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.

[Weekly Chart] 5th Week of June 2021

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I pause the current transmission of album reviews (more coming your way today!) with the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 5th Week of June 2021. I want to focus on album reviews for the rest of today, so I will get going with this post without anymore of the introduction. Remember that next weekend, I will be focusing on the many releases from newly debut groups from this year! Other than that, expect a few more album reviews today and the normal transmission of reviews starting tomorrow.

New songs released this week

Aside from the three releases I did review this week (i.e. 2PM’s Make It, LOONA’s PTT (Paint The Town) and NCT DREAM’s Hello Future), a record number of other songs were also released this week that became eligible for the charts this week. These releases include:

  • Free Pass – DRIPPIN
  • See You Again – Han Seung Woo (of VICTON)
  • Rain Song – EPIK HIGH
  • Moonlight – BDC
  • Summer Night – Kim Kyu Jong (of SS501)
  • Vamos – OMEGA X
  • Xtra – AleXa
  • Crazy Night – DONGKIZ
  • Karma – KINGDOM
  • Find – Moon Jongup ft. Moon Sujin
  • 13IVI – BM (of 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)

I will be reviewing some of these releases in some capacity in the future. Keep your eyes open for these reviews!

Throwback Corner

2PM’s comeback this week also included performances for some of their past releases such as My House and Hands Up. But my pick for this week’s Throwback Corner is their third performance for A.D.T.O.Y which was a release from 2013.

Non-Korean Track of the Week

As I mentioned last week, I am bringing back this segment. I debated whether to put TXT’s Magic back in this week. But while I have been frequently replaying Magic, I thought I add in another non-Korean song that is newly released this week and have thoroughly enjoyed as well. I am talking about Twice’s Perfect World.

The Charts

Congratulations to SEVENTEEN, who has topped my Weekly KPOP Charts for the 5th Week of June 2021 with their latest title track, Ready To Love. For more of the charts, please scroll down below.

PS. Not sure why I cannot get rid of those two cells on the right hand side of the table. My block just keeps on crashing when I try to remove it.

  20th Jun – 26th Jun 2021  
Title Artist Status  
1 Ready To Love SEVENTEEN (▲ 1)
2 Hello Future NCT DREAM (NEW)
3 Chi Mat Ba Ram Brave Girls (▼ 2)
4 Higher A.C.E (▲ 1)
5 PTT (Paint The Town) LOONA (NEW)
6 Make It 2PM (NEW)
7 BLACK MIRROR ONEUS (▲ 25)
8 Fever ENHYPEN (▲ 52)
9 Finale (Show And Prove) BTOB (▲ 21)
10 Rain To Be ONEWE (▲ 12)
11 0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You) TXT ft. Seori (▼ 3)
12 Don’t Fight The Feeling EXO (▼ 9)
13 Free Pass DRIPPIN (NEW)
14 FIRST EVERGLOW (▲ 45)
15 Ring Ring Rocket Punch (▲ 11)
16 KINGDOM COME The Boyz (▲ 31)
17 Sneakers Ha Sung Woon (▼ 3)
18 Mixtape: OH Stray Kids (▲ 23)
19 Dun Dun Dance! Oh My Girl (▼ 3)
20 Lazy Kim Woosung (The Rose) (▲ 45)
21 See You Again Ha Seung Woo (VICTON) (NEW)
22 Veronica ONEWE (NEW)
23 BYE BYE BYE WEi (▼ 3)
24 I Want You Around (ft. DeVita) Yugyeom (GOT7) (▲ 20)
25 GAMBLER MONSTA X (▼ 18)
26 Crazy Night DONGKIZ (NEW)
27 Hot Sauce NCT DREAM (▼ 9)
28 My Lips Like Warm Coffee Chungha & Colde (▲ 18)
29 riBBon BamBam (GOT7) (▼ 16)
30 Lock Down EPEX (▲ 32)

Songs leaving the charts this week

Four songs make their exit from the Weekly KPOP Charts this week after finishing up their nine weeks eligibility. They are:

  • The Lady – Bumkey ft. Moonbyul (Mamamoo)
  • Not The End – HIGHLIGHT
  • Beautiful Night – Yesung (Super Junior)
  • Make Up Your Mind – Ailee

[Album Review] BORDER: CARNIVAL (2nd Mini Album) – ENHYPEN

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Next up on the album review influx is ENHYPEN, who returned with BORDER: CARNIVAL (the group’s second mini-album since debut) at the end of April. Leading the album is the title track is Drunk-Dazed, which received a positive review from me. This album release follows the group’s debut at the end of November 2020 with Given-Taken and BORDER: Day One, which was also deemed as a very success debut based on the rookie awards they won within two months after their debut (Note; they will be considered for the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards New Groups Awards). And so the expectations for this comeback were high. Let’s see if they reached those expectations.

BORDER: CARNIVAL Album Cover

1. Intro: The Invitation – If you want creepy, the opening few seconds of The Invitation is probably after. The childish nursery-rhyme like melody feels like it was taken out of a movie about a haunted house where the ghost is a young child who tragically died many years ago. But while that does give chills, the song isn’t just a sample from a horror movie. It quickly develops into a hypnotic indie retro synth track, with the chanting ‘Feel like I am in paradise’ line that is quite catchy and Jake’s narration that invites you to the carnival. A great opener, if you ask me. Only downside is that it is short. (9/10)

2. Drunk-Dazed – Click here to read the full review of Drunk-Dazed. (8.5/10)

3. FEVER – FEVER follows the title track. It is also the follow-up promotional track to end their BORDER: CARNIVAL promotions and was given the music video treatment (which I will revisit in the future). FEVER starts off as a slow dance track, taking on what sounds like a R&B mix. The entire song is kept in this slow gear. It personally isn’t my cup of tea. But I guess fans would enjoy this sultrier and more mature vibe from the group that the slowness managed to bring out. I do wish we got to hear more of their vocals with less vocal processing. It did feel a bit much in this song, to be honest. (7/10)

4. Not For Sale – The next song on the album is Not For Sale, which seems to mash up more R&B with a tropical house influences this time around. It comes out to be a nice and pleasant mix, one to definitely enjoy in this current summer season. Once again, the vocals are heavily processed in this song. I am not sure why the producers felt it was necessary in this song. I felt the ENHYPEN members could have done an amazing job with rawer vocals. And as a result, I enjoyed the live performances more (they promoted this track during their comeback week). And it here that I find the song more wholesome sounding and warming, feelings in which I didn’t get initially when I listened to the official audio. (7.5/10)

5. Mixed Up (별안간) – For me, Mixed Up was the best side track on this mini-album. I found myself drawn to the rock vibes that we get in the song, peaking through the heavier hip-hop influence of the instrumentation. I kind of wished it was more dominate, especially since it made the pre-choruses feel so powerful. For once, I think the vocal processing is justified. It gave the song that tiny bit of rough texture that felt appropriate for the instrumentation. It also helped infuse some edge in the song. I found the beat and chorus to be memorable and catchy. Overall, a great addition to the album. (9/10)

6. Outro: The Wormhole – Leading out the album is The Wormhole. It is quite an atmospheric minute and half, and I liked how the song built upon itself. It gave off the effect as if you were being pulled into a hole, which essentially is a wormhole. Jake returns to narrate in this track. I do question the need for the vocal processing over a narration, as I found it hard to understand him (Note: I speak with an Aussie accent, so I think I can comprehend him pretty well). I felt that the instrumental did a good enough job of drowning his narration as it inclined. But I guess it could be an artistic choice. But overall, a great track that gets me excited for their future releases. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.2/10

BORDER: CARNIVAL Teaser Image

[Album Review] MO’ COMPLETE: HAVE A DREAM (4th Mini Album) – AB6IX

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As I have mentioned on my blog several time this week, I will be focusing my effort on reviewing albums this week. This is all in a bid to help me catch up on the many albums that I should have reviewed weeks (or months, in some cases) ago. First up on this album review influx is AB6IX’s 4th mini-album, MO’ COMPLETE: HAVE A DREAM. The mini-album was released alongside their title track, Close, at the end of April, which makes this album review two months over due (sorry!). This release follows their 3rd mini-album, which was later repackaged into Salute: A New Hope (headlined by the title track Stay Young). As you can imagine, I have a lot more work to do. So let’s just get right to the album review.

Album cover for MO’ COMPLETE: HAVE A DREAM, AB6IX's fourth mini-album. The album is rather simple, with a pale teal background and all writing in a cream colour.
MO’ COMPLETE: HAVE A DREAM Album Cover

1. HEADLINE – HEADLINE opens up the album with bold sounds, via its use of bass, house elements and funky influences in the instrumental. It is a great opener and sets up the album on a very positive note. When it comes to the vocals, they quite strong, which is suitable for the song. It brings it on par with the instrumentation. The melodies and hooks in this song are also quite catchy. I wish the rapping had a bit more oomph to it. I do like Woojin’s technique, but I think his section could have gone further than what it did, in terms of energy and dynamism. (8/10)

2. CLOSE (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for CLOSE. (8/10)

3. LULULALA – Next up is LULULALA, a pop track that feels just right for the summer season. Aside from being upbeat and fun sounding (which is everything you want in a summer song), the song is also a great platform to showcase the vocals from each of the members. In particular, Lee Daehwi’s vocals were superb in this song, working extremely well with the rock influences that made up the pop track. For me, this is my favourite song on the album. I liked the rapping here, as opposed to the first song, as it worked well with the rest of the song. (9/10)

4. MERRY-GO-ROUND – MERRY-GO-ROUND continues the same sound from the previous song. But it isn’t as energetic and as Summery as the previous song. The song tones down that energy and this gives off a very standard type of feel. While I do like the energy that the electronic influences in the instrumental especially when we got to the chorus, there isn’t really much to the song in terms of appeal. As a result, I put MERRY-GO-ROUND as the weakest song on the album. But that being said, it was still a decent song to listen to. (7/10)

5. A LONG WINTER – A LONG WINTER is probably the outlier on the album. It takes form as a R&B song, with a rock band instrumental. This in particular was a highlight for the song, as it spoke to my personal tastes. It was also nice to ease out the album this way, which was full of energy. A LONG WINTER had a good showcase of vocals and rapping, as well. Overall, a soothing ender to the album. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8/10

AB6IX poses in white shirts whilst brushing their teeth in this teaser image for the release of MO’ COMPLETE: HAVE A DREAM.
MO’ COMPLETE: HAVE A DREAM Teaser Image

[Review] Hello Future – NCT DREAM

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Also making their comeback on Monday is NCT Dream (apologies for the long delays in getting this review out). The NCT subunit unveiled their latest title track, Hello Future, and the group’s first ever repackaged album which shares the same name as title track. Hello Future follows the release of Hot Sauce (both title track and name of the group’s first ever mini-album). The full-length album featuring both Hello Future and Hot Sauce will be reviewed tomorrow as part of the Album Review focus this weekend. In preparation for that, I will need to write my full review for Hello Future, so here are my thoughts on their new song.

Hello Future finds that middle ground between their very youthful tracks that they began their careers with and their more mature sound that they have opted for in their more recent releases. How so? Well, the pop instrumentation that sits in the background gives off a refreshing and pleasant vibe that feels like a throwback to those early days. And it feels like a great Summer track, overall. Hello Future may not start off in this manner (thanks to that deep gurgling-like effect), but it does give off such impressions when we get to the chorus. It actually took me a few repeats to warm up to the opening verse because of that gurgling-like effect in the background, but getting through it to reach the chorus was definitely worthwhile (more on this in second). In addition to the youthful reminder via the instrumentals, the groups vocals in both rapping and singing brings forward that matureness. Compared to their early releases, NCT Dream’s voices (particular the rappers) have gotten pretty deep, which I assume is the reason why NCT Dream ended up going down the mature route of KPOP releases. For Hello Future, I liked how they capitalised on this unavoidable change. The singing vocals brought this insane level of smoothness to the song and kept the song grounded in a positive manner. The melodies we hear in the chorus are so captivating and stunning, and this is all thanks to the vocalists in NCT Dream. For the rappers of the group, their sequences provided some interesting contrast that made the song memorable and well-balanced. In particular, the sequences we get after the second chorus have the song some nice brief punches of intensity, which acted as a superb offset to the song’s pleasantness. But while Hello Future is an awesome song already, I do feel that the song had opportunities to be more dynamic, especially when it came to the ad-libs at the end of the song. It felt pretty safe and ‘in the box’. What they needed was to venture out of the confines of said box to ensure this song hit a home run. But as of now, it was still a very enjoyable song from the group.

To me, the group are portrayed as hippies in this music video. From their outfits, to the ‘natural’ accessories, to the peace signs we see on their posters and signs, everything felt very influenced by the hippies we associate from the 60s. Note that everything has been modernise to fit this era. I doubt hoodies and sweatpants were the 60s hippies go to attire. But I think this was a smart concept for the group to follow through with. The song’s message was ‘overcoming struggles to grow together with love and trust’ (taken from Soompi) which is a very hippie type of messaging. And they did so by crashing a very competitive Soccer game, bringing the two teams together to join them in their pursuit for love and trust.

I really enjoyed the choreography for this comeback. It might not be their best work out there, but I feel like it was a good fit for the song. I liked the incorporation of – what I like to call – the royal hello (cupped hand and a slight turn of the wrist). I also liked their ending sequence, which brought a rush of intensity to end of the song with. This is a nice example of contrast, as I note their choreography beforehand was quite slow and mellow looking. But this intense rush at the end reminded us that the performance was a NCT performance nonetheless.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.6/10

[Review] PTT (Paint The Town) – LOONA

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And I am back to finally review the rest of the week’s releases before I move onto focusing on album reviews this coming weekend. First up is LOONA’s latest comeback, PTT (Paint The Town), which officially dropped on Monday. This is the group’s first comeback since their quite addictive Why Not? comeback back in October 2020. PTT is featured on the group’s fourth mini-album [&] and also marks the return of Haseul, who has been absent from LOONA’s lineup since the release of So What due to mental health issues. Welcome back to Haseul and LOONA! In other related news, LOONA will be gearing up for their Japanese debut, with a Japanese version of PTT released alongside this comeback on Monday as well.

PTT is a bold release, incorporating Indian instrumentation with ‘aggressive dubstep and 808 bass sounds’. While we have heard of foreign influences in KPOP songs in the past, I don’t think any were really featured as prominently as PTT had. It definitely helped create a dynamic atmosphere that was quite alluring and catchy. The song opened with this (what I presume is an) Indian chant before we are introduced a full suite of traditional instrumentation. Some of this traditional instrumentation retained as we move along into the verse (i.e. the tabalas), which is also accented with pounding percussion that strengthened the energy and appeal of the song. As we move closer to the chorus, the hip-hop side profile of the song emerges through the melody, along with the electronic touches mentioned above and the occasional appearance of some traditional instrumentation detailing. This buildup to the chorus felt very clean and felt logical to bridge the verse and chorus. For the chorus, the aggressiveness of the dubstep dominates the first half of the chorus with the Indian touches taking more of a backseat allowing that aggressive nature to appear. It playing field switches in the second half of the chorus, with the Indian instrumental elements emerging from the darkness and the aggressive nature takes a more subtle approach. For the second verse, I liked the boldness of their rapping. The instrumental for this part works well with the rest of the song and doesn’t break the flow of the song, like in some other songs. For the bridge of the song, the slowdown was nice and allowed for Chuu’s high note to pull the song back up to the final chorus, which really hit the song home. Haseul’s vocals in the bridge was also a highlight. Elsewhere, the vocals in PTT were really good and continued to show that clear and crisp vocals that the group has been showing us in their releases. To me, the reason to why PTT is not a perfect song is the chorus. While I did like the instrumentation as I had mentioned above, I felt it was rather weak. The ‘Latatata‘ they went with was pretty dry, bland and didn’t add momentum to the song, as I would have expected a powerful chorus to. It did have some catchiness to it, but I don’t think it was nearly as much as it could have been. I also feel like it didn’t match the aggressive nature of the chorus, which resulted in the chorus feeling rather disappointing. Overall, I think PTT was a strong song from the group. But what should have been the song’s centrepiece was lacking.

While the aesthetic of the music video is reflective of what we have seen from LOONA since So What, it also brings visual elements of their predebut unit releases and their animal representations that formed part of their pre-debut package back into play. And this is all alongside what I am guessing is a new story. But while it is always great to get back in touch with your roots, the music video for PTT is quite overwhelming to watch. There was just so much going on. Maybe when I have some more time, I will try to figure out what this new story is and how it relates to their predebut works. Until then, I will only make comments on the visual display we saw. PTT has some really bold imagery and this imagery works extremely well with the music. The choreography shots, especially when it came to the more aggressive side of the choruses, really honed in that aggressive imagery with the dark and stormy atmosphere and angry colour choices. On the flipside, the verses feature more calming and innocent colours (i.e. white and yellow) to match with the song’s vibes during such parts. And the solo shots of each member we see shows off their beauty really well.

To reflect well with the music, the choreography is quite powerful and artistic at the same time. I don’t think this is their best work but it was still quite great to watch! I really liked the domino effect they had in the second half of the chorus (i.e. one line of members performed first, then the second performed the first set of moves when the first line of members were on their second move etc.), which made that section look really nice.

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

[Special] Personal Favourite Songs from 1st Half of 2021

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Within a blink of an eye, another 6 months have passed. 2021 was still an awful year with lockdowns, isolation and the pandemic still dominating news headlines. I feel that these events, amongst other things, has really slowed me down this year. But at least, KPOP was on the pleasures that I still had to get me through these last 6 months.

A lot of albums and a lot of songs were released, per usual, in the span of the first 6 months of 2021. And I am still playing catch up with some to write reviews for! I will get there eventually! But in the meanwhile, I thought I share with you 10 KPOP songs that are my personal favourites from the last 6 months (in no particular order). Why 10? Well, it is an even number and I just couldn’t decide on a few, so I went with a couple :D. (Please note that this is irrespective of my reviews – songs can grow on you over time!)

Let me know if we shared similar taste in 2021 so far? And if we don’t, then comment below what your favourite songs of the year are! I would love to see what you all have been enjoying.

[Review] Make It – 2PM

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Kick starting this week’s comeback rush is 2PM, with their long awaited return with Make It. For those who don’t 2PM, they are a second generation male group signed to JYP Entertainment who were known back in the day as beast-dols (as they brought really masculine and powerful choreography to the stage during their heyday). We last saw the group in full in September 2016 with Promise (I’ll Be). Since then, the members (aside from Nickhun) enlisted into the military, and progressed their solo music and acting careers. In late 2020, the group resurfaced with their 2015 single My House. And today, the group returns with their 7th studio length album, Must, since their debut in 2008, and the title track Make It.

Right off the bat, 2PM’s new song encapsulates what I feel are the charms of the groups in their more recent releases. While they were known for their beast-like looks, concepts and physiques back in the day, the group have matured into a more sexy type of sound. And I feel Make It really concentrates that vibe. But it is not a sexy sensual sound. Make It feels more flirty and playful in that manner. And this set up reminds me of My House. All very suitable for 2PM. Music wise, Make It is simple. It isn’t as complicated like some of their previous tracks. The song opens with up some clangy guitar sounds, which reminded me of when you strum more tighter parts of the guitar. This effect progresses into acoustic guitar soon after, and then later some piano work. What spokes volumes in this part (the first verse) are the members’ vocals. They felt extremely clear and crisp, not muddled by vocal processing and other effects that we commonly get in today’s music. I appreciate that, quite a bit. And it is definitely nice to hear 2PM in their full glory once again. The chorus takes the song up a level, by giving us more bass and more of a beat to cling onto. It adds a bit of a bounce, which is a great contrast and differentiation point the verses. There is also a bit of saxophone (the ultimate instrument that completes any ‘sexy’ song) in the chorus. The melodies are quite enjoyable and adds a smoothness to the chorus that I find quite appealing. Following the first verse is Taecyeon’s raps. There are two things I like about this rap sequence. Firstly, it is layered over the top of the same instrumentation from the start. For once the rap sequence fitted right in perfectly without changing the flow of the song in any way. I also like the classy feel that Taecyeon’s deliver gives. When you think of rapping, you think if speed and intensity. But Taecyeon’s rap sequence does not give into either, hence why I feel it felt classy and mature. While I am talking about the rapper, he is also my pick for standout member in the song. His husky vocals during the first half of the final chorus was definitely fitting for the song’s concept that I had outlined above, and it really drew me into the song as it was practically a breathtaking moment. But the other member’s must also be commended for their amazing vocals as well. Overall, Make It definitely ensures that it is a simple song. It might be boring for some (I do acknowledge this, as it may not have the really catchy hook or addictive energy that other songs out at the moment have), but Make It is like a blank canvas that shows off the members’ charms for this highly anticipated return.

Make It is all about this pull that cannot be avoided. And in the music video, they just cannot avoid the pull that the lead actress has. Even in an apocalyptic event involving meteors crashing down just metres away from you and the rest of the world running away from the danger. I thought it was funny, but it does work well with the lyrics of the song. I like how they brought that flirty vibe I mentioned from the song into the music video. Taecyeon’s solo with the actress with his arm on the wall, cornering her was probably the most smoothest in the video. Junho’s solo with the actress was the weirdest, with his un-bottoned top buttons and water spraying on him.

It is great to see 2PM perform on stage once again. For this routine, similar comments about it being sexy and flirty at the same time can be applied. I might also throw in a classy descriptor for the choreography, as it felt that way as well. But what makes this performance even better is the charisma and stage presence that they managed to showcase. They have been on stage for 12 years now and they still got it, even after a five year break!

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10

[Weekly Chart] 4th Week of June 2021

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It is another Sunday and it is time for another Weekly KPOP Chart post. As you can probably tell, I have been absent from the blog all weeks, sans two reviews, due to some personal stuff. I will be back to normal transmission of reviews this week. Due to this massive week causing my hole in my review schedule, I have decided to do two things around the following two weekends (and I may extend to more weekends). Firstly, I will be focusing on only album reviews from 2 to 4 July. (PS. That’s next week). The weekend after I will be focusing on new debuts (i.e. 9 to 11 July), meaning that all the reviews you will be seeing that weekend will revolve around the newly debut groups which I have missed this year so far. The weekend after that might be a ISR (International Song Review) weekend, though it might be paired with the usual album reviews you see over the weekend. I will decide on that a little closer to the date. Hopefully, I will can smash out many reviews as there is a lot to catch up on. Until then, you and I have the Weekly KPOP Chart post for the 4th Week of June 2021 (this post) and a whole week’s worth of reviews to get through.

New songs added to the charts this week

So aside from A.C.E’s Higher, which was the only new release of the week that I actually sat down to review, there are a bunch of new releases that will be added to the charts that I may/may not get around to reviewing. These include:

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

Throwback Corner

This week’s featured song in the Throwback Corner (or section of the post, however you see it) is Stray Kids’ Back Door. You might recognize it from a previous Throwback Corner or too. It was just a song I gravitated to a lot this week. Like an unhealthy amount.

Non-Korean Track of the Week

I am also going to be bringing this back, just to give these types of songs some love. I had it up for a couple of weeks, but then it disappeared. I never made a decision, I just forgot it one week and never added it back in. Very simple eligibility for this part. Just be a song released by our favourite Korean artists that I have been listening to. Feel free to also post your Throwback and Non-Korean Tracks of the Week in the comments section below. I would like to see what you all have been listening to outside of the current KPOP music. For this week, the song featured in this segment is TXT’s Magic.

The Charts

And we have finally reached The Charts part of the Weekly KPOP Charts. Congratulations to Brave Girls’ Chi Mat Ba Ram, once again, for topping KPOPREVIEWED’s Weekly KPOP Charts for the second week in a row!

  20th Jun – 26th Jun 2021
Title Artist Status
1 Chi Mat Ba Ram Brave Girls (=)
2 Ready To Love SEVENTEEN (▲ 4)
3 Don’t Fight The Feeling EXO (▲ 1)
4 WE GO fromis_9 (▲ 13)
5 Higher A.C.E (NEW)
6 Alcohol-Free TWICE (▲ 6)
7 GAMBLER MONSTA X (▲ 13)
8 0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You) TXT ft. Seori (▲ 5)
9 Drunk-Dazed ENHYPEN (▲ 9)
10 SPIN OFF UP10TION (▼ 7)
11 |Believer| SF9 (▲ 23)
12 Moonshot N.Flying (▲ 25)
13 riBBon BamBam (GOT7) (▲ 16)
14 Sneakers Ha Sung Woon (▲ 32)
15 Hurt Baekhyun (EXO) & Seomoontak (▲ 33)
16 Dun Dun Dance! Oh My Girl (▼ 8)
17 Purple woo!ah! (▲ 49)
18 Hot Sauce NCT DREAM (▲ 12)
19 Easy WJSN The Black (▼ 5)
20 BYE BYE BYE WEi (▼ 15)
21 Where Are We Now Mamamoo (▲ 46)
22 Rain To Be ONEWE (▼ 15)
23 WOLFGANG Stray Kids (▲ 26)
24 illa illa B.I (▲ 28)
25 Up All Night GHOST9 (▲ 44)
26 Ring Ring Rocket Punch (▼ 2)
27 Make Up Your Mind Ailee (▲ 8)
28 At Ease iKON (▲ 22)
29 Gemini AB6IX (▲ 40)
30 Finale (Show And Prove) BTOB (▲ 17)

Songs leaving the charts this week

Per usual, there are a few songs leaving the charts this week as they have finished their nine week run on my charts. They are:

  • Nothing Happens – Hyunseong
  • CLOSER – AB6IX
  • Drunk-Dazed – ENHYPEN
  • BAD SAD AND MAD – BIBI
  • GRATATA – HOT ISSUE
  • Ugly Dance – ONF
  • Last Dance – (G)I-DLE
  • Color Pencil – Kim Kyu Jong (SS501)
  • M.A.F.I.A (In The Morning) – ITZY

[Review] WE GO – fromis_9

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It is time for another review for a release way back in May that I should have written much closer to the song’s release date. I am talking about fromis_9’s long-awaited comeback, WE GO, which dropped on 17 May. Definitely a long overdue review! This is the group’s first song in a while, with their last comeback being Feel Good (Secret Code) in September 2020. And over the last couple of years, fromis_9’s comebacks have become scarcer and less frequent. Since Love Bomb (my pick for the group’s most catchiest single yet), their comebacks have been an annual occurrence and this really disappoints me. They had a really optimal opportunity back in 2019 to continue the Love Bomb popularity, but that ultimately fizzed out after long hiatus. Hopefully, WE GO isn’t the group’s only single in 2021 and we get to hear more from the group soon!

It seems Summer returned earlier this year than what I have previously mentioned on this blog. Released in mid-May, WE GO seems to now be the first Summery song of year. But who knows, I might be reviewing another song down the track released even earlier that also fits Summery description. But let’s deal with that when we get there. WE GO takes on a simple pop sound that isn’t overcomplicated in both its structure and tone. For me, I think the best way to describe WE GO is pleasant. Pleasant is a good descriptor, but it could also be a bad one from my point of view. And I feel that this song tethers on that fine line that separates the good and the bad. WE GO isn’t a boring song. It has a nice melody and is easy on the ears. The vocals add a nice sweetness to the song. It also decent hooks that have potential to be catchy. I will also say that the song feels fun and refreshing, which is where the Summery description I mentioned at the start comes from. But on the flip side, pleasantry doesn’t necessary equate to being memorable. And this was the issue with WE GO. It just wasn’t memorable enough. Since the song’s release, I don’t think I have gone out of my way to actually search up the song. I also feel if the song was more memorable, then I would have ensured that this review was published much earlier, rather than a month and half later on. I think one way the song could have overcome this issue is with bolder instrumentation. I feel that would have peaked my interest a bit more and given the song a bit more heft in the memorability department. Overall, WE GO is a decent track, but also forgettable for the most part.

I really like the creativity behind the music video. The editing for this music video must have been insane. Essentially, we see a video being edited of fromis_9 imagining themselves on a holiday. It felt very relevant to current times, where we don’t have that freedom to travel. I really like when they changed various shots by changing the sky through the ‘editing’ we see. I also really like how relevant they made the video. Aside from just the concept, I liked how they used different frames (i.e. the editing tool, Zoom interface and Instagram) to transition the shots into each other. Pretty dynamic. The Facetime ringing caught me off guard (literally made me jump) each time I play the video, though it is a great tactic to get me refocused onto the video to watch the final chorus. I also see an emerging trend with the greenery and white platform that music videos use. It worked well here, given the boldness of the shot.

The choreography for this comeback was also nice. Not exactly the most spectacular, but definitely helped made the song feel a little more memorable (in a visual sense) when I watched the stage performances.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.4/10

[Review] Higher – A.C.E

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Making their latest comeback today is A.C.E with their new title track, Higher. Higher is featured on their fifth mini-album SIREN:DAWN, which will officially drop tomorrow at 6PM KST. This is the group’s first comeback since the release of HJZM: The Butterfly Phantasy and Goblin (Favorite Boys) in September 2020. Fun fact (before we proceed to the review): This is A.C.E.’s second song with the word ‘Higher’ in the title. The first was Take Me Higher, a single released back in 2018.

When I first played Higher, I found myself torn between two sides. Conceptually, I think it is a good song. But on the other hand, I felt like the song was a bit much. But the more I listen to the song, the more I find myself enjoying the song. I think Higher was produced to be an aesthetic song. There was a lot of contrasting occurring in the song, playing with future bass and progressive house in an alternating fashion. The verses were a lot simpler and softer, whereas the chorus was explosive. Initially, I felt the contrasting was like a like a double-edge sword for Higher. I felt that the chorus was overbearing, especially when you are listening to the song the first couple of times. And these initial listens are very important, as it would be decide whether someone would return to a song or not. Furthermore, especially with the ad-libs at the end of the song, there was a lot coming at you in the chorus. Now, I find the intensity to be a very A.C.E thing to do, as I find myself reminded of the EDM tracks they put out when they first debuted. The common thread between these two distinct extremes of music in Higher are the vocals, which neatly ties together the two halves. So while the song does a lot of contrasting, there is still that bit of cohesion. And the vocals do a good job standing out over the abrasiveness and potentially overpowering energy of the future bass chorus. Though, I do feel that A.C.E treads a very fine line with this aspect. Elsewhere (i.e. during the progressive house sections – verses), their vocals sound quite nice and bring a pleasant stability to the song. I do feel like the song is lacking a rap sequence, which would have given a different dynamic to the song, and could have eased us off the contrasting technique they employed from start to end. One aspect I definitely dislike in Higher is the abrupt ending. Never have and never will. I wished they eased us out, rather than leaving the song hanging. Overall, I acknowledge my initial split thoughts on Higher. But, as suggested above however, I am growing to like the song more, especially thanks to the multiple replays of Higher in order to write this review.

I think it can be agreed on that A.C.E’s music video have become aesthetically pleasing and Higher‘s music video is no exception. A theory for the video has already popped up on YouTube (from Donghun’s beautiful eyes) that I think explains the video very well and matches up with the teaser photos:

Aside from story and aesthetics, I liked the sets (especially the use of the trending platform surrounded by greenery that A.C.E performs on at the end). And some of their outfits look really cool (like what I am presuming to be a sea urchin outfit, worn by Donghun).

With a song that goes between extremes of music, there was also contras between some of their dance moves. Some of which were intense and others looked graceful, fitting for the part of the song they were corresponding to. The mini jumps they do work really well with the lyrics, and their outfits gave the performance a lot of a sensual energy that I am sure fans are enjoying.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

[Weekly Chart] 3rd Week of June 2021

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It is time for the next Weekly KPOP Chart post. Once again, I am posting a bit later than usual, as I had some personal stuff to work through today. But since I have wrapped that up (I think), I now have a bit of time to work on the blog, namely this Weekly Chart Post. I don’t think I will have time to write an album review today, so I will reserve that for next week. So before I procrastinate and fail to get this Weekly KPOP Chart post out, let’s move along with it!

New releases of the Week

There were a number of great releases this includes. The ones that I have managed to review already are UP10TION’s comeback with SPIN OFF, BamBam’s solo debut with riBBon, ONEWE’s comeback with Rain To Be, Brave Girl’s highly anticipated Chi Mat Ba Ram comeback and SEVENTEEN’s comeback Ready To Love. Other comebacks that occurred this week that I have missed include the release of BTOB’s Blue Moon (Cinema Version – which was performed on Kingdom), LUCY’s I Got U, and Yugyeom’s All Your Fault (which I will be combining with I Want You Around for a double review, hopefully for later this week).

Throwback Corner

This week’s throwback song is After School’s 2010 hit Bang, following the reunion stage of Jungah, Jooyeon, Bekah, Raina and Kahi under After School’s name on MMTG program. Definitely a song (and group) that deserves a comeback! They also performed Diva from 2009.

The Charts

Congratulations to Brave Girls with their insanely catchy Chi Mat Ba Ram! This new song from this week tops KPOPREVIEWED’s Weekly KPOP Chart for the 3rd Week of June 2021! For more of the charts, continue scrolling down.

  13th Jun – 19th Jun 2021
Title Artist Status
1 Chi Mat Ba Ram Brave Girls (NEW)
2 Son Of Beast TO1 (▲ 35)
3 SPIN OFF UP10TION (NEW)
4 Don’t Fight The Feeling EXO (▼ 2)
5 BYE BYE BYE WEi (=)
6 Ready To Love SEVENTEEN (NEW)
7 Rain To Be ONEWE (NEW)
8 Dun Dun Dance! Oh My Girl (▲ 1)
9 Ugly Dance ONF (▲ 23)
10 Scared P1Harmony (▲ 32)
11 Touch By Touch GreatGuys (▲ 62)
12 Alcohol-Free TWICE (▼ 9)
13 0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You) TXT ft. Seori (▼ 3)
14 Easy WJSN The Black (▲ 13)
15 Whatever KEEMBO (▲ 47)
16 All Your Fault Yugyeom (GOT7) ft. Gray (NEW)
17 WE GO fromis_9 (▲ 23)
18 Drunk-Dazed ENHYPEN (▲ 5)
19 Outerspace Kang Daniel ft. Loco (▲ 28)
20 GAMBLER MONSTA X (▼ 14)
21 INSIDE OUT NU’EST (=)
22 BLACK MIRROR ONEUS (▲ 21)
23 GGOMA Taeho (IMFACT) ft. Choi Ye Geun (▲ 28)
24 Ring Ring Rocket Punch (▼ 17)
25 The Beginning of Spring E’Last U (▲ 20)
26 Lock Down EPEX (▲ 9)
27 Switch It Up JAY B (GOT7) (▲ 46)
28 M.A.F.I.A (In The Morning) ITZY (▲ 36)
29 riBBon BamBam (GOT7) (NEW)
30 Hot Sauce NCT DREAM (▼ 6)

Songs leaving the charts this week

The following songs are leaving the charts following this week, and won’t appear starting from next week’s chart:

  • You Make Me – DAY6
  • INSIDE OUT – NU’EST
  • Touch By Touch – GreatGuys
  • Thank You – APINK
  • Scared – P1Harmony
  • Missing U – IZ
  • 10 Times – B1A4

[Album Review] The Book of Us: Negentropy – Chaos Swallowed Up In Love (7th Mini Album) – DAY6

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After exactly two months since its release, I am finally getting around to writing an album review for DAY6’s seventh mini-album, The Book of Us: Negentropy – Chaos Swallowed Up In Love. It featured the title track, You Make Me. This is the band’s first comeback as a full group since the release of Zombie and The Book of Us: The Demon last year. And like the release of that album, You Make Me and The Book of Us: Negentropy was not promoted. Before we proceed onto the album review for DAY6’s new release, there are some things we need to make clear. This is DAY6’s last release as a full group for a while, as Sungjin enlisted into the military just prior to the release of the album (and the other members will follow suit in the future). But don’t worry, DAY6’s subunit Even of Day, made up of YoungK, Wonpil and Dowoon, will be return early next month! But until then, here is the seventh mini-album’s album review!

The Book of Us: Negentropy – Chaos Swallowed Up In Love Album Cover

1. Everyday We Fight – I find the opening song to the band’s latest album to be somewhat quirky, despite it falling into the band’s usual style of mid-tempo rock. The quirkiness come through via the odd synth that appears in the instrumental. I suppose that this gives the impression of ‘light at the end of the tunnel’, which I think goes well with the song’s message that each fight between partners will resolve. Minus those odd synths, the mid-tempo rock reminds me of some of their earlier workers, and their vocals are solid in Everyday We Fight Overall, a nice opener to the album. (8.5/10)

2. You Make Me (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for You Make Me. (8.5/10)

3. Healer – Healer seems to be DAY6’s most innovative track on the album. It is quite upbeat, combining EDM and band instrumentation to create a really fun and groovy number. The relentless energy, the song’s catchiness from the chant-style chorus and the autotune processed over the vocals make Healer a standout track and the hidden gem of the album. I don’t have much else to say to about the song, so I am just going to spend the rest of my time typing out this section by dancing in my chair to Healer ^^. (10/10)  

4. Only (둘도 아닌 하나) – Only is a substantial song that showcases DAY6’s formidable vocals. It has a pop-rock style of instrumentation and features the message of sincere love. I enjoyed the old-school vibe of the instrumental, particularly the fade out we get at the end of the song. This entire prose gave Only an easy on the ears effect, which I tend to like. It is pretty much ideal following a high energy track such as the one preceding Only. It isn’t instantly the most recognisable song on the album, but it still a good listen. (8/10)

5. Above The Clouds (구름 위에서) – Opening Above The Clouds is the calming nature of the beach. Right after, Jae leads us into the song with his soft vocals. The song was written by Jae, and based on the title of the song and the lyrics, it was for someone close who he had loss. But rather than being a sad song that opted for the balladry effect, Above The Clouds ended up being a strong rock song, which works well with the acceptance of loss message behind the lyrics. In addition to the lyrics, the passionate and resonating vocals make Above The Clouds another stand out track on the album. (10/10)

6. ONE (무적) – While I do enjoy the odd curveball when it comes to music, I stayed away from ONE for its curveball. I appreciate the innovation and uniqueness of the song, but I felt the synths (in combination with the drumming and other band instrumentation) made it a bit hard for me to focus on the song. The rock side of the song does dominate and their vocals sound fantastic. But ONE just feels unnecessarily complicated for me. (6.5/10)

7. So Let’s Love (우리 앞으로 더 사랑하자) – The final song on the album and the final song on the entire The Book of Us series is So Let’s Love. Without even reading into the lyrics, you can hear the hurt and emotion behind their voices. It just makes the song so much more impactful. So Let’s Love brings forth a more traditional rock instrumental, which I felt was an interesting direction to end the album on, given the direction in which the rest of this mini-album took. But I am not complaining, as it was a passionate and heavy song for the group. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.6/10

The Book of Us: Negentropy – Chaos Swallowed Up In Love Teaser Image

[Review] Ready To Love – SEVENTEEN

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Making their comeback yesterday was SEVENTEEN with their latest title track, Ready To Love. The new song is the title track off the group’s 8th mini-album since debut, Your Choice. This is the group’s first comeback since the release of HOME;RUN last year in October. More recently, we saw SEVENTEEN make their Japanese comeback, Not Alone, while member Hoshi also made his solo debut with the single Spider back in March of this year. On a separate note, Ready To Love and Your Choice is the second part of SEVENTEEN’s Power of ‘Love’ project. Very little is known about project from what I can find on the internet. However the group did drop a concept trailer for it, hinting it as the recurring theme of SEVENTEEN’s forthcoming 2021 work. The first part of the project was the release of Bittersweet, a single featuring members Wonwoo, Mingyu and soloist Lee Hi I have yet to review this single, and will do so when I have a bit more time. But in the meanwhile, here is my review for Ready To Love.

Ready To Love opens up with a sentimental introduction, before the song starts incorporating a thumping beat to get the momentum going. From there, Ready To Love remains quite constant, with the occasion burst of energy. We get a small-ish dose of energy part way into each of the verses, and then one substantial one to amplify the chorus. For the chorus, that substantial dose of energy turns the instrumental into a pop rock-style, which I thought was extremely satisfying. I like how this energy doesn’t stop or pause between the two halves that make up the chorus, keeping it all thoroughly connected. While on the topic of connection, I feel that Ready To Love is the a good example of how constant and consistent a song can be, but remain engaging and doesn’t result in a bore. That being said, I do think Ready To Love isn’t as powerful or memorable as like many of SEVENTEEN’s past comebacks, but it is a different side of the group. And this different side of the group comes from the matureness they display in the vocals and raps. Sure, the group have had their fair share of serious and dark styled comebacks. But Ready To Love feels like they have aged liked fine wine. From the vocals and rapping, nothing felt like their usual fun or upbeat ways. Instead, each of their members sound like they are tapping into an emotional side that we know SEVENTEEN has but never really gotten to showcase until now. Similarly, the song’s melodies also give off a similar vibe. I particularly liked the second half of the chorus, which felt almost chant-like. It works well with the instrumentation and gives the song a catchy melodic hook. Overall, I like the song. But Ready To Love isn’t my favourite release from the group. But who knows? Maybe a few more replays of the song might change that.

To fit with the more mature vibe of the song, I think the music video opted for that same dynamic. For the first part of the music video, we see the members walkthrough their relationship with the female character. One of these moments is when the members make the decision of being friends or lovers with her. I think the video shows the members choosing to be friends, which how this whole song came about and this is back up by the face Mingyu makes while he is in the lover phone box and the presence of the friend phone box in THE8’s scene with the female character. Throughout the video, we see the members wanting to make that change from friendship to relationship, which is backed by the English phrases present on the walls and on the bus (which are some lines in the song). It isn’t the most SEVENTEEN video out there, but it is still a good video to watch. My only complaint is regarding the heavy raining at the end. I didn’t see the point of it, given that we could barely see the members amongst the rain. I wished the rain was toned done, so that we can see the members more clearly.

For the choreography, I feel that the performance (and I forgot to mention it above in the music video part of this review) takes a page out of their Japanese works. It looks quite aesthetic and pretty, which is something that recurs in their work in Japan. I really like the formations they are in, especially the formation which allowed them to form three units in the second half of the second chorus (and how the members who are not the centre of the choreography are still moving in the background). I also really liked how they ran to switch places in such an organised manner for the final sequence. That looked pretty cool.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 7.8/10

[Review] Chi Mat Ba Ram – Brave Girls

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Brave Girl’s comeback this week has to be the most anticipated comeback of 2021. Earlier this year, Brave Girls experienced a resurgence on the Korean music charts with their 2017 now-hit Rollin’ after a performance went viral. Similarly, their 2020 release of We Ride also experienced a similar resurgence on the charts. What makes this resurgence remarkable is that Brave Girls went from no schedules to many full weeks of schedules, and the group revealed that they were considering disbandment in the weeks ahead of this unexpected event. Now all eyes are on their latest comeback, which officially dropped on Thursday this week. Chi Mat Ba Ram, which translates to Swishing of My Skirt, is the title track off the group’s fifth mini-album, Summer Queens.

There is a lot of unload with Chi Mat Ba Ram. And while that potentially sounds like a bad thing, don’t worry! I am totally digging the new track from Brave Girls. The first aspect that I noticed about the song is its summery energy. It is pretty much undeniable with all the saxophone and tropical house that the producers of the song employ to drive the song forward. Like a lot of songs nowadays, this mix isn’t the most innovative combination in music at the moment. But it doesn’t mean the song doesn’t come off as refreshing and upbeat. And I really like how the energy feels even more than that. In a way, it is in your face (but in a more positive manner). The second aspect of Chi Mat Ba Ram that gets me excited is its catchiness and addictiveness. Even though I have been off the blog for the last few days, once the song dropped, I was (madly) repeating the song because I just couldn’t get enough to it. The hooks are fantastic, and I noticed even the smallest of details within the hook and melodies were what I was looking forward to. I do agree with a lot of people who say that this doesn’t have the same level of catchiness as Rollin’ did. I felt the hooks were probably a step below Brave Girl’s biggest hit. But that doesn’t mean that Chi Mat Ba Ram is a weaker song. The third aspect has to be the vocals. This bleeds into the performance aspect of my review slightly. But I feel that Chi Mat Ba Ram showcases more of what the group has to offer when it comes to the vocals department. I don’t think any of the members were shortchanged into this song and each had their chance to perform, which is what you would want in any song. Overall Chi Mat Ba Ram is a solid effort from both Brave Girls and Brave Brothers (the team behind the group). It may have its differences from Rollin’. But as mentioned before, I am really into their song and look forward to replaying it even more in the future.

It is also undeniable that this is a Summer themed comeback with a music video like this. While it shot at a beach, there were some post-production applied to the video to show us various skies in the background and some additional props throughout the video such as the mini-plane with the Brave Girls banner and the massive airplane at the start of the video. Elsewhere, it looked liked the video was shot in a studio. I wished they kept to the outdoors for the video, as I think that would have been a better image for their comeback, given it is a Summer concept. Though, I guess anything is better than the dark stormy skies that got as part of the Rollin’ comeback. Visually, I think the group looks fantastic and their smiles bring a fresh colour to the video.

I really liked how this performance had a lot more going on, than compared to Rollin’. It might seem much, but it was always refreshing to see something different than the same key moves repeated over and over. It might have worked for Rollin’, but it would not for every song out there. I really like the skirt pinch move they do. It is sexy and looks really refreshing, but not over the top where it would cause a lot of criticism. I think the only thing I would have liked to be different in the performance was their ending pose. It looks a bit meh to me.

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

[Review] Rain To Be – ONEWE

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The next group to be making their comeback this week is ONEWE. Today, the band dropped their latest single, Rain To Be, which headlines their ever mini-album (Planet Nine: Alter Ego) under the name ONEWE. For those who are unaware, ONEWE was formerly MAS before their re-debuted under RBW with new branding (hence the name ONEWE) in early 2019. Since then, the group have made a number of comebacks which lead to their first studio album, Studio We: Recording, in 2020 which was headlined by Parting. They also made a comeback later in 2020 with the single A Book In Memory.

Within the already niche sub-category of KPOP, Korean bands each bring a different individuality to the industry. While the bands do experiment with their sound between releases, going between moody rock tracks to warm ballads to upbeat rock tracks, there is always a distinct sound for each Korean Band that you would recognise. While ONEWE is a relatively new band, they have too already established a sound for themselves. It is a bit hard to describe, but for ONEWE there tends to be a moody aesthetic and delivery that I associate with their name. And I feel Rain To Be is an excellent reflection of that. And what better to show just that than a ballad (at least that is what I thought at first). The introductory verse of the song featured an instrumental background that slowly built up, starting from soft mellow guitar work and it gears up to something a bit more substantial. In combination with the solid vocal work from mostly Yonghoon in the first verse, I was convinced that Rain To Be had tapped into only the ballad genre. But when the chorus came around, Rain To Be changed up is aesthetic, amping up more of the rock influences. Rain To Be is no intense rock song, but it seems to direct the song more into the rock-ballad genre. I liked the tempo change here and the subtle intensity and dynamic they brought to the song. Despite it going into the rock sound From the second verse onwards, we pretty much get a repeat of the first verse and chorus setup. The second verse slips the song back into a ballad mode, though we get to hear more of the other vocalists in the group (Dongmyeong and Cya). Following the second chorus, Cya further amps up the intensity of the song with a pretty good rap sequence. For the bridge, I am glad they brought in something electrifying. It changes up the song, so that it just doesn’t become a repeat of the repeat we got for the second portion of the song. I am glad they did this, or else the song would have been too boring for my liking. The second portion of the song was already on the way of feeling like this, so a third repeat would have gone overboard. But overall, Rain To Be is another good song from the group that reiterates their ‘associated’ sound, differing ONEWE from other Korean bands.

To also reflect the moody aesthetic of the song, I liked the direction in which the music video headed in. For the entirety of the video, we saw the members perform the song (with their instruments) in a rising pool of water. The pool starts off empty and by the end of the video we see the water levels rise to just below their heads. It is definitely a unique take on the whole idea of rain and water that we see commonly in music video. Usually, rain would be represented in less intense manner, like rain drops running down the side of the window or the occasion scene where we see the characters of the video stand soaking wet in the rain. This video is definitely on a whole different level.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

[Review] riBBon – BamBam (GOT7)

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Since GOT7’s departure from JYP Entertainment earlier this year, the members have gone their separate ways, vowing to return on a yearly basis to great fans as a seven-member group. But while we awaiting new of a GOT7 comeback, the members have been doing a lot of solo work. Some of them have gone into acting, while others have gone onto release solo music that shows their individual colours. Today, we witness the solo debut of BamBam, who has signed on with ABYSS Company, the current home of fellow JYP Entertainment alum Sunmi. The title of BamBam’s solo debut single is riBBon (I like the play on his initials within the song’s title), which is also featured on his solo debut mini-album of the same name.

When it came to the GOT7 members, it was clear to me which style of music certain members would go towards for their solo work. But the biggest question mark for me was placed over BamBam, who didn’t really have a chance to showcase a musical style as much as the other members during his GOT7 days. So, to hear riBBon, which is quite upbeat pop sound that has a tinge of hip-hop to the song was a surprise for me. But I guess that really fits in with his cheerful and vibrant personality. To me, riBBon is a pleasant pop song. Nothing more, nothing less. To facilitate the review process, I have had a couple of listens to the song. And each time, I found myself taking a mental step back and appreciating the song for its enjoyable and sweet nature. I have tried to sit down to really tear the song apart. But I just can’t help but take it all in as a whole piece rather than break it up. I think this is a good effect, showing me how wholesome and good the song is. In addition to that, I also liked how ‘riBBon‘ sounded like ‘reborn’. I think that is quite intentional, especially given the lyrics of the song which talks about being a better version of himself. That being said, riBBon is no perfect song. There are some wrinkles throughout the song that need some attention. Firstly, the song could have reduced the autotune it used to process BamBam’s voice. While I believe this is his thing (based on some of the work we have heard during promotions with GOT7 and the fact that it gave the song a good sense of texture), I think this would have cleared up some English pronunciation issues. Personally, I was a bit confused on what he was singing in the opening lines of the chorus without the aid of the lyrics side-by-side on the screen. I know BamBam is a strong English speaker, so I think the issue comes down to the vocal processing. I am also not a fan of the rap inserts in the pre-chorus. I feel that muddled the pre-chorus a bit. Overall, riBBon is pleasant solo debut for the GOT7 member.

Like the song, the music video can also be described as pleasant. it was an extremely well styled music video and all worked in harmony with one another. From the black background at the start, the black suit worn by BamBam and the use of multi-coloured flowers on the ground and on the suit complimented one another. In the more colourful scenes, everything was pastel and nothing was overwhelming or harsh to look at. The video definitely showed a good side of BamBam.

The choreography is pretty good. It is upbeat and bouncy, which fits in with the song. While I am not a big fan of those rap inserts in the pre-chorus, the move that it enables to be in the performance looks quite cool. I also found the moment in which the two dancer used their legs as like gates to which BamBam opens up to be quite memorable.

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