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.
Mamamoo is the next big name group to make their return this week. So far this year, we haven’t heard too much from Mamamoo. This might be due to the fact the members were renewing contracts with RBW. Currently, all members aside from Wheein have confirmed to have resigned with their company, with Wheein’s contract still being negotiated. That being said, we have seen some of the members since their promotions of AYA and Dingga at the end of last year. Solar has released an OST track for the Korean drama Vincenzo, Wheein made her comeback with her first solo mini-album and the track water color and Moonbyul collaborated with Bumkey for the single The Lady. On Wednesday, the group made their comeback with their 11th mini-album, WAW and the single Where Are We Now.
For a group who is known for their amazing and power vocals, it is pretty interesting that this is Mamamoo’s first full-fledged title track that is also a ballad. They did release Paint Me in 2018 as single, but it didn’t get the same promotional treatment as Where Are We Now. The new song was initially breathtaking as Paint Me, showcasing the group’s vocals abilities in an undeniable sense. The song starts off with Hwasa’s husky vocals and piano/guitar backdrop, before we are introduced to the lightness with Wheein’s vocals. And this is all followed by Solar’s soaring vocals. I really like how they keep the song grounded, despite all the lightness and high notes we do get. It brings the song back to a stable point and allows for the thrill of the same lightness effect and high notes to return as we listen to the song some more. But let’s skip back a few sentences. I stated that ‘The new song was initially breathtaking…’. Key word in this statement is ‘initially’. It came off as breathtaking the first time I listened to it for sure, but I think the effect has worn off with multiple listens. Sure, the song is still captivating. But with multiple listens, I am pretty familiar with the song and yet I find myself preparing for the disappointment that comes in the song’s second verse. And that disappointment has to be Moonbyul’s rapping. It isn’t her style or delivery that I find disappointed. I just find the rapping to be an ill-fit for Where Are We Now. I wished Moonbyul had stuck to singing like the rest of the members, and showed off some vocals like in 10 Nights. I am not looking for Moonbyul to replicate her high note that from example song, but I think Where Are We Now would have sounded better full of vocals rather than with a rap sequence. I also think Moonbyul could have been given more parts and not be confined to just the second verse. Overall Where Are We Now had potential to be grander, if it hadn’t conform to the need for a rap sequence as per most KPOP songs.
There was a mix of elegance and casual visuals throughout the video for each the members. But regardless of which scenes fell along the spectrum of elegant and casual, they all came together to make this a really beautiful video to watch, complimenting the same captivating feeling that the song had. While I tend to not like the moody colours filter that was applied throughout the video, I felt that the moody colour tone was expected to fit the ballad genre. The most stunning scene has to be the one where they are in their white dresses, surrounded by the revolving lights. The birds-eye view shot we got with the lights started twinkling was amazing to watch, and appropriately matched the peak of the song.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.7/10
Next up on the reviewing block is yesterday’s release of GAMBLER by MONSTA X. The new single comes from their ninth mini-album, One Of A Kind. It follows the November release of LOVE KILLA and their third studio album, Fatal Love (which I have previously reviewed). Since then, the group released Japanese versions of their previous Korean title track, a new original Japanese single (titled Wanted) and their third studio album in the Japanese pop music market titled Flavour of Love. The lead single off that album hasn’t been reviewed yet and I will doing that in an upcoming International Song Review post. In the meantime, sit back and prepare for a secretive listening session with MONSTA X’s GAMBLER.
MONSTA X takes a few steps away from their usual EDM based tracks for a sleeker sound. The usual intensity that we have gotten through many title tracks from MONSTA X is still present, just delivered in a different manner this time around. GAMBLER features this groovier foundation, which is a refreshing sound for the group. Sure, it might not be the most innovative technique out there in the wider KPOP music scene, but it is definitely so for the group. The bass in this song brings forth that funkier sound and is highlighted by the electric guitars and drumming. There are synths in the song, that bring a rougher texture and bombastic sound, but they are not as intense and don’t contribute to the ‘noise’ as much as in their previous songs. The best part of the instrumentation, for me at least, is all the deep instrumentation we get. So much depth and texture to GAMBLER. Also adding so much texture to the song are the vocals and rapping. To me, I feel like the members are making up for that lack of EDM through their deliveries. Kihyun blasts us with his power vocals throughout the song, and we see more coverage of Hyungwon and Minhyuk in this song. I like Joohoney’s and I.M’s more rhythmic rapping sequence in the second verse. Usually, they come at us with this really aggressive sequence, featuring a lot of growling and raspiness. However in GAMBLER, they tone it back but still have that really impressive tone to it. Joohoney, in particular, also surprisingly brings us a high note towards the end of the song, showcasing his vocals which we have previously heard during their Versace on the Floor cover a few years back. His skillset is reiterated further down the track during a really intense ad-lib which compliments the electric guitars that come into play to close out the song. I have been waiting for Joohoney to bring that to a track and it is finally here. My most favourite part, in terms of vocals/rapping in GAMBLER, has to be the harmonies we get following the thumping dance break. There was a lot of unpack from the song and I don’t think I even covered all bases with regards to what I liked about GAMBLER. Though, I think it is safe to say that this is one of the best in a very long while.
Throughout the video, MONSTA X successfully hatch a very lucrative plan to steal a gem that has been dubbed MX0514 (MX standing for MONSTA X and 0514 representing the date in which they made their debut over seven years ago – which I guess means they have renewed their contract with Starship Entertainment given that initial contracts last 7 years). They each infiltrate a private auction and try to scare the potential buyer by putting him under some bidding stress by following his bids very closely. All the members become bidders by killing other bidders or stealing their invitation. Meanwhile, Joohoney kidnaps the person who is supposed to be overseeing the auction and takes on the role of the auctioneer. Assuming that they didn’t have money to begin with to win at the auction, Kihyun and Minhyuk start a fight at the auction, timing it to when Kihyun had set the timer to go off to cause an extensive blackout, which resulted in the members defeating everyone who is not part of their team and hence allowing them to steal the gem without any problems. I am not exactly sure of the ending though, as they drive away from the scene in police cars (i.e. are they police?). My guess that this is just a cover to help they get away from the scene. It is a really cool video that shows off their fierce and bad-boy looks, showing us who not to mess with.
Unfortunately, Shownu is sitting out of promotions for GAMBLER due to a medical issue. Despite this, the rest of the group make up for their leader’s absence by filling up the stage with their stage presence. I have said this before, but facial expressions make up a really massive part of the stage performance. And watching their performance, each member really hit the nail perfectly in regards to facial expressions, filling up any gaps with their stage presence. The energy that comes from the performance as a result is thrilling and really captivating.
Song – 9.5/10 Music Video – 10/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9.6/10
Hello. Welcome back to the usual transmission of song reviews. We start off today with where we left off on Monday. Joy, one fifth of Red Velvet, made her solo debut at the start of the week with Hello and the mini-album of the same name. She is the second member to officially go solo, with the first being Wendy, who made her solo debut earlier this year with Like Water. While we are all excited to hear from Joy (and the other members through solo and unit promotions), I am still waiting for a full group Red Velvet comeback, which hasn’t occurred since December 2019 with the release of Psycho. But I guess we just have to wait a little longer. In the meantime, let’s have a listen to Joy’s Hello.
If Monday’s review was for an emotionally charged rock track is at one end of the spectrum, then Hello is another rock-influenced track at the other end of the spectrum. Joy’s Hello is cover of a 1999 single titled Good Bye by Park Hye Kyung. I personally do not have much to say about the song aside from the fact that I really liked it. I didn’t know what to expect from Joy when it was announced that she would be making her solo debut. So I was geninuely surprised to hear such an enjoyable song that really boasts addictive and colourful energy. Joy’s cover carries over the same energy and cheerful vibe from the original song. If anything, Joy’s version amplifies the energy, released in a day and age where technology gives that opportunity to take it to the next level. But the rock influences within Hello is only one side of the song’s instrumental. There is a lot of brass during the chorus to really heighten the energy and happy feeling of this version. And this really appeals to me (because you know I like my brass). I also find the song really suitable for the upcoming season of Summer, as it is chirpy, extremely upbeat and refreshing to listen to. It ticks all the boxes of what you would want in a song positioned for release in Summer. As for her vocals, I find Joy’s vocals make this version super sweet and youthful, which fits her image and personality. Like the original song, the choruses was probably its most defined moments, with the verses falling into the forgettable category unfortuately. The chorus had the really catchy and colourful melodies that the song relies on. Overall, Hello was a great step for Joy for her solo career. Hopefully she returns soon with an original track as the title track that shows off more of her skillset!
The music video for Hello was super cute. While I am sure there is a deeper meaning to the video, just looking at what you can see on the screen in a literal sense already brings a smile to your face. Based on the start of the video, it appears that Joy is in some sort of stagnant part of her life. She clearly looks tired and is pretty much over whatever she is experience. So after some responsible cleaning up, she starts afresh and goes on a road trip. On this road trip, she comes across a young girl and decides to take her home. The only probably is, she is relying on a map that is handdrawn (by the young girl I persume). So she seeks the assistance of local bikers. seafood divers, farmers and surfers, who point her in the direction of the young’s girls home. After a long road trip, we see Joy reunite the young girl with her family. It is such a happy and feel-good type of video, complimenting the energy coming from the song. Even the waves and smiles on the faces of the locals bring one to your face.
Not entirely sure if there will be any choreography for this solo debut. Based on the original performance of the original version, there was no choreography. Instead a live band played in the background while Park Hye Kyung sang live. There is a possibility that Joy might do the same. But I think this is a great opprtunity to separate the cover from the original. We will find out more come Friday when she makes her first appearance on stage with Hello.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 10/10 Performance – To Be Updated Overall Rating – 9.4/10 (To Be Updated)
Apologies regarding how long this post has taken. The finale rundown should be published by Sunday!
Earlier this month, Kingdom: Legendary War began its run, pitting six well known and high performing male groups against one another for the throne. The Boyz, winner of the prequel season Road To Kingdom last year, is featured as one of these male groups. During the 2020 MAMA Awards, it was confirmed that Stray Kids and ATEEZ will be participating. And in January 2021, it was also confirmed that iKON, BTOB and SF9 will be joining the lineup. It was also confirmed that TVXQ (a name in the industry worthy of the Kingdom title without a doubt) will be hosting, but this was later reduced to just Max Changmin, as Yunho was involved in a scandal and was edited out as much as possible (and will not make an appearance in future rounds).
As I have reviewed part of Queendom and all of Road To Kingdom, I will also be reviewing the stages of Kingdom: Legendary War, recapping the high caliber performances from each round and also putting forward my thoughts on what the ranking should have been for that round.
Round 3B – NO LIMIT
Round 3 was broadcast over three episodes (Episodes 7, 8 and 9). It was also spilt into two sections. For this post, I will be focusing on the NO LIMIT segment of Round 3. You can see the performance rundown, comparison and results for Round 3A ‘Collaboration’ here.
In this part of the round, each individual group was given the freedom to cover any song they wish. As we are back with six individual performances for each group, I will revert back to the original format of this Special segment.
For this rundown/review of each stage, I will be looking at their song arrangement, concept and overall performance.
Classy Savage – iKON Original Song/Artist: Pretty Savage – BLACKPINK
There were some slight modifications to the start of iKON’s version of Pretty Savage. You will notice that the instrumentation in iKON’s version has a deeper tone. And some of the lyrics and delivery of lines were changed to fit in with each member’s abilities. I really liked it how they sneakily slipped a swear word into the pre-chorus (in case you didn’t noticed). Expect iKON to do that! The chorus is where the song changes up. I really like the robustness and dynamic percussion alongside the ‘BUM BUM BUM‘ and the new-found intensity the members brought to the ‘You better run run run‘ line in the chorus. The jungle sound inserts (at the start of the song), tribal drumming and cult-like choir we get leading up to the epic featuring of Lisa herself actually worked well with the concept and stage design. I also liked it for the fact it gave a bit of an interesting colour to their version. They maintained their version’s deeper tone when Lisa started her rap sequence, and it made me think that this should have been the tone of BLACKPINK’s version of Pretty Savage to begin with. I think I would have enjoyed the original song more if they had this deep tone to the instrumentation. Following Lisa’s featuring, everything becomes very lively and energetic. I really like the hype feel from the final bit of their stage, which really exuded a lot of energy and made the entire stage more appealing in a last minute pitch.
For the concept, I am not exactly sure how to describe it in one word, so I will split it up. The performance starts with the members watching previous YG performances. (In addition to Winner, BLACKPINK and iKON themselves, we also get some Big Bang – just another hint that these KPOP Kings are working in the background for an upcoming and long awaited comeback). A portal opens up, leading them to this foreign jungle land, before being captured by the people who live there. During the performance, we see the people call upon their Goddess (i.e. Lisa) and the members convert to following this Goddess (hence why their outfits change from casual to golden). I liked the concept and thought it was fun. It is nice to have a less serious concept once in a while.
For the choreography, I didn’t really see anything that new or unfamiliar. They took a number of moves from BLACKPINK’s version and made it look more intense, which fits in with the music. To me, the best bit of the performance has to be Ju-ne’s kick at the end. Other than that, the members relied heavily on stage design and Lisa’s featuring.
God’s DDU-DU DDU-DU – Stray Kids Original Song/Artist: DDU-DU DDU-DU – BLACKPINK / God’s Menu – Stray Kids
Another BLACKPINK cover, this time Stray Kids is covering BLACKPINK’s debut single, DDU-DU DDU-DU with a surprise. More on that in a bit. Following Felix’s narration and BLACKPINK’s song’s chorus, Changbin comes swinging with his lines. It was an impressive display of his rapping skillset that really sets the bar high for the rest of the performance. The rest of the performance falls into line and continues the momentum that Changbin and the first chorus had set up. I really like the edgy rock feel of the instrumentation that fits so well with BLACKPINK, Stray Kids and the song(s). The next chorus comes along, with a bit of God’s Menu infused into the chorus. How did this occur? Well, God’s Menu has ‘DU DU DU‘ in its chorus, so it was an easy fit. I am glad they didn’t overuse this technique, obviously to preserve BLACKPINK’s song. In addition to the just mentioned, we also get really powerful and dramatic drums, which makes it the cover’s most iconic sequence. I shamelessly rewatch the performance to hear this exact chorus again as it had it all. Felix also brings in some more God’s Menu in his rap sequence, however indirectly, as he threatens mentions Gordan Ramsay who happens to be a Michelin Star Chef (and this latter term is referred to God’s Menu). For the cover’s final sequence, Stray Kids take it to the next level, coming at you with all of this intense and powerful energy that we have yet to see in the competition. They also managed to integrate their tag line ‘Stray Kids all around the world‘, ending a performance that cleverly reminds you of the group and BLACKPINK as well.
For Stray Kids’ stage, I really like the idea of Deadpool and breaking the fourth wall, which Deadpool is notorious for doing in his movies. Felix starts off the performance by narrating the introduction, while Bangchan introduces the final segment of the performance (really like the humour in Bangchan’s segment, pushing down the JYP speech bubble). Not entirely sure of the massive rice cooker that Felix sits on at the start, but I guess that is reference to God’s Menu. I also really like the use of the camera angles to unveil the van, which Felix had stole the smaller version of earlier in the performance.
Breaking the fourth wall also made it into the performance, with Lee Know smiling in a cute fashion whilst all the guns were pointed at him. As for the rest of the performance, it was a powerful routine combining the likes of DDU-DU DDU-DU and God’s Menu. There were also a bunch of other cool moments, such as Felix’s navigating his way through the red laser lines and the ending sequence which saw the members stomping their way to leave a lasting impression.
Blue Moon (Cinema Ver.) – BTOB Original Song/Artist: Blue Moon – BTOB
Based on commentary from the MC, BTOB would be competing in this round with their own song and it would be a song that has never been performed on stage before. The song in question is Blue Moon, a single written by Minhyuk from their 11th mini-album, This Is Us. When I compare the two versions, it doesn’t seem like much as changed. The jazzy instrumental was retained. If anything, it does sound like it was amplified for the stage. But I think there was a bit a vocal rearrangement to accommodate for the stage performance and the fact that BTOB has been reduced to four members for the competition. I know for a fact that the raps have been changed, while some of the vocal bits have been altered to allow for harmonies and high notes to come through. To me, standout members for this performance was Minhyuk and Eunkwang. Minhyuk’s rapping in this version has a lot of emotional heft, which reflect well with the story they are telling on stage. His singing was so good, as well. As for Eunkwang, his high notes in the final chorus and ending made me go wow and I shared similar reaction to the other participants of the show. It was a solid performance from the group, with a strong showing of skills from each of the members.
For the concept of the performance, it appears BTOB’s stage is influenced by La La Land. Minhyuk, who is only a staff member on the production, is in love with Miyeon (from (G)I-DLE), who has been enlisted to play the actress in this stage. While the feeling is mutual, I think Minhyuk believes that Miyeon has moved on from him and no longer wants to be with him. Changsub plays the actor in this performance and I loved how his character added a bit of comedic relief to the stage based on the way he looks. Peniel is the director, who is extremely passionate, while Eunkwang is a singer in the production. Fast-forwarding through the stage, Minhyuk makes his thoughts apparent, while Miyeon assures him that she still loves him. They make up and hug (for a moment there, they looked like they were going to kiss) to end the performance. A happy ending for the main characters.
As for the performance aspect, I thought the performance was quite pleasant. Nothing that amazing in terms of choreography, but it was still worth watching. BTOB allowed their vocals and rapping to be the main star, once again emphasising that different dynamic the group was bringing along to the competition from the very start. I liked how the ending came together to be a big song and dance. It is a bit cliché, but it was a nice way to end the performance and bring everything together.
Answer: Ode To Joy – ATEEZ Original Song/Artist: Answer – ATEEZ
Out of all the stages we saw in this episode, I have to admit that ATEEZ was the most epic and powerful. The energy they brought to the stage in just the music alone for this version of Answer blew me away. They also really knew how to amplify Answer and upgrade it a whole new level. The logical answer to this was a rock instrumentation, given that we all had the feeling that Answer was the perfect vessel for this sound. The post-chorus hook was definitely the original’s best bit and I was grateful that while also intensifying it, they retained the appeal of this section. What was really interesting about this version of Answer was despite the thrilling momentum of the rock sound, they cut it completely to make way for a bit of classical opera. La Poem was featured to deliver this opera. It was a brief interlude before an intense drumming to bring back and rock influences with the opera together. It was the best bit of the performance. Like all the performances of ATEEZ we have seen thus far, Jongho brings in a really cool high note. Not to put pressure on him, however, but I felt it should have been followed up with another high note as the music felt somewhat empty afterwards. I think that would have been this performance’s ‘icing on the cake’ if it had happened. Hongjoong’s rap sequence while blindfolded was the next iconic part of this performance. This performance of Answer hit the mark and showed us that there was no limits in creating this version of this song.
I think the concept was the weakest point of the performance. I wasn’t entirely sure what was going on. My best guess, based from the start, is that the white-masked dancers captured one of the members, so ATEEZ and the hat-wearing counterparts went to rescue him from these white-masked bandits. Fighting ensues, but the rescue was successful and the enemies were defeated. I really like how the opera singers were unveiled on stage.
The epicness carried over into their performance. It was super intense, especially in the rock instrumented sequences. I also like the choreographed fight scene in the final moments. I did think it could have been a bit more convincing. I also wished the performance did end on bland feel. We had all this amazing energy preceding it, just to see the member walk up the steps and stare back all serious into the camera.
Move – SF9 Original Song/Artist: Move – Taemin (SHINee)
The most surprising stage of the round was SF9’s take on Move. It is sexy sounding song and I feel that SF9 really encapsulated this, whilst also creating a sound of their own in this performance. Chani’s deep voice begins the performance with a brief yet sharp instrumental piece. Dawon and Jaeyoon then brings sultry vocals to the mix, before we are taken to the chorus which is lead by Yoo Taeyang and Inseong. The slow but sensual pace of Taemin’s original version of Move features here. The rappers (Hwiyoung, Youngbin and Zuho) of the group start bringing more upbeat and metrosexual vibes in their sections through the instrumentation and delivery, whilst also maintaining the sensual atmosphere that the other members had created. After Zuho’s part (which was also my favourite), an electronic based instrumental interlude gave the performance/version some intensity that can only be passed through a dance break, before we are provided an upbeat version of the Move‘s chorus that fits into what SF9’s version has built towards. I really enjoyed SF9’s take on such an iconic KPOP song, so much that I have returned to listen and rewatch the stage so many times after the show’s broadcast.
For the concept of this performance, I believe the setting is a factory that produced robots that wore white and very generic. But the SF9 members were incorrectly made, wearing black and were completely different to the robots the factory originally manufacturing. I also like how the settings were bland and monotone. But with SF9 present, colour started to come through. It was gradual, but made for a really great stage. I really like the rain of coloured confetti during the final dance sequence, and the rain room they had created off the stage to further highlight the group’s sexiness. This was a really unique performance and one that shows off a different charm of the members.
We all know Move for its sexy moves, but I feel that SF9 took it further with their outfits and sensual moves on those steps. It was definitely a breathtaking performance to watch. Chani’s entrance was so smooth. I would have liked to see more references to Taemin’s original choreography, but I think they did fantastic with creating their own, especially to match the upbeat moments of the final chorus. And when they are not dancing, the members are strutting their stuff on the stage as you could see during Hwiyoung and Zuho’s parts.
Monster (Stormborn) – The Boyz Original Song/Artist: Monster – EXO
The final performance was The Boyz’s take on EXO’s Monster. While the melodies for the vocals parts remained the same between version, the instrumentals for The Boyz’s version was remixed to enable the 11-member male group to perform the song to the calibre of the Kingdom’s stage. And while I do like the performance, I am not a major fan of the shrilly-like synth they had in the chorus. It wasn’t off-putting, but it just didn’t sit right for me. But everything else in their version was good. I really like the rapping, which gave the song a more edgy and powerful touch (which I felt was needed – more on this in a bit). The EDM used for the dance break really showed performance flair and their ability to intensify an pre-existing intense track. I really like the guitar and the melodic drumming (at the end of the instrumental piece) they used in the dance break, which gave the instrumental break an interesting centre-piece. I think if I were to nitpick at one thing, it would be the intensification. I felt the producers of this version could have taken it a step further and made the music bolder and more defined. This would have brought it up to the same energy levels as other performances in this round and would have made The Boyz sound and look more powerful on stage.
Once again, the performance references an episode from Games Of Throne. Once again, I am not entirely sure what Game of Thrones reference I am seeing in the performance (as I have yet to see it). It is probably an obvious reference, like the massive serpent that they brought to life. But even not knowing the Games of Throne reference, I have to commend The Boyz for another performance that can still be appreciated by itself. Like how amazing was the second dance break of the performance, with the members dancing in front of that projected imagery, which is followed by the massive serpent on stage. Definitely a memorable performance.
The choreography also had a memorable feel. Even while I think the performance could have been intensified on the music front, you could tell the members put their all into the choreography to ensure that they make up for that additional intensity. Each dance break we saw in this performance saw the members go above and beyond, showcasing their performance abilities (without the dearly missed stunts) that stole our attention back during the Road To Kingdom days.
And the winner for this round is…
This was a really hard episode to rank because each stage was amazing in their own right. If I had the ability to, I would have given each stage the top rank. But as there are six groups, I had to rank them from 1st to 6th (hey, I don’t make the rules :P), based on what I saw. This is shown on the right hand side of the table below.
As the show have yet to finalise the official rankings of the round (as global voting and YouTube views were still being determined), the show has only released the rankings per the expert (left hand side of the table) and the self-evaluation (middle columns).
Do you agree with my ranking, the participants’ ranking of the performances or the expert panel’s ranking of the performances? Let me know in the comments below.
Ranking
Kingdom: Legendary War Ranking from Expert Panel
Ranking
Kingdom: Legendary War Ranking from Self-Evaluation
Kicking off the week is TXT with their first comeback in over eight months! Last time we saw the group was through their single Blue Hour and their third mini-album, Minisode1: Blue Hour. Since then, we have seen the group make a comeback in Japan with the track Force, and their first studo length album in Japan titled Still Dreaming. On a brief side note, I have not been able to review it this new Japanese release as there is no music video as far as I am concerned. But we are here today to talk about their newest Korean release. Today, the group returns with 0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You) and their second studio length Korean album, The Chaos Chapter: Freeze.
TXT takes on a different sound with their new song, opting for rock influence in 0X1=LOVESONG. Since the unveiling of the highlight medley last week, I was excited for this comeback based on the various upbeat tracks on their new album. But it is the rock influences on the album that really caught my attention. For me, there is no feeling like finding just the right rock song that has the right amount of intensity and energy to put on. There is just something about being able to head bang to a song and tap my foot away that gets me all giddy and excited. 0X1=LOVESONG really ticks those boxes for me. What I also really liked about 0X1=LOVESONG was how pure it was. Not in the sense of it being innocent or cutesy. But rather, in the sense that it was untouched by any synths. With a lot of the pop music relying on electronic and synths to some degree, it is nice to hear something a bit traditional in terms of instrumentation. And in this song, it somehow gives the rock sound a chance to be easy on the ears, which is a rather interesting thought I had about the song. When it came to the chorus, the energy exuded by the rock sound made for a thrilling dynamic that made the song even more appealing to me. Another aspect that I really liked about 0X1=LOVESONG is that it shows off the members’ husky and raspy tones. It made the song more impactful and allowed emotions to be poured into their vocals. 0X1=LOVESONG is also quite catchy. While the instrumentation and energy of the song is already quite memorable, they really hone it in during the post-chorus hook. Seori features in this segment, and she adds a very crisp and refreshing vibe to the song that I find to be ideal. It cuts through the intensity of the rest of the song (so it just doesn’t become a relentless track) and boldens the hook to be even more memorable. If I were to be critical about the song, I do feel that 0X1=LOVESONG there might be a potential overly consistent issue in the song’s sound if it gets replayed too many times in a short period of time. A substanital rap sequence would have been nice to relieve this issue. I think it would have been a nice addition to the song, adding further momentum to the song to drive it forward. But as it is early days, I think 0X1=LOVESONG is a fine song that showcases TXT in a new light.
The music video seem to tell a story of being alone. Yeonjun, who plays the main character in this video, is alone in this world. His parents are fighting, which causes him to find escape. He steals his car keys and go on a drive. The reason why I think he is alone is that this didn’t seemed plan. But yet, his ‘friends’ are awaiting him at the car, welcoming him to his adventure. Throughout the video as well, we see Yeonjun physically separated from the rest of the group highlighting the loneliness that he has. But as I said before, it is his escape from reality. At the end of the video, we see Yeonjun wake up alone. Aside from the story, I really like the grey filter that is on the video and the choreography shot with all the speakers behind them.
I like how they added to the song’s initial energy with their angsty approach to the choreography and vocals. It made the performance look really good and even more powerful that what you would expect. However, there wasn’t really a memorable move for me in this performance, which is a pity. But the routine is still worth watching! I also want to give a shoutout to their stylists who hit the brief perfectly with their grungy outfits that feel so fitting for the song.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.8/10
Apologies regarding how long this post has taken. The second part of the next round’s rundown should be out tomorrow!
Earlier this month, Kingdom: Legendary War began its run, pitting six well known and high performing male groups against one another for the throne. The Boyz, winner of the prequel season Road To Kingdom last year, is featured as one of these male groups. During the 2020 MAMA Awards, it was confirmed that Stray Kids and ATEEZ will be participating. And in January 2021, it was also confirmed that iKON, BTOB and SF9 will be joining the lineup. It was also confirmed that TVXQ (a name in the industry worthy of the Kingdom title without a doubt) will be hosting, but this was later reduced to just Max Changmin, as Yunho was involved in a scandal and was edited out as much as possible (and will not make an appearance in future rounds).
As I have reviewed part of Queendom and all of Road To Kingdom, I will also be reviewing the stages of Kingdom: Legendary War, recapping the high caliber performances from each round and also putting forward my thoughts on what the ranking should have been for that round.
Round 3A – Collaboration
Round 3 was broadcast over three episodes (Episodes 7, 8 and 9). It was also spilt into two sections. For this post, I will be focusing on Collaboration segment of Round 3.
In Round 3A, three groups were pitted against the other three groups in various battles such as rap, dance and vocals. The teams of groups as follows:
Stray Kids, BTOB, ATEEZ (named themselves Mayfly)
The Boyz, iKON, SF9 (named themselves It’s One)
For this particular post, things will be a little different. I won’t focusing on the six performance individually. Instead, I will be comparing each performance in their respective battles, as there are only two performances (i.e. Mayflys vs. Its One). As a result, this post will be shorter than usual.
I will also summarise the final rankings for each battle decided by the experts who watch the performances, whilst also give out my own personal ranking to who should have won each battle in my opinion.
Members: Sunwoo (The Boyz), Bobby (iKON), Hwiyoung (SF9)
Going into this round, I had a hard time predict who would succeed. On one hand, you had Bobby. For those who don’t know Bobby, he is probably the most well known rapper out of the bunch. Then, we have 3RACHA from Stray Kids, who have put out really strong and powerful rap songs as a unit before. And then, we have Minhyuk, who is an all-rounder but started off as a powerful rapper in BTOB. For Sunwoo, Hwiyoung and Hongjoong, I am not familar with their solo work to really influence my prediciton.
For the performances, both was quite lively. Colours was vibrant and colourful, while Full DaSH was edgy and stylish. Colours felt like a performance, based on their ending pose, stage set ups and the presence of choreography. I like the inclusion of the traditional instrumentation in the background. There was a bit of a free spirit to the performance, but it wasn’t as prevalent as Full DaSH. On the other hand, Full DaSH was relied on a heap of freestyling. There was some choreography and stage set up, but all was minimal in comparison to the other performance. I really like the paint gun sequence at the end of the Full DaSH performance. It was an element of fun and really showed how unconstrained the performance was. In terms of execution, I feel both are on par with each other. The five members in Colours helped give the track a catchy ring. I also find Minhyuk’s exclamation “We all bleed the same colour” to be very deep. For Full DaSH, I felt the energy behind the trio’s delivery to be very powerful and memorable.
In the end, I lean towards Colours as my favourite performance out of the two. It is more aligned to what I like and enjoy in general. That being said, Full DaSH was terrific in its own way.
Rank
Kingdom Ranking
KPOPREVIEWED’s Ranking
1st
Colours – Mayfly
Colours – Mayfly
2nd
Full DaSH – It’s One
Full DaSH – It’s One
Dance Battle
Wolf – Mayfly
Members: Lee Know, I.N, Felix (Stray Kids), Peniel (BTOB), San, Seonghwa, Yeosang, Wooyoung, Yunho (ATEEZ)
King and Queen – It’s One
Members: Juyeon (The Boyz), Donghyuk (iKON), Yoo Taeyang (SF9)
Wolf was an unexpected surprise. I thought that the members of ATEEZ, BTOB and Stray Kids would come together to form their own routine to a unique song for themselves. I would have appreciated the innovation and creativity a lot more, but Wolf was still an amazing performance. I really like how they took to EXO’s version of Wolf and made it even more animinalistic and wilder. It show cases the edgy and dangerous side of the members. It was also great to see stunts reappear in the competition. There hasn’t been many so far. When Felix did the run up and jumped onto San, I was floored by how he kept his exposure despite the landing being slightly rocky and committed to the part. I also really like Peniel’s solo part, showcasing some of his dance skills – something we don’t see too much of.
King and Queen was an instrumental piece, and as far as I am concerned, it was made for this performance. I liked the innovation and creativity of this performance. It starts off as the three members on their chairs, before jumping off and giving us a solo performance each over some electrifying guitar instrumentals. We then see a really graceful performance from the trio together, before we see in the distance the queen is assasinated. Throughout the performance, you could see the emotions in their moves or on their faces. If you know me, emotions make up a very large part of the stage presence. And while each of the three members had a different way of showcasing emotions, they all made sure it was there. Yoo Taeyang had a really cool sword fight solo scene, but I personally could not get over how we caught the sword without any dramas. Juyeon’s table flip was very impressive as well. Donghyuk also had an awesome solo scene, though nothing memorable pinged from it. I also liked how they used stage tricks to reintroduce the other two members to end the performance.
I liked both performances. But I felt that It’s One had the edge in this battle. They showed many sides of themselves and a wider range of moves, such as from powerful to graceful. Wolf was great in itself, but I felt like more could have been done to captivate us, as did King and Queen.
Spark (by It’s One) was a good cover of Taeyeon’s song. Personally, I feel like Spark was an unexpected choice for a cover, especially for this battle. I can’t really pinpoint an exact reason to why I feel this way. It just felt odd. Song choice aside, I really like it when the members came together to sing together for its climax. It made the cover more captivating. Per usual, I wanted more of that. And harmonies, as well. If the harmonies were more prevalent and present, then I feel like Its One cover of Spark would have been more memorable. There was also a good amount of huskiness and raspiness behind some of their vocals. While we got to hear their voices very clearly (especially since none of the members have really had a solo platform yet) and they all sounded great as a team, no one really stood out for me. That might be a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it. Good in the sense that no one member took over the song and outshone in the rest. Bad in the sense that it felt too neutral. In this case, I feel like the latter seems to be the case. It is a pity that Inseong couldn’t pull off his high note. I feel like it would have lifted the performance to a whole new level if it was successful.
The Love Poem cover was stunning and grand, featuring the balance of the three groups that make up of Mayfly (with the exception of Changsub, who sat out due to being unwell). I don’t have much to say about this cover, aside from expressing how good it was. While I can’t really comment on show-stopping melodies of IU’s Love Poem (as the original had already them), what made this cover so great is that it had the harmonies that I wanted to hear. Those harmonies and high notes just made the entire performance captivating and blissful to listen to. I felt as if I was floating while listening to the song, which is an impressive feat to achieve, especially since I really enjoys my ballads. If I were to be critical, I would have liked to see Jongho shine a bit more. We know he has an impressive set of lungs based on the performances on the show thus far. I just felt he didn’t really have his moment to really shine in this cover, compared to Seungmin and Eunkwang.
Based on the language I had used to describe each of the performances, I think it is clear that I lean towards Mayfly’s cover of Love Poem.
Apologies regarding how long this post has taken. The first part of the next round’s rundown should be out shortly!
Earlier this month, Kingdom: Legendary War began its run, pitting six well known and high performing male groups against one another for the throne. The Boyz, winner of the prequel season Road To Kingdom last year, is featured as one of these male groups. During the 2020 MAMA Awards, it was confirmed that Stray Kids and ATEEZ will be participating. And in January 2021, it was also confirmed that iKON, BTOB and SF9 will be joining the lineup. It was also confirmed that TVXQ (a name in the industry worthy of the Kingdom title without a doubt) will be hosting, but this was later reduced to just Max Changmin, as Yunho was involved in a scandal and was edited out as much as possible (and will not make an appearance in future rounds).
As I have reviewed part of Queendom and all of Road To Kingdom, I will also be reviewing the stages of Kingdom: Legendary War, recapping the high caliber performances from each round and also putting forward my thoughts on what the ranking should have been for that round.
Round 2 – RE-BORN
Round 2 was broadcast over episode 4 and 5 of the new season, occuring on the 22nd and 29th of April. The brief of Round 2 was titled ‘RE-BORN’, which each group got the opportunity to cover a song released by a fellow participant. Each group had the opportunity to not only recreate a fellow group’s song as their own, but also perform it on stage.
Per usual, live voting opened after the 5th episode to allows for fans to vote for their favourite stages. YouTube views, epert ranking and self-evaluation were taken into account for this round.
I will be reviewing the performances based on who went first, and will be looking at song arrangement, concept and choreography for this round.
The Stealer (The Scene) – SF9 Original artist: The Boyz
I really like how SF9 transformed The Stealer. The new instrumental is made of distinct sounding pieces that all piece together to bring you a suspenseful performance. The performance may be influencing my perception of this, however I think it was well executed. The new instrumentation starts off with Rowoon (welcome back to Rowoon, who has been absent from the performances due to an injury) and Dawon with a really slow and sensual introduction, brought to life with their smooth vocals. Jaeyoon, Youngbin, Yoo Taeyang and Inseong follows up with the first verse of the original song, over an instrumentation that feels like like subtly suspense moments before an unexpected action season in movies. The chorus comes into play and we get an R&B influenced dance instrumentation here. Zuho starts off the second verse, rapping in an angsty way to match his fight scene on stage. The instrumentation kicks up a notch here, becoming more upbeat. Chani follows up briefly, before an instrumental break comes into play featuring funky guitars. Inseong and Hwiyoung’s solo parts brings some stillness to the song and unnerving energy, which is ultimately followed up with an electrifying dance sequence and a final chorus sequence that brings everything together into one. All the vocal work and the rapping reflected well with the different sequences. And while SF9’s style was definitely featured throughout this performance, the original essence of The Stealer was not lost.
Concept-wise, SF9’s visual take on The Stealer was one of the best of the round. The members are all working together as part of a gang to steal the crown that was locked away at the start. And as part of the storyline of stealing that crown, fighting is invovled to get that crown in their hands. Regarding staging, you can tell that FNC Entertainment and SF9 are no longer bound by any financial constraints. You can tell that they really went all out with this performance. I really like the shipping container set-up they had in the background, giving the stage that edgy persona. Their outfits (and in the case of Daewon and Jaeyoon – lack thereof), the props and some of the special effects (tourching someone on fire and shooting at one of the stage structures to make it fall down) all created a really cool and intense atmosphere.
And you cannot talk about this stage without talking about the choreography. I really liked how they creatively choreographed the fight scenes into the routine, especially when it came to Zuho’s solo. That was an amazing sequence. So was the dance break, which saw flips from Chani, Youngbin and Yoo Taeyang. We also saw more cool fight scenes invovling Jaeyoon and Zuho afterwards, topping everything we saw previously in this performance.
O Sole Mio (The Red Wedding) – The Boyz Original Artist: SF9
We all probably know O Sole Mio for being a Latin influenced song in SF9’s discography. So it was interesting to see how The Boyz would transform it. What I really liked about this version is that it didn’t stray away from its original style. Instead, it seems to concentrate it, tapping into the world of tango. This was a fresh take on the song without it going into any foreign territory or lose the aesthetic of the original version. While the first verse and chorus felt the same as the original, Sunwoo’s rapping is where this version started to have it own appeal. His rap sequence was so clean and well-executed, giving The Boyz’s version an edgy vibe. From then on, the song became The Boyz’s. I really like how they substituted the second chorus for an instrumental piece to fit in a dance break. This is followed by another dance break featuring Juyeon and the female dancer that brings together some tango and the theme of Games of Thrones. The final chorus comes soon after, bringing everything to a climatic ending. Personally, I wished each member got more lines. I noticed a lot of members had a one-liner in this performance. But obviously to fit everything in, some lines probably had to be sacrificed. But aside from that, it was a solid cover.
For the concept, obviously The Red Wedding was the main attraction. I don’t know if there were any Game of Throne references on stage, as I haven’t watched the series at all yet (and probably will never watch it, given my track record of starting TV shows that are big in mainstream pop culture). The emphasis on the colour red and the sun/fire made this a really cool stage to watch. I also really like the idea of the cage, which was a stunning setting for the many dance sequences we saw in this performance.
Performance wise, this is The Boyz’s best one so far on the Kingdom: Legendary War. There were so many cool moments. Firstly, Juyeon and the female dancer’s tango moments I found it so epic when he started to climb the cage. Secondly, the passing of the rod during what was supposed to be the second chorus. Thirdly, the final chorus, with all the members. I really liked how the closeness of the setssurrounding them, lighting and confetti all made the stage look and feel climatic, like the song. Hyunjae’s bow catching at the very end was very sleek as well.
Inception (iKON ver.) – iKON Original artist: ATEEZ
It isn’t iKON if there wasn’t hip-hop infused into a song, regardless of it being their own or a cover. For iKON’s version of Inception, they really took the round’s rules and transformed Inception into something they would have released. I liked how they kept the first verse as the constant between the original and their version, along with the bridge of the song. Usually, it is the chorus or hook that you would keep intact if you were to make the song your own, as that is what fans and listeners would recongise. But based on how perform this version, you can tell they are confident that fans and listeners (especially ATINYs) would recognise it. For me, I am actually glad that they kept the bridge of the song intact, as it a memorable part of the original that I now recongise and it also builds really well towards the final chorus. Moving along, it is the final seconds of the pre-chorus that iKON’s style peeks through, hyping us towards a hypnotic and different style chorus that is fitting with their stage concept. It also twists the song into something that you would not expect. It doesn’t really capitalise on any of the iconic nature of the original’s chorus, but you must admit that it has its charm. As expected, the song ends with a hype style outro, which is very YG and iKON. It definitely ends the song on an upbeat note. I also like how the final chorus slows down completely at first, emphasising that hypnotic factor that they began with. My only peeve with the performance came during Bobby’s rap sequence. He was out of time and ended up skipping a few lines. I know he was very into the performance and looked like he was enjoying his time. But it is things like this that really stick out and could potentially make or break a performance.
iKON took the opportunity and went with it. Their stage was based on the movie Inception. Go figure! Wow was the reaction I gave when I watched this performance for the first time, especially as the buildings all moved and the road was raised, like in the movie. But if that wasn’t obvious, then spinning top at the end should have been the last clue to give it away. Aside from really cool stage design and technology, I really liked the trippy camera effect that appeared during Bobby’s verse.
Obviously with a new chorus and unique stage design, the original choreography just couldn’t seem to be brought over. It is slightly disappointing. But as soon as iKON inserted their influence into the song, it seemed right that they departed from the original choreography. What iKON ended up doing looked really cool, especially when it came to that complete slow down at the start of the final chorus.
Rhythm Ta (The Awakening of Summer) – ATEEZ Original artist: iKON
Kicking off ATEEZ’s Rhythm Ta performance is Seonghwa and Wooyoung’s whispering. It was barely audible, but it got me interested in the performance. When it came to the verses, I really liked the exciting energy that you could feel was building up in the background. This is all thanks to ATEEZ’s version having this upbeat and energerised kick to it which I find really appealing. Yeosang’s ‘We’re gon get it, pop it‘ just before the chorus was quite addicting, especially when it layered over dramatic and suspenseful violins. For the chorus, I am not a major fan of the metallic/shrilling synth they used. Though, I acknowledge that it gave a platform for them to show a great performance. I liked how they maintained Rhythm Ta‘s one-liner hook for the chorus, which also allowed to showcase an even more impressive set of moves. The chorus if then followed up with a bit of an instrumental interlude, featuring latin styled brass. This was carried through to Hongjoong’s rap sequence, before rock influences peeked through the vocals parts of the second verse. To me, the odd ball in the performance is the presence of the brass. While I thought it add a nice touch, I think it could have been swapped out for something more electrifying to fit in with the rest of the performance and instrumentation. Both the violins and rock influences returned a little later to followup Hongjoong’s speech (which gave me goosebumps) and complimented the energy and power Jongho was inserting into the song through his vocals and dramatic first high note. For the final chorus, ATEEZ really amped up the instrumentation giving us a chance to witness a really thrilling sequence and Jongho’s second high note. We all know that I am a sucker for high notes, and Jongho’s always are top notch!
For me, I didn’t pick up that this was based on or influenced by Money Heist. Mainly because I haven’t watched the series. But even without knowing it was based on Money Heist, you can tell that ATEEZ clearly portrayed the idea of a heist at the start, stealing back all the art and instruments that were taken away from them. By the end of the video, the group was starting a revolution, opening the eyes of the dancers who were once against the group to be with the group in the final moments, creating a really cool ending for the performance with everyone on board.
Performance wise, charisma from the members came through. Notable mention has to go to San, for his part at the start of the performance and the centre during the final chorus. I also really liked the twists and turns they managed to pull off in the choruses, and how they quickly moved between cameras (evident in the first chorus sequence). The ending, while it was chaotic, was also quite organised, but yet it still actually complimented the intense energy we got. It was a great performance.
Back Door – BTOB Original artist: Stray Kids
In BTOB’s version of Back Door, I really liked how they mixed four different styles into their version. The song starts off with Changsub, whose sequence brought a bit of rock to the mix. This is followed up by Minhyuk’s sequence which featured a very sensual R&B sequence. Peniel brings in a bit of upbeat and energetic hip-hop flair, before Eunkwang brings in his power vocals during his more pop-ballad like approach to the song. While I like that each member got to show off their own indivdual colours, the performance is at its best when it all four members of BTOB join forces with one another. This occurs when the bridge of Back Door comes into play, combining the pop and rock sequences above to finish the song in a thrilling and exciting manner that iterates to me why Back Door is such a good song. Eunkwang and Changsub’s high notes and harmonies really gave the performance the peak it needed, while I was glad to hear Peniel got more lines than usual!
BTOB’s stage was quite clever. The main concept of the performance is that the four are stars (as they are) getting ready for a great performance. The first half of the stage is a ‘back stage’ setting, as we visit each member preparing for their upcoming stage. I really like how they kept the Back Door knocks in this part, which really keeps that nostalgic factor of Stray Kids song within BTOB’s version. The second half of the stage is when the members are finished getting ready and make their way onto the stage, where a big crowd is awaiting their performance. They proceed to perform like the superstars they are.
The first half of the peroformance didn’t have much choreography. They were committed to the concept of being back stage, and any choreography would have been a little too ‘staged’. The second half was were BTOB showed off their performance skills, bringing some of Stray Kid’s iconic moments within their Back Door routine to their stage (i.e. Minhyuk knocking on the door while Peniel stands in front him, the arches formed by the dancers for BTOB to knock and walk through). And at the very end, we see Minhyuk rip off his singlet, giving the stage its iconic moment in itself. Everything from stage, concept and performance was amazing to watch and it is the main reason why I continually return to this performance each week.
Pray (I’ll Be Your Man) – Stray Kids Original artist: BTOB
Pray was one track I was hoping would be performed on the show, by BTOB or any of the other participants. It is such a great song, showing off vocals, rapping and performance skills in one succinct 3 minute hit. Stray Kids brings a mashed up dance and orchestral touch to their version, more so than the original version by BTOB. It isn’t a mind-blowing or innovative combination, but managed to hit the brief with the song. The song starts off with Seungmin’s vocals, who successfully pulls off the first impressive set of vocals. Han Jisung follows up with more vocals, surprising everyone with his vocal ability despite being a rapper of the group. A geniune surprise for those who may not be all too familiar with the rest of the group. Changbin follows with a very emotionally charged rap sequence that really steals your attention. The chorus comes into play and is brought to life by Han Jisung and Lee Know. For the second verse, the rappers (Jisung and Changbin) return and they captialise on Felix’s deep voice for this performance, who happens to also voice the Devil in this performance (I believe). A literal smashing instrumental break came upon us before we return to the actual song. Pray’s highlight is the rapping and vocal layering peak, and I am so glad that Stray Kids kept that in its original form. Like how BTOB slayed us back then, Stray Kids does the exact same. It is a pity that I.N voice broke, otherwise I am sure it would have been an amazing high note to end the performance on. I feel that the weakest point of the song arrangement had to be the second verse. I didn’t know what was really happening when Felix voiced the Devil and it felt detached from the rest of the performance. Likewise, I would have liked to see something with a little more energy and intensity for the dance break. Aside from the actual smashing we got, it felt somewhat plain.
For the stage, we are given a story about a young boy. I would have liked a bit more context, as I felt there are gaps in the story. Why was Felix getting dragged my angels? Were they trying to show him becoming possessed by the Devil? But anyway, Felix retrieves a heart and they place it into the young boy’s statue hand to bring the young boy back to life, after he saved Changbin from dying in the past. For what reason they plan on bringing him back for is unclear and hence a bit more context would have been nice.
The choreography was quite good. I liked how they included more to the original choreography. The first half of the performance was more so about the story, while the second half was the actual choreography. I liked the set up of the first chorus. And I like how the members who were not singing and rapping during the bridge were dancing with the dancers, unlike in the original where the BTOB members who were not part of that sequence were just kneeling and praying. The dance break was nice and I really like how they broke the set in their choreography.
And the winner was….
Because I waited around for so long, all the points (mentioned above) were calculated and tallied to give definite rankings for the second round. Below is a table with two columns. The left hand side of the table shows the ranking from the show once it was finalised, while the right hand side of the table shows the my personal ranking of teams.
Do you agree with my rankings, or the shows rankings? Comment below and let me know! If you disagree, comment your ranking below as well!
It is time for another Weekly KPOP Chart post. This time, it is for the week that just past (i.e. 23rd May to 29th May), and not a previous week – like the one I posted for yesterday. A lot of big releases occurred this week. EVERGLOW and GWSN made their respective comebacks (which also saw them debut their new songs on the Weekly KPOP Charts below). The show Kingdom will be crowning the ‘King’ next week between SF9, ATEEZ, iKON, Stray Kids, BTOB and The Boyz. And with that comes the release of six new songs by each of the artists, which they will be performing live this coming Thursday. For the first time ever, I will be including all six songs on the Weekly KPOP Charts, thus making them eligible for the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards later this year. But enough talk, let’s move onto the smaller section of the segment and get to the charts down below!
New Releases of the Week
As mentioned before, there were a number of releases this past week. In addition to EVERGLOW, GWSN and the participants of Kingdom, we saw comebacks and releases from NS. YOON G, AB6IX, BF (formerly known as Boyfriend), Kim Jae Hwan, Taeho (IMFACT member), woo!ah! and Wonwoo & Mingyu (SEVENTEEN).
Throwback corner of the Week
This week’s throwback song is NS Yoon G’s If You Love Me. She released a 2021 Version (featuring MONSTA X’s Jooheon) this week and only that version will be counted toward the Weekly KPOP Charts. But I had to compare and see if there was any difference between the 2021 version and the one released back in 2012 which features Jay Park. And then, I continued to replay the 2012 version, which leads to that version of If You Love Me being on this week’s throwback corner.
The Charts
Congratulations to Baekhyun and Seomoon Tak for this week! Their collaboration, Hurt, has topped the charts for the 4th (and final) Week of the month of May 2021. As I have yet to review the song, Hurt will be prioritized for a review and it will be published later this week! For more the charts, scroll down below!
23rd May – 29th May 2021
Title
Artist
Status
1
Hurt
Baekhyun (EXO) & Seomoon Tak
(▲ 50)
2
Dun Dun Dance!
Oh My Girl
(▼ 1)
3
Son Of Beast
TO1
(▲ 37)
4
Hot Sauce
NCT DREAM
(▼ 2)
5
ONE
ASTRO
(▲ 17)
6
Antidote
Kang Daniel
(▲ 1)
7
FIRST
EVERGLOW
(NEW)
8
Advice
Taemin (SHINee)
(▲ 7)
9
Scared
P1Harmony
(▲ 18)
10
INSIDE OUT
NU’EST
(▲ 7)
11
You Make Me
DAY6
(▲ 13)
12
Ugly Dance
ONF
(▲ 4)
13
libidO
OnlyOneOf
(▲ 39)
14
Like Water
Wendy (Red Velvet)
(▲ 47)
15
Loved You
BAE173
(▲ 8)
16
5K
Lee Jin Hyuk (UP10TION)
(▲ 15)
17
WE GO
fromis_9
(▼ 13)
18
BLACK MIRROR
ONEUS
(▼ 13)
19
CLOSER
AB6IX
(▼ 10)
20
Drunk-Dazed
ENHYPEN
(▼ 14)
21
Atlantis
SHINee
(▼ 13)
22
Easy
WJSN The Black
(▼ 11)
23
Like It Hot
GWSN
(NEW)
24
Next Level
aespa
(▼ 21)
25
Love Song
Yoon Ji Sung
(▲ 36)
26
Warning
Kim Sejeong
(▲ 6)
27
Spider
Hoshi (SEVENTEEN)
(▲ 30)
28
Not The End
HIGHLIGHT
(▼ 16)
29
Switch It Up
JAY B (GOT7)
(▼ 4)
30
Breathe Again
BLITZERS
(▲ 31)
Songs leaving the charts
Per usual, there are always songs leaving the charts each week after nine weeks from release. This week, a large number of songs are leaving the charts. They include:
We are only up to the 3rd week of May 2021? Nope, it is just me. As flagged a while back, I was on break for the past week, and so I didn’t have the capacity to sit down and write a Weekly KPOP Chart post for the 3rd Week of May 2021. But now that I am back and have some time on my hand, I am finally getting around to doing that and some other posts. Like all late posts, this is going to be a quick one.
The Charts
Congratulations once again to Oh My Girl, who topped the charts with Dun Dun Dance for the second week in a row. For more of the charts for the 3rd Week of May 2021, scroll down below.
16th May – 22nd May 2021
Title
Artist
Status
1
Dun Dun Dance!
Oh My Girl
(=)
2
Hot Sauce
NCT DREAM
(=)
3
Next Level
aespa
(NEW)
4
WE GO
fromis_9
(NEW)
5
BLACK MIRROR
ONEUS
(▼ 2)
6
Drunk-Dazed
ENHYPEN
(▲ 7)
7
Antidote
Kang Daniel
(▲ 11)
8
Atlantis
SHINee
(▲ 8)
9
CLOSER
AB6IX
(▼ 4)
10
The Lady
Bumkey ft. Moonbyul (Mamamoo)
(▲ 48)
11
Easy
WJSN The Black
(▼ 7)
12
Not The End
HIGHLIGHT
(▼ 3)
13
ASAP
STAYC
(▼ 5)
14
Whatever
KEEMBO
(▲ 20)
15
Advice
Taemin (SHINee)
(NEW)
16
Ugly Dance
ONF
(▲ 6)
17
INSIDE OUT
NU’EST
(▼ 11)
18
YOU
CHECKMATE
(▲ 33)
19
LILAC
IU
(▲ 19)
20
DADADA
LUNASOLAR
(▲ 41)
21
Nothing Happens
Hyunseong
(▲ 36)
22
ONE
ASTRO
(▼ 11)
23
Loved You
BAE173
(=)
24
You Make Me
DAY6
(▼ 4)
25
Switch It Up
JAY B (GOT7)
(▲ 36)
26
Rain on Me
MAJORS
(▲ 7)
27
Scared
P1Harmony
(▼ 6)
28
water color
Wheein (Mamamoo)
(▲ 19)
29
ALL IN
DKB
(▼ 1)
30
Last Dance
(G)I-DLE
(▲ 31)
Songs leaving the charts this week
During the 3rd Week of May 2021, three songs wrapped up their time on the Weekly KPOP Charts. From next week, they will not be part of the charts:
Earlier this week, EVERGLOW made their long-awaited comeback with FIRST, which headlines their third single album, Last Melody. This is the group’s first comeback in just over eight months, with their previous comeback being LA DI DA at the end of September 2020. LA DI DA was such a big comeback for the group, which earned them Best Music Video, Best Female Group Choreography, Best Album (for -77.82X–78.29) of 2020 in the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards, as chosen by you. LA DI DA was also the third Best Song of 2020! Let’s see if FIRST has what it takes to repeat or exceed the standard set by LA DI DA for EVERGLOW’s discography.
Thrilling is how I would describe FIRST. From the dramatic violins that open up the song to the bombastic nature of the instrumentation during the chorus, everything instrumentally comes together to give off a thrilling atmosphere and evokes what felt like an adrenaline rush for me. That is a really strong effect and I am impressed that EVERGLOW managed to pull it off, This is especially considering that so many songs attempt to do the same, but disappointedly fall short. But this clearly is not the case for EVERGLOW’s FIRST. I particularly really like that final sequence, which felt like an additional treat. The energy that comes suddenly out of nowhere really caps off the song splendidly. To aid the instrumentation and show off EVERGLOW, the members’ vocal work and rapping reaches the same effect. What easily could have happened, that we have heard time and time again in other songs, are the members are hidden by the instrumental. Despite FIRST falling into what some might call the ‘noisy’ category, the members still come out on top of everything, which is what you want. So far, everything comes together really well to be such a dynamic track. But following the likes of LA DI DA was, from the start, going to be a hard feat. And I feel that while FIRST is dynamic, it lacks one element that prevents it from overtaking LA DI DA. At least, this is what I think. To me, FIRST lacks that robust hook that really catches on. I enjoyed the energy and feeling of the song, but I didn’t really remember much when it came to the lyrics. If only FIRST had memorable hook, I would have bumped this song to the start of my personal favourite EVERGLOW song, but LA DI DA manages to still hold onto that title.
The music video for FIRST was extremely dynamic in a visual sense. Everything in the music video really works extremely well to create a stunning visual piece to accompany the likes of FIRST. This includes everything from the styling of the members’ outfits, to the choice of background and sets for all the shots, to the visual effects add to the video. There was a sense of boldness to the video which was fitting for EVERGLOW. Their outfits just make the members pop right out at you. The stylists definitely deserve a shoutout for this! The various sets and locations they used for shooting came with an epic feel to it, which added a thrilling tinge to the video. The visual effects gave the video a bit of an interactive fanfare and made the transitions look so cool, which made the video even more dynamic. The camera work fitted the energy of the song. It is one of the best videos of the years, thus far.
To match the powerfulness and boldness of the song, the performance aligns well. However (since it looks like the routine is so intense) by the time they get to that final sequence where the music comes out at you, the choreography just didn’t seem as satsifying. I feel like the members put in so much of their energy throughout the earlier sequences, that there isn’t much left over to push themselves for that ending sequence.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 10/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 8.7/10
While I was on break last week, a number of comebacks occurred that I could not review. Now that I am back, I will try my best to get on top of the last week and this week’s comeback. First up is SHINee’s Taemin, who made his last comeback with Advice (the title of both the mini-album and its lead single) before his impending miltary enlistment at the end of the month. While his fellow group members have completed their miltary enlistment, Taemin pushed forward with his solo career, releasing massive hits like Want, Criminal and Idea. Luckily for all the Shawols out there, SHINee was fortuate enough to make a group comeback earlier this year just before Taemin enlisted with Don’t Call Me and Atlantis (Album Review Here!) in addition Taemin’s solo release.
What makes Advice sound stunning was the piano present in the instrumentation. It was definitely captivating for me to listen to, especially since it was incorporated really well into the electronic trap-centric instrumentation and made the otherwise standard electronic influence a bit more gripping than if it was packaged as a standalone. Furthermore, I really like the vocals throughout the song. Taemin slips into falesetto mode for some of the song, especially when it came to the chorus, giving the song a bit of dynamism to make it a little bit more exciting. I really like it how his vocals are backed up when it came to the chorus, adding some depth to the song. And I feel that the additional dynamism and depth were much needed. Without the much needed dynanism and depth that we got, Advice would have been a bit shallow and too ‘safe’ for my liking. As a whole picture, Advice is good. But I will admit that Advice isn’t as show-stopping as some of his previous hits. There is a couple of reasons for this, but I feel like this boils down to one of two reasons (or maybe a combination of both). Advice felt overly consistent and stuck in neutral gear for the three and a half minutes or so. Also, Taemin’s solo releases tend to explore unexplored territory for KPOP, or repurposes rare styles to be his own. I felt that Advice didn’t have that individualistic spark which always perks my interest. But nonetheless, Advice is still a listen and might be a good song if you want to ease into Taemin’s discography. But as someone who has reviewed all of his solo tracks, Advice lacks what it takes to be at the top end of Taemin’s discography.
While those are my thoughts about the song above, it doesn’t mean the same thoughts necessarily apply to the rest of the comeback. The music video for Advice, to me, is haunting. And this is all done without slipping into a dark or twisted theme. The initial scene with Taemin’s body marked with grease and covered only by a black mask with white stitching and web-like overlay (whilst playing the piano) was very impactful and made the video feel sinister and creepy. We are then shown Taemin in a choreography shot with long hair with grey-blue ends, which make him look chraismatic as a vampire. Very impactful imagery. The rest of the shots (I don’t have time to go through them one by one) follow a similar pattern. This is also complimentary to the atmopshere which the lyrics create. Based on what I understood of the lyrics and visuals aspects of the video, his lover is driving him insane and makes him a crazed person (“The more you trap me, the more I go off the rails“). Based on his lyrics, he warns this lover to stay away from him, but they don’t. This results in Taemin going insane completely, driving recklessly on the road and dying at the end of the video. A very interesting set of events.
Once again, Taemin pulls off an impressive routine for this comeback. There was a lot of footwork and I really like how he carried that haunting atmosphere from the music video over to the stage performance. I really like the dancers contributed to the start, setting the scene of the performance. I also really like how they were slowly brought in using small body rolls at the end of the bridge.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 10/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.3/10
The next album that I am reviewing is Kim Sejeong’s second mini-album, I’m. Once again, I was drawn to the mini-album while vetting albums for review. A number of the songs on the album appealed to me. And so, I put the album on my reviewing list for review, which is where we find ourselves today. The release of this album, and the title track Warning, is her first major activity since the disbandment of Gugudan at the end of last year. Previously, Kim Sejeong’s first mini-album (unreviewed) was released in 2019 and titled Plant. It also featured the title track, of the same name Plant. But today, we are here to listen I’m.
I’m Album Cover
1. Teddy Bear – Teddy Bear starts off the album with an easy listen. It delves into the pop rock genre, which I find brings a nice colour to Kim Sejeong’s discography. The drums and electric guitars were all a really decent pace that was appealing to my tastes. What also I like about listening to Teddy Bear is that it was a no fuss and no commitment type of track. Nothing felt heavy. But rather, the entire song felt blissful. The solo artist’s vocals were extremely fitting for the style and drove the song forward in a very soothing manner. (8.5/10)
3. Do Dum Chit (밤산책) – Do Dum Chit was a favourite of mine. I really like the refreshing colour that Do Dum Chit has. It is also an extremely likeable upbeat track with a really nice contrast of heavy and light elements. The heavy comes through via the instrumentation of the chorus, whereas both the verses and vocals brought lightness to the song. And this combination resulted in a really appealing song. I also find the addition of the phone sound effects to be a nice touch (working with the lyrcis). Kim Sejeong’s sweet vocals, rapping at the end and ab-lib were standouts as well. This song had it all for me. (10/10)
4. Let’s Go Home (집에 가자) – Let’s Go Home starts off with thumping beats that instantly sold me the song. The rest of Let’s Go Home falls into rock genre, but on the softer and maybe pop side of the spectrum. And it was no let down. To me, the song showed off Kim Sejeong’s vocals extremely well. She brought this breathy tone to Let’s Go Home. I also liked how the soft pop rock instrumentation and her vocals worked together to create a very dreamy and organic sound. (9/10)
5. Maybe I Am (아마 난 그대를) – Like all KPOP albums, there is a need for a ballad. And for this album, the ballad comes in the form of Maybe I Am. It is also the album’s final song. The presence of Maybe I Am on this album is no surprise to me, given that most of her well-known tracks have been of the ballad genre in some degree. And like those past works, Maybe I Am captivates with both vocals and instrumentation front. It is hard to describe the song any other way than ‘perfect’, especially when she gives us stunning vocals and a really soothing orchestral backing. It ticks my swaying criteria for ballads, is easy to get lost with, and was a beautiful listen to finish up this album. (10/10)
It is time to look at another five songs from outside of Korea by some of our favourite Korean artists. Last time (way back in February), we looked at songs from Jackson Wang & JJ Lin, The Boyz, AB6IX & Why Don’t We, Jun.K and WAYV. Today, we will be having a look at SEVENTEEN, TWICE and CIX’s latest Japanese releases. Alongside those three songs, we will also be looking at BTS’s Japanese single Film Out and their highly anticipated Butter release, which officially dropped on Friday. A lot of get through, so let’s get going!
Not Alone – SEVENTEEN
The other day, I was reading comments for SEVENTEEN’s latest Japanese release, Not Alone, that said something along the lines of “SEVENTEEN’s Japanese releases are quite aesthetic sounding”. This is a statement that I agree for the most part and is quite evident through the release of Not Alone. The song has this atmospheric style instrumental that was very calming and soothing to listen to. To aid this, SEVENTEEN strays aways from harsh synths, piercing effects, heavy beats or vibrant colours in the song. Instead, SEVENTEEN opts for a graceful sounding instrumentation that floats about. There are still synths in this song (enabling the song to still include soft yet delicate sounding dance breaks following each chorus), but they give Not Alone a melodic push and hence that aesthetic vibe that I quoted from above. This allows the members to showcase their vocals in a more touching and delicate manner, which is slightly different to the usual style in which we hear from the members. Even the rappers get into this mindset with softer deliveries. We favourite part is Hoshi’s lines in the bridge. They stick out for me and sound so smooth. There is also this inspirational and uplifting tone to the song that comes through via the members. Overall, a really nice and touching song form the members. The music video for Not Alone is quite fitting for the past year, in which we all spent seeing our family and friends through laptop, computer or phone screens. We see the members do the exact same at the start of the video. They were alone and then joined one another to celebrate DK’s birthday. The second half of the video see the members regroup to hang out and have some fun. While this isn’t a reality yet for some of us, the hopeful tone of the song really gives us hope that is the future that we will be returning to soon. Fitting to the song and MV suggested, the choreography for this comeback is a lot softer and delicate. It is actually nice to see something different from SEVENTEEN that isn’t so energetic and upbeat as their choreographies usually are. The lifts they incorporated into the performance added a nice touch that emphasised this. (9.4/10)
Kura Kura – TWICE
While TWICE is gearing up for Korean promotions next month, the very popular female group made their Japanese comeback last month with Kura Kura. Kura Kura starts off with epic percussion in the background, which gives the pop song a unique and memorable colour, and really promises great things to come. Soon, the song reverts to a more typical pop setup. It was nice and pleasantly upbeat, but it was not as amazing as the epic percussion that started the song off had promised. And this disappointed me slightly. I wished the melodies and hooks in this ‘between’ part were more memorable and impressive enough to continue that initial impression. The epic percussion does make a return two more times in the song (i.e. before the bridge and at the end of the song to close it off). I did like the vocals work, which again can be describe as pleasant and sweet. I did like how they didn’t change their vocals as much when it came to the Kura Kura‘s bolder and more memorable moments, finding a balance between their pleasant and sweet profile to the instrumental’s more grand nature. For the music video, I am not entirely sure what they are trying to depict. There seems to be a mixture of really happy scenes in the video (i.e. when the nine members catch up) and a mixture of loneliness and sadness (i.e. their solo scenes which seem to show this). But I might be reading to it wrong, as the lyrics of the song don’t really give off that impression. But it was still a visually appealing video to watch. I really like the emphasis on the colour blue in the choreography scenes, which gave a nice artistic and calming appeal to the video. I really liked the choreography for this comeback. I enjoyed the imagery of the flower at the start, which was fitting for the music video which had a heavy emphasis on floral decorations. I also enjoyed the choreography for the chorus, which had a definite tinge of matureness to it, despite all the members having really big smiles – which both felt fitting for the image they are now pushing for themselves and the song’s upbeatness. (7.2/10)
All For You – CIX
Like their earlier Korean release this year, CIX’s latest Japanese release also takes a step away from EDM and their serious tone that they had adopted when they first started out. All For You is another pleasant listen that looks to replicate the easy on the ears nature that Cinema succeeded in achieving. And while CIX has done just that, I can’t help but have to point out that other parts of the song is lacking. Aside from the funky instrumental which I think is the song’s main highlight, All For You lacks memorability. This includes hooks, melodies, vocals and rapping. All of these contribute to the song’s undeniabley pleasant and easy going nature, but none hits it hard. I am not seeking any hard drops or intensity that is reminiscent of their earlier works, but rather I wanted to hear elements that had a stronger backing or substance to them. For the music video, All For You was colourful, fun and enjoyable. I liked the carefree nature the members brought to the music video, which was fitting for the overall style. It also shows a different side of the members. I did find the opening few seconds a bit cringy, but it definitely wasn’t the cringiest thing out there in the Korean/Japanese music scene. For the choreography, I liked how they fully embraced the groovy and funky notes of the song in their routine. As a result, the entire performance feels ‘just right’. That being said, All For You‘s choreography still contains their signature sharpness to it. In addition to that, there is also this light atmosphere to the routine, which also works well with the music. (7.4/10)
Film Out – BTS
The first of the BTS releases in this post is Film Out, a single off BTS’s upcoming Japanese compliation album. The single itself was released back at the start of April. so apologies for the long delay. Film Out taps BTS back into the ballad genre, with a (once again) pleasant ballad that is a bit generic for my liking. Film Out has this rich and sentimental tone to it. It would also side nice as a side track that I would tune into if I had a craving for the album. But in comparison to their more well known ballads (such as Butterfly), Film Out falls short of hitting the mark (for me, at least). I think it is mainly because the vocal processing that their voices were put through and hence they don’t sound as pure like in those past ballads had sounded. That being said, Film Out did have its moments. I really liked the beat when the rappers were brought into play. I also liked it when the vocalists were brought in to back each other up. The subtle rock and (more obvious) orchestral influences were also quite nice and added some additional heft alongside the vocals to prevent the song from falling into more into that generic ballad trap that Stay Gold fell into. You always feel like you are watching a cinematic release when it comes to BTS’ music videos and Film Out is no exception. While I have no clue on what is going on in this video (my best guess is that the video is about the members’ reflecting upon past memories that once brought them joy, but now brings them pain – represented by the explosion), I must acknowledge that the music video for Film Out brings out the emotional factor to a whole new level. On top of that, the cinematography was exceptional. (7.8/10)
Butter – BTS
BTS’ most recent release, Butter, dropped on Friday. And since it is the biggest release in the global music industry from this week, and with its strong ties to the KPOP industry, I had to take some time out of my own personal break to have a listen and review it for you all. First impression, I liked it. I wasn’t keen on how it started off at first, but once the groovy and funky instrumentation kicks into gear (plus the pre-chorus melodies presented itself), Butter instantly threw all of its catchy and dynamic energy right at me. Before I knew it, I was nodding along to the music! The chorus is quite addictive, thanks to the melodies in the section. I really like the breakdown, which really concentrated the song’s grooviness into a simple yet ear-catching synth. Vocally, I think Butter really shows off what we know BTS is capable of. The vocalists all gave us solid vocals (and I am super happy that Jin recieved more lines in this song, compared to his limited lines in Dynamite. Hopefully, the remixes that follow this release keeps that trend up!), while the rappers packed a punch when they came into play towards the end of the song. I think Butter is a logical step up/forward from Dynamite and definitely has me reaching for my mouse to press replay! For the music video, I really liked how classy it looked. At the start, the sleekness that BTS’ visuals brought to the video with the black and white filter. When the colour comes into play, all of this fun energy infused into the video, making this a fantastic watch. In addition to the classiness brought to us via their suits, I really liked the colourful and casual trackies they wore in subsequent parts of the video. I also liked how each member that their moment to shine with their dance moves on the elevator and how they brought their individual colours to the video throughout all their solo shots. But visually, the best part of the music video has to be that epic stage they perform on with the lights coming through from underneath. For the choreography, I really liked how BTS kept the energy and momentum going with their moves. I like how fitting the routine is with the title, as the chorus actually looks like smooth (i.e. like butter). We won’t be able to see a full choreography until the Billboard Music Awards tomorrow, but it definitely looks like BTS’s live performance will be amazing without a doubt. (9.5/10)
The next album which I wanted to delve into for a closer listen is Lee Jin Hyuk’s recent comeback with SCENE26, his third mini-album since his solo debut in 2019. At the forefront of this mini-album is 5K, which dropped with the mini-album at the start of April 2021. Personally, I am not a fan of his releases in the past (which includes I Like That and Bedlam) and this detered me from sitting down to write an album review for those past mini-albums. But as I was vetting albums by a casual listen recently, I was drawn to a few tracks on this mini-album that caught my attention. Furthermore, 5K garnered the most positive review I had for Lee Jin Hyuk since his solo debut. So with those factors combined, I am excited to finally sit down to have a closer look at one of Lee Jin Hyuk’s mini-albums.
2. Silence – If 5K’s tone was playful and fun, then Silence is edgy. The second track on the album is an EDM track, which isn’t really the ideal genre to push for some ‘silence’. In fact, I really like how loud this track ended up being. There is also a lot of character to the song, which isn’t standard with typical EDM song. There is just something more to the song that I find very exciting. I really like the layering of all of the rough and harsh synths and textures, which creates an energy that sounded like it could easily have fitted into an intense, suspenseful and ‘edge of your seat’ type of action movie. For Lee Jin Hyuk himself, his rapping was quite dynamic and robust. And he too inserted a lot of character into the song himself. (9/10)
3. Asteroid (소행성) – Asteroid is my favourite track on the album. While his vocal work at the very start wasn’t really the best foot forward, the rest of the vocals were extremely fitting for this rock song. I really like the harshness/roughness of his vocals, which make it fitting for the rock genre. And he sounds so good throughout the rest of the song that I am willing to overlook that tiny detail at the start. The rock instrumental is relentless and powerful, blasting us with energy from practically the first second. Altogether, everything felt like an anime OST. And I would be willing to watch any anime with a lead in track like Asteroid. (10/10)
4. HATI-HATI – HATI-HATI is a blast of intense hip-hop energy. If you are a person is easily overwhelmed with intense songs, then this one might not be for you. But if you enjoy that thrill, then definitely check out HATI-HATI. For me, I don’t mind being blasted by energy, but I much prefer the song’s more melodic moments in the pre-choruses and bridge. That being said, Lee Jin Hyuk really pushes himself to deliver lines that really stand out on top of the instrumentation, showcasing an ability that definitely can be helpful with some songs. On top of that, his rapping was impeccable and definitely shows promise. (8/10)
5. Be Half Awake – We return to a more playful and fun track, allowing us to take a break from all that intense energy from the pervious songs. It isn’t my personal favourite song on the album, as I felt that the harshness in his tone was competing with the synths and instrumental. Sometimes they clashed, and this was a jolt of sound that I personally did not enjoy as much. Be Half Awake‘s more melodic moments were appreciable. But once again, it is rapping that steals the show for me in this song. I just wished the energy from both the song and Lee Jin Hyuk was toned down a bit to gives us more of an opportunity of a break from the album’s intensity. (6.5/10)
6. Wave (끄덕) – If I were to pick a song which showed off his rapping off the most, then Wave would be my pick. His rapping in this song is definitely his best work yet. The energy, the character and the charisma are all showcased in this song to a high degree. If he had started off his solo career with a song like Wave, then I would have been an avid follower. I also like the underground vibes of this song, which is really cool. Not only was it a great style to showcase Lee Jin Hyuk’s talents, it is also very different from most rap songs we hear in a KPOP album. (9/10)
7. Coup-d’état (활) – In addition to ending the album, Coup-d’état was selected as the follow-up promotional song to end 5K promotions. The powerful and intense nature of the EDM that makes up Coup-d’état makes it a song that is extremely fitting for the stage. Actually, I think this would have been a strong contender for the title track position of this album The energy from this song would have been thrilling as the entrance track to SCENE26 and would have started everything with a bang! In addition to the intensity and stage-worthiness for this song, Coup-d’état also showcases Lee Jin Hyuk in an explosive manner that doesn’t feel like was capitalized in any of the above songs. We have heard impressive rapping from the soloist in the above songs, but I don’t think we have heard him like this before! (10/10)
It is time tap back into that ‘Coming Soon’ list and pick another artist to review. For today’s review, I have selected an artist that I never have reviewed before, a female duo named KEEMBO. Well, technically that is not true. I have reviewed the duo KEEMBO before. However, back then KEEMBO were members of the female group SPICA, who released some of my favourite KPOP songs such as Tonight and You Don’t Love Me. SPICA disbanded in 2017 and the members went their separate ways. In 2020, Kim Bo Young and Kim Boa formed the duo KEEMBO and debuted with the single Thank You Anyway and since continued to promote with one another. This year, KEEMBO released the singles Inside and (more recently) Whatever, which I will be reviewing both today.
Inside was released as the title track from the duo’s first studio album Scandal back in February of this year. I missed it when it first released and it didn’t really catch on until I paid actual attention to the song weeks after its release. Now, it is a song that I look forward to when I see it coming up on my playlist. What makes Inside so good is the pairing of KEEMBO’s vocals and groovy electronic instrumental that we get. If you know them from their SPICA days, then you will know how capable they are. While Inside doesn’t really showcase the extent of their capabilities, Inside really shows how substantial they can be. Their vocals were solid through and through and I enjoyed that little spike and push they gave in the final chorus. I do wish there was more to give that song that oomph it needed, but they did well. For the instrumentation, Inside was extremely satisifying. It was straightforward but in a no mess type of way. I also quite like the instrumentation for its contrast to the lyrics. The song is very upbeat, yet the lyrics are very emotionally driven.
Whatever was released nine days ago as a digital single. To me, it delivers what felt was missing from Inside, though very briefly. It is a very peppy retro instrumented track that is very upbeat and exudes this very cheerful energy that I find enjoyable. The trumpets were a really nice touch and give this song colour that the drums didn’t have when it was the only instrumental centre piece in the verses. The chorus was definitely the more memorable parts of the song, with the brass and the powerful vocals. Whatever definitely shows off more of that ‘extent of their capabilities’ which I noted that I wanted in Inside. Those powerhouse vocals come through via the word ‘Whatever‘, which is an extremely small dose. But a step towards what I wanted. Those ad-libs at the end seem to be tease us a bit. But while I do love a good belting, I also enjoyed the softer moments of the song that KEEMBO gave us in this song. The softer approach was a nice contrast with the chorus, especially when it came to the ‘dadada‘ hook. It gave the song that additional addictive tinge.
Further to the contrast between music and lyrics of Inside, the contrast between lyrics and music video is also quite remarkable. In a way, it makes sense to me as love can make you twisted things (and so does a heartbroken person). Essentially, the music video shows KEEMBO recovering from a relationship in their own way. The person they were once in love with had told them to move on, but KEEMBO do not want to singing lines, by singing lines such as ‘Forget it if you want to‘ and ‘My tears are mine to shed‘. This angers them and they result to killing the ex-lover (Bohyung dragging the bag, Boa holding the knife or glass shard by the sharp end in her hand while staring at something) to just stop their ex-lover from continually saying the same thing. You just don’t expect that darkness behind such an upbeat song. I also really liked how creepy they looked in some of their indivdual shots, further fueling that darkness. Miles away is the music video for Whatever, which is protrays the cheerfulness and peppy profile of Whatever in a straightforward way. I really like how they were singing to really nice paintings, who also sang back to them. I just wished they looked like they were belting those high notes in the chorus, rather than acting cutesy or cheerrful. I just don’t think it is a good fit for those moments in the song.
Despite the two upbeat songs, only Inside got a dance performance for its promotions. It was a decent performance, with the focus being on vocals rather than the dancing for the pair. But they did participate in some of the moves. I really like the light sensual tinge the choreography had, which felt appropriate for the song.
Inside Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 8.4/10
Whatever Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.9/10
We turn to a more recent release following my review yesterday for a 4 to 6 month old song (depending on what you would consider its release date). And this release is by Ailee, who makes her return to the KPOP scene through the title track Make Up Your Mind. Make Up Your Mind is featured on her pre-release mini-album, Lovin’, which marks her impending return with her third studio album in the near future. Lovin’ also features Spring Flowers as another lead track from the mini-album, but it doesn’t have an official music video and hence I won’t be reviewing it. Her last comeback was back in October of last year with the mini-album I’m and the title track When We Were In Love.
Make Up Your Mind is a pretty decent modern pop song with an instrumental that is quite airy but also textured. I guess this combination was intentional to keep the song interesting and substanced. Otherwise, I think the song would have been a bit too light and would be unforgettable. The main issue for me in regards to Make Up Your Mind is that it is a pretty repetitive on the instrumental front and doesn’t really delivery anything new or memorable by the time the song wraps up. If you heard the first verse and chorus, you have pretty much heard all of Make Up Your Mind. And after multiple listens, you are looking forward to a different song from the artist. I wished there was something more gripping or dynamic about the song. That way I would be more inclined to return to the song for further replays. On the flipside, I do appreciate that airiness and breezy nature, which is still a nice contrast to the texture we get through the synths as mentioned at the start. Per any of Ailee’s songs, her vocals are what is foremost and centre in the song. Ailee compliments that airiness and breezy nature of the song by opting for light vocals herself. While this is a great match, I do miss her more substantial releases that contains super powerful vocals. We know what Ailee is capable of based on her earlier singles. Make Up Your Mind doesn’t satisify that craving and I personally wanted more. To me, this songs fits neatly as a pre-release single and not as title track material. Let’s just hope that whatever follows Make Up Your Mind satsifies those cravings I mentioned earlier and provide us with something that is more driven.
The music video (or music v-log as the video has it in the title of the video) features both Ailee and Park Eun Seok (more recently known as Logan Lee from The Penthouse series). In the video, the pair acts as friends who have feelings for one another. They go on trips with one another and care for each other. But it seems like Ailee is waiting for Park Eun Seok to make the first move. And in the end, he doesn’t for whatever reason. This is why Ailee is singing lines such as “You take your time. Like a lover, show me how you feel to me now.” and “Tease is attractive. But” in this song. It makes sense. One thing I wished about the music video did better was that the story came together a lot more fluildly that what it did. They felt very disjointed and poorly sequenced in my opinion. Personally, I don’t have much to say about the couple scenes, but her solo shots during the pre-choruses gives off an snobby impression which I am personally not a fan of. I might be percieving the visuals wrong but that is what I got from the video unfortuately.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 6/10 Overall Rating – 6.6/10
KPOPREVIEWED 