Also making this comeback this Monday is Kang Seung Yoon, the leader of male group WINNER. It has been eight years since we last heard solo work from Kang Seung Yoon, with his last title track being released in 2013, a year prior to his debut with his group WINNER. Back then, he released Wild and Young as a single. If I remember correctly and as per YG Entertainment tradition, his solo release has been in the works for a number of years. But after a very long wait, Kang Seung Yoon has returned with the single IYAH and his first studio album, Page.
If we cast our mind back toWild and Young, Kang Seung Yoon’s major solo release was a rock release. When news of his solo comeback was announced this year, I had expected something along the same lines as Wild and Young. But interestingly, IYAH is a ballad. Some of that rock sound is still present in the song through the use of the band instrumentation that forms IYAH‘s backbone. What was unsuspecting was the incorporation of orchestral instrumentation towards the end of the song. It just crept into the song without me knowing and delivered a really an amazing and powerful instrumental peak in this song. Complimenting the musical choices in the instrumental is Kang Seung Yoon’s vocals, which blew me away. He sings about growing up and maturing as he gets older, and you can hear that in his voice. To be honest, the start of the song felt very plain. But as it progressed and he built upon his vocals to compliment the building momentum in the instrumentation, he really sounds top notch. The best sequence has to be the bridge, as that classical instrumental comes through. Like the instrumentation, his vocals soar at the end of this sequence into that stunning high note. The use of the choir backing in the start of the final chorus and as the backing of his vocals right after also really tops the emotions that he portrayed in the song. His vocal melodies also tick the swaying box that I have on my list of criteria for ballads. Overall, while IYAH was not the expected release I had in mind for Kang Seung Yoon, it managed to surpass and be even better than what I had in mind.
The music video for IYAH shows us the life story of Kang Seung Yoon from a young age to now. We see him enjoy music from that young age to pursuing it in high school (where I believe we see him score that life-changing opportunity to participate on SuperStar K). We then see the pressure that he experienced leading up to his debut with Winner. The black and white sleeveless shirt and hat were his debut outfit. And we see him in the present performing on stage with his fellow members. Mino made a cameo appearance here, which made the present appear more clearer. From what I understand, fans and other viewers find this life journey and song very relatable. And I think that is the best compliment to pay this release. What I also liked about this life experience journey that is shown in the video is that it isn’t in chronological order. Instead, the different scenes and life stage are edited together in a jumbled manner. However, the scenes all interlink and the transitions all flow into one another.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 10/10 Overall Rating – 10/10
Kicking off this week’s rush of comebacks is Kim Sung Kyu with HUSH. This is Kim Sung Kyu’s final release as part of Woolim Entertainment, the company in which he has been apart of since his debut in 2010. For those who don’t know, Kim Sung Kyu is a member and the leader of male group Infinite, who has gone on to become one of the top male groups in the early 2010s and are widely known for their synchronized choreography. It was announced that Kim Sung Kyu would leave Woolim Entertainment in early March, however still remaining a member of Infinite. It seems like the pair are still on good terms, with Woolim picking up promotions for HUSH and Kim Sung Kyu’s first single album, Won’t Forget You (you will notice that HUSH’s music video is release on Woolim’s home channel and carry the company’s branding as well). We last saw Kim Sung Kyu make his solo comeback in December of last year with I’m Cold and Inside Me.
My first impression of HUSH is that it reminded me of Kim Sung Kyu’s previous title tracks, Kontrol. This is simply because of HUSH‘s 80s synth pop instrumentation. The new song initially started off like your typical traditional band style ballad, a sound that is explored territory for the solo artist. The synths start filtering into the song soon after and the song starts building momentum towards that synth pop instrumentation. What I do like about the song is that it isn’t too much like Kontrol, which seemed more committed to the synth pop genre. While I do like the reminding notion of HUSH, it is still its own style. HUSH maintains that traditional band underlay as part of its instrumentation, creating a fine balance between band and synth. The resultant product sounds amazing, atmospheric and powerful in its own way. What obviously makes any Kim Sung Kyu song better is, of course, the presence of Kim Sung Kyu’s vocals. I find his vocals so captivating and gripping in this song. You can feel the emotions behind his vocals, relaying the song’s message (the powerful power of attraction and emotion that is conveyed even without words – sourced from Soompi) very nicely. I liked the way the song’s title is delivered in the song, feeling present but also distant at the same time. While I have made comments about excessive use of autotune, I also really liked how it was used for ad-libs. I also enjoyed the ‘echoing’ that rounded out the song. To me, these kept the song very grounded and makes the instrumental do the ‘soaring’, which is usually something you describe the vocals. I find this related to the lyrics, with the words doing less and the music being more powerful as a result. Overall, HUSH is a really nice way to round out Kim Sung Kyu’s time as part of the Woolim family.
The music video stars both Kim Sung Kyu and IZ*ONE’s leader Kwon Eun Bi, who is also a fellow Woolim labelmate. Based on the lyrics, I believe it is assumed that the pair do not exchange words throughout the video. Rather, we see their emotion be portrayed in their facial expressions. At the start of the video, we see the two sad and distant. In one scene, where Kim Sung Kyu goes to hug Kwon Eun Bi, she vanishes into the air. This signifies that they have broken up. But the memories between the two lingers and we see the pair smile towards the end, which drives Eun Bi to return to Sung Kyu, where they hug one more time. This time, she doesn’t disappear and the pair are reunited without the exchange of words but rather memories and thoughts.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
The second album that I will be reviewing this weekend is CIX’s most recent album release, Hello Chapter Ø: Hello, Strange Dream. This is the group’s fourth mini-album and was dropped at the start of February. Featured on this album is Cinema, the title track for this album. It is also one of five songs on the album. Previously, I have reviewed all of CIX’s albums with the exception of their third mini-album, Hello Chapter 3: Hello, Strange Time (I simply just waited too long to review it, hence I removed it from the Coming Soon list). However, I have flagged the album for future review in the Past Album Review segment, which I should have started back in early March, but obviously that is fruitless for now. In the meanwhile, I hope you enjoy my review of CIX’s latest release.
Hello Chapter Ø. Hello, Strange Dream Album Cover
1. Stairway to Heaven – The album starts off with a breathtaking and stunning ballad. I find the move to put this song first on the tracklist to be quite interesting, given ballads are usually toward the end of the album. But like all songs that sit in the opener position, Stairway to Heaven does pull you in. To me, Stairway to Heaven reminds me of EXO’s Miracle of December. While I am unsure how the lyrics and deep meaning of the two songs would compare with one another, I found Stairway to Heaven to be quite gripping on the emotional front. There is a beautiful classical instrumental piece for its background and the song showcases the vocals capabilities of CIX. The harmonies were to die for and the melodies were very heartfelt. It is hard to say another bad about Stairway to Heaven. (10/10)
3. Round 2 – Round 2 delves into the R&B scene, but in a more downtempo fashion. While Round 2 has it all with a nice melody, decent hook, upbeat instrumentals and good vocals from the members, I just can’t seem to fall for the song. It is one of the songs that I would describe as ‘pleasant at best’. But I also don’t see anything wrong with it. I guess it isn’t my personal cup of tea. The acapella-like change in the bridge was interesting and I wished they somehow explored more of this. Maybe that would have me falling for Round 2. (7/10)
4. Young – The guitar work in Young is exceptional. It started off almost with a country influence, before developing into a full-fledged pop rock sound. This alone makes the song very interesting and has me sticking around. I wished their vocals did pop out a little more, as it felt like they were competing with the instrumental. The rapping, on the other hand, is top notch and feels perfect for this style of music. (9/10)
5. Everything – The album ends with an acoustic pop song, which once again, highlights the vocals of the members. I really enjoyed how smooth the vocal lines were when it came to the chorus of Everything. As a result, I found it quite easy to become lost in the song. Similarly, the rapping roughened up the song with its delivery and also its intense trap backdrop. Usually, I would think the song didn’t need that. But it was good choice this time around. (8/10)
[Update] Due to an urgent change in plans, there will be no reviews posted from tomorrow night aside from the scheduled posts. And the number of scheduled posts will be reduced considerably. Reviews will start again next week.
Another Sunday has come by and it is time to have a quick look back at the past week. Compared to the rest of March, this past week has been relatively quiet. Aside from IU making her solo comeback with LILAC, Sorn from CLC made her solo debut with the single Run. But March isn’t over just year, with a few more days left on the calendar. And based on a list of confirmed comebacks, it seems like everything is happening this coming week. But as usual, before we can proceed forward with the new week, let’s have a look back at the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 4th Week of March 2021.
Easter long weekend
Next weekend will be the Easter long weekend here in Australia. And as like all long weekends, I will be taking some additional time off the blog to spend with my family. As a result, there will be no review for songs released on 31 March to 4 April 2021. Any of those releases (and any releases I don’t around to reviewing from 29 March to 30 March) will be reviewed the week after. Next week’s edition of the Weekly KPOP Charts will also be delayed to later in the week. However, there will be scheduled reviews and album reviews released over the long weekend this time around.
Throwback corner
Nope, still in a Rollin’ mood. Still not tired of this song. Brave Girls did end their promotions for Rollin’ earlier this week, so that is one less avenue to continually listen to the song. So maybe, a new song will be featured in this segment next time it Rollin’ around.
The chart
Congratulations to Pentagon once again for topping KPOPREVIEWED’s Weekly KPOP Charts for the second week in a row with Do Or Not. For more of the charts, scroll down below.
22nd Mar – 27th Mar 2021
Title
Artist
Status
1
Do or Not
Pentagon
(=)
2
After School
Weeekly
(▲ 56)
3
KILLA
MIRAE
(▲ 55)
4
What Type of X
Jessi
(▲ 54)
5
LILAC
IU
(new)
6
Paranoia
Kang Daniel
(▲ 1)
7
Ponzona
PURPLEKISS
(▲ 18)
8
Can We Talk Again
PURPLE KISS
(▲ 15)
9
Coin
IU
(new)
10
I Like You
Ciipher
(▲ 48)
11
Young Blood
DRIPPIN
(▲ 1)
12
Beautiful Beautiful
ONF
(▼ 9)
13
Blossom
Oh Sae Beom
(▲ 36)
14
Fireworks (I’m The One)
ATEEZ
(▼ 8)
15
EXCALIBUR
KINGDOM
(▲ 30)
16
D-D-Dance
IZ*ONE
(▲ 42)
17
DOOM DOOM TA
TRI.BE
(▲ 19)
18
On The Ground
ROSE
(▼ 14)
19
Tail
Sunmi
(▼ 3)
20
Inside
KEEMBO
(▲ 26)
21
Feel Like
WOODZ
(▼ 16)
22
MOON RIDER
BDC
(▼ 8)
23
Trust Me (MIDZY)
ITZY
(▲ 35)
24
Burn It
Golden Child
(▼ 14)
25
Spit It Out
MAJORS
(▲26)
26
Away From Home
Kim Jeong Uk
(▲ 32)
27
Odd Eye
Dream Catcher
(▼ 5)
28
ZERO:ATTITUDE
Soyou & IZ*ONE ft. pH-1
(▼ 1)
29
Don’t Call Me
SHINee
(▼ 11)
30
House Party
Super Junior
(▼ 19)
Songs leaving the charts this week
A lot of songs are leaving the charts this week, as they have completed their nine week run on KPOPREVIEWED’s Weekly KPOP Charts. They are:
It is time for another album review (I think it has been two weeks since the last one). Today’s album on the reviewing block is Hyuna’s 7th mini-album, I’m Not Cool, which was released way back in January of this year. I believe this is the only album left over from January that I have previously flagged I would review. This album features the title track that shares the same name as the mini-album itself and Hyuna’s 2019 solo release, Flower Shower. In addition to these two tracks, the mini-album also features three other new tracks. The main reason why I am reviewing this particular album (and have continually kept it on the review list) is because I don’t much have much exposure with Hyuna’s discography apart from her title tracks. I wanted to delve into her music a bit more, and this mini-album came just at the right time. Let’s see what I think about Hyuna’s music, away from her iconic singles.
2. Good Girl – Hyuna has shown us that she is a talented with rapping and performance. And she has shown time and time again that she is a good vocalist as well. I feel like Good Girl bundles all of that in a manner that shows the best of Hyuna. Good Girl is a loud song (but in a good way), with a really dynamic and punchy pop instrumentation as the background to this side track. There is a lot of drumming throughout the instrumentation, which was a highlight for me. The brass-like synth breakdown seems to add some flair and tops that loudness aspect of the instrumental. Her vocals were mostly nice, with the pre-chorus and bridge emphasizing the potential behind her vocal side. I do have to say that the chorus felt a bit shouty, which does have some drawbacks. But it felt necessary give the boldness and loudness of the song. (8/10)
3. Show Window – Show Window is much different to the two preceding tracks. It is toned back quite a bit. This allows the song to come off as quite nice, especially if you find the preceding tracks to be overwhelming (alone or in combination with each other). Show Window falls into the R&B genre and focuses more on vocal delivery than anything else. Unfortunately, I didn’t see anything special about the song. It is decent and likeable, but it isn’t my recommended song that everyone should listen to. Still, if you like something downtempo and paced, Show Window would be a great option for you. (7/10)
4. Party, Feel, Love (ft. Dawn) – It seems like Hyuna and Dawn is a package that we will be seeing often in music releases. Last year, we heard references of Hyuna in Dawn’s solo comeback song. In this album’s title track, we heard references to Dawn. Don’t get me wrong though, I am not complaining. It is interesting to hear a couple collaborate with one another in this industry, especially is if there is chemistry between the pair in their music, such as Party, Feel, Love. Heading into the song for the first time, I was expecting a song with wilder energy and replicating a party vibe. But Party, Feel, Love is a rather slow R&B track, feeling chic and sensual at the same time. Very different to what I had expected. The pair sound mature and captivating with their vocal work, as well. It is my personal favourite side track on this album and I would love to hear more from the couple in the future. (9/10)
The next debut on the review list is Ciipher’s debut with I Like You, which dropped on 15 March 2021. Ciipher is a new male group under RAIN Company, which is also the company that Rain set up in 2015 after deciding not to renew his own contract with Cube Entertainment. The group consist of Hyunbin, Tan, Hwi, Keita, Tag, Dohwan, Won. All members, aside from Hwi, have participated in some sort of survival show such as Produce 101 X (which formed X1), NO.MERCY (which formed MONSTA X), YG TREASURE BOX (which formed TREASURE), Under Nineteen (which formed 1THE9 – member Won was part of the final lineup for this group) and High School Rapper.
I Like You is a pleasant R&B track. But I don’t think the song extends any further than ‘pleasant’. To better breakdown the song, I have decided to rank the song’s three main elements. I Like You‘s greatest asset was the hooks and melodies. There was a nice sway to them and they add a decent ring to the song, helping make the song more memorable (which is great for a debut). The song’s lyrics were all about falling in love with their crush, and I feel the melodies did a good job of sweetening the song to match with that theme. The song mid-range asset was the instrumental. Like the melodies, I feel that the instrumental did a good job of setting the tone, bright and innocent, and keeping the energy upbeat. It gave the song its colour and complimented that sweetness we got from the vocals. It is also the main driver to why the song is so pleasant. However, I have put it in the mid-range because the instrumental is also quite dull. I don’t find much in it as exciting and I am not head over heels for I Like You‘s instrumentation. But at least the instrumental is more appealing than the final element. This final element is probably the most important element of the song, and it is the vocals. The excessive presence of autotune is quite off-putting and dismantles anything the hooks/melodies and instrumental had done to make the song appealing. It also dulls the song and adds unnecessary weight, which doesn’t go with the bright tone of the song. And there is so much of it, that I can’t tell whether there is potential behind their vocals. Overall, I Like You has some great potential, but it felt hijacked by what I would consider the most important element.
The music video was decent. It isn’t mind-blowing or have much of a memorable factor to it. But, it was still watchable nonetheless. The video is filmed in what looks like a Costco, but is in fact a Korean version of Costco (Emart Traders, I believe is what the store is called). The setting is an odd choice and doesn’t make much sense to me. But I happy for anyone to explain to me if the store setting holds any meaning. I liked how they made sure Ciipher had their ‘product’ in the video, which adds a personalised touch to the video. I also enjoyed the energy that the members conveyed through their energetic moods and I also like the Instagram frame for some of the solo shots. Kim Tae Hee (Rain’s wife and a famous Korean actress) also makes cameo appearances in the video as the crush the members are singing about.
I feel the performance is a better version of the song’s official version. The autotune is less present, as the members are singing live, which makes it hard for the autotune to filtered over the vocals. And based on what I can hear, they sound decent. There is a bit of shakiness to their vocals, but this is partly due to their choreography which looks pretty decent as well. I like the bounce it has and the youthful charms the members bring to the stage.
Song – 6/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 6.5/10
Last week, we saw the debut of a few groups which I have yet to review. I am hoping today I will finally get around to reviewing all of them (sounds ambitious given my track record). The focus of today’s review is MIRAE, a new group under DSP Media (the home of APRIL and KARD). MIRAE is a seven-member male group, consisting of Lee Junhyuk (former Produce 101 X contestant), Son Dongpyo (former Produce 101 X contestant and X1 member), Kael (former Under Nineteen contestant), Park Siyoung (former Under Nineteen contestant), Lien, Jang Yubin and Yoo Douhyun. They made their debut on 17 March with the title track and mini-album of the same name, KILLA.
KILLA is a powerful song, tapping into the EDM genre of music for MIRAE’s debut song. But I feel that KILLA seems to take things that step further, which differentiates their EDM release from other releases that fall into the same genre. And that is something that I really look for in new releases. Let’s start from the beginning of KILLA. The song opens with its chorus and very blastful electro-house in the background. From the get-go, the song is loaded with intensity and power, making it is a fulfilling way to start the song. The song then moves into the verses, with introduces us to MIRAE’s rap line. The pre-chorus features the vocal line and adds some smoothness to the song in the otherwise texturally loaded song. Both the vocal and rap line that form MIRAE are very skilled. Both rose to the occasion to match that loaded intensity we got from the instrumentation. The second verse is delivered by a mixture of the two factions of the group and they really work with each other to continue the song’s momentum. Fast-forwarding to after the second chorus, we enter the bridge, which is where I believe KILLA starts to detour away from its competition. We are first hit with a bit of an electric guitar which adds an electrifying and undoubtedly exciting energy to the song. This is then followed up with a slowed down vocal section, which quickly ramps back up to a distorted EDM breakdown (uniqueness here, as I don’t think I have heard any song distort EDM in the way KILLA‘s producers have). We are then quickly blasted by a return of some powerful and angsty rapping from Junhyuk, which felt perfect to lead into the final chorus. Overall, I feel that KILLA was a very strong song to start off their debut with. If you enjoyed the thrill of songs like SEVENTEEN’s HIT, then I am sure KILLA would be an equal compliment to your playlist.
You can tell that DSP Media is really going hard with their investment in MIRAE. Everything in this video was top notch in terms of editing, set design and graphics. The music video that accompanies the release of KILLA quite futuristic (a fair amount of neon lights, robots, screens and holograms were observed). I am unsure if Junhyuk is stuck in a technological limbo, but he makes the call to all of his fellow MIRAE members to band together which we see them all do once they get his message. I also like the traditional touch that the video had, which gave the video an extra level of attraction. The glitching graphics make total sense when it comes to the bridge of the song. But I was completely convinced my laptop was playing up when we got to that part the first time. However, after the video wrapped up, I was completely in awe with how cool the resulting product ended up being.
It comes as no surprise that the performance was as powerful as the song. I really enjoyed the dance break, with their robust moves really complimenting the intense energy we get from that sequence of the song. It does seems like they had to tone back their energy to allow for a live performance (which makes complete sense). But I am not disappointed in that, as they managed to wow me with the performance nonetheless. And if I needed additional convincing to do so, this performance really makes me want to keep an eye out for future MIRAE releases.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
Following her LILAC comeback (I just posted the review), IU has dropped a second music video for this comeback for the song COIN. Both COIN and LILAC (and her pre-release Celebrity) features on her fifth studio album titled LILAC, which officially dropped on 25 March 2021. Based on the release of this music video and the presence of a music video teaser earlier in the week, I suspect we might be getting a music video for Flu, as we also got a music video teaser for that song. Whenever that video is dropped, I will be adding IU back on the review list and will write a review for the new release at the first instant. As for now, here is my review for COIN.
Coin tackles that funky and groovy style of music that LILAC also went for. But Coin is a little more straight forward with its funkiness and doesn’t really tap into a sub-genre. Instead, the funkiness comes through in Coin via the brass elements (which I did touch on in LILAC as a quintessential aspect of retro songs) and the guitar work. I also find that these are more prolific than in her main title track, which brings a lot more colour and energy to the song. IU’s vocals also help bring some more character and profile to the song, which instantly drives up the energy of the song. It brings a side to the soloist that I don’t think we have seen before. She also brings a slight playful tone to the song, which matches up with the lyrics of the song about playing a game (which I suppose extends out to a relationship). The most surprising element of Coin is IU’s rapping. I don’t think anyone suspected that IU was going to delivery some lines using a rapping method. It is well executed and I really like how she matches lyrics that is full of confidence to this part of the song (as her rapping showcases that confident style). Aside from the rapping, the song is quite catchy and addictive to listen to. The hooks in the chorus (i.e. ‘I can’t die, I am all in…‘ really is keyed into your mind after just a few replays). I would have liked to hear something from IU towards the end with a bit more oomph. We got some additional textural elements in the instrumentation and background at the end, but I wanted IU to just add that ‘cherry on top’ herself to make it more fulfilling. But overall, Coin is a fun and catchy song, and a nice change to IU’s usual style (in many ways than one).
The music video shows IU as a very lucky and successful card player. I am not well versed in this area, so I am unsure exactly what game is being played (and the cards just throw me off, despite also looking quite aesthetic at the same time). She starts off the music video inserting a coin into the jukebox, before gambling her way from the bottom to the top. While she is rolling in money (not literally), an unknown player comes in and challenges IU. I guess from the thrill that she is experiencing, she accepts. I feel like the rope that shows the two tied together and unable to leave the table represents they are in a possible relationship and that this relationship is essentially a game to her. But I am not exactly sure. In the end, she loses everything, but the guy leaves her a coin. Now I feel the ending is ambiguous, given the smirk that IU has on her face. It seems like she has done this before. And the coin is then used to play a song on the jukebox, which is what we saw at the start of the video. This means that IU continues playing on. I really like the setup of the video and the various animal heads we see. I also liked the changing colours and card suits that make up the choreography scenes as well.
While there doesn’t seem to be a live performance of Coin just yet, the choreography scenes we do get to see in the music video look quite classy and this adds has some uniqueness amongst solo releases. I do wish we get to see more in the future, as I feel like the choreography would also have a fun element to it.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.8/10
The biggest release of this week is by IU, one of the most well known female soloists in the KPOP industry. During the award season earlier this year, IU picked up multiple awards (including Digital Daesang at the Golden Disk Awards) for her 2019 single Blueming, and her 2020 collaboration with BTS member Suga, Eight. (She also picked up Best Vocals, Best Female Soloist and Best Collaboration in the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards). Throughout her acceptance speeches for those awards, IU teased that she would be making a comeback imminently. Soon after, IU greeted us with the pre-release digital single, Celebrity at the end of January. Two months on (aka. yesterday), IU made her long-awaited comeback with the single LILAC and her fifth studio album of the same name.
LILAC taps into the funky style and retro influence of music that has been dominating KPOP for pretty much recent times. While IU goes down the route that everyone has been doing, she also manages to find a small niche that only a few artists (e.g. YUKIKA, Yubin) have catered to. This small niche happens to be the 80s city pop genre, with IU’s release leaning more to the pop side. In addition to the retro synths we get in LILAC and per usual retro song protocol, brass played a vital role in terms of appeal in this song. I particularly liked how it became prominent at the very end, adding a bit more colour and heft to the song to contrast with the constant smoothness that I will mention in just a second. Per usual with all IU’s songs, her vocals flourish and she sounds blissful in this song. Her higher tone and airy tone really compliment the genre, particularly in the chorus. I enjoyed the smoothness the melody she brings to life through her vocals. The breathy ‘Liliac‘ is very memorable, along with her slight high note that she finishes the first half of the chorus is. Overall, LILAC came off as extremely pleasant. And I mean that in a good way, as I know I have used ‘pleasant’ as a descriptor for a flaw in some songs in the past. It is a style that expectedly suits her, given how versatile she has proven to be through her many songs and successfully explored genres.
The song tells the story of a happy breakup between a couple who have been dating for 10 years. This breakup occurs during Spring, and hence this is the premise for this music video. Like the song’s bright tone, the music video doesn’t fail to capture that essence. It is a very bright music video, filled with happiness and smiles – quite opposite to what you usually expect when it comes to a breakup song. IU takes a train a solo passenger, which I assume symbolises her journey beyond this 10 year relationship (on a side note, you can see her album and song releases over the past 10 years on the time board). On the train, she seems a bit naive, based on the way she interacts with the fellow passengers. I wonder if we actually saw her acting, or if she is reacting to the passengers dancing by following their moves. I just found it so cute. This train seems to be her own dream of said journey, with her playing the main character of that fight scene which came out of nowhere and her acting pretty with the falling petals coming at her (and the passengers struggling in the background). At the end, she wakes up from her dream and we see her in the breakup reality. The dream train leaves, but another comes, signifying the true start to the next stage in her life. Overall, a really nice video and IU looks extremely pretty throughout this comeback.
Dancer IU returns in this comeback. We did see her pull out some moves in her Celebrity pre-release, but this is the first title track in which she is dancing to. I liked how pleasant the performance felt and how it embraced that retro side in a pretty and beautiful manner. It was quite enjoyable to watch and fitting for the pleasantry of the track.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9.5/10
Throughout the usual award season in the KPOP industry (December – January), Weeekly was recognized on multiple occasions for their debut in 2020 with new artist awards, such as at the Melon Music Awards and the MNET Asian Music Awards. Following those awards and a successful debut year with Tag Me and Zig Zag, the group made their return last week with their second comeback, After School, and third mini-album, We Play.
After School follows the same direction as the group’s debut and previous comeback. The pop song is undeniably bright and bubbly, however it is not to the same extent as the songs in their debut year. I put blame on the instrumentation of this track. It isn’t as dynamic, bouncy or energy filled as their previous tracks. This was a selling point to Tag Me and Zig Zag, so it is disappointing to a degree. I think the most dynamic part was the use of the snare drums synths at the start of the final chorus, which added a bit of change to the song at that stage. I remember the uneventful instrumental really stuck out at me in the first verse during my first listen of the song and it had me hoping that the chorus would be spectacular in comparison. Let’s just say it wasn’t the instrumental that ended up selling the song to me. Instead, it was the vocals that did that job. The melodies in After School were really nice and showcased the members vocals in a very strong light. They were flowy, added in that missing dynamic touch and made the song so much more appealing to me. Even the rapping that dominated the second verse shared a similar flowy and melodic profile. I also enjoyed the little sequence right after the first chorus where the lyricists managed to integrate the titles of their past title tracks, giving it that more personal touch. Interestingly, the combination of the instrumentation and vocals didn’t come across as terrible for me. I actually think they complimented each other quite well in the end and I felt a nice mature tinge come from the song, as a result of the two elements working in harmony. I just wished there was more to the instrumentation.
The music video felt appropriate to the song’s lyrics. In their previous music videos, the focus has been on the members at school. But After School is obviously reference to being out of hours of the schooling, so the members don casual clothing and skateboarder gear. They hang out and have a bit of fun with each other. I think the lyrics also reference a potential crush, but the music video ends up showing a portal that appears taking them to a ‘whole new world’. I think this might be a representation of what the crush could lead to, once they and the members hang out. I also liked how the group retained that cutesy vibe that they are known for from their past concepts and how this video (once again) isn’t oversaturated with said vibe. It made the whole experience pleasant and this overall complimented the song quite well.
I really enjoyed how bubbly the performance ended becoming. It added a layer of appeal to the comeback, which I didn’t expect given my comments in the song section of this review. I also enjoyed the chairs in performance. I wished they used it more, as it could really make the performance smoother (to a degree) and more fun.
Song – 7.5/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.8/10
It is time for another Weekly KPOP Chart post. This time, it is for the 3rd Week of March for the year 2021. As I always say in throughout the year, time is definitely flying. Apologies for not reviewing many of the releases for this past week. I am hoping to catch up as much as I can, but I became held back by some personal stuff. That stuff is now out of the way, so I am hoping I will be able to make some ground with the releases that I missed over the past week and the song listed on the ‘Coming Soon’ page. As for the album reviews, I am currently going through them and hoping to see some of them go live over Easter. Fingers crossed that all goes well! But you are hear for the Weekly KPOP Charts, so without furtherado, here we go.
NEW RELEASES OF THE WEEK
In addition to the releases by Pentagon, PURPLE KISS, WOODZ, Super Junior and DRIPPIN that I have reviewed, we saw a lot more comebacks and debuts this week. These includes Ciipher, MY.st, Jessi, Weeekly, MIRAE, B.I and Kim Jeong Uk (former 24K member). If I do not get around to reviewing these releases this coming week, they will join the ‘Coming Soon’ list.
THROWBACK CORNER
I am still Rollin’ my way through. With it popping up everywhere on my recommended lists, it is hard to not join in on the hype around this song. And I am not surprised that it is back up there, given that I gave the song a perfect score of 10/10 when it was first released in 2017! Also, congratulations to Brave Girls for scoring first place on all (with the exception of one and that is simply because the show’s strict criteria) the weekly music shows this past week. It is a rare feat nowadays to pull that off.
THE CHARTS
Congratulations to Pentagon for making it to the top of the charts. They dethroned ONF after three weeks sitting in the top spot, with their latest single. DO or NOT! For more of the charts, scroll down below.
14th Mar – 20th Mar 2021
Title
Artist
Status
1
Do or Not
Pentagon
(new)
2
Why Why Why
iKON
(=)
3
Beautiful Beautiful
ONF
(▼ 2)
4
On The Ground
ROSE
(=)
5
Feel Like
WOODZ
(new)
6
Fireworks (I’m The One)
ATEEZ
(▼ 3)
7
Paranoia
Kang Daniel
(▲ 11)
8
Get Away
VERIVERY
(▲ 22)
9
D-D-Dance
IZ*ONE
(▲ 37)
10
Burn It
Golden Child
(▲ 5)
11
House Party
Super Junior
(new)
12
Young Blood
DRIPPIN
(new)
13
All Or Nothing
WEi
(▼ 8)
14
MOON RIDER
BDC
(▲ 13)
15
I Wanna Hear Your Voice
Kim Kyu Jong (SS501)
(▲ 17)
16
Tail
Sunmi
(▼ 8)
17
Why Don’t We
Rain & Chungha
(▲ 41)
18
Don’t Call Me
SHINee
(▲ 2)
19
Celebrity
IU
(▲ 4)
20
Say Yes
IZ
(▲ 38)
21
Only You
SATURDAY
(▲ 1)
22
Odd Eye
Dream Catcher
(▲ 2)
23
Can We Talk Again
PURPLEKISS
(▲ 35)
24
Stay Young
AB6IX
(▲ 5)
25
Ponzona
PURPLE KISS
(new)
26
Love So Sweet
Cherry Bullet
(▼ 9)
27
ZERO:ATTITUDE
Soyou & IZ*ONE ft. pH-1
(▲ 19)
28
Wings
PIXY
(▲ 27)
29
Cinema
CIX
(▼ 4)
30
Shining Star
N.CUS
(▲ 28)
SONGS LEAVING THE CHARTS THIS WEEK
A lot of songs are leaving the charts this week, as they have wrapped up their nine week run on the Weekly KPOP Charts system. These include:
It is time for another post International Song Review segment. As promised last time, I would write the post as soon as there are five songs eligible for review (i.e. any song by a Korean or KPOP-related artist who has released a song in a non-Korean market). In this post for this week, I will be reviewing the collaborations between Jackson Wang & JJ Lin, the remix collaboration between AB6IX and Why Don’t We. I will also look at The Boyz and Jun.K’s recent releases in the JPOP market and WAYV’s return.
Should’ve Let Go – Jackson Wang & JJ Lin
Should’ve Let Go is a collaboration between Jackson Wang (member of GOT7) and JJ Lin (a famous Singaporean artist) and was released at the end of 2020. The biggest asset in this song are both Jackson’s and JJ Lin’s vocals. They sound stunning throughout the song with their raspy vocals. The melodies in which carry their vocals are so smooth and this makes the song even more impeccable. And don’t get me started when they harmonise with one another. Those sections are just blissful. Another really great aspect of the song for me is the R&B instrumentation. While I do describe the song as a ballad, the R&B roots are very prominent and give the song a little bit more appeal than a usual classical instrumented ballad would. Oh, and per usual, the ballad makes me sway along (Props to you if you know what that means). The music video shows two love stories. The first is a couple who have been together for some time. The male partner gets into college or a job that requires the pair to go into a long distance relationship. The female partner does not like this idea and chooses not to kiss him one last time before he leaves. The second story is of a high school crush. The male partner has a crush on the female and hesitantly tries to get close to her. One day, she drops a necklace and he picks it up. Using this as an excuse, he plans on confessing to her through a letter. But when he is on his way to the next day, he witnesses his crush accepting flowers from another guy. At the end of the video, we see what should have happened (i.e. the guy moving away hugs his partner as he leaves, and the younger guy makes his move earlier on). I have an interesting theory that suggests Jackson is the guy who moved away as all his scenes are on the bus (which was the mode of transport the guy was taking to move away), while JJ Lin is the high school guy as he is seen holding the necklace that the female character in that story dropped. I liked how the stories felt fitting for the emotional side of the song, and the ambience of the scenes that involved JJ Lin and Jackson were optimal for a ballad like Should’ve Let Go. (10/10)
Breaking Dawn – The Boyz
The Boyz made their return to the Japanese market at the end of February with Breaking Dawn. However following the confusion caused by Tattoo (their first original single in the Japanese market), I still feel like The Boyz, their company and their producers are a little confused with the Japanese market. Three quarters of Breaking Dawn is prosed in the Korean language, with the other quarter being in Japanese (and is limited primarily to the end of the song – i.e. half of the bridge and the final chorus). Moving away from the language confusion, Breaking Dawn is a okay dance track. It isn’t one that I am super excited about. It doesn’t really offer us anything different to what we know The Boyz for. The only observation I made in regards to the song that I felt was a substantial difference was that the vocals and rapping sound a lot rougher in Breaking Dawn, compared to their other releases. While I usually would be praising this modification in sound because I really enjoy textures in my song, its instrumentation is plain and doesn’t provide any dynamic backing to these vocals. The chorus was also okay. It wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t necessarily terrible. I would have enjoyed it more with better hooks and maybe a punchier instrumental piece to liven the song. The ‘Breaking Dawn‘ deep toned whisper that kick starts the chorus doesn’t really do achieve any of that. I feel like its whisper really sets the tone for the chorus, which resulted in it not being as dynamic as I thought it could potentially be. For the music video, I really like the visuals that we got. This includes both the visuals of the members and the sets in general. I really like how they used fluoro colours as the main colour palette of the video, which looked stylish and trendy. The choreography was pretty good. To me, it felt like a continuation of the same themes and style as their The Stealer choreography. They show off their performance skills in this routine and there is also that tinge of sexiness in the performance, thanks to the bending back move that kicks off the chorus and the outfits worn by some of the members. (7.3/10)
Fallin’ (Adrenaline) – AB6IX & Why Don’t We
While there is no music video for the collaborative remix for Fallin’ (Adrenaline) by AB6IX and Why Don’t We (one of the criteria a release usually must have to be reviewable), I still want to write a review for it. While the main differences between the two versions is simply the multi-language approach of the lyrics, I have classed Fallin’ as an International Song because it was previously released as Western single and this particular version still involves the original singers of the song. Why Don’t We’s version was already really captivating, thanks to its instrumentation. But I also have really enjoyed AB6IX Remix for a number of reasons. Firstly, I enjoyed the instrumentation of both. They are effectively the same background piece, with really thrilling drumming that really get the adrenaline pumping. Secondly, I really liked how AB6IX really fitted into this song and alongside Why Don’t We. There synergy really made it feel like this was the original version of the song. Thirdly, I really enjoyed the addition of the rap sequence that Woojin contributed as part of the bridge. It continues that momentum from the chorus and it didn’t ruin the integrity, structure or overall feel of the song. I wish that one day (after this pandemic) we will have the opportunity to see a live performance of this collaboration. Just imagine Why Don’t We playing their instruments in the background and bringing us a live performance of that adrenaline rush, while AB6IX throws in a bit of choreography that taps into that energy and vibe. Already sounds like a performance to watch out for. (10/10)
Hide & Seek, 1995 – Jun.K
A release that has probably gone under the radar for a lot of people is Jun.K’s most release Japanese release, Hide & Seek, 1995. The song dips its toes into that groovy trend that has been ongoing in the KPOP music scene, however still keeps a R&B profile. I quite like this combination. It might be a bit typical in hindsight. But it is a good listen, nonetheless. I really like Jun.K’s vocals in this song. His husky tone is used really well and his vocals in general feel really lively and upbeat. Interestingly, his more recent Korean release (30 Seconds Might Be Too Long) actually has a similar sound. But yet, Hide & Seek 1995 seems to sound like a complete turnaround in sound thanks to his brighter sound. The music video for Hide & Seek, 1995 actually looks nice. Through the short previews that you get when you hover your mouse over the thumbnails on YouTube, I thought it would be a dull video. But the post-production, including colours and effects, all really helps the video work in harmony with the song. It is also a stylish manner to make the video appear more energetic. Jun.K also had good chemistry with the camera, which also helped as well. I quite enjoyed it in the end. (8/10)
Kick Back – WAYV
Kick Back is the latest release from WAYV, the Chinese based unit of NCT. Kick Back starts off like your typical male group dance track. I did like the hefty momentum of the song and the percussion in the background. The song then progresses into the pre-chorus, which brought in some dramatic flair. They merged some classical instrumentation into the song and I found this part of the song to be the most engaging. Just before the chorus, we get a long note from Ten, a bit of rapping from Lucas and what I would describe as ‘sparks’ in the instrumentation. This transition felt quite smooth and really connected well with the catchy and repetitive chorus simply. I really like how amped up everything felt in the chorus, but I think it could have gone an extra mile (more on that in a second). Moving along, I also really liked the bridge of the song. The focus is more so on the vocals, which I think was a very strong aspect of Kick Back, and I really like it how the instrumental felt like an extension of the pre-choruses (which I have already mentioned that I enjoyed a lot). The rapping in Kick Back was more forgettable. I felt like this was a missed opportunity to have the rappers deliver a sequence with a little more power and dynamism to offset the ‘neutral gear’ that the song was stuck in. And that is something that I must admit really stuck out at me. While the song was good and what I have described Kick Back is quite positive, I can’t help it but think the song was ‘safe’ for the group. We did get a tease of an octane sequence at the end with a dance break sequence at the end. However, I would have preferred it more if the producers somehow integrated this into the song, rather than just sticking it at the end. I think this would have helped make the song a lot more appealing in the long run. Based on what I am reading, WAYV’s music video for this release is connected to past NCT and WAYV music videos. Watching the music video a couple of times for this review, I didn’t really catch any references to those videos. But maybe my mind isn’t working right today. But the video has good cinematography, which made the video engaging for me to watch. The sets also looked good. Their outfits felt questionable for me. Their choreography routine looks really cool. I really like the footwork that you can see throughout the video and their jelly leg move during the chorus. While the footwork does look easy, I am sure the balancing act they had to do at the same time on the other foot made it really hard. I also liked the subtle tinge of aggressiveness in the choreography. (7.6/10)
One of the longest running groups of all time has finally made their comeback with their 10th studio album in celebration of their 15 years in the industry. For any of the new KPOP fans who are wondering, I am talking about Super Junior, who made their debut way back in 2005. Their 10th studio album is titled The Renaissance and features the title track, House Party. Previously, the group was teased their 10th studio album release with the pre-release The Melody. The album release was also originally scheduled for a December 2020 release, but was later postponed to February 2021. It was once again postponed until March 16th, which was when the album and new single, House Party, was officially released.
For the most part, House Party was a decent song. The song delves into funky pop track. It is something that Super Junior has done before. But this has less quirks than their usual releases and feel relatively more plain. However, at the same time, I do think Super Junior manages to infuse their own character and showmanship into the song. Furthermore, I think the plainness is offset by relentlessness of the song’s energy, which is practically 100% throughout the song. I also find their rap centric delivery to be quite engaging, despite it falling more to the cringy side of the spectrum. Their vocals during the chorus where they are all singing together really make the song feel more wholesome and feel-good. This momentum continues into the second verse, until we are interrupted by the most ill fitting trap hip-hop breakdown sequence ever. My reaction to it the first time around was a jaw drop and a confused look on my face. And while I do want to go back to replay the song for those funky feel good vibes, I have to brace myself as they lead us into this unnecessary edgy sequence in the song. Another aspect which I don’t like about this particular sequence is how much it felt like an insert. There is no transition into this segment. There was no attempt to blend it in or build up to it, which could have potentially made it sit a bit better in the song. It to me broke the song and I am left gutted by this as I was enjoying the high that they had going on preceding the second verse. Even though they returned to the what they started off with, House Party is left impacted by the sudden poorly thought out breakdown in the second verse.
I don’t know about you. But I expected something a little more along the lines of a house party, given the song’s name, and not just a house dinner. I am a bit disappointed on that part. But I guess the video make sense, given that a lot of our world are bored out of their minds because of quarantining and being in self isolation. And a dinner party with a couple of people, given that is what is most likely all you can do at the moment. Aside from touching on the current climate, the music video actually looks nice. I really like the elegant suits they wear. Their casual wear is a hit and miss for me. I did like the edgy black outfits they wore during the breakdown, though I am not exactly into the whole idea of shooting guns at your fellow members for no apparent reason. The music video had to do something edgy to match with that part of the song, so I acknowledge that. But even here, it looks really ill-fitting concept wise.
The choreography looks nice. I would have expected it to be a lot simpler, but I like it that they make sure the choreography matches the relentless nature of the energy exuded from the song. I also like how it still remains playful and looks fun as well.
Song – 6/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7/10
After reviewing all of Monday’s releases, I can finally move onto releases from this week that occurred after Monday. One of these releases is DRIPPIN’s comeback single, Young Blood, which is featured on their latest mini-album, A Better Tomorrow. They are a relatively new group and this is their official comeback since their debut with Nostalgia. So for the benefit of those who are unfamiliar with DRIPPIN’, they are a seven-member male group under Woolim Entertainment. And here is a reason to why you should familiarise yourself with the group. They were overwhelmingly voted (44%) as the Best Male Rookie Group of 2020 in the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. And if that it the attention they garnered within two months of their debut, the future for DRIPPIN’ is looking very bright. Let’s see what they are doing with Young Blood.
Young Blood reminds me of some of AB6IX’s early works. From the vocals to the upbeat yet straightforward nature of the instrumentation, it takes me back to those 2019 releases by AB6IX. What I did like about Young Blood that stood out for me was the groovy tinge to the song. Once again, this is another song to add to the ongoing trend. But this is who DRIPPIN’ made the song theirs. AB6IX’s releases did have a similar tinge, but it was not as satisfying or fulfilling as Young Blood. The electronic synths and energy come together to make a quite dynamic dance track that I am sure meets the expectations of fans. I find the pre-chorus slow down to be quite nice, especially with the piano coming through. It also helped make the launch into the chorus more exciting and impactful. The rapping in the song’s second verse was probably its weakest moment. Compared to the rest of the song, the instrumental strip down felt as simple as a blank canvas. Some synths can be heard, but they were used sparingly. The rapping just didn’t do enough to fill in that ‘blank canvas’ for me. The song then returns to the chorus, pulling the song back up to the thrill that was heard before the second verse. The bridge was short, but it was decent. I enjoyed the thumping beat that dominated the bridge. It added more to that thrill that just mentioned and threw in a bit of suspense. I also enjoyed the instant launch back into the final chorus, reinforcing that idea of being straightforward and not messing around. Overall, Young Blood was very energetic and dynamic, aside from its middle core.
I am not entirely sure about what is happening in the video. The start looked intriguing with one of the members going about his day as a convenience store clerk. During his usual duties, the power goes out and he notices a light behind the refrigerator. He looks into the light and this takes us to a world with no restraints (this is my assumption). The members look like they are having fun. But at the same time, they are seeking something (which I assume is in the box that they found the key for). What is in that box, I have no idea. It does give the video an air of mystery. But at the same time, it was lackluster and I don’t think there was enough in the video to decipher whatever was going on. Aside from that, I really like the use of multiple scenes throughout the video, which gave us some variety in the visuals of the video.
I really like the energy and drive behind their moves. It matches the dynamism and momentum of the song. No moves or not any moment stood out to me on its own. Rather I felt the entire choreography routine was a solid package. If I had to point out one part of the choreography that did at the very least elicit some sort of reaction from me, it was the spinning leg move they did at the start. The choreography just quickly moved on and so I didn’t really have much time to really think about it.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 6.5/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.4/10
Also making his comeback this past Monday was WOODZ, with his new single Feel Like. I was super excited upon hearing the news of WOODZ’s impending return, as he is one of the solo artists to really stand out last year with his solo releases. His 2020 releases include his return to solo promotions with Love Me Harder (and his first mini-album Equal) and then the release of Bump Bump and the mini-album WOOPS! in November of last year. Feel Like is featured on his first single album, titled Set.
WOODZ delivers what I had hoped for. Feel Like channels the aesthetic that we got through some of his best side tracks of 2020. Such tracks include Lift Up (from Equal) and Trigger (from WOOPS!). Though, Feel Like differs in its own way when it comes to it musically. The start of the song and the body of the first verse feels like a R&B dance track. It is sleek, moody and very alluring. The bass is very present and really sets the tone of the song from the get-go. I really like the use of the drums for the pre-chorus segment. They come crashing in and adds a layer of texture to the song that helps make it more dynamic. The chorus brings in electric guitar solos that just sound so good. They are the star attraction of the song. While his vocals are really smooth and sleek like the electric guitar solos in the chorus (and pretty much the whole song), I wished there was more of a hook in this section. This would have transformed the song and enhance it to a new level. The delivery of the rapping in the second verse in combination with the instrumentation reminds me of one of SHINHWA’s song (I believe the song I am thinking of is Sniper). The rapping in Sniper was quite cool and has left a great impression on me. So WOODZ going down that route and opting for something similar was very fulfilling. Similarly, I thought the bridge (and in hindsight, the entirety of the song) had Taemin-like vibes, which is another really cool artist to pay homage to. Still, despite all of this, WOODZ retains his own colour. Overall, Feel Like is a really good song that shows off the strengths of WOODZ.
The highlight to the music video for Feel Like is WOODZ’s captivating charisma. The dark tone of the video sets the atmosphere, which I found fitting for the sleek nature of his vocals. While at times it was hard to see what was going on, WOODZ managed to shine with his alluring appeal and charisma. Most of it stems from his solo choreography and movement. In addition to all of that, I really like the post-production editing of the music video. The way the dancers made their entrance into the video and how we see WOODZ gets zapped back into reality at the end of the video. That was all pretty cool. Not entirely sure what the story in this video is, though. All I understood that he was zapped into and out of an alternate world.
The choreography for this comeback is really cool. Once again, it fits in with the sleekness of the song. In addition to matching up with the song’s vibe, Feel Like showcases more of the performance side of the soloist. That charisma and energy from the music video comes through and I really enjoyed the smoothness of the moves during the chorus.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.3/10
Another group making their return this week is Pentagon. They make their welcomed return with DO or NOT, the title track off their 11th mini-album LOVE or TAKE. It follows the release of their hit Daisy, which earned them with their first music show win since debut. This comeback is also without Hui, who enlisted a month ago after his original enlistment was postponed due to COVID-19. You will still be able to hear Hui’s vocals in the song for this comeback and you will also see him in the music video. But he will not be participating in promotions. Apart from that temporary lineup change, Pentagon continues to power through with DO or NOT.
The title track opens with really nice harmonisation. Hui leads this part, with the rest of the group harmonising in the background. It is a very delicate start and draws your attention to the vocals. Some whistling appears out of nowhere in this section, but it manages to create a segueway between the intro of the song to the main body. The main body of DO or NOT has a bit more substance with its pop sound, ultimately peaking during the chorus. I really like the bass in the verse, which felt like the energy of the song was brewing in the background. That brewing energy become apparent in the chorus, where band instrumentation livens up the song, and creates a very fun and lively atmosphere. The rest of the song follows a similar profile. Vocally, I don’t think it is their most impressive showcase of vocals. But the vocals were still pretty good and solid nonetheless. The vocals do enjoy some enhancement thanks to the energy from the instrumentation that I have already spoken about and the really catchy melodies of the song. DO or NOT also has some really addictive hooks that really help make the song more memorable. The rapping by Wooseok and Yuto were also pretty good, adding some more oomph to the energy of the song with their deeper and raspy tones. Overall, I think the song was a really strong showing from the members. To me, the best element of the song has to be the energy they created with DO or NOT, which brought a feel-good vibe and was something I constantly revisited as you may have noticed above.
The song’s lyrics depict the guys as cool and laidback in a relationship (or a potential relationship). They say they don’t care what their partner does next, but ultimately the guys are in love with their partner. And the music video shows just that as well. We see the female get a text message and she rushes away from the members to answer. And this starts a whole bunch of events which show the guys pretending not to care. But they end up chasing after her and being around her while they ask her to pick who she wants to be with whilst pretending to be cool. At the end of the video, we see the guys sitting around the couch like at the start of the video, with the exception of their crush, who I am assuming has chosen someone else over them. You can see the disappointment in their faces. Apart from the storyline, I really like the how the music video reflected the song’s upbeat energy. I also enjoyed the splash of colour throughout the video.
I really like the playful vibes they brought to the stage with the performance. I compared two of their performances and noted that for one of them, the members seemed to be very cautious (I am guess the set they are performing on isn’t made for dance performances) and toned down the energy considerably. It made the performance awkward to watch. The other performance was a lot more lively and more fun as their movement was not bound by caution. And it is this energy that I really enjoy from Pentagon’s performance that I hope they stick with in the future.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8.5/10 Overall Rating – 8.7/10
KPOPREVIEWED 