Month: August 2020

[Review] Not Shy – ITZY

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Once again, apologies for the delay for this review.

Making their grand return earlier in the week was ITZY with Not Shy, which is featured as part of the group’s third mini-album of the same name. This comes after the group released the extremely catchy WANNABE earlier this year. Let’s see if Not Shy lives up to the standard that ITZY had created and instilled on all of their future releases.

Based on my own thoughts, the group does not go above and beyond that same standard they had set with WANNABE with this latest release. Not Shy lacks a certain energy to make it a blastful song. That, I believe, was a responsibility of the instrumental. To me, the instrumental was lacking and failed to bolster that punchy feeling that ITZY is known for through their releases and that was partly delivered by the vocals. And as odd as it may sound, I also found the typical instrumental for Not Shy to be rather loose. It just didn’t feel as tight as their past releases, which constantly felt full and loaded. I did like the use of the choppy brass. Though I wished it was much louder to add that blast of energy and colour that was needed. Regarding certain parts of the song, the one that I want to question the most was the repetition of ITZY’s name throughout the chorus. Was it needed and necessary? I don’t think so and it just annoyed me throughout the song. But other than that, everything else gets an approval nod from me. There were a number of catchy hooks. There was good vocal work and rapping in this song was quite good. All these elements would have benefited given a more profoundly dynamic backdrop. The main highlight of the song would have to be the bridge, which showed off Lia’s vocal chops and potential.

Shot in the desert, the members of ITZY are outlaws driving after a van carrying important and fragile goods. They are definitely Not Shy with their driving and threatening skills, as they catch up to the van that had a head start and managed to get the driver out of the car at gunpoint. The group drive the van back to their base and store the boxes in a freezer installed in the ground. The member, whilst performing their choreography and all their closeups, actually come off as quite edgy. I just wished the final credits stuck with that. I lowkey expected something dangerous like guns in the boxes. And if that was too extreme, then I would have expected some sort of expensive item or gold. But it turned out to be a bunch of cakes and desserts. So whatever touch image they had built for themselves in this music video ended up being dissolved once the video stopped playing with this innocent twist. Very typical for KPOP.

I really liked their use of space at the very start and during the first verse. This looked very cool and different from most performances, which tend to start with the focus in the middle of the stage/formation. I also thought they had good transitions between each formation throughout the performance and effortlessly moved to their new positions in a fast manner. As for their dance move, everything looked quite cool (given what they had to work with).

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.4/10

[Review] BOCA – Dream Catcher

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Dream Catcher continues to explore the rock niche that they have created themselves through the release of their latest mini-album, Dystopia: Lose Myself, which features the title track, BOCA. To date, no other group has managed to overtake or compete with Dream Catcher in this niche market. It is a pity that they are not getting more attention in the domestic market. But it has been confirmed that their fanbase is growing with each comeback, their last being Scream. More recently, the group collaborated with the mobile game Girl Cafe Gun and released their second mobile game soundtrack, R.o.S.E B.L.U.E.

The last few title tracks (i.e. Scream and Deja Vu) that Dream Catcher has promoted have left me in awe within the last listen. Unfortuately, BOCA didn’t have that same initial appeal. It actually took a few listens to actually settle on an opinion for BOCA. I wished that BOCA had more of an electrifying vibe to the song. There is that fast tempo harshness that the electric guitars brings to the chorus. That is quite exciting in itself, but it didn’t feel enough. I wanted them to go that extra mile with it, especially in the final chorus, to give the song that extra edge and some differentiation from the preceding choruses. Aside from a high note, there isn’t much to really give the final chorus that much needed energy release and climax, and hence I found the song to be somewhat repetitive by the time they wrapped up. Everything else gets a massive tick of approval from me. I really enjoyed the verses as they brought a hip-hop vibe to the song, which I felt Dream Catcher has not really paired with their rock sound before. This is comes after a really nicely aesthetic ‘tututu‘ in the background for the first verse. The vocals throughout the song was just superb. Yoohyeon’s powerful vocals and falesetto that leads into the chorus, along with Siyeon’s high note at the end makes them standout in this song. On the topic of members, Gahyeon joins Dami as one the rappers in this song. That I thought was quite interesting and different, as I remember that Dami was the main rapper in all their songs. And their part was definitely rhythmic and added a much darker and edgier vibe to the song. Overall, there are some lacking elements that does weigh down the song. But BOCA still fits in with Dream Catcher’s work and proves their worth.

The visual game in this song is strong. That really jumped out at me when I was watching the music video. From their innocent and pure side (shown when the members are in dresses) to their dark and edgy side (shown through their choreography outfits), Dream Catcher looks stunning and jaw dropping in this music video. BOCA in Spanish means mouth and throughout the music video, you see a lot of ‘mouth’ references. The mouths are mainly taped up or covered, preventing people from speaking. Based on the lyrics as well, it seems like the music video shows the members are fighting against these people who just constantly judge them and provide hateful comments. Definitely a powerful message, suitable for a powerful video like this.

I really liked how the choreography represented the mouth. It connects the music video, song and performance in a clever manner. In addition to the mouth move, I really liked the circle formation that they form with the backup dancers during the chorus. It looked stunning when they started turning around Siyeon. The rest of the performance carries the intensity of the music quite well, making this another standout performance from the group.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.1/10

[Album Review] 24 Part 1 (1st Studio Album) – Jeong Sewoon

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Today’s album review is brought to you by Jeong Sewoon!!! A month ago in mid-July, Jeong Sewoon brought to us the first half of his first studio length album, 24. It features the title track Say Yes, which Jeong Sewoon has finished promoting, as far as I can tell. I have to start of by expressing how disappointed I feel that this album did not get much attention or fanfare. My initial listen to this album was one month ago (which is also when I decided that an album review for this particular album will be written up) and I have been left captivated since then! Even as writing this album review, I am still stunned and shocked at this album’s quality. To the point where I gave every song a rating higher than 9/10. I think that is a first and truly represents what I would call a ‘good darn album’. Well, have a listen to this ‘good darn album’ and see for yourself.

24 Part 1 Album Cover

1. Say Yes (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Say Yes. (9/10)

2. Don’t Know – Sometimes it is hard to articulate thoughts into words. for these album reviews. I find this to be the equivalent to being speechless. And depending on the situation, it can be either a good or bad thing. In Don’t Know’s case, me being speechless is definitely a compliment. I had to backspace my way through multiple sentences as I had no idea where to begin the review for this song. You have an amazing instrumental kicking the song off. All of the acoustic guitars, the drums, the electric guitar riffs and the tiny bits of saxophone that we get in the chorus makes this instrumental quite dynamic in its own way. Paired with Jeong Sewoon’s powerful vocals and beautiful melodies that make you sway along to the song, Don’t Know ends up being a standout soft pop rock ballad that steals my attention. (10/10)

3. Horizon – Horizon is a very smooth yet chill track that is very easy on the ears. The song highlights the velvety nature of the soloist’s voice, which just makes this song so captivating to listen to. The pairing of Jeong Sewoon’s with the backing vocals helps create a smooth tone that glides the song forward so effortlessly. As a result, the song’s atmosphere is just perfect for when you just need to escape from reality for just a brief, almost-three-minute period. I also liked the echoey effect that comes off his voice. It just makes the song feel more wholesome and aesthetic. (10/10)

4. Beeeee – We re-enter that upbeat territory that has been absent in the last two songs. Beeeee just has a feel-good vibe that just rubs off on you through the upbeat and slightly funky pop instrumental. In a sense, it is rather straightforward (yes, this is the best critical statement I can give this song). But it is still amazing, nonetheless. Great vocals, once again. Great beat. And great energy. (9.5/10)

5. O (동그라미) – O is a bluesy track with a nice acoustic guitar-based instrumental. It really like how the chorus ends with the harsh acoustic guitar strumming. It is a little different than what we usually get and I liked this uniqueness. Towards the end, electric guitars come into play. There is a whole solo devoted to its presence and I quite like that as well. As for his vocals, we have seen this side of Jeong Sewoon in the past, so there isn’t anything new on this front. Though, I do like this vocal route on this album. The inclusion of this song on the album does help fulfil a full rounded experience of Jeong Sewoon’s vocals, as the change of pace enables the spotlight to highlight a different side of Jeong Sewoon on this particular album. (9/10)

6. Hidden Star (새벽별) – The final song on the album covers the mandatory ballad that is featured on every single KPOP album. Hidden Star also continues the slow pace from the previous track and hence we are treated to a duo of songs to ease us off the first half of the album. The ballad is simply made up of two elements. The first being Jeong Sewoon’s vocals, which is amazing in this song. The second is a really beautiful standalone piano piece. I can see myself drifting to sleep with this song, knowing that I will have good dreams thanks to the riveting and stunning nature of Hidden Star. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 9.4/10

24 Part 1 Teaser Image

[Weekly Chart] 2nd Week of August 2020

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Before we get to any further reviews, it is time for another Weekly KPOP Chart posts. These weeks just by so quickly. I don’t have much else to say this week, so why don’t we get straight into the breakdown of this week’s chart!

Before we proceed with the breakdown, I just like to highlight some of the big jumps this week. None of them were big enough to get the respective song into the Top 5, but they are pretty well deserved. I actively looked for these songs to write their respective reviews and just to give more attention to some songs that I usually would have missed. The biggest jump was by Sehun’s On Me, followed by Chanyeol’s Nothin’, both of which I reviewed for their album review I published a week ago. Other jumps include boht 1THE9’s Count and Bad Guy, Enoi’s W.A.Y, Jessi’s Nunu Nana (which I have personally been enjoying), A.C.E’s Stand By You. TXT’s Eternally, GreatGuys’ Run and ASTRO’s No, I Don’t. Check out these songs as well, as well as the Top 5 (see below)!!

(G)I-DLE’s DUMDI DUMDI, as you can tell by the featured image, rises to the top of the charts this week. JYP and Sumi’s duet, When We Disco debuts in the second position. Soyou’s catchy Gotta Go rises into the Top 5 for the first time since its release and sits in this week’s third position. The most recent rookies to make their debut this year is TREASURE and their debut single, BOY, rises to the fourth position. ONF’s Sukhumvit Swimming debuts in the fifth position, completing this week’s Top 5. For more of the charts, scroll down below.

  11th Aug – 17th Aug 2019
Title Artist Status
1 DUMDI DUMDI (G)I-DLE (▲ 3)
2 When We Disco J.Y. Park & Sunmi (new)
3 Gotta Go Soyou (▲ 9)
4 BOY Treasure (▲ 11)
5 Sukhumvit Swimming ONF (new)
6 On Me Sehun (EXO) (▲ 51)
7 Count 1THE9 (▲ 39)
8 Nothin’ Chanyeol (EXO) (▲ 48)
9 Sacrifice Han Seungwoo (VICTON) (new)
10 Now or Never APRIL (▼ 9)
11 pporapippam  Sunmi (▲ 11)
12 2 KIDS Taemin (SHINee) (▼ 6)
13 What You Waiting For? Jeon Somi (▼ 8)
14 Aloha Oe Cherry Bullet (▲ 2)
15 Apple Gfriend (▼ 6)
16 Who U Are Kang Daniel (▲ 11)
17 Waves Kang Daniel ft. Jamie & Simon Dominic (▲ 2)
18 Naughty Red Velvet – Irene & Seulgi (▼ 4)
19 100 SuperM (new)
20 We Ride Brave Girls (new)
21 Tag Me Weeekly (▲ 12)
22 W.A.Y Enoi (▲ 23)
23 Nunu Nana Jessi (▲ 32)
24 Y.O.U DONGKIZ I:KAN (▲ 17)
25 Stand By You A.C.E (▲ 26)
26 Eternally TXT (▲ 39)
27 Run GreatGuys (▲ 38)
28 Time Turner The Man BLK (▼ 4)
29 Bad Guy 1THE9 (▲ 19)
30 No, I Don’t ASTRO (▲ 35)

Songs leaving the charts this week are:

  • Secret Story of the Swan – IZ*ONE
  • Girls – NATURE
  • God’s Menu – Stray Kids
  • Oopsy – Weki Meki
  • Draw You – D1CE
  • Cloud 9 – CRAVITY

Thanks for visiting the blog once again and I will see you in the next review!

[Review] We Ride – Brave Girls

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It has been a while since we last heard from Brave Girls. Their last comeback, the fantastic and much underrated Rollin’, was back in 2017. While the group did drop a new version of Rollin’ in Summer 2018, we haven’t anything else from the group since. But that all changed yesterday, when the members (now a four member lineup, with Hayun departing the group due to health reasons) made their comeback with We Ride.

Brave Girls ride the retro wave through the city pop genre that We Ride is based on. I find it to be quite a nice track. The instrumental gives the song a nice twinkling and felt somewhat refreshing, especially in a landscape of intensity and lightness. We Ride fits in between, leaning more to the lighter side of the spectrum. Pleasant and calming would be the words I used to describe this song, which aren’t bad words to describe a song (more on this in a second). We Ride features good vocals from the members, carrying appealing melodies. I liked how the pre-chorus was delivered, going into that high pitch note upon the completion of each line. But while We Ride does get a tick of approval from me, I am left a bit too chilled out upon the completion of the song. When I go back to listen to their previous comeback, I was low key expecting something to continues the excitement that Rollin’ had generated (regardless of the three year gap from when we last heard from them), as the group deserved to follow up with something as exciting and powerful as that release. So retrospectively, We Ride doesn’t live up to the expectations that Brave Girls has essentially created for themselves. That does influence the song rating I would give it. But putting those thoughts aside, We Ride is still a good song.

The music video takes on imagery that fits both the city pop genre and retro vibes of the music video. And for that, the video looks awesome. From the TV commericals on the old TV that the members are featured in to the use of green screen for their choreography shots on what I believe to be a take on Korean music shows back in the day, the video and song definitely compliment one another. It is quite well executed that I am looking in the other direction of the music video flaws.

The weakest aspect of the comeback has to be the choreography. It is quite dull and not exciting. Given the song, it is kind of hard to find something that works for the members and the song’s style/genre. But I just wished the choreographer they had enlisted for this comeback had found a better balance or middleground for this comeback.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 5/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10

[Review] 100 – SuperM

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For some reason, I had thought that SuperM would be a one-off release type of group, given that the members come from 4 different groups based in two different companies. So it was suprising to hear that SuperM (made up of EXO’s Baekhyun and Kai, SHINee’s Taemin, NCT’s Taeyong and Mark and WayV’s Lucas and Ten) will be making their comeback in September with a studio album. It just sounds like a logistical nightmare to get the schedules of these four groups to align so that SuperM can rejoin, practice and promote any new releases (SM Entertainment can’t even get Lay to rejoin for any EXO promotions for the past 3 years!). Ahead of the release of the studio album, Super One, the group released 100 as a pre-release single yesterday. This is also the group’s first comeback since their debut with Jopping.

I won’t deny that 100 packs a punch. It truly does with its dubstep effects and fast tempo breakbeat direction. That alone already set the song up for succes. But I can’t help but think that the song gets pretty messy as it progresses, and this steals the attention away from the dynamic nature of the instrumental. The portion of the bridge that begins with Mark’s ‘Boom Boom Boom‘ and the start of the loaded dubstep effects, through to Taeyong’s ‘We go straight to the top‘ just felt it could have been much cleaner, yet also deliver that captivating climax to relaunch the song back into the final chorus. What we got felt like layers and layers of harshness that just overwhelms. The chorus itself could have forgone the inclusion of the ‘We go We go We go‘ line, as it felt unnecessary and doesn’t have that heft like the lines around it does. But apart from those problematic moments, the song highlighted some of the members’ talents. Taemin’s whispering at the start and during the bridge (this pretty much took me back to many of his solo releases) and vocal moments in the bridge brought out his vocals. Baekhyun’s high note was powerful. Mark’s rapping at the start was quite strong and proved to me why he was voted as the Best Rapper of 2019 in the 2019 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Overall, 100 does the job of relaunching SuperM and definitely begins the fast trip to their upcoming releasing.

The futuristic concept of the music video is totally winning. I really like the sets that the music video is filmed in, even though they bring back that boxed feeling and that is mildly disappointing. Apart from that, the members bring strong visuals and definitely know how to throw punches to make the music video match the intensity that is felt in the song. I do note that the music video does also use that closeup and choreography formula, though it isn’t as prevalent (which is a good thing). I only just realized while writing this review myself. Overall, a really good video.

The choreography was definitely powerful. I think that is what everyone’s expectation going into this release, especially since the group is made up of strong dancers and 100 being the first release from the group after Jopping. It alone in the music video is already quite captivating, so I wonder what a live performance would feel like?

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.8/10

[Review] When We Disco – J.Y. Park & Sunmi

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The next new release of the week is a collaboration between the CEO of a major entertainment company in Korea and one of his former artists. The CEO I am referring to is none of than J.Y. Park, the CEO of JYP Entertainment, who has periodically released music and continued as an artist in the industry, even during the modern era of KPOP. Sunmi is probably a name that a lot of us recongise given her successful solo career (her most recent solo release being pporappippam). She was also a member of Wonder Girls, which was one of the famous groups of Korea under JYP Entertainment when they were still active. The two have jouned hands together for When We Disco, which dropped last night.

Based off the title of the song, it clear that the collaboration would be dealing with the retro influence. And that expectation was defintiely fulfilled with the European disco instrumental. I liked that the instrumental didn’t stray away from the disco influence, which is the likely route that other KPOP groups would have gone with given that is the default trend of today’s music. And it was quite consistent. That didn’t pose a problem here, as When We Disco feels fresh, relative to the releases we have been getting from other KPOP acts. And it is hard to find the disco influence boring, as the energy is always likeable (and a memorable part of my childhood, as that was the songs that my mother enjoyed while she was growing up and she would play it a lot when I was younger). Both J.Y Park and Sunmi effortlessly sing their way through the song with really enjoyable melodies. They are very easy on the ears. Even the filtered vocals at the start were not harsh in anyway, which really helped make the song appealing. The only thing that I did dislike about the song is the inclusion of the infamous JYP whipser at the end. It is such an awkward position for it and it just doesn’t fit in with the retro theme. I know it is his song, so it makes perfect sense for him to put an audio signature into the song. But I just wished it had a retro twist to fit in better wtih the song. Other than that, When We Disco is a fun, catchy and enjoyable collaboration between two icons of the KPOP industry.

The song is about a past love who disappeared from their lives. They reminsce about this person and wonder what they are doing now. And that is exactly what we see in this video. J.Y. Park and Sunmi used to be lovers. But some other guy pulled them apart. Sunmi went on to be a singer in the storyline and reunited with J.Y. Park. The exact same thing happened this time around, with the other guy ordering his henchmen to pull the reunited couple apart. This time around Sunmi fights back and with J.Y. Park runs away. While this is a nice story, I wondered what the smile on the other guy’s face was all about. It looked supscious. I was lowkey expecting a confrontational scene between J.Y. Park and the other guy towards the end of the video, but we never got it.

The dance is not complicated. Well, this comment is based on how I percieve it. Given my two left feet, it might be a completely different story. But relatively speaking, it isn’t too complicated and I am sure that we will be seeing great stages. It also fits in with the retro influence. I love how odd the dance gets towards the end. It is still within the retro genre, just not how I expected the dance to play out.

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

[Album Review] Full Bloom (4th Studio Album) – KARA

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As it is another Tuesday (though it is less than half an hour left until Wednesday where I am), it is time for another Past Album Review. Sorry for missing out last week (as that is why I took my break). The artist I had intended to review last week was KARA, so I am going to pick up from there. Going through their discography, I wanted to review a personal favourite of mine. Given that Full Bloom (their fourth studio album) already features two of my favourite tracks (the pre-release Runaway and title track Damaged Lady), I thought this would be a good opportunity to dive into that album. Full Bloom also serves as the final album for Nicole and Jiyoung, who both left the group early on in the following year after their contracts expired.

Full Bloom Album Cover

1. Runaway (둘 중에 하나) (Pre-Release Track) – Runaway happens to be one of my favourite KARA side tracks ever. It is a little confusing to describe it in words. But I would say that it is a R&B-based acoustic guitar-centric instrumented track that has a feeling of a ballad, but it actually ends up being more of a soft pop track. It doesn’t develop into a full-on dance track. But it does pick up slightly and in such an elegant manner. Take the rap sequence we get in the bridge of the song. The rap sequence (brought to you by Nicole and Jiyoung) has quite a bit of heft and momentum to it, which would only work if a soft song had picked up to a degree. And while the song did do that, KARA managed to make the rap sequence feel natural and fit right in with the rest of the song. The song’s melodies and the members’ vocals were very memorable. Overall, everything was executed beautifully and starts the album on an amazing note. (10/10)

2. Damaged Lady (숙녀가 못 돼) (Title Track) – I previously made some comments in my review for Damaged Lady in regards to things I didn’t like. All of these items have actually grown on me and this has become one of my favourite KARA title tracks. Hence, I have decided to bump the original 7.5/10 rating to a 9/10 rating. Click here to read the original review of the Damaged Lady. (9/10)

3. 1+1 – 1+1 adds a Summery vibe to the Full Bloom album with its bright and sugary sound. This is in direct contrast to the songs preceding it, given that KARA goes with a more innocent profile with this song. I would describe the instrumental to 1+1 as pretty, as that is what the twinkling effects and light wavy synth come together to create. I find the melodies in this song to be quite sweet, but not to the extent where it would be overly saturated with sweetness and become cringy. I also enjoyed the vocals of each of the members, particularly Seungyeon who flourished during the chorus. Hara and Jiyoung handled the raps this time and they were well executed for this song. The only flaw in this song was the terrible English in the song, which often did not make much sense (e.g. ‘You want me best one thing alright’). (8.5/10)

4. In The Game – To me, In The Game is another strong offering from the group. There is one thing I do dislike about it. But for the most part, I enjoyed it. First praise goes to the instrumental. I liked the upbeat jazzy and funky nature of the song. I enjoyed the brass, which reiterates the funky nature that I just mentioned. Second praise goes to the vocals and (part of the) rapping. I specifically mean the singing vocals. The chorus was stunning and Seungyeon really knows how to pack a punch. I also like the way they sing the title of the song together, which adds to the appeal of the song. Nicole’s rapping in the second verse also adds to the energy of the song, which was fantastic. With most of the praises out of the way, I must turn to the one thing I dislike. I am talking about the ‘G A M to the E R’. It was whiny, unnecessary and was the biggest disappoint of the song. Other than that, In The Game is an awesome track. (9/10)

5. Follow Me – Follow Me is what I would consider to be your typical side track. It doesn’t offer anything more than a pop sound. I must say that Follow Me is quite pleasant and this can go a long way, depending on the circumstances. Furthermore, I like the song’s consistency. It doesn’t dry out the song, given that the beat is nice. However, to me today, the song isn’t that exciting and pretty skippable. Their vocal work is warming, but not their most impressive display on this album. (6/10)

6. Smoothie – Pretty much the same thing can be said in Smoothie as in the previous song. I do find it a smooth track, but it doesn’t offer anything new or exciting. There is a jazzy vibe to the song, but it lies more on the R&B side of the spectrum. One positive aspect that I can pick up on is that their breathy vocals are quite nice and compliment the soothing nature of the song. But other than that, Smoothie is just another track on the album. (6/10)

7. 2Night – An upbeat number ends the Full Bloom era and it also serves as the final song we hear from Nicole and Jiyoung as part of the KARA lineup (Sorry for bringing it up!). It is a return to their more interesting and appealing side, as well. While 2Night doesn’t have any strong hooks to grab on to or memorable vocals draw me in, the song does have a easygoing funky 80s electropop instrumental that I enjoyed. Their light vocals work well with it. I do get a bit of a nostalgic vibe from the song, as this is a similar sound to a number of side tracks of KPOP artists that I used to enjoy (way back when I started this blog 9 years ago). (7/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.9/10

Full Bloom Teaser Image

[Review] Sukhumvit Swimming – ONF

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Also releasing new music today is ONF. The 6 member male group from WM Entertainment returns for the first time since coming in second place on the recent competitive season of Road To Kingdom earlier this year. This is also the group’s first comeback since the release of the underrated Why in October of last year. The title of their new single is Sukhumvit Swimming and this is featured on the group’s fifth mini-album, Spin Off. More on that album at a later date (hint hint). For now, here is my review for their new single.

Sukhumvit Swimming is nothing like what I had expected. Unlike in my previous review I had just posted where I had no idea where my expectations were coming from, I had clear expectations for this comeback as I was basing it on their epic New World single that served as their final track on Road To Kingdom. That was undeniably aligned with the rest of their single discography. But just because it wasn’t what I had expected, doesn’t mean that it is a terrbile song. Sukhumvit Swimming is much lighter track. It is definitely more pleasant, easy on the ears and more fun sounding, featuring elements of reggae, trap and future bass in the instrumental. The instrumental knows when to amp up those elements to give it that slight intensity and edge. I would have preferred more, given that is the ONF style that I like best. But obviously the song did not go overboard otherwise it would have thrown the song off balance. Apart from that, the song has a really nice melody that is easy to get into and I can see the hook catching on more and more as I listen to the song (it has already taken an effect on me). Their vocals are quite good, complimenting the lighter and less abrasive instrumentation. I find the song gives us some variety in their tones and voice. Take Wyatt’s rapping as an example, it was also held back and not as fierce in the past in this song. But it sounds a lot more classy and refined here, which I don’t think the group would have been able to show in their more intense tracks. Overall, Sukhumvit Swimming lacks the epicness that we know them for, but I find it offers another side to the group.

The music video is quite bizzare. It seems like they are taking the fun profile of the song and amp it up. What is happening in the music video is very interesting and I would replay the button continually (if I had time) to make sense of this video. It seems like each member is taken to a different world (New World connection?) thanks to Wyatt. Other than that, I have no clue what the music video is trying to show. The good news is ONF fans (Fuse) have been busy making sense of the music video, as well. This is a theory that I pinched from the YouTube comments that made sense to me.

As you can tell, the music video is quite confusing and the above theory is incomplete. There are a few more theories in the YouTube comment, so have a read to see which one is plausible. I really liked the visuals of this music video. It also seems like WM Entertainment recently invested in a green screen, given that it is used here and in Oh My Girl’s Nonstop music video as well. In this video, the usage of the visual effects were pretty good and does not disappoint.

I like that the performance carried on that fun profile that I mentioned earlier. The fact that they started the performance with a bottle flip pretty much confirms this. None of the moves were that impressive, but they all definitely complimented the lighter style that the group was going for. I personally would have liked them to go with something a little more epic looking, given that they have built a name for such on Road To Kingdom. But what we got was still enjoyable to watch.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10

[Review] Sacrifice – Han Seung Woo (VICTON)

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It is the start of a new week in the KPOP industry and that brings new releases. The first new release on the reviewing block is Han Seung Woo’s solo debut, Sacrifice. There is a lot of anticipation for this solo debut, given that Han Seung Woo is one of the former members of the project group X1 (which was formed through Produce X 101). Upon confirmation of the group’s disbandment earlier this year, Han Seung Woo instantly returned to VICTON and particpated in their Howling and Mayday comebacks, further extending his popularity. Now, captialising on his new found popularity, Han Seung Woo debuts today as a solo artist with his new mini-album, Fame.

For some reason, I was going into Sacrifice with the mindset that it was going to a be a hard hitting song, full of drops and energetic energy. I don’t know why that is the case, but I had that feeling when I heard of his impending solo debut track. Unfortuately, none of my unexpected expectations were fulfilled. But that doesn’t mean Sacrifice is a bad song. In fact, it shows off the talent of Han Seung Woo in a very refined yet powerful way. The song is made up of a trap-based instrumental and delves into the R&B side of music. Pretty standard, but there is some bass in it that really give the song some life and some oomph. It is also the source of that powerfulness that I was talking about. The instrumental itself would not have been as strong if it wasn’t for the lacing of the bass throughout it. The chorus has some synths that add texture which prevents the song from going down a bland route (which is a minor concern when it comes to some R&B tracks). Han Seung Woo’s vocals are shown off in a spectacular manner. We also get to hear a very brief rapping delivery from the artist, which I would have liked more of. There is also some nice contrast between his high pictched vocals and the deep instrumentation that backs the track. Overall, Sacrifice nails the brief of a strong debut song.

The opening scene of Han Seung Woo kneeling in front of a car burning some rubber pretty much sets the tone of the music video. The mature sound of the song comes off quite visually in this music video. That is essentially how I would describe the concept of the video in a nutshell. In addition to that, he also brings an edgy image to the mix, which I really liked. Regarding a plotline, I am not sure if there is one explicitly in the music video. We do see a scene where he is grabbing the collar of a friend (or a fellow gang member) at the climax of the video, showing us that he is willing to sacrifice loyalty for a lover. We also see him mindless walking to somewhere afterwards, which might tell us something about this lover (i.e. he is addicted to them, plus it seems like everyone is mindlessly walking towards this lover at the start). It definitely hints at this lover having some effect on Han Seung Woo and co. I wished they delved into the plotline a little more, as it does sound interesting.

[Updated] We don’t get much choreography in the music video. But from what I can see based on the first and final chorus, it looks good. He has a really strong stage presence and this is definitely highlighted by the intensity of the performance. Nothing really stood out at me, but it was definitely thrilling to watch him perform Sarcifice.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7.5/10 [Updated]
Overall Rating – 8.4/10 [Updated]

[Review] Count – 1THE9

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1THE9 takes a bow for the final time with Count, an unexpected release but a much welcome send off for the project group who officially disbanded on the 8th of August (just a few days ago). Half a month ago, 1THE9 returned with what I persumed to be their last comeback (Bad Guy) before they were due to disband since their contract was up. In that review, I had wished the group returned more often given that their time as 1THE9 was limited. It turned out that the group delayed their comeback due to the ongoing health pandemic. I wasn’t aware of this and I apologise for making such comments without knowing the full picture. Luckily, 1THE9 and their company were able to squeeze in one extra comeback, which is (obviously) the focus of this review.

Given the context and timing of this release, it was obvious that Count would be a fan-service song, so that the group can thank their fans (Wonderland) for the support they gave to the group for the 1 year and a bit they were active for. The song could easily have been a ballad, but I was glad it wasn’t. Count goes does a typical pop route and I find this more suitable for the current season they are releasing the song in. Whilst pop is the genre of the song, Count isn’t a choreography enabling track. Instead, it focuses more on vocals and they actually sound quite good. I did feel that the autotune that seemed to be used on most of the members could have been toned down a bit. It just didn’t feel necessary. The instrumentation was light and minimal, allowing the vocals to be a clear forefront of the song. It also allows fans to get a sense of the gratitude and appreciative tone that the members put on. The one thing I would have liked and would have made this song even more special and touching if all the members sang the chorus together, particularly the final chorus. It seems like they did do that, but Count‘s take on this technique felt fairly weak. This could have bolstered up the final chorus and fulfilled the missing inclusive feeling that I felt was missing. But overall, Count was pleasant and (I am sure) it did the job for fans and the group alike.

I don’t much to say about this music video given the message it is giving. We see the members enjoying their final moments: putting together a picture collage of their memories on a window, decorating a cake and hanging up some washing. Wait, one of them sounds a little off. I am sure they could have done something a little more touching than laundry. But then again, I am sure everyone will appreciate clean sheets. Other than that lame joke, the most important aspect is that the members are having fun. They lipsync along to the song in a nice manner. It is simple and fits the brief. And I am sure fans are enjoying these moments that the group are sharing on the screen, as well.

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

[Album Review] 1 Billion Views (1st Studio Album) – EXO-SC

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Today’s album review focuses on EXO-SC’s latest album release, 1 Billion Views. It has been a while since I promised this album review for a reader of this blog. The long delay was mainly because I wanted to write reviews for each of their duo’s solo tracks that are featured on this album (as they had music videos). I just kept on running out of time to write them and ended up delaying them until earlier today. Please accept my apologies for the long wait! And before I delay it any further, here is my review for the 1 Billion Views album, which features the title track of the same name.

1 Billion Views Album Cover

1. 1 Billion Views (10억뷰) (ft. Moon) (Title Track) – Click here for the full review of 1 Billion Views. (7/10)

2. Say It (ft. Penomeco) – There are two main appealing elements in Say It. Unfortunately, neither of those two elements are actually EXO-SC. They are good in this melodic hip-hop track, but I just don’t have much to say about them. The first element that I enjoyed was the instrumental. It is quite laid back and has a lazy vibe to it (a compliment). Interestingly, it is also quite upbeat. Say It manages to find a well-balanced middle ground between having an active consistent beat and that lazy carefree vibe. The second element is actually Penomeco’s featuring. He comes into the track during the song’s chorus and helps smooth out the song quite nicely. I also like his voice and how it compliments that lazy vibe that I mentioned (also another compliment). But as this is an EXO-SC track, I am left wanting more from the main pair. (6/10)

3. Rodeo Station (로데오역) – Rodeo Station jumps right out at me with its guitar melody that kicks off the song. The rest of the instrumental builds on this, bringing in some brass and bass to give the song that oomph that I am always looking for in upbeat tracks. The song is more vocal centric, with both Chanyeol and Sehun focusing more on vocals for the most part in Rodeo Station. Both members sound pretty nice in this song. It also helps when the melodies is actually quite catchy and fun to listen to. There is a bit of rapping towards the end of the song and they do give the song a bit of a punch. Overall, I found the track to be quite likeable and each element in the song was appealing. (9/10)

4. Telephone (척) (ft. 10cm) (Pre-Release Track) – Click here to read the full review for Telephone. (4/10)

5. Jet Lag (시차적응) – Jet Lag is a sentimental R&B track, which is all about wanting to return to their lover in their home country whilst they are overseas. The song is brought to life with pleasant acoustic guitar melodies, which I quite like. My only major complaint with this is that both Chanyeol and Sehun’s vocals seem to overpower the instrumentation at times and I would have preferred a finer balance between vocals and instrumental. However, the duo’s execution of vocals in this song is nice and enjoyable. Their harmonies throughout and the melodies are quite appealing in this song. It is a bit slow paced for my liking, but there is enough in this song to put it on the superior end of tracks. (9/10)

6. Fly Away (날개) (ft. Gaeko) – We get into even moodier territory with Fly Away. I really liked the instrumental for this song. It seems to delve into the R&B realm, featuring classical instrumental in addition to drums and R&B centric percussion. It is a stunning backing piece. Chanyeol and Sehun return to their status as EXO’s rappers by rapping throughout the song. It is a nice change up to their vocal-focus approach with their songs on the album thus far. Gaeko (one half of Dynamic Duo) actually does most of the singing in this song and his voice helps smooth out the intensity that the main pair add to the song. I quite like this contrast and this makes it a powerful track. Given its position, I would put this down as EXO-SC’s hidden gem. (10/10)

7. Nothin’ (Chanyeol Solo) – Click here to read the full review for Nothin’. (8/10)

8. On Me (Sehun Solo) – Click here to read the full review for On Me. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.6/10

1 Billion Views Teaser Image

[Weekly Chart] 1st Week of August 2020

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It is time for another Weekly KPOP Chart post! This past week has been full of releases. But I took some time off during the week to focus on a few personal things. So now I am busy catching up on the reviews during the past week that I have missed as a result of my break. Coming today, alongside this post, is an album review and another song review. I want to focus on those as the day is drawing to a close soon. So let’s move along with this post to get to those other posts!

Topping the charts this week is APRIL’s Now Or Never, which was in the second position last week. Rising towards the top (but not enough to get to the number one position) are Golden Child’s June release, ONE (Lucid Dream), and TOO’s July release, Count 1, 2. (G)I-DLE’s DUMDI DUMDI is the only new release from this past week that made it into Top 5, debuting in the fourth position. Lastly, Jeon Somi’s What You Waiting For? completes this week’s top 5. For more of the charts, scroll down below.

  2nd Aug – 8th Aug 2020
Title Artist Status
1 Now or Never APRIL (▲ 1)
2 ONE (Lucid Dream) Golden Child (▲ 13)
3 Count 1,2 TOO (▲ 13)
4 DUMDI DUMDI (G)I-DLE (new)
5 What You Waiting For Jeon Somi (▲ 13)
6 2 KIDS Taemin (SHINee) (new)
7 Paradise Eric Nam (▲ 12)
8 Lonely Night Yoon Du Jun (HIGHLIGHT) (▲ 2)
9 Apple Gfriend (=)
10 Left & Right SEVENTEEN (▲ 4)
11 MIL (Make It Love) Song Ji Eun (▼ 6)
12 Gotta Go Soyou (▼ 4)
13 Hello Stranger Stray Kids (▲ 20)
14 Naughty Red Velvet – Irene & Seulgi (▲ 3)
15 BOY TREASURE (new)
16 Aloha Oe Cherry Bullet (new)
17 Love Me Harder WOODZ (▲ 10)
18 The Answer AB6IX (▲ 13)
19 Waves Kang Daniel ft. Jamie & Simon Dominic (▼ 18)
20 Summer Breeze SF9 (▲ 3)
21 Bedlam Lee Jin Hyuk (UP10TION) (▲ 10)
22 pporapippam  Sunmi (▲ 3)
23 Thunder VERIVERY (▲ 7)
24 TIME TURNER THE MAN BLK (▲ 9)
25 Inception ATEEZ (▼ 21)
26 Shine F.Cuz (▲ 2)
27 Who U Are Kang Daniel (new)
28 Say Yes Jeong Sewoon (▼ 21)
29 Butterfly WJSN (Cosmic Girls) (▼ 18)
30 HOLO Lee Hi (▼ 1)

Songs leaving the charts this are:

  • Wayo – Bang Ye Dam
  • Oh Really – N.Flying
  • When We Were Us – Super Junior K.R.Y
  • Get Ready – Ha Sung Woon
  • Butterfly – WJSN (Cosmic Girls)
  • Hug U – DIA
  • No One Knows – Seo Eun Kwang (BTOB)
  • My My – SEVENTEEN
  • Swear – E’LAST

Thank you for sticking around this week despite the lack of reviews. With this post done, it is time to move onto the next two posts!

[Review] On Me – Sehun (EXO)

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In preparation for the album review later today, I will be reviewing both Chanyeol and Sehyun’s indvidual tracks that appeared alongside their 1 Billion Views and Telephone releases last month. I had promised these two reviews for some time now, but I just kept on running out of time to post them. But as I always repeat on this blog, it is always better late than never. As you can tell by the title, this particular review post will be focusing on Sehun’s On Me.

Unlike Chanyeol, Sehun has yet to release a solo track in the 9 years since his debut. So On Me is a great gift to all the Sehun fans out there. The song finds itself in hip-hop domain, settling with a trap-based instrumental. Not really a ground-breaking combination or instrumental by today’s standard. But it had good ryhthm and energy that makes the song very appealing. A great thing about solo tracks that I am sure that all of you are aware of is that we get to hear the artist in all their glory. For Sehun, in On Me, we get to hear a lot of his husky rapping voice. It was harsh (a compliment) and added amazing texture to the already rough texture we got from the instrumental. We also got to hear Sehun sing briefly during the chorus. It adds a layer of smoothness to the song. Intererstingly, I liked how his rapping and vocals remained low throughout the song. It is his best sound and he really captialised on this. I also liked how the hooks of Sehun’s solo track (the ‘Forever Love Sad Happy‘ and ‘Work Work Work‘) were all emphasised versions of the huskiness and low tone. This added some depth to the song that I wasn’t sure we would be getting from Sehun. Overall, On Me really puts Sehun’s best foot forward.

On Me‘s music video only goes for a certain length and doesn’t capture the entire song. But as it is still considered a music video, it enables the release to earn a review on this blog. The music video is choreography based and focuses on Sehun’s performance skills. Can’t argue with that, given that we haven’t see Sehun have an opportunity to officially show off his dancing skills in a solo release. His performance really intensifies the song, which is fantastic. I also like the various camera angles and transitions employed, which adds to that intensity. Best part of his music video is when he is moving forward to the front of the dancers with one hand holding a hat on his head. That parts needs to be made iconic and should be appreciated more!

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

[Review] Nothin’ – Chanyeol (EXO)

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Excuse me while I divert our attention to releases from a while back now. In preparation for an album review later today, I will be reviewing both Chanyeol and Sehyun’s indvidual tracks that appeared alongside their 1 Billion Views and Telephone releases last month. I had promised these two reviews for some time now, but I just kept on running out of time to post them. But as I always repeat on this blog, it is always better late than never. As you can tell by the title, this particular review post will be focusing on Chanyeol’s Nothin’.

Despite having a number of solo tracks already, Chanyeol manages to show off a different side to his rapping skills through the easygoing yet subtly intense Nothin’. The song starts off with the catchy vocal hook of ‘I will never worry about nothin’‘. I am not a fan of autotune usually, but his autotuned vocals added some texture to the song. The verses come into play and we hear Chanyeol slow rap along to slow trap instrumentation that the song is backed with. There are some guitar that is present in combination with the trap instrumental. Together, these two elements pretty much make Nothin’ sound like straightforward R&B. Unfortuately, the instrumental is repetitive and plain. It is disappointing to an extent, but I also find that this acts as a blank canvas for Chanyeol’s rapping, which is what gives the song some variety and appeal. We do get some profound electric guitar riffs at the very end, which was nice and much appreciated. As the song felt relatively short, the placement of this additional instrument actually felt appropriate. I couldn’t imagine what the song would have been like if this explicit electric guitar was brought into play earlier. Going back to his rapping, you could feel the emotion in his voice as the song progresses. It is subtle, but definitely present. It is also quite captivating. Overall, I quite like the song. It fits the chill nature of the album and direction of the subunit. Yet it manages to add a bit of Chanyeol flair to the song.

The music video is noticeably shorter than the actual song itself. But as there is still a music video, it earns itself a review. The song itself is about not worrying what people are saying and to stick to being yourself. And I thought that the path to the song’s meaning was well shown in the music video. The music video depicts Chanyeol as a photographer. His pictures seem to represent the thoughts and comments of others. After he develops them, he puts them on this wall, which acts like his thought bank. In this life, it is rather monotone and repetitive. We see Chanyeol clearly wants change. Once we see him certain of this, he rips a picture off the wall, revealing a bright light. It is uncomfortable, which is the harsh reality. But he gets used to it and runs away from the underground studio setting. He slowly gets used to it and this becomes a stroll, as shown at the start of the video. Moving away from my interpretation, I liked how the atmosphere we get from the video really suits the moody nature of the song.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

[Review] Aloha Oe – Cherry Bullet

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The next release to be in the reviewing spotlight is Aloha Oe by Cherry Bullet. The track was released on Thursday this past week and follows the release of Hands Up earlier this year. Not much else happened with the group since their last comeback, so this introduction is quite short. So why don’t we just get straight into the review?

Cherry Bullet’s Aloha Oe is what I would consider to be a more upbeat and exciting Summer season track, unlike the previous Summer track that I just reviewed. It is colourful and definitely catchy with its addictive melodic and instrumental hook. One might say this instrumental hook might be squeaky, but I didn’t mind it. Specifically, the chorus features a bright blast of pop energy that makes this song extra appealing. And this blast of pop energy carries throughout the chorus, from start to end, which gives the song an overall boldness that I thoroughly enjoyed. I wished the verses also reflected this, as they did feel quite plain. But this is a good example of how the chorus really compensate for the verses’ plainness (as mentioned in my previous review that came out just before this one). The members had nice vocals in this song, with the lightness and higher pitch suitable for the Summer brightness and energy. There was a brief rapping sequence embedded in the second verse that I felt could have been left out. The instrumental backing for this was slightly over dramatic and Aloha Oe didn’t feel like it needed that dramatic backing (or a rap sequence in general). It did feel overwhelming and scared me during the first listen as it came out of nowhere. But apart from that, I really enjoyed Cherry Bullet’s new song.

While the music video features the closeup and choreography formula, I personally thought it was a really good video. Each member was doing their own thing in this music video, as if it was emphasising the idea of social distancing, which we are all actively doing (I hope). We have a member editing videos, food blogging, camping, partying, watching movies (more specifically horror flicks) and playing tennis amongst other individual activities. We also got the mirror wiping Tik-Tok trend that I am sure everyone has already seen on their social media. One element I really enjoyed was the video’s play on colour. During the individual shots, everything was quite colourful. However, when we got to the choreography shots, the set was more of a blank canvas and the members’ outfits gave that spruce of colour it needed.

Once again, given that the song has that cutesy feel to it, the performance aligns itself with that vibe and adds some aegyo into the performance. When Cherry Bullet does this on stage, it actually looks good. I say this because when other idols do this off stage as a challenge or dare, it is pretty cringy. I also liked how sharp their movements were and how good this made the performance looked.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 7.9/10