Author: kpopreviewed

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

[Album Review] Inside (1st Mini Album) – BTOB 4U

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BTOB 4U is nominated for Best Subunit in the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Click here to support BTOB 4U and your other favourite artists of the year. Remember to vote before the 31st December as the poll closes on that day at 11:59 PM AEST.

BTOB recently returned in the form of the subunit BTOB 4U, which consist of members who have left the military (i.e. Eunkwang, Minhyuk, Changsub) and Peniel who didn’t enlist as he is not a Korean citizen. The unit made their debut a little over a month ago on the 16th of November with the single Show Your Love and the mini-album, Inside. And while the military tends to be a period of uncertainty for many male idols, BTOB 4U showed that they still have the love of Melodies (their fanclub) by winning their first award on SBS The Show. Let’s see what BTOB 4U has to offer on Inside, aside from the title track that we all know of.

Inside Album Cover

1. Show Your Love (Title Track) – Click here for the full review of Show Your Love. (8.5/10)

2. Tension – Tension showcases a whole new sound for BTOB, something that BTOB has never attempted before. It is so sleek and classy sounding, and I also detect some sensual vibes throughout the upbeat nature of the song. Tension starts off with some plucking of acoustic guitars, before moving to a funky instrumentation. I found the song to be catchy, both lyrically and the way the word ‘Tension’ just roll from their mouths. Peniel’s rap also brings a bit of a flair to the song that works really well with the rest. (10/10)

3. Bull’s Eye – I am standing while writing this album review and I just cannot help but dance to Bull’s Eye. The energy that comes from this song is quite infectious. Bull’s Eye takes on board an alternative rock sound that is filled with very catchy moments. I liked how each member shined in this song. The vocal delivery of the two vocalists in the pre-choruses and bridge left me stunned. The rappers each brought a unique edge to the song. I also like it how the song doesn’t stay in one lane, but strays in different directions to give it a bit of a chaotic, yet interesting vibe. (10/10)

4. Mirage – To me, Mirage brings us back to a version of BTOB that we are familiar with. But remember, this is a BTOB 4U song and there are some differences. Mirage is vocally centric and melodic. The vocal work is smooth, with both Minhyuk and Peniel joining the vocal lineup for the song on top of their duties as rappers. All of this is done over an upbeat but moody dance instrumental. The overall balance is definitely something to commend the song for. (9/10)

5. Alone – The way Changsub starts off the song with just a deep and husky voice was amazing. Once again, we amazing vocals from Changsub, Eunkwang (example: the start of the second verse) and Minhyuk (example: the end of the song). This indie ballad was beautiful to listen to and the way they harmonized was so soothing to listen to. Peniel joins in as a rapper per his usual position. He has a real knack of incorporating his raps into these songs. I thought a rap sequence wouldn’t work in this song, but Peniel proved me wrong in this instance. Overall, Alone was a beautifully conceptualized song to end the album with. (10/10)

Overall Album Rating – 9.5/10

Inside Teaser Image

[Review] Amusement Park – Baekhyun (EXO)

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Baekhyun is nominated for Best Male Soloist in the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Vote for Baekhyun and your other favourite artists now by clicking here.

Baekhyun has made a surprise comeback with Amusement Park. No one saw this release coming, with news of a comeback dropping out of the blue. This follows Baekhyun’s first studio album Delight, and the title track, Candy, which both dropped earlier this year. Both the album and title track landed him a nomination in this year’s KPOPREVIEWED Awards for Best Male Soloist, so make sure you go vote for Baekhyun if he is your favourite male soloist by clicking the link above. And after you do that, come back to continue reading the review.

Amusement Park falls into the genre of R&B, a style of music that we know Baekhyun for fondly when it comes to his solo works. It is a nice, warm and soothing track that really highlights his vocal ability once again. There was this huskiness to Baekhyun’s vocals that enhanced the smooth texture of the song. It also sounded like he went into a falsetto mode for certain parts, which further showed off his ability. The song has this very melodic flow, one that makes me sway along to the song and drove it forward in a graceful manner. The instrumental was quite soothing and keeps true to the R&B genre all throughout. That warm feeling I mentioned before was very apparent, especially thanks to the classical instrumentation that was also present in the song. I would have liked a hint of something more in the song, like stronger ad-libs to give the song a bit more oomph. But what Baekhyun presents us in Amusement Park is already quite fantastic and touching.

We don’t actually have a music video for this release. The accompanying video for Amusement Park was a live video, which featured Baekhyun singing live to the camera. He was appropriately positioned in front of a merry-go-round in an amusement park, fitting with the lyrics of the song in which he compares love to an amusement park. I love the golden hue that the lights from the merry-go-round gives the video, which goes really well with his skin tone and the warming feelings of the song I mentioned earlier. My only complaint with the video is that he looked somewhat distracted. But honestly, that could have been just me being distracted from trying to find something to nitpick in this video.

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

[Review] I Just Can’t Stop Loving You – Jang Hyunseung

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The 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards voting period wraps up in 10 days. Make sure you vote for your favourite KPOP artists of 2020 before it is too late! Do so by clicking here.

A name that we haven’t heard from for a while now is Jang Hyunseung. Fans of KPOP back in the early 2010s should know who this person is. But in the off chance that you don’t remember who he is (or if you are new KPOP fan), then I got you with a brief recap of who Jang Hyunseung is. Jang Hyunseung is a soloist currently signed to Cube Entertainment and was a former member of Beast (now HIGHLIGHT) and (formerly) one half of the Trouble Maker duo. Most recently, he has been one of the many KPOP idols who had to enlist and was released from the military earlier this year. He kicked off his solo career back in 2015 with Ma First (which I personally was never a fan of) but has since not released any new music. That is, until last Thursday when he made his long awaited solo comeback with I Just Can’t Stop Loving You.

I Just Can’t Stop Loving You is a definite and solid improvement from Ma First by a long way. The song tethers between pop via the verses and synthpop for the chorus. It was a nice mix (my favourite part has to be the drums at the start of the song), though not very interesting in practice or in words for this review. However, anymore elements or robustness to the instrumentation would have taken away from the song. Judging based on the title of the song (and confirmed with an English translation), I Just Can’t Stop Loving You‘s driving force is emotions of heartbreak and yearning to be with a former lover. I feel that if the song was a tad more dynamic, the emotions would have overshadowed or missed. For the vocal side of the song, Jang Hyunseung did extremely well. Personally, I never really enjoyed his vocals even during the time he was part of Beast. There was always this hoarseness that placed him behind the other members of his former group. But in this song, his vocals were quite clear and you can feel that level of emotion in his voice. The hoarseness was still there, but it wasn’t distracting me. I also really liked how that hoarseness was used during the ‘rap-sing’ moment of the second verse. It was definitely interesting and added a new colour to the pop/synthpop combination. Overall, I Just Can’t Stop Loving You was a nice comeback for and reintroduction to Jang Hyunseung.

Jang Hyunseung drinks and wanders around for the music video. That is literally 99% of the music video. The other 1% was an image of a female that he was drawing, presumably to be the person he is missing. It all makes sense though. He simply wants to forget about her, but he just cannot do it. The only time where he isn’t wandering or drinking was when he was trying to fall asleep. And I am guess when he closes his mind, he finds himself remember her. So he ends up seeking solace in drinking and wandering the streets. I liked how the video was shot, making it look like we are seeing him from his perspective. Unfocused and rocky, but not excessively (which was nice).

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

[Double Review] Parting + A Book In Memories – ONEWE

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ONEWE is nominated for Best Band in the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Click here to support ONEWE and your other favorite artists if you haven’t done so yet.

Over the last few months now, I have been promising to write multiple reviews for many songs that I have been holding onto for quite some time. One of the notable songs on the list that I keep on pushing back for some reason is ONEWE’s Parting, which was released back in September of this year. However, I am now pushing out the review out alongside ONEWE’s latest song release A Book In Memory in a double song review format. A Book In Memory is also ONEWE’s fourth comeback of the year, following the release of Q, End of Spring and Parting.

Let’s start off with the older song. Parting is a moody but straightforward rock ballad track. I will be honest that I do still find the start of the song to be quite slow and sluggish. But the rest of the song (i.e. from when the energy starts trinkling in as the first verse moved along and then the rush of energy we get in the first verse) was definitely worthwhile listening to. Everything sounded better as Parting progressed along, peaking at the instrumental break where we got rock angst incorporated into the mix, which definitely was what I had hoped for when I first heard the song (I made notes for a few of the song I have been holding back reviews for). ONEWE’s vocal work throughout the song was pretty good, but the scene stealing member had to be Cya with his dynamic rap sequence. It gave Parting a bit of edge and transformed a typical rock ballad track into something a little more unconventional.

A Book In Memories continues the rock ballad style from their previous song. I do find that the song is more balanced between the two styles of music, with the verses being more balladry and the choruses honing into that rock influence. The ‘glue’ that binds the two two sides of the song was quite well done. The rock influences were slowly introduced via the use of drums and then electric guitars. That being said, there was still a moment of a sudden change. But it wasn’t as sudden as you expected, with the slow introduction and ease into the rock influences paying off. And I liked that once we got to that point in the song where the rock was the prevalent style of music, they didn’t hold back. Vocally, the ONEWE members do another really good job. But the group’s main vocalist, Younghoon, definitely shined the most with his husky tone and that stunning long note at the end of the song.

The music video for Parting definitely complimented the song. The darkness that surrounded them definitely gave off moody vibes. The image in the background of their band performance scenes were quite aesthetic and cool looking. I particularly enjoyed the projection during the instrumental break, where different rectangles and squares in the projection came flying out.

For A Book In Memories, the music video also felt fitting and quite clever. They used the same set, outfits and set up between the ‘halves’ of the video to showcase the two different styles of the song. It sounds odd at first, but the only difference was the colour and lighting of the set. And this difference had a strong impact that separates the two halves neatly. The more balladry sections of the song had this Fall vibe to it, while the song’s more intense moments courtesy of the rock had this dark blue tinge to it. I also liked how they weren’t afraid to mix the two ‘halves’ up and this really helped bind the video together, rather than having it look like two different videos. I just wished their close ups were a little more interesting.

Parting
Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.6/10

A Book In Memories
Song – 10/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.6/10

[Album Review] Breath of Love: Last Piece (4th Studio Album) – GOT7

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GOT7 is nominated for Best Male Group and Jackson is nominated for Best International Song by a KPOP Artist (for both Pretty Please and 100 Ways). To support GOT7 and Jackson, please click here to vote!

Up next on the reviewing block is GOT7’s Breath of Love: Last Piece, the group’s fourth studio album (also fast tracked!). Like many fans, I am pretty disappointed in JYP for such a limited and lacking promotional run. I wished we got to see more of the group on stage with Last Piece, the title track of this album. But I understand that Youngjae has filming schedules and other members have solo work to focus on as well. Hopefully we get to see them all soon through their next album release in the new year! Also featured alongside Last Piece is Breath, the album’s pre-release track that was released a week prior to the actual album release. Both of these tracks I have already reviews for, but the album still contains eight other new tracks that I will be reviewing today. So let’s get going!

Breath Of Love: Last Piece Album Cover

1. Breath (넌 날 숨 쉬게 해) (Pre-release Single) – Click here to read the full review for Breath. (9/10)

2. Last Piece (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Last Piece. (9/10)

3. Born Ready – Born Ready is a very dynamic track, one that is well placed as one of the first tracks into the album. I particularly enjoyed the chorus, where the intensity is amped up thanks to the EDM instrumental. A few of the members stood out in this track. First of all, the song opens up with JB as a rapper, something we don’t really hear often when it comes to GOT7 releases (despite being the rapper half of JJ Project). Secondly, we have Youngjae’s rap-like vocal delivery in the second verse that was so punchy. Jackson’s lines in the bridge were also quite memorable. But the member that stands out the most is Mark, who produced this track. Definitely a recommended listen. (10/10)

4. Special – Special opts for an even more upbeat tempo and synth-heavy instrumental from the very first second. And from the very first second, I was digging the song. The chorus had this catchy and simple melody that was quite easy to get into. My only issue about the chorus (and the entire song) was imbalance between the vocals and instrumentation. I felt the music was overpowering, which lead to the vocalists needing to compete for attention. The rappers faired better and were my selection of standout members because they actually had the ability to stand out. (9/10)

5. Wave – Wave tones down a few elements, which helps make it feel so refined. And I feel that the song successfully shows their path to maturity, which I will admit that they already showed comebacks ago. What makes Wave so good is that it feels atmospheric, emotional and reflective – all bundled into one song. Waves is ideal to listen to as you walk in nature, reflecting upon life and your experiences. (10/10)

6. Waiting For You – Waiting For You shows refinement as well, in the form of a hip-hop styled song. Though, it comes off as similar to a ballad at certain times. The distortion of the instrumentation at the start enables the song to opt for an aesthetic tone and for the member’s vocals to have this echoy effect. And it is an interesting feeling, overall. Bam Bam (who composed and wrote the song) used a lot of autotune, but I feel that its usage was justified based on the aesthetic nature of the song. (9/10)

7. Thank You, Sorry (이젠 내가 할게) – This song diverts the album down the R&B/jazzy fusion route, with an impressive display of vocals from all the members. Even the rappers emerge from Thank You, Sorry as full-fledged vocalists. The second verse is where the song’s main drawing point lies. The members involved goes in and out of this stunning falsetto technique, which felt perfect for the song’s instrumentation. It also gives some colour to the song, making it more interesting than a standard R&B/jazzy styled song. While Yugyeom was the creative mind behind this song, I felt that Jinyoung managed to outshine the rest of the members in this song with his vocals in the second verse alone. (10/10)

8. 1 + 1 – The R&B roots of the preceding track was just a temporary stop, as 1 + 1 brings back the hip-hop influence. It sounds trendy and there is this light tone to it, which I quite enjoyed. It also reminded me of Thursday (one of their previous tracks). Unfortunately, I don’t find 1 + 1 as catchy as their previous release. It is pleasant, but that is the best description I can give the song. (8/10)

9. I Mean It – I Mean It is an impressive song that I instantly enjoyed from the first listen. It is a pop track with such a happy tone (that even the vocals reinforce) and catchy lyrics that helped make the entire song so addictive. I just found the song so simple, yet so effective at making me enjoy the song. The bridge has no lyrics, instead opting for dramatic thumping that without a doubt (when we aren’t in a health pandemic) would make way for an amazing choreography on stage. (10/10)

10. We Are Young – We Are Young is a song for fans, without a doubt. The lyrics thanks for being there with them – even during their toughest moments (this year with no direct fan interaction probably was one of those tough moments). I really like how powerful the chorus was, simply by them amping their vocals and using striking repetition. Definitely a bold end for the album! (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 9.3/10

Breath of Love: Last Piece Teaser Image

[Weekly Chart] 3rd Week of December 2020

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Make sure you vote in the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards! Voting closes in just over a week on the 31st of December 11:59 AEST. Click here to vote now so you don’t forget.

It is going to be another quick one today, as I am smashing out album reviews and other posts to be posted whilst I am taking time off over the Christmas break. There is a bit coming your way, so make sure you keep tuned into the blog between Christmas meals and other festive activities. But out of all honesty, enjoy the time off if you can over the next week or so. We all deserve it during this hectic and chaotic year. And if you don’t celebrate Christmas, make sure you take a breather regardless. You deserve it as well!

As for this Weekly Chart segment, the 3rd Week of December 2020 (this post) will be the final one of the year. The posts for the 4th Week of December 2020 and 5th Week of December 2020 will be posted in 2021 once I am back from my break.

This week, I will be focusing on the Top 5 only. Starting form the bottom of this arrangement, we have NCT U’s 90’s Love rising back into the Top 5 into the fifth position. Also rising into the Top 5 are Christmassy! by The Boyz and Show Your Love by BTOB 4U, occupying the fourth and third positions this past week. Last week’s number 1 song, Panorama by IZ*ONE drops down into the second position, making way for GOT7’s Last Piece to rise back into the top position. For more of the charts, scroll down below.

  15th Dec – 21st Dec 2019
Title Artist Status
1 Last Piece GOT7 (▲ 3)
2 Panorama IZ*ONE (▼ 1)
3 Show Your Love BTOB 4U (▲ 20)
4 Christmassy! The Boyz (▲ 18)
5 90’s Love NCT U (▲ 1)
6 Better BoA (▲ 34)
7 Mmmh Kai (EXO) (▲ 6)
8 W.ALL GHOST9 (▲ 12)
9 GOTCHA Park Ji Hoon (▲ 15)
10 I’m Cold Kim Sung Kyu (Infinite) (new)
11 Blue Hour TXT (▼ 1)
12 BUMP BUMP WOODZ (▲ 16)
13 Resonance NCT (▼ 11)
14 Black Mamba aespa (▲ 13)
15 MAGO Gfriend (▼ 10)
16 Dingga MAMAMOO (▼ 5)
17 MMM TREASURE (▼ 2)
18 What Do I Call You? Taeyeon (SNSD) (new)
19 Life Goes On BTS (▲ 27)
20 Ready or Not MOMOLAND (▲ 22)
21 SALUTE AB6IX (▲ 11)
22 Idea Taemin (SHINee) (▲ 11)
23 HOME:RUN SEVENTEEN (▲ 2)
24 I Can’t Stop Me TWICE (▼ 16)
25 A Book In Memory ONEWE (▲ 35)
26 Why Not? LOONA (▼ 23)
27 BBUSYEO ONEUS (▲ 27)
28 Just Can’t Stop Loving You Jang Hyun Seung (new)
29 Forbidden Island Ha Sung Woon (▲ 1)
30 Love Killa MONSTA X (▼ 13)

The song leaving the charts this week are:

  • HOME:RUN – SEVENTEEN
  • Like A Movie – B1A4
  • Why Not? – LOONA
  • From Home – NCT U
  • Dingga – MAMAMOO
  • Let Me Go – Crush ft. Taeyeon (SNSD)
  • Across The Universe – D-CRUNCH
  • Revolution – AleXa
  • Ooh Ahh – CRAVITY
  • Every Day – MVP
  • BLOOM – Song Ji Eun
  • MIMEW – Yezi

Merry Christmas and I will see you in the upcoming reviews that I am writing/scheduling for the rest of the year!

[Album Review] Kai (1st Mini Album) – Kai (EXO)

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Kai’s fellow EXO members, Chen and Baekhyun, are nominated for Best Male Soloist in the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. If you haven’t yet supported Baekhyun or Chen (or any of your other favourite artists that were active in 2020), click here immediately to vote for them! Remember, voting closes on 31st December.

It has been long time coming, but Kai officially made his solo debut with his first mini-album, Kai, on the 30th of November. EXO’s main dancer was one of the most anticipated members to make his own solo debut from the beginning. His solo debut comes in the form of the title track, Mmmh, and a six track mini-album. Today, obviously, I will be having a deeper look into his mini-album. I just want to quickly tease that Kai is everything I expected from Kai. Sensuality is a recurring theme in this mini album. And so are upbeat tempos to facilitate dance performances, which we already know that Kai can nail effortlessly. Interestingly, I have a preference for just one of these two styles, so continue reading to find out which one is my preference.

Kai Album Cover

1. Mmmh (음) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Mmmh. (9/10)

2. Nothing On Me – Nothing On Me starts off in a distorted manner, briefly warping the sensual vibes of the song that slowly become clearer as the song progresses. I am not entirely fond of it, but it has its charm. The song manages to compensate this by sweeping me off my feet with its chorus. It brings a very strong amount of bass to the mix and the resultant energy really oomph up the sensual vibes of Nothing On Me. Kai’s vocals throughout the song were really strong and surprising. He handles all his lines, even the ones at a higher pitch extremely well, as if he was a main vocalist in EXO all along. (9/10)

3. Amnesia (기억상실) – I really liked Amnesia’s flow from the very start of the song, which is what anyone wants from a sensual track. The appeal of the flow peaks during the chorus, help making the song quite memorable and quite hypnotic. Coming along with the memorable flow of the song are Kai’s vocals. All my comments in the preceding track regarding his vocals can be said about this song. What probably might make Amnesia a better piece is that it showcases more to Kai’s vocals, which I am sure fans are digging. (9/10)

4. Reason – Reason taps into the hip-hop scene with a more upbeat track. I think of Reason as if it is a fun change up to the tracklist thanks to that upbeat energy. Other than that, nothing in Reason stands out for me. It just feels like your typical Korean hip-hop meets pop mash that is often heard throughout the industry. (6/10)

5. Ride or Die – Ride or Die fairs slightly better than the preceding track. Only because I felt the instrumental was a bit more interesting, with the electric guitars in the first verse/final moments of the song and the really deep bubbling synth that is carried throughout the song. The second verse also gives it a bit of a retro flair, which really helps make the song more appealing. I personally didn’t like the centric point of the song (i.e. the chorus). It just didn’t feel as interesting as the rest of the song. And I do prefer his vocals in the verses than the chorus. He just sounds meh during what was meant to be the catchiest moments of the song. (7/10)

6. Hello Stranger – Hello Stranger brings back more of the R&B style that started off the album, whilst remaining upbeat like the second half of the album. It was a nice middle ground between the albums two styles, which is accompanied by a trap centric instrumental piece that is accented using electric guitars and piano. I do feel that the R&B nature of the song manages to make the song shine more than the upbeat tempo. And because of that, Kai’s vocals are quite solid. There were also some catchy moments. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8/10

Kai Teaser Image

[Review] What Do I Call You – Taeyeon (SNSD)

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Taeyeon is nominated for Best Vocals and Best Female Soloist in the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support Taeyeon and your other favourite artists by clicking here to vote for them. Remember, voting closes on the 31st of December!

Taeyeon joined the December comeback lineup on Tuesday with her solo release on Tuesday, What Do I Call You. This, and her fourth mini-album, follows her previous 2020 releases which includes Dear Me (the lead single from her repackaged Purpose album), her Happy single and her #GirlsSpkOut Japanese comeback. So Taeyeon has been quite busy during 2020, which has lead to her nominations for Best Female Soloist and Best Vocals in this year’s KPOPREVIEWED Awards (link above – and apologies for this shameless plug here). On with the review.

What Do I Call You moves away from Taeyeon’s pop ballad or straight ballad sound and opts for a more indie sound, which I thought was slightly different (though definitely something in her willhouse, given that she has released songs of this style before. The song is primarily driven by acoustics and then some mid-tempo beat that is brought into the song via percussion. It is a simple combination, but one that I thought was actually quite nice and pleasant. The only downside is that it doesn’t really give the song an opportunity to peak, with the song’s momentum plateauing once the percussion comes into play. Aside from that, the only element to really left discuss is Taeyeon’s vocals, which is superb. As mentioned above, she is nominated for Best Vocals in the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards and What Do I Call You definitely consolidates all the reasons to why she deserves the nomination (and possibly the category overall – but that is up to you). Her vocals really bring the song’s melodies and add to that pleasantry note of the song. Another splendid song that adds to Taeyeon’s repertoire.

The music video shows us the story of Taeyeon in a post-break up limbo, unsure what to call her ex whom she still has lingering feelings for. In response to this feelings, Taeyeon signs up for this service that erase her memories of this ex (which is the panda wearing mask person). Interestingly after getting her memories wiped, she enters a hallway that brings her back to the first time she interacted with him at a party, where I assume they begin another relationship. To further back this ending up, she plays a toy crane machine and regains the same orange diary that she gave up in the memory wiping service. Likewise the polaroid of her and her ex that was hanging on her wall at the start as found still hanging on the wall at the end of the video after the memory wiping process. It is interesting video and I thought it was a clever twist at the end.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9.4/10

[Album Review] Mirage (4th Mini Album) – Ha Sung Woon

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Ha Sung Woon is nominated for Best Male Solo Performance (for Forbidden Island) in the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Click here to support Ha Sung Woon and your other favourite artists if you haven’t yet! Remember voting closes on the 31st of December 11:59PM AEST.

Next up on the reviewing chopping block is Ha Sung Woon’s latest mini-album, Mirage. This release was dropped (alongside the title track Forbidden Island) on November 9th, which makes this mini-album overdue by a month. Better late than never, as I always say. This is his fourth mini-album since his solo debut back in February 2019 with Bird. This is was also his second comeback of the year, following the release of Get Ready and Twilight Zone in June of this year. Okay, enough of the rundown of Ha Sung Woon’s solo music history, let’s move onto the album review.

Mirage Album Cover

1. Forbidden Island (그 섬) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Forbidden Island. (9/10)

2. Candle Light (촛불) – Candle Light is a nice pop track. The pop instrumentation, which is made up of a a mixture of piano/thumping beats and soft EDM, is quite breezy and extremely pleasant. The melodies are quite flowy and enjoyable, helping to strength the appeal of this song. What Candle Light also does well is showcase Ha Sung Woon’s vocals. He sounds quite hearty in this song and I can detect a level of sweetness which helps with the melodic appeal of the song. (9/10)

3. 2000 Miles – How awesome does 2000 Miles sound? The EDM chorus feels well suited for a Summer road trip or as the theme song for when you are exploring something new for the first time. I like the addition of the acoustic guitars. It adds that fresh Summery feeling on top of the bouncy EDM instrumentation. For Ha Sung Woon’s vocals, he does a spectacular job in this song. From the added vocal effects to his falsetto, I genuine enjoyed every aspect of this song. (10/10)

4. Without You (행성) – Without You is another song that combines EDM with the acoustic guitar. But Without You is less energetic and is much softer. Instead, Without You comes off as a pop ballad. Ha Sung Woon is killing it on this album with the sweet nature behind his voice. It is so appealing. The atmospheric vibes of the song makes it even better and well suited for my palette. Overall, Without You is another great song to relax to! (10/10)

5. Talk To Me (말해줘요) – Once again, Ha Sung Woon goes does the pop ballad route for Talk To Me. There is a bit of a slow rock vibe to it, which differentiates it from the rest of the mini-album, which I think it is fantastic change (give that the song all practically stem from the pop genre). While I would love to give this mini-album its third 10/10, I am not going to as I am not sold on the vocals. They were good, but they didn’t feel as grounded as the other vocals we had in this album. I did love the electric guitar solo, which felt like icing on a cake for me. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 9.4/10

Mirage Teaser Image

[Review] I’m Cold – Kim Sung Kyu (Infinite)

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Have you voted in the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards yet? You get to decide who is the Best of the Best during 2020, so get voting if you haven’t. Click here for the survey!

Kim Sung Kyu has been absent from the KPOP stage for about two years now due to his military enlistment. We last saw him in 2018 promoting his first studio album, 10 Stories, which was headlined by True Love. Like the solo artist, not much has happened with Infinite (the group that he leads) since 2018, aside from a single release at the very start of 2019 that did not feature Kim Sung Kyu has he had already enlisted by then. Now, Kim Sung Kyu is back with new songs, in the form of the single I’m Cold and the mini-album Inside Me. This is his first comeback since completing his mandatory enlistment earlier this year.

If you forgot or did know about me, but I am a big fan of Kim Sung Kyu’s solo work. I enjoyed all of his past singles and album releases. So, I’m Cold has a a lot to live up to. Well, I am happy to report that Kim Sung Kyu manages to still have the ability to stun me with his solo release, even though there was a massive two year gap. I’m Cold is a R&B styled song with a hip-hop influence. Personally, this combination doesn’t excite me unlike his pop rock roots that I know him for. However, it is how the song comes together with his voice that really shines for me. The instrumental for this song is simply an atmospheric piece and can be described as quite minimalistic. It didn’t add much substance to the song, but it was definitely needed to create the feelings of emptiness and loneliness, which goes hand-in-hand with the lyrics of the song. The most substantial part of the song was during the chorus and that was only simply due to the amped by strumming of the acoustic guitar. The main ‘meat’ (as one would describe) would the vocals, of course. Kim Sung Kyu sounds stunning and boy, do I miss his voice. What I really liked is how the producers really emphasised the vocals by applying echo-like effects and (what I think is) an additional layer of his vocals during the chorus to bolden his main vocals. I feel like all of these (if I was correct in identifying the tactics used) really helped emphasised the idea of loneliness and emptiness further. I’m Cold is honestly slightly different to what I am used from the soloist, but it is nailed like any other song Kim Sung Kyu has attempted before.

The music video simply needed to convey two things. Emptiness/ Loneliness (as conveyed in the lyrics) and coldness (as conveyed in the title of the song). Both these aspects were effortlessly shown in this music video. Kim Sung Kyu was very alone in this music video. The ring he possesses is stuck in ice and his memories cause him to cry. There was also a moment of rage towards the end of the video as he searches for something that I felt was a great peak in his acting for this video, showcasing his loneliness a step further. The coldness was cleverly inserted. He sings in a freezer room and in the snow, which all symbolises the coldness. But the best part was when he holds onto the flower and it becomes encased in ice. I felt that was a smart way of showing that he is also cold on the inside. I just wished there was a bit more to the video, like a bit of a back story or flashback to his breakup.

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

[Album Review] Message (1st Studio Album) – Park Ji Hoon

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Park Ji Hoon’s first studio album, Message, is next up on the album review chopping block. I wanted to review this, as I felt his recent promotions didn’t get much attention. I really liked the title track, GOTCHA, which is accompanied by nine other songs on this album. And I have been reviewing all of this albums since his solo debut last year, so it will be odd to miss out on the chance to review his first studio album. Overall, the album was definitely a good one. For my more detailed thoughts, keep on reading below!

Message Album Cover

1. Waterfalls (Intro Track) – Usually I don’t review intro tracks. But Waterfalls is an exception as it contains lyrics and vocals. So, I will be including it as part of the album review. Waterfalls channels hip-hop in a subtle manner within its instrumental and repetitively reminds us to ‘Listen to [his] message’. Aside from that, we are also treated to a bit of rapping, which I am sure will get fans/listeners excited especially if that is the way you were introduced to Park Ji Hoon (which was the case for me). (8/10)

2. GOTCHA (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for GOTCHA. (9/10)

3. Hit It Off (ft. PENOMECO) – Hit It Off brings back the hip-hop sound in a trap style that ends up being a really pleasant song. I do admit that the instrumental does sound very standard and typical in writing, But I thought otherwise, as the song’s paced approach really helped make the song feel more refined and classy. Adding to that is the successful blend of Park Ji Hoon’s vocals and the out-sourced rapping by PENOMECO. The paced nature of the instrumentation really helps draws out the melodies and helped made both the vocals and rapping shine more. (9/10)

4. Rolling – Rolling opts for the R&B genre, with a jazzy touch to really help bring some additional oomph to the song. I wouldn’t mind listening to this song in a classy wine bar, so other place that has that fancy type of vibe. Rolling manages to showcase more of Park Ji Hoon’s vocals really well. Everything was quite melodic and flowy. I really liked that he managed to incorporate some rapping in the song, and how his rapping was well tweaked for this classy style of music. (8/10)

5. 50-50 (ft. EB) – I didn’t register this until today (oh, how reviewing songs makes me put on a more analytical mindset), but I really liked how Park Ji Hoon used a deeper tone in this song. This was offset by EB’s higher pitched rapping tone, which really brought a nice balance to the song. I also really liked the chorus, where they sing together. While I liked the tropical approach in the instrumentation, I do have my hesitations about this aspect as well. Personally, I wished the producers had went with a more dynamic route to give the tropical some more flair. That would have made 50-50 so much better and given it a bit more energy. (8/10)

6. DRESS CODE (ft. punchnello) – DRESS CODE delivers some additional energy to the album, which I felt was needed. It isn’t really dynamic form of energy, but DRESS CODE has this neat upbeat tempo to it which I will take gladly. But unfortunately, that is the only aspect of the song that really grabs my attention. Everything else didn’t fit well with me or was just forgotten. I pretty much forgot about Park Ji Hoon’s vocals once the song ended (though punchnello fared slightly better). In addition to that, I personally do not like the elongated and autotuned ‘DRESS CODE’ in the chorus. The elongation made it feel childish and the autotune just dulled it for me. Similarly, the rest of the song followed suit for me. (5/10)

7. Whisper (귓속말) – Whisper is one of my picks for Park Ji Hoon’s strongest side track on this album. While it did start off a bit slow-ish, the song does pick up during the second verse (which really helped boost its appeal). I enjoyed everything else about this song. His vocals are heavenly and very appealing to listen to. I also really liked the moments where he diverted for deeper vocals, contrasting for his higher pitch approach during other parts. The instrumental was very light, and I enjoyed the use of synthesizer. (9/10)

8. Tomorrow – If you wanted a substantial upbeat piece on this album, then Tomorrow is the track for you. There is a bit of heft to this song, which I felt has been absent from the album thus far. This ‘heft’ is due to the guitars that is strummed away on top of the usual beat. I also like the bit of bass that they manage to infuse into the song during the chorus via the thumping beat. Park Ji Hoon’s vocals were really good here. I like how he goes in and out of his raspy vocals for this song, giving the song some texture. It also felt like multiple people were singing this song, which gives the song a very inclusive feel. (10/10)

9. Scenario (시나리오) (ft. Sweden Laundry) – Scenario is a sweet song that shows us a more loving side to Park Ji Hoon (miles away from his villainous concept for his GOTCHA music video). His vocals work wonderfully in this song, complimenting Sweden Laundry’s sweet vocals. Like his collaboration with EB in track 5, Park Ji Hoon’s use of his deeper tone (in the form of rapping) was actually quite appreciable and gave the song some balance. The layering was also quite nice. The acoustic nature of the instrumental was also quite enjoyable. (8.5/10)

10. MayDay – From the opening instrumentation, MayDay is a playful track. I like this change up, though I think MayDay would have been better suited for a more upbeat album. It is definitely an colourful outlier that feels slightly out of place on this more mature release. That being said, however, MayDay was enjoyable and had a nice ring to it. (7/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.2/10

Message Teaser Image

[Weekly Chart] 2nd Week of December 2020

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It is time for another Weekly Chart Post. But before that, have you voted in the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards yet? Make sure you vote for your favourite group, soloist, concepts, performances, album and songs of 2020 before the 31st of December. I know it is a long way away, but it can come faster than you expect! You can vote if you haven’t yet by clicking here.

With that out of the way now, let’s move forward with the chart post. There was only one big jump this week and that was experienced by Weeekly’s Zig Zag.

And now, we have the Top 5 summary (for those folks who are eager to know who is in the top end of the charts). In the fifth position this week, we have GFriend’s MAGO. Last week’s top song, GOT7’s Last Piece, dropped down into the fourth position. LOONA’s Why Not remain steady for the second week in a row in the third position. Rising into the top five this week (more specifically, the second position is NCT’s Resonance. And finally, the top song for this week is IZ*ONE’s latest single, Panorama. For more of the charts, scroll down below.

  6th Dec – 12th Dec 2020
Title Artist Status
1 Panorama IZ*ONE (new)
2 Resonance NCT (▲ 4)
3 Why Not? LOONA (=)
4 Last Piece GOT7 (▼ 3)
5 MAGO Gfriend (▼ 3)
6 90’s Love NCT U (▲ 7)
7 Zig Zag Weeekly (▲ 36)
8 I Can’t Stop Me TWICE (▲ 9)
9 Happening AKMU (▲ 12)
10 Blue Hour TXT (▲ 6)
11 Dingga MAMAMOO (▲ 26)
12 Breath GOT7 (▼ 4)
13 Mmmh Kai (EXO) (▲ 9)
14 30 Seconds Might Be Too Long Jun.K (2PM) (new)
15 MMM TREASURE (▲ 5)
16 Work It NCT U (▲ 2)
17 Love Killa MONSTA X (▲ 9)
18 Tears of Chaos E’LAST (▲ 10)
19 Given-Taken ENHYPEN (▼ 14)
20 W.ALL GHOST9 (new)
21 Nostalgia DRIPPIN (▲ 20)
22 Christmassy! The Boyz (new)
23 Show Your Love BTOB 4U (=)
24 GOTCHA Park Ji Hoon (▼ 14)
25 HOME:RUN SEVENTEEN (▼ 1)
26 Daisy Pentagon (▼ 12)
27 Black Mamba aespa (▲ 7)
28 BUMP BUMP WOODZ (▼ 13)
29 Make A Wish (Birthday Song) NCT U (▼ 4)
30 Forbidden Island Ha Sung Woon (▲ 5)

The following songs have left the charts and won’t appear on the Weekly KPOP Charts from next week:

  • Daisy – Pentagon
  • Make A Wish (Birthday Song) – NCT U
  • Zig Zag – Weeekly
  • Memories – Kim Woo Seok & Lee Eun Sang
  • G.B.T.B – VERIVERY
  • Hello – Chen (EXO)
  • Alien – Suhyun (AKMU)
  • Tonight – Blackswan

Check back in a few hours for some other reviews!

[Review] Christmassy! – The Boyz

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The Boyz is nominated for Best Male Group, Rising Star and Best Male Group Performance (for The Stealer). Have you supported The Boyz in the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards? Click here to do so now!

With December in full effect, we start humming the many Christmas carols out loud and we start hearing songs like ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You‘ play in the background of our shopping trips (it has already started to chart on the Korean music charts!). On top of that, we also see our favourite KPOP idols Christmas themed songs. The Boyz kicks off the trend with Christmassy! this month, which also commemorates the group’s third debut anniversary. Usually, I reserve these songs for Christmas Day and don’t review them. But this year I don’t plan on posting anything on Christmas Day (I will be on a two-ish week break around that time), I thought I review it now.

Christmassy! is obviously a light-hearted track and is designed to not be taken seriously, which is completely different to their previous tracks this year (i.e. Reveal and The Stealer). The jingle of bells plays throughout the video, reminding us constantly that this is a Christmas-themed track. That is, if you don’t already detect the theme from the Christmas themed title and lyrics that form part of this song. Even though the song isn’t to be taken seriously and is a nice gift to their fans, Christmassy! does have a few nice elements that make the song enjoyable to listen to. I really like the vocal work in this song. There is a lot of smoothness in this song and the vocal work is relatively light to fit in with the light-hearted side of the song. There are really nice harmonies in the pre-chorus that just made the song sound so pleasant. Even the rapping was tweaked to be playful and fitting in with the light tone of the song. The hooks aren’t that strong, but they do have a nice ring to them. And that sometimes is enough to really help make the song more enjoyable. Overall, Christmassy! is quite nice to kick back to this festive month for KPOP fans and it bound to help spread some of that festive cheer!

Do you want to smile more widely or have a bit of a laugh? Then Christmassy!‘s accompanying music video might be just the one for you. As mentioned before, this isn’t a release to be taken seriously. And this is well reflected in the music video. The video seems to be self-filmed or filmed by someone (maybe a member who isn’t on screen) on a mobile phone, capturing what looks like the members trying to compete to be the ‘prom king’ with the viewers. We see the members go above and beyond to ask the viewers to go with them to this Christmas themed prom party. There are also some great references to some memes throughout the video and there were a few moments that made me chuckle.

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

[Review] W.ALL – GHOST9

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Returning for the first time since their debut is GHOST9, with W.ALL. There are so many new male groups this year, so let me give you a quick recap of their debut. GHOST9, who are under Maroo Entertainment (the home of Park Ji Hoon), made their debut back in September of this year with Think Of Dawn. The group consist of nine members, Jinwoo, Kangsung, Prince, Junseong, Taesung, Woojin, Dongjun, Shin and Junhyung. Their debut track was described as ‘decent’ by me. I wonder if they will remain with ‘decent’ or exceed the description… Read on to find out.

Honestly, I don’t know exactly what to think about W.ALL. It definitely ticks the box for intensity and energy, thanks to the powerful chorus. The chorus was the definite highlight of the song, one that I look forward to after such verses that are so held back (in terms of energy) now that I have listened to the song and know what to expect. There are two things about the chorus that really gets me. The first has to be the epic feeling the first few seconds of the chorus felt, with the producers of W.ALL and members of GHOST9 ‘bringing it down hard’ with both the instrumentation and vocals, respectively. The second is the dynamic kick of energy we get in the second half of the first and last choruses, which really helps liven up the song and give it so much more appeal. The rest of the song is quite meh (standard, at best) and doesn’t do as enough as the chorus to really help the song. Sure, one could argue that the instrumentation for the chorus is overwhelming. That was my initial thought as well, but time really helped change that perspective. Unfortunately, there really wasn’t anything that can really change up perspective of the verses. If the verses were a little more dynamic and lively in some way, which would have better suited the chorus, I would have enjoyed the W.ALL more. With that, it looks like the group slipped a bit from that ‘decent’ descriptor.

I am a little confused about what the purpose of the massive robots in their music videos. As far as I can tell, the robot in the W.ALL music video is different to the one we saw in the Think Of Dawn music video. Are the music videos and stories meant to join up, or are they standalone music videos with just completely different stories? I can’t tell. Even standalone, I am not sure what the storyline of the W.ALL music video. The members are scattered throughout doing their own thing (cut chains to get into a restricted area, being locked up in a diamond shaped cave, getting chase by scary drones etc.). But they all meet up in the end to activate the robot in this video, which shoots a beam up to the sky. And then at the end, there were two beams shooting up at massive ships in the sky. None of this makes sense to me, and frankly this distracts me from the actual video. I will, however, applaud the sets of the music video and all the post production efforts to make this video look quite cool.

Can we just take a moment and admire their comeback showcase performance for this comeback? It occurred on what seems to be the roof of the tallest building in Busan. That is amazingly cool. Aside from that, the choreography seems like it is the most positive aspect of this comeback. It was a good routine, overall. When it came to the chorus, their moves matched the ‘hitting it hard’ vibe that the song had coming off it. The complexity of some of their formations during the verses also were a great aspect of the choreography.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.2/10

[Album Review] Minisode1: Blue Hour (3rd Mini Album) – TXT

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TXT is nominated for Best Male Group, Best Male Group Performance (for Blue Hour) and Best Music Video (for Can’t You See Me). Click here to support TXT and your favourite artists from 2020.

The album in the reviewing spotlight today is TXT’s Minisode1: Blue Hour, the group’s 3rd mini-album since their debut. This mini-album was released back at the end of the October and has been sitting on my list of albums/songs to review for quite some time now. And I thought I try to clear off the October albums (whilst also balancing some November and December albums) now before the year ends. Minisode1: Blue Hour features the title track Blue Hour and four other new songs. Let’s see what I thought about these four songs, and the album overall.

Minisode1: Blue Hour Album Cover

1. Ghosting – Many side tracks in this half of 2020 are creating really appealing atmosphere to listen to and Ghosting is another addition to this long list. The song brings sleekness, thanks to the upbeat tempo within the indie rock instrumentation. In addition to that, the sleekness and indie rock also really allowed the members to show off some husky and raspy vocals, which definitely compliment the song as a whole. The melodies were super easy to get into and enjoy. (9/10)

2. Blue Hour (5 시 53 분의 하늘 에서 발견한 너와 나) – Click here to read the full review of Blue Hour. (8.5/10)

3. We Lost the Summer (날 씨를 잃어 버렸어) – I know there is a music video for this release and I have put this music video onto a list of music videos to have a look in a future ‘Missed Review’ segment. In the meanwhile, we proceed with the song review. We Lost the Summer is a tropical house song. It is a rather clean track. When it first started, I registered it as a TXT song, thanks to the familiarity of their vocals. But unfortunately, I thought the song was rather dull and lacked energy or drive. It felt like a song release by any other male group in KPOP, especially with the tropical sound that inundated KPOP a few years back. I was waiting for some sort of dynamic change in the music to really sweep me off my feet. But it never delivered. (6/10)

4. Wishlist – Wishlist captures my attention from the very first second thanks to those very deep and dramatic thumping in the background. But that was just the start of the song. When it came to the chorus, Wishlist throws all of this fast tempo and upbeat energy right at you, resembling the type of energy you would expect for an epic pop rock track. It felt exhilarating for me and reminded me of a few pop tracks I continually dig for in my playlists. Wishlist shows off really strong vocals, which is required in order to be heard on top of the instrumentation. Overall, Wishlist is my pick for best side track from this mini-album. (10/10)

5. Way Home (하굣길) – Way Home is the final song on the album. I was a little hesitant with the song at first. It does overwhelm with its synth/trap instrumental as the background. There is also this off beat aesthetic approach at the start of the verses. But like most songs, Way Home gets better with time. I am not 100% sold on the song yet, but Way Home has its moments. I am impressed with the vocals, and also am glad that the song contains some rap (which has been noticeably absent from the side tracks album thus far). (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.3/10

Minisode1: Blue Hour Teaser Image

[Review] 30 Minutes Might Be Too Long – Jun.K (2PM)

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It has been a while since we heard anything from 2PM due to military enlistment. As far as I can tell, the rest of the members (Junho and Chansung) who are currently enlisting will complete their mandatory military enlistment next year. In the meanwhile, the members who have completed their enlistment (including Nichkhun) have been focusing on solo promotions. Today, Jun.K (who completed his enlistment early on in 2020) dropped his newest single, 30 Minutes Might Be Too Long, which is featured on his fourth mini-album, 20 Minutes. However, this isn’t his first song of the year. His first was This Is Not A Song, 1929, which was released back in June (which I completely missed).

Jun.K’s latest song is really good. But it really isn’t the reason to why I am reviewing the comeback today. Given that this particular comeback has no choreography, the only other reason to why I am writing this review is the music video. But more on that in a minute. I still need to write out my thoughts for the song. 30 Minutes Might Be Too Long is an acoustic mid-tempo R&B song. I did like how strong the acoustic guitar was throughout the song, even during the more upbeat sections of the song. The more upbeat parts of the song, which made the song feel more pop than R&B, definitely infused a lot of energy into the song and definitely gave a kick to an otherwise pretty standard track. Another really great element about 30 Minutes Might Be Too Long are his vocals. While he did get a little shouty during the chorus, it felt intentional to help make the song feel a lot punchier, which compliments the energy. The only thing I am a little confused about the structure of the song. Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems like 30 Minutes Might Be Too Long was extended and the first round of the chorus was quite prolonged, before we went into a bridge and back to the chorus. I personally don’t have any issues with abstract song structures usually, but this one felt particularly odd. Not exactly sure why. But other than that, Jun.K’s newest single has an awesome vibe to, with great vocals and music.

With the song part out the way, I can now focus on the music video. The juicy bit of this comeback. It is a very interesting music video with two plot twists. The first felt very predictable. We open with a very stormy setting and a guy running away from this crazed lady. He tries to run as far away from her as possible, even seeking the security of his own home. But to no avail as she somehow makes it in. After a little teasing from her, she finally captures him, paralyses him (somehow), puts a ring on him to make him hers, and ends up putting a stick of dynamite in his mouth. She has this crazed moment where she does her evil laugh to signify her happiness in succeeding and lights the dynamite. But it slowly turns to regrets, showing us how mentally unstable her character is. We then cut to Jun.K, where it is revealed that he is shooting a music video (the first plot twist). Upon completion, he leaves the set and sends the text message to the actress who was playing the crazed lady to meet up later. They end up meeting up at his place, where he plans a cute date. But from my understanding, it is revealed that he is the crazed one. Firstly, she looks very disinterested in their relationship. Secondly, he does a lot of preparation for this one ‘date’, similar to her character. Thirdly, there is a stick of dynamite under the table (second unexpected plot-twist), which presumably blows up 20 minutes into their date (which matches his request for a final 20 minutes to win her back). Fourthly, I assume he survives and ends up returning to a place that looks exactly like the set of the video that was being shot, telling us the story in the video was his story. While I feel like a few kinks can be smoothed out with this music video, I really enjoyed the dark vibes and and the overall storyline of the video.

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