Month: September 2020

[Review] Bad Idea – Moonbin & Sanha (ASTRO)

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Yesterday, ASTRO launches their first duo unit with Moonbin and Sanha joining forces to bring us Bad Idea, which is featured on the pair’s first mini-album, IN-OUT. This comes after the entire group returned with Knock earlier this year.

It seems that funky is now the norm in KPOP. Bad Idea continues the ongoing trend of reemerging funky and groovy numbers in the industry, a trend that KPOP has definitely experienced in the past. Some of the best and widely known KPOP tracks over the years fall into this category! While Bad Idea does fit in with that particular crowd of songs (based on genre alone), it just needed a bit more to potentially be given that status. And that ‘bit more’ could have easily been a rap sequence. Sure, the addition of a rap sequence would have been cliche move. But I felt that Bad Idea was missing an element to give the song a kick and some additional intense energy. The entire song is vocally centric, which makes complete sense given the vocalist label that both Moonbin and Sanha carry whilst promoting with the rest of the ASTRO members. There isn’t anything wrong with that. I just believe it is missing that oomph to bring it to the next level. But aside from that, what we got was perfectly nailed. Both Moonbin and Sanha did amazing with the vocals, especially when we got to the falsetto pre-chorus. That pre-chorus was super sexy sounding, admittedly. The chorus was quite simple and catchy. The instrumental has a nice bass feel to it and the guitars work very hard to bring the funkiness to life. Maybe that ‘bit more’ could also have been delivered with a bit of a change up in the instrumentation, but it would have been most effective as a rap sequence (in my opinion).

The music video for Bad Idea is super interesting. The pair take on a dark sensual concept with their choreography and solo shots. That itself is something quite exciting, as it takes ASTRO’s previous concepts a step further. But that is embedded throughout a time-loop story line, where Sanha constantly dies after drinking a poisoned drink and wakes up right after. He becomes confused and lost. Moonbin isn’t the centre of this time-loop, so suspicion is on him almost immediately from the start. It is revealed towards the end that Moonbin indeed did poison Sanha, causing him to die. I think Sanha had shot Moonbin in the past, which might give Moonbin a motive. Though I am not sure why. That is just my take on the music video though and I am sure other theories have determined by Moonbin is killing Sanha and how Moonbin better fits into the story line (i.e. I didn’t understand meaning behind the fire and broken glass scenes).

The choreography looks quite good. I liked how they carried that dark sensual concept from the music video into the choreography. I really like the move that did when they repetitively sang ‘Bad’ during the chorus. Their chemistry was also note-worthy during their duo moments!

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

[Review] Back Door – Stray Kids

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At the very end of the music video for their previous comeback (God’s Menu), the members of Stray Kids were seen walking through the Back Door, which is also the title for the comeback title track they just dropped a few hours back. This means that Stray Kids and their management had planned this comeback and teased it since the beginning of their God’s Menu era. It astounds me how much planning goes into these comebacks, especially when they are all interlinked like this. Back Door is featured the repackaged version of their first studio album, GO生, which has been renamed to IN生.

Opening up Back Door is a very groovy background instrumental piece. It isn’t profound or something that the members pushes to the forefront of the song. Instead it remains in the background and feels subtle, which to me makes it more powerful. They keep the groovy background for the majority of the first verse. Why is this of significance? Well, it is a change up to the usual intense synth-heavy sound that Stray Kids has been going with through their title tracks and it is definitely intrigued me with the direction in which Back Door was going in. When we enter the pre-chorus, the funkiness dissipates and we are slowly brought back into Stray Kid’s usual intense style in time for the chorus. The main centrepiece of the song is made up of thumping synths and percussion, which works hand in hand with the idea of the door knocking we get at the start of the chorus and is quite catchy. I also really like the shouty vocals part of the chorus, which brings a more dynamic feel and additional depth to the song. While I am on the topic of the vocals, I feel like the chorus was the best showcase of the vocals in the song. Unfortunately, I did not care for Seungmin, Bangchan and I.N’s parts (i.e. pre-choruses and bridge), mainly because their parts of the song were incredibly plain. Back Door felt more like it was well set-up for the rappers, who were able to show more of their intense delivery style without the need for the intense instrumentation. Overall, I am liking the grooviness in the verses and the catchy nature of the chorus. I just wished there was a better bridge between the two parts to make this a more dynamic song.

Back Door is a song that invites you through the back door for a party. And they essentially do that with the actors from their previous music video. We have the scientists, the masked people doing measurements (not exactly sure what profession they are meant to be representing) and the school girls from God’s Menu. They are among the suited people in the art gallery, who do not like the idea of the part and continually switch off the lights preventing the members from partying. But that doesn’t stop the members as they turn on the lights and continue on with their dancing. In the end, the members get their epic party going with everyone in the background dressed in white hoodies. I wasn’t a fan of a number of things in this music video though. Firstly, the tan coloured tops they wore underneath their outfits looks pretty cheap. And secondly, the overuse of the shaky camera effect. It just makes those scenes look exaggerated.

The choreography was awesome. I really like the whole chorus routine, especially the second half of the routine (i.e. some of the members intensely knocking on the door, whilst the rest paired off and acted like arches/doors that spun around the knocking members – that sounds complicated just in words). The first half was equally as cool. The door knocking and that whole final sequence when the funky backdrop comes back was memorable.

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

[Album Review] Lived (4th Mini Album) – ONEUS

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As mentioned earlier today, there is another album review coming. And here it is! The album that I wanted to focus on today was ONEUS’ fourth mini-album, Lived, which was released less than a month ago. At the forefront of this mini-album is To Be Or Not To Be, while ONEUS’ Road To Kingdom finale single, Come Back Home, was also featured on the release. In addition to the two tracks, there are another four (including an introductory track) which I will have a closer listen to below.

Lived Album Cover

1. Intro: Lived – Lived (the mini-album) opens up with Lived (the introductory track) and features lyrics, landing itself a spot in this review. It is a nice opener. Lived eases you into the album with a simple instrumentation. It is a style that we have heard before and it isn’t the most groundbreaking or suspenseful introductory track that I have heard. However, it is pleasant opener (even though the members do weigh up the worse of two options – dying and the fear of being wiped from their lover’s memories). (8/10)

2. To Be Or Not To Be (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of To Be or Not To Be. (10/10)

3. Dead or Alive – Dead or Alive continues the momentum from To Be or Not To Be. To me, Dead or Alive has this subtle funk to the verses, which I am digging. In addition to that subtle funk, the song has an epic dubstep chorus drop and guitar riffs throughout the verses to add depth and textures throughout the song. Interestingly, the two merges together to open the final chorus (which was really cool) and help set up a different climax form, which was extremely effective than your usual high or soaring note climax. I also really like the electric guitar riff solo we get just prior to the final chorus. As for the vocals and rapping, I give them a big tick as they sound so clear and crisp, even throughout the noisy nature of the dubstep chorus. Overall, Dead or Alive was pretty dynamic and definitely a track worth listening to on this album. (10/10)

4. Dizzy (혼란하다 혼란해) – We get more guitar riffs and a peppy form of modern hip-hop/pop in Dizzy. As soon as you play the song, you can register a much more cheerful and happy tone to the song, which stands out after two intense dance tracks. It is also super catchy and very addictive. I really like how they executed the title of the song at the very start of the chorus. It was bold and it almost felt like they were stomping their foot down, but with their voice. Their vocals and rapping made this happen and it felt like their strongest effort on this album, as there wasn’t much instrumentation for them to hide behind or bolster up the track for them. I wished the final chorus was more of all them singing. I felt that was appropriate, despite it being a pretty cliché move. We did get some, but they soon reverted back to one member singing. Aside from that one lacking element, Dizzy is a fun number to listen to. (9/10)

5. Airplane – Airplane continues that bright tone we got in Dizzy. However, the song falls into the pop realm, as opposed to the hip-hop like influence the previous song centred around. I personally think that Airplane is the best song instrumentally on this album. This is thanks to the vibrancy we get into the electrifying chorus. It is a pretty catchy instrumental hook and feels well-suited for the Summer season. Vocally, the members sound quite nice and the rappers add a further dynamic touch to the song. I would really like to see a live performance this track, as the song enables for a fun yet grounded performance suitable for ONEUS. (10/10)

6. Come Back Home – Click here to read the full review for Come Back Home. You will need to scroll down a bit for the review. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 9.2/10

Lived / To Be Or Not To Be Teaser Image

[Weekly Chart] 2nd Week of September 2020

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You know the drill when it comes to Sunday. Here is another Weekly KPOP Chart post. Also coming your way today is the third album review for this weekend and another song review post. Before we move onto the charts, I want to address a promise that I have not been delivering. Over the last few weeks, I mentioned that there are many reviews that I am catching up on and should have posted on the weekdays. Unfortunately, I have been unable to keep this promise as I have other things going on in my life that really tires me out. Plus I have to prioritize the new releases of the week. So I have decided to stop promising you reviews and I will post them as soon as possible when I have time to sit down and write them. I am mentioning this in case you are awaiting a particular review. I will update my ‘Coming Soon’ page shortly and regularly so you have an idea which reviews are coming your way!

And now, here is the brief look at the charts. Large jumps this week include Wonho’s Open Mind, LUNARSOLAR’s OH YA YA YA (both of these were reviews posted during the week), Red Velvet – Irene & Seulgi’s Naughty and Song Ji Eun’s Make It Love (MIL).

As for the Top 5 this week, we have ONEUS’s To Be Or Not To Be in the top spot! It has been three weeks since the song came out. But no matter how late, it was still worthy and epic enough for the top spot! Following behind ONEUS is CRAVITY’s Flame, followed by last week’s top song, CLC’s Helicopter. In the fourth and fifth positions, we have two of this week’s new releases – YooA’s Bon Voyage and Taemin’s Criminal. For more of the charts, scroll down below.

  6th Sep – 12th Sep 2020
Title Artist Status
1 TO BE OR NOT TO BE ONEUS (▲ 6)
2 Flame CRAVITY (▲ 22)
3 Helicopter CLC (▼ 2)
4 Bon Voyage YooA (Oh My Girl) (new)
5 Criminal Taemin (SHINee) (new)
6 THANXX ATEEZ (▲ 15)
7 BOCA Dream Catcher (▲ 23)
8 Sukhumvit Swimming ONF (▲ 6)
9 Open Mind Wonho (▲ 56)
10 Beautiful Scar Lee Eun Sang ft. Park Woo Jin (AB6IX) (▲ 1)
11 BIRD Kim Nam Joo (APINK) (new)
12 Goblin (Favorite Boy) A.C.E (▼ 7)
13 Obliviate Lovelyz (▼ 5)
14 BOY TREASURE (▼ 12)
15 Hello Stranger Stray Kids (▲ 8)
16 GUNSHOT KARD (▼ 13)
17 Who U Are Kang Daniel (▲ 5)
18 Oh Ya Ya Ya LUNARSOLAR (▲ 49)
19 nanana MCND (▼ 2)
20 Count 1, 2 TOO (▲ 15)
21 Now Or Never APRIL (▲ 13)
22 Where The Sea Sleeps Even of Day (DAY6) (▼ 18)
23 Tiger Inside SuperM (▼ 13)
24 Gotta Go Soyou (▲ 4)
25 Say Yes Jeong Sewoon (▲ 11)
26 Bad Guy 1THE9 (▲ 7)
27 R.o.S.E BLUE Dream Catcher (▲ 24)
28 Naughty Red Velvet – Irene & Seulgi (▲ 35)
29 Make It Love (MIL) Song Ji Eun (▲ 38)
30 Inception ATEEZ (▲ 23)

Songs leaving the charts this week (as they have completed their nine week run) are:

  • 1 Billion Views – EXO-SC
  • Apple – Gfriend
  • Say Yes – Jeong Sewoon
  • Count 1, 2 – TOO
  • Bad Guy – 1THE9
  • AWay – Jeong Eunji (APINK)
  • R.o.S.E BLUE – Dream Catcher
  • Villain – ALEXA
  • LMM – Hwasa (Mamamoo)
  • Hello Stranger – Stray Kids
  • Shadow Play – Pink Fantasy

See you in the next post!

[Review] OH YA YA YA – LUNARSOLAR

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Remember that I should be catching up on reviews? Well, they are slowly coming. I guess I will be drip-releasing the reviews as I finish them. The first track that I am reviewing as I return to the “catch-up” phase is LUNARSOLAR’s debut track, OH YA YA YA. This recently (like start-of-the-month recently) debuted female quartet hails from JPlanet Entertainment and their lineup consist of Eseo, Jian, Taeryoung, and Yuuri. The group has quite an extensive resume, with their lineup being associated to the Produce 101, MIXNINE, The Unit and a number of previous female group including the Korean S.E.T and the Japanese I’S9.

To me, OH YA YA YA is a song that has been heard before. One listen in and it felt generic enough to stop and skip to the next song on my playlist. However, I held onto hope that maybe OH YA YA YA would change and become a little more interesting. But unfortunately, it just didn’t. The song is a mixture of electronic music that we have heard before. Trap and tropical is what comes to mind when I am trying to figure out the exact genre of OH YA YA YA. A combination that we are all quite familiar about. The hooks and melodies, which could serve as the saving grace of this debut song, were okay. But they weren’t impressive enough to compensate for the generic nature of the instrumentation because they are pretty standard themselves. What this song does extremely well, however, is show off the potential of the group. Their vocals and rapping are really strong. It is just a pity that the song didn’t do them justice and give them an opportunity to shine on stage or the charts with a memorable song that impresses. I will definitely put the group on my radar given their skillset, but I wouldn’t be going out of my way to search for this song.

OH YA YA YA was all about breaking free from society and having fun. And the music video shows exactly that with the office scenes. But they don’t show the members as part of the office staff. That would have made the video cheesy. Instead, the members are already inserted into the scene ready to have fun. They just had to break the boring and dead atmosphere of the office. Aside from that and the rest of the music video, there was a lot of references to the group (aside from group/solo shots). I would have been fine with the use of their playing cards that featured the group’s logo. That was actually quite cool. But the insertion of those images that simply flashes between frames is a bit much for my liking.

Performance-wise, the group definitely holds their ground with the live vocals and rapping. Good on them for that! As for the routine, I am rather impressed as their legs seem to be in uncomfortable bend/formation during the key parts of the choreography. I also like their bright energy they bring to the stage via their smiles whilst they performing. Definitely exudes the upbeat energy from the song.

Song – 5/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 6/10

[Album Review] Hideout: The New Day We Step Into – (2nd Mini Album) – CRAVITY

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There are a lot of albums out there worth reviewing or having a deeper listen to. But the number of albums on that list is accumulating rapidly, so I have decided to review another album this weekend in addition to the two albums that I usually review. CRAVITY is the artist of focus this time around, who recently returned with their first comeback since debut, Flame. The song Flame is featured on the group’s second mini-album, Hideout: The New Day We Step Into. Wonder what I thought of the songs on the album? Keep on reading to fine out. But as a short teaser, each song seems to have a little bit of a typical nature to them. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth listening to.

Hideout: The New Day We Step Into Album Cover

1. Flame (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of Flame. (7/10)

2. Believer – I feel that the next track, Believer, has what it takes to be an alternative to the title track. At first, it doesn’t feel like an intense dance track. But once we hit the first pre-chorus, that intense profile became prevalent and the rest of the track stayed in that gear. The bass during the chorus was just so ideal, along with that short instrumental break we get right after the second chorus. The vocals and rapping were definitely a packaged deal and really shows off CRAVITY’s potential. I also really liked the flutes that open and close the song. I wished they incorporated that into the body of Believer, but that was more to make the song just a fraction more interesting. (9.5/10)

3. Ooh Ahh – Following up Believer is Ooh Ahh. It is a funky synth track that doesn’t hold back. I find it to be a catchy number, with a lot of character from the members. I really liked how all the elements (vocals, raps, melodies, hooks and instrumental) were bold, amping up the energy to help make it more memorable. I just wished they went a little more outside the box for this track, as it felt like any other funky synth track (and we have been getting many of those lately). (8/10)

4. Realize – The piano at the very start was misleading, but Realize is another dance track. It takes time to get to that realization (lol). To me, the verses, featuring smooth vocals and rapping with a kick, felt like it could have been part of an even slower track. But as we got closer to the chorus did the instrumental start to pick up and made it feel like dance track. The song seems to focus more on the vocals and rapping (take the bridge as an example) as the instrumental felt pretty standard at best. I wished the piano from the start (and the end) was somehow incorporated more prevalently throughout the song, which would have given the song some depth. But it was still a decent track. (8/10)

5. HOT AIR BALLOON (열기구) – I find the HOT AIR BALLOON title to be quite random. That was my first impression to the song and it definitely intrigued me. No surprises when it comes to the music as it is another upbeat dance number. This is time it features a groovy chorus that really stands out. Subtle, but it pays off. There are some really good vocals and the rapping really adds some dynamism to the song. I really like the layering when it comes to the vocals in the chorus. It adds depth and intensity, making this song sleek. I would have love more of the start of the song elsewhere in the body. It was too was intriguing and pulled me into the song. But other than, HOT AIR BALLOON is quite impressive. (9/10)

6. Sunrise – While Sunrise is quite pleasant and is a decent song, it is pretty typical in my opinion. The members work their charm in this song through their falsetto vocals and great rapping. But the instrumental pulls the song back as it is just something we have heard time and time again. This doesn’t mean the song is bad or terrible. It just doesn’t excite me as much. In retrospect, each of the songs on the album do feel typical to a degree, and I easily could have made a similar comment onto them (note that I haven’t given a 10/10 for any of the songs to account for this feeling, even though I have explicitly mentioned it). But each of those songs had a little more to offer. Sunrise just doesn’t go over that line and hence I feel that it is the plainest of them all. (7/10)

7. Breathing (호흡) – The final song on the album is a ballad. That is definitely a surprise, but it is much appreciated especially after all the upbeat energy that has come before it. Since it is a ballad, Breathing is vocally centric and the members do a pretty good job. The rapping does amp the song up slightly, which I am okay about, and it acts as a great segue to add extra instrumentation to the acoustic guitars we get at the start. They seemed to have amped it a little too much with the extra instrumentation. So once the extra instrumentation settles, Breathing loses that soothing and calming nature of the start. I felt that they could have pulled a bit back to make this song stand out from the rest. (7/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.9/10

Hideout: The New Day We Step Into / Flame Teaser Image

[Album Review] Way With Words (1st Single Album) – KARD

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Two weeks ago, KARD made their comeback with GUNSHOT, the title track from their first ever single album. It is a short release, with just three songs (including the title track). As I am a little tight for time today for the album review segment, I thought I would tick off this short release rather than delay the segment further for a slightly longer mini-album release (I have also decided to tackle another three albums this week and would like to stick to this agenda). You might not consider this an album due to its relative shortness, but I have considered/reviewed single albums in the past (the most recent being Infinite’s Destiny earlier in the year. But enough talk about single albums! We are hear for a deeper listen to KARD’s Way With Words release.

Way With Words Album Cover

1. AH EE YAH (ㅏㅣㅑ) – The single album opens with this upbeat reggae-inspired Summer track. It is probably KARD’s ‘most pop’ release, given how light and different this sound is (relative their previous heavier tracks that KARD has released). There isn’t anything wrong with it though, as I still liked it. AH EE YAH is quite vocally melodic, with each of the members singing in some capacity. This is quite nice as it strays away from the traditional KARD that we know of. The male members do bring some of their rapping to the song, but I don’t ping them to be as memorable as the vocal sections. I did wish they lost some of the autotune, as the filter felt too heavy for my liking. But overall, still quite enjoyable to listen to. (8/10)

2. GUNSHOT (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for GUNSHOT. (8.5/10)

3. HOLD ON – The final song on this single album is HOLD ON. It is nice and quite pleasant to listen to. Once again, it strays away from the usual intense sound that KARD is known for, opting for a more melodic and flowy R&B. The melody is pretty decent, especially when it comes to the Jiwoo singing the title of the song. But other than that, nothing really stands out on its own. The vocals and rapping are good, but it doesn’t really have much uniqueness. I do appreciate the reduced autotune, which was more palatable. One thing that HOLD ON manages to do well is that it comes together to be quite cohesive and the R&B vibes from this song works with their skillset. Maybe they should explore this side of music more in future releases, just with a song more memorable in some aspect. (7/10)

Overall Album Review – 7.8/10

Way With Words / GUNSHOT Teaser Image

[Review] Bon Voyage – YooA (Oh My Girl)

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2020 has been a very successful year for Oh My Girl, probably exceeding the success the group achieved in 2019. Despite dropping their Nonstop/Dolphin comeback four months ago, the two songs are still ranking high on the digital charts, outperforming many artists and songs released more recently! And now it is time for Oh My Girl to step into new territory with solo promotions. First up is YooA with Bon Voyage!

Through Bon Voyage, it can be agreed that YooA has managed to show the best of herself. It a really great track and it stands out due to its unique sound (relative to other KPOP releases). Bon Voyage is a very airy and light in tone, diverting us away from the synthetic and heavy music influences of today’s music and opts for more a sound and vibe that feels fresh and natural. In many ways, the song feels like the it is reconnecting us with nature. Take the percussion, for example. It sounds wooden-like, rather than metallic and hence man-made. The instrumental also makes use of tribal-like chanting in the background, which also has that natural tinge to it. That being said, there are synths used throughout the song. But they are selected carefully to emphasis and highlight the nature vibes. The lightness of the song pairs up with YooA’s light and breathy vocals, helping create an aesthetic atmosphere overall. To me, the best parts of Bon Voyage are the choruses. They pretty much sum up everything I mentioned above and brings about a memorable feeling. The first chorus reminds me of Shakira’s Waka Waka, whilst the second chorus features YooA’s harmonies with the chanting background and is rather short (but sweet)! I did wish it was longer, so more charm could have been exuded from the song. But despite that, what Bon Voyage already had done before the final chorus was enough to warrant a positive review.

What a visual masterpiece. This music video captivates all possible senses and it is hard to look away when there is just so much going on, despite so little happening in each scene. The cinematography and especially the drone shots were extremely artistic and aesthetic. Definitely a video to watch if you want to see something stunning and are willing to be blown away. Fans have been floating some ideas about the concept of the music video. Personally, I like the idea of YooA reconnecting with Mother Nature, as that is what I initially thought of when I first watched the music video. I think the idea of YooA being a ‘child of Mother Nature’ to also be suitable, but I am unfamiliar with that story.

YooA is the main dancer of Oh My Girl, so I had high expectations for the performance for Bon Voyage. And those expectations were definitely exceeded. While the music video showed a lot of freestyle and interpretive dancing, the routine on stage is pretty much set. But the set routine carries the same vibes over and we get a glimpse of something similar to what we saw in the music video towards the end of the performance. I also like how artistic it looks, overall.

Song – 9.5/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9.8/10

[Review] Bird – Kim Nam Joo (APINK)

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Following the solo releases of Jeong Eun Ji since 2016 and the solo debut of Oh Ha Young last year, the next member of APINK to go solo is Kim Nam Joo. When I first heard that she would be making her solo debut, I wondered how Kim Nam Joo would differentiate herself from the well-known name of APINK and establish a new image of herself under her own name, with her new solo single, Bird. Well, it is time to have a closer look at both the song and music video to find out just that.

Unfortunately, Bird fails to excite me. If I was being generous, Bird would be considered a ‘decent’ song, at best. But Bird is just so boring and lackluster that I tend to fall to the more negative side of the ‘decent song’ descriptor. Upon first listen to Bird, I could hear the hint of (G)I-DLE Soyeon’s influence. And while it seems like I am part of the minority when it comes to her songs, Bird is probably her weakest associated track yet. It felt like a track originally intended for (G)I-DLE, but the management and group decided it was best to part ways from this flat song. Aside from use of the wooden wind instruments throughout the song and the acoustic guitars in the bridge, everything else just felt generic to me. The instrumental failed to give much hype and the Eastern-influenced chorus could have been more dynamic by a mile. The bird sound effects felt a little annoying, especially as it went on. The song’s melody was pretty weak. Save the pre-chorus melody though, as I felt there was a decent climb within it that alluded to what I had expected to be a good drop. for the chorus (which Bird did not deliver). But that weak melody essentially rubbed off onto Kim Nam Joo’s vocals, which was at large pretty boring throughout the entire song. Hook-wise, the song didn’t have much, so I am pretty sure Bird will be long gone from my memory once I wrap up this review. Bird failed to impress or chirp up my day.

The music video fares a lot better in comparison to the song. Despite going with the basic choreography and closeup formula, the closeups are captivating given the story that I have managed to get out of it. To me, we see Kim Nam Joo wear white in the beginning to represent innocence and a newly born bird. As the music video goes along, we get different evolutions of the ‘bird’, which I could guess represents the many phases we have in our lifetime. But finally, just before the final chorus kicks in, we see Kim Nam Joo in her final ‘bird’ form, which is evidently quite elegant and mature. This represents her ‘rebirth’ (which was what the song was all about) is complete. Aside from that, I really liked how they used the one set at the start and end, but changed the lighting and colours to just give it a complete different feel.

The choreography is pretty decent. This ‘decent’ is more positive, in comparison to my other use of the same word. I really liked how she shows her strength and power through this choreography, and especially how she fits it in with the song she had to work with. Nothing really stood out for me individually, but the performance as a whole did.

Song – 4.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 6.2/10

[Review] Criminal – Taemin (SHINee)

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Within the last month, Taemin has been super busy by being part of four different music releases (including today’s comeback). We first saw him in his 2 KIDS pre-release track, dropping in preparation for today’s comeback. His second release was 100, the first pre-release single of SuperM’s upcoming end-of-September comeback. We saw him again in Tiger Inside, serving as the second SuperM pre-release track which just dropped last week. And now, we find ourselves tuning in with his fourth release – the title track Criminal and his third Korean studio album, Never Gonna Dance Again.

I am just going to get right to the point. Taemin killed his comeback. And this comment is simply based on just one listen to Criminal. He tackles the synthwave genre, a genre that is pretty much new in KPOP as far as I can remember (and one that I am going to need to search up). The song’s instrumental is rather consistent, but there is still a lot going on. I love the slight tick up in energy that the chorus gives up (relative to the verses). It is small, but its impact is quite large. But the most important detail with this synthwave instrumental is that is compliments Taemin’s vocals. He sings rather low and seductively at the start and it slowly builds ever so slightly as the song progresses along, before his vocals climaxes (i.e. gets louder) after the ‘Destroy My More‘ line at the end of the bridge and we get some ad-libs for the final chorus. These pairings of vocals and instrumental just have so much chemistry with one another, creating a sensual and seductive atmosphere that I just want to continue to replay. To me, the best part of the song has to be his vocal climb during the verses. Once again, it is small effect, but it has such a large impact. It just leaves me in awe and it stuns me when I replay the song (even though I know it is coming). The ‘La La La La‘ was also another strong, suspenseful part of the song that I also love. Overall, Criminal is artistic, aesthetic and plays with Taemin’s strengths.

The music video of Criminal looks so good. Based on the lyrics, the song is about wanting to escape an relationship as it torturing oneself. But the more you want to leave, the more you want to stay. It is a similar concept to Stockholm Syndrome, which is where the victim of a kidnapping or hostage situation feels trust, affection and need for the captor to be in their life post-crime in order to survive. It is very interesting to see him play that out in lyrics. But it is very captivating to watch him be tortured throughout the music video. And we don’t actually see the explicit torture that whoever is inflicting upon him. Rather, we see Taemin’s self torture of wanting leave (and even contemplating death at some points) but is unable to do so in the final seconds because of his need for this relationship. His acting is so good and the set design is really stunning.

The music video shows me enough of the choreography to make write this part of the review. And as per my past reviews for Taemin’s choreography, this one is equally as good. I really liked the bounded wrists at the start, showing us that captive situation. We then see him take it off effortlessly before doing to the ‘good stuff’ in this routine, where we see him show off his performance skills. The best part of the choreography has to be the bridge of the song, where the dancer’s engulf him with their hands, seemingly making it look like he is enjoying the euphoria of returning to the relationship.

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

[Review] Open Mind – Wonho

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It has been a while since we have heard Wonho. Aside from his pre-release single (Losing You) release last month, Wonho has been absent from the music industry after his abrupt departure from MONSTA X. After his name was cleared from all allegations made about him (which lead to his abrupt departure from his former group) in March of this year, he signed with Highline Entertainment (a subsidy of Starship Entertainment) and started to prepare for his solo debut to the excitement of his fans, whom have been named WENEEs. His solo debut title track is Open Mind and is (obviously) the focus of this review.

Right from the start, you could tell that the driving force of Open Mind is the groovy instrumentation. But this isn’t some standard fun filled groovy KPOP track. It matches Wonho’s style, going down a classy, expensive-sounding and sensual direction instead. I like the pulsating nature at the start and how the song built to accommodate this pulsing effect. When we approach the first chorus, we get some funky guitars and a strong retro-centric instrumentation. As Open Mind progresses and we approach the second and final choruses, we get smoothness vibes from Wonho and lyrics as well! I liked that the first chorus was simply instrumentation, allowing Wonho to flourish with his performance skills, before getting down to business with vocals in the later sections. I also liked his voice in Open Mind. No doubt that the song was tailored to Wonho’s voice. Smooth (as I already mentioned), refined and mature. All great signs for a groovy track like this. Personally I would have preferred a strong hook when it comes to the choruses. The melody is great, but I felt it was lacking that something that we could always associate to Open Mind and Wonho in the future. But apart from that, big ticks for Open Mind.

Whilst it was expected that abs and muscles would be on full display for this music video, Wonho still manages to blow me away with his visual game throughout the music video for Open Mind. Sensual and masculine is the concept and Wonho nailed it! And I am quite sure fans aren’t complaining about the heat coming from this video. Aside from the visuals of Wonho (which are so damn captivating – he is making it hard to talk about everything else), I really like the straightforwardness of the sets throughout the video, which works excellently with Wonho’s visuals (literally keeps on coming back to this).

When it comes to the performance, I don’t think any other KPOP artist can pull off a choreography like this. There is a uniqueness that Wonho brings with this sensual choreography. It might be his visuals (well, well, well), but it could be his charisma and skills that make Open Mind‘s choreography work perfectly for him and just him. The best moments of the dance routine is whenever he moves slowly. There is just a captivating aura when he does just that and it wows me each time.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9.2/10

[Album Review] Dystopia: Lose Myself (5th Mini Album) – Dream Catcher

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The third album review for this weekend focuses on Dream Catcher’s latest comeback, BOCA, which is featured on the group’s fifth mini-album, Dystopia: Lose Myself. It is a short mini-album release, but it is one still worth checking out. All the song’s on this album is definitely of a high quality. Even the introductory track (which I didn’t review and hence include in this album review) is one of the best introductory tracks I have ever heard. Have a scroll down and check out each track whilst also having a browse of which songs I liked (hint – I liked all of them).

Dystopia: Losing Myself Album Cover

2. BOCA (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of BOCA. (8.5/10)

3. Break The Wall – Based on the title alone, Break The Wall felt like it be a full-on song. And Break The Wall lives up to that expectation, with the song’s energy and intensity is delivered by Dream Catcher’s classic rock influence. There were some great parts to this song that I would continually come back to. The rock influence during the chorus was extremely satisfying and checks my cravings for a rock song. Dami’s rapping takes the song a step further going with to a harsh but powerful level that really capitalizes on Dami’s voice and gives the song that needed climax. Finally, I really liked the ending, where we hear Siyeon put her vocals on full display with the prolonging and continuous ‘Woah’ that just keeps on coming at you. It was very bold and dramatic. I do find it interesting that the verses were muffled by autotune. In the live performances, the members hold up megaphones whilst singing their lines in the verses, which I thought was pretty unique. It fits in with the group’s message to rally up and give confidence to those who want to Break The Wall (that has held them back) with them. (10/10)

4. Can’t Get You Out Of My Mind – Can’t Get You Out Of My Mind delves into the EDM side, which isn’t something that I commonly associate with the group. To me, Can’t Get You Out Of Mind features a nostalgic for of EDM (can’t believe I just said that) that reminds me when EDM used to be just drops for the chorus. However, Dream Catcher doesn’t stop there with the chorus, following the drop with some vocals. And these vocals, along with the rest of the vocal work throughout Can’t Get You Out Of My Mind was very melodic and traditional for EDM. Sure, the song could have been more memorable. I think they could have given Dami a rap sequence to amp up the song’s intensity and provided additional depth. They could have also introduced some catchy hooks. But Can’t Get You Out Of My Mind does enough regardless these omissions. (9/10)

5. Dear – Dream Catcher wraps up the album release with the mandatory ballad that most KPOP albums must fulfill. While it is the outlier in terms of sound on this album, Dear is quite captivating. For the first two minutes, Dear is pretty much your standard piano-driven ballad. But after the two minute mark, everything sudden picks up and develops exponentially out of nowhere to become an beautiful orchestral piece. And I am glad it did so, as it made listening to the whole song worth it. In addition to be stunning music piece, the vocals are lovely throughout Dear, drawing me into it with its dreamy appeal. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 9.1/10

Dystopia: Losing Myself / BOCA Teaser Image

[Weekly Chart] 1st Week of September 2020

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It is another Sunday and it is time for the next installment of the Weekly KPOP Charts! It is going to be another quick one as I am currently drafting a number of reviews for the week and today. Today, you can expect an album review and another song review coming your way. I won’t speculate on which artists are at the centre of these posts, but I think you can work out who!

As usual over the last few weeks, here is just a quick recap of the big jumps this week. DONGKIZ’s Beautiful jumped the furthest this past week by 56 positions into ninth position this week. Other big jumps this week are Cherry Bullet’s Aloha Oe, GFriend’s Apple, Song Ji Eun’s MIL (Make It Love) and Seven O’Clock’s Hey There. Not much as the past few weeks, but still worth mentioning.

As for the Top 5 this week, we have a number new songs in the top end of the charts. Debuting in the top position this week is CLC’s HELICOPTER. TREASURE’s BOY rises to the second position this week, while KARD’s GUNSHOT (last week’s top song) dropped to the third position. In the fourth and fifth position this week is Even a Day’s (DAY6’s first subunit) Where The Sea Sleeps and A.C.E’s Goblin (Favorite Boy), respectively. For more of the charts, scroll down below.

  30th Aug – 5th Sep 2020
Title Artist Status
1 HELICOPTER CLC (new)
2 BOY TREASURE (▲ 13)
3 GUNSHOT KARD (▼ 2)
4 Where The Sea Sleeps Even of Day (DAY6) (new)
5 Goblin (Favorite Boy) A.C.E (new)
6 Ice Cream BLACKPINK with Selena Gomez (▼ 1)
7 TO BE OR NOT TO BE ONEUS (▼ 5)
8 Obliviate Lovelyz (new)
9 Beautiful DONGKIZ (▲ 56)
10 Tiger Inside SuperM (new)
11 Beautiful Scar Lee Eun Sang ft. Park Woo Jin (AB6IX) (new)
12 Movie Kang Daniel (▲ 1)
13 Aloha Oe Cherry Bullet (▲ 38)
14 Sukhumvit Swimming ONF (▼ 2)
15 Apple Gfriend (▲ 33)
16 W.A.Y (Where Are You) ENOi (▲ 19)
17 nanana MCND (▼ 14)
18 What You Waiting For Jeon Somi (▲ 24)
19 Make It Love (MIL) Song Ji Eun (▲ 34)
20 DUMDI DUMDI (G)I-DLE (▼ 3)
21 THANXX ATEEZ (▼ 7)
22 Who U Are Kang Daniel (▼ 16)
23 Hello Stranger Stray Kids (▲ 3)
24 Flame CRAVITY (▼ 13)
25 B.A.D Super Junior-D&E (new)
26 Not Shy ITZY (▼ 19)
27 Waves Kang Daniel ft. Jamie & Simon Dominic (▼ 23)
28 Gotta Go Soyou (▼ 12)
29 Hey There Seven O’Clock (▲ 47)
30 BOCA Dream Catcher (▼ 21)

Songs leaving the charts this week are:

  • Eternally – TXT
  • Easy – Stray Kids
  • Summer Breeze – SF9
  • Monster – Red Velvet – Irene & Seulgi
  • Play – Chungha
  • Telephone – EXO-SC
  • Nothin’ – Chanyeol (EXO)
  • On Me – Sehun (EXO)
  • Y.O.U – DONGKIZ I:KAN
  • Shine – F.Cuz
  • Run – GreatGuys

Thanks again and I will see you in the next review post!

[Review] B.A.D – Super Junior-D&E

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Super Junior-D&E has taken over the title as the most active Super Junior subunit over recent years, thanks largely to their annual comebacks that they have been having since 2018. The last time we heard from the pair (Donghae and Eunhyuk) was early last year with Danger, which faired pretty well. And after one year and four months, the pair returns with B.A.D and their fifth mini-album, Bad Blood.

B.A.D is a mix between the funky retro tunes that are slowly creeping back onto our playlists and the now classic trap genre. And it isn’t too bad of a mix. The funkiness comes through quite nicely through the use of guitar in the background. And I feel that the trap that is present in B.A.D is enough to give the song some intensity and fierceness. And everything was pretty sound, until we got to the bridge. And I quite like the bridge (it is one of the best bridges I have ever heard in a long time). But I question the need for the brief pause right after, which was filled with the cheesy ‘Bad…Bad‘. I felt like they could have bridged it better to the final chorus and avoided the whole cringe and cheesy ordeal. Similarly, I would have lost the ‘Na Na Na‘ at the end, which was layered on top of the rest of the track. There was a lot going on already and this additional layer also felt unnecessary. Aside from that, Donghae and Eunhyuk’s vocals are good. There were some good hooks that the pair presented quite well, especially when it came to the two-part hook, which as a whole was catchy. Their rapping packed a punch (as usual from the pair) and helped infuse more intensity and edge to the song.

I liked half the video and felt the other half was pretty confusing and dry. Interestingly, there was no story line to this video, so you might be wondering how I felt one half was good and the other half was confusing. Well, all the sections shot outside in the parking lot had a nice edgy feel to it. This is what I liked, which matched the whole idea of being bad. The whole sequence of them being caught being bad was a little funny. As for the confusion and dryness, that title went to the studio sets they shot in. I felt that wasn’t a good representation of whole concept. The whole idea of horses confused me at the start and I expected them to expand on that whole idea elsewhere in the video (which I don’t think they ever did). The sets also didn’t reflect the edgy vibes of the song and I felt the overly fast flashing lights for the tent they performed in was overkill.

While this is a good routine and the pair can still dance, I wished the moves were sharper and faster. This could have made the performance a little more impactful and not as soft at first glance. As for the best part of the whole routine, I have to vote for the bridge sequence (everything up until the brief pause).

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

[Album Review] SPIN-OFF (5th Mini Album) – ONF

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Oh, an album review on a Saturday? Isn’t this a surprise? Just catching up on the backlog of reviews!

Road To Kingdom was a blessing for ONF, earning them recognition of their performance skills. And after a brief break after the show wrapped, the group returned with their first release since the show. The release comes in the form of their fifth mini-album titled SPIN-OFF and features the title track Sukhumvit Swimming. Alongside the title track is a special version of New World, which I have previously reviewed and praised when it was first released as part of the suite of singles from the groups that made it to the Road To Kingdom finale. The mini-album also features five other tracks, so have a browse below to see if there are any songs you like (and see which ones I enjoyed).

SPIN-OFF Album Cover

1. Sukhumvit Swimming (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of Sukhumvit Swimming. (8/10)

2. Belle Epogue – ONF diverts from their usual dance-centric sound to an upbeat R&B vocal-centric track. We have heard this side of ONF before. But it always nice to revisit it, especially on this mini-album. The main draw point of Belle Epogue are the vocals. There are really good harmonies between the members and the backing vocals. Wyatt surprises me with his ability to go from a soft rap-sing approach to a more intense rap sequence that we expect from the rapper usually. Everything from the instrumental to the melodies in Belle Epogue is quite classy and pleasant to listen to, fitting with the idea that the world looks different after falling in love. (8/10)

3. Geppeto – The members express their desire to go out into the real world and to find out about themselves, bidding goodbye to Geppeto (who was the father of Pinocchio in the fairytale story). And they do so with a more upbeat and groovier number that fills like an appropriate follow-up track to Sukhumvit Swimming. I find everything in this song to be quite vibrant, catchy and fun. Their vocals and melodies feel quite wholesome, while the rapping adds flair to the song that fits ONF’s profile. But it is the instrumental that really grabs my attention with this song, providing likable energy. (9/10)

4. Good Good – Next up on this album is Good Good, which takes the vibrant nature of Geppeto and amps it up a few levels, which results with a playful tune fitting for Summer. I also find the song to be quite pleasant, as the members go with an easygoing vibe. That doesn’t compromise the catchiness of the song, as I find the melodies, energy and atmosphere of Good Good to be quite memorable. All the members surprise me in this track with their rapping ability (and vocals – but these weren’t the scene stealer for me). ETion managed to push ahead with his fast paced rap tempo, while MK’s autotuned rapping was an interesting addition. Hyojin’s rap sequence was extremely well done, while J-Us, Wyatt and U each had good rhythm and nailed their sections. Actually, let me rephrase that. ONF nailed this song. (10/10)

5. Cactus – Cactus is a mid-tempo ballad-like track that puts the focus on the vocals of all members. It is a sad song, as the members reflect upon a mutual breakup that they had just gone through. They mention that both parties need time and that hugging now would be similar to hugging a cactus. I liked how the vocals throughout the song reflect this mutual breakup. You can hear the emotions of the heartbreak in their voices, but they also give off the impression that they are smiling while relaying the lyrics to their former lover, to let them know that everything will be okay. Aside from the vocals, the song is also driven by beautiful and soothing acoustic guitars that adds a layer of delicacy to the song. (9/10)

6. Message – Message is a fan song for Fuse and was previously released in the form of a music video six months ago. I personally do not have much else to say about this song, but that isn’t a bad thing. Once again, it is quite pleasant to listen to. It starts off in a similar manner to a ballad, but it unexpectedly develops into a mid-tempo track (but still retaining that vocal focus that a ballad would have). Here, the vocals are the main focus again, with the members presenting their fans with really nice melodies and harmonies to bring a bit of warmth to the listener. (8/10)

7. New World (SPIN-OFF Version) – Click here to read the full review of New World. (9/10) (You will need to scroll a bit to get to the review)

Overall Album Rating – 8.7/10.

SPIN-OFF / Sukhumvit Swimming Teaser Image

[Review] Beautiful Scar – Lee Eun Sang ft. Park Woojin (AB6IX)

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When I think all the members of X1 had made their re-debut in some capacity, another member pops up with their new release. The next former member of the now disbanded project group to debut is Lee Eun Sang, who debuted earlier this week as a solo artist. He is currently signed to Brand New Music, the home of famous Korean hip-hop artists, AB6IX and BDC. His solo debut, Beautiful Scars, comes roughly one year after X1 made their debut with Flash.

Beautiful Scar is a R&B hip-hop track, which is pretty much no surprise to me, given that this is Brand New Music’s forte. The instrumental is quite heavy thanks to the bass and serious nature of the song. It does lack character and personality, as it feels pretty typical and alike any other R&B hip-hop track. There really isn’t anything ‘new’ about Beautiful Scar that we haven’t heard before. Interestingly, I am not too troubled by the consistency of this song. By being consistent, Beautiful Scar ended up being sophisticated, refined and mature. However, I was lowkey expecting a change up or a breakdown along the way that still fits the mature R&B hip-hop nature of this song. I felt like that would have given the song that much needed flair and allow Lee Eun Sang to show off his character a little more, let it be in song or in performance. I guess Park Woo Jin’s featuring was the mechanism of this, as I thought his rapping delivery and flow was really good. They was a captivating energy coming from his section alone and I would personally seek out this song for Park Woo Jin. Though, this is a bit harsh for the main artist of the track. However, I do think Lee Eun Sang did a pretty decent job with this as his solo debut track. His vocals are solid throughout Beautiful Scar. His debut song just lacks that mentioned personality and also some strong hooks/melodies that would make the song bold and memorable.

The song’s sophisticated and refined profile was brought over into the visual aspect of this comeback. The music video is just this and I really quite enjoyed it. The hotel lobby was a really good choice to shoot in and the lighting during his scene was on point. I also liked the darker sets in which the choreography shots were also shot in. There seems to be some symbolism throughout the music video, such as the butterfly and a kaleidoscope. Not sure what these mean exactly, though I assume the kaleidoscope is in reference to the fake love he experienced (i.e. nothing he looked at was what it seems). Also thumbs up for Park Woo Jin’s featuring the music video as well. You probably know that it is my wish to have featuring artists featured in the music video. It just makes the whole experience better. Though in this case, I guess featuring artists are a lot easier to invite if it is done in-house.

Lee Eun Sang does not look nervous during his first performance. I applaud him for that, especially since it has been almost a year since his previous debut and he has had a lengthy break in between. Plus going solo is always a big step in one’s career. As for the choreography, I really liked the whole routine. It wasn’t anything too crazy. But it looks refined enough to still be impressive looking.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.5/10