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.
It is time for another edition of the Weekly KPOP Charts. This time it is for the 2nd Week of April 2021. Another pretty big week in KPOP with the return of some big name artists such as SHINee, Kang Daniel, Yoon Ji Sung and Wheein (just to name a few). Anyhow, hope everyone is doing well and preparing yourselves for the week ahead. I know I am, given the list of confirmed comebacks for the upcoming week. But I am still grinding reviews out by pushing forward with the few album reviews and song reviews I have been drafting up, and hopefully get them out today/this week. But before that, here are the Weekly KPOP Charts.
New releases of the past week
In addition to the artists that I name-dropped in the above introduction, other releases from this past week include DAVICHI, The8, DONGKIZ and MAJORS.
Throwback corner
Coming off the Kingdom: Legendary War episode from the 8th April, I had a bit of a jam session to BTOB’s infamous ballads. One of them being their 2016 I’ll Be Your Man, with that high note/rapping combination still being one of the best climaxes I have heard in KPOP to date. It was nice to listen to all their hits again, and I will probably have more of them in the future (especially as we revisit a lot of their, and the other competitors, past title tracks).
The charts
We have a new number one artist this week. For the first time since debuting as a solo artist, Kim Jae Hwan has managed to steal my attention from all of this competitors with I Wouldn’t Look For You to earn his first number 1 song as part of this segment. Congratulations Kim Jae Hwan! For more of the charts, scroll down below.
11th Apr – 17th Apr 2021
Title
Artist
Status
1
I Wouldn’t Look For You
Kim Jae Hwan
(▲ 66)
2
Antidote
Kang Daniel
(new)
3
Atlantis
SHINee
(new)
4
Unnatural
WJSN (Cosmic Girls)
(▼ 3)
5
What Type of X
Jessi
(▲ 24)
6
5K
Lee Jin Hyuk (UP10TION)
(▲ 15)
7
Love Song
Yoon Ji Sung
(new)
8
HUSH
Kim Sung Kyu (Infinite)
(▲ 5)
9
ONE
ASTRO
(▼ 5)
10
Like Water
Wendy (Red Velvet)
(▲ 10)
11
Paranoia
Kang Daniel
(▼ 5)
12
Lean On Me
Kim Jeong Uk
(▲ 55)
13
Do or Not
Pentagon
(▼ 10)
14
Midnight Blue
B.I
(▲ 35)
15
Beautiful Beautiful
ONF
(▼ 8)
16
After School
Weeekly
(▲ 2)
17
Call My Name
Kim Kyu Jong (SS501)
(▲ 49)
18
Excalibur
KINGDOM
(▲ 9)
19
Young Blood
DRIPPIN
(▼ 10)
20
water color
Wheein (Mamamoo)
(new)
21
LILAC
IU
(▲ 4)
22
libidO
OnlyOneOf
(▲ 25)
23
MOON RIDER
BDC
(▲ 5)
24
Fireworks (I’m The One)
ATEEZ
(▼ 16)
25
Seoul
GHOST9
(▼ 15)
26
YOU
CHECKMATE
(▼ 7)
27
ALL IN
DKB
(▲ 4)
28
We DO
SuperM
(▲ 39)
29
#YOUNG
Jeongmin (ft. Rockett, 9F)
(▲ 10)
30
Blossom
Oh Sae Beom
(▲ 3)
Songs leaving the charts this week
After nine weeks on the charts, these are the song that have left the charts and will not be part of next week’s rankings:
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.
Preliminary Round – 100 Seconds Performances
The preliminary round was performed way back in February by each of the groups and was live streamed to the global audience in preparation for the actual season. The reason for this was to allows fans to live vote and pick their favourite stage, which would subsequently give the winning group an advantage in the first official round.
The preliminary round had a number of rules. Firstly, the performance could only last 100 seconds (hence the name of the round). Secondly, the song chosen for the preliminary round had to be a song that received first place before. Thirdly, the performance order was chosen based on who the participants perceived to win this preliminary round. Who was expected to win performed last. They then chose the group who would perform first. The group who was selected to perform first chose who went second, and so forth until the performance order was decided.
I will be reviewing the performances based on who went first, and will be looking at song arrangement and choreography for this preliminary round.
Wave: Overture – ATEEZ
My guess regarding ATEEZ’s concept was that they just washed ashore. The start of the performance saw the members struggling, as if they were injured. The screens showed their ship being capsized (for whatever reason), which explained their “injuries”. ATEEZ then officially began their performance with dramatic flair thanks to the violins and Hongjoong spewing fake blood on the stage, surprising all viewers (including fellow participants). Wooyoung, Jongho and San literally comes at the camera with their aggressive choreography, before the camera switching to Yunho (and Yeonsang and Seonghwa as well) starting us with the pre-chorus of Wave. When we get to the ‘chorus’ of the song, Wave opts for the return of the dramatic flair with synthesized violins employed to intensify the performance, allowing ATEEZ to show off a more powerful routine fitting for Kingdom. I liked that choice. Aside from the fake blood, San delivers the performances most impressive move of all (i.e. the backflip). Unfortunately, it isn’t much compared to the other performances on this list. ATEEZ finishes their 100 seconds with San running up and climbing on top of the rest of the group, whilst carrying a flaming torch and officially signifying the start of the performance. ATEEZ’s performance was great and provided us with a taster to their performance skills. But I don’t think they lived up to the expectation that I had for them personally going into the competition.
Beautiful Pain (Choir version) – BTOB
Out of all the male groups participating on the show, BTOB is the outlier. While they started off as a dance group, the group has found success with their more vocal-centric songs, such as ballads like Beautiful Pain. So it will be interesting to see what BTOB brings to the competition. But if their 100 seconds stage is anything to go by, BTOB will be bringing a lot of competitive heat by sweeping their competitors off their feet with amazing and jawdropping vocals (as they did with this stage). Obviously, BTOB cannot continually play this card for all stages, so it will be what BTOB will do next. The stage starts off with Eunkwang, Changsub and Minhyuk harmonising (beautifully, I should add) with one another, bringing the choir component to the song. It then cuts to Peniel rapping his part of the song, before he joins the other three members at the microphone stands to bring out Beautiful Pain‘s signature melodies and harmonise with one another to bring their stage to a close. The best part has to be the flawless high notes that they incorporated into the stage. It is a beautiful stage and showed off BTOB’s strongest asset, similar to how the other groups do so with choreography. If BTOB can implement powerful choreography to their stages (which they will have to, given the repertoire of songs from the fellow competitors), they will become a force to watch out for.
Good Guy (The Glory) – SF9
Given the criteria set for the preliminary round, SF9 was limited to only one song – Good Guy, which clinched their first win on music shows in early 2020. Notably absent is Rowoon, who was watching from the sidelines due to an injury. The group kicks off their 100 seconds performance with a model walk, intimidating us (and the competitors) with their serious looks and the echoing of the Good Guy hook from the song. After their walk, the camera focuses on Chani and Youngbin (I think) who starts aggressively dancing to the EDM dance break, before the other members joining in. The performance then ends with SF9 going into the final chorus of Good Guy, but with a modified routine to match the altered instrumental that also has been intensified. Unfortunately, nothing stood out for me. I think it was a solid routine and stage to watch, but I wanted more. I do like this side of the group as their more electrifying songs and performances are what I stray towards, but I wished they retained more of the sensual moves from the original choreography, which would have made this performance more memorable. There was some grinding, but what is the harm of asking for more?
Miroh – Stray Kids
Stray Kids is the only group who did not specify that this stage involves an alternate version of their original song in the title. But this 100 seconds version of Miroh is very different to standard Miroh we heard back in 2019. The animalistic and aggressive vibes of this performance shows whoever is watching who is boss. The stage opens up with Hyunjin alone. But with some easy camera distraction, the entire group appears in front of you in a second. In the background, you hear Felix’s iconic deep tone repeating the anthem that dominates Miroh. A few spins and jumps later, the group then performs with knives over some intense electronic music. This adds a thrilling and cool element to the performance. While I am sure they are not the real deal, the knives held in their mouths and their glares really intimidates, engages, captivates and take this performance to the next level. Felix and Han then brings us back to back Miroh, which is then followed up by Changbin who raps his part of the song whilst holding a stick that sends sparks flying out. This was the performance’s highlight. The choreography for Miroh‘s chorus’s beat drop is replicated (with Chan throwing in a backflip), before the group’s vocalists brings back dramatic and animalistic (respectively) vibes. This is all done whilst the other members are craving their symbol onto the stage, which is the final image we see before the performance comes to a close. Overall, the performance makes a statement from the very first second.
The Stealer (Epic Version) – The Boyz
The Boyz have the advantage that they are familiar with what is expected of them. However, they only had one song to choose from for this opening performance. Dubbing their performance the ‘epic version’ of The Stealer, The Boyz really does live up to that name. The performance starts off with Juyeon and Hakyeon, in what seems to be the competition’s creepiest start yet. The opening line ‘Is it an addiction‘ is probably going to stay in my mind for some time. The rest of the members come running in, before the song is warped and we are lead into the second part of the performance. This section is more electrifying, opting for electronic dance elements in the background. It is also this part where Sunwoo delivers some lines and shows an upgraded version of himself as we have never heard him like this before. We also see some cool camera work whilst Sunwoo raps away, with two of the members lending their arms for some arm choreography. The Boyz then all return to the stage, with some of the members sliding effortlessly back into the performance. This is also the only part of the performance that resembles the original song (i.e. the utterance of ‘I’m The Stealer‘). Interestingly, The Boyz changes up the performance with a third part, changing to a classical arrangement, showing off graceful ballet moves before capping the performance with flying Juyeon. With an final stunt like that, it is clear that The Boyz are willing to do whatever stunt it takes to win the competition, raising the expectation for future stages.
Rhythm Ta (Kingdom Version) – iKON
To me, iKON’s presence on this show is a bit of a wild card. But it seems like everyone is expecting greatness from them, given that they selected iKON the group likely to win this preliminary round. I am not too sure what to expect, given that their performances are not really as iconic as the actual songs themselves. But that being said, I am looking forward to what they are bringing to Kingdom. They kick off their 100 seconds of Rhythm Tawith the line ‘iKON is back‘, before progressing to some bold choreography that exudes confidence to me. I really like how iKON stayed true to their roots with their elements. Sure, they brought in EDM like the other groups. But they infused it with hip-hop influences and energy, which pretty much sums up iKON’s music in a nutshell. They kick the energy to a higher notch with DK and Jihwan’s duo moment, before the rest of the members come together to continue the same momentum. All the while, the addictive repetition of Rhythm Ta plays in the background. The performance then incorporates some of Bobby’s rapping who enters the centre of the performance with a really high jump. This is then followed up with iKON’s favourite vocal sequence – anthem. I really like how comfortable and fun Bobby looks like he is having throughout the performance, which really reflects on the audience, as we see some of the reactions of the other competitors. It was a fun performance that shows of iKON’s skillset.
And the ranking is…
At the end of each round, the show will rank the groups according to a set criteria. For this round, the criteria was simply global fan voting.
On the left hand side of the table below, you will find the show’s announced ranking, which was announced over the the first two episodes. On the right hand side, you will find my personal ranking of each of the performances. As you can see, I agree with the first two rankings but have a slightly different opinion regarding the 3rd to 6th ranks.
Do you agree with me? Or do you agree with the show’s ranking? Or do you have a different order in mind? Let me know in the comments!
Rank
Kingdom: Legendary War Official Ranking
KPOPREVIEWED’s Personal Ranking
1
Stray Kids
Stray Kids
2
The Boyz
The Boyz
3
BTOB
ATEEZ
4
SF9
BTOB
5
ATEEZ
iKON
6
iKON
SF9
Next up: Kingdom: Legendary War Review – Round 1 – To The World
The next review is for Yoon Jin Sung’s recent comeback. After finishing up with Wanna One at the end of 2019, Yoon Ji Sung immediately began his solo career with the release of In The Rain two months after Wanna One disbanding. He later followed up with his comeback I’ll Be There, before going on hiatus for his military enlistment. He officially completed his mandatory military enlistment in November 2020. Yesterday, Yoon Ji Sung released his third mini-album (titled Temperature of Love) and the lead single, Love Song.
Yoon Ji Sung’s pre-military enlistment works have been heavily influenced by the slower paced ballads, fitting for his vocalist status during his Wanna One days. Love Song seems to steer Yoon Ji Sung’s solo work in a new direction, opting for something more upbeat. Unfortunately, it sounds like a typical pop song. But don’t me wrong, I don’t hate it, nor do I think it is terrible song. It does still sound decent and good. But it isn’t really evoking much from me as a listener. Personally, I wouldn’t go of my way to search the song specifically, but I wouldn’t mind hearing it if it randomly popped up on my playlist. And that is based on my experience thus far. I have replayed the song a number of times for this review (on top of listening to the song yesterday when it first came out), but I am failing to notice much that is worth talking about. I had the exact same thoughts for my first initial expression of the song. It is pretty much a song in neutral gear for me, progressing along in a predictable manner. I wished his work was a lot more expressive and engaging. I guess Love Song‘s main driving force is Yoon Ji Sung’s vocals, which was quite solid. While the melodies and hooks were plain and not that memorable, I did like his execution of the chorus and the harmonisation within this section of the song as well. What Yoon Ji Sung could have done to make the song more engaging was commit to the rapping for the second verse. He seems to go in that direction for the second verse, but ends up opting for a rap-sing type of delivery which isn’t as exciting. But unfortunately, I don’t think that would be enough to really make the song a whole heap better.
Love Song is all about missing your significant other. And I guess Yoon Ji Sung portrays it well in the music video, looking bored and unfocused as a result of missing his significant other. That, or he also agrees with my sentiments about the song. But I think the former is a more logical and obvious explanation for this facial expressions. I liked the video revolved around food, which is something essential in life, amongst other things. But the joy of life is sucked out of Yoon Ji Sung, who burns his toast by not paying attention to it, fills up scales instead of bowls for cereal. When he does get that opportunity to communicate with his significant other, he is also quite distracted (i.e. chatting clothed in a warm and steaming bathtub). Aside from actively showcasing the lyrics, the music video was filled with nice colours thanks to the set design and lighting. There is a dullness to them despite picking vibrant colours, which I thought was a great choice for the video and the song.
Like the song, the choreography was pretty unexciting, which fits in with the overall profile of the song. But isn’t a terrible routine, but it was pretty repetitive. I did like the flow of it, as it didn’t feel as tight or strict as other routines. It was freeing, which works well with the pop sound of the song.
Song – 6/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 6.5/10 Overall Rating – 6.4/10
The next comeback to review from earlier in the week was made by Wheein, one of the members of Mamamoo. While Wheein is the final member of the group to release a mini-album under her name, she actually made her solo debut way back in 2018 with the single Easy (featuring Sik-K). She then followed up with the single Good Bye in 2019. This past Tuesday, Wheein returned with the single water color and her debut mini-album, Redd.
Once again, I am using the term ‘pleasant’ to describe water color, but in a good way. Everything in water color felt very balanced and this makes the song extremely satisfyingly to listen to. We are know that Wheein is capable of powerful vocals through her collaborative stages and past work as part of Mamamoo. But water color manages to show off Wheein’s vocals without tapping into that powerhouse mode. As a result, other elements of water color were given an opportunity to shine. They melodies had a nice ring and helped make the song quite flowy. But not too flowy where the song felt like a blur. There were some nice cuts to the flow that make the song more enjoyable (i.e. her brief rap-speak one-liners just prior to the first two chorus), coming in the right time. They also reminded me a bit of Easy. The overall instrumental was quite groovy and brought a nice upbeat vibe to the song. It isn’t the most special or freshest background out there. But it is a nice relief from the loads of intense EDM we get a lot nowadays. It also has this nostalgic factor. I also really like the post-chorus instrumental break with the higher pitched squeaky synths, which brings forth that nostalgic factor even more. The heavily autotuned vocals (not exactly what the technical term for these vocals are) we get in the bridge also bring the same effect. I think water color could have benefited from a catchier and more memorable hook. The hooks we got were good, but the producers of the song should have somehow delivered more oomph to make them more recognisable and engaging. Overall, another nice song under Wheein’s belt.
I am kind of glad that Wheein’s fashion was a bit more typical than the outfits that Solar wore for her solo debut. It is definitely more of her style and fits in the pleasant tone that I mentioned above for the song. I also enjoyed about the fashion was the splash of colour it gave the video. It also made her the centre of attention, allowing her to stand out in what felt like settings that felt relatively plain. Similarly, the dancers also wore multi-coloured clothing. But Wheein’s outfits somehow felt bolder compared to the dancers. Aside from that, the music video opts for a choreography and closeup formula, and I felt there isn’t much else to the video to talk about.
I really like how they brought the grooviness out of the song via the choreography. It was definitely a nice routine, thought I think it could have been better if it was snappier. Like the song, it isn’t the most original routine out there. But it does its job at showcasing Wheein’s performance skills and complimenting the music.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.5/10
The next review on this blog is for Kang Daniel, who yesterday wrapped up his colour trilogy with the release of single Antidote and his 4th mini-album, Yellow. This release comes after the release of PARANOIA back in February this year. Yellow follows the releases of mini-albums Cyan in March 2020 (featuring the title track 2U) and Magenta in August 2020 (featuring the title track Who U Are). It also serves the final chapter of the colour trilogy (as mentioned), which was a project for Kang Daniel ‘to find his true colours as a solo artist’.
Antidote combines your traditional rock with alternative R&B elements to create a very moody and heavy track. The first few seconds of the song opened up in a way that reminded me of PARANOIA. I have nothing against going down that fierce route again, I just don’t want it to be a rehashed version of the February pre-release. But there was nothing to worry about. After those few seconds, we get another loaded song (the song is all about seeking the antidote for heartbreak that you just cannot cure), but it is more held back compared to his previous release. The first verse was essentially a slow buildup to the chorus. The minimalistic instrumental for the first verse felt like it was simmering away and was very much in the backseat. In the forefront was Kang Daniel’s vocals. He started out with a low husky tone before progressing to vocals that were more piercing. The chorus is when the song combines the rock and alternative R&B, which was layered underneath more piercing vocals from the solo artist. The second verse featured a really nice change of sound, opting for the addition of strumming guitars to the verse mix. It kept the song interesting and engaging for me. If the song had replicated the first verse for the second verse, I would have found Antidote very dry and boring. To me, the bridge of Antidote was its weak point. I felt like it abruptly cut the momentum of the song after its second chorus. Furthermore, I wasn’t much of a fan of going back to those simmering vibes (once again) and typical synths. Not really imaginative and innovative. Kang Daniel’s rapping also felt unnecessarily autotuned in this part. Overall, I felt like Antidote was a strong release for Kang Daniel, putting a nice end to his journey with this series. But it could have been better.
Despite the song being quite heavy with its messaging, the music video seems to be a little more colourful and vibrant than what I had expected. But that’s okay. It is different and I like that. I also enjoyed the simplicity in terms of sets. Like the song, this simplicity allows the focus to be purely on Kang Daniel throughout the four minutes. I really like the start where Kang Daniel is surrounded by those broken body parts, symbolizing the pain in which he is seeking a cure for. Him preforming on stage and everyone viewing him through the mobile screens showcases his struggles as a celebrity and the constant awareness that he is in the public eye, which will take a mental toll on his mind. I also really liked the setup of the final choreography sequence, where he (and the dancers) are performing on top of the building and mirrors, which looked quite cool. It would have been nice to see the other two parts of the trilogy be reflected as part of this music video.
As mentioned earlier, I felt the song held back. And I felt this was really well reflected in the performance side of the comeback. His moves aren’t powerful as powerful as his previous comebacks and take on a more fluid approach. I quite like that. It was a captivating performance and showcases a different side of Kang Daniel that I don’t think we have seen before.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8.5/10 Overall Rating – 8.1/10
After taking a short break to recover from the more than usual reviews over the weekend, I am jumping back into the reviewing chair with this week’s first major release. SHINee made their long awaited comeback back in February with Don’t Call Me (the title of the lead track and title of their 7th studio album), three years after their previous comeback. Two months on, and the group has returned with the the repackaged version of their 7th studio album and the new single, Atlantis. Just a heads up that the album review for Don’t Call Me/Atlantis will be published this weekend. But we are hear about my personal thoughts about the new song, so let’s have a closer listen to Atlantis.
Take all of SHINee’s past work and boil them down into one song. I think that is the best way to describe the nostalgia and my overall thoughts of Atlantis. And that is saying a lot, given all of SHINee’s massive hits. The song starts off what I could describe as its own blank canvas, light guitar strumming that felt like the background was simmering way. It is paired with powerful vocals from Taemin and Key. It is then followed up with an atmospheric pre-chorus, heightened by the presence of those violins and Onew’s soaring vocals. The combination of this pre-chorus builds up effortlessly towards the chorus. The chorus itself combines an intensifying mixture of pulsating synths and percussion that just snowballs exponentially into a thrilling and adrenaline-inducing instrumental piece. And that isn’t enough, as SHINee comes together as one to sing their way through the chorus. I found the hooks and melodies to be quite piercing (in a good way), hooking me further into Atlantis. The song then repeats the sounds and vibes of the first chorus, but replacing Onew’s powerful pre-chorus with an equally as powerful rapping pre-chorus by Minho. Minho sounds different than usual, which I think is the result of throwing energy and intensity behind his delivery. This section is also heightened grungy synths that later evolved into a full on rock sequence. Atlantis then pulls back the pulsating chorus returns, followed up the vocal-centric stripped down bridge and finally ending with that chorus again (with the addition of ad-libs and what felt like added intensity). Overall, Atlantis really took on board all of SHINee’s strengths and moulded it into a song that has blown me (and many others) away.
While I do like the vibrancy of the music video provided by the presence of the members, and all the imagery that the video contained reminding us of the sea (i.e. tentacle in the can, the many appearances of various sea creatures, the visual pattern of ocean and sea), I wish the music video was more dynamic to match the energy of the song. I just feel what we got as a music video just doesn’t do the song justice. The use of the sets were nice, but they added a heavy coating of plainness and stillness to the video, rather than exuding that mature and legendary status that we now (and for a very long time) have associated with SHINee. The most promising set out of all the set was the sandy colour background which the producers applied a holographic sea water pattern over to resemble the shore line.
You cannot tell that in their 13th year and their oldest member is now past 30 with this choreography. SHINee kept themselves synchronized and in beat with the fast tempo of the song. It makes for an amazing routine. To me, it is not the chorus that is the routine’s best moments. Rather, I find the gracefulness of the first pre-chorus and the intensity of the second pre-chorus to be the routine’s best, showcasing two different but strongly compatible sides of SHINee.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 6/10 Performance – 10/10 Overall Rating – 8.8/10
The final review this weekend’s focus on solo artists (I really need to get back to the usual program of reviewing all artists) is Lee Jin Hyuk’s comeback. Lee Jin Hyuk made his solo return to the stage on Monday through the release of 5K and the mini-album, Scene26. This is the soloist’s first comeback since Bedlam in June of last year (and we are still awaiting for the day in which Lee Jin Hyuk makes a return to UP10TION). Since Bedlam, Lee Jin Hyuk was scheduled to make his acting debut early this year through the drama Dear. M, but the drama has been put on hold due to a scandal involving the lead actress. But that is acting and I am not here to review that. I am here to review 5K, so let’s get going.
Lee Jin Hyuk’s solo work have been a miss for me, so far. We have the boring single (i.e. I Like That) and the (to put it bluntly) off-putting releases (i.e. Bedlam). 5K seems to not fit in either of those categories. Gone are the shouting vocals that dominated his previous song, with Lee Jin Hyuk opting for a more pleasing delivery of traditional raps and vocals. When he isn’t overwhelming, he actually sounds quite skilled. I do like that he goes in and out of rapping and singing, which gives the song a wide range of variety. It also seems like Lee Jin Hyuk infuses a bit of a fun character to his delivery, which makes his vocals and rapping even more appealing. I don’t follow Lee Jin Hyuk personally, but my assumption is that this character is what fans would commonly associate with him (based on what I am reading in the YouTube comments). To match the colourful profile lee Jin Hyuk presents us in 5K, the song’s instrumentation opts for a fun profile. Brass, which seems to be the industry’s go to sound for something fun, is heavily employed in the chorus. The jazzy piano that features as part of the chorus is also a nice addition. I also enjoyed the funky sound profile that the song opts for in the verses, further tapping 5K into current trends. So far, so good. But it is the song’s major hook that acts as the hurdle this time around to liking the song. The constant repetition of ‘5K’ (which is a pun on ‘OK‘, as 5 sounds similar to O in Korean) wears off by the midpoint of the song and frankly is annoying by the end of the song. But given his past two releases, I think 5K is his best yet. There are still some improvements that can be made to make the song (and his title tracks) more appealing.
I thought the music video was fantastic. It was a little dizzying, given that the camera constantly spins around to capture Lee Jin Hyuk (and his many counterparts) walk around it in a circle. The whole point of that was to follow the female actress who catches his attention at the start (and the artwork that he is featured in). The music video is set in an art gallery. At first I wasn’t keen on this setting, but it soon made sense to why they had chosen this concept. Obviously, the producers wanted to highlight that 5K is a step up from the ultra high definition of 4K. The 4K that I have seen makes me feel like I am watching the video live (i.e. in the room). So obviously a step up would be that in a literal form, hence the art gallery was an excellent choice. I also like that Lee Jin Hyuk is ‘The Walking Man 2’ and does a lot of walking to play that part. The part in which the female actress was an actual piece of artwork was a bit predictable for me, but it still made for a fun video to watch.
I felt the choreography for this comeback was a let down. There wasn’t anything great about, let alone mind-blowing or new. It just felt like we have seen the moves done before. On top of that, it felt like the choreography was very repetitive. I did like the energy and smiles he brought to the stage. But that isn’t enough in this instance to save the choreography.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 5/10 Overall Rating – 6.9/10
On top of focusing on solo artists this weekend, I also want to also look at a new artist that I have never reviewed before. The artist who I am talking about is Jessi, who is known for her variety show appearances and the single NUNU NANA. On a quick side note, NUNU NANA scored Jessi Best Rapper and Best Female Soloist Choreography in the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. NUNU NANA was on the list for review back when it was first released last year, I never got around to writing a review and have since dropped writing anything for the song (but that doesn’t mean I won’t choose to cover it in the future). But I made a promise with myself to review her next single, whenever that might be. Well, Jessi made her comeback less than a month ago with the single, What Type of X, so it is time for that long-awaited Jessi review.
For those who don’t know, I am not a major fan of hip-hop or rap based songs. However, there is always exceptions for everything and I have enjoyed my fair share of songs from those genres and styles. What Type of X is another song to add to that exception list. You probably can guess (if you have stuck around my blog for enough) that one of the reasons to why I enjoyed What Type of X is because of the instrumentation. There is a fair bit going on in this instrumentation, from the very badass guitar work introduction, to the upbeatness the percussion throughout the verses, to the powerful and memorable synths that made up the chorus, to the impactful and relentless nature of the instrumentation from the point of the song’s climax. Everything came together quite dynamically and screamed out confidence. And if the confidence wasn’t as explicit from the instrumentation, then we can refer to Jessi. Jessi’s name is probably synonymous to the word confidence in the Korean industry. She is not afraid to be go out there and be different, and you can tell that from the song and her performance (something which I will touch on later). Her delivery shows just that, with her husky and raspy voice really coming out throughout her vocal parts. I also find her rapping voice to be so seductive during the bridge. What makes What Type of X even better are all the catchy lines we get throughout the song, adding memorable points to the song. I also find the song’s English lines (such as ‘I am a different type of beast‘ and ‘Thanks to my ex, I am onto the next‘) to be very captivating and memorable. Overall, Jessi gave us another solid song in the form of What Type of X.
As mentioned above, Jessi showcases her confidence throughout the music video, just like in the song. You can tell that she is not afraid of others talking about her as she performs in the video. And this confidence works extremely well with the song’s lyrics. Out of all the sets in this video, the chess board is probably my favourite. Jessi also looks stunning throughout the scene, especially with that headpiece on and her black outfit, representing the queen on the chessboard. The horse masks the dancers wear are slightly frightening, but they work extremely well with the rest of the scene. The rest of the sets looked typical at best, but still good. One disappointing factor was that they CGI in the falling money in one of the scenes. It just didn’t look at as cool as the rest of the video.
One of the things about NUNU NANA that caught on quickly was the iconic choreography. What Type of X followed up with something that feels like it should be just as iconic. The image of the start of the chorus where everyone is bending backwards is effectively ingrained into my mind. And every time I listen to the song, it is what I vividly imagine. It is cool and it also makes a statement, which is something you would want to do with a song like this. I wished the rest of the performance had that same feel though.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.3/10
We take a short break from focusing on the recent comebacks of some solo artists to look at the past week. And I do that via the Weekly KPOP Charts segment. As I want to get back to reviewing, let’s start getting moving along with today’s post as we look back at the 1st Week of April 2021.
Releases from last week
In addition to the comebacks we saw that I have already reviewed (i.e. ASTRO’s ONE, Wendy’s Like Water and Kim Jae Hwan’s I Wouldn’t Look For You), we also saw comebacks from Lee Jin Hyuk, D-CRUNCH, LUNARSOLAR, BAE173, OnlyOneOf and STAYC. SuperM and Chanyeol also released special singles this week.
Throwback corner
Unfortunately, I am not Rollin’ around anymore. Instead, I have been busy listening to other songs this past week. One of these songs is SEVENTEEN’s Hit, which they recently performed on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. So that is this week’s throwback song (even though it is a couple of years old).
The Charts
Congratulations to WJSN for another chart topping hit. Their latest song, Unnatural, is the top song for this week! For more of the charts, scroll down below.
Next up on the list of solo reviews is Kim Jae Hwan. The former Wanna One member began his solo career in 2019 with releases such as Begin Again and The Time I Need. He then entered a fairly quiet year in 2020 (he did release a few singles, but there was no notable or significant comebacks). Over a year in from his last major comeback, Kim Jae Hwan finally returns with his third mini-album, Change, and the lead single, I Wouldn’t Look For You.
I Wouldn’t Look For You delves back into the Latin pop trend that has been dominating KPOP for the past few years. Personally, I don’t mind this influence in this song, as it felt refreshing with all the guitar work for the entirety of the song and the horns that come into play during the chorus. And this Latin pop influence is all over a basic balladry piano piece, tapping into the genre that Kim Jae Hwan is probably most known for. The rain sound effect was also nice touch, aiding in the delivery of the emotional side of the song. Altogether, the instrumental is very enjoyable and pleasing to me. But the instrumental, especially in this song, only contribute to a small part to the song’s appeal. I Wouldn’t Look For You‘s biggest asset is Kim Jae Hwan vocals. With some songs, the instrumental is what what really plays a big part of getting it over the line to being likeable in my books. This is the case for the more upbeat dance tracks that thrive on dynamism and energy. Like most ballads, the vocals play the most important role especially in songs where the instrumental is fairly consistent throughout the entire song (which is the case for this song). In I Wouldn’t Look For You, Kim Jae Hwan infuses so much emotion into the song. He pushes the song forward with his heartbreaking tone, especially when it came to the chorus. It definitely made the song captivating and worthwhile to listen to. His autotuned high note after the stilling bridge was also really good (and it sounds even better live!). Overall, another really strong showing of Kim Jae Hwan in this song.
Finally, a video with a plot line that I can make sense of! It has been a while, but here is what I think is going on in the video. It seems like Kim Jae Hwan’s character nowadays is more preoccupied with hanging with friends (or are those his bandmates) than with his girlfriend. Once lovey dovey (i.e. Kim Jae Hwan would play music to his girlfriend, while she stares lovingly at them), the pair now fight often, leading to Kim Jae Hwan leaving. However, he makes a stop and attempts to get in touch with her to apologise. Whichever way he gets into contact with her, he is unsuccessful. So I am guessing here that he assumes that she doesn’t want to be with him anymore and continues to drive off into the distance. My guess is that he thinks by going back, he would be doing no good and continue cause grief to her. Hence, he chooses not to find her. Unfortunately, as Kim Jae Hwan races off into the distance, the weather causes him to crash and die. His girlfriend hears of this and is heartbroken when she goes out to the crash site. It is definitely a heartbreaking story and one worth watching.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
And the focus is on solo artists this week, I thought I knock out some album reviews for solo artists that I have flagged that I will be reviewing. One of the albums on that list is the second part of Wonho’s first mini-album, Love Synonym Pt.2: Right For Us, which was released at the end of February 2021. I believe this album was originally scheduled for a 2020 release at the end of the year, but we never heard anything more other than confirmation that Wonho was preparing for a comeback. Right For Us features the title track, Lose. In addition to Lose and its five other songs, there is also an English version for Lose and an outro track (both of which I have chosen not to review). So without any more delays (one and a half month wait is a long time), here are my thoughts on Wonho’s second mini-album.
2. Devil – Devil is a very slow-paced R&B track. For the most part, Devil is a successful song. Wonho’s execution of his whispering vocals and the consistency of the instrumentation pretty much hypnotizes you as you listen to it. The one thing that does hold the song back for me is the slow pace of the song. While it does have its benefits (i.e. that hypnotic vibe), it does bring a level of plainness to the song. But that dramatic, abrupt yet brief twist of clashing percussion and deep autotuned vocals we get towards the end of each chorus really helps draw your attention back to the song as your attention fades away from it. Cleverly crafted. (8/10)
3. Best Shot – Best Shot changes up the momentum of the album with a more upbeat sound. I really like the funkiness of the pop song, brought to you by the guitar work. The song is very animated and the energy is something much appreciated after the two preceding songs. The ‘Hit me with your best shot’ just before the chorus was really catchy and helped hype up the chorus. Wonho’s vocals, especially his falsettos, were effortless showcased in this song. As a package, Best Shot gave me Michael Jackson vibe, which is one of the highest compliments anyone can receive in the music industry, given that MJ is the King of Pop. (10/10)
4. WENEED – Next up is WENEED, a song entirely in English for his fans. In fact, the song’s title features his fanclub’s official name, Wenee. I am sure fans of his are touched, especially with how great this ballad sounds. Aside from his vocals, which sound sweet and reflective, WENEED also incorporates an atmospheric instrumentation that feels modern for a ballad. There is a lot of synth and percussion use, something atypical for a ballad genre. But given how open minded Wonho is, I am not surprised he pulled this style out of the bag for his fans. It would have been nicer if the melodies were a little more memorable. (9/10)
5. Ain’t About You (ft. Kilara) – Another full English song follows. This one isn’t about fans though, as it is more of a breakup song. But it is no ballad. Ain’t About You is a collaboration between Wonho and American sing-songwriter, Kilara. It features a funky yet trendy instrumentation that feels lively and full of energy. The pair appears to sound like they are flirting through their vocals in this song, showing us chemistry (which is so important in a collaboration). On top of that, but there was some really good vocal work from the pair throughout the song. If I had one wish for this song, I would have loved to hear more explicit harmonization. But Ain’t About You is good enough as it is. It is a show stopping song and is my pick for this album’s hidden gem. (10/10)
6. Flash – From what I understand, Flash was previously unveiled to fans at his online concert last year. And based on his lyrics and the fact that he cried while delivering the song to his fans at his concert, Flash is another song dedicated to Wenees. His vocals are wonderful here, exploring his higher vocal range once again. But that wasn’t surprising as the rapping that Wonho provided through this song. He is a decent rapper and this song shows us that. Hopefully, we hear more of rapper Wonho in future songs. Other than that, it is pleasant song that I am sure touched many fans. (8/10)
Next up on the weekend of reviews for solo artists is Kim Sejeong. This is the soloist’s first comeback since the official disbandment of Gugudan. For those who missed it, Jellyfish Entertainment announced that Gugudan would disband at the very end of 2020, after two years of being inactive. A number of the members have since left the company. One of the members staying behind is Kim Sejeong, who has established a pretty strong solo career ranging from acting to singing, whilst still promoting as Gugudan. We last saw Kim Sejeong through her release of Whale last year. Last week, she made her solo comeback with the title track Warning and her second mini-album, I’m.
Warning is a very pleasant pop song, with its main centerpiece being a catchy, bright and cheerful sounding piano riff that makes this song so enjoyable. The word ‘pleasant’ used here is a very positive compliment and does not describe the full extent of appeal for this song (which I have described some songs in the past). If anything, Warning could potentially go beyond that ‘pleasant’ descriptor in the right circumstances. As the song progresses, there is always something new to discover in the instrumentation as a result. Aside from that piano riff that I have already mentioned, Warning also includes a sprinkling of synths to give off modern vibes and sound effects to add some fun colour to the song. Kim Sejeong’s vocals were also very strong in the song. What I enjoyed the most is that she doesn’t shy away from different types of delivery. We see snippets of her rap-speaking just before the first chorus, just speaking for the catchy hooks of the song and also singing along with the rap sequence. Even her vocals do a bit of changing, depending on the part of the song in question. The rapping, courtesy of lIlBOI, added some oomph to the song that you would think the song needed at first. But it really cuts the otherwise really consistent momentum of the song. There is one more element that really grabbed my attention, and that is the main hook of the song. The simple spoken repetition of the song’s title was really addictive and reeled me into the song from the first listen. Overall, everything in Warning came together quite nicely. Within the song itself, there was a lot of variety, some of which have been explored by the soloist herself.
To match with the pleasant sound of the song, the music video opted for pastel colours as the main colour palette for the video. Everything from the sky, to the word Warning that appeared behind both Sejeong and lIlBOI in some parts, to the sets were all of the pastel colour. It made sense to me why such colours were chosen, as they don’t appear too pale or too harsh to the viewer. Sejeong acts in a cutesy manner for this video. It isn’t over the top and the video is still watchable, unlike other music videos where it is unbearable. Overall, a fitting music video for the song.
Unlike her past singles, Sejeong’s promotions of Warning also incorporates choreography. There really isn’t anything mind-blowing or ‘never done before’ in this routine. I don’t think it would be fitting for such a laidback song. Instead, the choreography opted for a satisfying and pleasing routine to watch. It also allows Kim Sejeong to focus on her live vocals, which is undeniably her main centrepiece of the entire comeback.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 8.6/10
Next up on the list of solo releases that I am reviewing this weekend is Wendy’s solo debut title track. Like Water is the title of her debut single and it was released on the Monday that just past, alongside her debut mini-album (which shares the same name). Wendy is also the first member of Red Velvet to officially begin a solo career in the music industry. She has done some solo work before through collaborations and OSTs previously, but has not been given the opportunity to promote a mini-album under just her name. This official start is also a return to music promotions for Wendy. For those who missed the news back in 2019, she was badly injured at after a stage fall while performing Psycho, which left her in hospital for a while. She was notably absent in 2020, so that she could rest and recover from her injuries. She did release some music, but nothing substantial. Early 2021, she returned as a member of Red Velvet for a SM Concert. But things have been quiet on that front since that major performance milestone for Wendy and Red Velvet.
I was not surprised when I realised that Like Water was going to be a ballad. Firstly, the title felt like a name you would give to a ballad. Secondly, as Wendy is the main vocalist of her group, it is typically the expectation that she would go down that route as many main vocalists have done before. But don’t get me wrong. I am not saying Like Water is like any other typical comeback. Like Water wowed me when I first heard the song. And that is solely due to the captivation spell that Wendy had me under with her vocals. Her high notes were flawless, enabling the song to soar to new heights. Another positive about the vocal department in this song is how clear and straightforward her vocals were. While it may sound like I am referring to that ‘typical’ description again, I actually in fact appreciate this direction. It is always nice to hear a release that is not complicated or overdone once in a while. And so Wendy’s Like Water comes at a perfect time for me. I also find that Wendy’s vocals in this song remind me of labelmate’s Taeyeon’s vocals (and that is a high compliment to give someone, given Taeyeon’s power and influence in the industry). The melodies in this song are so flowy, feeling like a natural water stream you would hear in a forest. What makes Like Water unique is the folksy instrumentation we get. It may sound like another typical contemporary ballad with its instrumentation if you simply take a glance at it. But when you pay close attention, you find that there is a fair bit of a folk influence to its makeup. And if you still question it, then the instrumental break we get about half way through the song should be enough to prove you otherwise. Altogether, Like Water is a stunning ballad that shows off Wendy’s vocals and marks the return of the Red Velvet member to the KPOP music scene.
The song Like Water isn’t an emotional one. Rather, it has a happy tone to it that makes you want to smile. (For those who don’t know, Wendy likens her love to her partner to the need and feeling of water in the lyrics). That smile feeling is shown throughout the video, with Wendy smiling whilst delivering her lines. One thing I liked about the video is how the video captured Wendy from afar. In many of those scenes where you can tell there is some distance between Wendy and the camera, you will notice they are pretty wide shots and there is a lot of space above her. To me, I think it shows how there is no clouds above her (which would commonly be synonymous with breakup ballads and emotional songs). There is imagery of rain throughout the video which make sense given the song is about water. But I find it smart to not include grey clouds (i.e. the source of that rain), which can be heavy and loaded at the same time, and this would not be a good fit for the video.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 8/10 Overall Rating – 9.2/10
For the entirety of this weekend, I will be focusing my reviewing efforts on solo artists. This includes both song and album reviews, for recent comebacks involving established solo acts or new idols embarking on their solo careers. First up on the reviewing block is Hoshi’s mixtape single, Spider. This is Hoshi’s first solo release since his debut as part of SEVENTEEN in 2015 (which was six years ago!). The release of Spider has caught fans off guard with its sudden announcement on 26 March and its unveiling within a week (with a few teasers per usual in between). As the release occurred while I was on break, I haven’t had the opportunity to review it yet. But since I am back and dedicating this entire weekend to solo releases, it is perfect time to finally listen to Spider in detail.
Known for his performance skills and is also the leader of the Performance unit of SEVENTEEN, it was expected that any solo release from Hoshi would be a dance song that focuses on the performance. I never thought of Hoshi to go down the ballad route for his first solo release, and Spider confirms that. Spider is a very charismatic R&B dance track, pulling me in right during the first listen with its alluring and engrossing energy. Hoshi starts the song with a melodic whisper, before progressing to vocals that do the building towards to the chorus. For the most part, the instrumental felt very neutral up until the chorus. When the chorus kicks into gear, Hoshi presents us with sensual energy that felt very aesthetic. I really like the sleekness of the whisper-like syllable-by-syllable start to the chorus which incorporated guitar work into the instrumentation and infusing a very minute amount of funkiness into the song. And like the verses, the chorus builds itself to be a substantial centrepiece of vocals and instrumentation that fits into the R&B realm of music. The rest of the song continues the momentum that has been built up so far, with the addition of falsetto vocals in the second verse and electrifying guitar work as the main backing for the song’s dance break. While it sounds like I am only praising the song, I did feel that Spider had one flaw at first. Initially, I thought the song had weak melodies and hooks. But after a week’s worth of listens, I find that they are growing on me and anything different would obviously ruins Spider’s aesthetic, which is a major appeal point of the song. Overall, Spider showcases some of the best parts of Hoshi. Aside from his performance skills (which I will talk about in the bit), Spider shows off potential as a solo artist and his vocal skills as well.
Spider‘s music video is an excellent visual concoction that caught my attention during the first pass. One of the strongest aspects of this music video is the cinematography. One really great example is the slow spin of the camera at the start of the video. It plays with us, using the fact that Hoshi was actually hanging upside down in the choreography at that point. It also felt like the POV of a spider crawling down using its web. I also really like how the camera angles and zooming made those ‘corridors’ (like the one in which he is hanging upside down in) feel longer. The second aspect of the video has to be Hoshi’s visuals. He looked amazing throughout the video. Just by seeing him in this music video, he has shown that he can be sensual, charismatic and hypnotic. And those a three big boxes to tick.
Obviously, the biggest element of this solo release has to be the performance (I know, I have already rambled on about how this comeback is all centric on the performance). And I think Hoshi fulfilled all expectations of him. Right from the start, Hoshi hang upside down, delivering us with an impactful view. He moves in a very sleek yet powerful manner throughout the performance. I also really like the choreography for the second verse and chorus, where he is held, blocked and pulled by the dancers. We see interactions with dancers commonly. But that how sequence is complicated timing wise and felt very calculated. A very strong routine from the Performance Leader.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 10/10 Performance – 10/10 Overall Rating – 9.5/10
Today’s Weekly KPOP Charts post is actually for last week (28 March to 3 April), which I took most off due to the Easter long weekend. And because that long weekend went into this week, I am posting the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 5th Week of March 2021 a little later than usual. As this is a late post, I am going to make it a quick one by going straight to the charts. So I can get cracking for some more reviews tomorrow. Apart from that, I hope you all had a great long weekend if you had the opportunity to, or another awesome weekend if you don’t celebrate the holiday.
New releases of the week
As you may have noticed, I have not reviewed all major releases from last week. In addition to already reviewed releases (Kim Sung Kyu’s HUSH, Kang Seung Yoon’s IYAH, Baekhyun’s Bambi and WJSN’s Unnatural), the following artists also made their comeback last week: Kim Sejeong’s Warning, DKB’s All In, Park Bom’s Do Re Mi Fa La So, T1419’s EXIT, 3YE’s Stalker, Hoshi’s Spider, Hwang Chi Yeul’s Two Letters and many more.
The Charts
Congratulations to IU for another massive hit with LILAC. And like all her hits, they just can’t stay away from the top of the charts. And my personal charts is no exception! For more of the charts, scroll down below.
Another comeback from last week was made by WJSN otherwise known as Cosmic Girls. They made their long awaited comeback with Unnatural as the title track and their ninth mini-album that shares the same name. This comes after almost a year after previous comeback as a full group with Butterfly and the mini-album Neverland. After their only 2020 comeback, members Soobin, Luda, Yeoreum, and Dayoung formed WJSN’s first subunit, WJSN Chocome, which went on to release the single Hmph! in October of last year.
Unnatural seems to be what I have been wanting from WJSN for a while now. A really well-done comeback title track that taps into the group’s mature side. A few of their past comebacks have done just that. But I feel like Unnatural is really the peak of what they have attempted thus far. That being said, Unnatural still taps into WJSN usual style of KPOP music. There is a lot to like about Unnatural. First of all are the vocals. To me, the bulk of the verses were quite plain at first glance. But the vocals are what really reeled me in from said verses. They opt for a more powerful delivery, which adds that needed oomph to make the verses more attractive. This does come with some setbacks however, as the members sound like they are straining their vocals to make it work. But I do think it pays off. The second really attractive aspect of the song is its pre-chorus. It is a twist that just comes unexpectedly, but also adds so much flair and texture to the song. It is Unnatural‘s biggest selling point and it seems like it has attracted a lot of attention from fans. The third promising aspect of the song is the explosive chorus that follows right after that pre-chorus. The stripped back manner of the pre-chorus heightens the chorus and the powerful vocals (although continues to be strained) really helps make the chorus appear more impactful. The fourth aspect is the bridge, which is a combination of the already mentioned vocals and pre-chorus instrumentation. I do find the pre-chorus backing here is slightly stronger, leading the song to its peak. Finally, the return of the pre-chorus instrumentation and the vocal layer that finished up the song gave Unnatural that last second push of a changeup, yet still keeping true to the roots of the song. Overall, there was a fair bit to enjoy in Unnatural, with all of the appeal came naturally to WJSN.
The music video portrays those mature vibes the song exuded in a very vibrant manner. Their visuals were well shown throughout the video. However, aside from all of that, I don’t have much else to say about the music video. I found it to be plain and typical for the most part. There isn’t much going on the video apart from the closeup and choreography formula. Usually I would have something more to say about the sets, outfits or overall ambience. But the music video for Unnatural just felt like it was something we have seen before.
The choreography is good. But I wished they were bolder with their moves and the choreography. It would have made the routine even better. Something that shows more confidence and intensity would be what I am after, as this would have been more fitting for the song.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 6/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.7/10
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