Pepsi has been one busy company this year. As a partnership with Starship Entertainment to produce The Love of Summer series, Pepsi has pulled together a number of artists to promote their brand. Back in April, Ravi and Eunha came together for Blossom, while last month we saw the return of Ong Seong Woo to the music industry through Heart Sign. Yesterday, another track as part of the series was released. This time around, they bring Hongbin from VIXX and Hyungwon from MONSTA X together for Cool Love.
Both Hongbin and Hyungwon are not known for their vocals, so it would be interesting to see how a collaboration track between them would turn out. Cool Love had the potential to be a good track. There was just one overwhelming issue with it. It just didn’t cohesively come together to be that good track. This was because the instrumental was a little messy. I thought Cool Love had a nice smooth instrumental for the chorus, which sounded like a song that a model could strut to. It was also my most favourite part of the song, as it did have a memorable rhythm. But the other parts felt like a total mismatch. For example, the dance break added unnecessary flair and felt like it was trying too hard. The start and bridge felt quite weak and didn’t really feel like it complimented the rest of the song. Vocally, I thought they were good. It was clear from the start that they needed the instrumental to help carry them. But they handled it well, despite suffering from the disjointed instrumentation. What I did like was the tone that they displayed, which I think their respective groups should really utilise in the future. I think given my comments, this isn’t my favourite song from the series thus far.
While the song was rather disappointing, the music video was not. Both Hyungwon and Hongbin are known for their visuals and I felt that the music video did an awesome job of showcasing that known fact about them. I did like the sets, which I think suited the tone of the track and looked very cool. What I really liked was that the video didn’t feel too much of a Pepsi commercial like the other videos did. It felt like a normal music video, with the subtle placement of the Pepsi brand/products added. Another part of the music video was the choreography. I won’t dedicate a separate section/rating to it, as we probably won’t see a performance for it and I don’t really have much to say about it. But it looked good, overall.
Song – 5/10 Music Video – 7/10 Overall Rating – 5.8/10
As mentioned previously, EXO is currently focusing on solo and unit promotions due to the impending military enlistment of the members (with Xiumin and D.O already in the army). We have seen solo tracks from Chen, Xiumin, D.O and Chanyeol so far this year and will be seeing the debut of EXO-SC (a unit consisting of Chanyeol and Sehun) in less than one fortnight. But today, we turn to a different member. Making his grand (official) solo debut today is Baekhyun with UN Village and his first ever mini-album, City Lights.
One thing I am glad that Baekhyun didn’t pick is a ballad title track. So many main vocalists go down this route, it quite often becomes a very large cliche in the industry. Instead, UN Village is an R&B track. And even then, it isn’t necessarily your typical R&B track as well. What is great about this track is that it shows off the individuality and personality of Baekhyun quite well. This is a common goal for solo promotions (especially for idols coming from groups). But is often not achieved due to urge to follow trends and cliches. What I quite like about UN Village is that it shows off his vocal colours. It’s smooth and almost teasing, which I think begs us to replay the song. The chorus was very well done and its melody is quite memorable. The instrumental gave off an aesthetic atmosphere, which further compliments his vocals. And also, this one of the times where consistency works as an advantage, which maintained the aesthetics. Overall, it is one damn good debut track.
Complimenting the song’s aesthetic atmosphere is an equally aesthetically pleasing music video. The video puts Baekhyun’s visuals on full display. It showcases him singing in different lightings, often quite dark and with very little colour (except for the one dominant colour). Apart from the subtle visual display of the singer, I found the sets to be very interesting. The song sings about taking a special someone to a hill behind UN Village to show them the night sky (taken from Soompi). But the way the video was shot, it looked like Baekhyun was showing us the very appealing sides of hidden laneways and alleyways within a city, which I guess is quite similar to showing us a hill behind UN Village. The ending with him laying on a table (and a woman, presumably his lover) walking by him is very confusing as I am not exactly sure how it contributes the video. Maybe I missed a few details here and there, so please let me know how this scene adds to the story.
Song – 9.5/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9.3/10
Interestingly, the season which we all associate upbeat and energetic tracks with has been fairly quiet, especially in the last few weeks. But based on the dates that I have recorded down, it seems like things are going to get busy in the coming weeks and I think today’s date kicks things off. The first release that I will be looking at today is NATURE’s latest track, I’m So Pretty. This is the group’s first comeback Dream About U, which was released at the start of the year.
I’m So Pretty attempts to push itself into our playlists with a very typical girl group sound and flair. But it doesn’t get them far. I just think after the craziness of SOME (You’ll Be Mine), Nature has some bold shoes to fill. They ended up with a very tone down release at the start of the year that just felt inferior to SOME. So, it is nice to hear them pump some definition and boldness to this comeback track. But it falls short. I’m So Pretty takes that same sound that SOME had but puts it through an ordinary filter, resulting in an underwhelming pop track. I also thought the track was underwhelming due to the lack of catchy hooks. The hooks that the song opted for just didn’t really appeal to my personal tastes. Don’t worry, there were some good moments in this track as well. The display of vocals during the pre-chorus, the accents we heard at the end of each line in the post-chorus hook and the bridge as a whole overall were aspects that stood out at me. But sadly, they weren’t enough to dispel my initial comments.
This music video proves once again that Summer is the season of colour. It is a very colourful video, using a combination of bold and pastel colours to really showcase the group’s youthful and fun sides. There might be a small plotline, with the girls growing foxtails in the video. A quick Google search shows that a fox (which I assume the foxtails are a hint for) represents a number of characteristics, which I am assuming relate to the title of the song (Note that I have yet to find any English translation for the track yet and this is merely just an assumption for now).
The choreography for this comeback is quite nice. Once again, it doesn’t have much uniqueness to it. But there were moments that looked good and fun. I particularly like the ending of the bridge. I thought that looked cool.
Song – 6/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 6.5/10
As I have been mentioning over the past 2 weeks, I reflect over the 1st half of 2019 through two posts. The first post is the recap of the Number 1 songs from the Weekly KPOP Charts for the period between July 2018 to June 2019 and this was published last week. The second post is my pick for most favourite songs from the first half of the year. This is irrespective of the charts (or any charts for that matter) and reviews, as sometimes my favourite songs don’t reach the top. I have listed 10 songs below, in no particular order, which I believe represent the best of the best that 2019 has offered to us so far.
Boogie Up – WJSN (Cosmic Girls)
Q&A – Cherry Bullet
Woowa – DIA
Side Effects – Stray Kids
The Fifth Season (SSFWL) – Oh My Girl
Zimzalabim – Red Velvet
Valkirye – ONEUS
No – CLC
Sunrise – GFriend
L.O.V.E – Park Ji Hoon
I wanted to add a few more but think limiting myself to 10 would probably be best, otherwise, I’d be copying and pasting majority of 2019’s releases onto this page.
Do you agree with my picks? What about your favourite tracks of 2019 so far? Comment down below!
Due to the number of songs on the album, the album review will be quite long.
F(x) is probably one of the groups that KPOP fans want to see return to the stage. Their last release was with All Night back in 2016, so a comeback is definitely long overdue. To mildly fulfil my hunger for another F(x) comeback,, I have decided to write an album review for F(x) as part of the Past Album Review (PARs) segment. Pink Tape is the group’s 2nd studio album and was released in 2013. It features Rum Pum Pum Pum as its title track, which I absolutely hated back in 2013. Have my thoughts changed? You will see below!
Pink Tape Album Cover
1..Rum Pum Pum Pum (첫 사랑니) (Title Track) – Rum Pum Pum Pum is an example of a track that I started to enjoy way after reviewing it. I think it took a few years for it officially warm up to me. It ended up being addictive for a while and I really like the cute sound that came off it. Now, to me, it is just a showing of another side of the extremely versatile F(x). However, it is definitely no Electric Shock or Red Light. So, I decided to up my review score for the title track from the low 3 to a 7. Click here to read my original thoughts of Rum Pum Pum Pum. (7/10)
2. Shadow (미행 (그림자)) – Probably the biggest miss opportunity of the entire industry is not promoting this track in any way. Shadow has to be one of the most unique tracks in KPOP. I have to admit; the song was rather weird at first. But once you get past that hurdle, Shadow is just a creepy yet cutesy track. How so? Well, the lyrics revolve around them being their lover’s shadow (i.e. being with them all the time). However, the song is presented to us with a cutesy tone (i.e. the higher pitch vocals, delicate voices and the music box based instrumental. Sure, it isn’t 100% terrifying. But the song makes you imagine flowers and smiles but the lyrics manage to make those imaginary objects very twisted. (10/10)
3. Pretty Girl – Pretty Girl isn’t the prettiest track that I have come across. Once again, F(x) strays away from expectation, going for the least pretty genre of music out there, rock. Besides that, I felt that Pretty Girl wasn’t pretty in the ‘neat sense’, as well. I found the rock elements in the instrumental to be too overpowering, as the members during the chorus were being drowned out and they had to push themselves to be heard. I did like the vocal work (minus that last point), the rapping and the melody, so it wasn’t a terrible track. Maybe it could have been a little more polished to be more appealing. (7/10)
4. Kick – I think Kick falls under the same trap that Pretty Girl did. While it doesn’t overpower the vocals, Kick’s jerky instrumentation just felt like it was too much. And this makes the song feel quite uncomfortable. It does manage to pack a punch, which I guess is an advantage of a loaded track like this. I did like the effects the way the song infused a bit of choppiness to the track during the bridge, as it complements the style choices from the rest of the song. I just think Kick should have found a way to pack a punch but in a manner that was a little more toned down, so we could enjoy it more. (6.5/10)
5. Signal – The instrumental for Signal has the potential to be a pop diva-like song. There is that Kylie Minogue or Madonna type vibe that comes from the verses. But it doesn’t stay for long, as the chorus seems to opt for a typical pop approach and loses this diva feel, which I am disappointed with. However, there is a little disco groove to the track, which I think the chorus ends up turning to. So, it isn’t all bad news for the track. I just still think the track would have been more appealing if they kept with the diva-like sound, as I think this would potentially be an undiscovered territory for the group. I was lowkey expecting a rap sequence within the track, which could have lifted this song to another level. But overall, it is still a good song. (7.5/10)
6. Step – Step is a groovy track. I find it to be quite fun and has a nice club vibe to it. It just a few steps away from falling into the infectious category. To me, most colour came from the instrumentation. It is repetitive but done in a way that reminds me of any trendy ‘one hit wonders’ that we have come across in the KPOP industry. I am glad that it didn’t become of those tracks as I would think the song would get annoying with multiple listens. Currently, it is catchy to an extent. Vocally, I felt the song was on the weaker side. Only Luna shined for me and that only occurred towards the end of the track. But Step does a good job of continuing the upbeat vibes on this album. (7/10)
7. Goodbye Summer (Amber, Luna & Krystal ft. D.O (EXO)) – Sadly, I didn’t get into the song until after I heard the English version sung by Amber and Eric Nam. Now, it is one of my favourite summery pop ballads ever. The vocals are probably one of the selling points of the track. Firstly, the song features D.O from EXO, whom at the time was part of the leading boy group of the industry. So, the track got a lot of fanfare. Secondly, his vocals blend extremely well with Luna and Krystal, which upped the fanfare even more. You would think rapping wouldn’t necessarily fit into the breezy track but it somehow effortlessly did, making Amber’s rap memorable. Thirdly, the track was rather pleasant and refreshing, so it eased well into my playlist. (10/10)
8. Airplane – Somewhere on this blog, I am 100% sure I have reviewed Airplane (twice). But it won’t be a complete album review if I simply just bypassed the track. Especially since it is one of my favourite songs off this album. In hindsight, the track nowadays would be considered very straightforward, simply because it doesn’t deviate much from its starting sound. Back then, I thought the track was ingenious. The choppy start of the chorus (‘Come With Me. Airplane, Love’) was quite dynamic and ended up being on the catchiest hooks of the song. There is also a subtle fun tone to the track that I find very appealing. Despite it using an electronic instrumental, the song is rather light as well, meaning it was quite pleasant. The vocals and were simple and easy to follow, making this a catchy tune to hum along to. (10/10)
9. Toy – Toy isn’t as playful as you expect. Instead, it managed to be very intense and straight forward, matching the lyrics of the track (the members liken their lives to toys, which have a set appearance, always belong to and assumingly miss their owner). I think a better way to describe the track is that it is similar to a stereotypical rock track. Just without the rock elements. Another cool aspect is the classical and EDM mashed up instrumental break. I felt it just went a little longer than what I had anticipated and this didn’t allow the ‘return to the chorus’ to be as dynamic as it should have been. (8/10)
10. No More (여우 같은 내 친구) – The song’s music profile isn’t as interesting and felt more like a typical pop track. So, I won’t discuss it. Instead, I found the lyrics to be the most interesting aspect of the track. The girls sing about their female friend, someone who changes her personality depending on the guy who she is dating (e.g. she is an atheist but ‘becomes religious’ to be with her church oppa). Hence, she is described to be similar to a sly fox. For the most part, it makes fun of their friend. But the members do feel a little sympathy for her when they find her crying over her breakup. My favourite part has to be when they ask her ‘Have you found another guy yet?’, which makes for a perfect transition lyrics-wise to their original lyrics that dominated the earlier parts of the song. (7/10)
11. Snapshot – This had to be the poshest introduction to a song, courtesy of Amber herself. I thought the song a weird mix after that (a common trend back when the album was released). The verses felt like it was a song from a musical. However, the choruses felt like it was taking a hip-hop infused pop sequence instead, losing that unique musical-like sound. They managed to integrate the two sounds together well as the transition points didn’t sound awkward or too apparent. But when you consider the entire track as a whole, it just doesn’t sound right, if you understand what I mean. (7/10)
12. Ending Page – Surprisingly, I think Ending Page is their most neutral track on the album. The rock ballad doesn’t really develop as it progresses, which is a little disappointing. It isn’t overloaded with too much of one element, striking a very fine balance in any aspect that you can think of. The rock instrumental isn’t overpowering or overwhelming. This, along with the lack of development, allows for the focus to be squarely on the vocals. It doesn’t rely on powerful vocals to be track’s main driver. Instead, the song’s melody is extremely nice, and I find this to be a pleasant ending for the entire album. (9/10)
One of the biggest success stories of 2019 has to be the individual paths that each of the former Wanna One members have taken since their disbandment. It has given us amazing debuts and returns to their original groups. And while we are awaiting the last of them to debut as a solo artist, we are now entering the wave of comebacks from these solo members. Back in May, we saw the return of Yoon Ji Sung with I’ll Be There. We will be seeing the return of Bae Jin Young as part of CIX later this month. And today, we saw the return of Ha Sung Woon with Blue.
To me, Blue already sounds so much more appealing than Bird. Though I did review Birdfavourably, I did find that the solo debut track ended up being very forgettable. Blue conforms to the more typical trends of music that we hear all too often nowadays. But this isn’t a flaw, like in other tracks. I find Blue to be very dynamic, thanks to both the vocals and instrumentation. Ha Sung Woon’s vocals shine once again in this track. I like the way he drags his words out during the pre-chorus, making the drop we get during the chorus to be a little more impactful. The way he incorporated an airy tone during the bridge was quite memorable. I found his vocals in the chorus to be quite striking, complimenting the bounciness of the instrumental. The rest of his singing in the track was very clear and crisp. Likewise, I found the mid-tempo pop instrumental to be very fresh. I like the moody tone of the song, especially with the piano at the start. The chorus ended up being unexpected upbeat and bouncy (as mentioned) but it somehow worked well with the rest of the song’s tone.
With a track titled Blue, it does make sense to have the music video featuring a lot of blue. And that is what this video does. Interestingly, it deviates from the use of vibrant blues, as you would expect with upbeat tracks in the Summer season. Instead, the music video uses a lot of grey-blue and features a darker tone, matching the music’s heavy and emotional tone. Another good aspect, even though it has been done a fair bit over the years, is the choreography shots on the water. Though, I think this is the first time that a music video taking it a step further by showcasing Ha Sung Woon with a wet shirt while dancing, which I don’t remember anyone else doing before. (Don’t quote me on that, my memory isn’t that great).
Something that I have yet to mention is the 180-degree turn that Blue takes in comparison to Bird. The sound is a lot mature, the visuals are a lot gloomier. But it is the performance that really strikes me hard. The choreography takes on a more mature and artistic tone, which I think draws my attention more to the stage. It also shows off his dancer side. His stylist choice to dress him in satin or silky looking suits really work well with this concept.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
The second solo artist that I will be reviewing in a series is Chungha (as you can tell by the title of this post). We all know Chungha for her many addictive title tracks, with Snapping being the latest to join the ranks as well. But this is the first time I am going to have a closer look at one of her albums. Flourishing is the solo artist’s fourth mini-album to date. For those who do not know, I have used this weekend and will be using next weekend to look at albums from a few solo artists. But before we get to next weekend, we must dive deeper into Chungha’s album!
Flourishing Album Cover
1..Chica – The first song of the album is Chica, a song all about empowerment. Matching the strengthening power of the lyrics is the song’s very powerful island instrumental. While it is a style done before, Chungha’s take on it is quite refreshing and feels almost new. There are many aspects of the track that I thoroughly enjoyed. The first is the song’s upbeat energy. I find the track fitting for the Summer season and I can really imagine a really good dance routine in my mind. The second aspect must be its catchiness. The song may not be intended for a guy like me. But I really like its tone and melody, making it a good start to the album. The third aspect is Chungha’s vocals. As I have mentioned it before, she keeps building her abilities with every release. And this is true for this track. (9/10)
2. Young In Love (우리가 즐거워) – Young in Love, also titled as We Have Fun, is less intense than its preceding track. And like Chungha’s personality, the track is very easy-going and pleasant. I am not too into the track because I do like Chungha’s more edgy and impactful side, which she constantly shows throughout her title track releases. But Young In Love manages to encapsulate Chungha’s more delicate and softer side in a well-presented track. I really like the dance break we got during the bridge of the track, bring the pleasant sound a little more energy at the end. Her vocals were also nice and I like how she harmonised with the backing vocals towards the end of the track. (7/10)
3. Call It Love – While I understand that artists can be versatile with the music they release, I never took Chungha to be the ballad type. Call It Love doesn’t persuade me otherwise, unfortunately. She has made her name using dance tracks, so this is unfamiliar territory for me as a listener. I will admit that Chungha has a nice voice, as showcased elsewhere in the album. I just think the very traditionally instrumented ballad of a slow nature just doesn’t really showcase Chungha’s vocals all that well. It wasn’t awkward or terrible. The track just came off as bland and boring, to me. Maybe next time she can convince me otherwise. (6/10)
4. Flourishing – Flourishing is the surprising track on the album. Not that it goes a certain route or that it contains a unique element. But rather, the song is fully in English. This has been done before by other artists, but no artist has never been positioned a full English track ahead of the title track before. I am not sure what the intention of the position is meant to be. But I thought it was wise as it felt like a tame version of Snapping. It contains a hip-hop vibe that felt like it was carried over to the title track. Her vocals are nice and they are the element that keeps the song from being repetitive. The instrumental, however, felt very dry, repetitive and bland, which was a disappointment. I expected it to pick up and really flourish. But it didn’t do that whatsoever. (7/10)
Welcome to the first weekly chart post for the second half of 2019. As I said last week, let’s all hope that the cool releases (and only the cool releases) continue onto the second half of the year. And it seems that will be the case with the return of GFriend and Ailee, along with solo releases from D.O (from EXO) and Sulli, making their debut on the chart this week!
Chungha’s latest solo release, Snapping, has been enjoying a lot of popularity and attention. It has topped charts and won a few weekly music shows form this week. And today, Snapping managed to top this week’s Weekly KPOP Chart. In the second position was Ong Seong Woo’s first solo single, Heart Sign. As mentioned before, Fever by Gfriend and That’s Okay by D.O (EXO) made their debut in the third and fourth position respectively this week. The final song as part of the Top 5 is Stray Kids’ Side Effects, which was last week’s Number 1 Song.
For more of the charts, scroll down below:
30th Jun – 6th Jul 2019
Title
Artist
Status
1
Snapping
Chungha
(▲ 2)
2
Heart Sign
Ong Seong Woo
(▲ 27)
3
Fever
Gfriend
(new)
4
That’s Okay
D.O (EXO)
(new)
5
Side Effects
Stray Kids
(▼ 4)
6
Me And You
EXID
(=)
7
Goblin
Sulli
(new)
8
Birthday
Jeon Somi
(▲ 8)
9
Really Really
Cherry Bullet
(▲ 4)
10
RPM
SF9
(▼ 5)
11
Uh-Oh
(G)I-DLE
(▲ 6)
12
Room Shaker
Ailee
(new)
13
Zimzalabim
Red Velvet
(▼ 6)
14
The Fifth Season (SSFWL)
Oh My Girl
(▼ 3)
15
Doom Doom
NOIR
(▲ 12)
16
Superhuman
NCT 127
(▲ 3)
17
Eclipse
GOT7
(▼ 9)
18
Let’s Get Loud
We In The Zone
(▲ 29)
19
Boogie Up
WJSN (Cosmic Girls)
(▼ 15)
20
Breathe
AB6IX
(▲ 18)
21
Me
CLC
(▼ 11)
22
Beautiful Days
Lovelyz
(▲ 17)
23
Run Away
Teen Top
(▲ 17)
24
Don’t Need Your Love
NCT Dream & HRVY
(▲ 4)
25
Wave
ATEEZ
(▼ 3)
26
Unspoken Words
Davichi
(▲ 18)
27
Twilight
ONEUS
(▼ 1)
28
Dear Rude
JeA (Brown Eyed Girls) ft. Cheetah
(▼ 26)
29
Hold On Me
Nam Woohyun (Infinite)
(▼ 8)
30
UNDER COVER
A.C.E
(▲ 6)
Songs leaving the charts this week are:
Hold On Me – Nam Woohyun (Infinite)
The Fifth Season (SSFWL) – Oh My Girl
You – Xiumin (EXO)
Runaway – Eric Nam
Awesome Breeze – N.Ca
Thank you once again and I will see you all during the week!
As mentioned last week, there were some recent Japanese releases that needed to be addressed. Today, I will be having a closer look at one of them. IZ*ONE, earlier this year, made their Japanese debut with I Want To Say I Love You and their Korean comeback with Violeta. So, the group has already had a jam-packed half-year already. But they managed to sneak one more comeback just before June wrapped up with the release of Buenos Aires in Japan.
Listening to the track when it first came out and listening to it now, I honestly do not know what to say. The work that IZ*ONE had done to grow through the releases of La Vie en Rose, Violeta and I Want To Say I Love You surely would not result in a song like this. Instrumentally, I thought the song was good. Pop electronic does sound fitting for the Japanese market. That continuous extension for the instrumental break during the bridge was probably my favourite bit, providing intensity and an awesome platform for a creative dance sequence. Vocally, the song is haywire. Let’s start at the start. The introduction and first verse were okay. I thought the monotone effect and the buildup of autotune to be intriguing. But they should have changed for the chorus. They kept the same effect, rendering the vocals into a state of permanent monotone. They had cutesy yelling in the background that did not fit in. The melody was very unimaginative. The excessive autotune for the post-chorus hook was over the top. Urgh… And the rapping is even worse. I am hugely disappointed in the outcome of the track. And the disappointment is quite heavy, as I can hear so much potential in the instrumentation.
While I don’t enjoy the song, I thought the music video was a little better. I have warmed up to the visuals which I didn’t enjoy so much initially. The emphasis on the green was a nice pick, overall. But it was the filter that ruined everything, making the video feel pale and overwhelmingly bright. That feeling still stays with me but it isn’t as strong. I do still think the video is more on the bland side of the spectrum, as the close-ups and images of venus fly traps didn’t really add anything interesting to the video. To be honest, I felt the venus fly traps were a little odd, as they didn’t serve any meaning to the video, based on my knowledge.
The choreography was pretty good. I think the best word to describe it would be prance-y. I really like the dance break during the bridge, which was my favourite bit overall.
Song – 3/10 Music Video – 6/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 4.7/10
Since we are back on schedule, there will be two album reviews coming out this weekend. Both album reviews will be focusing on solo releases that have occurred recently. And it might extend to the album reviews in the next week (so I guess you can start guessing who these albums might belong to). Today’s album review will be for Leo’s recent comeback. The main vocalist of VIXX returned with Romanticism a few weeks back, which is featured on Muse, Leo’s second mini-album to date.
2. Things About To Happen (다가오는 것들) (ft. Choiza of Dynamic Duo) – One of the elements I really liked about this very emotionally charged track is the minimalistic instrumentation. It is like the blank canvas analogy that I sometimes use to describe a track. However, there are accents within the instrumental that makes the song so much more impactful and bone-chilling. Despite the extra addition to helping boost the impact potential of the track, the main strokes that make art on the blank canvas are Leo’s voice. There is no doubt about it. His singing in this track is filled with emotion, which makes the track feel so captivating. I am not too familiar with Choiza (from Dynamic Duo) but his rapping really fitted in well and added to that serious atmosphere the song has oozing from the track. (10/10)
3. Nostalgia (향수병) – As Leo is the main vocalist, it was inevitable that a ballad or two would be included on the album, even if he went with another R&B track as his title track. Nostalgia talks about the uneasiness that arises from a good memory that comes from a former relationship. He doesn’t want to remember it. But at the same time, he is afraid he will forget this memory. I am sure many people can relate to this dilemma. Per usual, it is a heartbreaking song. But that is one of Leo’s fortes. His voice suits these emotion-heavy tracks, so he is in his element. His raspy vocals does wonders in the track. I like how the classical instrumental adds to the heartbreaking feelings he portrays and I often find them coming in at the right moment. Even though it is a slow ballad (which isn’t often my ballad style of choice), Leo enchants once again. (9.5/10)
4. Tight (타이트해) – Leo changes things up with Tight. It isn’t another ballad. Instead, Tight is a smooth and sensual dance track. And while it is nice for a change, Tight wouldn’t be the first thing that comes into mind (given the nature of the lyrics). But it is still a good song. His voice lends well for this R&B style as well, which I think is what he enjoys more. There are a number of moments that grab my attention. The first is the pre-chorus. I really liked that sudden brief pause before going onto a small tone change that still manages to fit into the rest of the song. As the chorus was more sensual and doesn’t have a drop, this pre-chorus really built up momentum. The chorus contains whispers that I think fit the nature of the track, pushing whoever Leo (or the writer) had in mind onwards (you can decipher the meaning of that sentence). The most awkward moment comes from the chorus as well, in the form of ‘La La La be dab’. I want to know what the meaning of this is. (8/10)
5. Muse – Unlike the other tracks, Muse is not emotionally centred. This provides us with a chance to breathe from the heartbreaking or sensual emotions that have been the main focus of the album thus far. However, I find Muse charged in a vocal sense, as Leo’s voice does manage to shine brightly in this track. He pairs well with the slow rock ballad nature of the song, which ends up showing us another side of the artist that I would love to hear more from. Apart from Leo’s voice, I liked the ballad start and end of the track. By completing the song with how it started, it felt like the track completed a full circle and hence providing us with a very satisfying feeling (as if you are full) once the song ended. (8/10)
6. The Flower (Pre-Release Single) (ft. Maximilian Hecker) – The album ends with a ballad collaboration with Leo and Maximilian Hecker, who is known for his dream pop music (according to Wikipedia). I find that Leo’s voice isn’t showcased as well as his previous track. But instead of the vocals, it is the stunning instrumental that is showcased. I find that Leo’s voice is on the softer side, complimenting the soothing and calming nature of the predominately piano instrumental. But I think the winning moment must be when Leo passed the vocal baton over to Maximillian Hecker. Both their voices sound alike, and I honestly thought Leo was still singing (just in English). Overall, I thought the track was a nice end to the album. It was as if it was leading us to prolonged sleep so that when we wake up once again, Leo would have returned with another album. (10/10)
Yesterday and today, I have covered debuts that I have missed back in May and onwards. I am determined to get out as many reviews for newly debut groups as possible before the weekend. So, we will continue the release of reviews for these new groups. This one is a little more recent as it occurred early last week (24th of June). PURPLEBECK is a 5-member female group consisting of Yeowool, Mini, La Yeon, Yerim and Seyeon. They are currently under Majesty Entertainment and made their debut with Crystal Ball.
I have noticed that the majority of releases from new girl groups from smaller companies always end up falling into two categories if they choose the upbeat route: Cutesy or generic. Listening to the song, Crystal Ball doesn’t fit any of the two categories. So there is a level of uniqueness with their vocally driven debut track. The instrumental is rather typical, with a bright sound. But managing to get the song to shine so brightly are the vocals of the group. I was blown away the first time I listened to the track. While that feeling has simmered down, the vocals managed to deliver energy and intensities, which I think makes this track memorable. While I really like the harmonies and catchiness that comes from the chorus, the pre-chorus is probably my favourite bit. If I were to criticise the track in any way, I think the rapping could have been a little more interesting. If they managed to go a little harder during the rap section (which would better utilise the rapper’s voice), the song could have been perfect to me.
I have to admit, I did not expect such a bright song for a group were very edgy clothing. I was expecting something a lot darker and serious tone with their outfits, so things were surprising as they progressed. The start of the music video showed a very interesting sequence. A table set up in the middle of nowhere and 5 girls are sitting around the table. A strange clock starts ringing on the table and they all run away in different directions. While acting all bright and happy, the members end up finding red crystal balls, which they bring back to the table (which is now situated within a set). I find the concept to be very intriguing but it also seems to be an odd pairing. I think the concept would have been better suited with a more serious dance track that allows the mysterious vibes to be harnessed to their full potential.
There is a playful vibe to the choreography, which I quite liked. This compliments the fun vibes the song had. Overall, I thought it wasn’t too bad. The first chorus contained a little bit of Michael Jackson, which looked good.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
I think I am going to continue on with the catch up by focusing on the rookie groups that just made their debut. I do have a short list of them to cover and there aren’t any major comebacks that take precedence today, giving me time to actually do the catching up. Today’s review is focusing on the double title tracks (savanna & Time Leap) that OnlyOneOf made their debut with back at the end of May. The group consist of seven members (Nine, Love, Yoojung, KB, Mill, Rie and Junji) and are currently under RSVP.
To me, no matter how much I listen to savanna, I cannot find anything interesting within the track that keeps me attracted to it or reels me in for further replays, similar to the comments I made in yesterday’s review. Despite that, there are a number of elements that do manage to stand out. The R&B instrumental made the song quite smooth textured. While it seems like the instrumental is the root of why I think the song was plain and bland, the smoothness allowed the melody to be quite pleasant. And this resulted in the showcase of nice vocals and decent rapping from the group.
Time Leap is another melodic song. But it is completely different from savanna as it delves into a pop route and I thought it was a little more captivating. To me, the instrumental felt like a blank canvas, as it once again didn’t have anything interesting within it. With that analogy, the vocals and rapping ended up being the paint strokes. They actually sound quite good with the rap sequences having a little more intensity and the harmonies allowed the vocals to be showed off with more definition. With its consistent nature, I felt like the only image that the group could have amounted to in Time Leap was a black and white image. But it is a start and I like the song.
For a smooth and decently paced track, savanna’s music video had a lot going on. The various visual effects and overlays could have been reduced as I think the music video showed a more than necessary edgy tone. But I really liked the aesthetics of the video that was formed thanks to the visual effects. I think if they managed to strike a balance to the dark lighted music video, I think savanna, as a whole package, could have been a little more likeable. As for the Time Leap, the music video is less aesthetic. However, the cinematography during the more professional shots was really cool. They also included some ‘home video’ style shots, which was nice. But I felt like that stripped away the aesthetics. Nothing really happened in this video, which did leave it on the boring side of the spectrum. But still visually looked good.
While I have been praising Time Leap so far, their performance is a bore. As much as I understand that they had a slow song to start with, the performance ended up making things a lot slower. savanna, however, had the more captivating performance. Sure, the more intense moves didn’t fit as well with the song. But it looked more intriguing and fits the type of performance I like to see from male groups.
savanna Song – 6/10 Music Video – 6.5/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 6.4/10
Time Leap Song – 7/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 5/10 Overall Rating – 6.6/10
The next artist to review as part of the catch-up is a new rookie group who made their debut back on the 27th of May of this year. We In The Zone (also known as WITZ) is a 5 member male group under Choon Entertainment. The group consist of Eson, Jooan, Min, Kyeongheon and Shihyun. The group’s debut title track is Let’s Get Loud, which is featured on their first mini-album which shares the same name as the group themselves.
I am not going to lie just because of this their first song. But I hate to be harsh for the exact same reason. A crucial element lacking in Let’s Get Loud is boldness. The presence of boldness will flow onto other areas of the track that I commonly think of when I write these reviews. And without boldness, you will get left with a plain and unmemorable track. That is the song in a nutshell. And after one month of its release, I think it is fair to say that this is a lacklustre debut. Not many tracks get time to grow on me before I write its review but Let’s Get Loud just didn’t have anything for me to warm up to. Many elements fell short of expectations set just by the title alone. For example, I had expected the instrumental to have a rush of energy and ignite the need to shout or party. But the instrumental we ended up hearing was conventional and didn’t excite me. The vocals and rapping were good, showcasing some potential. But some parts (such as the ‘Let’s Get Loud‘ in the chorus) felt unenergetic and unexciting. The ‘Better Po-Po-Pose‘ in the chorus (which came off more as a ‘Pum-Pum-Pum-ma‘) was drowned out by the instrumental (which wasn’t even that loud). There were no strong hooks to reel me in. I think there is enough for you to understand my overall thoughts.
One thing I did remember about the lead up to their debut was that it was announced very early on. I remember very well putting the date into my calendar. But apart from that, I don’t recall teasers or images in the lead up to their debut. Not really the best foot forward if you ask me for a newly debuting group. But despite the lack of pre-debut momentum, the music video actually turned out quite nice. I really like the small drawings that appear on the screen, which highlights their moves and details during their close-ups. The video had nice cinematography, as well. The peak of the track has to be the breaking of the sunglasses (that loud crack). I liked how it was handled in the video, as I thought it was passed over too quickly in the actual audio.
Like the song, I didn’t see too much in the performance to really make any comments on. I did like how they brought the cracking of the sunglasses onto the stage for some of the performances, while others didn’t have that element. So the song ended up incorporating a camera shutter sound. Though, breaking the sunglasses to add a hint of boldness to the comeback, which I guess makes up for some of the flaws of the song.
Song – 4/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 5.5/10
I have been doing these Weekly Chart posts for 3 years now. I started back in July 2017 and have not looked back with the segment. As I stated last year, it does eat up some of my weekends. But I still think it is fun and exciting to see how my listening patterns dictate the charts. So, it is safe to assume that the segment will not be going anywhere soon!
For the past two years, once we enter the second half of the year, I do a recap post of the Number 1 Songs of each Chart Post over the last year. And keeping to tradition, let’s celebrate the 3rd year of the segment in the same fashion!
PS. I have also updated the ‘Weekly Charts’ tab on the menu while typing up this post. Sorry about my total neglect of that tab. To make up for the abandonment of the tab, here is my all-time favourite KPOP GIF.
If you have only become a KPOP fan in the last year, chances are you haven’t heard of Ailee. Known for amazingly powerful vocals, Ailee has proven herself to be an artist to keep an eye out for. Tracks like I Will Show You, U&I, If You and many others are just solid proof of that. Today, she returned for the first time in 2 years with Room Shaker, the title track from her second studio album, Butterfly. This is her first comeback since her 2017 single (Reminiscing) and her very popular OST hit, I Will Go to You Like the First Snow.
I think the majority of her tracks that made her popular prior to 2017 either delved into the pop genre or were a ballad to showcase her vocals. But with a long absence from the music scene standing in her way, Ailee could only return with either a sound that makes people remember her more successful tracks or a sound that is completely different but extremely memorable. Room Shaker chooses the latter option, with Ailee redefining her usual sound. It focuses on a powerful hip–hop sound that does not hold back. I think one of the star attractions has to be the instrumentation. It is energetic and acts as a memorable hook, especially the brass-heavy post-chorus section. She raps in the track, which is something new from the solo artist if I am not mistaken. One of my favourite parts has to be the ‘Go Merry Go Round‘ whisper in the second verse. And while it is a hip-hop track, her vocals do manage to be another star attraction. Her high note brought back fond memories of her high notes from the past. Overall, I thought this was a successful return music-wise for Ailee, who definitely reminded me why I missed her.
With an edgy sound like in Room Shaker, you expect something equally as edgy in the video. Otherwise, the video would have completely missed the plot. However, Room Shaker hits the bullseye. It is definitely edgy and there is a lot of the attitude visually in this video, perfect for the track. And there is a literal shakeup in the classroom for this comeback, which goes hand-in-hand with both the lyrics (having a good time) and the title. Ailee looks amazing in the video as well, with all her close-ups leaving a stunning image of her in your mind.
And with an energy-filled song, the choreography is something to look out for. I really liked how the moves got her going low just for the first chorus. The second and final choruses didn’t have her repeating the same moves, as this will keep the first chorus looking impactful each time we see it. I think the moves during her post-chorus dance breaks were awesome and her back-up dancer seat lift was an awesome way to present the high note.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8.5/10 Overall Rating – 8.6/10
Today, we restart the Past Album Review (PARs) segment. I know I said I would restart it in June. But my assignments got extended, exams were demanding and the catch-up reviews was quite intensive (which is still ongoing). Starting off this re-launch of B1A4. There is no particular reason to why I am starting off with B1A4, other than they were the next group to complete a PARs for before I dropped the segment. I did pick Sweet Girl (released in August of 2015), as it contained 2 of their b-side tracks that I most familiar with. So before I somehow end up delaying it a third time, this is my review of B1A4’s Sweet Girl mini-album.
2. You Are A Girl I Am A Boy – ‘Girls and Boys cannot be friends’. While my opinion doesn’t matter regarding this statement, B1A4 made a whole song about how the validity of this statement. With the meaning of the lyrics out of the way, let’s turn to the actual music. It earns a big tick from me. It takes a pop-rock form and I thought the energy they put into it (and what we got out) made it memorable. It is definitely a Summer tune, with a very upbeat instrumental and B1A4’s well-known youthful charms making it into the track. I think the vocal and rapping work in this track is pretty good. It isn’t the strongest display of technique. But the balance they managed to strike to compliment the upbeat nature of the song was spot on. (8/10)
3. After 10 Years (10년 후) – Somewhere on this site, within the many posts from the last 8 years or so that I have been writing on this blog, I have stated my praises for After 10 Years. And it is definitely worth revisiting as it is my most favourite b-side track from B1A4. Firstly, it is the vocals and rapping. Each member brings a very different dynamic to the track but they managed to fuse together so nicely. The harmonies make this track sound so heartbreaking. The way Jinyoung started off the track was amazing. Baro’s rapping was so striking. Secondly, the melody stayed in my mind and helped make it memorable. And finally, I found the instrumental to be just perfect. It leant more to the ballad side but there were some rock elements in there, which I fondly enjoyed. And after all these years, as soon as this track finishes, I wanted to press replay to listen to it all over again. (10/10)
4. Wait – We don’t often get to hear Baro sing, as far as I know. So, to hear him open up Wait was a genuine surprise back then (and it still does). But it makes absolute sense, given the song is a ballad. The entire track is quite slow and paced nicely. So, there isn’t really any room for any rap tempo. And with such a ballad, we get to hear the purest form of their vocals (without listening to them live in concert). The other four members each sounded spectacular alongside a beautiful melody, showing off their vocal talents once again. It is another heartbreaking song, with a harmonica centrepiece. This time around, however, they are waiting for their lover to appear once again. (8/10)
5. Love Is Magic – Love Is Magic is a jazzy R&B number that sounds quite pleasant. Once again, it is a nice display of vocals and rapping, which I think might be a recurring theme in this album. And while the vocals do sound amazing, with the members managing to go an extra step with falsettos, harmonies and other techniques, I must point out that the song contains a fair amount of rapping. I am not complaining as I found the rapping to fit in nicely with the jazzy side of the track. An odd combination but it manages to work. But while the elements were good, it didn’t necessarily make the track memorable. It isn’t my style, so I think I glossed over the track back when it was released, and I still want to gloss over it now. (7/10)
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