Casual reviews of KPOP songs, music videos & dances
Author: kpopreviewed
Hi, my name is Tony and I am the man behind the site, kpopreviewed. Currently an university student who wants to introduce people to KPOP and if you are already into KPOP, different groups and bands.
We have another Wanna One member in our midst. After Yoon Ji Sung and Ha Sungwoon, the third member we will be able to meet again through the stage is Park Ji Hoon. Since returning to his original company, Maroo Entertainment, Park Ji Hoon has already accepted an acting role in an upcoming drama and today, made his solo debut with L.O.V.E, which is featured on his first mini-album, O’Clock. Congratulations on the debut and here’s to a great career!
I was interested in seeing how Wanna One’s rapper would handle a solo track and what direction he would take. L.O.V.E is an R&B dance track that manages to pack a punch through the instrumental. It is like it is pulsing but in a very odd fashion. And I find this is a very unique point of the track. This pulsing effect is quite loud in the instrumental but I am surprised how Park Ji Hoon still manages to be hearable on top of it. And now, let’s return to Park Ji Hoon himself. He sounds wonderful in this track. We didn’t hear him sing too much in last year, so that is why I was unsure about the direction the song he ould take. But this was more vocals then rap, which was quite interesting. The rapping was quite good but I really like his vocal moments during the song more. But that was my thoughts on it. Other than that, this was a very strong debut song and one that I would be coming back for more.
Whoever decided that this mansion was the best place to set the video needs a promotion. It was stunning and extremely majestic. And to really encapsulate the beauty of the setting, great cinematography was employed. I also liked the special effects that were put on top of the video. It gave the music video a magical feel. Throughout the video, he goes looking for his lover, which is extremely fitting for a love confession song. I think he does find what he is seeking for, based on the ending of the video. I did feel like the credits didn’t contribute much of the video and the cute BTS videos of Park Ji Hoon took away from the aesthetics. But it was still a nice video to watch.
I think the choreography for this stage was perfect of the song. It is one of those stages that feels like any changes would just take away from the performance if you know what I mean. I really like the chorus, which I think allowed the solo artist to show his dancing side more.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
Stray Kids have returned with their first 2019 comeback. Last year, the male group made their debut with District 9, and continued promotions throughout the entire year with My Pace and I Am YOU. If you ask me, that is an extremely busy year for a rookie group. Today, the group dropped their 4th mini-album, Clé 1 : MIROH. But they released the music video for Miroh 18 hours prior to the album drop, which was extremely unexpecting. But hey, I am not complaining.
Miroh is an even more intense sound than any of their previous releases. But we don’t really get a sense of that intensity at the start but you can definitely sense the exponential buildup as we head towards the chorus. Instead, we open with Felix’s deep tone voice and sirens layered over birds tweeting. We are then lead into a nice vocal verse. Out of nowhere, the intensity picks up and the rappers come at us with a very powerful rap pre-chorus (also my favourite part of the song). Continuing the momentum is the chorus, which takes a half-instrumental piece and half singing approach. I actually quite like this and thought the song was extremely dynamic due to the dance influence the instrumental featured. I also find the ‘Woah-Oh-Oh’ very addictive as well, as it seems to provide relief after all the intensity. The fade-out was also nice. Not too typical for a dance song like this but given its heavy-handed nature, I think it works excellently, My personal biggest issue with the song has to be how short it felt. Two choruses in and I actually wanted more, though I am not sure how I would handle more.
I am personally not sure what the song is 100% about. My interpretation of the lyrics is that the song talks about reaching new heights and being yourself in the process (but this may be wrong). I like how the video relates to the song in a more literal sense, however. The members are singing about the concrete jungle and how they ‘ran to the next city’ to go ‘higher in the next city’. And we see that. We see the members taking over the city from the rich men who run it by leading another rebellion. We see them on top of buildings, performing their choreography. It all works out well. I like how the edgy feel of the song seeps onto the video. Furthermore, I enjoyed the editing in this video, which made everything feel so intense.
Big ticks for this choreography. The best part has to be the chorus for me, where the song peaks. And there is nothing better than the peak of a song! Definitely intense and I always like a jump that is timed with the song.
Song – 9.5/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9.3/10
EVERGLOW is a brand new female group to grace the stage. They made their debut last Monday with Bon Bon Chocolat and their very first single-album, Arrival of EVERGLOW (which I think is named very appropriately for a debut). The group consists of 6 members (E:U, Sihyeon, Mia, Onda, Aisha and Yiren) and are currently under Yuehua Entertainment. Some of the members may look familiar including Sihyeon (participated in Produce 101 and Produce 48), Yiren (participated in Produce 48) and Onda (participated in Idol School).
Bon Bon Chocolat is not a sweet song as one would expect, based on the translation of the French title. Instead, EVERGLOW goes with an extremely edgy style that is surprisingly addictive. The instrumental is an electronic centred piece with a robust and tough hip-hop influenced drop. I think this is one of the elements that give the song its addictive nature. I did want more to the chorus, however, despite me already enjoying the simplicity of it. Another thing I enjoyed about this release is the vocals. Particularly the pre-chorus, where they go with some slight chanting before one of the members start singing. I also liked the drum beats during the same part. I did think the autotune did fit the song very nicely, though I hope they don’t become dependant on it in the future. While the vocals were all good, notably missing was a rap sequence. Surely a powerful and tough song like this could have used a rap sequence to really pull the track together. But they didn’t and I am not sure what to really think of that. I mean, the song handled it fine without one but it was an expectation to have one given its edgy nature.
Can we take a moment to look at the views for this music video? Almost 12 million views for a newly debut group not from the Big 3 within a span of a week? They must be doing something right! While the song is already doing a lot in gaining attention, the music video is extremely visually appealing. The quality is extremely crisp and something I expected from a larger company. I also like how they managed to showcase the beauty of each of the members. Usually, KPOP companies will focus on one member but everyone seemed to have a fair go, which I think is amazing. As far as I can tell, this is a debut done right.
The performance is on par with the song. It is edgy and powerful, as you would expect. I really like the chorus section of the performance. It feels very ‘in-your-face’, which I think matches with the song’s style. I also like the bridge of the performance. While they do they sing the exact same part as the pre-chorus, their formation is completely different and isn’t ‘towards the audience’. I think this is quite cool and a little different from other performances where everyone is usually facing the audience.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.8/10
Welcome back to the third week of March 2019. It is another Sunday, so we all know what that means! Once again, I am a little delayed with some reviews. I should be able to get some written up today and hopefully schedule some for during the week. Hopefully. They will be coming out eventually, so keep your eyes out for them. But before then, let’s see the top 5 for this week!
We have another song topping the charts this week! Park Bom’s Spring climbs to the very top of the charts, managing to win over the other digital chart-toppers from the last week. Following behind them is DIA’s newest song, Woowa. Mamamoo’s gogobebe and LOONA’s Butterfly enter and re-enter the Top 5 respectively from their chart positions last week. And final Key’s I Wanna Be, featuring Soyeon from (G)I-DLE remains steady in the fifth position and hence completes this week’s Top 5.
For more of the charts, scroll down below.
17th Mar – 23rd Mar 2019
Title
Artist
Status
1
Spring
Park Bom ft. Sandara Park
(▲ 10)
2
Woowa
DIA
(new)
3
gogobebe
Mamamoo
(▲ 3)
4
Butterfly
LOONA
(▲ 5)
5
I Wanna Be
Key (SHINee) ft. Kim Soyeon ((G)I-DLE)
(=)
6
Don’t Close Your Eyes
Lee Gikwang (HIGHLIGHT)
(new)
7
Still Loving You
100%
(new)
8
Crown
TXT
(=)
9
Focus On Me
Jus2
(▼ 6)
10
Thrilla Killa
VAV
(new)
11
TicToc
NEONPUNCH
(▲ 34)
12
Noir
Sunmi
(▼ 11)
13
I’m So Hot
Momoland
(new)
14
Four Seasons
Taeyeon (SNSD)
(new)
15
Feeling
Jeong Sewoon ft. Penomeco
(new)
16
Tuxedo
Ravi (VIXX)
(▼ 3)
17
What You Waiting For?
R.Tee & Anda
(▲ 7)
18
A Song For Me
Hong Joo Chan (Golden Child)
(▲ 24)
19
Want
Taemin (SHINee)
(▲ 26)
20
Enough
SF9
(▼ 5)
21
Pinky Star (RUN)
GWSN
(▼ 17)
22
Bon Bon Chocolat
EVERGLOW
(new)
23
Q&A
Cherry Bullet
(▼ 11)
24
No
CLC
(▲ 5)
25
Alligator
MONSTA X
(▼ 11)
26
Piri
Dream Catcher
(▼ 19)
27
Dear Diary
Yeri (Red Velvet)
(▲ 18)
28
Clock
Infinite
(▲ 13)
29
Slow Dance
Park Yoochun (JYJ)
(▼ 10)
30
Twit
Hwasa (Mamamoo)
(▼ 20)
Songs leaving the charts this week are:
Q&A – Cherry Bullet
U Um U Um – Hyomin
Only U – IMFACT
I Wanna Know – Roh Taehyun (HOTSHOT)
Thank you once again and see you all again next week!
It has been a while since I wrote Japanese review despite the influx of Japanese songs by Korean artists. I will try my best to get around to them (I hope). To re-kick things off (hopefully) is GFriend’s third Japanese single, Flower. For those who are wondering, Memoria was their first original Japanese track and first Japanese single, while the Japanese version of GFriend’s Sunrise (their Korean title track from earlier in the year) served as the second single.
Flower starts off miles away from a typical GFriend song. The song opens up with a very strong tango presence. And I quite like this. The song then loses this tango sound, evolving into something along the lines of GFriend that we know of. However, the tango comes back once more for the dance break, which I am so glad hangs around for a slightly longer period than any of their recent tracks (I am deprived of a long dance break from the girls). What makes this track even nicer is that while they do lose that tango sound, they manage to keep the momentum up with some orchestral pop and really keep things upbeat. I thought their vocals were quite refreshing and each member was extremely clear. So big ticks in that aspect. My favourite part has to be the second half of the chorus, as I found the ‘Piriririri’ and the ‘Surururu’ to be extremely addictive. I think the winning element has to be the instrumental but everything else was pretty good as well.
The music video featured a lot of nice colours. It was very vibrant and really matched the upbeat vibes of the song. The comments on the YouTube video also suggests that some of thr patterns and the fabrics are from other countries and cultures. So to think that this is a very multicultural music video makes me very happy. As the song titled Flower, flowers themselves also make a presence in this music video. The best flower in the entire video has to be the flower mural in the background of the choreography shots!! Overall, a nice video to watch with the song.
I also really like the choreography. Of course, the winning part has to be during the start and dance break (i.e. when there was some tango in the song) but the chorus dance was equally as pretty.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.8/10
Taeyeon has returned with a brand new single, Four Seasons. Actually, let me fix that. The music video for Four Seasons was released yesterday, while the actual song won’t officially be released until tomorrow night. But that won’t stop us from having a review written up as both elements for the review are present. We last saw Taeyeon through SNSD’s subunit, SNSD-Oh!GG and the title track, Lil Touch.
A few releases of Taeyeon’s the past have been of an experimental nature including Something New and I Got Love. Four Seasons seems to follow this trend. While it takes the form of an upbeat ballad, there is a slight reggae influence mixed into the melody of the song. Despite that, it featured some classical instrumentation, giving that impression of a ballad. And I think this is a fairly interesting mix. Since it is something we don’t get often, it is quite refreshing and unique. Once again, you cannot write a Taeyeon centric review without discussing her vocals. Her vocals are showcased very elegantly, with some variety in her tone. I particularly like those speaking moments just before the chorus. It gives the song some texture and really made the chorus feel slightly suspenseful. I also like the ‘Ooh Ooh‘ in the background. I can’t describe how it adds to the song but it is definitely there for a reason. Without it, I think would be a tad empty for my liking. Overall, Four Seasons was served as a fresh comeback from the pop queen.
The song talks about the pros and cons of love in each of the Four Seasons. And to compliment that, we have Taeyeon in each of the Four Seasons throughout the music video. She licks an ice cube and has the fan running in on Summer. The trees are bare and snow is present, alongside a deer during Winter. Spring features falling petals, while Autumn is a golden glow. Pretty aesthetic ways of showcasing the seasons. I also like how there is also time to include a different set, which involved Taeyeon singing in a very nice dress and in front of a large mural of a couple going in for a kiss. I also like the selected English lyric subtitled throughout the song and the borders we get with them. interesting to have but very nice, overall.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
Mamamoo returned last week with the very last instalment to their 4 Seasons 4 Colours project. It is in the form of their 9th mini-album, White Wind, and the title track, gogobebe (link below). It definitely has been an interesting and worthwhile project, as we got enjoyable and well-liked tracks every few months. This is something MooMoos have been appreciating from the group. And now that it is over, I think everyone hopes the girls will be able to have a long rest before for their future activities. But before we say goodbye to the project for one last time, let’s have a look at their album!
White Wind Album Cover
1..Where R U – To me, Where R U is a flowy R&B track that showcases the lighter side of the group’s vocals. If you are looking for a song that showcases their signature power vocals, then this isn’t the song for you. Instead, the softness is what speaks volumes in this song. The instrumental say compliments the softness of their vocals, opting for a simple and light house instrumental. I think another thing that I don’t speak too much about Mamamoo is the fact they manage to be extremely cohesive as a group in their songs. And this is a recipe for success, as established by this song. My personal favourite part of the song has to be the bridge, due to the presence of the heavy drum beats, which is what the song needed. (9/10)
3. Waggy (쟤가 걔야) – Mamamoo goes softer with Waggy. The song feels like it is one of their gag songs and I think the live stages lead us in that direction. But rather, the song seems to like their crush to an extremely cute puppy. Or that they are directing the lyrics just at a puppy. It is a light-hearted song that really makes the song sound fun. I thought the trumpets were a nice addition to the light song. There are two other things about the members that I want to quickly point out (and yes, their vocals are superb here). Moonbyul shines the most for me. I really like her vocal lines that came out so smooth and her rapping was quite fitting. Finally, I love how Hwasa sang some French and Solar responded with ‘what are you saying?’. It made me chuckle and gives confirmation of that fun vibe. (8.5/10)
4. 25 – 25 is Wheein’s solo song on the album. And she does a really nice job with this ballad-like track. From what we know already, Wheein has a very nice voice. And 25 does an amazing job of highlighting this. I thought the slight breathiness to her vocals gave the song a very nice texture. I think the main issue with the song for me was the instrumental. It didn’t necessarily captivate me, which left Wheein’s vocals a very large gap to fill. Yes, there was some buildup along the way, but I felt like it wasn’t enough and hence it felt too consistent from start to end. Unfortunately, that was the case and it left feeling slightly disappointed with the song. (6/10)
5. Bad Bye – Bad Bye deviates from what we heard so far on the album. It is a power ballad, showcasing that noticeably absent powerful vocal form that the group is more commonly known for. They put a lot of emotion into the song, fitting in the with the clear message that comfort isn’t always a good thing in a breakup. There is no doubt that their vocals were flawless. But can we take a moment to discuss the amazing rap sequences that Moonbyul got to bring to the song? I was floored with her delivery and how it managed to also pack a punch during this emotionally-driven song. My favourite part, once again, is the bridge. Why? Well, we hear all the members in a short time frame and it shows how well they compliment each other. (10/10)
6. My Star – When I think of a song named My Star, I don’t think of something dramatic, edgy or powerful. But that is what Mamamoo’s version of My Star is. And it is extremely drawing, as a result. The extremely heavy beat really makes this song stand out, alongside their vocals which take that powerful form once again. It is one of those songs that you need to listen to really feels its energy and punches. No text description would do this song justice. It left me speechless. (10/10)
7. 4Seasons (Outro Track) – I don’t review outro (or intro) tracks as they tend to be instrumental-based only. This has vocals, hence I felt the need to talk about. On top of that, 4Seasons is the final song of the entire series, so I think that is a bigger motivation to quickly describe the track. The song is an R&B track with an airy feel. It has great vocals and wraps up the entire series in a breezy manner, which I think was very suiting for a series about seasons and the weather. I like it for its length, which felt just right. I think this is the style that I don’t enjoy at full length. But this was good and satisfying to my ears. (8/10)
As mentioned previously, I am (extremely) slowly catching up on reviews from last week. Due to another week of a high workload, I predict that catching up on reviews for the past two weeks may lead onto the next week. But that is an issue to be dealt with then. Today, I have picked Yeri’s first solo single to be the main focus. Dear Diary was released last week on Thursday and is also part of the SM Station series. The track is quite special as it is self-composed by Yeri herself. that it was self-composed by herself. We also last saw Yeri as a solo artist in her collaboration, Hair In The Air, with members of NCT Dream for the Trolls show.
Dear Diary is an acoustic ballad that I find fitting for a nice day. But it isn’t a ballad that I am falling for. I find it a bit plain for my liking and hence why I haven’t been enjoying it as much. The song has a nice piano and guitar combination, keeping true to its acoustic description throughout the entire track. I also do think the song did a nice job of showing off her vocals. We don’t see much opportunity for her to do so in the Red Velvet title tracks. so it is quite nice to hear a Yeri solo track. I did like the airy sound she brought to the background vocals, which I thought was both nice and gave a flowy feel to the song. To me, the song is very straight forward and doesn’t have much to really create a cause for me to stay. I would be happy to listen to the song if it appeared on my playlist, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to really find and play it.
The music video is slightly better. I really like the simplicity of the music video and how this flowed to even the effects of the video. For example, I liked the snapshots of her footage appearing throughout the video. But rather than flashbacks or some fancy transition, they are just layered on top of the main scene as rectangles. There was no editing of colours or borders. Just straight forward footage on one another. I also enjoyed the lighting of the video. Really gave the song a homely feel. There was some dryness to the video which may have stemmed from the song. But overall, I thought it was a nice video to still watch.
Song – 5/10 Music Video – 7/10 Overall Rating – 5.8/10
Following a very successful 2018, Momoland has returned with a brand new title track, I’m So Hot. It is featured on the group’s 5th mini-album, Show Me. And as already mentioned, the track follows one of the biggest hits of 2018, Boom Boom, and a favourite of mine, Baam. So there are very big shoes to fill. But these shoes will not be filled by Taeha or Daisy, as they will be sitting out of promotions this time around due to health and personal reasons. It has already been promised that they will return in the next comeback.
I’m So Hot takes a retro spin to their existing formula adapted from their successful hits. The song opens up with saxophones that also doubles as the song’s instrumental hook, as it is played throughout the song and thus becoming extremely addictive as a result. I liked how it was combined with relatively simple electronic, reminding us that this is, in fact, a pop song. I have to admit that despite the blaring saxophone, I felt the instrumental was rather weak and didn’t have a bass component to really give it some definition. And I felt the chorus was rather messy with a lot going on at once. There are also other things that I enjoyed about the track. Firstly, the vocals are really good on this track. In particular, I enjoyed the vocals during the pre-chorus and that bridge-like part just before the final round of saxophone. If they can pull it off in the live performances, I think this will be a killer stage to watch out for. I also liked the rapping this time around. Yes, it clearly delved into the hip-hop genre once again. But it didn’t feel as overloaded as Baam’s rap sequence was and actually, it felt kind of fitting for the song. Overall, I’m So Hot was nice in some parts but it didn’t feel like a complete packaged.
The ladies of Momoland are showing off how they are ‘So Hot‘ as they prepare for their performance. And that was essentially the entire music video in a sentence. They did seem to have some fun along the way, though. There are some other things that I noticed that I just want to comment on. I know 1THEK now sponsors some of the music videos, especially for release on their channel, but their brand is becoming very noticeable. Like obnoxiously noticeable. I felt like the massive 1THEK brand just took away the appeal of the music video. I also don’t like their outfits as much. It seemed mediocre and didn’t feel as fitting as I hoped to the music video sets or sound of the song.
Like the song, this performance is very weak. After Baam, I expected something with a little more flair and attitude, especially since they will be explaining that they are ‘So Hot‘.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 6/10 Overall Rating – 7.3/10
It is time to also start catching up with reviews for songs released this week! So there is a lot to do! And we start with VAV, who made their comeback yesterday with Thrilla Killa. This is the group’s first comeback since Senorita, which was released late last year. This comeback also features a 6-member lineup, as Jacob has other schedules that prevent him from participating.
Thrilla Killa continues the group’s highly satisfying list of songs that they have been releasing since last year. The song draws from funk and retro, combining it a modern pop take of electronic music. I found the track to be very energetic and upbeat, as you would want with most dance tracks. At the same time, I thought the song was very polished and definitely had a classy vibe, which managed to come through via their vocal and instrumental combination. While we are talking about their vocals, I thought it was rather nice. I also like that autotune ad-lib or shout that they used a hook. Definitely addictive but also a very interesting textural component in the song. I also like their melody, which was another reason why the song was polished for me. I also liked how their rap didn’t go onto the ‘hype route’. Instead, it stayed within the boundaries of the song and remained classy like how I mentioned before. There was also an auotuned section in the bridge, which I think counts as a rap sequence. That, once again, gave the song nice texture and felt perfect for the rest of the song.
The music video features DIA’s Chaeyeon (who also made her comeback yesterday with her group. Check out the review here!). She only appears at the start, where she seems like she is looking for something. One of the members is behind her and shines a light at her, which she blocks out. So what purpose does she serve in the video? As you can tell, I am not too sure about the plotline of the music video. The lyrics suggest that they are falling for her and I guess they become hot and bothered in the process. That’s my take on the video though and that is probably not right. Anyway, the music video was very stylish. From the sets (especially the golden hallway with the rapper) and outfits, I think everything was well-aligned to the song.
Another good performance from the group. It wasn’t as spectacular as I had hoped it to be, given the instrumental of the track, however. But there were some good moments, namely the chorus as a whole and the mini dance break, where the autotuned rap sequence was present (this, in particular, looked cool).
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.8/10
Today’s ‘Past Album’ Review is ASTRO’s 2017 comeback, Baby and Dream Part 01 mini-album. This review was actually intended to be released earlier in the year. But since ASTRO returned with All Night and their All Light studio album, I decided to postpone it to avoid any clashes between the two albums (I am worried that it might cause confusion for some fans to why I reviewed a previous album and not their latest one). But fast forward 2 months, I think it is time to release this album review to read! So let’s get going!
Dream Part 01 Album Cover
1..Dreams Come True – Dreams Come True begins with a quirky bubble sound in an 8-bit format, which really starts off the album on a unique touch. It progresses into a standard pop dance track for the chorus which I think was nice, but I am a little disappointed that it lost some of that uniqueness. I did like the violins in the background, which I thought was a nice small detail to add to the song. The vocals were nice, especially with that falsetto high note towards the end. The overlapping with the rapping did make the ending a tad messy for my liking but it was still a good ending overall. (8/10)
3. You Smile (니가 웃잖아) – You Smile has that Summertime band instrumental feel but ASTRO manages to transform it into a dance track. Come to the think of it, this reminds of their previous comeback at the time of release (Breathless). It is slightly different with the chorus sung individually and the track isn’t overly pop. I enjoyed the vocals in the song. But I think I liked the rapping more, as it felt more suited. The deep voices of the rappers go really well with the fresh feel of the song, hence why they stood for me. (8/10)
4. Because It’s You (너라서) – Because It’s You is a ballad that thanks their lover for being there for them and the joy for being by their side. It is a really nice ballad at the start that gradually builds up to a very melodic chorus. It showcases their vocals in a light that I personally have not really seen too much from ASTRO, especially in their earlier days. I would love to hear the rappers sing in the song alongside the rest of the members, especially since they only got a very small portion of the song. I felt like that could have really been nice as it could have doubled up as a song for fans, given the message of the song. (8.5/10)
5. Dream Night – Dream Night takes on an upbeat pop instrumental. I did enjoy the energy and bright atmosphere they had within the song. I also thought that the song did well with their vocals. It just didn’t have that excitement to really make it… well… pop. It is another one of those songs that have an instrumental that felt too typical and consistent over the entire length of the track. Furthermore, I wanted a little more to the raps. They could have been more interesting and defined to really stand out. (6.5/10)
6. I’ll Be There – I’ll Be There is another ballad-like song. But instead of relying on a beautiful melody like in Because It’s You (see track 4), the song relies more on their youthful side. It seems light-hearted and more carefree. Once again, the vocals are on full show but not to the extent as the previously mentioned ballad. The rapping seems to be more reminiscent of their title tracks hence why I can’t really describe the song as ‘beautiful’. I would have liked a more memorable instrumental and less abrupt ending. Personally, the song in passing would be overlooked as it was forgettable for the most part. (7/10)
7. Lie (다 거짓말) – We have another ballad-like track and this one features a very nice orchestral-like instrumental, which really makes the track feel so much more heartbreaking. Lie seems to hint at a broken relationship caused by the lies of their lover. A lot of the lyrics seems to show the members alone due to their lover not being there anymore and that they have to lie as a result to keep up the impression that they are okay (That’s my personal take on the lyrics. The translations that I found don’t really make sense). I thought the song was also a nice presentation of vocals and I really liked how they integrated the rapping into the sad song. (9/10)
8. Every Minute – The album ends with Every Minute, which is a return to their bright and youthful style that ASTRO presented for this comeback. The song features a slight retro and funk touch within its electro-pop instrumental. As a result, it felt like a fun song. I liked their change up for the bridge and the rebound-like transition between this part. I do have to admit the ‘Every Minute’ repetition feels like it would get really annoying with repeated listens but for the time being, it is keyed into my mind as a good hook. (8/10)
The second comeback of the day that I wanted to discuss is Jeong Sewoon’s Feeling, which is featured on his fourth mini-album, Plus Minus Zero (also dropped today). The song features Penomeco, an R&B singer and rapper. This is Sewoon’s first comeback since 20 Something, which was released back in July of last year. Since his last comeback, we haven’t much from Sewoon (from what I remember). But I did come across news that he was debuting as a musical actor in a Grease production earlier this year (and I think there are some videos of him performing on a stage somewhere on the internet). Congratulations to Sewoon for his debut once again!
Sewoon brings back the guitar from his debut single, Just U and plays it very passionately throughout the song. The guitar flourishes within the pop instrumental and it works extremely well with the rest of the instrumentation to create an energetic and upbeat atmosphere. There isn’t a dance performance for this comeback so I will mention it here. Sewoon looks like he is having a lot of fun with the guitar on stage and his interaction with the band surrounding him shows his commitment and willingness for the song. Once again, his vocals are so good in the track. It is extremely hard to really point out anything wrong with his voice. The winning part of the song was when she speaks ‘I Like You‘, right after the first chorus and before launching into an instrumental break. It is so deep and contrasts so well with the rest of the song. Penomeco’s rapping sequence (and vocals) was very cool. It gives a smooth feel to the song and I really liked how his delivery went along with the guitar. I think this is one of the few times that I do agree with the abrupt ending, giving the song that climax it needed at the very end.
At this stage in time, I cannot find the lyrics of the song in English. But I think I have an idea regarding the music video. Essentially, the video shows Sewoon singing about the feeling of love. It seems like he hasn’t confessed to his lover just yet, as we see him sitting from afar and smiling just by being in the presence of his crush. He also gets nervous when he dreams about her. In the end, it seems like he confesses to her and I think we infer that she accepts the confession. I have to admit that Sewoon was rather cute during the music video. His smiles are just so loveable. I also like the band scenes, where Sewoon is seen strumming it out on the guitar. I also like the ‘film’ border that surrounds the music video, kind of like showing his time in the video as a memory to reflect upon in the future.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 8/10 Overall Rating – 9.2/10
I know that I promised reviews for songs last week but I just finished scheduling them and they will be spaced out this week! But there are two exciting comebacks that I wanted to write about tonight so I will be prioritising them first. The first comeback is by DIA, who has returned with Woowa. This is the group’s first comeback since WooWoo, released 7 months ago. WooWoo also earned the group’s first weekly show win ever! Hopefully, they can win again this time around with Woowa. Unfortunately, the group will have to do it without Jenny, who is not participating in this round of promotions.
Woowa starts off with a power rush of energy that really gets you excited for what is to come. The instrumental, particularly the main instrumental hook of the song, delves into a techno-funk sound. There is a very powerful retro vibe to the song which I am loving. This combination results in a very groovy and upbeat track that I just want to dance to. I really like the tiny bit of brass you get during the start of the bridge and I actually want more of it in the song. The vocals were pretty nice. At first, I did feel that they were relatively plain, especially towards the end. But I guess the song is growing more on me as I don’t seem to feel that way anymore. The rapping is what I disagree with. They go with an ethnic sound which I don’t think suits the song’s groovy vibes. It does feel distant to the chorus and it does cut the flow of the song. But aside from that, I think Woowa is a really good track. It is getting pretty addictive.
The group goes to the roller skating rink in their music video. Besides that, the video is rather typical. It goes between choreography shots to close-ups of each member posing in areas associated with the rink. So there isn’t really anything to really comment on. However, I did like the set for the choreography scenes. The flashing lights are quite suitable for the song and I think the slight push of purple throughout the video really goes well with the dark lighting at the rink.
The choreography was quite nice as well. I really like the intro part, which was extremely fitting for that section and its tempo. It seems like the choreography went with a flaunting touch as the girls do a lot of that in the performance. I felt that they could have gone with something a little more relaxing or fun as the song seems to really go in that direction.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
Making his solo comeback today is Lee Gikwang! He returns with his brand new single, Don’t Close Your Eyes, which is expected to be his last single before he enlists into the military next month. This is his first solo release since his solo debut last year with What You Like. I am glad that Gikwang went ahead with his comeback, especially since one of his fellow members (Junhyung) withdrew from HIGHLIGHT due to the ongoing chatroom scandal. I know that Gikwang had nothing to do with it but I thought the withdrawal would somehow affect the other members. But I guess not, thankfully.
Don’t Close Your Eyes should really be renamed Don’t Block Your Ears. D.C.Y.E is a very addictive song to listen to. Even though it has been out for several hours, I am already falling for its groovy nature and upbeat instrumentation. It is an R&B dance track that gives out major Michael Jackson vibes through the use of the small vocal details. I also really like the seductive chat-like style of vocals he went for during the chorus. It doesn’t necessarily go with the instrumentation in my opinion. But it somehow works well. The song also features Kid Milli, who does an extended rap sequence in the song. I am not familiar with Kid Milli in any way but his section gives the song a very urban and refreshing feel, which makes it stand out. Together, Gikwang gives us one memorable track to savour for the next 2 years or so.
The music video seems to also be a treat for fans. Abs and shirtless scenes galore for fans to really enjoy. I found the video to be very nice and sleek. I did like the emphasis on black and the darkness, which I personally find to be a very modern way of presentation. It is a lot harder to see things but the light really makes things pop and standout this way. When I also mentioned Michael Jackson vibes, you get some in the visuals of the video. The backup dancers were wearing suits and hats, similar to the outfit that the King of Pop donned during his Smooth Criminal days (but their outfits is fitting for the music video). Most notable influence has to be through the sparkly gloves, something that Michael Jackson is known for.
I think given the quality of the song and the fact that Gikwang is widely known for his dancing, you probably have a winning combination. And that is what I saw in the music video. While it may have been made fancier through the use of the darkness and lighting in the video, I thought the moves were very cool and fitting for a sleek performance.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
As mentioned yesterday, I will be slowly catching up on reviews from last week that I have yet to write. As a result, reviews for some songs this week may be delayed a day or two. I will try to keep the impact as low as possible. One of the releases that I missed last week is 100%’s latest comeback, Still Loving You, which is featured on their 6th mini-album, RE:tro. This is the group’s first comeback since their Heart comeback last year in Korea and 28℃in Japan.
Still Loving You is described as a pop-dance track with retro influences. And pretty much, we get just that. And, I think ‘standard’ is pretty much the right word to describe this song The song opens up this whistling sound, which I thought was rather ear-catching. The retro influences were heard throughout the song but were most prevalent during the chorus, mainly through the keyboard that they used. But the song lacked definition, leaving us with a very bland atmosphere. Sure, the whistling does help but it isn’t anywhere near enough to give it a bold or defining element. Unfortunately, this also passed onto other elements. Though I like their singing and rapping in the song, their melody was just not profound or memorable. So, we ended up getting a very passable song. The most interesting part has to be the low-tone rapping at finishes off the song, which gave the song something interesting. But as it is positioned at the end of the song, it is far too late to compensate for the song’s blandness. Sorry, this is the way I feel about the song but these are the thoughts I continually have while listening to the song.
My exact same thoughts above can be said for the music video. I thought the video was rather boring and didn’t have anything interesting to really hold my attention for long. Actually, there isn’t anything to really set it apart from the rest of the competition. Through their acting, you can tell they went for an emotional route, where they still seem to miss their former lovers. This is matching to the song’s lyrics. But apart from that, I can’t find anything positive to say.
The choreography has to be my favourite bit of this comeback. It is far more captivating than the song and music video. I really liked how they started off the performance (I can’t think of a name suitable to point this part out but it is the one with the shoulder movements) and how their moves during the chorus seemed to allow their vocals to flourish in the live performances.
Song – 5/10 Music Video – 5/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 5.4/10
Park Yuchan made his solo comeback a few weeks back with his very first solo album. Both the album and title track are titled Slow Dance. If you missed the review, you can find a link to it in the review section below. I was contemplating whether to review this album when it was released (like I do for most albums). Though, I needed very little persuasion after seeing a number of people requesting me to have a look at the album, along with the number of retweets and likes that I received on Twitter for the review. And I am glad you all directed my attention to the album as I have found some really memorable songs. So without any more delay, I present to you my thoughts and opinions regarding Yuchan’s album.
2. Strong – Strong is that sleek type of song that you just want to continually replay. Like Slow Dance, the song doesn’t have that ‘KPOP feel’. The instrumental for the most part is acoustic and has this Western feel to it which I really enjoy listening to. I am loving that guitar that features towards the end of the song (the highlight of the song!!). But there is that odd electronic record scratch in the instrumental (at the start and after the first chorus). If you thought the song was getting boring in any way, the scratches attempt to regain your attention (as it is louder than the rest of the instrumentation). And boy, did they surprise me (I had the volume up). Like the instrumental, Yoochun’s vocals aren’t KPOP-like. I really like his husky tone and the melody just makes it so better. (10/10)
3. We Met Again (재회) – We Met Again is a ballad fitting for an OST to a romantic drama. For those who don’t know, one of the criteria I have with ballads is a ‘swaying effect’. I know, it sounds very elementary. But you know those songs where the crowd puts their hands up and sways along to the flowy instrumental? That is what I look for. And this has that exact swaying effect. The melody was very beautiful. Once again, the guitar was nice in this song. The title alludes to a very emotionally driven song. But I found that his vocals didn’t feel that emotional. Instead, I think the best way to describe the song is that it takes you on a journey. Once the song ends and he sings the final line ‘I’m standing in front of you’, you also feel like you have walked the same path as Yoochun and arrive at the same place as he did. I can imagine a music video of him walking along a breezy road as this is where I want to be listening to this song. This was my interpretation of the song and the exact feelings I had while listening to the song for the first time. (9/10)
4. Thorn (가시덤불) – Thorn is another ballad and it starts off with Yoochun’s deep vocals. I really like the raspy sounds he produces when he goes quite low. It gives a nice texture and immediately separates this song from the previous ballad. And I liked how he maintained the same voice from start to end. I found this to be very impactful and made this song stand out in its own way. The instrumental was your typical classical instrumented ballad, but it sounds so beautiful. When done right, I fall for the song and this is one of those cases. Like the previous track, the title hints towards a heartbreaking song. The lyrics that I can find seem to reflect upon pain and suffering one have experienced. He vocals just make it sound so real and painful. The song brought me to a standstill for both meaning and execution. (10/10)
5. Magic – Following two ballads, Magic changes up the mix with a more upbeat song. I like his vocals in this song. Instead of going for what he has already presented with us in this album, his vocals are rather nasally. I also enjoyed the falsettos he gives us. Both of these aspects combine to become a very nice vocal combo. The instrumental features this groovy beat that I think it rather infectious. You could feel the happiness coming off the song. Overall, I thought it was a smooth song. Not the most outstanding song on the album in my opinion. But because this song is surrounded by ballads, I am glad that there was some good energy coming from a song off the album. (8/10)
6. Everything Is Memorable (뒤돌면 모든 길이 추억이라) – This song is another ballad and I think he goes slightly deeper than in Thorn (Please note I don’t study music – nor have a musical bone in my body. So, this whole blog is based on what I feel and what I think of when it comes to a song). He vocals don’t remain too deep however for the length of the song. For the second verse onwards, he pushes his vocals out and it showcases his ability and variety. Instead of a ballad like we have gotten thus far, there seems to be a soft jazz influence to the instrumental, giving it a different feel to Thorn or We Met Again. It is another good song from Yoochun but I don’t necessarily connect with the song and hence I don’t enjoy it as much as his previous ballads. (7.5/10)
7. Graduation (졸업) – ‘Completing’ the album is Graduation, seems to be another ballad. But rather focusing on heartbreak or emotions, Graduation is rather uplifting and bright. I genuinely like the melody from start to end. The verses were very refreshing and the way he sings the chorus gives me the impression that he is rather proud. Given a song titled ‘Graduation’, this makes quite a lot of sense. I thought the ending was rather odd. It seemed like he pushed a lot of lyrics into a small section of the song and it felt somewhat rushed. But he manages to pull it off without a hitch and hey, it is another happy song to just kick back to and enjoy. I honestly have nothing else to say about the song, which is not a bad thing in this case. (8/10)
KPOPREVIEWED 