Time to continue with another International Song Reviews post. Last time, I began the coverage of 2023 releases such as STAYC’s POPPY, Jung Kook’s SEVEN, Stray Kids’ The Sound and TWICE’s MOONLIGHT SUNRISE. Today, I continue the coverage of 2023 releases with this post focusing on NCT DREAM, Jackson Wang, Amber Liu and TVXQ’s Japanese and English songs. Don’t worry, those 2022 releases that I had intended to cover are still on my to-do list and I will get back to them eventually. On with today’s review!

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Best Friend Ever – NCT DREAM

Language: Japanese
Release Date: 8 February 2023
Album: Best Friend Forever (1st Japanese Single)

Compared to their Korean discography (particularly their recent ISTJ comeback), Best Friend Ever is a lot plainer and traditional in terms of its sound. There isn’t anything wrong with this at all, however. And I feel like Best Friend Ever proves just that. Best Friend Ever is a mid-tempo pop dance track that sounds sweet and pleasant, complementing the song’s lyrics of being able to do anything with someone by your side. The melodies, vocals and rapping are all incredibly pleasant, which helps showcase a more down-to-earth profile. The chorus has a very nice ring and I liked the addition of electric guitars at the end of the song. I thoroughly enjoyed Best Friend Ever and this less-aggressive side of the group. However, I do think Best Friend Ever could have done a bit more without disrupting the pleasantness of the track, just to give it more flair. The music video complements the song quite well, showing a more friendly side and interactions to the group. The music video also did a nice job with the set designs, particularly the choreography shots. They were colorful, but not so loud nor lacking. I also like the homey sets, which just makes it feel inviting and comforting to watch. As for the choreography, the group’s synchronisation was top-notch, and I liked the playful vibes the start and end of the routine had.

Overall Rating – 8/10

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Cheetah – Jackson Wang

Language: Western
Release Date: 24 April 2023
Album: Cheetah (English Single)

When I first checked out Cheetah a few months back, I got massive Michael Jackson vibes from this song. And even months on, that vibe is still present. Compared to past tracks that I have reviewed from Jackson Wang, his vocals in Cheetah sounds the least like him. Instead of his usual raspy and deep vocals that we know of his past solo and GOT7 works, he opts for a much smoother and higher pitched vocals. You really have to focus on the vocals to figure it out it is delivered by Jackson. The instrumentation is super groovy and retro-like, which was super cool. The start also featured what felt like instrumental moments that you would expect to hear at a live stage of Cheetah. The melodies and hooks were all very catchy and Cheetah is another successful solo song from Jackson Wang. The music video shows Jackson Wang becoming one with the cheetahs. They scratch and bite him, before he joins them in song and dance (the latter forms part of him trying to get away, but it seems like they always have a grasp on him). In the end, he turns into one of them, before the video shows someone else sitting at the throne. This probably symbolises the cheetahs (i.e., the individual Jackson sings about) setting their eyes on their next victim. But this new person is dressed in all white, as opposed to the all-black outfit Jackson was wearing, so I guess he isn’t as hurt compared to Jackson. As touched on a second ago, the dance moves were nicely choreography and form part of the story in the video. The chemistry between the Jackson and the dancers makes the routine super cool and intriguing to watch.

Overall Rating – 9/10

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No More Sad Songs – Amber Liu

Language: Western
Release Date: 05 May 2023
Album: No More Sad Songs (English Single)

I honestly do not have much to say about No More Sad Songs. I just really like how No More Sad Songs (by Amber Liu, (f(x)) member) is such an easy going song to listen to and get into. The melodies, the instrumentation and the vocals are sound very simple and straightforward, but it is so effective. Paired with a chorus that makes you want to have a bit of a dance, No More Sad Songs is actually one of my favourite releases of the year thus far. The music video shows Amber Liu embracing that desire to dance by doing so in public with some dancers. I feel shooting this video alone takes confidence and I applaud her and the dancers for that. The music video can also be interpreted as using the song and dance to get through those hard times and to stop relying on those sad songs that represent the hurt and sadness that someone is going through. The choreography that we do see in the music video isn’t anything spectacular, but it works in the video just as well.

Overall Rating – 9.2/10

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PARALLEL PARALLEL – TVXQ

Language: Japanese
Release Date: 1 February 2023
Album: PARALLEL PARALLEL (Japanese Single)

In a change from last year’s darker and rock-sound Epitaph single and subdued mid-tempo UTSUROI single, PARALLEL PARALLEL steps into upbeat territory with a more fun and energetic track. For the most part, I enjoyed the song. The vocals and rapping were a solid effort from the duo (though some polishing wouldn’t hurt), with YUNHO’s “Taste a little like that” line in his solo parts being quite memorable. Pop emerges in the choruses and twists the song’s direction slightly, but it was an appreciable change to PARALLEL PARALLEL. Even that aforementioned upbeat nature and the electronic instrumentation of PARALLEL PARALLEL creates a lively and appealing atmosphere. However, as the song progresses, everything felt like it was stuck in a loop and this points towards the possibility that PARALLEL PARALLEL doesn’t eventuate to anything. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t. PARALLEL PARALLEL had some good potential, yet it was let down by the repetitiveness and lack of a climax. The instrumental break/bridge combo in PARALLEL PARALLEL, which was the perfect opportunity to change it up and give us that climatic moment failed to do any of that. The music video was a bit dry in my opinion. There was a playful vibe to it and the energy does translate well from song to visuals in the video, but that wasn’t enough to change the fact that the sets all looked the same and the solo shots were very boring. Also their styling felt ordinary. Similarly, the choreography doesn’t really live up to the likes of their past work. I am not exactly expecting the pair to blow our minds each time. But I felt the choreography was a bit too held back.

Overall Rating – 6.7/10