Finally, the first album review for an album released in 2022. I am only two months behind. Of course, I start off with the first major release of the year, that is Kep1er’s debut mini-album, FIRST IMPACT. For those who missed Kep1er’s debut, they began their careers on 3 January 2022 with WA DA DA. This followed a slight delay due to some of the members testing positive to COVID-19 in December 2021, just before their original debut date. FIRST IMPACT also features two new original tracks, and three tracks from Girls Planet 999, the show in which they were formed from. I didn’t pay attention to the survival show when it first aired in early 2021, so I am not familiar with the songs from Girls Planet 999 apart from O.O.O when it was first released.

Overall a fair album to kick off their careers. I do hope that the quality of their subsequent comeback tracks have more impact and this is reflected throughout the albums as well. Do you agree me? Have a read of my thoughts below and let me know in the comments!

1. See The Light – See The Light is the album’s introductory track. While it is a satisfactory introduction to the group and the album, I found it to be a bit all over the place. Each EDM segment we get in this song (I would say there are 6 very distinct segments throughout this less than 2 minute track) is quite different to the other and makes it hard to focus on other elements in See The Light. More memorable lines/moments would have also been nice. (7/10)

2. WA DA DA (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for WA DA DA. (6.5/10)

3. MVSK – Without a doubt, I am with the crowd on this one. MVSK is the album’s best track. I just love the attitude and personality that oozes from this song. I found the house elements in the instrumental to be very dynamic. The pauses in the chorus (which in turn gave off a choppy effect) and in other parts of the chorus made the song feel unique and also helped propelled the song forward. It also grabs my attention. The vocals here (from delivery to mixing) was really well done and impressive. (10/10)

4. Shine (Kep1er Version) – As mentioned, this is the first time I am reacting to most of the songs from Girls Planet 999. Shine is pretty energetic in many ways and shows off the group in an incredible youthful light. The chanty moments of the song (start of the song, start of the second verse and end of the song) were quite memorable. It also complimented the instrumental of the entire song, which gave me pop anthem vibes. For the most part, the vocals and rapping was pretty good. But I wished the members toned some of the cutesy vocals down. It just gave a cringy factor to the song. (8/10)

5. Another Dream (Kep1er Version) – Another Dream is a ballad, which is a common performance piece in the finale of any MNET KPOP survival show. As usual like the other finale episode ballads, the melodies are stunning, and I like the hopeful energy that comes from Another Dream. The swayable nature of the song is present, and this version no doubt shows off Kep1er’s vocal potential. It is not the most memorable side track on this album, but it is definitely up there. (8/10)

6. O.O.O (Over&Over&Over) (Kep1er Version) – I do remember listening to this song when it was first unveiled as the main song for the show. Back then, I didn’t care for O.O.O as much. And unfortunately, I don’t think my perspective of the song has changed. The chorus has the right tone for it to be a main track, with it being bright, youthful and energetic. It does lack the same flair when compared to the Produce 101 main tracks, but I could overlook that. It is what happened elsewhere in the song that didn’t sit well with me. I always thought dramatic flair that featured in the bridge was a bit odd. I didn’t mind it at the start as an opener, but it just felt awkward in the bridge. The hip-hop influenced rap second verse sequence was also a big questionable moment for me. It really cut the flow of the song, and didn’t fit in. (7/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.8/10