Next review from yesterday’s list of comebacks is TEMPEST, who made their first ever comeback with Can’t Stop Shining and the mini-album SHINING UP. This comeback follows their debut with Bad News and It’s Me, It’s We. I am glad that they were able to get over the first hurdle of their careers – making a comeback. It is quite common for groups to debut and then disappear. And I am glad TEMPEST did not succumb to that fate, especially following their debut which grew on me following its review.

The three minutes that Can’t Stop Shining goes for was by far one of the most pleasant three minutes I have heard in KPOP recently. For this comeback, TEMPEST goes down the dance pop route with their track. The instrumentals that start off Can’t Stop Shining were very airy and breezy. There was a beat to it, but it was kept light. The chorus is when Can’t Stop Shining peaks, with a relatively more robust backing. But instead of being ‘noisy’, the refreshing energy and subtle groovy vibes we get in the chorus thanks to the synths and beats keeps in line with the light, airy and breezy descriptions I had already used to describe Can’t Stop Shining. Most of the vocals were smooth and soft to a certain degree, but they manage to also come off as vibrant. Their vocals, especially during the chorus, brought a smile to my face and leaves a positive impression on the song, overall. Even the rapping in the second verse was refined to show intensity but also fit the rest of the song very well. The stripping of the instrumental for the bridge is pretty cliché, but the reveal of the piano was nicely done. The launch back into the final chorus was probably the highlight (as it usually is intended to be) as it was the most dynamic aspect of Can’t Stop Shining. I do think other parts of the song could have been slightly more dynamic (i.e. some of the vocals) but still allow Can’t Stop Shining to stay within the confines of being pleasant. But as it is, Can’t Stop Shining is a successful comeback track in my opinion!

Based on the start of the video, I was expecting something edgy and urban out of this comeback – either through the video or the music. The abandoned room and the anger on one of the members’ face (i.e. the guy with the skateboard) sold this idea to me. But it turns out, I read too much into it. The whole point of the start was the home video aesthetic, which featured throughout the rest of the video subtly. The pop and pleasant nature of the song comes through, taking the video in a completely different direction. We get colour through the flowery scenes. We get breezy from the shots outdoor on the beach. And we get a whole bunch of smiles from the members. Overall, a neat video that works well with the song.

The chorography for this comeback was nice. Nothing stood out at me as an impressive or mind-blowing moment. But the routine worked well with the song and the pop vibes that I described above.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 8.3/10