Month: December 2021

[Album Review] BLOOD MOON (6th Mini Album) – ONEUS

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ONEUS is nominated for Best Male Group and Most Underrated Artist, Best Outfits (for Black Mirror) and Best Electronic Song (for No Diggity) in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support ONEUS by clicking here to vote for them today(!) as this is the last day in which you can vote!

For the final review of the year, I have elected to review ONEUS’ November album release, BLOOD MOON. I chose BLOOD MOON to be the final review of the year based on the fact that LUNA was such an amazing title track and comeback (based on my personal thoughts – you can read more of my thoughts on the comeback in the full review that I have linked below in the body of the review). I personally felt this held a lot of promise for their album. Well, I don’t want to spoil anything, but based on my personal thoughts it seems like BLOOD MOON is exactly what I had expected. Alongside the title track LUNA, the album also features the tracks Life Is Beautiful and Shut Up 받고 Crazy Hot (which were released as part of the ONEUS Theatre series), a very captivating intro track and an additional three new songs from the group. So without further ado and for the final time in 2021, here is the album review!

BLOOD MOON Album Cover

1. Intro: Window (창 (窓)) – Window hits hard as an intro track. It blends together the traditional oriental sound, with modern day trap to create a powerful, memorable and unique opener to the album. Choi Ye Rim, a Korean traditional musician, provides the song with the folksy vocals from traditional Korean music, and her presence was extremely strong and riveting. ONEUS brings rap and performance to make Window high intensity and bold opener to the album. (9/10)

2. LUNA (월하미인 (月下美人 : LUNA)) (Title Track) – Click here for LUNA’s full review. (9/10)

3. Yes or No (사랑의 결말은 모 아니면 도) – Yes or No is fun and upbeat change to the album’s sound. For the most part, I quite liked it. The instrumental has this summery vibe to it, thanks to the brass elements within Yes or No. The chorus was quite catchy and there was good energy coming from the chorus. The vocal work is pretty good, and the rapping added a bit of heaviness and edgy vibe to the song. However, I wished the producers omitted the xylophone taps, as it heavily weighs down the quality of Yes or No. Firstly, I felt they were a distraction from the song and its reemergence on a regular basis was quite annoying. Secondly, I am not sure what value or purpose they had in Yes or No. Thirdly, it added a monotonous element to the song, which went against the rest of the song. It was a flaw in the song that had a big impact in the end. (8/10)

4. Life Is Beautiful – Click here for Life Is Beautiful’s full review. (9.5/10)

5. Shut Up 받고 Crazy Hot – Click here for Shut Up 받고 Crazy Hot’s full review. (9/10)

6. We’re In Love (헤엄쳐) – We’re In Love was an extremely nice pop track. The entire track was pretty standard and didn’t offer anything innovative. But it manages to tick the box for sounding good and I also felt that We’re in Love was a breezy listen. I can imagine blasting this song on a road trip when the weather is perfectly sunny. The vocal work was great and helped made We’re In Love feel bright and positive, while the rapping helped give the song an electrifying zing and more energy to make it lively. (8.5/10)

7. Who You Are – Who You Are is a R&B track. It too is a bit standard in terms of instrumentation, but I felt that Who You Are is a polished ender to the album. The instrumental was smooth and it had an appealing vibe to it. The song itself shows off the team’s vocals abilities, especially as they soar as the song progresses. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.7/10

BLOOD MOON Teaser Image

[Album Review] Electrified: Urban Nostalgia (6th Mini Album) – Ha Sung Woon

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Ha Sung Woon is nominated for Best Male Soloist, while Sneakers, is also nominated for Best Male Choreography (Solo) in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Click here to support Ha Sung Woon and your other favourite artists.

Ha Sung Woon’s November comeback release is next up on the album review chopping block. The mini-album, which is his sixth one since his solo debut three years ago, is titled Electrified: Urban Nostalgia and is lead by the title track Electrified. As mentioned in Electrified‘s song review post, this mini-album is the last release from Ha Sung Woon whilst under Star Crew Entertainment – the company he has been under since his debut in 2014 as part of HOTSHOT. Thus, this release closes a chapter in Ha Sung Woon’s career. Since the announcement that this would be his last release under his old company, Ha Sung Woon has signed on with Big Planet Made, which is currently home to Soyou, Huh Gak and future debut female group VIVAZ (consisting of Eunha, Sin.B and Umji – former members of GFriend). So while Ha Sung Woon is settling in with his new company and is preparing for new releases, let’s have a listen to Electrified: Urban Nostalgia.

Electrified: Urban Nostalgia Album Cover

1. Back To You – Starting off the album is the blissful sounding Back To You. I really like the airiness of Ha Sung Woon’s vocals throughout this track. Definition to Ha Sung Woon’s vocals was added by the use of backing vocals, and the slight use of autotune at certain times helped blend everything together with the electronic pop instrumentation. Regarding the instrumentation, I liked its lightness and it had such a neat vibe to it. I also really like the presence of the piano, which helped keep Back To You grounded in my opinion. The melodies and hooks were all soothing and catchy as well. A strong start to the album. (9/10)

2. Electrified (Title Track) – Click here for Electrified’s full review. (7.5/10)

3. Fairy Tale – Smoothness takes over the album through Fairy Tale. It is a R&B ballad that sounds really smooth but has a very typical instrumentation. I did think the typical nature of the instrumentation made the song dull at first, but subsequent listens and the song’s overall smoothness has changed that impression. However, I still wish the instrumental isn’t as typical as it is. Ha Sung Woon sounds really nice, utilizing his husky vocals and falsettos throughout the song. The melodies in this song are quite good as well, pulling me in. (7.5/10)

4. Love Sound (ft. Rauas) – Love Sound gives off Christmas vibes. I am not entirely sure if this was meant to be the intention, but I don’t mind it. It gives Love Sound a happy and cheerful tone, which definitely makes the sound more appealing and inviting for me. It also helps change up the tone of the album a bit, as well. The rest of the instrumentation follows that happier tone and brings out that swaying effect I talk about often (regarding ballads). Ha Sung Woon’s vocals, which is pretty much in falsetto mode for majority of the song, also passes off as playful and sweet. Rauas’s hip-hop sequence was quite enjoyable and added a mellow touch to the song. (8.5/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.1/10

Electrified: Urban Nostalgia Teaser Image

[Album Review] NO LIMIT (10th Mini Album) – MONSTA X

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MONSTA X is nominated for for Best Stage Presence and their single GAMBLER is nominated for Best Concept. MONSTA X member I.M is also nominated for Best Rapper, while God Damn is nominated for Best Rap or Hip-Hop song. Support MONSTA X, I.M and your other favourite acts by voting in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Click here to vote now.

The next album review on this blog is for MONSTA X, who returned in November of this year with the their 10th mini-album, NO LIMIT. The mini-album is lead by the title track Rush Hour and an additional 6 tracks, which will be reviewed below! The mini-album is also the first to not feature Shownu, who enlisted earlier this year. Keep on reading for some of my thoughts on NO LIMIT. In some related news and following the release of this mini-album, MONSTA X went on to release their second studio-length English language album, The Dreaming, which is lead by the new single You Problem and previously release One Day. Just to let you know, I will be reviewing You Problem in a future International Song Review post early next year (once I am back from my break) and am still contemplating on whether to review the new album next year (which is only a few days away now – super yikes).

NO LIMIT Album Cover

1. Rush Hour (Title Track) – Click here for Rush Hour’s full review. (7.5/10)

2. Autobahn – Autobahn starts off promising electronic song and ends up developing into a satisfying dance track with a decent amount of intensity. Auotbahn, for those who don’t know, means motorway/freeway in German, and I can imagine listening to this track while on the road. However, I don’t think I will coasting it down the road, though. Autobahn could have hit harder, especially when it came to the vocals in the song. They seemed to underwhelm. The chorus could also go further than just ‘satisfying’ by really concentrating that intensity. On the other hand, the rappers nailed their sequence and they add great flow and energy into the song. (6.5/10)

3. Ride with U – Ride with U was a ride in itself. It is a very interesting song, with a lot of bold and memorable moments. I really like the groovy instrumentation that really comes through during the chorus. The pre-chorus was this smoothness to it, which makes the chorus punchier. The ‘Talk Talk Talk’ and ‘Love Love Love’ hooks that follow the choruses were very catchy and hard to get out of your head. I like how they stripped the instrumental at the every end, but retained the hook and created this purified outro. I was definitely a fan of that. Vocally and rapping-wise, Ride With U is a strong song. The bridge was also standout moment, really showing those strong vocals and rapping. (9/10)

4. Got Me in Chains – Got Me in Chains definitely got me with its instrumentation. I really like all the textures within Got Me in Chains, which really helped make the song really appealing. Even the subtle ones stood out for me. There were a few parts in which we only get to hear the instrumental in its raw form, and those were the best parts of the song. That however does not outshine the other aspects of Got Me in Chains. The vocal work in this song is pretty damn good, showcasing a sensual vibe during the chorus of the song. The rapping felt clean and neat for this song, which I think is a positive aspect of Got Me in Chains and works well with the sensual vibes from the rest of the song. (9/10)

5. Just Love – MONSTA X takes it down a step with Just Love, a R&B track. The guitar work in this song is very much in the forefront of the song with the vocals. It definitely helps make Just Love fulfilling, and less bare. Half of me is appreciative of this, the other half didn’t like it as much. The vocal work from all the members sounds super good. Even the rappers, in addition to their rapping duties, surprised with solid vocals during the chorus. A satisfying listen overall. (8/10)

6. Mercy – Mercy turns up the dramatic vibe thanks to the combination of orchestra and electronic instrumentation, and this creates a different style of intensity than when I mention intensity in the above songs. Mercy is loaded up with this dramatic style of intensity and I feel that the song is perfect as a OST during the peak of drama or movie where the drama is very heavy between a couple or just people in general. MONSTA X’s vocals added onto that intensity with impactful lines and the rapping we got in Mercy was extremely thrilling and felt ‘edge of your seat’ like. Definitely my style of song and one of my favorites off the album. (10/10)

7. I Got Love – The album ends with a R&B track that ultimately focuses on vocals from all members. I enjoyed their vocals for the most part and you can feel the genuineness behind their vocals. The ‘I Got Love’ line stands out in a memorable manner. The instrumentation was a bit plain but had a nice sleekness to it, going with soft trap and hip-hop direction. It is quite consistent throughout, which made it less appealing as we got to the end. (7/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.1/10

NO LIMIT Teaser Image

[Review] Poison – Pink Fantasy

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Poison is nominated for Best Rock Song in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support Poison by clicking here to vote today!

The final song that I am reviewing from the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Song which I have yet to review is PinkFantasy’s Poison, which I have nominated as part of the Best Rock Song category. Poison was released way back in June of this year, and is the title track of the group’s first mini-album since their debut, Alice In Wonderland. This is also my first time reviewing PinkFantasy, which is currently eight member female group under MyDoll Entertainment. The group has undergone extensive lineup changes since their 2018 debut and the current lineup consist of Daewang (the unknown masked member – to be revealed in the future), SeeA, Yechan, Harin, Momoka, Arang, Miku and Heesun.

Personally, I have not followed PinkFantasy that much since their debut. My exposure to the group has mainly been their more cutesy and cringy music. Some of them were flagged for review in the past, but never went forward with a review for them due to priorisation of other releases. As a result, Poison also went under the radar initially. I only gained knowledge of the song’s existence after reading many reviews for it. And I am glad I did read those reviews, as Poison is purely an underrated rock song this year. It is an intense dance track that taps into the rock genre for some of its instrumentation. After the first chorus of the song, Poison concentrates this rock sound into screamo rock, which aligns with the intense feeling that the dance part of the song exudes. It also makes Poison a unique track in KPOP, as screamo rock isn’t really explored that much (based on my memory, which is already on holiday mode for your information!). Based on what I read, PinkFantasy has explored rock before, but Poison really shows a different of the group from what I gather. And based on my initial thoughts on PinkFantasy, that is also my personal impression. Poison also featured strong vocals from the members, complimenting the mature vibes of the rock influence song. I got J-POP vibes from Poison when the members sing in unison with one another for the chorus. Definitely a satisfying section of the song that I find extremely memorable. But the peak of these strong vocals have to be the vocals (courtesy of Seeya and Yechan) during the bridge and high notes that we get at the end. It gave Poison a wow factor and amazes me each time I listen to the song. Overall, Poison is a highly recommended rock song to check out from 2021 if you have yet to do so.

Amazing visuals throughout this music video. It definitely gave me the creeps and had me on the edge of my seat, even though the storyline wasn’t as developed as I hoped it to be. As a horror movie lover, I find this incredibly disappointing. I would have loved for the video to explore something scarier and I feel that the music video definitely has the set up for this direction. The video opens up with this cult-like ritual. I would have loved for the director/producers to really explore this in depth, as there is so much potential behind such a concept. I also feel like the video can be creepier. For example, the choreography scenes had a hallway off to the side with curtains blowing about. You can see a bit behind the curtains, and this would have been a great opportunity to have a ghost (perhaps some related to the ritual) stand behind those curtains intensely staring at the camera. Anyhow, that’s just my imagination running wild. What we got is also fine and worked well enough.

The performance for Poison took on a mature and sensual route. It definitely gives me a different vibe and impression from what I personally associated to the name PinkFantasy. I find their facial expressions to be fitting for the concept of the comeback and really helped made the stage more captivating to watch. Their live performance was impressive, especially considering how tiring the choreography looks. I also like the dance breaks we get during the screamo part of the song, and at the very end. Definitely intensifying.

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

[Album Review] Rumination (10th Mini Album) – SF9

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SF9 is nominated for Best Male Choreography (Group) for Tear Drop in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support SF9 by clicking here to vote today!

Next up on the album review agenda is SF9’s 10th mini-album since their debut, RUMINATION, which was released at the end of November. RUMINATION is headlined by the title track TRAUMA, and also wraps up their 9lory series that has spanned two years now. Alongside TRAUMA, the mini-album also consist of six other sides tracks, all of which will be reviewed in this post today. RUMINATION and TRAUMA follows the release of TURN OVER and Tear Drop earlier on in the year.

RUMINATION Album Cover

1. TRAUMA (Title Track) – Click here for TRAUMA’s full review. (8/10)

2. Memory – I really enjoyed the minimalist vibes of Memory. There was a bit of a beat to the R&B track, but it does not get in the way of the piano that plays eloquently throughout the background. The rapping in Memory is superb, delivered in a manner that was quite airy, breezy and ballad-like in a way. The vocals were also really nice, with the melodies and hook being quite catchy. Dawon’s ‘Faded Love’ was quite a showstopper from the vocal department as well. (9/10)

3. Dreams – Dreams takes it up to notch with a more upbeat and heavier dance instrumentation. While the electronic parts of Dreams are very typical, it is still quite a dynamic and robust piece, and I can imagine a very strong performance from the group if they had chosen this as a side promotion track. The vocals stand out in this song, thanks to the melodies and hooks we get from Dreams. Their technique was quite good. The rappers had a nice bite in their parts and the song satisfyingly edgy. (8.5/10)

4. Gentlemen – Gentlemen takes on that sophisticated style that I have grown to associate with SF9 following the likes of their previous title tracks such as Good Guy, Summer Breeze and Tear Drop. There is a bit more energy out of this song thanks it the instrumentation, however, which makes Gentlemen a bit punchier and livelier. I also like the violins in the song. Both the vocals and rapping were quite strong and well-executed in this track. (9/10)

5. On and On (잠시) (Youngbin, Inseong) – On and On is a track from Youngbin (one of SF9’s rappers) and Inseong (SF9’s main vocal), taking on R&B genre. I liked the elegance of the instrumentation of On and On, which felt sensual and felt appropriate for a classy club at the same time. I really like the pairing of the two members, with Inseong bringing the emotions in his vocals and really nice ad-libs, and Youngbin provided fitting rapping that added a nice intensity to the R&B song. (8/10)

6. Scenario – Scenario seems to follow a similar thread as Dreams. It is a very upbeat and fast-paced dance track that I think SF9 would have nailed on stage, as well. The percussion that followed the first chorus was quite playful and gave the song an interesting notion. Great and smooth vocals in this song, as well. That high note at the end was amazing, and I liked the jaggered entrance to the final chorus. Once again, the rappers of SF9 nailed their sections. The rapping in the second verse felt classy, while the sequence at the end threw in a last-minute punch. Overall, Scenario was a highly dynamic track and would be a song that I recommend you check out. (9/10)

7. For Fantasy (오늘이라서) – Based on the title alone, you can tell that this is a fan-service song. Its tone brought a smile to my face, and I am sure SF9’s fans would find this song touching, wholesome and lovely. Objectively, I find For Fantasy to have nice melodies and nice pop ballad orchestral instrumentation. The members also sound really nice. Overall, a nice ender to the album and this era of SF9 releases. (8.5/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.6/10

RUMINATION Teaser Image

[Review] Good Night MY LOVE – Soyou

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Good Night MY LOVE is nominated for Best Ballad in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support Good Night MY LOVE by clicking here to vote today!

The second of the two ballads to review from the Best Ballad category from the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards is Good Night MY LOVE by former Sistar member Soyou. Good Night MY LOVE was released back in March of this year and is her final release with Starship Entertainment (her company for 11 years, which she officially left in September).

Good Night MY LOVE falls into the ballad and R&B category of KPOP. But is much softer than your typical, and can be passed off as a lullaby. And I feel that lullabies are more ballads and I listed it as a nominee for Best Ballad in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards, as specified above. However, don’t let the ‘lullaby’ deter you from listening to Good Night MY LOVE. It is not boring or a dry song that puts you to sleep. Instead, I found it captivating and a beautiful track. Good Night MY LOVE is warmly instrumented, with an instrumental made predominately of acoustic guitars and piano. To me, the instrumental was a bit sparse and almost like a blank canvas. But this paired with Soyou’s husky and soulful vocals, you get a soothing and calming number that acts in a similar sense to a lullaby. Soyou’s touching vocals are the pure focus of the song, due to the sparse nature of the instrumental, and this really helps make the song captivating as her vocals carry you away. I also get a really touching vibe from her vocals. Now, the following might put you off the song, but I am intrigued by it and would like to hear some thoughts if you have any. I had to relisten to Good Night MY LOVE a few times to really make sure about this next point though. Within the background of the song, I heard snippets of a male voice. It felt like an echo and they were very brief. Personally, I am not too sure about them since it could have been a mistake or possibly even intentional. You don’t really pick up on them if you are listening to the ballad in a casual sense. They are masked well and are very very minute. But if you really pay attention (like I have for this review), they kind of stick out. Maybe my mind is paying tricks on me and there is nothing there or I have mistaken something else for a male’s echoey voice. Hopefully, I haven’t deter you from listening to Good Night MY LOVE.

The artsy music video features four characters (though one of them – the assistant – doesn’t get enough screen time). Each of these characters are struggling in one way or another. The female character is looking for a job. She is happy to hear her friends managed to find one, but is sadden that she is left behind once again. The male character who works at the pet shop that sells only fishes is an aspiring actor who is stressed over an audition and insecure about his skills. The second male character is the director, who is struggling to put together a story for his next project. Each of these characters are struggling, but they all put on a brave face and push on. The lyrics of the song talk about a star that is looking over them and ‘protecting them’ from the struggle. At the end of the video, we see the four characters come together. The director has put together a story to work with, the second male character lands his audition and the female character finds a job. They look happy with their struggles out of their way. Soyou also appears in the video, singing. Her high position in the video make her seem like that star looking down on the characters. My only issue about the music video is the lack of English subtitles at the end. We had them at the start, but they were omitted from the ending which doesn’t make sense to me. But overall, an artistic and aesthetic music video.

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

[Review] Moving On – Kyuhyun (Super Junior)

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Moving On is nominated for Best Ballad in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Super Junior is also nominated for Best Return To Industry. Support Kyuhyun and Super Junior by clicking here to vote today!

The next category I am focusing on reviewing from the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards is Best Ballad. Of the six nominees, I have not reviewed two releases). The first is Kyuhyun’s January release of Moving On. Moving On is part of a series of songs that focuses on each season, 2021 Project: 季, with the song in question representing the season of Winter. Throughout 2021, Kyuhyun has also returned with the singles Coffee (representing Spring), Together (representing Summer). A similar previous project, Project: 季, came about in 2020 and included Daystar (Autumn) and Dreaming (Summer).

The Best Ballad category was on the last categories for me to finalise as it turned out that I didn’t know of many ballads from this year. So I spent a lot of time in the lead up to the announcement of nominees in October sifting through many ballads to see which one was worthy of a nomination. I stumbled across Moving On during this period and was in awe. Moving On is actually a remake single of Hong Seok Min’s 2015 release of the same name. What really took hold of me was the buildup of this ballad. As it progressed, Kyuhyun continually pushed out what I thought were the fixed boundaries of the song with his vocals. They started off soft, but they ended up soaring at the end. These are the type of ballads that I like, where the song itself aren’t just linear or consistent. It makes the ballad more appealing, captivating and dynamic in a balladry sense. On top of pushing out the boundaries, Kyuhyun portray the emotions behind Moving On extremely well, especially when the song builds. Maintaining that emotional heft has to be commended with Moving On, as that was the main driver to why I became attracted to Moving On. To accompanying the building vocals was a classically orchestral instrumented background. It definitely added to that captivation and dynamic sense that I had mentioned. And per usual, everything in Moving On came together to elicit that swaying effect that I used to gauge the effectiveness of a ballad.

Alongside Kyuhyun who sings in this music video, there are Gong Myung and Chae Soo Bin, who are the main characters of the story and are in a relationship. This is a continuation of Coffee and Together‘s music video, where the pair are seen in their younger years developing feelings for one another and making a move on the other. In this video, we see further happy memories of the couple in flashbacks. In present day however, Gong Myung’s character is moving on knowing that the relationship was not going anywhere. Chae Soo Bin’s character is unaware of these developments in her relationship, but did spend some time wondering why Gong Myung’s character was not getting in touch with her. When he does, he proposes for them to meet up and go on a date. It was a nice date, with the pair smiling throughout. Over dinner, it appears like he mentions his feelings and ends the relationship. Gong Myung walks away with a sad face on, but he isn’t devastated like Chae Soo Bin was (showing us that he had indeed moved on), while Chae Soo Bin was in tears at the table and as she walks away. The end shows Chae Soo Bin waking up, thinking her partner was still around. But it becomes a reality that their relationship is no more as she gets up alone and realizes that it was just her imagination. I liked the golden glow from the music video’s lighting for majority of the video, which gives the video a warmer and comforting tone which compensates for the emotional and heartfelt story that we got.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.6/10

[Album Review] Christmas EveL (1st Single Album) – Stray Kids

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Stray Kids Stray Kids is nominated for Best Male Group, while Thunderous is nominated for Best Male Choreography (Group), Best Electronic Song and Best Music Video, and Changbin and Seungmin are nominated for other categories. Support Stray Kids, their members and Thunderous by clicking here.

Merry Christmas everyone! Fitting in with tomorrow (and as a small Christmas present), I have decided to review Stray Kids’ latest single album release, Christmas EveL. The single album consist of four songs, three of which I have reviewed before. They include Christmas EveL, Winter Falls and Domino (for this single album, the English version is featured, but I am carrying over my rating from the NOEASY album review). There is also a fourth song, which I will review below. Anyhow, I hope you have received great presents and the opportunity to spend time with family or friends this Christmas. And if you don’t celebrate Christmas, then I wish you a great day.

Christmas EveL Album Cover

1. Christmas EveL (Title Track) – Click here for Christmas EveL’s full review. (8/10)

2. 24 to 25 – I am aware that 24 to 25 ended up getting a music video, but I will put that long list of Stray Kids music videos that I was supposed to review, which will now be a 2022 task. 24 to 25 is a ballad. A soothing, sweet and warm one, might I add. 24 to 25 showcases Stray Kids vocals. We don’t encroach into powerhouse vocal territories, but Stray Kids sound really comforting and stunning in this song. The rappers, who are usually harsh and rough around the edges with their tone and delivery, tweaked their style to be more of a rap-singing style, which works extremely well with ballad approach. I do wish the melodies made 24 to 25 stand out a bit more to make it more memorable. (8/10)

3. Winter Falls (Title Track) – Click here for Winter Falls’ full review. (9/10)

4. Domino (English Version) – I have previously reviewed Domino as part of Stray Kids’ NOEASY studio album. Click here for Domino’s review. (10/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.8/10

Christmas EveL Teaser Image

[Double Review] Spit It Out + Rain On Me – MAJORS

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MAJORS is nominated for Best New Female Group in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support MAJORS by clicking here to vote today!

Today’s focus will be on the remaining artist whom I have not reviewed yet from the Best New Female Group category from the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. I am talking about none other than MAJORS, who scored their nomination for their constant activeness in the industry year since their debut in March of this year. MAJORS is a six-member female group under ANS Entertainment (the home of the now disbanded ANS), and its lineup consist of Ida, Vita, Aki, Bian (the sole former member of ANS who stayed on board with the company), Suzy and Shinye. 2021 saw the group debut with the single Spit It Out (will be the focus of this review). They also release single Rain On Me (which will be reviewed in this post as well) and Shining Star.

MAJORS releases never stuck out at me at the time of release. Maybe that is why I hadn’t posted a review for them. However, I have noted myself to pay attention to their songs many weeks after (coincidently as I am removing them from the Weekly KPOP Charts that I post every Sunday). Their debut track, Spit It Out, sounds good. I thought the ‘Spit It Out‘ hook was catchy enough and the song’s main whiny instrumental synth hook, though annoying at first, ended up charming me. I will admit that the song isn’t perfect and it is one of those that feels under-polished and could have been much better had the mixing of the song been better. For example, Spit It Out would have been more impressive had the chorus hit harder, the beat wasn’t as sluggish and the instrumental had not been as dull. It would have been nice to hear something with a bit more liveliness, vibrancy and colour, and with a sharper beat. I feel like their vocals could have seen a bit more oomph, but I felt like we didn’t get much from than due to the constricting nature of the song. But there was some good moments, such as the members as backing ‘Ooh‘ in the final chorus and the bridge overall. Overall, there is a need for a lot of improvement in Spit It Out. However, it is only their first track. In an over-saturated market, it is beneficial to stand out in some manner with your first foot in the door and Spit It Out did not do that. But that didn’t deter me from picking up their next release.

Rain On Me is the title of their first comeback following Spit It Out. It is a definite improvement from Spit It Out and actually ticks some of the boxes on what I wanted from their debut track. The instrumental was not dull or sluggish. The EDM (even though typical) and the brass elements in Rain On Me really helped bring up the liveliness, vibrancy and colour of the song. That alone is already a strong appealing factor for me. Sure, the generic EDM didn’t innovate and it basically reinvented the wheel. But I think the instrumental of Rain On Me enabled the group to showcase a more vibrant vocal performance with a bit more of that oomph and energy that I wanted in the previous song, And this showcase promised potential. That is a sure positive for a group starting out. On the topic of vocals, I liked the addition of rapping and variety in tones throughout Rain On Me. It definitely bumped up the dynamic nature of the song. I also felt the instrumental break we got for the dance break also helped with that. The bridge was also nailed, in my opinion. Overall, Rain On Me had almost everything I wanted from the debut track, and frankly, they should have debuted with this song. But regardless, it is a step in the right direction for the group’s career.

The music video for Spit It Out is undeniably under funded and low budget. Everything looked pretty cheap and their outs did not fit the concept of the song whatsoever. Based on the background, I felt a club or casual type of outfit concept would have been more appropriate. The video also seemed awkward at times, especially during the close of the members. They either looked lost or emotionless. Can I blame the members? Not really. The budget is beyond their control, and I felt the producer should have picked on the other flaws of the video. For Rain On Me, the more vibrant colours and brighter lighting helped make the video feel so much more fitting for the song. I feel the sets for this video were a lot cooler and gave off a bolder look, relative to Spit It Out. The idea of a low budget still lingers when I watch Rain On Me, but it also a definite improvement and this pays off heap for the comeback.

The most positive aspect of Spit It Out‘s release was the choreography. It didn’t seem so if you watched the music video only, but they were in sync throughout and the moves were pretty decent. I would have liked it more had the facial expressions showed off a bit of charisma and attitude for this particular routine. The synchronization is maintained for the Rain On Me choreography. In better news, the facial expression definitely improved for Rain On Me. The dance break also looked cool. But it isn’t a smash out of the park. Unfortunately, the routine attached to the chorus was boring to watch.

Spit It Out
Song – 6/10
Music Video – 4/10
Performance – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 5.7/10

Rain On Me
Song – 8/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10

[Review] WHY DON’T WE – RAIN ft. CHUNG HA

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WHY DON’T WE is nominated for Best Collaboration in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. CHUNG HA is also nominated for Best Female Solo Artist, Best Outfits, Best Female Choreography (Solo) and Best International Song by a Korean Artist (Western). Support WHY DON’T WE and CHUNG HA by clicking here to vote for the song today!

RAIN returned with the mini-album Pieces By Rain back in March of this year. The mini-album features the title track, WHY DON’T WE, a collaboration between RAIN himself and CHUNG HA. Based on the title of this post, it is obviously the focus of this review. Pieces By Rain also features other collaborations, such as RAIN & JYP’s collaboration from the end of last year – Switch to Me (which was originally considered for a nomination for the Best Collaboration category), a collaboration with some members of Ciipher (Come Over), Jackson Wang (Magnetic) and a solo song, Aurora. WHY DON’T ME is the final song I will be reviewing from the Best Collaboration category for the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards.

What stands out at me in WHY DON’T WE is the song’s flair and style. It is ultimately the reason why I nominated it for Best Collaboration in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. It is incredibly stylish, trendy and modern, all of which are impressions that you would want a song to tick off in this current age. And I personally feel that ever since its release in March of this year, these same descriptions would have applied (and they still do!). I really enjoyed the harsh piano that we get as an instrumental hook in this song, which had the added benefit of being memorable. I also really enjoyed the upbeatness of the song and the subtle intensity that the background captures (which also enables a cool and sharp performance – more on that later). WHY DON’T WE also has vibrancy and never really had a dull moment when you consider the instrumentation. It is the vocals and singing that weakens the song. Not by much and I personally don’t mind it, in retrospect. But sitting down to review WHY DON’T WE made me think long and hard about the song, and I just have to be honest. RAIN is excessively autotuned in this song. It is a bit odd when you look at the song as ‘bigger picture’, as CHUNG HA didn’t have much autotune on her one section of the song. I wished the producers toned down on the autotune, simply to balance and be on par with CHUNG HA’s section. Talking about CHUNG HA, she sounds great in this song. However, I do wish we heard more of her in WHY DON’T ME. I am not satisfied enough! With the hooks and lines, I do feel that WHY DON’T WE was stuck in a loop and a bit repetitive. Overall, WHY DON’T WE shines because of its instrumental, but the glow isn’t as strong thanks to the vocal aspects of the song.

One of the things RAIN is known for in KPOP is his style, and I feel that the music video does a wonderful job of capturing that style. I also felt that having CHUNG HA in the music video, even though her part in the song was limited, also helped with making the video more stylish. I liked the mysterious vibe of the video, courtesy of the closeup shots of RAIN himself. I don’t know if they form a story, or are there just to be mysterious for style only. But I don’t mind whichever was the intention of the video’s producer. Black and greys are stylish tones and I liked how they was used throughout the video to bring forth that visual effect. The odd presence of colour (mainly shades of red), such as CHUNG HA’s outfits, the red sand during the second chorus, the red piece of fabric that was twisted around the dancer in the air etc. added a refined touch to the video.

On top of the stylishness of the music video, the choreography was also the other heavy aspect of the music video. Another thing RAIN and CHUNG HA are known for is their choreographies and performances, and a collaboration between the pair on this front, logically, would be amazing. Well, spoiler alert – it was. I really like the footwork in the performance, along with the sexiness and charisma that the pair brings to the stage. Again, I wished CHUNG HA made an appearance towards the end of the performance to really wrap it up. But what we got was also fine.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8/10

[Review] My Universe – Coldplay & BTS

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My Universe is nominated for Best Collaboration and Best International Song By A Korean Artist (Western) categories in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Award. BTS is also nominated in the Best International Song by a Korean Artist (Western) for Butter. Support either My Universe or Butter by clicking here to vote today!

Today’s reviews will be focused on the songs that I have not reviewed yet from the Best Collaboration category from the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. One of the songs that I will be covering is a very big release that I should have reviewed when it was first released (end of September 2021), but haven’t gotten around to it. Until today! I am obviously talking about My Universe, a collaborative single between Coldplay and BTS. My Universe ended up being a single on Coldplay’s most recent album release, Music of the Spheres.

My Universe is one of those tracks that I found myself singing along to and that is thanks to its simple melody. When you consider the melody side of the song, you find it very straight-forward, simple (as already mentioned) and extremely pleasant. While these are limiting factors in some songs, I find these aspects to be big wins for My Universe. I also find this to be vital and clever, as My Universe draws together English and Korean lyrics. It may not be a mind-blowing idea, especially since we get a lot of English in Korean songs in KPOP on a day to day basis now. But I feel the execution of the two languages in this song in particular to be a substantial effort. And having the one singular melody throughout manages to pull the two languages together and creates a seamless song to enjoy. I also find the same melody to work with the message of the song, which is about bringing us all together no matter what world we are in. This is such a relevant message to give today. As mention before, My Universe is pleasant to listen to. Part of this comes from the melodies, but the other part comes from the vocal work. Both Chris Martin and the members of BTS pretty much maintain a soft approach. Even when the music hits hard for the chorus, they don’t really stray away from this idea and keep it fairly consistent throughout. Even the rapping from the members of BTS had that pleasant vibe and kept a low profile. The band and synth instrumentation was also a nice combination and enable My Universe‘s pleasant vibe. We get a slightly heavier, rougher and more intense synths in the final sequence of the song, which definitely helps complete the song (based on how the song supposedly finished off) in a fun celebratory manner, which I guess wraps up the song’s message nicely. Overall, I quite enjoyed My Universe, and found it to be a collaboration that I did not think I needed in 2021.

I quite like the premise of this music video. Coldplay, BTS, robots and aliens are all on different planets and seem to have a smashing time together, vibing to the music in hologram form. I will admit some scenes looks a bit cringy, but it definitely all relayed the same message of how much everyone enjoyed their time with one another. At the supposed end of the song, silencers came through to stop the music and everyone was forced to stop their jam session. But the final instrumental sequence proved that they can’t be stopped, and even though we might be apart from one another in current times, we can always still have a good time as ‘we are all in the universe’. That’s my take on the video, I wonder if there are any others out there? Other than that, I quite enjoyed the production side of the video. The CGI looked super cool and very detailed (like movie budget style).

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9.4/10

[Album Review] HOT&COLD (5th Mini Album) – Park Ji Hoon

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Support your favourite artists, performances and song in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards by clicking the link here to vote for them!

The next album to be reviewed on this blog belongs to Park Ji Hoon, who made his comeback with this particular album, HOT&COLD, at the end of October of this year. Leading the album is the title track Serious, and five other new songs (all of which will be reviewed below). HOT&COLD follows the release of My Collection from earlier in the year.

HOT&COLD Album Cover

1. Escalator (Intro) – Kicking off the album is Escalator, a short intro track that felt like you are surging to the top. It is quite upbeat and focuses on a R&B sound. Park Ji Hoon repeats the title of the song a few times before throwing in some other lyrics. But it really doesn’t do much to the song. A pretty average start to the album. (6/10)

2. Serious (Title Track) – Click here for Serious’ full review. (6/10)

3. WANT! – WANT! is a pleasant pop track. It is upbeat, has good rhythm and nice melody. Park Ji Hoon also sounds quite good. But aside from that, I do find WANT! just pleasant, and doesn’t really offer anything more than that. I wished the song went above the general pop boundaries. (7/10)

4. CHEESE – CHEESE is a lot more vibrant than WANT! and I find that so much more appealing. It too falls under the pop umbrella, but I like it a lot more than the previous song (for reasons already specified). I like how the upbeatness, energy and Park Ji Hoon’s tone in CHEESE is playful and fun, further adding to that appeal. (8/10)

5. LOVE GLASS – LOVE GLASS enters R&B territory, revisiting the sound from the title track. I liked the kick the beat gave the song, making it even more upbeat and fun than the pop tracks on this album. Park Ji Hoon sounds really good here, which can only mean that the song’s playfulness and colour can only be more likeable and livelier. LOVE GLASS is also quite catchy, as well. (8.5/10)

6. All Yours – The saying ‘save the best til last’ is applicable for this album. All Yours returns the album to a pop sound, but delving more into the balladry side of music as well. I quite like the guitars in the instrumentation, which provided a great deal of texture to the song. His voice is well used here as well, with his huskier tone coming through. I also like how pleasant All Yours comes across, and here I use the term ‘pleasant’ as a positive descriptor to the song (as opposed to how I used it earlier). (10/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.6/10

HOT&COLD Teaser Image

[Weekly KPOP Chart] 3rd Week of December 2021

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Welcome to the Weekly KPOP Charts and the recap of the past week, the 3rd Week of December 2021. This also doubles up as the final Weekly KPOP Chart post that I will be posting this year. There will be a 4th and 5th Week of December 2021 Weekly KPOP Charts, but they will be posted in 2022 once I am back from Christmas break.

There will also be changes to the reviews for the remainder of the year. From tomorrow, I will be posting a bunch of reviews that have been pre-written and scheduled ahead of time for the remainder of the year and for the first few days of the new year. I will not be writing any review of any new releases between the start of this weekend to 2nd Jan 2022. Any new releases from between now and then (for example Kim Jae Hwan, BamBam, Purple Kiss etc.) will reviewed once I am back from break.

So with that, I want to wish you all Happy Holidays and New Year, and can’t wait to see what what KPOP has in store for us in 2022!

Also a quick reminder that the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards voting survey closes on 31st December 2021, 11:59 PM AEDT. If you have not voted yet, make sure you vote and support your favourite artists, performances and songs from 2021! Click here to be taken to the voting page.

Anyhow, long intro over. Here is the rest of the Weekly KPOP Charts!

New releases of the week

In addition to NCT 2021’s Beautiful and Moonbyul’s G999 that I reviewed during the week, the following songs were released in the past week and made eligible for the Weekly KPOP Charts for the next nine weeks (including this week):

  • Fantabulous – Minzy
  • Night (Winter Ver.) – DREAMNOTE
  • snowy night – Billlie
  • dance with me – Kim Jeong Uk
  • Call Me – PIIXY
  • Walk With Me – Youngjae (GOT7)
  • White Love – LABOUM
  • Find Again – THE MAN BLK
  • My My – PURPLE KISS

The Charts

Congratulations to IVE for topping my Weekly KPOP Charts for the 3rd Week of December 2021 with their debut track, Eleven! For more of the charts, scroll down below.

12th Dec – 18th Dec 20213rd Week of December 2021
Pos.SongTitleStatus
1ElevenIVE(▲ 1)
2Universe (Let’s Play Ball)NCT U(▲ 4)
3The Real (Heung Version)ATEEZ(▲ 12)
4Need USuper Junior D&E(▲ 65)
5BeautifulNCT 2021(NEW)
6GoosebumpsONF(▼ 5)
7Don’t Teach MeAilee(▲ 62)
8ZEROSuper Junior D&E(▲ 43)
9Christmas EveLStray Kids(=)
10Rock With YouSEVENTEEN(▲ 9) (Final Week)
11ControlGHOST9(▲ 17)
12G999Moonbyul (MAMAMOO) ft. Minari(NEW)
13TraumaSF9(▼ 5)
14LUNAONEUS(▼ 1)
15StardustYounha(▲ 54)
16Favorite (Vampire)NCT 127(▲ 7)
17Killing MeCHUNG HA(▼ 5)
18SeriousPark Ji Hoon(▼ 4)
19RACEBang Young Guk(▲ 11)
20TurbulenceATEEZ(▼ 4)
21Winter FallsStray Kids(▲ 6)
22Tick TockJUST.B(▲ 47)
23FrostTXT(▼ 13)
24PirateEVERGLOW(▼ 17)
25PeachesKai (EXO)(▼ 1)
26Butterfly EffectBOL4(▲ 33)
27Tales of the UnusualPinkFantasy(▲ 42)
28bugAboobugAboo(▲ 19)
29Rush HourMONSTA X(▲ 13)
30UnthinkableFT ISLAND(▲ 39)

Songs leaving the charts this week

The following songs will be leaving the Weekly KPOP Charts as they have wrapped up their nine week run on the charts:

  • strawberry moon – IU
  • lullaby – Kim Jeong Uk
  • Calm & Passion – Nam Woohyun (Infinite)
  • Love Cut – CNBLUE
  • be – Eunhyuk (Super Junior)
  • Black Crown – KINGDOM
  • Rock With You – SEVENTEEN
  • Work Work – Lee Jin Hyuk

[Album Review] Formula of Love: O+T=<3 (3rd Studio Album) – TWICE

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TWICE is nominated for Best Outfits (for their attire during their Alcohol-Free promotions) and Best Female Choreography (Group) for Cry For Me in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support TWICE in their categories by clicking here to vote for them.

The first album for review this weekend is TWICE’s Formula of Love: O+T=<3, their third studio album since debut. It features the title Scientist (previously reviewed and factored into this album review), a remixed version of the title track (not reviewed) and the English (factored into this album review) and Korean version of their single The Feels (not reviewed), and 13 new tracks (all reviewed below and factored into the album review). That is a whopping 16 tracks in total. This new album tackles the funky and groovy side of music, with a few distinct outliers. Read on to find out which ones are ‘funky and groovy’ and which ones are the outliers.

Formula of Love: O+T=<3 Album Cover

1. SCIENTIST (Title Track) – Click here for SCIENTIST’s full review. (7.5/10)

2. MOONLIGHT – Following the title track is the all-English MOONLIGHT, which is reminiscent of 80s/90s female pop groups. There is this twinkling touch on top of the groovy disco influence that feels appropriate for that era. It is a pretty smooth and pleasant number, with nice melodies and innocent vocals from the members. I did wish it changed it up a bit towards the end, as I feel MOONLIGHT is a tad too consistent. But overall, an enjoyable listen. (8/10)

3. ICON – ICON is the second all-English track on the album. I really liked the confidence and empowering nature behind the English lyrics of ICON. And I get that same exact feeling from the members as they exclaim the ‘’Damn, I got it, I’m iconic!’ line (which is a very catchy and memorable hook, by the way). Instrumentally, I thought ICON was a bit meh and wished it enable a more sassy vibe. (8/10)

4. CRUEL – CRUEL is a very sleek and sexy pop number. TWICE’s vocals really standout in this song, especially during the chorus where they use falsettos to make CRUEL iconic (relative to the rest of the album). I was totally digging it! I also like the subtle groovy touch to the instrumentation, which made me want to get up and dance. (10/10)

5. REAL YOU – Another track that I am very willing to get up and dance to. But it isn’t as great as CRUEL was. My first impression of REAL YOU was that there was a fair bit going on when it came to the instrumentation. Repeat listens since the album was release have neutralised that thought. Now, I like the grooviness and upbeatness that the instrumental brings, even though I find it a tad squeaky. All the members sound great, as well. (9/10)

6. F.I.L.A (FALL IN LOVE AGAIN) – TWICE is nailing the groovy and funky sounds on this album. F.I.L.A is a disco pop song, which chorus reminds me of Saturday Night Fever. I like the softness of the vocals in this song during the verses, and the deep rapping that we got. It contrasts well with the higher pitched and much more powerful vocals during the chorus. (10/10) 

7. LAST WALTZ – LAST WALTZ gives off a mature vibe that hasn’t been heard on the album yet. It is sensual, but also adds onto the album’s funky direction in a subtle manner. The members sound great in this track, though I wished the flow of their lines was a bit more cohesive. They sound rather jaggered, and this didn’t come off as pleasant as it could have. The rapping stands out in this track, with the relevant members slaying their delivery! (8/10)

8. ESPRESSO – Whatever I had in mind for ESPRESSO, the final product was not it. I expected café style music for some reason, but instead we got a heavy dance club track. I like this change in sound. Its even more mature than the previous track, and I can imagine a very classy and mature performance concept for ESPRESSO. The song contains some really good hooks that make it even better, such as ‘E.S.P.R.E.S.S.O That’s who I am’. (8.5/10)

9. REWIND (알고 싶지 않아) – TWICE tones down the music with the presence of REWIND, a R&B number. A very typically instrumented R&B track in my opinion, but the vocals are very soothing and gentle in REWIND. A nice relief after such energetic, upbeat and funky tracks. (8/10)

10. CACTUS (산인장) – CACTUS continues this subdued corner of the album. This time around, the song opts of a pop rock ballad. It sounds stunning. I really like the softer moments of the song, which align itself to more so the ballad style, while the chorus brings forth a rock influence to the ballad. The members sound amazing , with the harmonies being a strong aspect of CACTUS. (10/10)

11. PUSH & PULL (Sana, Jihyo, Dahyun) – Starting off the series of unit tracks is Sana, Jihyo and Dahyun with PUSH & PULL. It is also a return to the album’s funky and groovy roots. It is a neat track and is a great return to the upbeat side of the album. I like the rapping in this song, which made it dynamic and appealing. I also really like the defined percussion when it came to the pre-chorus, Definitely hyped up the song for me. (9/10)

12. HELLO (Nayeon, Momo, Chaeyoung) – Nayeon, Momo and Chaeyoung delves into hip-hop roots, which is a definite change in direction from the group’s usual work. While I am a strong advocate for changing up sounds once in a while, I am not entire sure of what to think about HELLO. The last two things that should go together is TWICE and hip-hop. I just feel like they are two extremes that so far apart. However, HELLO is decent track. It is also rap heavy, as you would expect with most hip-hop centric songs, but this one isn’t as good as compared to the previous song. (7/10)

13. 1,3,2 (Jeongyeon, Mina, Tzuyu) – The final unit track on the album is 1,3,2, which comes courtesy of Jeongyeon, Mina and Tzuyu. The song is a dance track with reggae influences and I feel this is a really good sound for not just the unit but possibly the rest of the group! Overall, 1,3,2 comes off a mature track, with strong and catchy melodies, neat vocals and very intriguing rapping. I think 1,3,2 is probably the strongest and most innovative unit track on this album. (9/10)

14. CANDY – CANDY is the final new offering from TWICE on this album (the songs that follow are songs we have previously heard from the group). It is a dreamy ballad, with a melody that felt very sweet, like the title of the song suggests. It also reminds me of the 90s R&B. The vocals are nice and I like the high falsettos/harmonies that CANDY had. It made everything sweeter! (8.5/10)

15/16. The Feels – I previously reviewed The Feels as part of the International Song Review segment. This album features a Korean version (only on the physical version) and the original version. Click here for my review for The Feels. (9/10)

17. Scientist (R3hab Remix) – Refer to my review for Scientist above.

Overall Album Rating – 8.6/10

Formula of Love: O+T=<3 Teaser Image

[Review] When Dawn Comes Again – Colde ft. Baekhyun (EXO)

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When Dawn Comes Again is nominated for Best R&B Song, while Baekhyun’s solo release, Bambi, is also nominated for Best R&B Song. Support either When Dawn Comes Again or Bambi in the Best R&B Song category by clicking here to vote!

The final song from the Best R&B Song genre which I have yet to review is When Dawn Comes Again, which is a collaborative single between Colde and Baekhyun (from EXO). This was released back in July of this year. Since then, Colde has gone on to release another collaborative single, New Vision, with Kim Soyeon (from (G)I-DLE), and Baekhyun has enlisted into the military and is also competing against When Dawn Comes Again with his own solo single, Bambi.

Both Colde and Baekhyun are big name artists that recur in the Korean R&B industry, so there are high expectations for When Dawn Comes Again. And I feel that When Dawn Comes Again hits those expectations with little effort from both Colde and Baekhyun. The song has this mellow R&B instrumentation, made up of pretty typical instrumentation for the most part like piano and electric guitars. While the other two songs I have reviewed for the Best R&B Song category have really pushed out their use of guitar, I find that When Dawn Comes Again doesn’t really do that and keeps it ‘as part of the background’. There isn’t anything wrong with this direction, given that the song still sounds good. As mentioned a moment ago, both Colde and Baekhyun sound really good in When Dawn Comes Again, with this being a major drawing point to the song. Both artists had a nice huskiness and raspiness to their voice, with Baekhyun delivering it at a higher tone. The soft and swaying melody of the song also makes When Dawn Comes Again super appealing. I know that the song has a bit of emotional behind it, but I also like the soothing nature of the song. Altogether, this all made When Dawn Comes Again so enjoyable to listen and ultimately earned it a nomination for the Best R&B Song of the year.

The music video features Nam Yoon Su, who is an up and coming actor in Korea. If you really want to see more of him, I highly recommend the K-Drama Extracurricular. He is super good in it. Anyhow, the music video for When Dawn Come Again features Nam Yoon Su wandering the streets of an empty city awaiting for sunshine in some form to come again. The sunshine in this case is a metaphor for a partner, which Colde and Baekhyun sing about in the song. To be honest, the music video is very typical, a bit dry and doesn’t offer much. It fits the tone of the song, but I would say it is the type of video you need to watch just once and you would have gotten the full grasp of it.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 6/10
Overall Rating – 7.2/10

[Review] Happen – Heize

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Happening is nominated for Best R&B Song in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support Happening by clicking here to vote today!

Next up from the Best R&B Song category is Heize’s Happen, which was released back in September this year. Heize’s nomination in the category comes as no surprise, given that she has is one of the females soloists at the very forefront of the genre. Despite that, it has been a while since I have have reviewed a track from Heize, with the last one being First Sight from the end of 2018.

As mentioned in the above paragraph, Heize is one of the biggest names in the Korean R&B industry, which is thanks to her unique voice that is so made for the genre. And I feel that Happen is such a good introduction to Heize, if you haven’t really paid attention to her before or are listening to one of her songs for the first time. One of the drawing points to this song is Heize’s nasally voice. It gave Happen such an interesting colour, texture, tone and maturity. To assist with all of that, Happen has such strong melodies that make the song so memorable and stand out. I found myself repeating the song a few times thanks to the combination of both her voice and Happen‘s melodies. It actually got Happen onto the review list for a brief period, but it ended up getting sidelined for other reviews when it was first released. What I also really liked about Happen was the groovy instrumentation. The instrumental draws upon mellow acoustic sounds for the verses, and a combination of funky electric guitar and house beats to create that groovy chorus instrumental. It definitely helped Happen standout a lot had the producers went with something more typical or jazzy. I also enjoyed the upbeatness it provided the song, which isn’t something I tend to think of when I think of R&B or Heize. Overall, Happen is a great piece that utlislise and presents Heize extremely well.

Happen poses the question of ‘what if’ two people are destined to be lovers, but because they don’t pay attention or miss each other by mere second, they are unable to act upon that fate. That is exactly what we get in this music video. The music video features both Heize and Song Joong Ki as the two people who brush past each other on the daily without much thought or just miss each other by a second in some circumstances. There is definitely potential for them, as we see at the end of the video when the ‘what if’ scenarios resulted in the pair interacting with one another. But unfortunately, it doesn’t eventuate as both don’t really notice each other or talk to one another. I find the concept quite thought-provoking and interesting. I also like the style of the video and the sets. I also find it to be quite aesthetics. The colour palette chosen for this video seems to be influenced by one of the shots, which resembles the Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks painting. Both Heize and Song Joong Ki’s acting was quite good as well.

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