Park Ji Hoon’s performance for L.O.V.E is nominated for Best Solo Choregraphy in this year’s KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support Park Ji Hoon and your other favourite artists by clicking here to vote.
All of the former Wanna One members (minus Ong Seong Woo, who has focused on acting this year) have made two releases in some capacity in this year. One of the last to join this lineup is Park Ji Hoon, who makes his return today with 360. This is Park Ji Hoon’s first comeback since his debut with L.O.V.E, which occurred back in March. Park Ji Hoon also returned to acting this year through Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency, as well.
The way 360 started off got me intrigued with the song. The instrumental kicks off with a smooth vibe and Park Ji Hoon himself starts off very low. The song ended up developing into a dynamic piece. There seems to be a subtle touch of funkiness in the instrumental during the chorus, which reminds me of solo releases by more well known acts, such as Taemin. Otherwise, it was well produced and a solid dance track overall. I really liked the post-chorus hook. It did sound awkward at first (his pronunciation of one of the words was questionable but it seems the lyrics were ‘take a shot for me‘), but a few extra listens really keyed it into my mind. His vocal work was quite good but I think Park Ji Hoon’s rapping steals the show this time around. It seemed to have a groove to which I thought nicely enhanced the song. Overall, 360 is a cool track.
The music video was really cool. I liked how the music video started off with the shakey closeup, the monotone filter and the flashing lights. And while I don’t like the flashing lights usually, I found them a good link between each scene. Deciphering the video is a little more complicated. From what I could see in the music video, there isn’t too much to go with besides Park Ji Hoon in different places. Based on the information I could find/understand, the video showed Park Ji Hoon at ‘different angles’ and hence this makes sense with the multiple locations. Other than that, I don’t understand what is happening in the video. I would like to know if there are some theories, so do comment below and share your understanding.
Like the song, I thought the performance was very dynamic. For a song titled as 360, the choreography contained a fair amount of turns. It looked elegant and powerful, which is very fitting for the song and the style that Park Ji Hoon went with. I also liked how sleek the chorus looked.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
CIX is one of the groups nominated for the Best New Male Group award in the 2019 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Click here to support CIX and your other favourite artists!
Unfortunately, I will be ending the album review blitz today and the next album review will be published as per the original timetable (Friday). I think there are one or two more album reviews from the past few weeks that I have yet to touched and I will get to them before the year ends. Today, we will be having a listen to CIX’s first comeback, HELLO Chapter 2. Hello, Strange Place and their title track, Numb (link below). I previously reviewed their first mini-album, which featured their debut track, Movie Star.
Hello Chapter 2: Hello, Stranger Place Album Cover
1. Black Out – Kicking off the album is Black Out, which is a powerful starter. I liked the seriousness that came with this track, the epic intensity that the song channels and the tune gives off the ‘don’t mess with me’ impression. I also like the focus on the rappers, with majority of the song going back and forth between BX and Hyunsuk. The song did lack strong vocal moments, which I think would have been more enticing. I felt Bae Jinyoung’s pre-chorus segment the most awkward in the song and that is why I thought so. (8/10)
3. Rewind – Rewind starts off with really smooth harmonies before launching into a loaded rap sequence. For the chorus, they went with melodic vocals and light bouncy synth-based instrumentation which gave off some hip-hop influences. My favourite part is when Hyunsuk said ‘Let’s Rewind’ before the song throws in a rewinding effect and we launch back into smooth vocals and a bumping rap sequence (similar to how the song started, but with a few changes to keep the song interesting). I thought the chorus was also quite catchy. All of this made the song standout for me. (9/10)
4. Bystander – I found Bystander to be a very smooth number. The vocal work and the subtly groovy instrumentation went very well with one another. It was extremely pleasant overall, and this gave the song an appealing feel. I liked how low this song went, which kind of reminds me of their Movie Star track in that sense. Despite its ‘smooth’ impression, the song is loaded with textures in a very subtle manner. From the rapping to the crunchy instrumentation, followed by the pauses in the music towards the end of the song. Finally, I liked how they all sang together at the end. (8.5/10)
5. Maybe I – The final song on the album is a R&B number that feels extremely chilled in comparison to the rest of the album. I give the group an opportunity to show off their vocal and rapping skills in a more wholesome manner. I feel like BX’s rapping is the cleanest in this song, alongside the vocals, which isn’t hidden or masked by much autotune in this song. The song is about a breakup, but I could help think about the lack of emotion in their voices. I feel like it needed more of that to be more impactful. (7/10)
WJSN (Cosmic Girls) is nominated for Best Female Group and Best Female Choreography in the 2019 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. To support WJSN and your other favourite artists, click here to do so today!
The next album on the ‘album review blitz’ list is WJSN’s latest mini-album release. Both the title track and mini-album share the same name, As You Wish. These were released in the middle of November and the group has been actively promoting the release since then. This release follows the groups chart-topping hit, Boogie Up, which was released back in June. Let’s see whether the group can continue their momentum following their previous comeback.
2. Luckitty-Cat(행운을 빌어) – One thing that I really like about Luckitty-Cat is how it just keeps going on. There is hardly a break in the song’s momentum. But this is no problem as the song is rather catchy and addictive. The lyrics and vocals tap into the group’s innocent and cutesy domain. I really like the melodies of the song as well, which was quite flowy and pleasant over the busy instrumentation I got. I also really liked the vibrancy of their vocals and the rap sequence in the song. Overall, a really good song from the group that could rival their title track, in my opinion. (9/10)
3. Lights Up(야광별) – Lights Up is a ballad and it features a piano and (later on) orchestral instrumental. It is almost like a fairytale-like backdrop for the song, which I quite like. Apart from the instrumentation, their vocals are the other primary element present in the song. While some members sound good, I thought that their voices were a tad too loud for the instrumentation, overall. And in some cases, some members sounded off. Though I am not too sure why they sounded off. Furthermore, I wished they scrapped the rapping this song track. It didn’t feel necessary and wasn’t well incorporated in my point of view. (6/10)
4. WW(우와)– We return to the more upbeat and energetic sound that WJSN feels most well known for. Minus the start of the song, where they went with a retro synth start that was distorted and felt ‘broken’, the song is pretty much a funball rolled into a 3 minutes and 45 seconds. I really like the vocals in this track, as they play with pitches, which is rather cool. The rapping is also lively int this track and is different from their past tracks (Good Job Exy!). I like the vibrancy of this track well, which helps make it addictive. (9/10)
5. BADABOOM(바다붐) – I like how serious and mature sounding the song sounds. It is fierce in its own way, which I am sure is a side of WJSN that could potentially be brought into play if they group ever wants to undergo a direction change. I thought the song was catchy, thanks to the hooks. I also like how instrumental contained thumping instrumentation, which I think pairs well with the title BADBABOOM. The ending to the song was really awesome, giving the song a unique extension. I also like “Li La Li La’ part before the choruses. It was a nice quirk that really caught my attention. (8.5/10)
6. Full Moon – Full Moon returns to that mystical and fantastical sound that the group is widely known for. The song features a catchy chorus and seems to incorporate a bit of R&B to the song. I like the vocal work and the rapping in this track as well. However, I can’t help thinking that this song is extremely weighed down and feel very dry. I want something with a little more oomph or bang to it, which I am certain would help retransform the song into something more interesting. (6.5/10)
7. Don’t Touch – This final song is fierce and powerful, which are words that I really enjoy using to describe songs. Exy’s rapping really brings the song to new a whole new level, which really makes it enjoyable. I feel like the producers didn’t do a really good job of mixing the instrumental with the vocals. One element is always overpowering the other in this song. You don’t get much opportunity to really appreciate an element because of it. But I like how they channeled their energy and I feel this is a very bold ending for the album, especially given WJSN’s image and pasty concepts. (8/10)
Mamamoo is nominated for in 3 different categories (Best Female Group, Best Vocals, Best Female Choreography), while Hwasa is nominated for Best New Female Soloist and Best Solo Choreography for the 2019 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Click here to support Mamamoo, Hwasa and your other favourite artists!!!
Mamamoo made their comeback two weeks ago with their second studio album, reality in BLACK (where BLACK is an acronym for Bless Life and Carry Knowledge). Their concept this time around showed us what the members of Mamamoo would be like if they were not part of Mamamoo in multiple universes. It is a very interesting concept that you should also check out in the music video below. HIP is the title track from this album, which also features their Queendom final track, Destiny (links all below). In addition to these 2 tracks, there are 9 other songs on the album. So let’s check them out!
2. Universe– Universe is a straightforward pop track that has a nice pleasant melody and fun beat to it. It might not sound like there is anything special within the track if you just gloss over this track. But a more in depth listen to the song will yield awesome vocals, catchy vocals and an easy-going rap segment courtesy of Moonbyul. Two things caught my attention. This is very smooth, compared to songs released/promoted currently. Also, I really like how they personalise their songs. In Universe, they subtly incorporated their names into the lyrics, which I somehow managed to pick up within the first listen (Note: my Korean isn’t good). (8/10)
3. Ten Nights (열 밤) – The first ballad on the album is Ten Nights. And per any Mamamoo track (let alone ballad), the song features breathtaking vocals that captivate you. I honestly felt like it was well-suited for drama OST. The instrumental is standard for a ballad, so most of the appeal is made through their vocal work. Both Moonbyul and Solar’s high note really shocked me. I think Moonbyul’s high note was her first on stage ever, while Solar’s caught me off guard for a moment. Both Wheein and Hwasa were enthralling as well. The harmonies during the bridge between Solar/Hwasa and Wheein/Moonbyul was another highlight worth mentioning. (10/10)
5. 4x4ever– 4x4ever is a very strong song. It makes sense as the song is all about self-empowerment, which is definitely one of Mamamoo’s domains. I really like the textures that the song features. From the heavy nature and crunchy rock elements found in the instrumentation, the breathy and raspy vocals and a rap sequence that aligns itself with the hip-hop genre, everything was powerful on its own and really worked together well to amplify this. It is a great track to listen to, but I wish there were one or two catchier hooks in this song. (9/10)
6. Better – Better is decent 90s vibe track. I don’t hate it, but it isn’t my ‘go-to’ track on this album. I just prefer it when Mamamoo does something with a little more definition or oomph (if you understand what I mean). While the vocal work was awesome (Solar’s high notes and the member’s adlibs, as some examples in this song), I thought the melody was a little forgettable. I wished they did something more with the verses, which should have been better aligned with the powerful nature of their vocals during the chorus. (7/10)
7. Hello Mama – The second ballad of the album is Hello Mama. It is a ballad, with a jazzy influence, which I thought was nice. The member keeps their vocals from going into ‘powerful’ mode, which I think it is very fitting for the style. It feels like something that would have come from the 30s or be a theme song for someone with a well-known elegant image. It was beautiful to an extent. I just wished they dropped the rapping because it felt out of place in this track. But apart from that, it was good. (7.5/10)
8. ZzZz (심심해) – The title of the song essentially refers to being ‘bored’. And I thought the lyrics of the song encompassed this theme very well. It features a quirky instrumental, made of instruments that you wouldn’t find in a standard song. And while it is quirky, I found it very interesting that the energy levels of this song was kept down to a minimum (which in hindsight does go well with the title and lyrics). It is almost like the quirky moments of the instrumentation was made due to the sheer boredom, while the producers were lying down on the floor or half their body was hanging off their bed. The melodies were nice and pleasant. (8/10)
9. rEALITY– The next track on the album is the reggae influenced rEALITY. But the reggae influence is not strong, and nor do I find anything too special about the instrumentation. Instead, it is the vocals that do most of the appealing in this track. I really like how they brought different textures within their voices to the song, giving each section a unique and different feel, relatively to what we had already heard in the song. I really like Hwasa’s ‘I’m Fine, I’m Hurt’ line that follows the chorus. It felt very loaded, despite the instrumental being stripped back to nothing and Hwasa singing that line very softly each time. (8/10)
10. High Tension (춤을 취) – High Tension is a groovy and jazzy R&B number. The song contains good vocals and rapping. Harmonies are probably High Tension’s strongest point. The instrumental also pushed along nicely. But other than that, there wasn’t anything worth pointing out, honestly. It is a standard track and probably my personal pick for the track to skip over on the album. (6/10)
11. I’m Your Fan – I’m Your Fan has a very addictive and alluring beat, despite it being like any other pop track we have listened to. I liked how the chorus continued with instrumental of the verse with very little fuss or added elements, keeping the song relatively consistent. There was a mini breakdown in the middle of the song, which I did like, which gave the song a break from becoming too consistent and overly tiring over multiple listens. The song’s main hook has to be the ‘I’m Your Fan, Your Fan, Your Fan’, which followed the chorus and provided a cute element to the song through its autotune. (8/10)
Welcome back to another chart post for the 4th Week of November 2019. We have reached the end of November already. And we only have four more weeks in the year. With the final four weeks upon us, it is time to start voting for the 2019 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. You will find many of your favourites are nominated. But they need your help to be picked for the best of each category. So follow the following link to the post (or find the post on the home page).
For the second week in a row, Mamamoo tops the charts this week with their HIP comeback. No puns this week, though. GOT7 rises up one position this week to sit in the second place throne with You Calling My Name. MONSTA X’s Follow rises back into the Top 5 into the third position. AOA’s Come See Me comeback makes it chart debut in the fourth position, while IU’s Blueming finishes up this week’s Top 5. For more of the charts, scroll down below.
24th Nov – 30th Nov 2019
Title
Artist
Status
1
HIP
Mamamoo
(=)
2
You Calling My Name
GOT7
(▲ 1)
3
Follow
MONSTA X
(▲ 23)
4
Come See Me
AOA
(new)
5
Blueming
IU
(▲ 5)
6
As You Wish
WJSN (Cosmic Girls)
(▲ 1)
7
Blue Flame
ASTRO
(▼ 2)
8
Astronaut
DAY6
(▲ 1)
9
Wonder Woman
Brown Eyed Girls
(▲ 5)
10
Numb
CIX
(▼ 4)
11
Wannabe
Golden Child
(=)
12
Midnight Sun
Seven O’Clock
(▼ 10)
13
Find You
MONSTA X
(▲ 29)
14
Touchin’
Kang Daniel
(new)
15
Obsession
EXO
(new)
16
Spark
Taeyeon (SNSD)
(▲ 23)
17
Good BAM
N.Flying
(▲ 19)
18
Lit
ONEUS
(▲ 4)
19
Above The Time
IU
(▼ 7)
20
Oopsie (My Bad)
NATURE
(▲ 21)
21
Sweet Chaos
DAY6
(▼ 6)
22
Set Me Free
Ladies Code
(▲ 28)
23
Forever Love
Yoo Youngjae
(▲ 21)
24
Orgel
Sungmin (Super Junior)
(▲ 4)
25
I Go
Kim Ji Yeon (Kei – Lovelyz)
(▲ 8)
26
I Think I
Super Junior
(▲ 21)
27
Fever
Dongkiz
(▲ 16)
28
Blind For Love
AB6IX
(▼ 15)
29
Nostalgia Night
VICTON
(▼ 13)
30
Dumb
BVNDIT
(▼ 9)
Songs leaving the charts this week as they have wrapped up their 9 weeks run on the charts include:
Lit – ONEUS
Shall We? – Chen (EXO)
When It Rains – Jeong Sewoon
Jopping – SuperM
I Think I – Super Junior
Daredevil – Zico
Human – Zico
Thank you once again and see you in the next post!
It is that time of the year where us fans need to do some hard decision making and vote for the best artist, song, performance etc. For the third year running, you will have a say on who was the best in each category.
I had a very hard job of nominating the groups, songs, performances etc. for this year. To the point where I let myself go and nominated 16 male and female groups each for Best Group Awards and 10 different music videos released in 2019. And now I hand over to you so that you can vote and collectively determine who is the best of the best in each category for 2019. Remember that your votes decide winner, excluding the Best Song of 2019, which is made up of 50% votes and 50% my personal Weekly Music Charts that I publish on Sundays (see below).
Voting opens on the 1st of December (0:00 AM) and will continue until 31st of December (11:59PM), giving you all exactly one month to pick and choose who you think deserves the awards. After that, I will be creating a post that shows you who won each award (like at the start of this year).
Please make sure you read the special instructions under some categories as I have made some changes to the voting process (namely for the Best Male and Female Group awards).
And once again, you all will have the opportunity to choose the BEST SONG OF 2019. There are a number of ground rules for this category, however:
Select your Top 5 songs and enter them in the provided section at the end of the survey.
ONLY 5 SONGS OR LESS WILL BE CONSIDERED. IF YOU ENTER IN MORE THAN 5 SONGS, ONLY THE FIRST 5 WILL BE CONSIDERED.
Include songs that were released between the dates of 1st of December 2018 and 30th of November 2019 ONLY. Songs released in December will not be considered this year (and will be considered for next year!).
Your votes will make up 50% of the criteria, whilst the other 50% will come from the Weekly Charts
Please note that all questions are mandatory. You will not be able to skip to through the survey until you answered all questions on the page.
KPOPREVIEWED 