gugudan to carry the torch that VIXX has lit for their company. Today, VERIVERY returns with a new single, Tag Tag Tag and Veri-Chill (the group’s latest single album). This is the group’s first comeback since From Now, which was released a few months back.

Tag Tag Tag doesn’t strike me as a song that breaks ground. While the members do seem to push themselves with a more energetic and memorable pop song, this ‘heard before’ feeling was my initial thought. But with every listen I have given the song since, I am noticing a lot of new things that the song manages to do well. But that typical feel still hangs over my head. The song manages to show a convergence between a mature sound and the group’s usually energetic dance style. And I like this convergence. I just wished it managed to pick up something that makes me become more amazed. The energy was definitely a major plus. It fits the idea of using a game of tag to get closer to your lover. So the upbeat atmosphere does drive you towards that activeness. I really like how they voiced their vocals. They seemed to push themselves to stand out over the vocals, which I enjoyed. But the rapping was my favourite bit. It provided that extra intensity to the song, which in turns makes this a loaded track. The hooks are fast becoming catchy, giving that memorable element.

When we think of Jellyfish Entertainment, we all think of VIXX and their dark concepts. This music video leads us back into that dark concept with a haunted house, which the members play tag in. But it is done in a more youthful manner that wouldn’t fit VIXX.  We don’t get a sense of the creepiness until they play blindfold tag, where we see unrecognisable feet as they are playing and one member (who was it) removes his blindfold to reveal no one there. We get a sense that things are a lot more seriously creepy when their phones start picking up faces that are not there. Or when, the member who just stands there smiling, while something is registered in the background. Or that someone was watching them while they were playing outside.  Or that someone took a picture of the guy who was the seeker. The ending was probably the biggest shocker (even though I think we all saw it coming), as it reveals that one of the members was the barefooted entity all along. Very interesting video.

The choreography seems to return VERIVERY to their usual youthful style, which I guess is more fitting than infusing some horror to the stage. After all, the song is all about a game of tag. I like the energy is showcased as part of the performance and the moves that I saw looked pretty nice.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 9.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10

[Album Review] Exodus / Love Me Right (2nd Studio & Repackaged Albums) – EXO

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As this is a studio/repackaged album review, this post will be lengthy. 

I have probably repeated myself so many times but EXO has recently focused on unit and solo promotions since they are at the stage of impending military enlistments. However, in the midst of all these solo debuts, special singles and unit formations, I have been craving an EXO group comeback. But I don’t think that is going to happen any time soon given the circumstances. So I decided to revisit one of their old albums. EXODUS was released in March 2015, with the lead single Call Me Baby (link below). Love Me Right was the repackaged version of EXODUS, was released on June 2015 and it featured Love Me Right as the title track. With these two singles in mind, let’s have a look at the other songs on the album as well.

exo-lovemeright-exodus-2
EXODUS Album Cover

1..Love Me Right (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Love Me Right (10/10)

2. Tender Love – Tender Love dabbles into the retro-funk genre. It is a nice piece overall that had a few good moments, such as electronic 8-bit tune-like. There were some moments that I wasn’t that fond of, such as the crowd clapping sample they used for the bridge. It showed off some nice vocal and rapping work, which I enjoyed. The song did feel like it went for a longer length than its 3.5-minute run, thanks to the ‘Tender Love’ repetitive chorus. Not exactly sure how I feel about this prolongment feeling but I guess no negative feeling towards it is a good thing. (7.5/10)

3. Call Me Baby (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Call Me Baby. (7/10)

4. Transformer – To me, Transformer was a passable track. It does have an interesting melody, something I wished should have shined more brightly with a more dynamic set of vocals. The lyrics were begging for something more interesting yet what we ended up getting felt monotone to an extent. The instrumental delved into the hip-hop genre, which I thought was nice considering that EXO doesn’t often go that route (i.e. they are not necessarily known for their hip-hop tracks). What I thought was nailed was the rapping, which stood out over everything. Good job to Chanyeol, Sehun and Kai for that. (6/10)

5. What If (시선 둘, 시선 하나) –What If is a ballad. It was quite slow, and this is probably the only thing that works against the song. Apart from that, the song features amazing vocals and the harmonies are to die for. The song had a fragile touch thanks to the lyrics. It is a song heavy on emotions without being emotional. While the vocals were amazing, the vocals didn’t overpower the track, giving it a well-balanced aspect. The chorus featured whispering vocals, allowing all the members to come together in a way that gave a delicate touch to the song. (8/10)

6. My Answer – Following What if, My Answer is an even slower ballad that features the vocals of Baekhyun, D.O and Suho only. And if I was, to be honest, you only need these three vocalists from EXO-K to make a standout ballad. The melody was nice and flowy, as you would hope for any good ballad. What sets this track apart further from What If that it only features a piano as its instrumental. No need for violins or classical instrumentation, the piano does all the tone set here. (8/10)

exo-lovemeright-2
Love Me Right Album Cover

7. Exodus – Returning the album to its upbeat form is Exodus. It is a good track, only suffering from the ‘standard’ issue that I feel like EXO does suffer from time to time. There were a few aspects that made this track stand out, including the slight hip-hop tinge to the instrumental, the catchy chorus and the showcase of vocals. It might sound like I am praising the song, but when I compare this track to the rest on this album, it felt ordinary at best. (7/10)

8. El Dorado – Listening to El Dorado, I think the track has the potential to be part of an action-packed fantasy show, thanks to the epic vibes. I liked the vocals in the song and how they opted for the inclusion of all the members for the chorus. The rapping was very cool, especially the trio’s part at the end of the bridge. The only part that I still don’t like to this day is the ‘Find the El dorado’. It just feels like an awkward opener to the chorus. (8/10)

9. Playboy – To me, one of the most skippable songs on the album is Playboy. There really isn’t anything too interesting about the track. The rapping and vocals would be my pick for the highlight. But that is something I would mention quite often. The jazzy, almost elevator-music like instrumental felt like it was repeating itself as the song went by in a fashion that felt boring. I did like the direction, but the track felt underwhelming overall. (6/10)

10. First Love – First Love was included in the repackaged version of Exodus (Love Me Right). It is a cheerful track that takes the form of a pop track. I acknowledge that the instrumentation brings forth the happy vibes, but it felt plain. And I think the plainness rubbed off on the vocals and rapping (which felt like it was an unnecessary part in general). Sure, the song wasn’t set up to show high notes and fast rapping. But I felt these elements were not shown off as well as they could have been. (6/10)

11. Hurt – I find EXO is better with either straight up ballads or upbeat dance tracks. Hurt goes for the latter and showcases a track that could have easily been a contender for the title track position (if it was slightly more aggressive). The member that shone the most was Chanyeol, whose deep voice was well presented and utilised, such as the ‘So Bad So Bad’ detail in the chorus. One thing I did notice was that the song lacked intensity during the vocal sections of the song. But they compensated by providing the intensity during the dance break in one dynamic go. (8/10)

12. Lady Luck (유성우) – Lady Luck is probably the surprising standout track on the album besides the title track. This too could have been a title track (and there isn’t a need to polish it in any way!). I really like the guitar that featured in the instrumental. It kept the song from going overload with synths and provided an acoustic touch to the dance track. The glitchy breakdown came out of nowhere but it managed to show how the song was building as it went along. It was also catchy and memorable. (9/10)

13. Beautiful – I think Beautiful was another great track. It is one of the few tracks that don’t fall within that preferred ‘ballad or dance track’ scenario. Instead, there it is a nice soothing track. It is slow but not enough to be considered a ballad. Its instrumental feels like it is flowing over you as you are listening, like water flowing over you while you are swimming in the ocean. I like the overlapping of the vocals for the chorus, which gave off an interesting texture and gave it some memorability. (9/10)

14. EXO, 2014 (약속) – This song, otherwise known as Promise, was sung by all the members of EXO (including what was left of EXO-M). I found the ballad to be extremely touching and you can feel the emotions behind the members’ voices. Chanyeol’s rapping was probably my favourite part. His delivery was so intense, bringing the emotions of the song to another level. However, every member sounded amazing nonetheless in this ballad, which reaffirms their commitment to their fans who stuck by them during the hard times. (10/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.8/10

exo-lovemeright-3
Love Me Right Teaser Image

[Review] Icy – ITZY

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ITZY is currently one of the biggest girl group debuts of the year. Their DALLA DALLA debut back in February pushed them towards the top of the industry, with the track becoming immensely popular throughout the KPOP world. And they continue to push forward with their very first comeback! Returning today, the group released the music video for ICY at midnight (KST) and their first mini-album, IT’z ICY, at 6PM (KST – just a few hours ago).

ICY is loaded from the very start and it gets you with its infectious beat. I like how the song doesn’t take a breather. As they approached the slightly less upbeat sections (such as the pre-chorus), you would expect some slow energy. But the song builds up suspense instead, keeping you hooked to the song. I like the funky and grooviness of the instrumental, which kept me hooked. And I like how they incorporated a hip-hop vibe to the song, despite its instrumentation leaning towards a different direction. Their vocals seem to be the weakest aspect. They were pushing too hard to stay on top of the instrumental.  The hooks were interesting. I didn’t like how they framed the chorus initially. But given the infectious nature of the song, the chorus has grown immensely. The final weak point of the song has to be the dance break.  As much as I think an intense dance break was ideal, I felt this one was a little too awkward. It didn’t feel balanced with the rest of the track. Maybe they went down a little too low for my liking or it just didn’t carry enough of the upbeat energy to get my approval.

I personally liked their approach with the music video. The lighting, camera angles, quality and the setting overall reminded me of TWICE’s Likey music video. They had the background actors stare at the ITZY members, who were flaunting their confidence to the public. The actor’s expressions, however, were a little not so convincing. Their amazement didn’t seem like they were amazed. But I guess they did that to further highlight the confidence. I think my favourite part has to be the final montage when they were on the electric tram.

The dance was pretty good. The chorus was very underwhelming, especially since it had all the hooks loaded in the song. But I enjoyed every other part. I liked how they slowly added each member to the start of the dance. I thought that looked quite cool. The dance break choreography also looked cool and edgy. Just the music wasn’t too my liking. And I thought their final choreography montage was the best bit overall!

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

[Album Review] BXXX (2nd Mini Album) – Ha Sung Woon (HOTSHOT)

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It is time to return to solo acts. Hahaha… As far as I know (at this stage), this is the only solo act album review I will be doing for the time being (I have decided to drop Kang Daniel’s solo debut mini-album as I didn’t find anything interesting on the album. Apologies ahead of time, if that is what you are expecting). Today, we will be looking closely at Ha Sungwoon, who is already onto his second mini-album, BXXX. I skipped his first mini-album (My Moment) for the exact same reason why I am skipping Kang Daniel’s. But this time around, with a more dynamic title track, I thought the album had a little more to offer. And that is why we are here today!

hasungwoon-bxxx-2
BXXX Album Cover

1..Bluemaze – Starting off the BXXX album is Bluemaze. I have listened to it a few times now and I am slowly falling for it. There are a few reasons to why Bluemaze. The song has a very soothing and chilled tone, which makes it so appealing to listen to. There is a modern touch to the song, thanks to the instrumental. It’s a complex mix from what I can hear. But they do it without feeling too heavy, which is totally great! Ha Sungwoon’s vocals shine throughout. His falsetto helps makes the track extra soothing and (to an extent) help form a memorable sound to the song. (8.5/10)

2. Blue (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Blue. (9/10)

3. Riding (Pre-Release Track) (ft. Gaeko from Dynamic Duo) – Riding was released 5th of June, a month prior to the release of the album. It is a pop track that seems to dabble a bit into R&B as well. It is a pleasant tune to put on in the background. I thought Sungwoon was well-showcased, vocally. Especially in the choruses. I really like the song’s melody, which I can thank the amount of listens I have given the song already (as we have been listening to the track for almost two months now). Gaeko’s part was probably the most forgettable and he didn’t really seem to add much to the atmosphere. (7/10)

4. Excuse Me – Excuse Me starts off with some acoustic guitars, which were then masked away into the background of this nice sounding track. While the song did have a nice tone to it and a somewhat playful vibe, the instrumental gave it a very typical feel. Sungwoon sounds nice but it seems like this typical feel just spread over to the vocals as well. Basically, what I am saying is that Excuse Me had a ‘done before’ type of aura coming from it. So, it wasn’t impressive. But don’t get me wrong. Excuse Me is not a horrible song and still has a pleasant atmosphere surrounding it. I found the chorus to have a nice ring to it, thanks to the ‘Excuse Me’ repetition found at the end of each chorus. (7/10)

5. What Are You Doing Today? – Right from the very start, we are shown the more playful and whimsical side of Ha Sungwoon for the track. There is bright energy from the song, suitable for Ha Sungwoon to ask his lover to have some fun and run away from the stresses of life. It’s upbeat and puts you into a good mood as soon as the chorus is played. I liked his vocals in this track, as it is something we haven’t heard on this album. I like his falsettos. Come ot the think of it, his vocals do remind me of his last title track, Bird. Overall, a nice ender to the album. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.1/10

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BXXX Teaser Image

[Weekly Chart] 4th Week of July 2019

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Welcome back to the Weekly Chart segment of my site. As I restart my studies this week, I ave already be flooded with so much work. So this week will be a very quick one. In the meanwhile, I hope you enjoyed the many releases this week (and my reviews). Next week will be quite similar to more groups return. So expect many more reviews! Until then, let’s look at the charts for this week!

Remaining in the top spot this week’s is DAY6’s Time of Our Life. Congratulations to the band! Rising to the second position is Pentagon’s Humph!. while KNK’s Sunset jumped up one position to the third position. NCT Dream’s returned on Friday with Boom and they find themselves in the fourth position, while Ailee rounds out the Top 5 this week with Room Shaker. Scroll down below to find the rest of the charts and to see where the other comebacks this week are placed.

21st Jul – 27th Jul 2019
Title Artist Status
1 Time Of Our Life DAY6 (=)
2 Humph! Pentagon (▲ 10)
3 Sunset KNK (▲ 1)
4 Boom NCT Dream (new)
5 Room Shaker Ailee (▲ 6)
6 Movie Star CIX (new)
7 What Are You Up To Kang Daniel (new)
8 What A Life EXO-SC (new)
9 Snapping Chungha (▼ 2)
10 Side Effects Stray Kids (▼ 7)
11 FACE Woosung (The Rose) (new)
12 Blue Ha Sungwoon (HOTSHOT) (▲ 9)
13 RPM SF9 (▼ 8)
14 Uh-Oh (G)I-DLE (▲ 9)
15 Zimzalabim Red Velvet (▲ 2)
16 Goblin Sulli (▲ 13)
17 Me CLC (▼ 15)
18 Gleam Mamamoo (new)
19 Give Me More VAV (new)
20 Wave ATEEZ (▼ 2)
21 Twilight ONEUS (▼ 13)
22 Fever Gfriend (▼ 13)
23 I’m So Pretty NATURE (▼ 10)
24 Romanticism Leo (VIXX) (▲ 13)
25 Boogie Up WJSN (Cosmic Girls) (▼ 9)
26 Red Sun (021) GWSN (new)
27 Insomnia Euijin (BIGFLO) (▼ 1)
28 Don’t Need Your Love NCT Dream & HRVY (▲ 2)
29 DOOM DOOM NOIR (▼ 19)
30 That’s Okay D.O (EXO) (▲ 5)

Songs leaving the charts this week are:

  • Oh! Oh! – Berry Good
  • Let’s Get Loud – We In The Zone
  • No One – Lee Hi ft. B.I (iKON)
  • Twilight ONEUS
  • Me – CLC
  • Riding – Ha Sungwoon (HOTSHOT) [Leaving The Charts Early]
  • CC – CICI [Leaving The Charts Early]
  • I’m On Fire – Eun Ji Won [Leaving The Charts Early]
  • Flash, Party! – Zelo [Leaving The Charts Early]
  • De-aeseohsta – Honey Popcorn [Leaving The Charts Early]

Thank you once again and I will see you all during the week!

[Review] X-Phenomenon – Monsta X

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Monsta X is one of the (now) many groups leading the charge of KPOP into North America and the world! The group recently embarked on a world tour after wrapping up their Alligator promotions. Despite that heavy schedule, the group released the Japanese version of Alligator back in May, featured on the animated We Bare Bears TV show and released a number of English tracks including Who Do U Love?. And now, the group has returned back to Japan with a brand new original single, X-Phenomenon, which is due for an official release in August.

To me, there are two versions of Monsta X converging for the release of X-Phenomenon. The verses showcase a current form of Monsta X. There was intensity to the verses but it felt like the type of sound we would have gotten from the group over the last few years. The more melodic sections prior to the chorus give an opportunity for the vocalists to shine (due to the makeup of the song) and is a newer side of Monsta X we haven’t seen in a title track yet. But I would put this with current Monsta X. Once we launch into the dubstep heavy chorus, it is like we were launched back to the early days of Monsta X. The instrumental is a lot more mature and tame in comparison to their earlier releases. But I feel a similar vibe and kick coming from it. I think the rappers shined brightly in the song. Their respective sections definitely had the most oomph to it, which I really liked. Personally, I liked their many change-ups in this song. Though, I wasn’t a fan of them standalone. Also, since the song wraps up in literally 3 minutes, it felt quite short, which was a little disappointing for me.

Best editing award for a music video this year has to go to this video. based on the shot footage, I didn’t get too much of an edgy vibe, which was called for by the song. But it was the editing that compensated for this. The framing, the transition, the overlays. It was like the editor turned a dial to amp up the edginess of the music video and succeeded by turning that dial to the right degree. I also like the member’s visuals for this music video.

The dancing is quite cool. From what I saw in the music video, the majority of their moves manage to pack a punch and channel the song’s energy appropriately. Not sure about how the ‘slow parts’ of the song will turn out but I am assuming that it will be channelling he appropriate energy levels as well.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.3/10

[Album Review] The Book Of Us: Gravity (5th Mini Album) – DAY6

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I am going to start off my album review which is essentially a spoiler for what is to come. This is DAY6’s best album ever! And probably one of the best albums of the year! DAY6 returned last week with The Book of Us: Gravity, their 5th mini-album, which features the title track, Time of Our Life. This is also the comeback that earned their first music show win, with Time of Our Life win the number 1 spot on both Show Champion and MCountdown for the week. Congratulations to the band and let’s hope there is more on the way!

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The Book of Us: Gravity Album Cover

1..For Me – The album opens up with For Me. It isn’t a full-on head-banging song. But its upbeat nature seems to be a great way to ease us into what is upcoming in the next track. Instead, the track a little more warm and mellow. One of the things that stand out in this track is the instrumentation. It is the defining element that gives the song its easy-going and pleasant nature. The vocals were what have the song its mellow characteristic and I really enjoyed the melody in the track. It is definitely a nice opener that you need to check out! (9/10)

2. Time Of Our Life (한 페이지가 될 수 있게) – Click here to read the full review for Time Of Our Life. (10/10)

3. How To Love – How To Love strips away the intensity that we were inundated in the preceding track. It also stirps away that energy, opting for something more carefree and flowy. With this feeling in mind, the chorus stands out by miles and sounds amazing. The vocals in the chorus were beautifully done, with those falsettos sounding perfect for the song. I really like the atmosphere they created with not only the melody and their voices but also the background shouting they used to divide the chorus. It is a little unique and the way they utilised this really help boost the interesting side of the track. (8.5/10)

4. Wanna Go Back (돌아갈래요) – Wanna Go Back talks about the desire to return to the early days and childhood when life was a lot more fun. This is always a desire for many adults who regret not doing anything (and something that I have been thinking about lately). And the band shows this fact by having every member (including Dowoon) singing throughout the song. Besides the relatable message, the song is a lot slower than the previous track. Everything seems paced (i.e. the drumbeat is far apart, which I don’t mind). The guitars (particularly the acoustic one that started off the song) was probably the biggest highlight of the track, being at the forefront for most of the song. (8/10)

5. Cover (포장) – Cover is the album’s slowest track, almost like a ballad. However, there is a slight touch of energy to the instrumental, as when you compare it to DAY6’s other ballads, this one isn’t as slow. I do find the instrumentation to be a tad boring, However. But it is the vocals that reel me into this track. You can sense the emotions behind their voices, especially during the chorus. And it is this emotionally charged atmosphere that gets me intrigued about the lyrics, which is about hiding one’s insecure self to be with another person and the regrets that follow because the relationship didn’t follow through. My favourite part of the song has to be the drums sequence launching the final chorus. (9/10)

6. Best Part – Kicking off the final song is a strong introduction that garners your attention in an instance. There are grand and epic vibes to this track, making it very appealing to me. I really like the melody for this track and the vocals, as well. Both are very pleasant, which is a little surprising as the song does develop to become upbeat and there is potential for it to be a little head-banging worthy. Them all singing together towards the end was probably the best highlight of the entire track for me and it ends the album on a very positive note. (10/10)

Overall Album Rating – 9.1/10

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The Book of Us: Gravity Teaser Image

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[Review] Boom – NCT Dream

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After Mark left the group as he was ‘of age’ at the end of 2018, NCT Dream disappeared from the radar. SM Entertainment primarily focused on NCT 127 for the first half of 2019, which was disappointing for fans of the younger subunit.  But that was changed last month when NCT Dream (excluding Haechan) collaborated with HRVY for the SM Station release, Don’t Need Your Love (which I have continued to enjoy since reviewing it). And today, the young subunit (including Haechan) made their official comeback with Boom, their first since We Go Up and Candlelight (Both releases still featured Mark as a member).

The teasers for Boom were very suspenseful, which lead me to have high expectations for this track. And boy, does NCT Dream fulfil these expectations. The last time we got an edgy sound from NCT Dream to this extent was through their Go promotions. But I wasn’t much of a fan of that song. Boom, on the other hand, sounds more refined and stylish. The vocals and rapping give me flashback to their We Go Up hip-hop style, which I thought was very nice. I thought the chorus was very cool with the ‘Boom Boom Boom‘ repetition. I just wanted more too the song in terms of instrumentation. Here, everything was very subtle in nature. With a title Boom, you would expect that things would become explosive. But everything felt like it was toned down. A better way of describing it was that the song was kept in ‘low bass’ gear. But other than that, Boom was a pretty cool track and sone I can absolutely see dominate my phone while I am out and about.

The music video went straight for that edgy vibe, shifting away from that carefree vibe we got from We Go Up or anything youthful the subunit used to release. Visually, I thought the video was quite good. The members looked nice. The sets really felt appropriate, even though they don’t necessarily go with one another. It seems like the majority of the music video was shot with Haechan still busy with his NCT 127 promotions overseas, which was fair. He did join in towards the end of the music video, which is a good thing (rather than omitting him entirely). But why didn’t SM Entertainment wait that extra week or until schedules clear up to allow Haechan to film alongside the rest of the group. I thought his absence was meant to be part of the plotline but rewatching the video, it didn’t really seem so. They just added him randomly to the group/choreography shots at the end.

The choreography here is awesome. The chorus, in particular, looked very cool, matching the sleek and stylish atmosphere present in the song. I did think the choreography was slow at first. But I think after watching the performance a few times, the slowness felt intentional. But I really liked how they kicked the intensity up a notch for the end, bring the performance to an explosive energised end.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10

[Review] What Are You Up To – Kang Daniel

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The second solo debut today has been a long time coming. But finally, Kang Daniel has returned to the stage with What Are You Up To and his first mini-album, Color On Me. It has been a choppy few months for Kang Daniel, who left his LM Entertainment after nullifying his contract with said management. After the courts ruled in his favour, Kang Daniel established his own agency (Konnect Entertainment). But his debut was further delayed after LM Entertainment decided to appeal, which LM later lost, allowing the popular solo artist to return to the industry via his own agency. This also makes Kang Daniel the final member of Wanna One to relaunch their careers after the disbandment of the group earlier this year.

But we are here for the review, aren’t we? For some reason, I expected something a little more intense from the artist. So, my first impressions of the track were not that positive. However, while writing this review, I am warming up to it a fair bit. What Are You Up To is a synth-pop track and its biggest weapon was pace. I found the instrumental to be perfectly paced. It didn’t get right to the point, opting for some suspense building. I find this very cool, especially since the song opted to stay very neutral overall.  I really like the loud metallic banging that could be heard during the chorus. That really amped up the intensity for me. While it is a dance track. it falls towards the pleasant side of the spectrum, which is another intriguing aspect. His dance break sounded quite trendy and sleek. Kang Daniel’s vocals are great and I like how he used autotune to help prevent his song sounding monotone and prevent repetition. I think the only thing that could have been added was a rap sequence. Doesn’t have to be done by Kang Daniel but I felt it was missing that extra oomph.

The song is about yearning to catch up with one’s lover. And the video shows that I think. Kang Daniel starts off bored, wanting to meet with his lover. We see him attempt to reach for his lover through many mechanisms but is unable to get through. It is definitely nice to see the familiar face again. Besides Kang Daniel’s visuals, I find the music video to have a nice pastel colour palette. Overall, things looked cool and visually appealing.

At this stage, there doesn’t seem like there will be promotions. However, his agency and the broadcasting companies are still actively discussing promotions. It will be a total miss opportunity to not bring him on board, especially with his fanbase and popularity. I thought the choreography showcased a lot of Daniel’s dance skills, appropriate for the song. The dance break and the pre-chorus routines have to be my pick for the best parts.

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

[Review] FACE – Woosung (The Rose)

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There are two solo debuts today to cover. The first is by Woosung, the leader and lead vocalist of The Rose. We last saw Woosung through The Rose’s promotions for She’s In The Rain last year. As this is a solo debut, it will be interesting to see what music Woosung will release, given that his band does tend to go for a unique sound in KPOP already. When I saw his teasers, I thought they were very striking, lifting my expectations for the release. His solo track is titled FACE and is featured on the mini-album, WOLF.

I described the teaser images as striking. And that is the very same word that I would use to describe the song. It is a bold track, without the epic flairs and extremely upbeat atmosphere. Instead, he uses a very minimalistic yet groovy instrumentation that really highlights his vocal work. His vocals are husky and raspy throughout and the best way to really showcase these qualities is if there was no music at all. It wouldn’t be too much fo a song that way, so a minimalistic instrumental would be the next best option.  I also really like how punchy the vocals are. The ‘I like your face‘ line in the chorus is a great example of this. And by being punchy, it helps with the memorable side of it. Overall, I think the better way of describing the song is that it is smart. Woosung, who composed and produced the track, played towards his strengths well.

The song carries a simple message: that regardless of a person’s face, they deserve respect. Which makes total sense, given that Woosung is declaring his love for your face. The music video features a number of people, with close up of their faces and other body parts that he references during the music video. And I like how he didn’t use your typical models. I find Woosung to be quite alluring in this video. But I think my favourite shots of him has to be during those darkened scenes, where it seems like he is on a high because of the faces. It is a bit intriguing both visually and metaphorically.

There weren’t any choreography scenes in the music video and there hasn’t been a showcase video uploaded (if there was one in the first place). So I guess we have to see what the stage performance looks like when it comes to the promotions (if he does go on a promotional run for this release).

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.4/10

[Review] Gleam – Mamamoo

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Idol groups and artists are usually brought on board to model a brand or product in the industry. I don’t usually focus on these songs because their lyrics tend to be cheesy and the entire music video is literally a product placement gold mine. However, I do make some exceptions. The most recent one would have to be the Pepsi and Starship Entertainment collaboration (Eunha & Ravi, Ong Seong Woo, Hongbin & Hyungwon) from this year. Another group that I will be adding to this list is Mamamoo, who has released the single Gleam today to help promote Davich Bibiem.

The consensus with comments on YouTube is that Gleam manages to come off as a well-polished single that suits Mamamoo on stage. I completely agree. While the track doesn’t have that powerhouse vocal vibe to the song, I find the track to showcase a very stylish sound for the group. It is a pop track, a genre that practically every group has touched upon during their careers (well, it is after all KPOP). So the instrumental isn’t that special sounding. Rather typical, if I were to describe it. But with Mamamoo’s vocals, they end up making this very traditional genre stand out, fitting for their discography. The chorus is quite upbeat, while the verses are a little more contemporary. I really liked the melody in the chorus, which ended up being decently catchy. Moonbyul’s rap gives the song that little extra kick. And altogether, you have a great CF track that manages to double up as a possible promotional single on stage.

Davich Bibiem is actually a sunglasses brand. So it makes sense that the music video heavily features glasses of all assortments throughout the video. The girls don them in a bowling alley and end up having fun wearing said glasses throughout the video. I find the bowling alley (along with their outfits) highlighting that stylish factor that I mentioned as part of the song review. In this review, I will be combining the choreography section with the music video (as we most likely will not be seeing any stages for this track). There is a bit of dancing in the video, which looks very good. Nothing too extreme or crazy, because it is a CF after all. But definitely, a routine that I wouldn’t mind seeing on stage.

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

[Review] Give Me More – VAV ft. De La Ghetto & Play-N-Skillz

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There was one other comeback from yesterday I couldn’t cover due to tiredness. So, I will kick off my review night with that release! VAV has returned with Give Me More, a Summer single, which features De La Ghetto (an American artist) & Play-N-Skillz (a producer duo). This is the group’s first comeback since Thrilla Killa, which was released back in March of this year. This is also the group’s first comeback as a seven-member group since Jacob has returned from his other schedules that prevented him from participating in their past few comebacks.

Give Me More delves back into the Latin flair that the group visited through their Senorita comeback from last year. Just Give Me More opts for a tropical Summer flavour alongside the Latin flair. Aside from being appropriate for this season, the song doesn’t have much individuality. It becomes quite generic. It went with two complimenting styles that have been done so much in the industry. Furthermore, I felt the song could have been picked up more to become a little more impactful with its sound. That could have helped the song a tad bit. The song did have some hooks that were decently catchy but nothing that really sounds memorable. The song also had lacklustre energy levels, which contributed to that generic feeling. The vocals and rapping were good. But once again, I think they could have been a little more dynamic. I think the most interesting part of the tracks were Da La Ghetto’s featuring and that was mainly because I was unfamiliar with the artist.

The music video was a little more captivating. It too had that generic Summer vibe to it. But its something that you can’t really do differently in a visual sense. A sunny day at the beach is a sunny day at the beach. You can’t really change the beach or the sun into something better. It will just lose the effect. I really like their aerial shots and the camera work really captured the best shots possible for the choreography and outdoor scenes. I found it interesting that they went into the studio for some shots. I thought they added another level of depth into the video and made things a little more interesting, instead of relying just on the already nice looking outdoor shots.

I think the best part of this comeback is their choreography. I find the song takes its time to implement a decent beat, so the choreography seems to follow this path. I really like the movement they do when they span out. It looks fun and interesting.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7/10

[Review] Movie Star – CIX

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It is time to look closely at a new debuting group! CIX (Complete In X) is a 5-member male group debuting under C9 Entertainment, consisting of Lee Byoung-gon, Kim Seung-hun, Kim Yong-hee, Bae Jin-young and Yoon Hyun-suk. Several of the members are familiar faces we have seen previously throughout the industry.  I think the majority of fans will recognise Bae Jin Young, who is a former member of Wanna One (and made his solo debut a few months back). Byoung-gon and Seung-hun were previously on YG Treasure Box but failed to join the lineup of Treasure13 (another upcoming group). They made their debut today with Movie Star.

Two words that I have been using often to describe songs this year is smooth and sleek. Both these words are great descriptions for Movie Star. But I think an even better description is that the song is rather seductive. The way Jinyoung started off the song with his deep voice was very appealing. It is a side of him that we have yet to see, so there is an intriguing side to it. The rest of the song falls in place quite nicely. The song builds up in aesthetics with its rather typical sounding dance instrumental. But there are some small details within the instrumental that draw my attention. The vocals take a soft approach, which I think compliments the seductive and aesthetic nature of the song. Even the melody does the exact same thing. The rapping adds that dynamic touch (its that other word I word too often) that feels like ‘icing on the cake’. I really like the outro, which really draws the song to a close in a fitting fashion for fans who want to listen to just that tiny bit more.

The music video takes what I mentioned above on board and manage to transform it into a very appealing visual aid for the song. Each member is quite handsome, so the music video already has that box ticked. Somehow Jinyoung makes a jumper with many holes in it look fashionable, proving my point. The music video sets look really cool. And with the different camera angles, the video shines quite cool. I really like the use of white and black in the video, along with that one dominant colour when it comes to coloured lighting in the video. I find this is very stylish and modern.

The choreography also encapsulates what is said above. The moves play on that seductive nature of the song. But it keeps it relatively simple, which matches the more aesthetic nature. You don’t need bold moves to really show off style and this proves just that. Well played by CIX and their choreographers.

Song – 9.5/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.6/10 

[Review] Red Sun (021) – GWSN

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GWSN is one of those girl groups that you know has so much potential. It hurts me to know that there are people missing out on their talent. Their last comeback, Pinky Star (Run), showed it all with a catchy song, an amazing concept for this music video and a choreography routine that was so different to everyone else’s. And today, the girl group from Kiwi Pop returns with a brand new track, Red Sun (021). Let’s see if the group can repeat the same effect their previous comeback had.

Red Sun features house-based instrumentation and wooden xylophone-like percussion, very similar to Pinky Star. It concerned for a little bit that they were gonna ‘clone’ their previous comeback track. However, as we get further into the song, it starts to change. The song featured a complete slow down for the pre-chorus and a heavier EDM drop for the chorus. This alone changed the atmosphere completely, allowing for the distinct differentiation between the two title tracks. I also found the rapping in this song to feature a hip-hop instrumental backing, which made the rapping even more powerful. The vocals were also quite good. I find it quite interesting that they managed to use the exact vocal sound for all their songs thus far.  I think the decent hooks and melody in the track were the weakest point. They aren’t automatically ear-catching like Pinky Star. But given the dynamic nature of the instrumental, I think a few extra listens will be enough to engrave this song into my mind alongside its predecessor.

The group continues their puzzling music video concept with this one. I am in no way capable of determining the storyline behind this video. But my biggest guess thus far is that this is somehow connected with the music video for Pinky Star (and possibly Puzzle Moon as they are all part of one album series). The main reason why I think this is that the tree growing in the book in this video resembles the white tree that we observe in the Pinky Star music video. The way the video came was shot gave me similar vibes (which I enjoyed). I am also reading elsewhere that the video shows the members coming together again, signifying that they will be departing from this concept as a group and will return as a group with a new concept. There seems to be a little more to the story than that and I would love to hear some interpretations.

The group moves around a fair bit. But observing their performance, I saw them snap back into their right positions and move in sync with one another. While this is now an ordinary thing in KPOP, I still think this is a cool aspect that some groups just cannot show in their dances or achieve. So it is definitely worth mentioning. On top of that, I found their formations to be very unique throughout the performance, all contributing to a captivating stage.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10

[Album Review] Touch N Move (2nd Mini Album) – Sistar

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For the past few weeks, I have been alternating between female artist/group and male artist/group for these PARs. Mainly so that I am giving the female artists some love as I am starting to think I am neglecting their more recent albums. Hopefully, this makes up for it. On top of that, I will be revisiting groups that have disbanded or are on hiatus. For instance, this week I will be looking at Sistar’s second mini-album, Touch N Move, which was released back in 2014. It featured their popular Touch My Body as the title track.  Let’s go and have a trip down memory lane.

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Touch N Move Album Cover

1..Wow (Intro Track) – Opening the album is an R&B number that feels suitable for the Summer season. I did find it is a little unconventional as the song’s pace is a little slower than what you would expect but the elements of the instrumental really give it that Summer vibe. The only member to feature in this track is Hyolyn herself (not surprised). But her vocals were quite nice. Pity that we didn’t hear any of the other members. (7/10)

2. Touch My Body (Title Track) – Originally, I gave the track a 2/10. I have to admit that the song wasn’t to my taste for a while and it wasn’t until one or two years ago did I really start to enjoy it. What changed? Well, the song became quite catchy after many listen and the dance became very memorable. I am sorry I doubted the Summer Queens. As a result, I have decided to bump the rating to 8/10. Click here to read the original review for Touch My Body. (8/10)

3. Naughty Hands (나쁜손) (ft. Verbal Jint) – What I think the song manages to accomplish is bringing out the husky and raspy nature of each member’s voice. And the dominance of this type of vocals really makes the song feel polished and smooth. The instrumental is upbeat and reflects the Summer season well. The lyrics ask a guy to slow down by telling him to put his hands away. The song could have been fine back 5 or more years ago. But now, I think the lyrics would spark a political debate nowadays. But we are here to review the song only and not get into a political debate. Song-wise, I really enjoyed it. (8/10)

4. But I Love You – But I Love You started off as a ballad. But the song built up to become a decent pop track. And I really liked how they approached this. The verses felt very loaded with emotions, which made the chorus sound somewhat explosive as a result. While their vocal work wasn’t exactly the best on the album, this approach really made the song pop. Bora, who I have yet to mention on this review, did well with her rap sequence. Though, I wished she was given more parts in some of these songs. This could have used another moody rap sequence from Bora, wrapping up the song neatly (and not repetitively). (7.5/10)

5. OK GO! – My favourite track on the album is OK GO!. I loved it when it was first released and had to question why they chose Touch My Body over this amazing track, though this thought has now interestingly vanished. I really like its consistent and repetitive nature, something that I often do not enjoy. The rapping that featured during the rap, the explosive instrumental, the touch from the autotune all made the track stand out for me. The hooks are amazing, and I found the song very easy to follow. (10/10)

6. Sunshine – Sunshine is a nice end to the album. It features a pleasant tune with a rather typical instrumental. It featured nice vocals from the member, with the members singing about their love for their partner. While the song was a little ordinary, the track did feel like it was suitable as an OST for some romantic drama which we all know Korea for. It was also rather fitting for Summer, which ended up being one of the few drawing points of the song. (7/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.9/10

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Touch N Move Teaser Image