I really hate to be a broken record with the way I start off these reviews. But we have seen a lot of EXO lately. Just not as a group. Instead, EXO has been promoting continuously as stand-alone members, making their solo debuts and releasing special singles before enlisting into the military. However, today we enter very exciting territory, with the debut of a brand new subunit from the group. Consisting of Chanyeol and Sehun, EXO-SC makes their debut with What A Life. The pair have previously come together for the SM Station release, We Young, back in 2018.
What A Life delves into the hip-hop genre, the genre which heavily uses rapping in its songs. It is a pretty laidback and loose track, whilst other hip-hop tracks tend to be more hard-hitting and heavy. So I guess there is some potential in the track. But that potential isn’t referenced in any other part of the track. The instrumental is probably one of the most uneventful ones I have ever heard in KPOP. They just used the same synthetic xylophone synth thing over and over again. It just got really dry quickly. The rapping and vocals felt quite monotone. I had expected there to be some sort of change-up or development. But as the instrumental kept on going, the vocals and rapping just didn’t deviate from that tone. The song also didn’t have much of a hook. The main repetition of What A Life during the chorus was lacklustre. Put all of these elements together and you get the What A Life package. Maybe the song will grow on me if I was to remain hopeful. But as I continuously replay the song to write this review, I am growing more tired of it.
I am personally going to say the exact same thing regarding the music video. It is also a very dry video. It looked like a few things were thrown together to make what seems to be a ‘potential hip-hop music video’. Just the way these things were utilised in the video looked very dreary and uneventful. The models throughout the video don’t add to the video’s content. The sets just acted like backdrops chosen randomly. I also didn’t feel the hazy camera filter they had on, which made very look gloomy.
I can’t find a proper live performance for the comeback yet (i.e. showcase). However, EXO-SC did perform the track at the recent EXO concert (over the weekend). Not much dancing from the duo, who focused on the live aspect of the performance. Fair enough. In the music video, there seemed to be a little more choreography, which I think looked good. So I guess we have to see what the music shows will look like.
Song – 4/10 Music Video – 5/10 Performance – 5/10 [Will comeback to update. I promise!!] Overall Rating – 4.5/10
Making their comeback a few weeks now is GFriend, who returned at the start of July with Fever and Fever Season (their 7th mini-album). While I still stand by my comments regarding the comeback track, the group managed to score a number of wins on the weekly music shows with Fever since their return. Congratulations to the girls for these achievements. To explain why the album review is out a little later than usual, I had always planned to write an album review. Just my snap decision to focus on the solo artists bumped the review down the road. But here it is!
2. Mr. Blue – Mr. Blue opens over a dance instrumental with violins incorporated as an interesting detail. I thought they were a nice addition to the song, adding an extra dimension to the dynamics of the dance instrumental. The track is quite upbeat and the instrumental also provides the song with some intensity. The vocals were quite good, blending in well. The track does have a typical feel about it. But despite that typical feel, I think Mr. Blue had more potential as a title track, as it felt more defined and had substance. (8/10)
3. Smile (여자친구) – Smile is another upbeat dance track to join the album that evokes a smile while listening to the song. But it isn’t the dance instrumental that does that. Instead, it is the vocals that make me smile. It is both cute and playful. I really like the higher-pitched vocals during the chorus, as they consolidate these cute and playful vibes, whilst adding to the catchy nature of the song (i.e. memorability). I also really like the dance break, with the electric guitar reminding me of their earlier dance breaks they promoted with. My favourite bit is Yuju’s ‘You know what meaning’ during the bridge. It is a short moment but damn, it stole my attention. (9/10)
4. Wish (바라) – Wish takes the exact pathway as the preceding tracks. The album is now starting to look repetitive and bland with what seems to be very similar tracks. Before moving onto the negatives of the track, I wish to point out some positives. Wish has nice vocals and a decent beat. This is all good, except for one major problem. It fails to stand out. While Mr. Blue had saxophone and Smile had a very catchy hook, Wish doesn’t have anything to really lift it out of the generic category. And since the track felt very similar music-wise to the tracks before it, Wish falls behind the rest of its counterparts. (6/10)
5. Paradise – Paradise takes more of a retro approach with its instrumental, which is different to what we have heard so far. I liked the bold start and thought the verses were well-presented. The hook they started off the song with was revisited throughout the track and it was quite decent. But the track is far from perfect. The chorus felt like there was a little too much going on. There seem to be a tad too many cymbals in the mix, which ends up drowning out the delicate vocals that they went with. It is an odd pairing in my point of view, as I stress that the combination just doesn’t work. (7/10)
6. Hope (기대) – If you wanted a track that brings you nostalgia, then Hope is a pretty good track to do exactly that. The entire track gives me those girl group vibes from the 2000s to early 2011s. The track also feels highly suitable for the group, as they seem to be the benchmark of that type of girl group nowadays. The track is quite soothing at times and yet it remains upbeat for the majority of the track. I also like the vocals, which takes a page out of the typical book. But I felt the consistency of the vocals was one of the song’s strong points. The instrumental was very pop and enjoyable, due to the nostalgia factor. (7/10)
Another week has passed and we find ourselves on the tip between two weeks, so naturally, it is time to wrap up with another Weekly Chart Post. Unfortunately, I decided to drop all the reviews that I was meant to ‘catch up’ on throughout the week due to unforeseen circumstances during the week. So, if you are expecting a review for a release from June or early July, it is most likely will not be published. I restart my academic commitments this week and will need to focus on that (as it is my final semester!!!). But despite that, I will be starting on a clean slate with reviews, album reviews and special posts still coming your way!
But before we can get to all of that, we need to have a closer look at the charts for this week. DAY6’s Time Of Our Life has managed to top the charts this week, which was expected from the moment I heard the track (so many replays during the week). Me by CLC and Side Effects by Stray Kids both rose back into the Top 5 and took out the second and third position for this week. The other very addictive track of the week is KNK’s Sunset and that manages to clinch onto the fourth position. Finally, last week’s top song, RPM by SF9, rounds out this week’s Top 5. For more of the charts, scroll down below!
14th Jul – 20th Jul 2019
Title
Artist
Status
1
Time Of Our Life
DAY6
(new)
2
Me
CLC
(▲ 13)
3
Side Effects
Stray Kids
(▲ 9)
4
Sunset
KNK
(new)
5
RPM
SF9
(▼ 4)
6
Breathe
AB6IX
(▲ 5)
7
Snapping
Chungha
(▼ 3)
8
Twilight
ONEUS
(=)
9
Fever
Gfriend
(▼ 7)
10
DOOM DOOM
NOIR
(▲ 29)
11
Room Shaker
Ailee
(▲ 2)
12
Humph!
Pentagon
(new)
13
I’m So Pretty
NATURE
(▲ 10)
14
Superhuman
NCT 127
(▲ 3)
15
Aurora
ATEEZ
(▲ 33)
16
Boogie Up
WJSN (Cosmic Girls)
(▼ 13)
17
Zimzalabim
Red Velvet
(▲ 1)
18
Wave
ATEEZ
(▼ 12)
19
UN Village
Baekhyun (EXO)
(▲ 3)
20
Long Flight
Taeyong (NCT)
(new)
21
Blue
Ha Sungwoon (HOTSHOT)
(▼ 16)
22
Illusion
ATEEZ
(▲ 24)
23
Uh-Oh
(G)I-DLE
(▲ 5)
24
Fun
Fromis_9
(▲ 11)
25
youknowbetter
Hyolyn
(▲ 18)
26
Insomnia
Euijin (BIGFLO)
(▼ 5)
27
Birthday
Jeon Somi
(▼ 1)
28
Eclipse
GOT7
(▼ 3)
29
Goblin
Sulli
(▲ 18)
30
Don’t Need Your Love
NCT Dream & HRVY
(▲ 6)
Songs leaving the charts this week (as they have reached their 9-week limit) are:
Eclipse – GOT7
Begin Again – Kim Jae Hwan
Beautiful Days – Lovelyz
Breathe – AB6IX
EDEN – IZ
Really Really – Cherry Bullet
Superhuman – NCT 127
youknowbetter – Hyolyn
Thank you once again and I will see you all again during the week!
It is completely surprising to see how far BTS has led the industry. They started as a group from a small agency and are now global stars throughout the world. And while they are at the forefront of the KPOP industry, this hasn’t stopped them from focusing on their JPOP market venture. A few weeks back, BTS made their Japanese comeback with a brand new single, Lights. The single is featured alongside the Japanese version of Boy With Luv (which they returned to Korea with earlier in the year) and Idol (their breakout single last year).
It has been a while since I reviewed a Japanese single from the group. To be fair on my part, it is scarce with the majority of their Japanese releases being Japanese versions of their Korean title track. But there have been a few, with For You being the most memorable. Similar to For You, Lights opt for a more ballad approach with their track, departing from the usual upbeat tracks that dominate their promotional cycles in Korea. And I appreciate that, as sometimes dance tracks can get overwhelming over time. What I like about Lights (and these types of tracks) is that it showcases the best of the group without wasting too much energy. Lights ends up being soothing and the only energy you are using is by swaying along to the music. Their vocals were very dreamy and the rapping was quite calm and relaxing to go well with the song. The song talks about supporting each other during a hard time, with the group depending on the audience as the light that leads them out of the darkness.
I thought the music video was quite nice. Instead of showcasing choreography throughout the video, the video focuses on a small storyline. But I think the bigger picture shows that the members will not be happy alone. Instead, they are happiest around each other. Set in a movie theatre, the group is shown to join one another and watch what I think is a home-video (as opposed to an actual movie), reflecting upon their time together and how it brought them joy. There might be some other meaning that I haven’t pinpoint yet, so share if there are other theories. I know the Armys are always creative in this field.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
As I mentioned last weekend, there is one last solo album review that I want to do before going back to doing a number of group album reviews. That being said, it looks like I will be covering a few solo acts in the coming weeks (guess who!). But for today’s album review, we will be looking at Baekhyun’s R&B dominated solo album. We have seen singles from Baekhyun but this is his first album release (and hence first solo album). It is titled City Lights and features the title track, UN Village.
2. Stay Up (ft. Beenzino) – Stay Up continues both the R&B and aesthetic vibes from UN Village. It is just a lot more about passionately sleeping together than going to see the night sky on a hill. And he isn’t shy about stating that throughout the song. It is a genre style that is done very often in KPOP. But instead of feeling very typical, the song feels very elevated thanks to Baekhyun’s smooth vocals in this track. Beenzino’s featuring adds momentum to the track. It felt like he was mumbling but it added to the final product, rather than be distracting. (8/10)
3. Betcha – Changing up the momentum entirely is a more upbeat track. Betcha has this playful and childish tone to it, which I think suits Baekhyun’s personality (that I have seen through the many videos on the Internet of the artist). It seems like Betcha is more appealing to many listeners, given that it does have a simpler tune and is more approachable. There is also a cheerful note to the track, which adds onto that appeal. It catchy and I too quite like it. But it has that typicalness to it that wouldn’t go 100% well as a title track. In fact, UN Village stands out to me more due to its uniqueness. (8.5/10)
4. Ice Queen – Ice Queen reverts out attention back to the R&B side of the album, which has dominated all but one track on the album. There is a flowy feel to it, which gives it a nice relaxing sound. In addition to that flowy feel, I found the way he sang the song to be interesting. Think of it like a cup that is filled to the brim. If you add more, it will overfill. The lyrics when he sang felt like it was spilling down the sides of the imaginary cup. But the song didn’t feel loaded with ‘too much’ vocals or lyrics, which was why I found it interesting. (8/10)
5. Diamond – Still on the R&B style, Diamond manages to change things up slightly by adding a more upbeat pop tone to it. And I think this addition makes the song sound a lot more appealing. His vocals shine in this son as he manages to show a variety of vocal techniques throughout the song. I really like his falsettos in this song and the harmonies that he manages to do with the backing vocals make this song an uber smooth song. I know these are points I have mentioned under the other songs. But Diamond manages to present these in another way that makes it worth mentioning again. (9/10)
6. Psycho – Ending the album is surprisingly not another R&B track. Actually, I am not sure exactly what genre this song would be under. Psycho has a mixture of different genres. Some R&B was heard in the verses, but the chorus went with an EDM route that gave it a crashing tone. The song is eerie and unlike any other on the album. It felt like the perfect song for a very intense moment during a thriller or action movie, which is very much my style. His vocals also share a similar description and felt like it was drawn out to match the crashing effect of the chorus. Overall, an amazing end to the album. (10/10)
This season SM STATION has made some changes which I think makes the program a little more interesting. Firstly, they have been delivering us new tracks on a fortnightly basis as opposed to their previously weekly timetable. Secondly, the focus seems to be more on SM Entertainment artists with many solo releases from EXO members in the past few months. But today, we do not see the release of an EXO-related single. Instead, it is NCT-related, with leader Taeyong releasing Long Flight for this week’s SM Station track.
Taeyong is one of the many versatile members of the NCT. He can sing, dance and rap, becoming a leading triple threat within the group. Long Flight‘s release attempts to demonstrate all of these in their utmost glory. Long Flight is an upbeat R&B track. And as much I want Taeyong to shine (as NCT and its subunits have far too many members to let every individual member be ‘showcased’), I find Long Flight to not 100% encompass all of this talent. I understand this song is self-composed and written by the man himself. But I think the sound was a little too typical for the music industry nowadays. I found the hooks (both lyrically and instrumentally) to be quite weak, not giving the song a chance to be memorable. But Taeyong’s execution of the singing and rapping was very good. I liked how he effortlessly went between singing and rapping, which does demonstrate his potential. That was probably the most impressive aspect of the track. Other than that, Long Flight isn’t the song for me.
What I did like was the music video. It felt like the music video got a decent budget, which isn’t always the same feeling when we look at other SM Station releases. The aeroplane set looked pretty cool. It kind of gives you an insight into show business. The outside did look like a real plane but the inside showed it was a built set. I guess that makes sense, especially since booking an aeroplane for a music video shoot would be costly. The rest of the sets looked cool as well. I also liked the colour palette. Not too pale but not too bold as well.
Song – 6/10 Music Video – 8/10 Overall Rating – 6.8/10
Making their grand return today is Pentagon with Humph!. This is the group’s first comeback since Sha La La, which was released back in March of this year. Humph! is produced by Giriboy and Pentagon’s resident song producer, Hui. It is also another comeback to not feature Yanan (the first time around was for their Naughty Boypromotions), who was announced to be taking a break from promotions due to health issues. In more happier news, the comeback sees the return of Kino, who sat out of the last one due to an injury.
I have noticed that ever since finding success through their Shine promotions, all of Pentagon’s title tracks have been leaning towards a more carefree and easy-going vibe. This is isn’t a bad thing. Actually, despite going with these common vibes, the songs have managed to sound different each time, showcasing the group’s variety. This time around, Humph! delves a melodic form of hip-hop. It makes the song smooth and very flowy, which always earn great ticks from me. The singing and rapping made the song feel very warm and bright, making it fit the current season perfectly. I also liked the upbeatness in the instrumentation, especially the woody flutes sound at the start (though I think they are more synths in the song). Together with the hooks, the song becomes quite memorable and catchy. And I totally see this track growing to an addictive level with a few more listens!
Reading the lyrics, I feel like it was well presented visually. Officially, the song is about pretending to not like someone, as a childish pastime (this piece of information was taken from Soompi). Something we can all relate to. And we see that between Wooseok and Hui (who started off as kids) and drew a physical line on their table to separate themselves. And even as high school students, the two still act like a war was declared when something of the other person slipped onto the other side. There are also some playful representations of rejecting someone from being part of a club due to a physical aspect (in this video, it is the member’s heights that come under attack) and ‘off-limits’ is shown via the Hongseok ‘painting’. (That last one made me laugh, especially when Hongseok had to physically remove Kino’s arm). Overall, a very cool video in my opinion.
I thought the performance looked very good. I really like the start of the performance, with the use of hand gestures. The lyrics give off a childish atmosphere and I thought they displayed that well in the performance through that one move where it looked like they were throwing a tantrum. The choreography for the chorus also had a similar vibe, with the stomping of the foot and the X gesture they make with their arms.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.5/10
Due to the many songs on this album, this post is quite lengthy. You have been warned.
BTS is undeniably on the very top of the world due to their explosive global popularity. And this popularity grows with every new release. However, I do prefer more of their older releases. One of them has to be the album series that started off cementing their popularity domestically by earning them their first wins in South Korea through the weekly music shows. This album series, The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, is made up of three different releases. The first is Part 1 (their 3rd mini-album, released on April 2015), Part 2 (their 4th mini-album, released on December 2015) and Young Forever (their first compilation album consisting of the songs from the two previous mini-albums, along with 3 others and this was released on April 2016). Let’s have a quick look back on these releases.
The Most Beautiful Moment In Life: Young Forever Album Cover
Disc 1
1..The Most Beautiful Moment in Life (Intro Track) (Intro: 화양연화) – Opening up the compilation album and 3rd mini-album is this introductory track. Suga takes the reins of the track, being the only member to actually be in the track. His rapping is phenomenal. The breathing that fades in tells you to expect something that will blow you away and the breathing that fades out is literally me after listening to the song. A lot of deepness in his lyrics as well. (9/10)
3. Hold Me Tight (잡아줘) – Included on their 3rd mini-album, I am sure this type of track would have excited fans and listeners back when it was released in 2015. Listening to now, it seems like a very typical R&B track for BTS. There was a great display of vocals, especially towards the end. Their rapping was toned down to fit the more soothing nature of the instrumentation. I did think that this was a great track to follow up the I Need You title track, as it keeps some of the previous vibes but channelled it through to a slightly slower and paced track. (7.5/10)
4. Autumn Leaves (고엽) – Included on their 4th mini-album, Autumn Leaves was produced by Suga. This comes by no surprise as listening to all the members on the track, Suga fits in perfectly. Apart from Suga, the vocal line sound exceptional in this song. I also like the analogy that is made in this song. The members are like Autumn Leaves when they are trying to hold onto their lover. They do not want to fall but they will eventually. The instrumental was probably the most boring part of the track, as it feels very BTS now. (7/10)
7. Ma City – Featured on the 4th mini-album, Ma City was an upbeat addition to really bring up the energy. The tracks that are on the 4th mini-album/this album has been very depressing or serious. So, some light is much appreciated. The song references several Korean cities including Ilsan, Busan, Gwangju, Daegu (which I am sure are the member’s hometowns). The pride they have is showcased effortlessly in this catchy track. As it stood out on its original/this album, I thought the track was quite infectious as well. (8/10)
8. Crow-Tit (뱁새) – One of the standout tracks from the 4th mini-album was Crow-Tit. The track is heavily doused in the hip-hop genre, which I think it totally up BTS alley. I remember not being much a fan of the track for the same reason. Now that I have reviewed several tracks of a similar nature, I see the appealing side of Crow-Tit, just not to the same extent as long-time fans. The energy and its message about double standards for the way the younger generation is perceived are also quite memorable. (7.5/10)
9. Dope (쩔어) – While writing these PARs, I revisit my past reviews to see how my thoughts about the song have changed. While I don’t increase the score of a song that is already ranking quite high, I have decided to make an exception for Dope, which has become one of my favourite BTS songs ever. Therefore, I have changed the 9/10 to 10/10. Click here to read the original review for Dope.(10/10)
The Most Beautiful Moment in Life Part 1 Album Cover
10. Fire (불타오르네) (Title Track) – For similar reasons above, I have decided to increase the original score of 7.5 to a 10. It is Fire. One of BTS’ most iconic tracks to date. Click here to read the original review for Fire. (10/10)
12. Epilogue: Young Forever – This is one of the new releases featured on the compilation album. It also got a lot of fanfare as it was released as a pre-release track with its own music video. The track is standard for the group, but I think the vocals and raps (one of their best efforts yet) lifts the entire song to a whole new level. Even before pressing play, I can hear the echo of the line ‘Forever, we are young’ in the back of mind, showcasing to me the song’s longevity in my own books. While I never wrote a review for this track, it has continued to blow me away after 3 years. (9.5/10)
(Note Track 5 is a Prologue Version of Butterfly. Due to the length of this post, I have only elected to review the original form of Butterfly.)
Disc 2
1. Converse High – The praises for the shoes in this song is quite high. While the focus should be on the girl wearing the shoes, Converse High does a pretty good job at promoting the footwear instead. The track is a nice song. But to me, it is a step away from their usual stuff as it is quite bright and very neutral. And because of its neutral gearing, I find the track to be quite a bore. Nonetheless, it is still good in some respects but not their best. More of a filler track for me. (7/10)
2. Moving On (이사) – Also featuring on their 3rd mini-album, I find Moving On to be more BTS appropriate and interesting compared to Converse High. I think the track brings out the best of the vocal line. Each vocalist sound so smooth in the track. In conjunction with the melody, I find the song to be very memorable. I also like how nice the instrumental sound. It is soft at times when it is needed to be and gives off a pleasant atmosphere overall. (8/10)
3. Whalien 52 – The song is about a whale who could sing but no other whale could hear its voice. The poor whale becomes lonely, as no other whale wants to be around the one who supposedly can’t sing. Yet, the lonely whale continues to sing until it is heard. Perseverance and persistence, that is the message of this song. And BTS portrays in a nice track. It felt more pop-ish thanks to the upbeat vibes from the instrumental. But other than that, I found the track to be skippable. (7/10)
The Most Beautiful Moment In Life Part 2 Album Cover
4. Butterfly – To me, Butterfly is one of the best ballads that I have ever heard during the many years I have listened to KPOP (I think it might be 10 years or so of KPOP for me, to put it into perspective). There is something so beautiful about this emotional track that makes me come back to the track time and time again, despite it being released 3 years ago. The vocals literally glide along and the rapping fits in perfectly. Maybe it is because BTS is known for their intense songs, that something so fragile managed to stand out from the pack. (10/10)
5. House of Cards – Formerly outro for the 4th mini-album, BTS included the entire track on the compilation album. A dream come true for those who wished that intro and outros should be a full song. Performed by the vocal line, the song opens with a very dramatic feeling. Then comes the singing (which is amazing, once again), which helps builds the suspense that we have already experienced. The song talks about love in a dramatic sense, which matches the song’s initial atmosphere perfectly. (9/10)
6. Love Is Not Over – The final song on the album (apart from the many mixes/remixes featured after this one) is Love Is Not Over, the outro for the 3rd mini-album. Like above, the full version of the R&B track is included instead. Going back to what I have said for some other tracks, this one is rather standard. Both the singing and rapping was pretty good. The melody was quite nice. It just wasn’t a standout track so I didn’t pay much attention to it. (7/10)
Track 7 to 11 are alternate versions of I Need You, Run and Butterfly.
Overall Album Rating – 9.6/10
The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Part 1 Teaser Image
One of the most exciting comebacks of the week is also one of the first to kick off the start of the week! DAY6 makes their official comeback with Time Of Our Life and their 5th mini-album, The Book of Us: Gravity. This is the band’s first comeback since their retro Days Gone By comeback at end of last year. In addition to news of their latest comeback, DAY6 will be going on a world tour later in the year, bring their songs to many more cities than ever before!
I have always been a fan of DAY6 more energetic and upbeat tracks. So Time Of Our Life ticks that imaginary checkbox for me. The track has an awesome rush of energy that makes the track stand out in the crowd. It is very head-banging worthy. Trust me, it is the only thing you would be doing when listening to the track. One of the best parts of the track has to be the piano introduction that opened up this rock track. It gave off an elegant vibe and opened the track on a nice note. It is repeated throughout the instrumental, so that elegance was maintained. I also found the drums to be a very prominent part of the song. Drummers don’t get a lot of fanfare from me on this blog, but Dowoon manages to stay on top of everything, allowing him and his skills to shine. In addition to the energy, the hooks of the track are very infectious. The post-chorus hook was probably my pick for the best hook in the track. I also liked that brief slow-down during the bridge. Overall, Time Of Our Life is amazing.
The music videos focus on the band playing their instruments. They also look like they are enjoying the track a fair bit, with the odd headbanging, many smiles and a lot of bouncing on the spot. I like how there is a book as a centrepiece in some of the shots, making sense with the lyrics and the title of the album. Though, I wished they somehow built upon it, as it did feel really random for a massive book to be in the video. I also liked the set they are playing in. The dome looked really cool, especially with all the lights and effects.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 8/10 Overall Rating – 9.2/10
KNK seems to be handling their own careers quite well. Late last year, the group established their own company after leaving YNB Entertainment (it was assumed that their former company was not managing them well). This year, the group returned with Lonely Night, making it their first comeback in almost 2 years. After 6 months, the group returns with Sunset, another digital single. On top of that, the group will be embarking Europe tour as well next month (and Wikipedia states that the group had also wrapped up their USA tour and Japan tour).
Sunset is a bold track that makes you instantly associate it with the modelling world or at least, a runway. We have had a number of tracks that take this route in the past. And each of them turned out to be very dynamic but in a subtle manner. Sunset definitely follows the trend. But may I add that the song also has a certain level of intensity that gives it a sensual feel. The chorus has to be my favourite part. Not only do they seductive whisper ‘Sunset 4 4 Y’all‘ repetitively, the instrumentation I found to be quite cool (though typical for the style of music they chose). Listening to the track, you find the actual singing and rapping within the verses. While they don’t really sound amazing, I do think they showcase a good side of themselves in the song. I have been impressed with KNK’s title tracks so far in their career and it seems like Sunset is another addition to that list.
The music video is captivating. Though there wasn’t much going on content-wise (i.e. the video was made up of artistic close-ups and choreography shots), the atmosphere they created with the minimal lighting and use of silhouettes was amazing. The visuals we saw in the music video made the song sound so much more thrilling. The sensual vibes that I identified with the song were carried throughout the music video is a manner that feels perfectly right (e.g. Heejun’s abs and the choreography shots).
Based on what can be seen in the music video, the choreography seems to show some voguing and homme fatale vibes. And to pull off those vibes and moves perfectly, the members have to look visually amazing, which I think they do. And I suppose the performance is going to look very charged, which fans will undoubtedly enjoy. There are some interesting bits that I am keen to see live, such as the hanging member at the very start and the full chorus routine.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.5/10
Returning last week with Room Shaker was Ailee. As mentioned last week, I will be focusing on solo artists this weekend. I have decided to focus on one last solo artist next Thursday (I think you might be able to guess who) before returning next weekend to write album reviews for group releases. But let’s refocus on Ailee, who made her grand return with butterFLY (her second studio album). It has been disappointing to see that Ailee has yet to return to the stage. I don’t have any idea what is going on at the moment between Ailee’s management and the music shows. But hopefully, all misunderstandings are solved soon, so that we can see Ailee return to the stage once again!
butterFLY Album Cover
1..Midnight – Kickstarting off Ailee’s second album is Midnight. The instrumentation does give off an atmosphere like how the stars are twinkling in the night sky during the verses. The chorus manages to kick it up a notch, complimenting Ailee’s vocal push. Apart from the vocals and the instrumentation during the verses, I found the song to be quite plain. But considering it has been some time since we heard Ailee, it might be a nice way to re-familiarise with her vocals without being overwhelmed by a loaded song. (8/10)
2. Want It – Want It brings a groovy instrumental to the album. There is a retro colour (thanks to the brass) to the song, which reminds me of her popular tracks. I think this would be a nice performance to watch as well, especially if there is a retro/disco flair to the stage as well. Her vocals here are, per usual, superb. I had a feeling that she could have gone the extra length with her singing, as there were times where I had the impression she was holding back. But the more I listen to the song, the less of that I think (and the more I want to boogie to the song). (8.5/10)
3. Headlock – Ailee is known for her amazing vocals and if any song was to prove that fact, it would be this one. That is the main driver of the song, with the instrumentation acting as a sidekick. Headlock starts with a clapping beat, which it maintains throughout the entire track as the foundation of the song. The rest of the instrumentation comes later, turning the song into a little funky tune. The best part has to be the punchy effect just before the chorus. But whatever section I am listening to, it also contributed to a spectacular track. (9/10)
5. LOVE (ft. Chen from EXO) – Besides Room Shaker, fans are most excited for LOVE. The reason for this excitement is obvious. The track features Chen from EXO, who is known for his vocals (just listen to Beautiful Goodbye if you are not convinced). The track is an R&B ballad that is produced to showcase both artist’s vocals. The instrumental was very elegant and pleasant, which further highlights its potential. Both their voices were beautiful. Though the harmonies were very limited, I did like what was given to us. The flip-side of that comment is that I expected a little more in the harmony/singing together department and the limited nature was a little disappointing. (9/10)
6. Nothing At All – Nothing At All is a ballad, just not the type of ballad one would expect given the song’s lyrics. The lyrics tell of the heartbreak that comes when someone is trying to forget a former lover. But listening to the track’s tone, you don’t really get that heartbreaking feeling, thanks to the slightly brighter than usual instrumentation. The piano was repetitive. But I felt that was the blank canvas (same analogy again) that I refer to often, giving way for her vocals to take over the song. On the topic of her vocals, I really like her singing here. It was textured throughout, and her tone made it very interesting. (9/10)
7. You Are Precious Because of Who You Are (그대는 그대라 소중해) – This track (sorry, the title is a tad too long for me to type out) is another ballad. But how the instrumental started off gave me grand and epic vibes, making me look forward to the entirety of the track. And it does not let you down! I like its soothing nature at the start, which reflects well with Ailee’s voice. I also enjoyed the gradual build-up throughout the song, which really made the song even more appealing (the high note at the end was an amazing peak). The song sings about how everyone is unique and that it is perfectly okay to be different, repeating a common message that we hear often nowadays. (9/10)
8. Fire – Fire returns to the more upbeat dance tracks we heard at the start of the album. It is a little unique, given her vocals in this track. I am not exactly a fan of the song, for the same reasons. She does showcase some versatility in her vocal abilities. But I am not a fan of the high-pitched ending to the word Fire which she repeats throughout the song. It gets annoying for me. I did like the pop instrumentation. Though, I was hoping for more attitude as I was led to believe through the start of the song. But sadly, I wasn’t satisfied. (6/10)
9. Ain’t That Pretty – Ain’t That Pretty is a pretty dynamic track, something I had expected with Fire (based on the title alone). I really like the instrumental for this track, especially the distortion that occurred during the chorus. I also like how she started off with a little raspy tone. The track also tells of hardships that Ailee had experienced so far as an artist. Based on the meaning behind the song, the track sounds a lot fresher than if she went with a cliché ballad. It feels more modern and impactful this way. (8/10)
10. Heartcrusher – Heartcrusher is a little surprising as it is entirely in English. I like the Western vibes that come from the EDM based instrumental. Ailee’s voice flourishes in this track, remaining on top of the instrumentation throughout its 3-minute run. The lyrics were very striking, especially the start sounded. My only complaint about this song was that it went by so quickly. Other than that, I end Ailee’s second album on a very dynamic note. (10/10)
Welcome back to another Weekly Chart Post. I am about to enter my final weeks of holidays (time flies so quickly when you are having fun…), so this will be the final week which I will be pushing any delayed reviews out. Other than that, I have completed my half-year wrap up and will be focusing on a number of special posts that I will schedule throughout my upcoming semester. These include missed music video reviews and a Produce X 101 review, along with a few other ideas which I cannot remember. So, there will be a lot to expect in the coming 12 or so weeks.
For the charts this week, we see the rise of SF9 (once again) with RPM. I have been madly relaying this track this week as I have officially caught on. Such a dynamic track. GFriend, who has been scoring wins this week with their new release Fever has managed to take over the second position. Following behind them is WJSN with Boogie Up. Last week’s number 1 track, Snapping by Chungha, dropped down to the fourth position, while Ha Sung Woon’s Blue debuts in the fifth position.
For more of the charts, scroll down below.
7th Jul – 13th Jul 2019
Title
Artist
Status
1
RPM
SF9
(▲ 9)
2
Fever
Gfriend
(▲ 1)
3
Boogie Up
WJSN (Cosmic Girls)
(▲ 16)
4
Snapping
Chungha
(▼ 3)
5
Blue
Ha Sungwoon (HOTSHOT)
(new)
6
Wave
ATEEZ
(▲ 19)
7
Me & You
EXID
(▼ 1)
8
Twilight
ONEUS
(▲ 19)
9
Cool Love
Hongbin (VIXX) & Hyungwon (MONSTA X)
(new)
10
Dream Play
LIMITLESS
(new)
11
Breathe
AB6IX
(▲ 9)
12
Side Effects
Stray Kids
(▼ 7)
13
Room Shaker
Ailee
(▼ 1)
14
Heart Sign
Ong Seong Woo
(▼ 12)
15
Me
CLC
(▲ 6)
16
Beautiful Days
Lovelyz
(▲ 6)
17
Superhuman
NCT 127
(▼ 1)
18
Zimzalabim
Red Velvet
(▼ 5)
19
Flash, Party!
Zelo
(▲ 23)
20
Questions
Zelo
(▲ 22)
21
Insomnia
Euijin (BIGFLO)
(▲ 10)
22
UN Village
Baekhyun (EXO)
(new)
23
I’m So Pretty
NATURE
(new)
24
De-aeseohsta
Honey Popcorn
(▲ 18)
25
Eclipse
GOT7
(▼ 8)
26
Birthday
Jeon Somi
(▼ 18)
27
Begin Again
Kim Jae Hwan
(▲ 10)
28
Uh-Oh
(G)I-DLE
(▼ 17)
29
Romanticism
Leo (VIXX)
(▲ 7)
30
Really Really
Cherry Bullet
(▼ 21)
Songs leaving the charts this week are:
Reminisce About All – ONEWE
Picky Picky – Weki Meki
Me & You – EXID
Ah Yeah – Winner
Dramatic – BVNDIT
Feedback – Ladies Code
Under Cover – A.C.E
Rain Drop – Soyou & Ovan
Unspoken Words – Davichi
Thanks once again and I will see you during the week through song and album reviews!!!
Right after wrapping up their Eclipse comeback (which occurred back in May), GOT7 (minus Jackson) has returned to the Japanese music scene with a new release. The track is titled as Love Loop and is featured on the same-titled mini-album due for release at the end of the month. This is GOT7’s first Japanese release since the official release of I Won’t Let You Go at the start of the year. Currently, the group have officially kick-started their world tour, Keep Spinning, which is stopping at many more cities than ever before.
Looking back at the review I wrote for I Won’t Let You Go, the group departed from their usual EDM heavy tracks that they started their Japanese careers off with. Love Loop continues with this departure, going with a much more breezy and melodic track. The song manages to maintain the dance sound that GOT7 is known for in the majority of their title tracks. But the instrumental made the song feel like almost ballad-like, which I thought was very interesting. While this isn’t something new, I liked this changeup with GOT7’s sound. One important factor about the track is that the rapping took the back seat this time around. The vocals are the forefront of the song and drive its melodic nature. JB and Yugyeom’s vocals opened the chorus and I felt they were so impactful. In fact, I think there was a subtle show of intensity through the chorus, thanks to their vocals. Youngjae’s high note, even though it was more in the background, managed to blow me away. Based on what I am hearing and have written thus far, Love Loop is (obviously) different but quite memorable.
I really like the music video for Love Loop. The literal artistic touch to the background made the video looked so cool. I mentioned that the song was breezy above and the strokes and moving drawings in the background made it feel so visually as well. I also liked how the strokes/movement of colour was applied to their outfits as the video progressed, which was nice incorporation of the members into the video concept. I did mention in the Eclipse music video that it seems like their company is overusing the ‘green screen’. It is obviously used here but in a manner that looked amazing, so I don’t share those concerns this time around.
The snippets of choreography that could be seen in the music video (no live performance as of yet) felt very elegant and fitting for the song. Apart from that, I can’t make any other comments about the choreography as we didn’t get to see much in the video. But fitting and elegant are great observations to make, regardless.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 8.1/10
It has been a long time coming for Yunho, who made his debut in the KPOP industry back in 2003. But on June 12 (exactly one month ago), Yunho made his solo debut with his first solo mini-album. This means that he didn’t get to formally promote a solo album for over 16 years since his debut, which is quite a long time for an established artist like Yunho. The title of the album is True Colors and it features Follow (Yunho’s title track which was also released on the same day), alongside 5 other tracks. Let’s see what I thought the album below!
2. Blue Jeans – Continuing on with the intensity of Follow is Blue Jeans. In fact, I think Blue Jeans does one better, in terms of intensity. I found the instrumental to be unique and interesting. It felt like a club track but there was more to it. A bit of groove, a bit of R&B and a bit of colour. I enjoyed it. But the main showstopper from the track is his vocals. There were moments that almost felt like he was growling and showcasing a wilder side to his normal vocals. While I did have an itching feeling that there was a possible mismatch between the style choices between his vocals and instrumentation, the more I listen to the track the more the feeling is reduced. They somehow effortlessly come together, with the instrumental sounding like it moulded around the vocals very well. (9/10)
3. Swing (ft. BoA) – Swing opts for a consistent dance track sound that you could hear while in a club and is a lot more direct (in terms of complexity). There isn’t anything wrong with this, however, as it does serve as a good breather after two very dynamically intense tracks. I really like the pulsing instrumental in Swing, which really drives that dance club factor I mentioned initially. Both Yunho and BoA do a nice job on the vocal front. Interestingly, they don’t push themselves vocally, which keeps the song consistent. Though I am not sure how this song would fair with repetitive listens (i.e. the consistency could really dry up the song). I think a more dynamic dance break following the choruses could have solved this potential issue. Nonetheless, I do think it is a good track and definitely a collaboration I like to see on stage. (8/10)
4. Hit Me Up (불러) (ft. Giriboy) – I am slowly starting to see a pattern in terms of the energy of the songs on the album. The first two songs are intense. The last two songs are on the paced side of the spectrum. This leaves Swing and Hit Me Up situated along the imaginary spectrum set by the albums track list. And I think listening to Hit Me Up confirms this. It is a pop track with very little to offer. I do have some negative comments about it. I felt like the track was hovering in a slightly awkward position. The instrumental didn’t feel like it had a strong backing, which leads to this ‘hovering’ analogy. Yunho’s vocals were weak and Giriboy’s rapping was over excessively laced with autotune. I did, however, think Giriboy’s inserts throughout the song helped build the song but it wasn’t enough to help define it. (6/10)
5. Why (왜) – Why is a jazzy style of R&B that sounds so incredibly smooth. Despite the smoothness, there is a bit of texture going on within the song’s instrumental to create a rather aesthetic atmosphere. This makes the song quite appealing, which is expected when it comes to my taste in music. Going back to my comments in Hit Me Up, this is the start of the slower or more paced side of the album. The song doesn’t really pick up, keeping its tempo throughout the 3:45 minute track. Yunho’s vocals were also another appealing point of the track. They were showcased and through his vocals, Yunho managed to put forward a sensual atmosphere, which I think any of his fans would really enjoy. (8/10)
6. Change The World – Ending the album is a ballad. Change The World sings about hope, which was my first thought about the song’s potential direction, as I had gotten it mixed up with the classic Heal The World. It stresses the message that we are all equal and can make a change in the world. It is a good ballad with an important message that does a nice job of putting Yunho’s vocals forward. I like how it progressed, with Yunho starting alone and everyone coming in together towards the end. It wraps the song up nicely and the album, as well. (8/10)
We have heard releases from Young Guk, Daehyun and Youngjae from earlier in the year after B.A.P had left TS Entertainment and (assumingly) cease group activities. And now rejoining his former members as part of the wider KPOP industry is Zelo with his solo debut. Interestingly, Zelo is the only member to actually promote his release on the weekly music shows. As you can tell in the title, today’s review will be a double review – including Questions, the lead title track off Zelo’s first mini-album (Distance) and Flash, Party! (another track from the same album).
Once again, Zelo’s debut track is another tropical dance track. While the genre is overdone, the track doesn’t blast the tropical elements to the extent of other songs, which may or may not be a good thing depending on how you listen to the track. In Question‘s case, I think the lesser tropical sounds made the song more catchy. It is a little confusing to explain it in a concise manner but ‘less is more’ as they always say. I did like the upbeat vibes that come from it and I find the track to have a nice party vibe to it. I found Zelo’s vocals to be quite unique. I think this is the first time I heard him sing, so I was quite surprised. Another surprising thing is that he didn’t rap as much as I had expected.
Flash, Party! is a very intense and edgy dance track that really knows how to keep the momentum going. Despite the track running for a period of 3 and a half minutes, the most memorable section has to be the chorus, which uses a repetitive hook that is bound to continue ringing in your head even after you had moved onto another song. I did like how the verses take a melodic route, showcasing different sides of Zelo. Consequentially, his voice also is showcased. He uses different tones throughout the track. It almost felt like there were featuring artists in the song but it was all one man’s doing!
Questions had a very typical video that just didn’t the song justice. While I am okay with Zelo as the ‘centrepiece’ during his close-ups and choreography shots (which is expected), I didn’t think it was necessary to have him as the centrepiece during the party scenes. Everyone dance around him, which isn’t what a party feels like. Might just be me being nit-picky, but it was something I noticed. Flash, Party! is only a performance video, so the main part of the video is the choreography, which I will talk about below. I thought the edgy tone was carried over to the visuals nicely. There were some editing issues throughout the video (i.e. Zelo was attempting a b-boy move but the video just cut to him standing while he was mid-air). But apart from that, it was good.
The choreography for Flash, Party! looked really cool. We definitely got to see Zelo bust a few more moves than compared to Questions, which I think it definitely expected. I did notice that some parts had Zelo gliding, which I think was awesome. Question‘s choreography was designed to have him focus on the live factor of the performances. So his moves were a lot simpler and the way he moved looked like he was going back and forth. Nothing wrong with that. But it was just wasn’t captivating as much.
Questions Song – 7/10 Music Video – 6/10 Performance – 6/10 Overall Rating – 6.5/10
Flash, Party! Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
Season 2 of Produce 101 wrapped up in 2017 and many of the show’s alumni have gone to debut either as a solo act or as part of a group. Unless they were part of Wanna One, it is a little odd to find a company withholding a contestant from debuting, especially now that the respective season is a distant memory. This was the case for LIMITLESS who is a new male group from ONO Entertainment, which consists of Moonbok (the long hair contestant), Hyunwoo, Heeseok (the three are former contestants of the show) and Huichan. They dropped their debut single, Dream Play, earlier this week.
It is very hard to make a debut track stand out, as shown by the many artists who debut and never return as their initial step into the industry fails to launch them. While it is a little too soon to say this about a newly debut group as we do not know what the future might hold, a typical track like Dream Play isn’t looking too good. The song plays a tropical pop influence, which has been heard so often that I now view it as very plain. There isn’t anything mixed into it to really allow for the song to be differentiable from the rest of the competition. The hooks were not fascinating and very typical, giving this song a very passable mark. I think the only things that I can comment positively on are the vocals and rapping, which I think were nicely polished. Pity that the rest of the canvas wasn’t as great.
Same deal with the music video. Overall, I’d describe it as a skippable video. The video starts off with the members in a flower boy or boy next door type of concept. Everything is bright and very plain. The video then takes a turn showing a darker side of the guys. Not exactly sure what the deal is with but I assume dreams have something to do with it (given the title). They went from eating a flower with a knife and fork to putting something suspicious into a drink (which is not cool!). Apart from that, I did like the use of TVs as a transition. It looked cool and very different.
The choreography has to be the best part of this debut package. I thought their moves looked cool and they did mini bounces to match the instrumental was rather cool. I also felt that their stage presence is also quite large. I have a feeling that performance wise, this large stage presence is definitely something to look out for.
Song – 5/10 Music Video – 5.5/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 5.8/10
KPOPREVIEWED 