Taemin did not keep us waiting for long for the second part of his 3rd studio album, Never Gonna Dance Again. He made his comeback on Monday with the second part of his 3rd studio album, Never Gonna Dance Again: Act #2, which is headlined by Idea (the actual title is IDEA:理想, but I am going to stick to Idea throughout this review). It follows the release of Act #1 of Never Gonna Dance Again in September, which was lead by the track Criminal.
To me, Idea seems to be one of Taemin’s weakest title tracks ever. However, this statement doesn’t make Idea a bad song necessarily. I just felt Taemin has raised the bar to an extremely high level with his past promotional tracks, the last being Criminal. There is some positives to the song, such as the intensity that is quite apparent and I felt that the atmosphere was going in a suspenseful direction overall. But to me, I feel like the future bass song gets straight to the point a little too quickly. There really isn’t much of a build up to the chorus from the verse (i.e. no pre-chorus really amped up the suspense and excitement). It just switched from verse to chorus without much thought, leaving you wondering what happened preceding the fact and dulling the song’s appeal after the fact. The chorus itself isn’t too bad instrumentally. I really enjoyed those synthetic violins that take front and centre of the chorus. They seemed to make the song more epic and gave the song some interesting textures. However, the chorus lacks a strong hook and the hook that we did get was quite distasteful, if I were to be honest. The second verse was pretty much non-existent given that it was blurred with the first chorus instrumental-wise. The bridge felt quite rushed, making way for a prolonged final chorus which had elements of what I liked and disliked in this song. Vocally, it was okay. The verse part was quite good, but I did find the overlapping at the end to be a bit much. BoA does make an appearance as the female voice we hear just ahead of the chorus, but it seems like she isn’t formally acknowledge as a featuring artist. Overall and put simply, Idea isn’t up to par with what we know Taemin for.
With a song as messy as Idea, I am not entirely sure how the video accompanying its release can be anything else but that. But the music video comes together quite well. There is some confusion on my part in interpreting the storyline that is hidden throughout the story (I am not sure why it isn’t the forefront of the video – this would have made this SM Entertainment music video unique, relatively to other music videos released by the company). From my understanding of the visuals and the lyrics, Taemin is imagining everything we see in the video. From the people at that bar whispering about him to the ghostly figures that appear in the forest with him. He thinks his bad experience in relationships and love is as result of someone in particular. But that person is a fragment of his delusional imagination. Hence we see Taemin in a white outfit (resembles a stray jacket) behind a glass wall, similar to the ones we see in jails in TV shows for the public to chat with locked up love ones. Per usual, this is my interpretation, so I maybe wrong. But I am still interested in reading about your interpretation and I know that Taemin has spoken about the actual meaning on a VLIVE recently.
The choreography looks really good. Regardless of whether we like the song or not, Taemin always exceeds expectations with the choreography. The entire final chorus routine looked really complicated but alluring, thanks to the increased intensity during this segment. He really pulled out his performance chops. The body rolls looked really nice, as they always do. Hahaha…
Song – 6/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 7.2/10
Once upon a time, I used to album reviews on Tuesdays. Usually, the album reviews published on Tuesday are reserved for a bit of a throwback. I cover ‘past’ albums for the year prior to the year we are in. Because of my poor sleeping patterns, I haven’t been able to do that. And now that I am overloaded with albums to review from October (and most likely November and December), I have decided to cancel the ‘past album review’ segment for now (it will be back next year) and use Tuesdays to help recover on the album review front of the blog. Today’s focus is on Golden Child’s second single album and title track, Pump It Up, which was released over a month ago. The song has become an instant favourite of mine and it has gone on to top my Weekly KPOP Charts.
2. That Guy – That Guy is more a pop ballad. My first impression of the song is that is almost on par with LADY, one of the group’s most memorable side tracks for me. The instrumental is made up of atmospheric strings and pop percussion. It is actually quite beautiful, to the point where I wouldn’t mind listening to it alone without the vocals. Oh and the vocals. There are equally as stunning. Joochan and Y’s lines in the chorus are the song’s highlight without the doubt. I wished that That Guy had stronger melodic power (like LADY) and that pretty much would have brought it up to the same level as the mentioned song. But we almost got there. I also liked how they delayed the ad-libs so it was more to the end. I felt that was a missing element at the start of the final chorus, but they delivered it down the track. And the rapping was also quite nice, tweaked well to fit the softer nature of the song. (9/10)
3. Lean On Me (너의 뒤에서) – Lean On Me is an upbeat electronic pop dance track. It too almost rivals a song, in particular the title track of this single album. It didn’t surpass Pump It Up because it lacked a bit of vibrancy. It is really the one thing that really set the two tracks apart for me. I feel that if the producers made the song pop out more, it could pretty much have been the title track. Once again, the vocals are quite nice in this song. They were very consistency throughout, which isn’t always a bad thing. I really liked that the rapping follows the chorus. It is applied to the same instrumental as the chorus, so it feels like an extension of the chorus – prolonging the song’s catchiest sequence. (9/10)
GFriend is back with their third comeback of the year! MAGO and 回:Walpurgis Night follows Crossroads and Apple as the third and final instalment of the 回 series. While Crossroads was a familiar sound for the group, both Apple and MAGO have strayed away from the usual GFriend sound. Each of the comebacks (including this one) have been executed flawlessly, so it definitely tells me that GFriend is definitely capable of versatility, though I think we we already know that from their earlier works. Where they go from here is definitely an exciting upcoming chapter for the group.
It is clear from the concept of the music video (and once you listen to the song) that GFriend jumps onto the retro train that has been picking up idol groups and soloists for pretty much the entire year. We have heard retro sounds from the group before, so this is pretty much explored territory for GFriend. But MAGO manages to outshine those previous sounds by going with something a lot more vibrant and disco-y within the retro sphere. And per unspoken rules of the retro sphere, MAGO effortlessly comes off as catchy and a fun musical number. The entire chorus was definitely the highlight of the song. The melodies during this section catch on quite quickly and it doesn’t help that the members deliver those melodies with such a cheerful persona that you cannot deny is there. I also enjoyed the background lines (i.e. the whispering ‘Yes you‘ and high pitched singing ‘Hakuna Matata‘) that really popping out for me. The verses were not as memorable, but I liked how the energy was consistently there throughout the length of the song. The lyrics, which has the simple message of being yourself, comes off with a little bit of attitude. I am not complaining about this as I love that it adds a bit of flavour to the song. Actually, my only complaint was that I felt the vocals were slightly over-processed. But the more I listen to the song, that observation is slowly dwindingly away. MAGO definitely makes me ‘feel so high’.
I love the retro concept that the producers opted for. There was no holding back, with the sets, outfit and overall atmosphere taking on a retro flair. And that cheerfulness that I mentioned before was carried over into the music video via the members. Epic moments of the music video has to be when Sowon rips off her suit, Sin.B’s sparkling red outfit and Yuju’s pole dancing and disco ball-ing (?). I also wonder who the music video connects with the rest of the 回 series. I have a theory, as I think there are elements of the two preceding music videos (and possibly other music videos) in this video (i.e. the red drink, Sowon’s suit amongst other things). Though I am wondering if anyone has any theories of the possible storyline yet.
I really like the MAGO move and the retro vibes that the choreography channels from the song. Other than that, nothing really sticks out at me. But as a whole, it was a good routine.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 10/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 9.1/10
Today, Ha Sung Woon continues his solo career with his latest comeback, Forbidden Island, which is the title track of his fourth mini-album, Mirage. It follows the release of Get Ready and Twilight Zone earlier this year. It is interesting to remind ourselves that Ha Sung Woon was once a member of HOTSHOT. I am a little surprised that he has yet to make an official return of HOTSHOT group’s promotions. It could potentially be that the group has gone on a hiatus due to military enlistments. But as Ha Sung Woon continues to make solo comebacks and his company continues to remain silent on a potential return, it is looking more like Ha Sung Woon had unofficially left the group’s lineup.
Forbidden Island is one of those songs that manages to surprises me as I listen to the song. And if you have already checked out the song, you probably know what I am talking about. There isn’t much to the start of the song aside from a building atmospheric instrumental piece and some clicks. I did like how he put forwards a raspy and breathy version of his vocals, further heightening the suspense that is slowly building. Nothing really happens until we reach the chorus. It changes up the song completely, driving forward with falsetto vocals and a funky instrumental (made up of guitar and percussion) that instantly lights up with energy. You could tell that a change up was bound to happen given how the song started. But what we got was not something I had expected. And I am digging it. The second verse pretty much is the same concept as the first, just the background has a little more momentum to make it feel appropriate following the first chorus. The bridge was stunning with the slowdown. It felt like it returned to how the song started, just without the suspense building in the background. His vocals, once again, stand out here, with an impressive high note. And the slowdown, per usual, makes the final chorus more vibrant and punchier. Overall, Forbidden Island is a strong release and possibly one of his best to date.
The music video shows a world without people, as suggested by Ha Sung Woon as he sings about this ‘Forbidden Island‘. He wants to be lead there by the person he is singing to – where we can only assume that life is infinity times better than with people. It sounds like an introvert’s dream. The setting of this video looked quite aesthetic, especially the scenes that one could describe as ‘in the dark’. I am talking specifically about the scenes where he is sitting on a chair surrounded by flowers, a circle that you can make out on the floor and some stage fog, or the scenes where is head is surrounded by colourful crystal-like structures. Even his choreography scenes and outdoor scenes looked really stunning.
You might feel that lifting people as part of a dance routine is something that happens quite a bit on stage. But I am impressed with the complexity of the lifting that happens in this particular routine. At the start, he is instantly lifted upon walking into the arms of the dancers. Towards the end, he is lifted to slide over one of the dancers in a really unique take of the move. Pretty much made me go wow. I also really liked how in sync he was with the dancers for the chorus and the duo moment that Ha Sung Woon and one of the dancers had during the second verse.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
SuperM’s Super One is another September album that I really wanted to review. But I haven’t been able to get around to it until today, mainly due to its fifteen track length. Amongst the fifteen tracks, we have One (Monster & Infinity) as the title track and the pre-release tracks – Tiger Inside and 100. These three tracks I have reviewed before (links are below). SuperM surprised me with their vocals on this album – completely unexpected given their focus on dance-heavy tracks as their main promotional tracks thus far. Enough chatter though. We have 12 other songs to get through for this album review, so it is going to be a lengthy post.
2. Infinity – If you haven’t caught on just yet, one half of the title track One is Infinity. Most notably, Infinity’s chorus and Mark’s punchy rap sequence just before the final chorus were carried over to One, amongst other sections. Standalone, Infinity was an epic track. The instrumental is pretty choppy during the verses, but that just gave the song amazing texture. It might sound like just like messy noise to some, but I really enjoyed the song. Aside from taking the best parts of Infinity, Baekhyun’s ad-lib introduction was the next best part of the song. The only part that held me back from giving the song a strong 10/10 was the vocal bridge. I just didn’t like how it was presented nor how unimaginative the sequence was (in comparison to the rest of the song). (9/10)
3. Monster– The other half of the title track was courtesy of Monster. The verses of Monster mainly carried over. And once again, I felt whoever joined the songs together took the best part of Monster. The chorus here felt like a letdown, unable to channel the energy and momentum that the verses were building up and towards. It is more vocally centric, which I didn’t expect. I was more under the impression that Monster would be a song that is ‘more in your face’, but I didn’t think we got that in the final product. Overall, if I had to select one of the two songs – Infinity was superior by a long way. (6.5/10)
4. Wish You Were Here – Wish You Were Here has this mellow reggae instrumental, which feels quite unique from the get go. This song is the first of many on this album that blows me away with the vocals. The harmonies made this song ooze out whilst listening to it. The catchy ‘ba ba ba-ra…’ hook was smooth and addicting. However, these positives just wasn’t enough to outweigh the negatives. There was this one-dimensional nature behind the rapping and the song felt quite repetitive by the time we reached the end. (7.5/10)
5. Big Chance – I definitely like it when a song impresses me within the first few seconds. Big Chance does just that with its catchy opening hook. It definitely shows off their vocals chops, with blissful harmonies and an easy-going melody. Both of these aspects allow the hook/chorus to speak volumes by itself, opting for minimal instrumentation. Other parts of the song opt for the same concept, while others incorporated this laid back tropical background to help fill out the song. What I liked the most about the song is the rapping, which is a ‘return to form’ after the previous track. (9/10)
8. Better Days – Better Days is one of the songs that caught my attention when I was vetting the album. It is a ballad, something I didn’t actually expect from SuperM at all. Better Days starts off with a simple piano and finger clicks instrumental combination at the start. It slowly builds by adding a slight organ synth during the first chorus, before adding even more percussion once we enter into the second verse and guitars in the bridge. Once again, amazing vocals and harmonies headline this track and the rapping fits effortlessly into the ballad without feeling ill-fitting or one-dimensional. I really enjoyed away the way they sing the title in the song, especially during the final chorus. So perfect. (10/10)
9. Together At Home – Together At Home is another song that impresses from the start and drew me in during the vetting process. The main drawing point to me with this song is the ‘Dala, da, da la…’ hook that makes up the chorus and features at the start. It is simple vocal hook, but one that is pretty effective. I also like the groovy 90s electronic bass instrumentation of Together At Home and how it repeats the catchy melody in instrument form. The vocals and rapping are superb in this song, both working together harmoniously to make this another strong song. (10/10)
10. DRIP – DRIP features another simple hook in its chorus (i.e. constant repetition of the title of the song). I really like it, even though it sounds like a persistent leaking tap (which I find to be quite annoying – especially as you are falling asleep). The rappers take the edge in this particular song, giving the song some much needed oomph. I liked the instrumental for its uniqueness, sounding almost like someone groaning but in an instrumental form. It sets the song’s serious tone, but it felt repetitive. (8/10)
11. Line ‘Em Up – Line ‘Em Up is SuperM’s take on the Middle Eastern (and based on the comments that I am reading on YouTube, South Asian – which might be a first in KPOP) flair trend that has been around for some time. This flair helps keeps the song distinctive. However, the song lacks that explosive feel or that wow factor. I believe that if Line ‘Em Up had that impact or explosive energy, the song would have been more dynamic and appealing to me. (7/10)
12. Dangerous Women – Blending R&B and EDM for SuperM produces Dangerous Women. Aside from the acapella moment at the start of the song and the vocals as a whole package throughout the song, Dangerous Women didn’t really cross any boundaries in music and felt relatively safe. I felt that the song could have benefited from something edgy, like a more abrasive EDM touch or even some edgier sounding raps. Otherwise, Dangerous Women literally sounds like many other tracks out there. (7.5/10)
13. Step Up– Step Up is predominately a R&B song. However, instead of remaining safe and in a neutral R&B gear for majority of the song (which would have been a mistake for me – as the R&B side of the track is quite boring), Step Up literally steps up its game by giving the chorus a kick in the upbeat and energy departments. This changes up the song, giving it a refreshing appeal. Baekhyun and Ten’s ad-libs were definitely helped make the song even more alluring. (8.5/10)
14. So Long – An example of a R&B song staying in that neutral gear and thus remaining relatively safe is So Long. For So Long, I don’t think this is a relatively bad thing. There is this sensual energy coming from the song that calls for body rolls left, right and centre. Aside from the sensual atmosphere (which obviously is a superior form of R&B), one other thing So Long manages to do right are the vocal harmonies that features in the chorus. (8/10)
15. With You – Closing the album (phew, we are finally at the end of the album) is With You. And like most albums. SuperM keeps the best song for last. Given its placement at the very end of the album, I am knighting With You as Super One’s hidden gem. The subtle and held-back funkiness of the instrumental is so damn good. The vocal work, particularly Taemin, Kai and Baekhyun’s vocals, are so good. It is also the only song on the album that made me want to dance whilst listening to it, which would have been awkward at work. Hahaha… (10/10)
We are almost at the end of the craziest year ever! Only eight weeks remain in 2020. And KPOP is going to be jamming a lot in the next eight weeks without a doubt. November is already tracking to be an intense month, with comebacks and debuts lined up. And without a doubt, December is going to be as busy as it ever has been. November is a particularly a busy month for this blog as I am rushing to get reviews out before the November 30 deadline. How come? Well, you will find out in a little over a week. Until then, here are the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 1st Week of November 2020.
As per the Weekly Charts segment, we must run through the big jumps of the week. Why do I cover these big jumps? Well, they jumped more than 30 positions for multiple reasons and deserve a shout out for their appeal and power for being able to achieve such a jump. This week, the biggest jump is experienced by DKB’s Work Hard, which jumped from the bottom of last weeks chart to the 13th position this week. The only other big jump this week was Mamamoo’s Dingga, which jumped for the same reasons.
And now, the breakdown of this week’s Top 5. Starting from the bottom of this arrangement, we have TXT’s Blue Hour, which was the song in the fourth position last week. WEi’s Twilight rises into the Top 5 this week into the fourth position, while Park Ji Hoon’s GOTCHA debuts in the third position. Another new release in the Top 5 this week is AB6IX’s Salute, which debuted in the second position. And for this week’s number 1 song, we have Pentagon’s Daisy, which is very familiar with the top spot as they have previously sat at the top of the charts for two weeks already. For more of the charts, scroll down below.
1st Nov – 7th Nov 2020
Title
Artist
Status
1
Daisy
Pentagon
(▲ 1)
2
SALUTE
AB6IX
(new)
3
GOTCHA
Park Ji Hoon
(new)
4
Twilight
WEi
(▲ 14)
5
Blue Hour
TXT
(▼ 1)
6
AYA
Mamamoo
(new)
7
Love Killa
MONSTA X
(new)
8
MMM
TREASURE
(new)
9
Pump It Up
Golden Child
(▲ 1)
10
Light
UP10TION
(▲ 21)
11
Back Door
Stray Kids
(▼ 6)
12
I LOVE YOU
TREASURE
(▲ 3)
13
Work Hard
DKB
(▲ 44)
14
Siren
P1Harmony
(▼ 1)
15
I Can’t Stop Me
TWICE
(▼ 9)
16
Shoot The Moon
BDC
(▼ 13)
17
HOME:RUN
SEVENTEEN
(▼ 16)
18
Criminal
Taemin (SHINee)
(▲ 19)
19
Make A Wish (Birthday Song)
NCT U
(▲ 1)
20
Nostalgia
DRIPPIN
(▼ 6)
21
Jungle
CIX
(▼ 15)
22
Like A Movie
B1A4
(▼ 6)
23
Dingga
MAMAMOO
(▲ 32)
24
The Stealer
The Boyz
(=)
25
La Di Da
EVERGLOW
(=)
26
No Love
Super Junior-D&E
(▲ 29)
27
Every Day
MVP
(▲ 21)
28
Why Not?
LOONA
(▲ 15)
29
Alien
Suhyun (AKMU)
(▲ 16)
30
Bad Idea
MOONBIN & SANHA (ASTRO)
(▼ 9)
The songs leaving the charts this week as they have wrapped up their nine week run on the KPOPREVIEWED Weekly Chart are:
Criminal – Taemin (SHINee)
Bon Voyage – YooA (Oh My Girl)
Bird – Kim Nam Joo (APINK)
WANNA BE MYSELF – Mamamoo
OURS – B1A4, Oh My Girl, ONF
Thanks once again and I will see you shortly in the next review!
The next album that I am going to be doing a deeper listen for is BDC’s first mini-album, The Intersection: Belief. This particular mini-album was released at the end of September (another really late album review) and follows the trio’s debut single, Remember Me, which was released in December 2019. Featured on the mini-album is SHOOT THE MOON as the title track and four other tracks. One of the four songs features Lee Eun Sang, who recently made his solo debut. If you haven’t checked out the album yet, keep on scroll to see what I thought and have a listen to each song to see if you agree! Then, check out SHOOT THE MOON!
The Intersection: Belief Album Cover
1. DUMP– First up on the album is DUMP. What really draws me into the song are two things. The first has to be their vocals. All three members sounds very really good throughout the song. The chorus was probably their best showing, as their vocals compliment the striking nature of the chorus extremely well. The instrumental was the second aspect that drew me into the song. I am digging the heft the bass brings to the song. The rest of the background of the song felt, admittedly, a little plain. But it worked extremely well with their vocals and had a nice consistency that makes the song appealing. (8/10)
3. DROWNING – DROWNING is another great song. The verses opt for a smooth R&B texture, while the chorus has more of an upbeat kick to it, courtesy to the bouncy synths we get. There is a very satisfying level of energy that comes off the song that I really enjoy. To me, the best part of the song is when they bring some falsetto to the chorus. The rapping sequence in the second verse comes a close second, with a groovy electronic backing that sets it a part from other KPOP releases. It is another song that I felt is more aligned with Summer, but it works on this album. (9/10)
4. I’ll BE A STAR (별이 될게) – The next song on the album is a pop ballad, featuring band instrumentation and an electric guitar solo during the bridge. It is soothing and calming number to listen to. It also shows off their vocals, which have already been highlighted earlier on in the album. But I am not going to complain that there is another ‘great vocals’ song on the album because more is merrier in this instance. It is a pleasant listen, but it isn’t really a song that pulls me in. Usually I’LL BE A STAR is my style, but I feel that BDC’s forte is more with dance tracks such as the preceding track or their title track. (8/10)
5. GO GET HER (ft. Lee Eun Sang) – Looking at the tracklist, GO GET HER is the most anticipated track, as it features Lee Eun Sang. The way I wrote the first bit sounds like I have never heard the song, which is the case. But fans of both the group or soloist may recognize the song as their ‘audition’ song for Produce X 101. It is cheerful, bright and pop. What I really like the most about GO GET HER is that the song brings me back to what KPOP felt like initially. Even the melodies and rap segment have a nostalgic ring. (9/10)
Overall Album Rating – 8.6/10
SHOOT THE MOON / The Intersection: Belief Teaser Image
TREASURE is back with their final release of 2020. The group has definitely been quite busy since they made their debut in August of this year with BOY. They followed up their debut single with I LOVE YOU in September. Once promotions for the second single was wrapped, the group was confirmed for a third single (MMM, the focus of this review) which dropped earlier today and a full-length studio album in January next year. For those who are wonder, December won’t be a month off for these guys as they prepare for and perform at a number of award nights and those end of year music festivals.
TREASURE has so far stepped away from YG Entertainment’s association with hip-hop. BOY was more of a departure than I LOVE YOU was, but both felt to be outside the common hip-hop bubble. MMM, on the other hand, pretty much steps back into that bubble. While I do like their individuality, I also liked that MMM plugged themselves back into the roots of their company. It says that they are still a YG group despite the different musical influences that they are drawing upon. MMM retains the modern KPOP hip-hop influenced structure (rap intensive verse, followed by a vocal-heavy pre-chorus, which leads into the chorus – a typical structure nowadays from how I see it), whilst also incorporating the EDM that they have really embraced in all their releases thus far. The peak of the EDM in the chorus was a very interesting centerpiece to the song. It works really well with the more serious nature of the song and it seems to add a bit of dramatic flair to the song. For the hooks during this part of the song, I thought they were weak at first. But those ‘Mmms’ and ‘Treasure you‘ whispers ended up feeling quite substantial for the song in retrospect. To me, the chorus was probably the only impressive part of the song. Everything else felt a little hit and miss for me this time. The instrumental had a nice Middle Eastern flair, but it failed to excite me for the most part. MMM manages to change it up by throwing some energy at us and keeping the EDM more consistent for the final chorus. It was a needed move, but I wanted more oomph to really get out of the repetitive loop that the song felt like it was stuck in. Similar ‘repetitive loop’ comments can be made in regards to their vocals and rapping. MMM doesn’t feel like their most impressive foot forward, in my opinion, and I will be picking their earlier singles over MMM any day.
The music video looks quite good. I like their use of the industrial look of their setting and the use of black and white throughout the video. It gives off a stylish look and adds a bit of simplicity to the music video. This also make the choreography scenes that feature their more colourful outfits feel like a ‘splash of colour’ and thus stand out a bit more. They do opt for the choreography and closeup formula, but it isn’t really that noticeable to me. I only realized it when I was typing out their review. Some fans mentioned that the video features YG Entertainment’s new building, which I thought was a little fun fact to add to the review. I think you can definitely say that this is a YG video. Hahaha… 🤣
The choreography for this comeback is definitely a highlight. Let’s definitely talk about the choreography they had for the EDM centrepiece. It looks amazing, complicated but very sophisticated. I didn’t want to say this before in the song review section, but those ‘Mmms’ had a sensual sound to them. And it looks like the choreography had that effect as well!
Song – 6/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 7.2/10
Also on the reviewing block today is Park Ji Hoon’s latest comeback, GOTCHA. How odd of me to be writing a review on the day of the song’s release. GOTCHA is the title track of Park Ji Hoon’s first studio album, Message, which also dropped today. This comeback comes after Park Ji Hoon’s earlier music release in the year, Wing, and another web drama for the actor side of Park Ji Hoon.
GOTCHA is a slight mashup of genres that end up coming together quite nicely. It is described as a ‘refreshing Latin rhythm as well as an 808 bass and trap rhythm’ (taken from SOOMPI). Some of the song might be overwhelming, namely the post-chorus hook that follows the first and final chorus, as it does appear out of nowhere and is more abrasive on the ears that any other part of the song. However, I heard it as an exciting change up that kept me on my toes. The Latin influence keeps the song very upbeat, bright and adds a very nice colour to the song. It did make me wonder whether GOTCHA would have more successful as a Summer track, as the Latin flair does seem to give off that impression. And I think it might of. However, I think KPOP has been blurring the lines between seasons as a number of releases I felt have been better suited for the Summer season have been released during what was supposed to be the ‘Autumn’ season in Korea, so Park Ji Hoon’s release isn’t really an outlier by any means. His vocals have gotten a lot stronger and they impressed me throughout the song. The melodies that his vocals had carried were quite strong and alluring. He also throws in a bit of a high note (though it was rudely interrupted by that rewind effect). His rapping was also quite interesting, adding some additional energy into the already quite upbeat song. I particularly liked the switch up between rapping and rap-speak he does in the first verse. Overall, GOTCHA was a really enjoyable track and highlights improvements in Park Ji Hoon’s skills.
Park Ji Hoon embraces his inner bad side for this comeback. Fans will definitely enjoy this darker side of Park Ji Hoon. This evil side of him is actually quite captivating and he was very alluring with his facial expressions throughout the video. His blonde hair was definitely ‘icing on the cake’ for this music video and concept. The producer and director did a pretty good job of pulling this video together and making sure Park Ji Hoon looks good. I also feel that the music video also gives us a taster to what the artist could do as an actor. If he is playing a character with evil intentions and the storyline is good, sign me up as part of the audience!
A big part of the performance that I don’t tend to mention as much are the outfits. And for his showcase stage, I felt Park Ji Hoon felt quite overdressed in comparison to his dancers. I hope that this doesn’t happen on the actual comeback stages. Apart from that, the choreography looks quite cool. I like the slight popping (at least, that is what I think it is) he does for that more abrasive post-chorus hook sequence and how he (as a solo artist) basically carries the entire second verse on stage.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.8/10
Another day late review! This time the review is for Mamamoo, who have made their first comeback as a full group since HIP (which was released around the time last year). Headlining this comeback is AYA, the title track from their tenth mini-album, Travel, and it follows the release of their pre-release track, Dingga two weeks ago. It may have been the first group comeback for the ladies, but it isn’t really the first time we have seen each of the members. Solar made her solo debut with Spit It Out, while Moonbyul and Hwasa made their solo comebacks with Eclipse and Maria. So it has been a busy year for the group since their last comeback, nonetheless.
Since HIP was such a successful song for the group, I was wondering how they were going to top that release. It was going to be one difficult feat. After many repeats of their new title track, I don’t think AYA even comes anywhere close to overthrowing HIP as one of their best tracks ever, if I was to be completely honest. This is because AYA noticeably lacks hooks. I was dying to hear a catchy moment but that was never delivered. That is what made HIP so addictive. Here AYA just keeps on giving us really nice melodies and vocal work. But it never went back to a central line to really establish itself, if you know what I mean. Likewise, it lacked a chorus that could have acted as a central point to return to. The pan-flute sequence is probably the closest form we get to a chorus in this song. By all means, that the lack of chorus or hooks wasn’t frustrating. The member did manage to give us another stunning song. But it just needed that foundation or ‘safety net’ as I might call it to go back to. So what makes AYA stunning? Well the vocal work was quite nice. It isn’t their most vocally charged song nor does it feel much of a statement. But the vocal work compliments the exotic nature of AYA. I like how Moonbyul’s rapping adds stability to the song. And this exotic nature was definitely a really captivating piece of music to listen to. The change up for the last half a minute of the song was very interesting. If you were becoming bored of the exotic flair that AYA had going on in the first three minutes, then they will surprise you with the change in tone. Overall, the song lacks a fundamental element. This impacts the song, but Mamamoo still manages to make do.
To match the exotic flair of the song, the music video goes with a visual concept of the same calibre. I am wondering if each of the characters that the members play in the music video are there for a distinct meaning. I have yet to find a theory explaining the music video or the characters, as I feel that the outfits Wheein is wearing during some parts of the video, Moonbyul’s archery shooting character, Solar’s monobrow character and Hwasa’s character decked out in leather and knocking out teeth are there for a reason (I do note that the latter was mentioned briefly in the lyrics). Other than that, I enjoyed the detailed sets and the emphasis on the golden hue throughout the video. Definitely fitting for the concept and these Queens.
The choreography for this comeback is definitely elegant and looks quite stylish. I really like how the member embraced their sensuality in this performance, which makes everything a lot more captivating. I also liked that despite how intense the final moments of the song got, the performance still went in well with the rest of the choreography and retained that exotic and sensual flair.
Song – 6/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8.5/10 Overall Rating – 7.1/10
The second comeback that occurred yesterday was by MONSTA X! Once again, apologies for the day late review (I explained why I am a day late in my last review). MONSTA X’s latest comeback comes in the form of their third studio album, Fatal Love, and the title track, Love Killa. This is the group’s first comeback since the release of FANTASIA and FANTASIA X this past May.
One of my complaints with MONSTA X’s previous comeback was that their sound was possibly encroaching into an overwhelming feeling with their heavy reliance on powerful EDM as their instrumental. And I am glad to hear that MONSTA X has diverted from that possibly overwhelming and overpowering version of EDM. Love Killa opts for an electro-bass instrumental that knows to when to hold itself back to make the song more impactful. It is a super addictive beat that I am enjoying and I feel that it enables for stronger melodies in the song. Take the chorus, particularly Kihyun’s opening line, which feels smoother and has more character. And as a result, I feel that Love Killa lands itself on the top end of ‘Best MONSTA X’ tracks for me. The presence of stronger melodies end up allowing the rest of the members to stand out, particularly those who are not as vocally as strong as Kihyun (the group’s main vocalist). It also allows the lines to stick a bit more. What I particularly like about Love Killa is that while it allows the vocalists to shine more, it doesn’t forsake the rappers. Love Killa has awesome rapping sequences in my opinion, with both I.M and Jooheon delivering some of the most impressive lines of 2020 KPOP. “That’s right, you look at my eyes. Straight into my eyes and just say…“, “Got room for one more. Oh I’m sorry, did I make you anxious?” and “Imma slay, Imma chill, Imma kill” just to name a few. I also like how the members echoes the lines in the first half of the chorus, giving the song more effect and impact. Overall, Love Killa ticks many boxes for me when it comes to MONSTA X.
One of the things that had me hyped up for this particular comeback was their alluring teaser images. But those did not prepare me for the music video, which seems to have a murderer concept (and it is probably one of my favourite concepts to date – cause I have an affinity towards this type of stuff). Based on comments in the YouTube comments, fans noted that each member was portraying a character that seems to be inspired by infamous movie killers. Jooheon’s character is similar to the Joker (and his smile and sudden change at the start of the video will forever haunt me), Minhyuk’s character seems to be inspired by American Psycho, Kihyun’s character is inspired by Hannibal Lecter, Hyungwon’s was another obvious one with Fight Club, I.M’s character is inspired by Drive and Shownu is inspired by Kingsman (or other since fans are still debating this one). Aside from an awesome concept, I also really liked the dominance of the red and black in the sets, depending on the colour suit they are wearing for the scene. Also Hyungwon’s hairstyling is on point in this video! Just thought I put that out there.
The choreography looks awesome. I liked the angst and (once again) fierceness that the members bring to the choreography and performance. I also loved how they nailed the sleekness at the start and end of the choreography.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
Yesterday, we saw the return of two groups. And I will be reviewing both releases today (Sorry once again for the day late reviews – I may have overnapped yesterday…). First up on the reviewing block is AB6IX’s latest release, SALUTE, which is featured on their third mini-album of the same name. This comeback comes after the group moved to a four-member lineup and released The Answer and Vivid.
Opening SALUTE up is this very epic thumping marching band sequence that hypes the song up. Unfortunately, it felt like a standalone piece when it was followed by the trap-based first verse. All that energy that the introductory sequence had managed to create within the opening sequence had dissipated suddenly into thin air and in place was a generic first verse that had no momentum. It would have been nice if they continued to channel that energy somehow. I did feel that the introductory sequence matched up with the brass-heavy chorus nicely, both working hand-in-hand with their own epic vibes. I liked the theatrics that they used and the simplicity of the ‘SALUTE‘ and ‘Come and get me. Come get it‘ repetition. They followed up the chorus with another generic second verse, but it contained a really pleasant surprise. That surprise was Lee Dae Hwi rapping, which was a standout moment for the song. The rest of the members didn’t seem to stand out as much, which is slightly disappointing. To me, the instrumental (bad or good sides) overpowered their presence in the song. So far, it seems like I have a mixed view on the song. SALUTE ends in a more positive manner, with the final chorus changing up the momentum by mixing in some more EDM with the brass-heavy chorus. Overall, I feel that AB6IX was going in an epic direction with SALUTE. It felt lacking in some reasons, which dulled the potential epciness of the song.
What the group did nail were those decorated military-like outfits and use of the marching band in the video, which seemed very fitting for both the introductory sequence and chorus. It also works with their fierce and confrontational visuals, which does compliment the song. It definitely makes for an awesome concept. I liked how clean the sets felt (not visually, but aesthetically). I personally didn’t like their use of the upward perspective. I know many groups do use it in their videos, but I felt that there was too much of it in this video.
And like the music video, the choreography has their fierceness to it that I am sure will make other groups very jealous. The concept suits ABI6X so well, which was most evident during the performance. I really like their military-like transition to get into formation during the chorus and the entire ending-sequence definitely had this powerful energy to it that I really enjoyed.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.5/10
The album review that I intended to post on the Friday that we just passed was The Boyz’s CHASER mini-album. The album was released back in September and (like the state of this segment) the album review comes after the group had wrapped up promotions for the title track, The Stealer. The group is currently in follow up promotions with Whiplash, though I suspect that might have ended. Also featured on the mini-album are four new tracks and CHECKMATE, the group’s final song on Road To Kingdom. This also helped the group win their one-way ticket to Kingdom, which has recently been confirmed to begin shooting in January 2021. While I am sure that many people are super excited for this, we just need to wait a little longer. In the meanwhile, here is my album review for CHASER.
CHASER Album Cover
1. Shine Shine – If you are judging the song by the title (like I did) and are expecting something with sunshine and flowers (similar to The Boyz’s Bloom Bloom), then you need to look elsewhere. Shine Shine kicks off CHASE with a much darker tone and heavier sounds. It features a very sleek dance instrumentation that will make the members look good on stage without a doubt. The vocals, rapping and hooks were all quite smooth to compliment the instrumental. I also liked the subtle intensity that comes from the song. Overall, a strong starter to this new side of The Boyz. (9/10)
3. Insanity – Insanity begins with a sequence that felt like a mix of Taemin’s Danger (which the group covered on Road To Kingdom) and something of their style. And it is a very intriguing start. What comes after that introductory sequence does not disappoint as well. Their vocals are definitely what I am referring to, especially Sunwoo’s lines throughout the song. He was so smooth, alluring and the standout member in this song. That being said, the rest of the members do an amazing job as well. It is interesting to note that the song relied purely on vocals to delivery the song’s polished melody. I liked this stylistic choice, allowing the vocals to be emphasized throughout the track in a matter that wouldn’t have been achieved if there were some strong rap sequences incorporated into the song. (9/10)
4. Whiplash– Whiplash inserts some lighthearted and cheerfulness to the album. And I felt this break from the seriousness of CHASE thus far really makes the song standout. To the point where I think it edges ahead of the rest of the album. The song actually reminds me of Super Junior’s Devil. I didn’t like that particular song when I reviewed it, but it is another song that grew on me over time. I love the pop rock instrumentation in Whiplash and the guitar riffs throughout the song. It enables the cool melodies that makes Whiplash so appealing to me. Once again, their vocal work is superb, and they felt quite classy throughout this pop track. The rapping gave the song some punch and complimented the higher tone the vocalists sing at. The song itself was quite catchy and it had me humming along for days. (10/10)
5. Make or Break – Make or Break continues the upbeat energy from the preceding track. It brings me back to The Boyz’s chirpier and energetic tracks that they used to promote. Come to the think of it, Make or Break would have been an excellent sidetrack for Bloom Bloom, if it wasn’t just a digital single. It features great instrumentals that also reminds me of 90s hip-hop, to a degree. It is a solid track. While I think the singing was great in the song, I wanted more from the rapping. They could have gone harder with the rapping, which would have suited the 90s style really well. What we got was pretty decent, but it would have been nice to hear them go that extra bit further. (8/10)
Welcome to the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 5th Week of October 2020. It is crazy that October is now officially over and we are officially in November. Within a few blinks or a few Christmas carols, 2020 will be wrapping up and we will be in 2021. It is very scary to think that, isn’t it? But then again, we will all be glad it is come fast given how crap 2020 has been to the entire world. In the meanwhile, there are a lot more KPOP releases coming your way, so I guess we all should buckle our seatbelts and prepare ourselves for the influx of comebacks – November is looking jam packed!
As per the recent Weekly KPOP Charts, here are the big jumps of the week. H&D’s Umbrella experienced the biggest jump of 41 positions, thanks to its review last weekend. Crush’s Let Me Go (feat. Taeyeon) and Song Ji Eun’s Bloom are two releases who experienced big jumps as well from the very bottom of the charts last week (as I recorded no listens to either song last week). Other than those three songs, BDC’s Shoot The Moon and CRAVITY’s Ooh Aah are the other songs that had big jumps this weeks.
And now the Top 5 of the past week! The new song at the top end of the charts is SEVENTEEN’s HOME;RUN. It switches places with last week’s top song, Pentagon’s Daisy, which is now in the second position this week. In the third position this week was the unexpecting Shoot The Moon by BDC, followed by TXT’s new release, Blue Hour. And finally, wrapping up the Top 5 this week is Stray Kids’ Back Door, which rose back into the Top 5 this week. For more of the charts, scroll down below.
25th Oct – 31st Oct 2020
Title
Artist
Status
1
HOME:RUN
SEVENTEEN
(▲ 1)
2
Daisy
Pentagon
(▼ 1)
3
Shoot The Moon
BDC
(▲ 31)
4
Blue Hour
TXT
(new)
5
Back Door
Stray Kids
(▲ 2)
6
I Can’t Stop Me
TWICE
(new)
7
Jasmin
JBJ95
(new)
8
Jungle
CIX
(new)
9
Ooh Ahh
CRAVITY
(▲ 32)
10
Pump It Up
Golden Child
(▼ 2)
11
Umbrella
H&D
(▲ 41)
12
Zig Zag
Weeekly
(▼ 3)
13
Siren
P1Harmony
(new)
14
Nostalgia
DRIPPIN
(new)
15
I LOVE YOU
TREASURE
(▼ 3)
16
Like A Movie
B1A4
(▼ 12)
17
Feel Good (SECRET CODE)
fromis_9
(▲ 1)
18
Twilight
WEi
(▼ 4)
19
Let Me Go
Crush ft. Taeyeon (SNSD)
(▲ 34)
20
Make A Wish (Birthday Song)
NCT U
(▲ 3)
21
Bad Idea
MOONBIN & SANHA (ASTRO)
(▲ 4)
22
BLOOM
Song Ji Eun
(▲ 30)
23
Cool
Weki Meki
(▼ 1)
24
The Stealer
The Boyz
(▲ 15)
25
La Di Da
EVERGLOW
(▼ 8)
26
Shine Together
SF9
(▼ 5)
27
Helicopter
CLC
(▲ 9)
28
Hello
Chen (EXO)
(▲ 18)
29
Goblin (Favorite Boy)
A.C.E
(▼ 14)
30
From Home
NCT U
(▼ 20)
Songs leaving the charts this week include:
Hey There – Seven O’Clock
Where The Sea Sleeps – Even of Day (DAY6)
Obliviate – Lovelyz
Tiger Inside – SuperM
Helicopter – CLC
Goblin (Favorite Boy) – A.C.E
B.A.D – Super Junior-D&E
Beautiful Scar – Lee Eun Sang ft. Park Woo Jin (AB6IX)
Open Mind – Wonho
Oh Ya Ya Ya – LUNARSOLAR
Thank you once again for visiting this blog and I will catch you in the next review!
KPOPREVIEWED 