Author: kpopreviewed

Hi, my name is Tony and I am the man behind the site, kpopreviewed. Currently an university student who wants to introduce people to KPOP and if you are already into KPOP, different groups and bands.

[Album Review] The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE / The Chaos Chapter: Fight or Escape (2nd Studio Album / 2nd Studio Album Repackaged) – TXT

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Finally, after my promise to brings this to you two weeks ago, it is finally hear. Apologies for the dramatic entrance to this album review. Anyhow, this is my review of TXT’s second studio album. As you can see in the title of this post, I am lumping two album releases together. The first is The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE, which was the main album release and this occurred back in May of this year. Headlining this album were 0X1=Lovesong (I Know I Love You) and Magic. Then, Big Hit Music announced the group would be returning with a repackaged version, leading me to delay the until after the repackaged version was released. In August, TXT returned with The Chaos Chapter: Fight or Escape, which was lead by the single LO$ER=LO♡ER. I have reviewed all of named tracks and now I turn my attention to the rest of the two albums.

1. LO$ER=LO♡ER (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for LO$ER=LO♡ER. (7/10)

2. Anti-Romantic – Since the release of the FREEZE album until now, this is probably one of the most spoke about side tracks on the album. And I don’t blame people for wanting to talk about Anti-Romantic. I am with everyone in saying that this is a top-notch track! It is mellow R&B song, but the atmospheric instrumentation felt like a bit of a rollercoaster. It started as a calm track and developed into a relatively erratic synth-heavy track towards the end. However, I liked this development and it kept the song interesting from start to end. I like how the song brings about the raspy tones in their voices, making this a captivating listen as well. And the line that contains the song’s title is just so memorable and well-articulated that it has since become a TikTok hit. (9/10)

3. 0X1=Lovesong (I Know I Love You) (featuring Seori) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of 0X1=Lovesong (I Know I Love You). (9/10)

4. Magic – Click here to read the review for Magic. (10/10)

5. Ice-Cream (소악행) – I am not entirely sure what to think of Ice-Cream. It is alone is a good track with potential, tapping into the pop realm of music, featuring a minimalist vibe and it incorporates the infamous line ‘I Scream, You Scream, We all scream for Ice-Cream’ repetitively. At the same time however, I felt the vocals especially for that repetitive hook was a bit too piercing and felt a bit much for the rest of the album. The vocal processing was also a bit much for my liking, especially since they proved their vocal abilities in the above songs. (6/10)

6. What If I Have Been That Puma? (밸런스 게임) – Personally, I could have done with less autotune. It felt a bit over the top and unnecessarily complicated the track. It too also pierces, but to a lesser degree than Ice-Cream. If anything, I felt it was bearable in What If I Have Been That Puma?. I liked the upbeat pop nature of the instrumentation. It was definitely fun sounding. I also like how it is directly connected to an earlier track of theirs (Puma from The Dream Chapter: Eternity). But other than that, I don’t see anything special in What If I Have Been That Puma?. (7/10)

7. No Rules – No Rules is another track that I hear often of. And it is the one song that I think deserves all the attention that it gets! The pop track has this underlayer of funk to it which makes it so appealing and catchy to listen to. It also adds a fun layer of energy to the song that just really speaks to me. Talking about energy, I really enjoyed the chorus package thanks to the burst of energy that leads into a powerful chorus, all the of brass and fun synths in the post-chorus hooks and catchy melodies. The vocals were superb, the rapping was awesome and the harmonies we got were amazing. Overall, my favourite side tracks off this album! (10/10)

8. MOA Diary (Dubaddu Wari Wari) – MOA Diary was one of the three new songs on the repackaged version (the other two was LO$ER=LO♡ER and remix of 0X1=Lovesong (I Know I Love You). It is a song for fans that is extremely sweet and fun sounding from the get-go. It too is also a pop song, and is probably their most straight-forward one yet. I don’t have much else to say regarding this song, as I felt I have summarised it pretty well with the sweet descriptor. Although I do want to point out that the song’s title ‘Dubaddu Wari Wari’ was sung so cutely in this song. (8/10)

9. Dear Sputnik (디어 스푸트니크) – Dear Sputnik brings back the rock to the album. To me, I feel that TXT has found a niche that they can continue to explore. I will gladly tune into any comebacks from the group that digs deeper into rock music. Their vocals were so fitting and fitting for the genre, as proven throughout Dear Sputnik. But while I will admit that Dear Sputnik isn’t as intense as the title tracks, it still has that electrifying vibe to it that makes it so good. The dramatic start (which remained in the background for most of the track) was quite intriguing. (9/10)

10. Frost – Frost also brings back some rock elements, but the song ultimately falls into the hip-hop genre. There is a much deeper and edgier vibe to the song, which is unlike any of the previous tracks that precede the song. It is also weird that it is placed at the end of the album, which is usually reserved for more cheerful or sentimental tracks to ease the listener off/out of the album. But I guess this is how TXT and their company gets fans thinking for the next release. I really liked TXT’s delivery in this song, with the growl and textures really bringing forth that edgy feel and tone. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.3/10

  • The Chaos Chapter: Freeze Teaser Image
  • The Chaos Chapter: Fight Or Escape Teaser Image

[Review] Changer – A.C.E

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Excuse me while I skip back and forth on the blog to catch up on reviews. Next up is A.C.E.’s comeback, Changer. It is the title track off their second repackaged album and is titled Changer: Dear Eris. This follows the mini-album that they released back in in June (Siren: Dawn – which I have yet to review, but it’s coming soon) and the title track, Higher. Unlike other repackaged albums, this one is not related to Siren: Dawn. In fact, Changer: Dear Eris features a tracklist of new songs that we have not heard before alongside Changer, such as the Korean version of Down (which was a collaboration that A.C.E participated in with American duo Grey earlier this year) and remixes of Cactus (their debut single) amongst other new tracks. This form of a repackaged album (more so compilation album) might be a temporary parting gift from A.C.E to their fans, as members Wow and Donghun are confirmed to be enlisting later this month. But anyhow, it is new music from A.C.E, so I am not complaining. Here is my review for Changer.

While Changer still falls into EDM realm of music, it is noticeably lighter in tone than comparison to some of their more well known works. This might be due to the more sentimental route their lyrics took, which features a message about staying together forever (which undoubtedly is a promise to fans about continuing promotions as a group after the military enlistment that all the members would need to go through). But saying that, it isn’t an emotional release from the group in the sense that it is heart wrenching or tear-inducing. Changer still manages to put a fun spin on the topic by remaining upbeat and bright. It also brings forth some elements within it that reminds me of A.C.E’s earlier works. Some of it may be subtle, such as the post-chorus, which felt harsh relative to the rest of the song resembling some of their crazier EDM drops from early on in their careers. Others are more obvious, such as the heavy beat that accompanies the more typical tropical synths in this song, which reminds me of their more intense releases. In Changer, this heavy beat as it gives the song some much needed oomph and bite to it. The chorus of Changer was definitely showcased the group’s vocals, with Chan delivering one of the song’s many memorable moments (i.e. the ‘da‘ that he sings at the end of one of his lines). Other memorable moments include the song’s addictive post-chorus hook (which I already mentioned, but requires more attention) that is on repeat in my head after the song wraps up each time, Donghun’s stunning high note at the start of the final chorus and Wow’s rap sequence (which has great momentum). I think everything that I have described so far makes Changer another strong release from the group.

There is no amazing or aesthetically pleasing concept for this comeback that A.C.E had previously teased through their more recent comebacks. But that isn’t at all disappointing. Changer‘s music video looks like it is for fans, as we can see the members having fun with one another and enjoying the company of one another. And given the song’s lyrics, I am sure they are also having fun with their fans in their mind as well (whom have enabled A.C.E the chance to have this opportunity). It definitely suits the groups more lighthearted approach with this comeback and the overall timing before the fast approaching military enlistments that were announced recently. There are also some funny bits that make this video even more special for fans.

For some odd reason, I couldn’t stop smiling at this performance. I guess the song and choreography really comes together to give off such an atmosphere that makes it smile-inducing for me. It is a good choreography overall. Nothing too special or outstanding, but I really like the choreography that is paired with the little extension we got at the end of the song after the final chorus and the post-chorus hook.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.3/10

[Review] Talk & Talk – fromis_9

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Earlier this week, fromis_9 made their surprise comeback with their new single, Talk & Talk. This is the group’s first comeback since We Go (from earlier in this year). It is also the first comeback for the group since transferring to Pledis Entertainment (the home of NU’EST and SEVENTEEN) after Off The Record (their original company) underwent an reorganisation. It is great to see that the group is more active and hopefully under Pledis Entertainment, they return more often to the stage with new releases. But until their next comeback, here is my review for Talk & Talk.

Talk & Talk is a satisfying new release that is enjoyable and pleasant. Unfortunately, it is simply just that and I think the song could have been more memorable (more on why I think this is case in a bit). Talk & Talk has a noticeable peppy tone thanks to the bright synths and tones throughout the song. This definitely brings a youthful touch to the song, which works well with fromis_9 image and style. The instrumentation for most of Talk & Talk is standard pop, but I like the 8-bit influence we get in the chorus. It was subtly present in the verses, but the concentration during the chorus really helped keep Talk & Talk refreshing and interesting. I am glad it wasn’t just a consistent sound throughout the song. The 8-bit effects gives the song a burst of likable energy to the song that brings out that enjoyable side of the song. I was also genuinely surprised by the member’s more laidback tone in the chorus, in a way that I am torn about whether I like it or not. While I do think this is the factor that only limits Talk & Talk in being a pleasant song, it was a shakeup that somehow manages to work. However, I still wish the vocals were more vibrant during the chorus, as this would have potentially taken the song to the next level for me. Likewise, I felt the same could have been done for the verses and the spoken delivery of the rapping (which was paced and felt stagnant in comparison to the rest of the song). When I am referring to the potential level of vibrancy for this song, I am thinking something along lines of the ad-libs in Talk & Talk. They just adds that extra burst of fresh energy to the song that felt perfect, and that is what I feel is ultimately missing in this song. Also, I felt that Talk & Talk could have used a better hook. The ‘Doo Doo‘ hook was good, but it just didn’t have that resounding memorable factor to it. Overall, Talk & Talk was still a decent song, however I think it could have been more vibrant and bolder with its sound.

You just can’t keep the members away from their phones in this music video, which makes appropriate sense given that the song is titled Talk & Talk. Anyhow, the music video is mildly distressing, which I assume was for humorous reasons. Flying ping pong balls that look like they could take out a person, over-boiled pots of water that sets off the fire alarm, and powerful jumping that causes one to fall from one floor to the next. But the most distressing moment was when the power went out and the members couldn’t continue their phone calls. Shocking… (Only joking). Like most summer music videos and fromis_9 videos is the amount of bright colours throughout. I also enjoyed the We Go tie in at the start. Overall, a pretty neat video to watch alongside to listening to the music.

There isn’t much to the performance for this comeback. Other than the usual, ‘it fits the music’ or the performance was ‘pleasant’, I don’t have much else to say about it. I did like the smoothness of the chorus and incorporation of the today’s version of how kids would represent the phone with their hands.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.8/10

[Review] Outsider – BTOB

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One of the comebacks kickstarting this week is BTOB’s comeback, Outsider, which is featured on the special mini-album, 4U: Outside. This is BTOB’s first ‘”official” comeback since the 2018 release of Beautiful Pain. I put ‘official’ in quotation marks, as the current lineup of BTOB (Eunkwang, Changsub, Minhyuk & Peniel) did return with as a subunit (BTOB 4U) last year with Show Your Love. But it seems like the four-member lineup took on the entire BTOB name as part of their participation on Kingdom: Legendary War earlier this year and now promotions for Outsider and their latest mini-album release.

Personally, I am of the opinion that Outsider could have used a bit more ‘meat’ to it. Part of me wanted the song to break away from how it started, stray away from its overly consistent instrumentation and develop into a song with more oomph. They definitely showed us they were capable with Show & Prove (which was their final Kingdom: Legendary War single and is also featured on their latest mini-album). However, I felt this was the only issue with Outsider. And to be honest, it wasn’t a major issue that broke the song for me. Outsider manages to do just enough to captivate, and I attribute that mainly towards their vocals and rapping. They definitely proved themselves to be a well-respected group in the industry (aside from the fact they have been around for a while) thanks to their powerful vocals and rapping abilities shown throughout their time on Kingdom: Legendary War. BTOB manages to reflect their skillset in a way that fits Outsider. The vocals from Eunkwang and Changsub added so much smoothness and a velvety effect to the song (particularly during the choruses), while Peniel and Minhyuk’s rapping just had enough intensity to keep the song interesting. I also felt the rapping gave the song a great deal of contrast, which also helped Outsider become more interesting. The over-consistency is due to the instrumentation. Its brassy instrumentation does chug the song along, but it is pretty repetitive and doesn’t really offer much room for the song to develop. The dance break gave the song a break from repetition that Outsider needed, by adding a bit of dramatic effects to the instrumental. This was great and helped end the song decently (and not with a repetitive groan from the listener), though a bit late into the song unfortunately. Overall, Outsider was definitely a decent song to listen to. I just wished BTOB did more to really take it to the next level.

I felt the music video for Outsider was well-done. When I think of funky brass tunes like this, I also think of movie sets for some reason (can’t really work out why my mind makes such a connection). Seeing the opening sequence of the music video was meeting my expectation, I was quite happy. The entire music video shows the members becoming outsiders to the repetitive nature of the world around them. Changsub is a standard office worker who dreams of a luxurious lifestyle. Eunkwang is a zombie actor who doesn’t wanted to be casted in the role anymore. For Peniel and Minhyuk, I am not sure what they are trying to portray to be different from everyone else. But I am guessing Peniel wants to be someone who takes more risks, while Minhyuk wants to be someone who is a bit more adventurous. I really like the bit of humour they added to the end, with Eunkwang blowing up buildings behind them and the rest of the members were caught being surprise. It earned a chuckle from me.

For the choreography for this comeback, it seems to be on the more simple side of the spectrum, in terms of complexity. But I think they did a good job of showcasing the funky and elegant side of the music in the choreography. I liked the intensity they brought in during the rap sequences and the smoothness of the moves during the chorus. The dance break was also quite cool, with a bit of MJ influences.

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

[Weekly Chart] 4th Week of August 2021

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And then I disappeared (again). I am really back, as I mentioned in my most recent review. I just somehow managed to nap after work for the last two days and ran out of hours to write up a review (though I did start one). I will get a move on with that one right after I finish this post, the results of last week’s Weekly KPOP Chart! As this is a late posting for the Weekly KPOP Charts, it is going to be a quick one. Keep looking out for the reviews in the meanwhile! Album reviews as promised will be coming your way this weekend and other song reviews between now and then.

The Charts

I am not surprised given how bold, addictive and intense the song is, but Stray Kids’ Thunderous took out the top spot for the past week. Congratulations to Stray Kids. For the rest of the charts, continue scrolling down the page!

4th Week of August 202122nd Aug – 28th Aug 2021
Pos.TitleArtistStatus
1ThunderousStray Kids(NEW)
2MOON WALKERBDC(▲5)
3After We RideBrave Girls(NEW)
4THRILL-RIDEThe Boyz(▼ 3)
5Gas PedalCRAVITY(▲ 8)
6Ready NowKim Woojin(▲ 9)
7VamosOMEGA X(▲ 55)
8After MidnightASTRO(▲ 14)
9Christmas in JulyKANGTA(▲ 58)
10AuRoRaONEWE(▲ 18)
11Strawberry GumHa Sung Woon ft. Don Mills (▲ 13)
12Yes I KnowYebin (DIA)(▲ 55)
13DamageJUST.B(▲ 19)
14DIVEJinyoung (GOT7) (▼ 3)
15Be My Lover?Kim Jong Kook & ATEEZ(▲ 14)
16QueendomRed Velvet (▼ 10)
17PoppingONF(▼ 12)
18MANIACRyan Jhun, NCT U (Haechan & Doyoung)(▲ 30)
19CerberusYuto, Kino & Wooseok (Pentagon)(▲ 48)
20East End2Z(▲ 4)
21A Little SpacePentonix ft. Yunho, San, Jongho (ATEEZ)(▲ 28)
22See You AgainHan Seung Woo (VICTON) (▲ 15)
23Mega PunchN.O.M(▲ 26)
24Paint Me NakedTen (NCT)(▲ 43)
25MoonlightBDC (▲ 42)
26Drink ItThe Boyz(▲ 40)
27BecauseDream Catcher(▲ 33)
28PRESENTE777(▲ 33)
29Crazy NightDONGKIZ(▲ 14)
30When Dawn Comes AgainColde ft. Baekhyun (EXO)(▲ 38)

Songs leaving the charts this week

The following songs are leaving the charts this week as they have been eligible for the last nine weeks (and have reached the end of their eligible period):

  • Make It – 2PM
  • PTT (Paint The Town) – LOONA
  • Hello Future – NCT DREAM
  • See You Again – Han Seung Woo (VICTON)
  • Free Pass – DRIPPIN
  • Rain Song – EPIK HIGH
  • Moonlight – BDC
  • Summer Night – Kim Kyu Jong
  • Vamos – OMEGA X
  • Xtra – AleXa
  • Crazy Night – DONGKIZ
  • Karma – KINGDOM
  • Find – Moon Jongup ft. Moon Sujin
  • 13IVI – BM (KARD)
  • Tesseract – CIX
  • Veronica – ONEWE
  • Mega Punch – N.O.M
  • Rendezvous – Kim Jeong Uk
  • Damage – JUST.B
  • Pool Party – Brave Girls ft. E Chan of DKB

[Review] TRIGGER – VERIVERY

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I am now back, and will start to review releases that I have missed (from past and previous weeks) and continue to review new releases as they come out this week. Album reviews will also restart next week with TXT and Brave Girls up first.

VERIVERY made their official comeback on Monday with TRIGGER and their sixth mini-album, Series ‘O’ Round 2: Hole. This comeback follows the release of Get Away and Series ‘O’ Round 1: Hall from earlier this year. It also marks the return of Minchan, who has been absent since the end of October for health reasons. Almost a week later, I am finally getting around to reviewing it.

TRIGGER begins with a clickity-clack synth that is quite intriguing. It isn’t a mind-blowing start if that is what you are expecting, but I would say that the synth and effect itself sets the tone of the entire track from the get-go. Then comes in polished vocals and strong rapping from the members, before they lead into the pre-chorus with a similar vocal and rap sequence. I really enjoyed the concentrated buildup in the pre-chorus, starting off in a calming manner before accelerating to the chorus. The line ‘Pull The Trigger‘ is an excellent launch into the chorus, which is undoubtedly intense and powerful without necessarily going into a ‘dark’ motif, but yet it has that edginess to it that makes it so robust and cool. The repetition of the song’s title in the chorus also makes it a catchy number. What I quite like about the second verse of TRIGGER is that it is very different to the first verse, in terms of structure. This definitely keeps TRIGGER interesting. Powerful rapping returns first, then the instrumental briefly adopts a fast tempo thumping beat, which then slows down to make way for a vocal-dominant pre-chorus that differs from the first pre-chorus thanks to the presence of ad-libs. The bridge opts for vocals as well, with TRIGGER slowing down instrumentally to make way for an atmospheric sequence, which then ramps up to match the vocal climax that the members deliver. The final chorus also contains an additional sequence/extension that brings up the dynamisms to finish the song on a high note (and the high note within the final chorus is also quite remarkable and worth mentioning as well). I also really liked the deep synth thumps we get at the very end of TRIGGER, which signals the official end of the song. It was abrupt and sudden, but I think it works well in this song. Overall, a very interesting and intense song which fits into (what I think is) VERIVERY’s sound.

The ending of Get Away starts off the music video of TRIGGER (i.e. the member with the bag over his head is making his way down the spiral road, the image of a gun and the eyeball that diffuses out), which makes me think the events in TRIGGER is actually the aftermath. Still, not entirely sure what is exactly happening, over then the members are dying one by one. Again, it looks like alter-egos of the members are after them once again. We see one of the members get shot by one of these masked bandits, which are see are them. In a reflection in water, out of five members, we only see one reflection (who is subsequently dragged into a mirror from what I could make out of his demise). Based on later events, it appears like the members are trapped in that circular building after they die, based on that one member who finds multiple screens with the other members trapped in them. He destroys the building, which I assume somehow releases the rest of the members. But I think some of those alter-egos have managed to replaced the real members, based on that suspicious smile we get from that blue-haired member (sorry, I don’t know names – see featured image of this post) just before he runs out with the rest of the members. That is just my interpretation of the video, based on my imagination. Though I would be happy to hear what the official story is or if you have a different interpretation.

I liked the aggressive and intense nature of the performance, particularly the guns they form with their hands when they repeat the song’s title in the chorus. It is recurring feature of the performance, which makes perfect sense.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.5/10

[Review] Thunderous – Stray Kids

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Apologies once again for drip feeding reviews this week. I am hoping this will be temporary (as I have in the process of moving into a new place) and that I will be able to do a bigger capacity of reviews in a couple of weeks. For now, I have reduced my load to a review a day, and will refocus my review efforts starting from next week to clear the backlog of reviews I want to write.

Monday of this week was one of the days where multiple artists scheduled their comeback. Amongst the returns is Stray Kids, with their second studio album, NOEASY, and the title track, Thunderous. This is the group’s first formal comeback of the year, following the double title track bonanza of God’s Menu and Back Door last year. Since the double comeback, Stray Kids has released a new album and single in Japan (All In), the Korean single Mixtape: OH, and participated in the Kingdom: Legendary War survival show, where they released the single WOLFGANG and won. Now, all the attention is on their latest release and title track, Thunderous.

To me, Thunderous in the same realm as Stray Kids’ most popular tracks (God’s Menu and Back Door). This is a positive association between the songs, as the mentioned releases are my favourite Stray Kids title tracks to date. It is definitely clear the new song aligns with the group’s usual powerful energy and intensity, fitting right into the group’s discography. What also makes Thunderous so good in my opinion is its bold and bombastic instrumentation, which is a blend of hip-hop and trap. Thunderous is also somewhat unique thanks to the infusion of traditional Korean instruments in the background. It isn’t the first time we have seen such a combination in the instrumental department in the KPOP, but like Stray Kids usual outputs, it is top notch. My only wish with Thunderous is that it receives a touch more bass to just really heighten the elements and beat to take it to the next level. This could easily be achieved in a live concert setting, but we are a long way away from that reality. As for the members, the rapping was darn powerful and there is a lot of passion behind their delivery, making it a really great listen once again. But I liked the vocals more as they gave Thunderous a sense of stability and pulled together the various rap segments together to bring us a more cohesive track. What also gives Thunderous more of an edge compared to other releases are the hooks. The ‘Ptui‘ hook that kicks off the entrance (i.e. sound effect when you spit into your hands) paired with the drop helped bring that bombastic feel to life. The repetition of the song title made good use of one of Stray Kids’ assets, Felix deep voice. And the post-chorus hook following the first and final choruses, the ‘Baramam‘ hook, concentrated the song’s energy in a very satisfying manner. Lee Know’s section in the bridge also had a similar effect. Overall, Thunderous definitely excels and showcases Stray Kids with an even bolder spotlight.

The music video features a blend of traditional and modern elements, which is clearly inspired by the song’s blend of traditional and modern sounds. We saw the members perform in front of traditional royal buildings, complete with the traditional Korean instruments being played and various other elements that we would associate with the traditional side of Korean culture. On the flip side, we saw modern elements blended in, such as cars, graffiti and the members’ outfits. What makes the music video even cooler is the post-production. The blue flames, the switch between animation and real-life members, the appearance of members between frames. We saw similar effects in their previous videos, but it is still mind-blowing in this video.

The choreography is definitely powerful and edgy. I really liked Jisung’s part in the second verse, the laughing arms just before the second chorus, and Changbin and Hyunjin on the members’ back. The actual spitting action might be the performance’s iconic move. No doubts that Stray Kids have outdone themselves with this routine.

Song – 9.5/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.6/10

[Review] After ‘We Ride’ – Brave Girls

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Another week has come and we have a new set of comebacks this week. First up is Brave Girls, who rose to fame via their 2017 release Rollin’ earlier this year. A lot of attention and pressure was placed upon their comeback, Chi Mat Ba Ram and the mini-album Summer Queen, which dropped in June. And today, the group returned with the repackaged version of Summer Queen, which has been retitled After ‘We Ride’. The title track from the repackaged mini-album shares the same name, After ‘We Ride’. Summer Queen and After ‘We Ride’ will be fast-tracked this weekend for an album review. In the meanwhile, here is my review for Brave Girl’s new song.

Fans of Brave Girls may already recognise the ‘We Ride‘ part of the title, as it was the title of the group’s main promotional track in 2020 (the potentially last single from Brave Girls had Rollin’ not blown up earlier this year). That song talks about a relationship that has become boring. After ‘We Ride’ seems to portray the aftermath of that story, with that relationship going from boring to conflicts and the inevitable breakup of the couple. After ‘We Ride’ has a notable 80s retro influence, similar to We Ride‘s retro influences but different from the earlier song’s city-pop sound. What I like a lot about After ‘We Ride’ is how they infused that retro influence with rock. While this might not be exactly new, I did really enjoy the refreshing the combination was and how suitable it felt for the Summer season. The combination also showcased a lot of passion and emotions, which was also highly suitable for the story told by the lyrics that I mentioned above. This same passion and emotion was showcased in the members’ vocals throughout the song, making this even more captivating to listen to. As the song takes on a more mature topic and profile, After ‘We Ride’ sacrifices the catchy hooks and addictiveness that their most popular songs had. And I do admit that I miss that element in this song. But that doesn’t stop After ‘We Ride’ from being a charming song to listen to. The ‘Ooh‘s and the harmonies at the start of the song was helpful in easing us into the song’s meatier bits. The slightly autotuned repetition of the title as the After ‘We Ride’ main hook wasn’t as strong as previous hooks (as previous mentioned), but it worked well with the song’s tone. Overall a captivating listen nonetheless.

The music video is one of many that you probably need to watch only once and you would get the gist of it, so there isn’t really a need to revisit the video. Throughout the video, we see the members come to terms with their breakup. It takes them a while to get there. After all, the video needed to be the length of the song at the very least). However, I kind of wished we got to see them to converge together as a group at the very end. That would have been nice and touching (and it would also complement the theories that I am reading about the song in the YouTube comments).

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.6/10

[Weekly Chart] 3rd Week of August 2021

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It is another Sunday and that simply means another Weekly KPOP Chart post. This particular post for the 3rd Week of August 2021 is going to be a very quick one, as I am in the processing of moving and am trying to beat the clock before the clouds move in and wash the sunshine away. So I won’t be doing my usual corners this week. Check back next week for those corners, maybe (still moving then, but hopefully more time on my hands).

Also, the KPOP Songs of the Summer Review Collaboration has wrapped up. I posted by review for F(x)’s Hot Summer earlier this week, so check that. In that post, you will also find the links to the rest of the reviews in the collaboration from other KPOP reviewers, so make sure you check out those reviews as well!

The charts

Congratulations to The Boyz, who topped the charts this 3rd Week of August 2021, with their latest track, THRILL-RIDE. For more of the charts, scroll down below:

3rd Week of August 202115th Aug – 21st Aug 2021
Pos.TitleArtistStatus
1THRILL-RIDEThe Boyz(▲ 2)
2WaveCIX(NEW)
3Ra Pam PamGolden Child(▲ 10)
4LO$ER=LO♡ERTXT(NEW)
5PoppingONF(▼ 4)
6QueendomRed Velvet(NEW)
7MOON WALKERBDC(▲ 37)
8PTT (Paint The Town)LOONA(▲ 12)
9Tear DropSF9(▲ 7)
10Hello FutureNCT DREAM(▼ 1)
11DIVEJinyoung (GOT7)(▲ 16)
12Holiday PartyWeeekly(▲ 16)
13Gas PedalCRAVITY(NEW)
14You Can’t Sit With UsSunmi(▼ 12)
15Ready NowKim Woojin(▼ 4)
16RoseD.O (EXO)(▲ 3)
17questiOn markOnlyOneOf(▲ 50)
18WeekendTaeyeon (SNSD)(▲ 25)
19USMoon Jongup(▲ 14)
20Right Through MeEven of Day (DAY6)(▼ 2)
21KarmaKINGDOM(▼ 7)
22After MidnightASTRO(▼ 1)
23GalleryPark Ji Hoon(▼ 16)
24Strawberry GumHa Sung Woon ft. Don Mills(▼ 19)
25Pool PartyBrave Girls ft. E Chan of DKB(▲ 34)
26NAKKAAKMU ft. IU(▲ 5)
27TesseractCIX(▲ 2)
28AuRoRaONEWE(▼ 16)
29Be My Lover?Kim Jong Kook & ATEEZ(NEW)
30Promise USolar & Moonbyul (Mamamoo)(▲ 28)

Songs leaving the charts:

The following songs are leaving the charts this week:

  • Paradigm – Xydo
  • Poison – PinkFantasy
  • Higher – A.C.E
  • The Juice – Sam Kim
  • Secreto – Yezi
  • Africa – Jeongmin
  • Lazy – Kim Woosung (The Rose)
  • Obvious – MAJORS
  • Mixtape: OH – Stray Kids

[Review] WAVE – CIX

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CIX has quite a busy year already with their early 2021 comeback, Cinema and Hello Chapter Ø: Hello, Strange Dream, Japanese release All For You and their Universe track Tesseract (which I will review, one day). But the year is still young. So why not add a studio album to the mix? Well, that is exactly what CIX did. Earlier this week, the five member male group from C9 Entertainment made their official comeback with their first ever studio-length album, Ok Prologue: Be Ok, which is headlined by their new single, WAVE.

WAVE is a fine song. However, it is another example of a song where more could have been done to really make it more appealing. WAVE starts off as a standard and light EDM song. Nothing more, nothing less. This isn’t much an issue, though I would have liked it the song was more exciting from the first second. But I won’t let that get in the way of enjoying WAVE, as the song has to start from somewhere. The issue with WAVE was more so the pre-choruses. I felt the rapping segment would have been fine as the launching pad into the chorus and it felt like the instrumentation behind the rapping segment was gearing up for that launch. However, for some reason, the producers of the song felt it was necessary to delay and suspend that obvious building momentum by inserting another vocal part just before the actual chorus, which in turn fizzled out any momentum the song had. I felt like they could have forgone the vocals (sorry Yonghee) and used the vocal sequence’s instrumentation as a backing for the rap sequence to drive us forward into the chorus. Similar comments can be said about the second verse. Thankfully, the chorus managed to compensate for that fizzled and lackluster pre-chorus that WAVE opted for and I like how much swing there was to the momentum within the chorus. I do think the chorus’s EDM could have been more impactful and intense, but I still enjoyed it as it is. What we got was rather pleasant, which seems to be odd given the song taps into the rougher forms of EDM, but that is how I would describe the chorus. The second and final choruses are followed by ‘Like Thunder, Thunder‘ hooks, which I quite liked. They were catchy and relatively powerful moments in WAVE that stood out. It also continued the chorus’ momentum which I had pointed out earlier in a very satisfying manner and didn’t stray away from the pleasant side of WAVE. Similar comments can be made to the vocals and rapping, as a whole. Overall, WAVE was enjoyable. There were some issues with the structure of the song, but that didn’t really ruin the song.

WAVE is all about going forward at your own pace while going beyond rough waves (i.e. the various experiences that try to stop you from moving forward). In the music video, we see the members build a boat and prepare for the adventure together. The members then embark through the rough waves mentioned just now and battles them together. Beyond the rough waves, there is this calmness and ethereal place that the members were aiming for. Regarding the ending, I am assuming it is connected to Numb, one of their earlier works, based on the school uniform. Though I am not entirely sure what that has to do with this music video and how everything thus far is connected (because they are all connected somehow, if I remember). I also like how the choreography scenes and the brighter atmosphere brought on Summer vibes, matching the current season.

I like bursts of energy and intensity in the choreography for this comeback. It makes it an enjoyable stage to watch. Visually, I feel like this is a good look for the group in terms of outfits, aside from the sailor outfits, which makes them look like overgrown kids in children outfits.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.8/10

[Review] LO$ER=LO♡ER – TXT

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TXT is officially back with a brand new single, LO$ER=LO♡ER, which comes three months after 0X1=Lovesong (I Know I Love You). This new song is featured on the group’s repackaged version of their second studio album, The Chaos Chapter: Fight or Escape. Once again, I held back on writing a review for their second studio album, The Chaos Chapter: Freeze, upon hearing news of a repackaged version – so I will be fast-tracking an album review this weekend for TXT. In the meanwhile, here is my review of TXT’s latest track.

LO$ER=LO♡ER continues the rock influences from 0X1=Lovesong (I Know I Love You). For those who missed my comments of their previous title track, I was full of praise for the song, given that the rock influences felt just right. While LO$ER=LO♡ER has that rock influence and feels like an appropriate follow up to 0X1=Lovesong (I Know I Love You), it wasn’t as satisfying. The lack of satisfaction stems to a number of issues throughout the song, but majority of it was due to the fact that the influences in the chorus were quite flat. Given that the chorus is usually the centrepiece of any song, this is a massive blow towards the appeal of the song, especially since the verses had enough oomph to them. The buildup towards the chorus in the pre-chorus alluded for something with more intensity, and that just didn’t like it was delivered for me. Mellow and melodic are words that I would describe the chorus of LO$ER=LO♡ER. However, I just wanted more bite to the song, so that it could have been more show-stopping. The hooks in the song were quite decent, however I could have done without the whole ‘I’m a loser, I’m a loser, Lover with a dollar sign is a LO$ER‘. It is a step towards the cringy side of KPOP. I guess this shouldn’t have come as a surprise, given that it was foreshadowed in the title of the song. What stood out the most for me in LO$ER=LO♡ER are the members themselves. Their vocals were really good and well-presented throughout the song. Taehyun, in particular, had the right level of hoarseness in his voice to really give the song some punk edge. The rapping also had a nice kick to it and felt appropriate for this song. Overall, LO$ER=LO♡ER has a bit of a way to become a standout track. However, it still had a nice showcase of TXT’s skills.

I am not too sure if I understand the video correctly, but I think I have a solid theory to what is going on. Throughout the video, we see the events unfold in a first person point of view. In these scenes, we see the members as they are in love (i.e. the ‘lover’ side of the song). But my guess is that all these scenes are Yeonjun’s memories. At the start of the video, we see that Yeonjun is alone once again, similar to what we saw in 0X1=Lovesong (I Know I Love You). The most important ‘memory’ in this video is the livestream (which was Beomgyu’s solo scene). We see him being abused by his father and this occurred live to the world. I presume his lover was watching. It is a vulnerable side that he didn’t expect people to see, especially his lover, which started a shame-spiral. Throughout the video, we continually saw confident versions of the members, but this was not the case during the livestream. And as teenagers, you tend to overthink. So I guess Yeonjun overthinks that because he was kicked around by his dad, he is no longer confident and cannot impress his lover (i.e. he is a loser). The video ends up with all members in the same car as in 0X1=Lovesong (I Know I Love You) with Yeonjun at the wheel and driving off the cliff. Aside from my choppy interpretation of the plotline, I really like the choreography scenes on the back of the truck. It looked cool, and I liked the attention to detail in these parts. Outfit-wise, I feel something along the lines of their previous set of outfits would have been better.

I really like the use of the microphone stands in this performance. It is pretty unoriginal idea, but I like the fact that it emphasised the emotional aspects of the song and the rock vibes. I like how they incorporated the ‘L’ sign into the choreography. It felt like an obvious choice, so I am glad they did.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.8/10

[Review] Queendom – Red Velvet

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After a year and seven months since Psycho, Red Velvet have made their grand and elegant return to the KPOP scene with Queendom. It had definitely been while since a full group’s comeback. Wendy spent most of 2020 recovering from her horrible accident at the end of 2019 and Irene had an unprofessionalism scandal last year. However, it all wasn’t bad news during this hiatus. Irene and Seulgi formed a subunit and promoted both Monster and Naughty last year, while Wendy and Joy made their respective solo debuts with Like Water and Hello earlier this year. Yeri also debuted as an actress. But it is really great that we can finally see the five members regroup and promote together again!

Queendom falls more on their Velvet side/concept of releases. For those who don’t know (do they even still use this method to describe their releases anymore?), Red Velvet’s releases can be either of their ‘Red’ concept (vibrant and bold concepts) or ‘Velvet’ (classy and toned down concepts). If you are a fan of Red Velvet, you can hear the ‘Velvet’ profile from a mile away. The new song is a pop track, but it quite subdued in comparison to their other works. It still has an upbeat instrumental, which I think makes Queendom still relevant for the current Summer season. There is a nice ‘pop’ to the instrumentation. It also features similar melodies in the chorus, which reminds me of some of their earlier works (that are more on the ‘Red’ side, though). However, the major flaw I found with Queendom is that there was a really standard vibe coming from the song. Pleasant at best, if I were to give this observation a tagline. That being said, I am appreciative of the group’s delivery of the song. The vocal work in Queendom felt refined and elegant, like the rest of the song, its concept alignment and the lyrics of the song (which were all about being ‘kings’ and ‘queens’ of our own lives and that we shine brighter when we come together – adapted from SOOMPI). I also found the vocals to be quite vibrant, which I thought was much needed breath of life to the song (i.e. saving it from the standard nature of the instrumental). I particularly love how Wendy pushes herself in the chorus, her high note and her ad-libs at the end of the song. They were definitely well-placed and helped give the song a bit of zing. The rapping from both Irene and Yeri were also really nicely done and in such a cleanly fashion. The rap-speak delivery felt just right for this song. The ‘Ladida-do Ba-badida‘ is also quite catchy. Overall, a pretty decent track from the song. What they lacked in one area, they made up in another area. And it is enough for me to enjoy Queendom.

The music video gives me Harry Potter vibes thanks to all the magic that is going on in the video. But rather than Hogwarts, the music video’s premise is an underground mailing centre, with all the members being a critical member of the postal service. I could feel the elegance from the video and how well it matched the song. But other than that, I feel the ‘pleasant, at best’ tagline would be applicable to this video as well.

Like the song and music video, the choreography (from what I can see in the music video) has that really elegant and flowy nature to it. And because of this, I find it fitting with the song. But it isn’t the most mind-blowing piece from the group. The ‘Ladida-do Ba-badida‘ post-chorus hook looks like it will be the most interesting part of the choreography, since the members each do something different from the looks of it in the first iteration of the hook.

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

[Special] K-Pop Songs of the Summer Review: Hot Summer – f(x)

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Over time, the K-Pop Review community has grown from a few individuals into a full subset of the internet. Now, TheBiasList, Kbopped, 10/10 – Music, Hallyureviews, Jei’s Kulture Notes, Deforested Music, A Floating Realm in the Corner, 8.5 Music, and Kpopreviewed are working together, to create a series, where we review our favorite K-Pop summer song.

Be sure to check out everyone’s posts in the links below!

10/10 – Music (Blog / Hi Ya Ya – TVXQ Review)
Blueraspberrysyrup (Blog / Summer 127 – NCT 127 Review)
Kbopped (Blog / The Star of Stars – SNUPER)
Jei’s Kulture Notes (Blog / Boogie Up – WJSN Review)
Hallyureviews (Blog – / Power – EXO Review)
8.5 Music (Blog / View – SHINee Review)
Kpopreviewed (This Blog!! / Hot Summer – f(x))
Deforested Music (Blog / Wave – ATEEZ)
The Bias List (Blog / Loving U – Sistar)

There are so many artists and songs that are synonymous with Summer released over the years. But since I have been around for a while now (I won’t put a number on it – that can be the subject for a later post), I have reviewed a large bulk of them already. So, when I found a song that I haven’t reviewed yet that also suited the theme of this collaboration, I actually felt like the stars align. My chosen song is F(x)’s Hot Summer, which was released way back in June 2011. This particular decade young track was released as the title track for the repackaged version of their first studio album, Pinocchio, and was a massive hit in Summer of that year.

I vaguely remember not enjoying Hot Summer when it was first released for some reason (don’t remember what exactly – it has been 10 years). But like many songs that I have expressed dislike for or criticised, Hot Summer has become an iconic track to have on my Summer playlist. But how so? Well, Hot Summer continually repeats its title throughout the song, especially in the chorus. It is pretty much in your face and there is no escaping it. A bit of an extreme tactic, but it got keyed into my memory. Now, there isn’t summer where my mind don’t gravitate towards the song, especially when the temperatures are unbearable (a bit of song and dance may ensue). Throw that over an synth-heavy (pretty much the norm for back then) and bright instrumentation that comes off as refreshing, and you pretty much have a strong catchy track. What I also liked about Hot Summer now is how it just keeps on going. There was virtually no breaks throughout the song, so the energy is very consistent and just continually pumps. But I think the textures that come from the synths and the vocals do a good job of distracting you from that consistency, and hence I don’t see it as a problem. We do get a bit of reprieve following in the chorus, with the whispery-like delivery of the song’s title (repetition, once again), which was really cool and a nice change in momentum. I would have liked to hear transitional effects between various parts of the song, just so the various sections could be more easily identified and defined. When it comes to the vocals and rapping, Hot Summer is a solid number. The vocals, which bring an undeniable pop influence to the song, stood out over an already loud and texturally heavy instrumentation. I also really liked how edgy they sounded in the first verse. Amber’s rap, although brief, was a nice intense moment that worked well with the rest of the song and allowed Amber to show her style off more. The interesting part is the high-pitch whiny ‘Hot Summer‘ we get in the last iteration of the chorus that blends into the instrumentation. It feels pretty much ahead of its time. Hot Summer is a song that I keep going back to, especially when the temperatures start heating up where I live, and it is one of my many recommended KPOP Songs of the Summer.

Not too sure what the premise for this music video is. A pink tank rolls down the street doesn’t seem that summery to me. But it was an epic entrance for the group and definitely feels like a F(x) thing to do. Aside from the questionable background, I thought the music video was pretty decent and rather simple (which you know I like). The brightness reminds you of a really hot summers day. They outfits provided that pop of colour (alongside the pink tank) in such a barren city landscape. Even the red outfits in their studio sets managed to show Summer in a simple dual colour fashion.

The iconic choreography for this comeback was pretty much self explanatory. Too hot, fan yourself. It is also simple, so people like me who have two left feet and look really awkward dancing (like those dancers we see in the background at the end of the video) can pull it off reasonably well. That being said, there is a bit of complexity with the rest of the performance (i.e. formations and other parts of the routines) that results in the choreography for this release being quite balanced and looking good.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

[Weekly Chart] 2nd Week of August 2021

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Another Sunday is upon us and another Weekly KPOP Chart post is here. This is the second week of the month of August. It is a bit of a crazy week. I am back in lockdown for the first time since the first initial lockdown in my country. I am looking for a new place to live. And it was another crazy week of comebacks in the KPOP industry. A lot going on.

Also, the KPOP Songs of the Summer collaboration is currently ongoing. For those who don’t know, a bunch of KPOP reviewers are coming together to review our favourite summer KPOP songs. It has been going on for a week now, and there are a few more coming your way! I am posting my review tomorrow, so keep your eyes out for that. Check out the link above to see who is participating and the reviews published so far!

New Releases of the Week

As flagged above, a lot of new releases this week. I have already reviewed The Boyz’s THRILL-RIDE, Ha Sung Woon’s Strawberry Gum, ONF’s Popping and Park Ji Hoon’s Gallery. In addition to those releases, the following songs/artists join the charts as of this week:

  • PRESENTE – 777
  • MOON WALKER – BDC
  • Summer or Summer – Hyolyn & Dasom
  • Paint Me Naked – Ten (NCT)
  • Walking In The Rain – AB6IX
  • Close Your Eyes – Bz-Boys
  • MANIAC – Ryan Jhun, NCT U (Haechan & Doyoung)
  • GET OUT – N.CUS

The Charts

Congratulations to ONF and their latest song, Popping, for topping the charts this week! For more of the charts, keep on scrolling below.

2nd Week of August 20218th Aug – 14th Aug 2021
Pos.TitleArtistStatus
1PoppingONF(NEW)
2You Can’t Sit With UsSunmi(▲ 19)
3THRILL-RIDEThe Boyz(NEW)
4Still DreamKim Woojin(▲ 30)
5Strawberry GumHa Sung Woon ft. Don Mills(NEW)
6To Find A ReasonHyolyn ft. Mad Clown & Kim Seungmin(▲ 39)
7GalleryPark Ji Hoon(NEW)
8FLY UP HIGHSKYLE(▲ 62)
9Hello FutureNCT DREAM(▲ 21)
10See You AgainHan Seung Woo (VICTON)(▲ 1)
11Ready NowKim Woojin(▲ 55)
12AuRoRaONEWE(▲ 58)
13Ra Pam PamGolden Child(▼ 11)
14KarmaKINGDOM(▲ 26)
15Ready To LoveSEVENTEEN(▼ 3)
16Tear DropSF9(▼ 13)
17HigherA.C.E(▲ 33)
18Right Through MeEven of Day (DAY6)(▲ 35)
19RoseD.O (EXO)(▲ 51)
20PTT (Paint The Town)LOONA(▲ 31)
21After MidnightASTRO(▼ 20)
22DUMB DUMBJeon Somi(▼ 2)
23MoonlightBDC(▼ 1)
24East End2Z(▲ 46)
25riBBonBamBam (GOT7)(▲ 4)
26VeronicaONEWE(▼ 9)
27DIVEJinyoung (GOT7)(▲ 20)
28Holiday PartyWeeekly(▼ 18)
29TesseractCIX(▲ 30)
30Chi Mat Ba RamBrave Girls(▼ 24)

Songs leaving the charts

The following songs have finished up their nine week run and have left the charts as of this week:

  • Blue Moon (Cinema Version) – BTOB
  • SPIN OFF – UP10TION
  • riBBon – BamBam (GOT7)
  • I GOT U – LUCY
  • Rain To Be – ONEWE
  • Chi Mat Ba Ram – Brave Girls
  • All Your Fault – Yugyeom (GOT7) ft. Gray
  • Ready To Love – SEVENTEEN

[Album Review] Sneakers / Select Shop (5th Mini Album / 5th Mini Album Repackaged) – Ha Sung Woon

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As flagged earlier in the week, I am fast-tracking a recent album release for review this weekend as it is the repackaged version of an album I have yet to review (and this is something I might be doing more often, given my lag on this front). The album in question is Ha Sung Woon’s fifth mini-album, Sneakers, and the repackaged version, Select Shop. In total, we pretty much have a studio length album with the addition of five new songs on the repackaged album, on top of the seven songs on the original mini-album (numbers include the title tracks, Sneakers and Strawberry Gum). Because of that, this album review will be a lengthy one and there is no other reason to why I should delay launching into the review.

  • Sneakers Album Cover
  • Select Shop Album Cover

1. Cake – To me, Cake sounds quite pleasant and eases you into the album quite well. Despite the sweet-sounding title, the song isn’t that sweet. Rather it feels quite fresh and it is the type of song you want to listen to on a pleasant day out in Spring. The cheerful energy thanks to the brass and Ha Sung Woon’s tone was appreciable. But while I would say all the elements across the board in Cake were all pleasant, Cake wasn’t the most memorable number on this album. (8/10)

2. Strawberry Gum (ft. Don Mills) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Strawberry Gum. (8/10)

3. Let’s Sing – Let’s Sing has that retro pop rock style that could easily have slid into Hairspray or similar musicals. Ha Sung Woon’s vocals were really strong, especially his high note. It is a fun number that definitely makes me want to sing and dance, fulfilling its lyrics. My only criticism about Let’s Sing is regarding the chorus. It should have been punchier and more defined. The chorus we got did a good job, but I was expecting something more dynamic. If that was the case and Let’s Sing had a bulkier hook and a more colorful instrumental, I think this would have been a standout track. (8.5/10)

4. Galaxy Dust – Galaxy Dust has this atmospheric and aesthetic aura to it. This does a good job of pulling me in, almost hypnotic in a way. The synths and instrumentation was quite light and airy, which helped make the song a nice listen. The same can be said with Ha Sung Woon’s vocals. They were extremely pleasant and smooth throughout. It was such an amazing listen. Before I knew it, Galaxy Dust was over, and I was reaching for the replay button. (10/10)

5. Magic Word – Magic Word is one of the songs that I thought the album could have done without. It isn’t a terrible song. I just wasn’t memorable and was forgettable. The instrumental was definitely unique, but in an obnoxious sense. It was a bit too abstract for my liking, and I do like abstract. It was also quite distracting, blocking me from enjoying Ha Sung Woon’s nice vocals. I kept on mistaking the vibrations to be notifications on my phone, and the water drop synths and co. just felt a bit much. (6/10)

6. Sneakers (스니커즈) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Sneakers. (9/10)

7. On & On – On & On start off the Sneakers mini-album, but has been moved to the seventh song on the tracklist of the repackaged album. On & On is another pleasant mid-tempo pop ballad track, that brings forth very retro roots via its synthesizer-based instrumentation and percussion. Ha Sung Woon also sounds heavenly throughout the song, smooth and delicate being words I would use to describe the soloist in On & On. Definitely a great and somewhat unique take on the retro style. (8/10)

8. Why Don’t You See A Movie? (영화 한 편 볼까 하는데) – The Sneakers mini-album diverts to a more subdued and laidback sound. This is another song that I felt the album could have done without. Once again, Why Don’t You See A Movie? isn’t a terrible song. It just made me sleepy and didn’t have much going on to be as appealing as other songs on the album. The acoustic R&B instrumental paired with Ha Sung Woon’s falsetto vocals felt like something I would listen to while you venture into dreamland. (6/10)

9. Eeny Meeny Miny Moe – Similar to the preceding song, Eeny Meeny Miny Moe isn’t something I am head over heels for. It is still a nice listen (once again, Ha Sung Woon’s vocals are in very pleasant territory), and I feel that the song’s melodies and jazzy instrumentation does a good job of keeping the song churning along (and so doesn’t tire you out this time around). But it, compared to other songs on the album, just wasn’t up there. (7/10)

10. Don’t Leave Me Alone (겨우살이) – It seems like the album is stuck in a bit of a rut. Don’t Leave Me Alone is the third song that I am not that into. Don’t Leave Me Alone is a R&B track that does a good job of bringing forth breathy vocals. I do feel like Don’t Leave Me Alone gets better as it progresses, but it was quite a consistent number from start to end, which resulted in it feeling like a blur when I listen to the album in the background. (6.5/10)

11. Bus – We are definitely stuck in a rut at the back end of this album. Bus is the fourth song that is on the slower side of music. But I think Bus is more captivating than the rest, which makes it stand out amongst the five songs (including the next song) of this section of the album. Ha Sung Woon’s airy and husky tone in Bus helped made the song feel different. And the whispering delivery of some of the lines were quite unique. The slow but pleasant instrumentation may not have been memorable, but it did a good job of carrying the vocals without smothering or overpowering them. It is definitely a song that I wouldn’t mind listening to again, thanks to its individualistic style. (8/10)

12. Starlight (야광별) – The album finishes with another slow song. This time, a straight forward ballad. Starlight is another good song to listen to if you want something to fall asleep to, thanks to Ha Sung Woon’s delicate and paced vocals, and the traditional piano style instrumental. On a more positive note, however, Starlight has this warm feel and had a nice finish as both a song and an ender to the album. (7/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.7/10

  • Sneakers Teaser Image
  • Select Shop Teaser Image

[Double Review] Ready Now + Still Dream – Kim Woojin

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A bit more time travelling for me, with the next review focusing on Kim Woojin’s solo debut as a solo artist. For those who don’t know Kim Woojin, he debuted as part of Stray Kids in 2018 and left the group suddenly in 2019 for unknown reasons. Last year, rumours started to circulate on the Internet about the artist, but those rumours were later dispelled. And now in 2021, he officially returns to the music scene with his solo debut and first solo mini-album, The moment : 未成年, a minor. The mini-album features two songs – Ready Now, his official title track released last week, and Still Dream, a pre-release single released early last month.

I will begin with Ready Now, the debut single. In this song, his vocals flourishes and is shown off in an impeccable manner. It was quite consistent display of vocals throughout, with it soaring and amplifying at the right moments to stand out over the instrumentation. The ad-libs we get at the end further enhances the quality of the element within Ready Now, making it an ideal showcase of skills for a debut track. His rapping in the song was decent, at best. I personally felt that it was the weakest part of the song, and thought the rap sequence should have been more bolstered and impactful, especially since it was coming off from the first chorus. There wasn’t enough bite or traction to the section, which made it feel rather weak. The chorus had this subtle level of intensity, which felt refined and mature to me. And given that the first chorus was the initial showing of this subtle intensity, the succeeding parts should have had more to continue that momentum. The instrumentation was a dramatic synth backing, and felt punchy at the right moments. But other than that, I didn’t hear anything that special with the instrumental. Overall, Ready Now was a great start (on the music front) for a solo career.

Still Dream was a teaser for what was to come, prior to the release of Ready Now. In retrospect, Still Dream is a lot more straightforward as a song, compared to his debut single. Still Dream takes on alternative rock, with pulsing and heavily emphasised percussion throughout the song. The rock elements give the song some flair and further intensity. For his vocals, this pre-release single shows off Kim Woojin, once again. In particular, Still Dream manages to show off his hoarse vocals, which felt very appropriate and fitting for the alternative rock sound. I also like the moments in which he pushes himself in this song, which made it satisfying to listen to. Altogether, there was an epic and powerful vibe behind the song that made it riveting to listen to. I wouldn’t mind listening to a live version of this song, complete with a rock band in the background. I do wish we got a bit of a changeup towards the end of the song. I think that would have made the song a tad more appealing and less repetitive as it ended up coming off as. But still, a strong pre-release for Kim Woojin.

Kim Woojin has quite a story and it seems like some of it is featured in the music video for Ready Now. He is being confined and restricted in a glass box, crushed by a lowering platform and running in a dark corridor with no light at the end. Essentially, he is showing his struggles with starting out throughout the video. But towards the end, there is light and hope, to which he sings that he is ‘ready now’. Not exactly sure what the sand depicts, but it was a recurring element in those scenes. I liked the matureness and the darkness of the video, which looked aesthetic from my point of view. As for Still Dream, simplicity seems to be the concept. Shot in grassy fields, Kim Woojin essentially performs for the entirety of the video with his dancers. This concept definitely worked in his favour and complimented the song really well. However, there are elements that I do not like in this video. Firstly, I felt the intensity provided by the camerawork was poor. It was shaky, hard to focus and should have been turned down a notch. Secondly, I didn’t like his light blue outfit (and the dancers brown pieces). It looked boring and didn’t feel like it reflected the song well.

Performance-wise, I think he could have toned himself down for Ready Now. I felt there was too much energy from Kim Woojin. This isn’t necessary a bad thing. But when it is too fast and quick, in comparison to the dancers, it looks over the top and unsettling. You can see the passion and feel the intensity being channeled from song to dance. But to be more refined, he should have held back a bit. I think similar comments can describe the performance for Still Dream, but it wasn’t off-putting as the final result of Ready Now.

Ready Now
Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.9/10

Still Dream
Song – 8/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.5/10