Author: kpopreviewed

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

[Weekly Chart] 2nd Week of January 2020

Posted in Weekly ChartsLeave a comment

Today’s Weekly Chart post is going to be a fast one as I am a little late for an appointment and need to get this done as I have no time today. In other news, I have completed the first stage of my move. However, I may be absent this week for personal reasons. But I will try as many reviews done if I have any time on my hands.

Topping the charts this week is Golden Child’s Wannabe. I know the song was released in November of 2019. But the song is still one that I come back to each week. It is just this week, I came back to more than any other song. VERIVERY’s comeback, Lay Back, chills out in the second position, while TST’s Count Down begins its countdown in the third position this week. ASTRO’s Blue Flame burns brightly in the fourth position, while Kim Jae Hwan’s The Time I Need spends another week in the fifth position. For more of the charts, scroll down below.

  5th Jan – 11th Jan 2020
Title Artist Status
1 Wannabe Golden Child (▲ 11)
2 Lay Back VERIVERY (new)
3 Count Down TST (▲ 14)
4 Blue Flame ASTRO (▲ 10)
5 The Time I Need Kim Jae Hwan (▲ 10)
6 Answer ATEEZ (new)
7 Mixtape: Gone Days Stray Kids (▲ 11)
8 Winter Butterfly Hyuk (VIXX) (▲ 11)
9 Numb CIX (=)
10 Good Guy SF9 (new)
11 We Belong Ong Seong Woo (new)
12 My Angel B.O.Y (new)
13 Psycho Red Velvet (▼ 3)
14 HIP Mamamoo (▼ 9)
15 Astronaut Stray Kids (▼ 11)
16 Obsession EXO (▼ 10)
17 Levanter Stray Kids (▼ 15)
18 Thumbs Up! Momoland (▼ 17)
19 Nuna Kim Jae Hwan (▲ 3)
20 Momento IZ (▼ 4)
21 Blueming IU (▼ 10)
22 Melting Brand New Music (▲ 15)
23 360 Park Ji Hoon (▼ 20)
24 Wish Wish LIMITLESS (▲ 10)
25 Make This 1TEAM (▲ 9)
26 Only One JBJ95 (▲ 8)
27 Come See Me AOA (▼ 4)
28 As You Wish WJSN (Cosmic Girls) (▲ 5)
29 Coming Home NCT U (▼ 9)
30 Oopsie (My Bad) NATURE (▼ 3)

Songs leaving the chart system this week include:

  • Alone – Kim Dong Jun
  • Fever – DONGKIZ
  • Make This – 1TEAM
  • Oopsie (My Bad) – NATURE
  • HIP – Mamamoo
  • Astronaut – Stray Kids
  • Ullala: Poisoning – IN2IT
  • Aurora – Rainbow
  • Midnight Sun – Seven O’Clock

Thank you once again and I hopefully will see you during the week via another review.

[Special] My Favourite Performances from the 2019 End Of Year Music Festivals

Posted in KPOP, SpecialTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

At the end of each year, the three major broadcasting companies in South Korea (SBS, KBS and MBC) organises and broadcast a very fruitful and dynamic music festival, bringing together the top KPOP acts of the year. 2019 is no exception and with a year as busy as 2019, it is often quite hard to get invited to these festivals. And with each show running for a couple of hours, different stages/performances/remixes of the year’s hits and one-of-a-kind collaborations, it is often hard to keep up with these festivals. Today, I have decided to organise a list of performances from each of these three festivals that I thought were excellent, different and worthwhile in checking out. I have done this before but over the years dropped it as I had very little time. Now that I have some time on my hand, I thought I return to this segment for the 2019 festivals.

SBS Gayo Daejun – 25th of December 2019

When we talk about the SBS Music Festival, we need to address the issue of safety. After all, it costed Red Velvet full group promotions for their Psycho comeback, due to injuries sustained by Wendy due to the unsafe nature of SBS stage. We did manage to get one full lineup of the group performing Psycho on stage as it was pre-recorded. because of that, I put Red Velvet’s Psycho performance on my list of favourite performances from that day. Other performers also had falls on the SBS stage, from what I remember reading. Other stages at stood out for me were:

  • Stray Kid’s Miroh – I did not know how Stray Kids could top Miroh’s intensity by rearranging the performance to be even more intense.
  • NCT Dream’s Boom & NCT 127’s Superhuman – Both tracks had a really cool dance addition to it. On top of that, we got to see the same ‘switching of jackets’ that Mark did at the 2018 SBS Music Festival between Dream and 127’s performance. Only this time, it was Haechan!
  • Oh My Girl’s Bungee (X-mas Version) – Always good to have a X-mas themed remix on Christmas Day. It made Bungee, an already vibrant and colourful track, more suitable for the season.
  • Mamamoo’s Gogobebe – The rock remix for this performance was superb.
  • Seventeen’s Home and Snapshoot – We got to see a warmer side of the group and the more joyful side, especially after all the darkness we got from HIT and Fear.
  • TWICE’s Medley of Tracks – I really liked the band element to their performance and how they tweaked the concept for Fancy and their more light hearted tracks. I just wished the band was DAY6 (where is DAY6 in all of these festivals), which would have made the performance even more worthy of a view.
  • BTS’s Dionysus – I have always been a fan of BTS’s darker side. This performance is a return this side, which I greatly appreciate.

KBS Gayo Daechukje – 27th December 2019

I personally did not have much interest in the KBS Music Festival as I thought the stage looked really bad and the camera work wasn’t the best. This wasn’t also the only problem that occurred that same night. APINK’s %% performance was cut short, disappointing fans, APINK and viewers in general. If I were to choose one standout stage, it would have Golden Child’s Wannabe stage. Their dance intro was very good and showed off intensity that was aligned with their new look/concept. And I really liked how smooth the transition between dance intro and actual song was. Only a few toehr performances caught my attention and they include:

  • Song Gain’s Introductory song – Song Gain, for those who don’t know is a trot singer that trended this year. For Song Gain’s performance, she managed to incorporate all artists into her song, which I think would be a challenge.
  • NU’EST Love Me – It wasn’t so much their choreography or song that caught my attention. But I thought the raised stages for the end really highlighted the good parts of their overall choreography, providing what could be said as an epic end to their stage.
  • ASTRO’s All Night + Blue Flame – I was waiting for ASTRO to do All Night in some capacity during these festivals. But with Moonbin out of action, it seems like the group would opt for the 5-member Blue Flame instead. So automatically, ASTRO’s stage for All Night alone would make this list. Blue Flame ended up being very epic as well, which is why their entire segment is on this list.
  • Oh Ha Young, Joy and Yerin Mr. Mr. collaboration – I haven’t heard this song for some time now and I really enjoyed this throwback. Also surprised that they covered the entire song, which usually isn’t the case.

MBC Gayo Daejejeon – 31st December 2019

MBC’s Music Festival is one to always watch. Their stages always have a look that shows that they have been planning for a while. The collaborations for this festival are always something to talk about. And why not watch it live as the year goes out! There is nothing like ending 2019 and start 2020 with KPOP! However, the MBC Music Festival was also plagued with an early termination issue. This time around the victim was Kim Jae Hwan, who only got to perform Nuna (he should have performed The Time I Need as well. For standout performance, I am putting down ASTRO and Oh My Girl’s creepy and jazzy cover of IU’s Red Shoes. It was different and colourful. Other stages to check out:

  • Stray Kid’s Side Effects – Another intense song that they managed to upgrade and make darker. The creative minds that put together these stages for Stray Kids are killing it (and need a pay rise instantly).
  • Seventeen & Mamamoo Collaboration – Two of my favourite groups have come together to form one dream team. And this was such an amazing stage.
  • Seventeen’s HIT – Mingyu shouldn’t be playing with fire. It is dangerous. But one epic opener to the stage. Also, somehow Seventeen managed to insert a dance break in the midst of the stage, which I think earns a mention at the very least.
  • Hyuna’s Flower Shower – Her choreography is essentially the same as the one she performed in the past. But the chorus instrumental is changed slightly, which I thought made the stage a lot cooler for the end of year festival.
  • Taemin’s Move & Famous – MBC’s Music Festival had a theme, The Chemistry. And you can’t have a theme about Chemistry without Taemin. While he didn’t do anything special to Move‘s stage, his dance alone is already 100% fitting for a ‘Chemistry’ themed music festival.
  • (G)i-DLE’s Lion – Another reason to why we need to look out for this girl group is their special stages. Lion is practically a game changer for the group.
  • Lovelyz’s Beautiful Day – I really like their ballad start to their stage and how they built it back up to the original song in an effortless manner.

[Review] We Belong – Ong Seong Wu

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 2 Comments

As mentioned in Park Ji Hoon’s 360 review, all of the former Wanna One (excluding Ong Seong Wu and Lai Kuan Lin) had made two comebacks throughout 2019. With the release of Ong Seong Wu’s We Belong today, we add the soloist to the list of former members having multiple comebacks (and I am sure we will see Lai Kuan Lin’s second release someday). The main reason to why we have seen so little of Ong Seong Wu on the music front is due to his focus on his acting career. He did, however, participate in his drama’s OST.

We Belong is a fresh song, unlike Heart Sign (which reminded everyone too fondly of Energetic). We Belong has this vibrancy that I really like, thanks to the instrumentation and vocal work. The song featuring this one synth throughout that was so piercing (I cannot figure out what it sounds like though). But this is not a bad thing, as it made the song so memorable for me. In addition to that synth, the chorus is very upbeat and lively. So much that it draws me in and brings a smile to my face, even though I had no idea about the lyrics (which I think is all bout declaring his love to his significant other/fans). I also like the acoustic guitar strumming during the pre-chorus and start of each verse, as well. The other element I really like are Ong Seong Wu’s vocals. He pushes himself in this song and this makes the song sound so good. The different melodies that features definitely helps make this even more dynamic. Overall, We Belong is an awesome track and a step above his ‘debut’ track.

Ong Seong Wu opens many doors in this music video. Behind each door was a way for Ong Seong Wu to declare his love. To whom is based on how you interpret the lyrics. I really like how the producers presented him in the music video, showing off his visuals and handsomeness. To put it shortly, the video is very sweet and I think fans will really like this particular music video.

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

[Review] My Angel – B.O.Y

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , , Leave a comment

As mentioned in a previous post, some reviews may be posted later as I will be moving interstate for work. VERIVERY‘s review was the first to fall victim to my move and now B.O.Y is the second late review that I am rushing to complete. B.O.Y is a duo made up of Kim Kook Heon and Song Yu Vin, both of which released the single Blurry last year. Their duo name was confirmed after the release of their first single. Their comeback from two days ago, My Angel, is the first single under their new name.

When I heard that both Kim Kook Heon and Song Yu Vin would be returning with a new song, I was worried that they were going to keep the ballad side that Blurry adopted. There isn’t anything with wrong a ballad and that the genre can be be very popular if done right. Blurry just didn’t get to that level and was forgotten easily. So when I listened My Angel and heard a more EDM based sound, I became excited. In addition to the dramatic and dynamic synths that the song delivers, the track does borrow emotions from their ballad predecessor, which helps makes the song a little more epic. Their voices did give a captivating appeal to the song, which I personally like. These two elements to the song alone drew me in and got me hooked. The hooks themselves didn’t feel as memorable as you would hope with a dance track. If they managed to do something more with a little spark in this domain, the track would have really stood out. I felt the song could have used a rap sequence somewhere, to up the intensity.

The music video looks like a whole heaps of different were shots put together, with it seeming like there was very little connecting these shots together. However, my guess that this was intentional as we do see the two members come together at the end, showing that they are from two different worlds initially. Kim Kook Heon represents a wolf, while Song Yu Vin represents a horse. I personally don’t know the symbolism of these two animals, so it will be interesting to find out what this is all about. With this, I find it captivating to watch.

Another reason to why I liked the music video is the choreography shots. Like the song, the choreography put together for the duo for My Angel is extremely dynamic and fitting for the epic nature of the song. Their chemistry on stage was pretty good, as well.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10

[Review] Lay Back – VERIVERY

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 7 Comments

As mentioned last year in VERIVERY’s Tag Tag Tag review, both Gugudan and VERIVERY have big shoes to fill due to the inactivity of VIXX (as their members are approaching military enlistment age). However, it seems like Jellyfish Entertainment have under utilized them in 2019, with each of these group promoting only one song in the past year. With their debut and two other comebacks, VERIVERY has taken reign as the most active groups under the company in 2019. Despite that, however, I personally hope that Jellyfish actively pushes their two active groups in 2020 to be a better performing company. And VERIVERY’s comeback yesterday is a step in the right direction for the year ahead.

The comeback title track is titled Lay Back and I feel like this could have potentially be a unique track. It just needs a slight boost out of the ‘typical’ domain to really give it that status. The deep house genre could be a little more epic and this would have given the song what it needed. The energy that they had going in the chorus can be stepped up a notch as well. But apart from that, it was a decent track. I really like the whispering rap that featured in the second half of each verse/pre-chorus. That was quite unique and gave the song a smooth feel, contrasting with the more upbeat funky vibes that VERIVERY is widely know for and featured during the chorus. Their vocals were loud and clear, which I really like. I did not care for the rougher rap sequence during the second verse. It did feel a little cliche and added a slightly ill-fitting hip-hop infused sequence to the song when it didn’t feel necessary.

I personally think the music video has a similar vibe to their creepy hide-and-seek theme that they had going on in Tag Tag Tag. This time around, however, the group meet up with their reflections. That creepy vibe is present and I thought that made the video worth watching. The lyrics seem to be directed towards a second person, but I thought it was really clever that the director/producers made the video so that the lyrics are directed to an alter ego or their inner self. Another plus is that the group isn’t always dancing in front of a mirror, which is what I meant by reflection. Instead, the reflections ended up dancing side by side one another, which I thought was cool.

I thought the choreography was quite good. I really like the slight leg bobbing that they do at the start of the chorus. The energy that the song was channeled well throughout the choreography, making this a really good one from the group.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.8/10

[Review] Answer – ATEEZ

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 3 Comments

When you thought the Treasure series came to an end, ATEEZ throws another comeback right back at you. Today, the group returned with Answer and the album, Treasure Epilogue: Action to Answer. This is the group’s sixth installment (and possibly final – don’t quote me on that) of the Treasure series. Five of the installments were released in Korea and a sixth was released in Japan last year as well. Their previous comeback, Wonderland, occurred in November of 2019.

Another amazing song from ATEEZ. This time, however, the group pushes you further into the barrel, effectively trapping you in a deeper sound than their already quite intensive Wonderland comeback that they left us with. The song isn’t intense in the moment, in my opinion. Instead, it has that impression once you finish the song, reflecting upon the powerful energy that was exuded from the song. Answer starts off with more traditional instruments, before the hip-hop infused synths kick in. What it is interesting, is that the song manages to keep the two different sound going concurrently. I really liked the flute that was incorporated in the pre-chorus. I also liked the vocals in the song, especially how they keep on layering it on, contributing to the intensity that I have mentioned. The raps were quite powerful, but they sat more in the back-seat this time around. When I listen to the song, I cannot point out any flaws. And that, along with every other praise, earns Answer a perfect rating.

I assume that because it is one series, the music videos have to be interlinked somehow. It is a trend that is ongoing in Korea and I think it applies to ATEEZ’s Treasure series as well. This video is clearly connected to HALA HALA/Say My Name music video, as it features the members in their black hats and outfits. The other alter egos this time are the ATEEZ members in their Answer era. The start and end of the music video, showcasing the white and black masked figures seem to allude to something else. But as I am aware/from my memory, these characters never appeared in the other music videos (though they seem familiar somehow), which may suggest more is coming our way.

The choreography was definitely quite good. The hip thrusts did seem a little wild. But the rest of the choreography was definitely as intense as the song. And this is all expected from ATEEZ after the reputation they have built themselves throughout 2019.

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.5/10

[Review] Good Guy – SF9

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 6 Comments

It is always exciting to see and hear the release of a group’s very first album. Some groups are much fortunate than others, releasing their first full length album in the second year of their careers, while others have to wait a longer period. SF9 debuted in 2016 and have been releasing mini-album after mini-album. And finally after four years, the male group has finally released their first studio length album titled First Collection. An album review for that will come in the future. For now, let’s focus on their title track, Good Guy.

Listening the synths from the very first second of the song, I had flashbacks to the drip-like synths they had in Now or Never (which I still think is their best track to date). Good Guy changes it up a bit by lacing piano during the verses in the instrumental. It is another clean cut song, as a result. The song builds up nicely to a very bold chorus. I like the repetitive nature of the lyrics for the chorus, which really keys in the song into your memory bank. I also like the intensity of the chorus, which really enhances the sound and makes everything feel so much bolder. The vocal work was pretty good and the rapping really helped provided a rougher tone to the song, as most raps are made to do. What I wanted was a bolder end. Like the song is already quite bold (as I have mentioned a few times). No doubt, Good Guy is an excellent addition to SF9’s discography, sparking a little throwback whilst also remaining fresh at the same time.

The setting of the music video seems to be a men’s club for the elite or rich. Not sure what the correct term for this is because ‘men’s club’ might allude to something else. But let’s not go there. What they do in this club is pretty ordinary (darts, billiards, tennis etc.). But the setting makes feel like the activities they are doing are of the wealthy kind. To be part of this club, each member is seen wearing a gold bracelet. I was particularly wowed at the end of the video when the bracelets come together and the members are dancing under the bracelet structure. Thought that was really cool and definitely a step up from other videos from their past.

The group has gone with another masculine yet powerful choreography, which no doubt fits the group’s image. Them dressing up in suits this time was shows off a pretty elegant and sophisticated side, while their moves tell us a completely different story. Yet the two manage to merge to together so effortlessly once again.

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

[Weekly Chart] 1st Week of January 2020

Posted in Weekly ChartsLeave a comment

As promised from my previous post regarding ‘KPOPREVIEWED in 2020‘, I will be publishing the post for the Weekly Chart segment every Sunday starting this week. There is no change to the usual schedule, just I am not able to restart every segment in 2020 during the same week. It is just a little too much with my move. Starting tomorrow and throughout the week, I will be writing reviews for the new releases and trying my best to stay up to date (as I always promised but never deliver). 2020 is a new year, so it is time to remake that commitment.

To kick off 2020, we have a new song an artist sitting in the throne. Congratulations to Momoland’s newest release, Thumbs Up! The rest of the Top 5 is made up of 2019 releases. Stray Kid’s Levanter rises to the second position, Park Ji Hoon’s 360 rises to the third position and Stray Kid’s Astronaut rises to the fourth position. Mamamoo’s HIP, which have been at the top of the charts since its release back in November, has dropped down to the fifth position, rounding out this week’s Top 5. Scroll down for more of the charts below!

  29th Dec 2019 – 4th Jan 2020
Title Artist Status
1 Thumbs Up Momoland (new)
2 Levanter Stray Kids (▲ 12)
3 360 Park Ji Hoon (▲ 13)
4 Astronaut Stray Kids (▲ 5)
5 HIP Mamamoo (▼ 2)
6 Obsession EXO (▲ 20)
7 Curious About U Lee Jun Young (U-KISS) (▲ 1)
8 You Calling My Name GOT7 (▲ 20)
9 Numb CIX (▲ 20)
10 Psycho Red Velvet (▼ 9)
11 Blueming IU (▲ 14)
12 Wannabe Golden Child (▼ 6)
13 Touchin’ Kang Daniel (▲ 11)
14 Blue Flame ASTRO (▼ 7)
15 The Time I Need Kim Jae Hwan (▼ 10)
16 Momento IZ (▲  19)
17 Countdown TST (new)
18 Mixtape: Gone Days Stray Kids (▲ 4)
19 Winter Butterfly Hyuk (VIXX) (▼ 15)
20 Coming Home NCT U (▼  9)
21 Take A Hike Jiyeon (T-ARA) (▲ 2)
22 Nuna Kim Jae Hwan (▼ 12)
23 Come See Me AOA (▼ 6)
24 Nostalgic Night VICTON (▲ 3)
25 Element JxR (▲ 19)
26 Dumb BVNDIT (▲ 23)
27 Oopsie (My Bad) NATURE (▼ 7)
28 Midnight Sun Seven O’Clock (▲ 9)
29 Flower Shower Hyuna (▲  20)
30 Above The Time IU (=)
This Week’s Number 1 Song – Thumbs Up by Momoland

Song’s leaving the charts this week after their nine week run include:

  • DRIP – HINAPIA
  • You Calling My Name – GOT7
  • I Like That – Lee Jin Hyuk (UP10TION)
  • Nostalgic Night –  VICTON
  • Flower Shower – Hyuna
  • Money – Dawn
  • Dumb – BVNDIT

See you all tomorrow when the first review comes out!

[Update] KPOPREVIEWED IN 2020

Posted in Updates1 Comment

2020 is offically upon us, while 2019 is officially behind us. I think many people might be glad to hear that, since 2019 can be described as one of the crappier years of KPOP. But at the same time, we have been blessed with a lot of amazing songs, debuts and comebacks throughout 2019. With the latter point and based on another strong performance for the blog in 2019, I have no plans on stopping reviews, as I know 2020 will be an exciting year as well.

2020 is going to be a big year for me on a personal level. I will be taking a big step into my adult life. Essentially, I am moving out and starting a new job, which is very exciting and daunting all at the same time. I am telling you this because I do expect this to have an affect on the blog during January and February. While I do endeavor to post reviews for all the “major” releases, they may be a few days late because of my change in environment and system. I think it is best to let you know ahead of time before you think I am picking favourites or think I am being exceptionally busy in this new year.

For some of the current segments that I have on the blog, I will need to schedule in their return as my move will be happening in the next week. The schedule will be as follows:

  • Weekly KPOP Charts – Returning Sundays (1st Weekly KPOP Chart of 2019 will be posted 5th January 2020).
  • Album Reviews – Returning Sundays and Fridays (1st Album Review will be posted on 12th January 2020. Note that no album review will be posted on the 5th, 10th January and 2nd February 2020).
  • Past Album Reviews (PARs) – Returning Tuesdays (1st PARs will be posted on 14th January 2020).
  • Review of End-Of-Year Performances from SBS, KBS and MBC Music Festivals (Returning Segment) – This will be posted on 10th January 2020)
  • 2019 KPOPREVIEWED Awards – Song/Artist categories Winner Announcement (This Will Be Posted on 1st February 2020)
  • 2019 KPOPREVIEWED Awards – End Of Year Charts & Song Of 2019 Announcement (This Will be Posted on 2nd February 2020).
  • International Song Review segment (New Segment – to replace current Japanese Song Reviews) – Saturdays (1st post will be posted on 18th January 2020).

There are also a number of other segments that I will want to revisit including Missed Reviews (for music videos), Music Video Theory Posts, Special Review posts. But these can only be scheduled once I have them in motion and my footing in my new environment. A new segment that I want to bring to the blog in 2020 are Revised Reviews (where I pick some reviews that my opinion has changed and essentially update them). I also wish to revise my Saturday Japanese song reviews into a new International Segment, where I will review any song released by a Korean artist. This new segment will feature a quick review of 5 or 6 songs and will be posted on Saturdays once I have fulfilled that quota.

At the end of 2019, I also promised you to complete a ‘catch up’ of some tracks that I missed. As 2019 wrapped up, I realized that my goal set was not achievable and had to drop it. Throughout January and February, I will be bringing back the ‘catch-up‘ review, where I reviewed 3 tracks in one post. I may need to work on the format of this review to match my current format. This may also become a pernament fixture at the end of month to help cover songs that should be reviewed but I am unable to due to my schedule and other commitments.

But for now, reviews will still be coming your way starting Monday and I will try my very best to stay up to date! I hear ATEEZ, SF9, VERIVERY, B.O.Y, DreamNote and many more are returning this coming week! So a lot of keep up with!!!

[Review] Count down – TST

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , 1 Comment

And the ball starts rolling with the first release of 2020. TST is one of the first artists to make their comeback in 2020. They returned today with Count down and a four member lineup (K is absent from this comeback for unknown reasons, while it is assumed that Wooyoung is still absent due to health reasons). This is also the group’s first comeback in almost a year, since Wake Up, which was released last February.

Both Wake Up and Paradise (the two songs by the group that I have reviewed) have been acknowledged with high ratings (both tracks earned 9/10 in the song department). Within a few listens, I could tell that Count down will be the third song from the group to earn that high 9/10. Count down has this smooth exterior, which makes the song exceptionally appealing. There is almost a jazzy vibe to the song, which I really like as well. Within the instrumental, the guitar seems to be versatile, used in the foreground in different manners. This made the song standout for me. Their vocal work this time around is so-so. There were some good moments, but I feel like the song could have benefited from some more interesting hooks. The rapping was limited and I wanted to hear a bit more from this department. Overall, another well deserving 9/10 song.

It seems like TST and their company have taken note from their Wake Up music video, where it was shot in a contemporary art gallery setting. For Count down, they went with a more aesthetically pleasing museum which projected art on the walls. This made the video look very elegant and really helped the song become appealing in a visual manner. I also liked how they used coloured lighting to blend the car park into the music video, matching the projections that appeared in the background during their solo and group parts.

There is a mature aura that comes from this comeback that I haven’t mentioned yet. And I feel like this particular aura was well portrayed in the performance. There is also an edgier vibe to the performance that we have yet to see from the group, which was very good. The moves, on the other hand, just felt standard and didn’t really standout.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 8.3/10

[Review] Thumbs Up – Momoland

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 1 Comment

Happy New Year!!!

Momoland has returned just before the final day of the year with Thumbs Up, which is what I am considering the final major release of the year. This is the group’s first release since I’m So Hot from earlier in the year. The group also went on to release Pinky Love in Japan. More recently however, the group had to reform into a 6-member lineup due to the departure of Yeonwoo and Taeha (and presumably Daisy) from the group.

Many people have been disappointed with the group’s reliance on brass and structure ever since Bboom Bboom. It seems like I am one of those listeners who think differently and feel that any slight twist is enough to make it feel different. I personally think Thumbs Up is amazing. It is a song full of energy and vibrancy that is definitely fitting for the celebrations within a few hours. It is a definitely a little more versatile, as I am sure I will be listening to the song due to its catchiness and addictviness in the new year and weeks to come. Sure, it does sound mainstream and could use a little kick towards to the end so it doesn’t sound too repetitive. But Momoland was literally put into the spotlight with a repetitive song. The catchy ‘Thumbs Up‘ literally has become stuck in my mind and I feel like this hook is a little more lively than their most famous track’s hook. The rapping in the second verse is usually a miss for me. But I feel like the rapping this time around is a lot cleaner and clearer. It could have been left out, but I am not too picky regarding it this time around. Overall, another great song in my opinion.

Momoland operates Momo Express in the music video. Not exactly sure of the relevance of the packaging/delivery service to the song is. Maybe the group is using the ‘well known brand’ as a way to show that they have a following and whatever they do in the business earns them attention and ‘Thumbs Up‘. After all, they manage to delivery a package to the moon. The music video is already quite colourful, but I would have loved the video to have a little more pop to it. I also felt like the dresses weren’t as fitting.

Glad that they infused the Thumbs Up action into this performance. It would be a complete mistake to forgo the action that they are singing about. The dance is simple, so I can imagine it catching on quite easily. The rest of the performance looked really nice, showing a more elegant side to the group.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.1/10

[Weekly Chart] 4th Week of December 2019

Posted in Weekly ChartsLeave a comment

The 31st of December 2019 is a pretty big date this year. Not only is it the final day of 2019, it is also the final day of the decade. And this means that once we all wake up on Wednesday, we will find ourselves in a new year and decade! Woah! On top of that, the 31st is the final day of the KPOPREVIEWED Awards voting period. So if you have not voted yet, do so now!!! Click here to be taken to the page to vote instantly. Then come back to read through the final the charts of 2019!

Topping the charts this week is the return of Red Velvet with Psycho. While promotions for the new song is up in the air due to the unfortunate accident which has left Wendy in the hospital, I do highly recommend the song to everyone. Coinciding with the holiday spirit, Brand New Music released Look Good and this finds itself in the second position. 4 times reigning Queens, Mamamoo find themselves in the third position with HIP. Hyuk’s solo debut lands the artist in the fourth position with Winter Butterfly, while Kim Jae Hwan’s The Time I Need rises to the fifth position. For more of the charts, scroll down below.

  22nd Dec – 28th Dec 2019
Title Artist Status
1 Psycho Red Velvet (new)
2 Look Good Brand New Music (▲ 44)
3 HIP Mamamoo (▼ 2)
4 Winter Butterfly Hyuk (VIXX) (▲ 42)
5 The Time I Need Kim Jae Hwan (▲ 2)
6 Wannabe Golden Child (▲ 7)
7 Blue Flame ASTRO (▼ 1)
8 Curious About U Lee Jun Young (U-KISS) (▲ 20)
9 Astronaut Stray Kids (▼ 6)
10 Nuna Kim Jae Hwan (▲ 36)
11 Coming Home NCT U (▲ 4)
12 Melting Brand New Music (▲ 30)
13 As You Wish WJSN (Cosmic Girls) (▲ 4)
14 Levanter Stray Kids (▼ 4)
15 White The Boyz (▲ 31)
16 360 Park Ji Hoon (▼ 12)
17 Come See Me AOA (▲ 1)
18 TIE Oh Sae Bom (▲ 28)
19 Wonder Woman Brown Eyed Girls (▲ 5)
20 Oopsie (My Bad) NATURE (▲ 18)
21 Wish Wish LIMITLESS (▲ 25)
22 Mixtape: Gone Days Stray Kids (new)
23 Take A Hike Jiyeon (T-ARA) (new)
24 Touchin’ Kang Daniel (▼ 16)
25 Blueming IU (▼ 23)
26 Obsession EXO (▼ 14)
27 Nostalgia Night VICTON (▼ 8)
28 You Calling My Name GOT7 (▼ 17)
29 Numb CIX (▼ 15)
30 Above The Time IU (▼ 5)

Songs leaving the charts after the final week in 2019 are:

  • Moonlight Aria – ARIAZ
  • Abandoned – Brown Eyed Girls
  • Wonder Woman – Brown Eyed Girls
  • Follow – MONSTA X
  • Spark – Taeyeon (SNSD)
  • Remember Me – BDC
  • Savage – A.C.E

Happy New Year to all my readers!

[Album Review] Moment (2nd Mini Album) – Kim Jae Hwan

Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged Leave a comment

Kim Jae Hwan is nominated for Best New Male Soloist in the 2019 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Begin Again is also eligible for Best Song of 2019. To support Kim Jae Hwan, click here to vote before the 31st of December, which is in 2 days time.

Kim Jae Hwan is the focus for the final album review for the year and decade. I will update when album reviews will return in the new year on a later date. In the meantime, we will be diving a little deep into the soloist’s second mini-album, Moment (which features two title tracks, The Time I Need and Nuna). Kim Jae Hwan also joins the list of former Wanna One members to return a second time this year. I believe that leaves Ong Seong Woo as the only member to have one comeback this year, but he has been confirmed to be coming back in January 2020.

Moment Album Cover

1. The Time I Need (시간이 필요해) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for The Time I Need. (7/10)

2. After Party – While after parties tend to be full of celebration, Kim Jae Hwan’s After Party is a slow tempo track that delves into the R&B genre. I think the song is very straight forward and appealing to listen to as Kim Jae Hwan’s vocals feel very spaced out. It isn’t like other songs everything feels tight and loaded. I also enjoy the piano in the background and the simple percussion. He starts off the song in a rapping-like manner, but it progresses to showcase his vocals. I also like the inclusive nature of the chorus, which had him and the backing vocals singing together. I really like how his lyrics is remaining faithful to his partner, despite going to the after party and staying out all night. So wholesome. (9/10)

3. Nuna (Title Track) – As mentioned a few weeks ago, I do not review tracks without a music video. Nuna unfortunately fell into this category, despite it being one of Kim Jae Hwan’s title tracks for the album. The track is a lot more playful and vibrant, reflecting well with the song’s lyrics about being the younger person in the relationship. I like this vibe, which I also believe stay true to his age and personality. I thought the hooks were very catchy and aided the song in its playful tone. And based on the comments in which I am reading off YouTube, it seems like Nuna has many fangirls excited. (8/10)

4. Who Am I – Who Am I goes into the soft rock genre, which I really enjoyed. The track features his vocals in a very pleasing manner, and this really made the song stand out for me. Other that that, there really isn’t much else to the song. But it is honestly great as simple as it is, and any additional features would be unnecessary and potentially destructive. I wished I had a little more to say to the song, but I don’t. (8/10)

5. Paradise (파라다이스) (ft. Park Woojin from AB6IX) – This is super exciting track as it brings together another two former Wanna One members, which shows that they do keep in close contact with one another. Paradise seems to have a slight tropical influence to it, opting for a more typical EDM sound in this day and age. But it doesn’t get intense and remains quite light, which I quite like. The light nature is also an accurate descriptor for the melody and hooks, which I think makes the song quite pleasant. Park Woojin features a rapper in the second verse and he brings a sleek feel to the song. (8.5/10)

6. ZZZ – ZZZ seems to expresses the feelings that is present when you are spending the final moments of the day with your partner, even if they are not physically there. It is another wholesome song, which no doubtly goes extremely well with the soloist’s personality. It does have a typical feel to it, as the instrumental isn’t technically fresh or unique. However, the ZZZ that Kim Jaehwan repeats during the chorus is very catchy and I can confirm that a few listens to the song will have this hook engraved into your memory bank. (7.5/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8/10

Moment Teaser Image

[Review] Mixtape: Gone Days – Stray Kids

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 4 Comments

Once again, Stray Kids is nominated for Best Male Group and Best Male (Group) Choreography. Miroh, Side Effects, Double Knot and Astronaut are also eligible for Best Song of 2019. To support Stray Kids, click here to vote if you haven’t before voting closes next Tuesday!

Stray Kids is currently in the midst of their Levanter promotions, as the only just recently made their comeback with the song and Clé: Levanter just earlier this month. But now, Stray Kids have made a surprise single release. Today, the group dropped their next mixtape track title as Mixtape: Gone Days (henceforth referred to as Gone Days).

Based on what I am gathering, Gone Days is a play on words with the Korean term, kkondae. It refers to a person who continually pushes outdated thoughts and expectations onto the younger generation purely based on their age and status. When you look at the lyrics of the song, it is definitely a diss track and probably is directed to someone. The song falls into the hip-hop genre and showcases the rappers in a very strong limelight. The vocals don’t get much of an opportunity to shine, mainly because their parts is so heavily doused in autotune. And given my past track record with heavy autotune, I am not much of a fan this time. I have to admit there is a nice ring to Gone Days and it might catch on in a few weeks, since there is a very bubbly atmosphere and active beat. But the heavy autotune is a very big fence to get over for me.

I am not too sure who Stray Kids is dissing in this track. But based on the music video, it seems like this person works at JYP Entertainment. After all, the horse figure in the music video is wearing a JYP Entertainment tag. I find this to be a fun video, showing the members rebelling against the horse figure in many ways. I also feel like Woojin is meant to be part of this video, based on the layout of the desks, but he was edited out due to his departure. My favourite part is Bangchan patting the horse figure, which seems like Bangchan is feeling sorry for the horse, who’s head is full of outdated thoughts and expectations.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.1/10

[Review] Take A Hike – Jiyeon (T-ARA)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , Leave a comment

A reminder that the 2019 KPOPREVIEWED Awards voting period is still on. It will officially close 11:59 PM (AEST) on the 31st of December. So make sure you vote before then! Do so by clicking here if you haven’t voted yet!

Even though we are in the final days of 2019, comebacks are still happening and KPOP is business as usual (which wasn’t the case a few years back, with releases being scarce). Today, we see the comeback of Jiyeon, who returns with the single Take A Hike. We last saw the T-ARA member in a music context through her One Day Winter single last year.

Take A Hike, as the title may suggest, is no Winter single. It is a soft club dance track, featuring a trendy, attitude-heavy flute drop during the chorus that I am sure would be perfectly paired to a sensual and mature choreography routine. The chorus also had a nice hook to it, that I thought was both decent and simple. I thought the verses were very captivating themselves as they engaged Jiyeon’s lower vocals and raspy tone, which made the verses standout. To me, the song feels fulfilling. It is fairly bare but I think this made Take A Hike stand out. I can see how some people would call it boring though, as the bareness might lead to the thought that it is lacking in a way. But at the moment, I choose the former thought to be what I think of Take A Hike.

The music video is very intriguing. I really like the mysterious vibes she gives off during the scenes where her face is no way shown to the camera (i.e. the bedroom scene, the large hat scenes). The large hat scenes are probably my favourite out of the entire video as they do really help enhance the attitude I felt coming from the song. The way she acts when her face does appear is equally as captivating. I am not sure how to properly describe my thoughts (and I am probably overthinking it), but I feel like there is something else to those scenes rather than a simple closeup.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.3/10

[Review] Winter Butterfly – Hyuk (VIXX)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , Leave a comment

As this is a VIXX related review, I wish to inform that Leo is nominated for Best Male Soloist in the 2019 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support Leo by clicking the link here to vote for him and your other favourite artists before the 31st of December (which is in 5 days!!!).

VIXX has a relatively quiet year and it seems like this is going to be the case over the next couple of years since the members are fast approaching the age of military enlistment. Leo (Romanticism) and Ravi (Tuxedo) have remained active through solo works. And Hyuk joined them last week with the release of his first mini-album, Winter Butterfly. The title track shares the same name as the album. The mini-album also contains the handful of solo singles that Hyuk has also released throughout the year.

For those who don’t know me, I am always a sucker for the lesser known members of the group. Hyuk falls under this category as he is always under appreciated when it comes group performances. His vocals are a lot weaker than Ken or Leo, while his rapping isn’t as dynamic as Ravi. And hence solo releases tend to be blessings, showcasing what we would never get in a group setting. Winter Butterfly does just that, offer us more of Hyuk’s vocals. The rock ballad (which is one of the few styles that I tend to really enjoy) starts off soft, which compliments Hyuk’s usual style of vocals. His voice remains soft throughout the song but it builds as the instrumental develops. It somehow remains well-balanced and I really like that about the song. I like how the song doesn’t revert to the verse-chorus-verse-chorus etc. formula. I didn’t notice this at first, but it caught my attention after a while. He only reverts to the softer sound to close out the song. A fairly large section of the song is in English, which I thought he handled nicely. Overall, Winter Butterfly is extremely satisfying and I am glad that Hyuk is finally getting his moment to shine.

The music video is pretty much standard yet also makes quite sense. To compliment the song, Hyuk walks around enjoying nature and the local scenery in the music video. I feel this works well with the song, as you can get ‘lost’ with the song, which is similar to how one could get ‘lost’ while experiencing something breathtaking such as nature. I really like the brown and golden hue that the video features, which gives off a warm feeling and fits more of an Autumn setting. The snow, I guess, is incorporated to make the music video fit into ‘Winter’. But it seemed to be included post-production, as there was never any snow around him.

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