Casual reviews of KPOP songs, music videos & dances
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.
As mentioned in my last song review, I am going to do a bit of time travelling to last week (and the past few weeks) over the weekend to review some releases which I should have reviewed, but they just managed to slip by me due to my poor time management over the last few months (and this essentially been snowballing ever since). This post focuses on Sunmi’s latest comeback, You Can’t Sit With Us, which was released last Friday. This new song is the title track off the soloist’s 3rd mini-album, 1/6. It is also the first comeback from Sunmi since the release of Tail earlier this year.
Sunmi has a pretty good track record when it comes to her discography, and You Can’t Sit With Us continues that exact trend. To clarify, You Can’t Sit With Us isn’t as iconic as her more popular releases, but it heads in that direction. The song is consistently instrumented with 80s retro synth that fits perfectly into the current KPOP climate. There isn’t anything more to the background of You Can’t Sit With Us, making this a ‘pure’ release, in terms of synths and retro influences. And for the most part, Sunmi delivers the song is her usual fashion. Sleek and elegant vocals, as per all her past comebacks. The melodies in the chorus and the hooks in You Can’t Sit With Us are okay at first. But per usual, listening to the song repetitively since its release last week has definitely helped transform the song into a catchy number. I would have liked the hooks to be a bit bolder and hence more memorable, as it felt like those elements could have gone further. But nonetheless, it is still substantial effort that puts the song in the same direction with the rest of her tracks. The only part of the song which I didn’t like was the rap sequence we got in the second verse. It was unnecessary, forced and didn’t feel fitting for the retro synth-pop song that You Can’t Sit With Us is. To be honest, I did like an idea of the rap sequence, as it does keep the song from falling into a repetitive trance. So, I think it is more execution and style that was the issue, rather than the overall presence of a rap sequence. Now I am not trying to say that Sunmi isn’t a good rapper. But I felt this was something that someone else could have handled. That or, the section in question could have been tweaked to be less drawn out and more fulfilling. Overall, You Can’t Sit With Us is another great release from the soloist.
Oh Korea. You do love yourself some zombies. This music video joins the growing appearances of the undead in a lot of their pop culture works. In this music video, one of the zombies is her recently former boyfriend. At the start of the video, it appears that Sunmi and her boyfriend were in a heated argument. He begs for forgiveness, but Sunmi was not having any of it. After a few hang ups and harsh replies via email, Sunmi throws a flowerpot out of her window, which hits her boyfriend in the head and presumably kills him. There seemed to be a tinge of regret, but she simply turns away cold-heartedly. We later see her in a video store with her friends, who are later surrounded by zombies. Sunmi and her friends launch an attack on the zombies to save themselves (after a bit of song and dance, of course, since Sunmi’s primary occupation is a KPOP idol and not zombie eradicator). After killing the final zombie, we see her ‘dead’ boyfriend appear with the flowerpot coming out of his head. He gets down on one knee and proposed to her, to which she accepts. A plot twist comes at the end of the video, with her hugging her boyfriend (who is notably uninjured – i.e. no flowerpots in his head), surrounded by police officers who had their guns drawn and directed at them. So it looks like Sunmi was really a psychopath (based on the way she turned away from her injured boyfriend and how she shot up a video store). Not too sure what to make of the video, based on that revelation. But overall, the video was a pretty decent watch, with a bit of a drama, bit of laughter, bit of action and bit of horror rolled into one.
The choreography for this comeback was decent and had that Sunmi flair. But it wasn’t as memorable as her previous comebacks. That being said, I really enjoyed the performance to watch that male dancer at the very end, who dances some of Sunmi’s more iconic moves. So far, we have seen LALALAY, Gashina and Siren. Great way of keeping me there until the end of the performance to see what he will dance to next.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 7.5/10 Overall Rating – 7.9/10
Do note that I will be jumping around a lot of the reviews over the coming days. I skip ‘forward’ briefly to last night (before I go back in time for the next review) to focus on yesterday’s new release – Park Ji Hoon’s comeback with Gallery and the mini-album, My Collection. This comeback comes after a nine month absence from the music scene, with his last comeback being GOTCHA (the title track) and Message (Park Ji Hoon’s first studio album). Since the release of his last comeback, Park Ji Hoon has been focusing on his acting, as he was casted in the lead role of At a Distance, Spring Is Green.
Described as an EDM-based pop track, Gallery taps into the funky side of the KPOP with a dynamically driven and upbeat dance track. I personally thought Gallery‘s instrumental was quite an asset in making the song extremely appealing and satisfying to listen to. It had a nice level of bass that contributed to great deal of depth and sleekness, at the same time. The synths kept the song going, driving it forward and adding momentum Gallery. I also like the additional brass that the song brought in at the very end in the background. It was subtle difference, but definitely went a long way to help add a bit more flair at the very end to round out the song. Consistency within the instrumentation was also a really nice factor in terms of appeal in Gallery. If you follow my blog for a while now, this usually not what I prefer when it comes to music. Overly consistent songs tend to be quite repetitive, dull and ‘the safe option’. But in Gallery, I think Park Ji Hoon manages to shake things up every so slightly with the way he sings and raps (both of which were really well done, if I have not made myself clear about this yet), and this keeps the song from becoming boring and repetitive. This is a very strong asset to have as an artist, as proven in this song. Personally, I would have like a stronger hook, to really make the song that bit more memorable and enhance the post-chorus (which was already so strong with the cascading effect of synths) even further. Overall, I think Gallery was a very strong release thanks to its underlying instrumentation, and was quite clever in highlighting Park Ji Hoon skills.
Appropriately set in a art gallery, Park Ji Hoon is the artwork for that that special someone to look at. Those parts of the music video were just fine and pleasant to watch. Also Park Ji Hoon looks quite good throughout those scenes. but for me, the best bits of the video were the ones where the green screen was used. Thanks to the green screen, a massive keyhole sits in the background and the visual effects they used to change up the background involving the key hole actually made the video look really cool. Such effects gave the video a bit of a wow factor, which undoubtedly drives up the video’s appeal after the fact.
I really liked the choreography for this comeback. There was a lot going on, especially during those post-chorus sequences where the synths are cascading. There was a bit of a popping and locking type feel in those segments, but it felt more subtle than usual popping and locking choreographies. I liked the intensity we did get from those sections, and how they were all a bunch of small movements strung together to create an epic routine. I also felt that park Ji Hoon was slightly flirty with his expressions on stage, which looked good.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 8.5/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.9/10
Apologies for another impromptu break once again. But I am back and will try to get through as many reviews over the coming few days. Today, I will be focusing on a release from Monday. Alongside ONF and The Boyz, Ha Sung Woon made his solo comeback with the repackaged version of his fifth mini-album. Originally titled Sneakers (which was also the title of the title track), Ha Sung Woon has re-titled the mini-album to Select Shop. Leading Select Shop is Strawberry Gum, which features Don Mills. Later this upcoming weekend, I will be fast tracking the album review for Sneakers/Select Shop as it has been on my radar for a couple of weeks for review already. But until then, here is my review for Strawberry Gum.
Personally, I feel Ha Sung Woon has an impossible task of upping the likes of Sneakers. It has become my favourite title track from the soloist, and its energy and vibrancy has managed to develop it into an addictive track. As expected, Strawberry Gum just doesn’t hit that same mark for me (let alone, surpass it). To me, I thought the new song lacked that vibrancy and energy that made his previous title track stand out and catapult it to the top. However, that doesn’t mean that Strawberry Gum is a bad song in anyway, nor did it lack such elements. It had all of that. But it just didn’t hit home for me. Strawberry Gum taps into the retro funk style of music that seems to elicit the need to get up and dance. The chorus was the peak of the effect. But the pull for this to happen just wasn’t the same as the previous comeback. Part of this was simply because I didn’t find the song to be that innovative. And the vibrancy just wasn’t as high as Sneakers. The song definitely played to his strengths, but it felt safe and was more of a ‘traditional’ take on the retro/funk genres. Don Mills featured in the second verse, rapping his way through the song. I liked how Don Mills didn’t distract you from the song. Rather, he blended in really well into Strawberry Gum, keeping the song consistent and helping drive the song forward. I think there was a bit of a sacrifice by keeping the raps close to the song’s profile, but I thought it was clever for reasons already mentioned. Throughout Strawberry Gum, I felt Ha Sung Woon’s vocals were very consistent and showed off some nice restraint. The most impressive display of such skills was during the bridge of the song. His delivery added some much needed oomph to the song, the high note we got added some smoothness to the song and the slight addition of autotune at the start of the section to accompany his vocals gave off some nice texture. Overall, Strawberry Gum is pleasant and nice. But if I were to pick,Sneakers is more up my alley.
Ha Sung Woon changes from a janitor to the centre of the party in the music video for this release. For the most part, the video is reflective of the song. Pleasant and nice. But it isn’t something that I find myself replaying because I thought it was gripping or captivating. Just pleasant and nice, for me. What I did like in the video was the different hairstyles that Ha Sung Woon had. I felt the hair stylists really outdone themselves with the four hairstyles that showed off different sides of the artist. I also enjoyed Don Mill’s appearance in the video. Always nice to have the featuring artist appear in the video.
But unfortunately, he doesn’t appear on stage. Instead, the rap sequence was delivered by Ha Sung Woon’s friend, Ravi (from VIXX). I liked how energetic the performance was and how bouncy the moves were. The moonwalk and the ‘Be-Be-Be-Baby Love Me‘ part in the hook were my favourite parts of the performance. I also liked the tinge of cuteness Ha Sung Woon gives the performance via his facial expressions, which I am sure fans enjoy.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 8.5/10 Overall Rating – 7.8/10
Also making their comeback today is ONF, with the release of a new single and special mini-album, both sharing the same name, Popping. This is their third comeback of the year, following Beautiful Beautiful in March and Ugly Dance in May. I am super pumped for this comeback, especially since it follows what I consider to be some of ONF’s best work since their debut in 2017. So without further ado, I am going to get stuck into the new release and see if Popping lives up to the standards set by the group!
Spoiler alert – they do! Popping brings forth a very familiar atmosphere. I find it reminiscent of most of their comebacks. The instrumental reminds me of the really addictive Beautiful Beautiful, while the vocals brings me back to ONF’s earlier works, such as ON/OFF and Complete. It is quite an interesting feeling, as it has been a while since I have heard a song bring me down memory lane like this one. To further add to that already very appealing factor is a catchy melody and hook that just makes me reach for my mouse and take my cursor to the replay button every time the song finishes. I really like how chirpy and strong the vocals in this song are. They bring a very cheerful tone to the video, one that cannot make me stop smiling. I also really like the moments they chant along with each other in the chorus, bolding and defining the vocals already there to make them even more impactful. I do wish the song had a more substantial rap sequence, as I feel like this would have given the song a bit more dynamism. But what we got was still amazing nonetheless. Back to the instrumentals, instead of the brass we heard in Beautiful Beautiful, the producers of Popping changes up the song with flutes of some kind. I quite like this. It keeps the song in the realm of one of their most successful releases this far, but also maintains individuality. Overall, Popping is an awesome song that I think rivals the likes of ONF’s boldest and my personal favourite hits from the group.
But wait. Despite the song being so cheerful, the music video leads us on a different direction. The message I got from the song was that no matter what bad things happen, you can return to the happy memories. In this video, the bad event is everyone dies. The start where they are watching past videos felt like they were preparing for this mission. I am not too sure what the mission is, but there are a lot of elements throughout the video that are from their past videos. But I would need to go back through the videos to link them back to this one (no time for that). Instead I will focus on what happened in this video. The members venture off into space with MK and J-Us being astronauts, and the rest of the members staying behind at command centre. The misson goes array, though J-Us was the sole survivor but is alone on the cold winter planet. One of the spaceships they were on (there two ships) was infiltrated by the robots from the Beautiful Beautiful video. U sacrfices himself to distract the robots, while E-Tion was the one to ensure that no robots could get through the doors (i.e. he had to seal it with U out in the open). Despite that, bombs were hurled at the spaceships and blew up the spaceships, killing everyone on board (MK included). At the end of the video, we see Hyojin come in dressed in black and reaches out to end the video. I believe he killed his alterego, who somehow survived the explosion and was reaching out to Wyatt. I guess this means evil Hyojin (from Sukhumvit Swimming) was behind this attack and was the antagonist of this story. Also regarding J-Us at the end, I am not sure what he discovered. Aside from the plotline, the grand scale of this video (budget, quality, sets, production) is just another reason to watch this video.
To top off the already amazing nature of this comeback is the performance. It is energetic and super fun, reflective of the song’s tone and colour. I also really liked the swing of the various moves and the wholesome feel that comes from the performance. It make this aspect more appealing to watch and enjoy.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9.5/10
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!
A new week bring new releases. And the one of the many comebacks that start off this week belongs to The Boyz, who dropped THRILL RIDE earlier today. This new track is featured on the group’s sixth mini-album, THRILL-ING. We last saw The Boyz through their The Stealer comeback in September of last year. More recently, we saw the group participate in Kingdom: Legendary War, after receiving a one-way ticket to the show after winning Road To Kingdom. The group has also released a number of singles including Christmassy, Breaking Dawn and Drink It since their last comeback as well. But today, we are hear for a deeper listen to THRILL RIDE.
From the get-go, THRILL RIDE blasts us it with relentless energy. While many groups have done this before, THRILL RIDE has this fun and playful tone within the song which helps makes The Boyz’s delivery in this song actually quite unique. This uniqueness is also prominent when we consider the genre of the song – hip hop. I don’t think I have heard such a fun and playful sounding side of hip-hop in KPOP before (or for a while now, at the very least). That being said, THRILL RIDE had its intense and edgy moments, which are synonymous with most hip-hop releases. But let’s start from the start. The song begins with a very colourful and vibrant instrumentation that features deep autotune repetitions of the song’s title. The members continue the same vibrancy in the verses, with the hip-hop influences coming through quite strongly. THRILL RIDE‘s intensity comes in the form of the song’s pre-chorus, with Juyeon in the first verse and Ju Hakyeon in the second bringing us a concentrated burst of intensity. It is a bit of a curveball, but it is one that allows The Boyz to kick a home run with this song. The chorus opts for a pop melody, but this works really well with the material that The Boyz has created thus far. The second verse and chorus repeats the same techniques, but also maintains the appeal and energy from the first section of the song. The bridge opts for smoother vocals from New and Hyunjae, and a high note courtesy of Sangyeon. Then, Sunwoo and Eric launches us back into the final chorus with a brief whisper-rap sequence. I wished the producers opted for a changeup in the final chorus. I liked the consistency that the final chorus gives to the song in this case, but I think THRILL RIDE could have been more dynamic in its final moments to really bring the song home. But overall, THRILL RIDE is an exceptional Summer track that is vibrant and energetic but also taps into The Boyz’s skills.
I liked that the music video was all about having fun. Set in a hotel resort environment, the members both playing parts of patrons and staff at the resort (lifeguards, receptionist bellboys, waiters, bartenders etc.). I liked how on one end the members seemed professional and friendly. But on the other hand, the members can also be quite wild. The latter was particularly well captured in the scenes where they are in their bathrobes and wearing sunglasses. I feel those scenes really sums up the video is a very succinct manner. There are some edgy scenes, as well. And they did their job fine. Overall, it is a well produced video that works really well with the song.
I really like the energy that the members put into this choreography. It looks like the performance was just continuous and never really stops. In addition to a tiring routine, the members did a really good job of keep me captivated with their facial expressions, which were all smiles and a whole lot of vibrancy. I particularly enjoyed the post-chorus moments, where they repeat the title of the song. The formations were cool and super fun!
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 10/10 Overall Rating – 9.2/10
SEVENTEEN made their returned in mid-June as well. This comeback was titled Ready To Love, which is the title track of their 8th mini-album, Your Choice. This promotional run for the new song and album was a bit of a whirlwind. COVID-19 brought upon a pause in their promotions of the comeback, with the group going into quarantine for two weeks. The group then returned to promotions without S.Coups who was recovering from an injury. But the group still managed to clinch four weekly music show wins and they also sold more than 1.3 million copies of their album. So I would say Ready To Love is a successful comeback, despite the hiccups along the way. Anyhow, that was a brief recap of what has happened since the comeback dropped. Now, it is time for my review for the album!
Your Choice Album Cover
1. Heaven’s Cloud – Kicking off the album is Heaven’s Cloud. It is definitely is a song of no commitment, with such a light and airy vibe. It eases you into the album. Everything just rolled along and felt breezy in this song. Heaven’s Cloud also does a good job of showcasing the members in a more pleasant light. The vocals and rapping were just that, while the melodies had the right level of catchiness to make this song memorable. The “Gimme your Gimme your Love’ part in the bridge was my favourite bit. Overall, a nice listen and a great start to the group’s eighth mini-album. (8/10)
3. Anyone – The promotions may have biased me with this, but Anyone is my favourite side track on this album. Anyone has the edgy and intense vibe that I enjoy and prefer when it comes to music in the KPOP industry. Many groups have edgy songs, but I like how Anyone doesn’t necessarily go down the ‘dark route’’. Rather, Anyone focuses more on maturity. I like the stompy nature of the instrumentation (which is emphasized in the performance of the track) and the tinge of electro-rock that gives the song a subtle electrifying feel, which keeps you on your toes for the full duration of the song. The vocals and rapping packed a punch, making Anyone that more alluring. (10/10)
4. GAM3 BO1 (Hip-Hop Unit) – The chipmunk and synth-heavy instrumentation reminds me of old video games. It has this really bright and cheerful feel to it, which I quite like. And it is a very dynamic track. Unfortunately, the autotune in this song gets to me. It helps blend the quartet unit into the song and creates a more cohesive track. But it is quite obnoxious at the same time. When it comes to the song’s main hook (a consistent repetitive string of just the word ‘Game’), I am a bit torn. It is memorable and I definitely have it stuck in my head. But I find it a bit bland, at the same time. Overall, Gam3 Bo1 is a massive mix bag of likes and dislikes for me. (7/10)
5. Wave (Performance Unit) – Out of three unit tracks on this album, Wave is my favourite. In comparison to the Hip-Hop Unit’s track, Wave is a lot smoother and more hypnotic in a way. Compared to the Vocal Unit’s song, Wave is a lot dreamier. Wave taps into the house genre of EDM and creates a very fulfilling song. It is moodier and definitely more something up my alley. I really like the punchiness of the chorus and the satisfying nature of the drop in the same sequence. The Performance Unit does an impressive job of showcasing an aesthetic delivery in terms of vocals (and I am sure, the same for their performance), which ups the appeal of Wave. (9/10)
6. Same Dream, Same Mind, Same Night (같은 꿈, 같은 맘, 같은 밤) (Vocal Unit) – The final song on the album belongs to the Vocal Unit. Same Dream, Same Mind, Same Night is another impressive display of vocals, which is expected from the quintet. The instrumentation reminds me of a soft 90s R&B ballad, which is great if you are looking for something soothing to listen to. Even the vocal processing has that tinge from the 90s era. I do think they had too much going on towards the end as it felt slightly overwhelming for me. But overall, still a nice song overall. (8/10)
Another week has wrapped up and it is time to look back through the Weekly KPOP Charts segment. The first week of August 2021 saw many groups and artists return already (more so than the last few weeks). And it is set to continue into this week. But before we get to the next week, there is still a bit of time for a Weekly KPOP Chart post (this post), an album review and maybe a song review (or two). So with that being said, I have a bit of work to do and focus on. So let’s get going!
New releases of the week
Already reviewed from this week is ASTRO’s After Midnight, Golden Child’s Ra Pam Pam, Jeon Somi’s DUMB DUMB, Weeekly’s Holiday Party and ONEUS’ Shut Up 받고 Crazy Hot!. I also have plans to review releases from Sunmi and Kim Woojin. Also released this week are songs from Thunder (aka Cheondung – former member of MBLAQ), the collaboration between KINDA BLUE and Hwasa (from Mamamoo), 2Z, Kang Insoo (member of MYNAME) and the SKYLE (a newly debut female group). All have been included in the charts from this week.
Throwback corner
BLOOM BLOOM POW! Ahead of their comeback tomorrow, I have been listening to a lot of The Boyz’s songs. One of them is Bloom Bloom, which was released back in 2019 and went on to earn them their first music show win. Is there any particular reason to why I have been listening to this song more than others this week? No reason. Just a revisit to their K:CONTACT stages.
Non-Korean KPOP release of the week
I finally got around to reviewing Perfect World (by TWICE) yesterday through an International Song Review post. It is once again my pick for the track of the week. In addition to TWICE’s latest release, I also released songs from ATEEZ, SHINee, Jackson Wang and Rocket Punch.
The Charts
Congratulations to ASTRO’s After Midnight, which just managed to get ahead of the all the tracks on the charts this week to clinch the win! For more of the charts, scroll down below.
1st Week of August 2021
1st Aug – 7th Aug 2021
Pos.
Title
Artist
Status
1
After Midnight
ASTRO
(NEW)
2
Ra Pam Pam
Golden Child
(NEW)
3
Tear Drop
SF9
(▲ 21)
4
Drink It
The Boyz
(▲ 41)
5
Poison
PinkFantasy
(▲ 28)
6
Chi Mat Ba Ram
Brave Girls
(▲ 9)
7
Butterfly
Oh Sae Beom
(▲ 39)
8
KISS OR DEATH
MONSTA X
(▲ 52)
9
Lazy
Kim Woosung (The Rose)
(▲ 11)
10
Holiday Party
Weeekly
(NEW)
11
See You Again
Han Seung Woo (VICTON)
(▲ 33)
12
Ready To Love
SEVENTEEN
(=)
13
BYE BYE BYE
WEi
(▲ 13)
14
Stay With Me
Hoya
(▲ 49)
15
Rain To Be
ONEWE
(▲ 44)
16
Shut Up 받고 Crazy Hot!
ONEUS
(NEW)
17
Veronica
ONEWE
(▲ 46)
18
Pool Party
Brave Girls ft. E Chan of DKB
(▲ 7)
19
Rendezvous
Kim Jeong Uk
(▲ 44)
20
DUMB DUMB
Jeon Somi
(NEW)
21
You Can’t Sit With Us
Sunmi
(NEW)
22
Moonlight
BDC
(▲ 10)
23
Hey Kid, Close Your Eyes
AKMU with Lee Sun Hee
(▼ 14)
24
Weekend
Taeyeon (SNSD)
(▼ 10)
25
Christmas in July
KANGTA
(▲ 38)
26
Secreto
Yezi
(▲ 21)
27
Crazy Night
DONGKIZ
(▲ 31)
28
Mixtape: OH
Stray Kids
(▼ 24)
29
riBBon
BamBam (GOT7)
(▲ 10)
30
Hello Future
NCT DREAM
(▼ 24)
Songs leaving the charts this week
9 weeks later and the following songs have left the charts:
Next up on the album reviewing block is TWICE’s Taste of Love, the group’s 10th mini-album since debut. This album release features the title track Alcohol-Free, both of which released mid-June of this year. The physical version of the mini-album also features the English version of Cry For Me, a single which TWICE had released at the end of last year and performed for the first time at the 2020 MAMA Awards. I have opted to leave out Cry For Me from this review as I only have access to the digital version. But aside from that, the album still offers 5 new tracks for us to review. And given that this is a Summer release, there are high expectations based on their past Summer releases. So without anymore delays, here is the review for TWICE’s Taste of Love.
2. First Time – I liked how spacious the pop instrumental was and how it wasn’t hefty, despite it still being a substantial piece of music. What I am a bit torn about are the vocals. I really liked the idea of a falsetto delivery for the chorus. I am no vocalist, but it sounds well executed for the most part. But when it came to the ad-libs towards the end of the song, it felt like it was a bit too much falsetto work. While I felt First Time was balanced thanks to the deeper toned members who kept the song grounded, the addition of ad-libs that went further than the falsettos threw the song off balance for me. This is might just be me nitpicking once again, but that was my genuine thoughts on the song. Overall, First Time was decent, but could have been refined more to be even better. (8/10)
3. Scandal – For me, Scandal was the summer track that I didn’t know I needed. I love the boldness of the song, which was alluring and fun. The song starts off with the whispered line ‘Baby we are a scandal. Too hot to handle’, which pretty much sets the tone and theme of the lyrics of the song. It is repeated throughout the song and this repetition no doubts make it the song’s addictive hook. The synth-pop instrumentation with the added bass and the keyboard is so groovy and funky. I also feel that the keyboard sequence was familiar, but I cannot pinpoint where from. My only complaint is Dahyun’s repeat of the line just prior to the final chorus was so hush hush, it was barely audible. But only a minor complaint that barely makes a dent on the song’s appeal. (10/10)
4. Conversation – The funkiness continues on in Conversation. It isn’t as apparent at first, but the chorus definitely concentrates the funkiness into something you can definitely feel. Unfortunately, I don’t hear much else in Conversation to be that appealing other than that funkiness. The melodies were not as profound like the instrumentation or the other songs on the album. And I thought their vocal work was pretty standard. (6/10)
5. Baby Blue Love – Once again, Baby Blue Love continues the groovy theme of this mini-album. But Baby Blue Love features of a disco influence, which is a different form of the energy we got in the previous songs. I like how the album isn’t necessarily putting out the same style and keeping the tracks on the album fresh and unique to one another. Anyhow, back to Baby Blue Love. I feel the vocal work is nailed really well here. It isn’t complicated nor does it add extra technique that feels risky. Simple seems to be what TWICE thrives on. The song also had some good hooks that made it a catchy number to enjoy. I would have liked to hear more rapping and for the song to change it up towards the end to keep it from getting repetitive. (8/10)
6. SOS – Ending the album is SOS. It reminds me of pop queen diva styled synth tracks, like the ones put out by Madonna or Kylie Minogue. It has that elegance and hint of sensuality that TWICE has touched on before in the past. Unfortunately, I do think SOS is less dynamic and energetic as per the previous side tracks. It lacks that drive forward and feels somewhat stagnant. The vocals and rapping was substantial and a fair effort from the group. (7/10)
It has been a bit of a break since the last International Song Review post. So today, I will return with five additional reviews for the non-Korean music released more recently around the world by some of our favourite Korean artists. On this post’s lineup, we have TWICE, ATEEZ, SHINee and Rocket Punch with their latest Japanese releases, and Jackson Wang (one seventh of GOT7) with his not-so-recent new English single. So without further ado, here are the reviews!
Perfect World – TWICE
For those who follow my blog, you may recognize that this isn’t the first time that TWICE’s Perfect World is being featured on it. For a number of weeks, Perfect World has been my pick for the Non-Korean KPOP release of the week corner of my Weekly KPOP Charts posts since its music video was released at the end of June 2021. What really draws my attention to Perfect World is the Latin influence that is featured in the song. While I do find the Latin trend to be overused in KPOP, I found its use in this song is be pretty dynamic and refreshing. I attribute this to the combinational use of rock and brass in the song. I also like the theatrical nature of the ‘Get out, Get lost‘ section of the chorus, which adds depth and punch to the song. it also helps that particular sequence was super catchy and I cannot get it out of my head. Perfect World itself also shows off an additional mature side of the group that is a lot darker and fiercer that usual. For the music video, I really liked the two sides of styling in this music video. One shows off an alluring side of the group, with the members donning sophisticated and stylish outfits that distracts the males in the population, causing havoc around them. The other takes on that fiercer look, almost militaristic. I liked the concept, but pretty much thought the video went a bit crazy (in terms of plotline) when the car crashed into the theatre. I did like how the stage came crashing down behind them. Just thought the idea of audience going crazy a bit over the top. For the choreography, I really liked where they were going with it. I liked how they showed off their mature side in this performance, with the ‘Get Out. Get Lost‘ sequence being my favourite. I also think the Latin influenced instrumental break was another great moment, though I wished there was more of that Latin influence in the choreography. (8.5/10)
Dreamers – ATEEZ
ATEEZ released their first original Japanese single, titled Dreamers, at the end of July. It also doubles up as one of the ending themes for the recently rebooted Digimon series (now that is one throwback to my childhood). Dreamers is probably ATEEZ’s most melodic release to date, opting for a tropical pop vibe that definitely reminds you of Summer. If you had expected something intense like their Korean title tracks, then prepare to be disappointed. That being said, I am all for spotlighting unexplored territory for groups. And Dreamers does just that, showcasing a more delicate and light side of the group. The song focuses more on melodies, allowing the vocal line of the group to flourish. The ‘Oo La La La’ part is such a catchy hook. However, the rappers are given equal opportunities to bring some of their inherent intensity to the song through their rap sequences. I am glad they did, as they kept the song going for me and gave us brief breaks from the melody. Otherwise, I fear that Dreamers would have been overly repetitive and evolved to be a boring song just simply by reaching the end of the song, if not multiple listens to the song. As for the music video, it was a pretty simple one with the members outside in the forest and along the beach. It was pleasant and Summery, matching the tone of their new song. I also liked how breezy the video was, highlighting the refreshing side of the song as well. (8/10)
SUPERSTAR – SHINee
SHINee’s return to their group’s music career isn’t complete without the return to the Japanese market, which they have been active in since 2011. Earlier this year, the group returned with Don’t Call Me and Atlantis in Korea. And before Taemin enlisted into the military, the group returned with their first ever Japanese mini-album which shares the same name as the title track. SUPERSTAR, while is another pleasant track, it also rather forgettable for the most part. However, that doesn’t mean that SHINee didn’t do a good job. Their vocals and rapping were all pretty good and showed solid effort. The funky instrumentation was a good element, which helped give the song that aforementioned pleasant vibe. I also liked incorporation of brass and when the members sang together. I feel that SUPERSTAR could have been better with stronger hooks and melodies. But overall, still a decent song. For the music video, it begins with the members at a press conference and in front of the cameras. But the rest of the video shows the more homey life of the group. Not too bad of a concept. I did like the cool transition in the video into the SuperStar Revolution arcade game. The best aspect of this release for me is the choreography. It is simple but definitely works extremely well with the pleasant feel of the song. I also liked the chemistry they brought to the performance, interacting with one another and keeping the choreography light and carefree, rather than a strict and precise routine. It made everything enjoyable and definitely showcases their bond after 13 years. (7.6/10)
LMLY – Jackson Wang
I feel that Jackson Wang is a recurring artist on this segment, as he continually pumping out songs in English and Chinese (and I already I put him down for the next post as well for a more recent release). But I am not complaining and I am sure that IGOT7 and AGHASEs are enjoying the continuous release of songs from Jackson. LMLY (Leave Me Loving You) was a single released way back in March (sorry for the delay with this review). It was a surprising listen. After songs like 100 Ways,Pretty Please and his more recent ventures into balladry, I didn’t expect Jackson to return with a synth-pop song (though I didn’t know what to expect, to be honest). But guess what? I have been loving it! I really like the light nature of the instrumentation in the song and the retro touch is has. It contrasts really nicely with Jackson’s husky vocals which are on full display throughout the song. I also like how you can hear that tinge of heartbreak behind his voice, fitting for the lyrics and the concept of the video. To me, LMLY and the rest of Jackson’s discography that I have reviewed so far has shown me that Jackson is capable of anything. Excited to hear what he releases next and what direction he will go with in his upcoming Korean release that he has been talking about. For the video, I just love the control that Jackson has over what he releases, ever since he left JYP Entertainment. He continues bringing in that 90s Hong Kong movie style and atmosphere. For LMLY, he is a dishwasher who falls in love with a customer. Throughout the video, we see him make moves towards the customer, but it all turns out that it is in his head and not real life. The bummer twist is that she goes off to marry another guy (who looks like he didn’t want to be in a relationship with her, but I guess that might just be Jackson’s imagination as well), leaving Jackson heartbroken and sad by the time the video wraps up. (9.4/10)
Bubble Up! – Rocket Punch
This is Rocket Punch’s first time on this segment, thanks to the release of Bubble Up!, which is the group’s Japanese debut single. I was a bit reluctant to put the group up for review in this segment, given that their releases (with the exception of Ring Ring) have been misses or long forgotten for me. But I am always willing to give groups another chance and I am glad that I did for Bubble Up!. It may not be the best song out there and it isn’t a song that I would usually listen to at all. But Bubble Up! definitely has its merits. First and foremost, it is enjoyable and pleasant. It is another cutesy song, fitting neatly into the group’s discography thus far. But it isn’t over to the top sweet or cutesy, which I appreciate. Secondly, I liked how dynamic the instrumentation was. The various effects and synths all came together nicely to create a cohesive piece. With the exception of the slow down in the first verse, I am practically fine with the song. That slow down felt a bit random and was unnecessary. I am glad the second verse didn’t have anything similar. Thirdly, the vocals were quite consistency, and did a good job of making the song catchy and enjoyable. The build to the high note was commendable. I thought the rapping was good, but there wasn’t any substantial part though. Overall, a bubbly and appreciable release (quite a change from the usual criticism I give the group). For the music video, I thought the bright and pastel colours were well used. Definitely fitting that cutesy profile of both group and song. I do question the plummeting of plastic balls and earthquakes throughout the video though. Not what I think of when considering what bubbles are. For the choreography, I thought it was fine and matching with the song. (7.3/10)
For me, the next release came out of the blue. I was not aware of that ONEUS would be returning to us with a new series, ONEUS Theatre. From what I can gather, this isn’t a formal comeback. Rather ONEUS will be release some old songs that the group that the group have not formally released yet, and will be seeking influences from famous movies for the music video. The first song in the ONEUS Theatre series is Shut Up 받고 Crazy Hot!. This new release comes after two comebacks from the group, No Diggity and BLACK MIRROR from earlier in the year.
Shut Up 받고 Crazy Hot! is quite a robust and hefty release. And it is releases like this that feels quite satisfying to listen to. Compared to the original (performed at their debut concert in 2019), this newer version of the song is more amplified and I find that it uplifts the song to be more energetic and aligned with ONEUS’ recent comebacks. It starts off with a playful vibe brought to us via some piano, which is over the top of some intense underlay. The piano is maintained in chorus, which showcases both intensity and that same playful vibe. The chorus is also chanty, and the combination of instrumentation and chanty style chorus produced a really fun and addictive centre piece for the song. I really liked how the blended in the chorus outro into the actual body of the chorus. It was an awkward segment in the original version, for me at least. For the verses, Shut Up 받고 Crazy Hot! diverts into two directions. The rappers maintain that intensity I mentioned before, allowing them to showcase a tough and edgy vibe via their deeper tones. The vocalists bring more of that lightheartedness to the song, via the pop tunes that form the background of their segments. It is interesting because I never find the two segments of the song too conflicting. And as the chorus of Shut Up 받고 Crazy Hot! shows, the two directions can be merged together very well. I also like how the bridge goes from being slowed down into a very bold and theatrical instrumental piece that concentrates the entirety of Shut Up 받고 Crazy Hot! with a few seconds. Overall, Shut Up 받고 Crazy Hot! is a great release in addition to their main title tracks.
The music video for this release is actually a performance video, rather than your standard music video. So the choreography would be the main focus. But I will talk about that in the next paragraph. As mentioned at the start of this review, ONEUS Theatre video’s will be based on famous movies. Shut Up 받고 Crazy Hot!‘s video is based on the Mad Max series. The video’s location (sandy desert) was great choice and I liked how the props and outfit did give off the Mad Max vibes. I also felt that it also really highlighted an edgy vibe for the group. I do wish they didn’t use the tan coloured add-ons. It doesn’t look good and felt tacky. I also wished the male dancers were not in such ripped shirts. It looked terrible and felt out of placed in this video, considering ONEUS and the female dancers wore outfits that were not ripped to shreds to the extent of male dancers. I also don’t like the use of the drones in this music video. Those shots were too fast and extreme for my liking. This might just be me nitpicking, but these were thoughts that I had while watching the video for the first time last night.
Choreography-wise, I think Shut Up 받고 Crazy Hot! had a great routine. It is a completely different routine to what they previously performed with. And I find this new version of the choreography does a good job of matching the energy of the song. The previous version felt dulled and lacked energy.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.5/10
Making their return yesterday is Weeekly, who returns with their fourth mini-album, Play Game: Holiday, and the title track, Holiday Party. This is the group’s first comeback since After School earlier this year. The biggest difference between the two comebacks is the lack of a member. Shin Jiyoon is sitting out of promotions for Holiday Party and for the next while due to stress and anxiety, but did participate in the recording of the album and the music video (as seen down below). Weeekly will continue as a six-member group for the time being while Shin Jiyoon recuperates.
I have listened to Holiday Party twice since its release yesterday. One clear indication I really enjoy a song (and I am assuming that this is the same for most people) is that it has me coming back for more – either immediately or quite soon after. But based on my confessed listening frequency thus far, it appears that Holiday Party just doesn’t reel me in. I thought the song just didn’t bring anything new to the table or redo anything previously done in a refreshing manner. For the most part, the song was largely forgettable for me. The vocals were good, but it was almost borderline sugary territory for me, which I am not much of a fan of. The rapping felt much better, particularly Jiyoon’s section at the end. I felt her sequence, though brief, gave the song a bit of substance, and was a nice cut through the high pitched vocals of the chorus. Wished there was more of this! The instrumental took on this choppy style which I thought was good, but it wasn’t exactly amazing at the same time. The melodies and chanty style that made the chorus were okay, though they didn’t ping me for being something memorable. I did like the contrast between the instrumentation and vocals though. That is probably one of the few things that make the song somewhat interesting for me. Overall, I would say that that Holiday Party comes off as bubbly and pleasant (as a whole). But it simply stops at that. Personally, I don’t know what I want with Weeekly. While I do like how they are staying ‘original’ by keeping true to their roots and keeping their discography quite consistent, I don’t know if they can continue and succeed with such formula if they cannot find a catchy and memorable song like Tag Me or Zig Zag again.
I feel similar comments could be applied to the music video for Holiday Party. It was an okay video to watch. Nothing too memorable to get me to return to the music video for further repeats. The members go on a fun trip and have some fun. That is the extent of this music video. Great concept for a Summer song, though I feel the sets and music video felt too artificial as a result and this dulled any appeal of the concept. I wished they ventured outside and had some real fun in the sun. I think that would have been more impactful than a spewing washing machine or golf on a pink planet.
Again, the performance isn’t memorable. But I think it did a good job of channeling the bubbliness and pleasantry of the song. It did have a bounce to it, which I guess works with the choppiness of the song. But overall, I feel that this was a forgettable comeback for the group.
Song – 5.5/10 Music Video – 6/10 Performance – 6/10 Overall Rating – 5.5/10
The final major comeback to occur on Monday was ASTRO’s After Midnight. This comeback follows ASTRO’s earlier 2021 comeback, ONE, and second studio album, All Yours. The new title track is featured on the group’s 8th mini-album since debut, titled Switch On.
After a string of mature and powerful title tracks, After Midnight takes a step back to ASTRO’s earlier roots of bright and fun pop songs. While it might not be as apparent, I actually prefer the darker and mature releases of many groups. And ASTRO is no exception to this preference. So naturally, I gravitate towards ASTRO in their more recent light. But I do like the occasion brightly energetic and fun track, which After Midnight definitely ticks the boxes for. I really like how After Midnight retains a bit of that matureness and isn’t as sugary as their more youthful and earlier works. It just doesn’t sound like a song released in the early years of one’s career! The funky instrumentation of After Midnight keeps on coming, never really stopping until the bridge to make way for a soft break. But Rocky manages to ramp up the song back to the song’s funky energy before the slow down with his rap sequence. Elsewhere, I liked Jinjin’s rap sequence following the first chorus, which continued the momentum of the first chorus into the second verse. I also like the final sequence of the song. It was definitely a concentrated form of what we heard throughout After Midnight and a well-done last ditch effort to really sell After Midnight (and it worked, as I was definitely thinking of the sequence after the song wrapped up). For the other members, their vocals helped add extra life to the song, and definitely made the hooks catchy. But I feel that these two elements could have gone further. I have two primary wishes for this song – the vocalists were a tad louder and the hooks were more dynamic. What we got was quite satisfying, catchy and works really well already. But I felt that the vocalists were masked by the chorus instrumentation just by a hair, and so I wished they were more appropriate balanced with the consistent instrumentation. For the hooks, I kind of wanted more dynamism and hefty hooks. I think both wishes would have made After Midnight even bolder. But overall, a great return to their earlier days, but also a great addition to their growing discography.
The song is all about wanting to spend time with their lover all night. While we don’t see that, we do see a similar concept between the members. Eunwoo starts off with a battery sign on his wrist which was low. But after spending time with the members, Moonbin’s battery was filled. This basically means that their time spent together throughout the night was enough to recharge their batteries. As for the rest of the music video, I really liked the the different places they shot at (not sure if they were sets or locations, but they looked really cool). I also liked the colours within the video. They don’t pop out or seem that bold. But they had this certain definition to it. And obvious, Summery usually equals colours.
As expected with the song being fun and upbeat, the choreography was equally as energetic and fun. I also really like the member’s facial expressions (all very happy and smile), which made up a lot of the atmosphere of the choreography.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.5/10
Also making a Monday comeback is Golden Child with Ra Pam Pam. The song is the title track off their second studio-length album (titled Game Changer), which also dropped on Monday. This is Golden Child first comeback since their Yes and Burn It comeback at the very start of this year. In related Golden Child news, the group was scheduled to be one of the first groups to return to ‘offline concerts’ last month, but this was ultimately postponed due to a surge in local cases of COVID-19 in South Korea (which have affected a number of KPOP stars recently). I guess a bit more waiting is involved before we can see the Golden Child members (and other groups) up close and personal again. Glad that Ra Pam Pam was not affected.
Ra Pam Pam is a substantial track that allows Golden Child to both experiment and show off their skills in many departments. However, what I am missing in Ra Pam Pam is a robust bombastic sound that really highlights and emphasises the beat. That would have literally been a ‘game changer’ for me (trust me, when I get around to the album review, I will be using the same pun if the song evokes it). But instead, we were given a Moombahton beat. Personally, I felt that this was a bit too soft for my liking. Something metallic or electronic would have been ideal, in my point of view. Think of it as corners to a rectangle. I wanted something sharper like pointy corners, but Ra Pam Pam goes with rounder corners (sorry for going all geometry on you). That being said, the Moombahton influences, combined with the flutes, drums and other percussion in the instrumentation in Ra Pam Pam gave a nice Latin-pop like profile. Again, it isn’t an original idea. But I think Golden Child pulls it off well, especially since it is such an overused sound/genre in KPOP. For the vocals, I thought the group excelled in this department. Especially when it came to the choruses. The togetherness of the song’s main hook was really satisfying, addictive and catchy. I also like the syllable delivery approach in the chorus, giving Ra Pam Pam that sharpness I really wanted. The cleanness of the high note was quite good as well. I also really liked the rapping in this song. The energy that came from it and the momentum kept the song moving forward and was quite satisfying as well. Overall, Ra Pam Pam is quite satisfying as a whole song, but I just wanted something more honed and concentrated.
The music video of Ra Pam Pam is set in a dystopian future, with the members being sole survivals of what seems to be an alien invasion and an alien spaceship extracting energy from Earth. And per usual, the members of Golden Child are the ones to save the day. They monitor what is going on out there and hatch a plan to save what is left of the world. Only problem is that they cannot go out there as the dust is toxic and they only have two breathing apparatus. Daeyeol, who is over seeing his members being trapped in the confines of their refuge building, takes one breathing apparatus to shut down whatever machine has been set up to extract energy from Earth. Y follows him out there. The aliens catch on and destroy Y’s oxygen tank. Daeyeol makes the ultimate sacrifice by giving his breathing apparatus to Y before being shot in the back. However, he manages to key in the code and shut the machine down, which ends up wiping those masked aliens (or humans, not too sure). The other members go searching for the pair who is outside, only to find the atmosphere clear up. The members venture outside, and based on what their facial expressions, seem to realize that at least one of their own was killed to make it possible for them to go outside again. But it is revealed as a bit of a plot twist that Daeyeol may still be alive after all with the move of a finger. This music video is another case of a movie condensed into a span of 4 minutes. I hope there is some epilogue or a sequel to give me closure to the story. Only one small wish with this video – I just wished the ending font didn’t look so cheap.
While the song wasn’t as sharp, the choreography was. And I think this really showcase Golden Child’s performance skills once again. This was particularly observed during the ‘Ra Pam Pam‘ chorus hook, where they did Latin-styled dance moves and had a small bounce to said moves. I also liked their outfit concept for the comeback. It gives off sexy vibes that highlights their matureness and transition to ‘Golden Men’. Donghun and Jangjun really killed it on the style front this comeback.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.8/10
Kick starting this new week and month in KPOP are three comebacks, all dropping on Monday (yesterday). First up is Jeon Somi, who is returning after a year since her last release, What Are You Waiting For?. Her new single is titled DUMB DUMB and today I am checking out DUMB DUMB in this review.
Blink and the song is over before you know it. And unfortunately, the appeal of DUMB DUMB is very brief and the combination of both a short song and brief moments of appeal doesn’t help the song become that memorable. DUMB DUMB starts off with whimsical whispering that give off a cheerful light. Jeon Somi tackles the verse with plain vocals and instrumentation, and forgettable momentum. I don’t have much else to say about the verses, unfortunately. It wasn’t until we got to the chorus where DUMB DUMB picked up. The whispering returns, but this time it gives off a mature vibe when it is joined with a moody groovy electro atmosphere. I quite liked this instrumental pairing and it gave DUMB DUMB a bit of intriguingness. Combined with Jeon Somi’s spoken lines as the chorus’ hook and you have a pretty sleek and memorable chorus. The song repeats the same profile for the second round, though we are given a rap sequence in the second verse. Another miss, to be honest. DUMB DUMB lacks a bridge, and instead replaces with a brief second of instrumentation with a chanty anthem to finish up the song. While I do like the concept of a change up and anthem to end this song, it just didn’t have the right level of energy to really bring the song home and give it a high/peak it deserves to end with. I found the instrumentation to be lackluster and simply an extension of what we have heard earlier in DUMB DUMB, while Jeon Somi’s vocals didn’t have amplification or momentum behind it. DUMB DUMB is good song, but it is more so an example of a song in which I want more from. Likewise, from Jeon Somi herself.
For the music video, Jeon Somi is a teenage girl who is trying to impress her crush. She imagines walking up to him all confident and wiping his lips. She dances at a party to attract his attention. But while she imagines him to be interested, it takes a simple well-timed bump in the school hallway to get his attention and for them to interact. Though, I wished he didn’t have a clueless face on the entire time. Aside from the plotline, I like how the lyrics are literally portrayed in this video, with Jeon Somi dancing on top of the male character’s head in the first chorus, right when she speaks the line ‘I’m dancing on top of your head, you DUMB DUMB‘. It was corny and made me laugh in a good way.
Based on what I can see in the music video, it looks like a good dance. I can see the chorus to be the next thing on TikTok, and I liked how it encapsulated the mature vibes of the section.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.5/10
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