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[Album Review] Invitation (1st Studio Album) – UP10TION

April 1, 2018April 1, 2018Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged UP10TIONLeave a comment

After 6 mini-albums, UP10TION had returned to the industry with their very first full-length studio album, Invitation. While they have yet to release a hit since their debut, this high-quality sounding album seems to confirm that this chart-topping track is just right around the corner. So let’s get this album review going! Per usual, I have left the intro track off the list.

up10tion-invitation-2 — *Invitation* Album Cover

2. Candyland (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of Candyland. (7.7/10)

3. Target On (반해, 안반해) – Despite having a very standard instrumental, I think the song has potential to be a contender for the title track. Right off the bat, it suits the UP10TION’s sound. It had a great level of intensity and the chorus can be deemed as catchy. While I don’t have that much to say about it, I would return to the album to listen to this song. (9/10)

4. Finally (오늘이야) – In general, I liked the instrumental for this, particularly the drum beat. This pop song managed to showcase both the potential for the vocalists and the rappers of UP10TION. The fading out at the ended seemed a little force in my opinion. But other than that, its simplicity speaks volume, especially when we are continually inundated with EDM and more intense genres. And like the previous, it is another track that I would love to hear continuously. (9.5/10)

5. Habit (습관) – We have the first ballad on the album. The stormy sound effects do set the mood of the song, automatically making the song emotional. The start of the chorus was amazing and it is another ballad that has that swaying effect (which earns big ticks for me). The start of the rapping sequence was awkward but the rapping (overall) was decent. The change-up in the bridge was nice, while the vocalists got another chance to shine. (8/10)

6. Mixed Signals (모호해) – Opening Mixed Signals are some odd synths and a cough. And while it might be a little non-traditional, its uniqueness makes the song intriguing. I hope my ears are not playing tricks on me, but those some synths seem to play throughout the song (though very quietly). The song is perfect for hanging out on a Summer’s day. I particularly thought the bridge was cool and the drop into the final chorus made the final moments of the song pop out even more. (9/10)

7. Always (이대로) – Right off the bat, you get this cheerful sound from its uplifting instrumental. This makes the song pleasant and refreshing. Once again, the raps and vocals were on point. It features a catchy chorus and melodic hook. While the song does suffer from the ‘standard syndrome’, the group managed to nail its delivery very well. (9/10)

8. Superstar – I really like the ‘secret agent’ styled instrumental, which made his track feel quite cool. I also liked the ‘Superstar’ repetition at the start of the song (which was also played throughout the song). The chorus was also quite nice and it reminded me of a song that I just cannot think of right now. I think both the vocals and raps could have been more powerful, with some aggressive vibes fitting the instrumental perfectly. (8/10)

9. Love Sick – The song has this one guitar riff which I thought was awesome (just before the chorus). While we are also talking about the chorus, it was extremely explosive. I think the song could have benefited more if you listen to it with good speakers capable to inserting some bass into the song. I personally want to see a performance to this song and I think it is another track that could have rivalled the title track. (8/10)

10. Still With You (시간아 멈춰서) – This is the second ballad on the album and it is the one song that I am on the fence on. One part of me likes the normal pitched vocals, but I am not a fan of the falsetto vocals by Jinhoo here. Its effect is decent but it just felt pushy. Only the vocalists performed this song if I am not mistaken. And other than the falsetto, I think it was a decent track. (7/10)

11. I Need You (예고 없이) – I love the explosive nature of the instrumental of this track, which grabs your attention. It also is the one that features the rappers to an approximate level, who tend to be limited to a few seconds in some of their songs. And before you assume that I was not a fan of the falsetto songs here (I know, how contradicting of me), I think they were a much better match for the song. Once again, I would love to return to listen to this track, mainly due to its energy. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.3/10

up10tion-invitation-3 — *Invitation* Individual Teasers (taken from Wishnote)

[Weekly Chart] 4th Week of March 2018

April 1, 2018Posted in Weekly Charts2 Comments

It is currently the long weekend Easter break where I live, so I just wanted to start off by wishing you all have a happy Easter break (and a joyful weekend for those who do not celebrate Easter)! Other than that, I present to you all this week’s charts post, for the 4th week of March 2018.

Here is a quick summary of the top 5 of the charts. Taking out the number 1 spot on the charts this week is Monsta X’s latest comeback, Jealousy. Stray Kid’s District 9 also managed to book out the 2nd position for this week. Last week’s number 1 song (Look by GOT7) dropped down to the 3rd position, while BSS’s Just Do It managed to keep its foot on the 4th position. Finishing out the top 5 is Mamamoo’s Starry Night.

I am excited for next week, mainly due to the many comebacks that have been confirmed. This includes EXID, Winner, Oh My Girl, Pentagon, The Boyz and the upcoming debut of UNB. With the artists already on the charts, it is going to be one fun week!

For the rest of the charts, scroll down below.

	25th Mar – 31st Mar 2017
	Title	Artist	Status
1	Jealousy	Monsta X	(new)
2	District 9	Stray Kids	(new)
3	Look	GOT7	(▼ 2)
4	Just Do It	BSS (Seventeen)	(=)
5	Starry Night	Mamamoo	(▼ 3)
6	Candyland	UP10TION	(▼ 3)
7	Black Dress	CLC	(▼ 2)
8	Go	NCT Dream	(▲ 40)
9	Boomerang	Wanna One	(▼ 1)
10	The Chance of Love	TVXQ	(new)
11	Thanks	Seventeen	(▲ 1)
12	Boss	NCT U	(▲ 16)
13	Dreams Come True	WJSN (Cosmic Girls)	(▼ 2)
14	The Boots	Gugudan	(▲ 7)
15	I.P.U	Wanna One	(▼ 8)
16	Baby Don’t Stop	NCT U	(▲ 21)
17	Touch	NCT 127	(▼ 11)
18	Mamma Mia	SF9	(▲ 4)
19	Don’t Be Pretty	14U	(▲ 14)
20	Gorgeous	VAV	(▲ 4)
21	True Love	Kim Sung Kyu (Infinite)	(▲ 5)
22	The Blue Bird	April	(▼ 13)
23	Star	Vromance	(▲ 28)
24	Angel	Hoya	(▲ 1)
25	Dinner	Suho (EXO) Jang Jane	(▼ 15)
26	It’s U	Golden Child	(▲ 14)
27	One	Samuel ft. Jung Ilhoon (BTOB)	(new)
28	Bad Boy	Red Velvet	(▼ 15)
29	NEGA DOLA	BoA	(▲ 12)
30	Gone Cold	MXM	(▲ 4)

Songs that are leaving the charts this week and will not be appearing on the charts starting next week:

Spotlight – VAV
Bad Boy – Red Velvet
Holiday – Suzy
It’s U – Golden Child
The Boots – Gugudan
NEGA DOLA – BoA

So once again, I hope to see you again next Sunday and wish you all have a fantastic week!

[Review] All Eyes On Me – Hoya

March 30, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged HoyaLeave a comment

Hoya has officially made his solo debut with his first mini-album, Shower. This is his first major release since leaving Infinite last year. He did previously release a pre-release single, titled Angel, a few weeks back. Shower also features All Eyes On Me, which is the title track of the record.

All Eyes On Me was exceptionally boring. I think that would be my nicest way of describing the track to you all. There isn’t anything holding me there to listen to it. Instead, it feels monotone and grey, which doesn’t really hold well with another R&B track. For a moment, the instrumental did perk my ears up during the chorus with that background echoey sound (not exactly sure what it is). But it just wasn’t enough to keep me interested in the song. His choice of vocals are interesting but it just slows down the song and robs its any energy it could have had. When I listen to his pre-release and the title track, Angel is the more superior track by far. The two of together, however, doesn’t really give off much impression, which has me concerned for the now-solo artist. As harsh as it sounds, those are my thoughts. Though I will admit, we have to see how his future releases stack up to be sure.

Like the song, the music video is quite underwhelming. The only impressive part of the video is when Hoya is literally bouncing towards the camera (at the very start of the video). The video just felt empty and the lack of people doesn’t really reflect well on the minimalistic sounding song. As a result, you get a boring video that doesn’t keep me around.

Hoya is known for his performances and is always seen as the main dancer of Infinite. Unlike the song and video, his dance performance looks quite promising here. While it was fitting for the song, there were moves throughout the video which I thought was cool. The bouncing (mentioned previously) is one of them, another is the pre-chorus build-up.

Song – 4/10
Music Video – 4/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 4.8/10

[Review] One – Samuel ft. Jung Ilhoon (BTOB)

March 30, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Samuel KimLeave a comment

Samuel is officially back with his second mini-album. Both the mini-album and title track share the same name, One. This is his first comeback of 2018 and his first since Candy, which was released back in November 2017. His comeback coincides with the comebacks of Wanna One and Hyeongseop x Euiwoong; and the upcoming debut of YDPP.

To me personally, One is Samuel’s best track yet. Right from the start, you get a burst of energy from the funky and upbeat ’80s instrumental. This same energy is channelled throughout the chorus, which basically sounds the same as the intro (just with lyrics!). The chorus was quite catchy, with the echoing of the autotuned ‘One‘ quite interesting but extremely fitting for the song’s style. I also like the instrumental segment at the end of the chorus, which allows for an amazing dance break. The only section of the song that I am not too keen on is Ilhoon’s part. His section deviates from the instrumental and takes on EDM. And while alone it sounds good, I don’t think it is fitting enough. The rest of the song was much better, returning the song to its initial vibes. The song just somehow shouts at me with its energetic vibe, something I don’t recall Sixteen or Candy doing.

Despite some scenes made him look like a pale vampire, the music video was decent. I am a little confused on what the story behind the video is. One moment he is awake from eternal sleep, the next he is discovering his surrounds (but is also quite scared of the masked figures), and then his is suddenly king of the area. What I did like about the video was the flashy nature of the lightings which went well with the instrumental of the song. I also liked the sets of the music video. While they don’t look like something I would usually be wowed by, they do actually look quite stylish and I love the industrial feel from them.

The performance was quite good. I did mention before that the instrumental break did allow for an awesome dance break and I felt he delivered. I did expect something a little more intense from the rap section, mainly because the instrumental there was EDM based. But everything else featured great energy, complimenting the song.

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

[Album Review] NCT 2018 Empathy (1st Studio Album) – NCT

March 30, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged NCT, NCT DREAM, NCT U, NCT127Leave a comment

The 18 members have come together to release their very first full-length album. While the does feature the 4 pre-releases released this year from each subunit, the majority of the songs are credited as NCT U tracks (due to its rotational nature). On top of the 4 subunit releases, the album features tracks from a few years back (some which you may recognise as you go down the tracklist). The album also contains 4 other tracks (an intro, outro and the Chinese version of the Without You and an extended version of Yestoday) but per usual, they have been omitted. Many songs (and links) to get through, so here is my album review.

nct_nct2018empathy-2 — *NCT 2018 Empathy* Album Cover

2. Boss (NCT U) – Click here to read the full review of Boss. (9.3/10)

3. Baby Don’t Stop (NCT U) – Click here to read the full review of Baby Don’t Stop. (9.5/10)

4. Go (NCT Dream) – Click here to read the full review of Go. (6.8/10)

5. Touch (NCT 127) – Click here to read the full review of Touch. (9/10)

6. Yestoday (NCT U) – This NCT U track features Taeyong, Lucas, Mark and Doyoung. This particular track isn’t that bad, much smoother than what is about to come. The song feels like it could have been enhanced with a visually aesthetic video. The song alone doesn’t carry much weight but it has a nice melodic feel to it that makes it sound nice (especially with all the high energy and EDM we have heard thus far). I also appreciate the jazzy instrumental, for the same reasons above. Doyoung gets to showcase his nice vocals, while the other 3 do a nice job with the raps. (8/10)

7. Black On Black – This is the first song that features all 18 members of NCT in the performance. The song actually only features 3 members (Taeyong, Mark and Lucas). Black On Black, to me, is NCT’s version of EXO’s Growl. Mainly due to the growling that features throughout the song. I am not too conflicted with the track, despite it changing its sound so many times. While ‘flow’ isn’t a word that applies to this song in any way, the choppy feel that the song did manage to give out gives the song a charming point. It is also its downfall, however, as it would give me a headache if I listened to it multiple times on repeat. Glad I haven’t (yet). (7/10)

8. Timeless (NCT U) – Click here to read the full review of Timeless. (9.6/10)

9. The 7^th Sense (NCT U) – Click here to read the full review of The 7^th Sense. (5/10 – I have bumped this up from the original score of 4.5/10)

10. Without You (NCT U) – Click here to read the full review of Without You. (8.5/10 – I have bumped this up from the original score of 7.5/10)

12. Dream In A Dream (Ten Solo) – Click here to read the full review of Dream In A Dream. (7.5/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8/10

nct_nct2018empathy-3 — *NCT 2018 Empathy* Teaser Image

[Review] District 9 – Stray Kids

March 29, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Stray KidsLeave a comment

This week, JYP Entertainment has welcomed a brand new male group to their line-up, joining 2PM, GOT7 and DAY6. Stray Kids is a 9-member male group was formed from the reality show, Stray Kids. They released Hellevator in October last year a promotional track for the show. In January, the group released a pre-debut album titled Mixtape. Now, the boy group is back with their official debut mini-album, titled as I Am Not and the title track, District 9.

There are no surprises with the way the song turned out for me. If Hellevator and their Mixtape mini-album indicated anything, the group would be putting out a hip-hop/EDM styled song for their debut. District 9 is exactly that and it is quite intense from the very first second. The song seems to refocus on the rappers, with the majority of the song being quite rap-dominate (given how the verses, bridge and some parts of the chorus were raps). The chorus does provide some variety with the vocalists given their chance to shine in the rap-dominated song. What I noticed with this song is that there didn’t seem to be a buildup to the chorus. Instead, we were thrown into the chorus straight after the raps finished up for that part. I am not disappointed with this, however, because it felt flawless and amazing. I am personally not a big fan of the hip-hop side of KPOP but this song, combined with its dance elements, gives this group a huge advantage in the industry at the moment. It is an amazing debut song.

And this huge advantage might already be paying off. Stray Kids have become the group with the highest amount of views within 24 hours of debut. On top of that, they have accumulated more than 11 and a half million views within a span of 3 days. That is amazing, considering they just debuted 3 days ago. The music video shows the members being trapped inside a futuristic prison (that seems to be hidden from the public, like Area 51). The members seem to realize this and find a way out of the prison by crashing through the unseeable barrier and the real world (or what they dub as District 9). Kind of like how it alludes to their debut. It is a great video to watch, pairing well with the intensity of the song. The cinematography is amazing and you can tell the budget is well used with this music video.

The post-chorus sequence was really well done. The performance also went well with the song. They managed to be in sync all throughout the performance, particularly amazing me for the chorus. Their stage presence is quite large and if anything can come out of this performance is that these guys aren’t afraid to give some of the other groups a little competition when it comes to dancing.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.3/10

[Review] The Chance Of Love – TVXQ

March 28, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged TVXQLeave a comment

It has been a while since we have seen the legendary duo, TVXQ, but as of today, they are officially back! Their last comeback was in 2015 when they released solo singles as part of their 8th full-length album (Champagne and Rise As One). The Chance of Love, the title track off their 9th full-length album (titled as New Chapter #1: The Chance Of Love), is also their first comeback as a duo since leaving the military last year. They did release solo SM Station tracks (Drop and In A Different Life) last year as well.

The first thing that attracts my attention to the song is the really fun sounding instrumental. It is described as a dance track with swing jazz elements throughout it. It isn’t something you get to hear often, so it is quite unique. On top of that, it reminds me of some Europen songs that used to be extremely popular back in the day. With all TVXQ comebacks, there is solid vocal work in this song. Not once did it feel awkward or out-of-place. I particularly like the ‘Eh, Hey Hey‘ at the start of each verse. Don’t know why but it felt like a perfect opener to each of the verses and it also provides a little something fun to the song. The chorus also features a nice melodic hook which is bound to get me singing along if I continue listening to the song. Honestly, the song ticks all the boxes to make it a perfect song for me. It’s a perfect comeback track to my ears.

The music video is also nicely done. I like it how SM has actually done away with the boxes and have branched out into new sets and scenery. While this music video is still recorded in a studio, everything feels fitting for the ‘Kings of KPOP’. The sets all look classy and elegant. The same words can also be used to describe the guys as well. My comments for this section might be short but do check out this awesome video.

From what I can see in the music video, the performance is going to be extremely fun. Going back to the roots of the song, it is fitting. What more can you ask for? I’ll return, though, with extra comments once I see a live performance.

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

[Review] Jealousy – Monsta X

March 27, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged MONSTA X1 Comment

Monsta X has made their return with Jealousy, the title track on their sixth-mini album, The Connect. This is their first comeback after Dramarama, which also earned them their first win on the weekly KPOP music programs.

Opening up with the ‘ye-ye-ye‘ hook was probably one of my most favourite parts of the song. And that manages to introduce into what seems to be a great song. It isn’t as hard-hitting as their previous title tracks but Jealousy works pretty well as a Monsta X. It remains within their domain but it manages to stay different. The song features a trap-based instrumental with pop elements appearing throughout. There is a large focus on the vocals, split between Kihyun, Shownu and Wonho, who all sound spectacular. Kihyun probably shined the brightest in the entire song, based on the ‘A Little Jealousy‘ opener to the chorus, which also was extremely smooth. While we are also focusing on the chorus, I think this has to be one of their best yet. It was jammed packed and I enjoyed the energy that came from that part. I also really like the ‘Jealousy, baby, Jealousy‘ whisper at the end of the first and final choruses, though I do think the section at the end of the first chorus (just before Jooheon’s rap) ended a little too prematurely. The rappers also did a wonderful job with the song, with their parts, per usual, adding that extra intensity that the song needed.

I may write a lot of reviews but I have yet to understand the connection between ‘connected’ music videos. The Connect : D is the pre-release music film for this comeback, so it is clear Jealousy is somehow connected this pre-release video. If you know how these videos are connected, feel free to comment below. I managed to find a video (which I will link in the comments below) that theorises about the sequence of events in the pre-release video but have yet to find anything about the music video. Anyway, about the Jealousy video, I thought it rather cool. They managed to bring out this edgy vibe in the video through their visuals and the setting, which I thought was relatively cool. Each of the members looked awesome (Kihyun just stands out for me). I enjoyed the camera work, which started off fixed and very smooth but by the end of the video is got hectic and shaky, which also worked well with the song.

There are two parts of the choreography which I really liked. The chorus was awesome, with that scarecrow move being my absolute favourite. The second part would have to be the bridge (when Shownu and Kihyun are singing). That I don’t think I have seen before. But being something quite simple made it look awesome.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10

[Album Review] 0+1=1 (I Promise You) (2nd Mini Album) – Wanna One

March 25, 2018March 25, 2018Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged Wanna OneLeave a comment

Wanna One is the latest group to make their comeback in the past week. They completely took over the latter half of 2017 with their comebacks and it is expected, with their fan following, to do extremely well this year as well. Their second mini-album consists of Boomerang, two versions of the pre-release track (I.P.U) and 4 other songs. So let’s get going with Wanna One’s album review!

wannaoneIpromiseyou-2 — *0+1=1 (I Promise You)* Album Cover

1..Gold – There was an epic and grand feel to this track. It isn’t the most amazing track out there but it was a nice opener to the album. The EDM (and rolling drum beat) instrumental was awesome. The vocals were quite smooth, while the rappers were also quite nice. The song had a nice melodic hook that was enjoyable and pleasing to listen to. (8/10)

2. I.P.U (I Promise You) (약속해요) (Pre-Release Track) – Click here to read the full review for I.P.U. (8.4/10)

3. Boomerang (부메랑) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Boomerang. (7.1/10)

4. We Are – This seems to be the weakest track on the entire album. It has potential to be an awesome track. However, some aspects do hold it back. The drop could have been more epic. Everything in the EDM instrumental works, just the drops just didn’t feel special or mind-blowing. Rather disappointing, if you don’t mind me being blunt. The vocals and raps each add a different texture but it all cohesive. Finally, the final moments of the song just feel like an unnecessary extension of the song. It draws it out longer, which doesn’t make much sense. (6/10)

5. Look (보여) – Just with one listen to the track, I want to see this being promoted alongside the title track (or even replacing the title track). The instrumental to this track is particularly attention-grabbing and epic. When the song first started, I thought the song went with a jazzy style but I was caught off guard with the EDM elements that emerged later on. I also liked the launch into the final chorus and the choppy effect at the very end of the song. (9/10)

6. Your Name (너의 이름을) – Your Name is a ballad on the album. It has a nice melody and the vocals were quite heartfelt. The rappers also contributed by ensuring the song wasn’t boring or too repetitive. I really like the orchestral-like instrumental and everyone knows I am a sucker for violins. I liked how all the members sung together in the final chorus. (8/10)

7. I.P.U (약속해요) (Confession Version) – Different versions of the same song make you feel different emotions. I.P.U‘s original version (see track 2) is EDM based, while this version is more ballad-like. And it is clear that the song works both ways. In a way, the song sounds very emotional and extremely heartfelt. The vocalists shine with the ballad style, while the rappers (with some tweaking) managed to work well despite the limited scope of the instrumental. Some reshuffling and parts were removed but everything worked. Overall, it was a nice closer to the album. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.9/10

wannaoneIpromiseyou-3 — *0+1=1 (I Promise You)* Teaser Image

[Weekly Chart] 3rd Week of March 2018

March 25, 2018March 25, 2018Posted in KPOP, Weekly ChartsLeave a comment

Welcome to back to this week’s Weekly Chart post for the 3rd Week of March 2018. It was a relatively quiet week in KPOP with only a few comebacks including Wanna One and Yong Junhyung (from HIGHLIGHT). Making their debut this week was BSS (from SEVENTEEN) and Honey Popcorn.

Just a heads up that you will see I won’t be posting a lot in the coming days. I have my mid-semester tests throughout the first 3 days of the week so I will be dedicating my time to that. I will return once I finish up. I should be able to sneak in one or two reviews but that is dependant on how I use my time.

To quickly summarise the new top 5 of the charts, there was a switcheroo between last week’s 1st and 2nd place. GOT7 and Mamamoo switched positions, placing GOT7 on the top of the charts. UP10TION takes the 3rd position with Candyland. BSS tells you to Just Do It from the 4th position, while CLC rises back to the top 5 with Black Dress to take out the 5th position.

For more the charts, scroll down (as usual). Really need a new idea for this section.

	18th Mar – 24th Mar 2018
	Title	Artist	Status
1	Look	GOT7	(▲ 1)
2	Starry Night	Mamamoo	(▼ 1)
3	Candyland	UP10TION	(▲ 4)
4	Just Do It	BSS (SEVENTEEN)	(new)
5	Black Dress	CLC	(▲ 7)
6	Touch	NCT 127	(▼ 1)
7	I.P.U	Wanna One	(▼ 4)
8	Boomerang	Wanna One	(new)
9	The Blue Bird	April	(▲ 1)
10	Dinner	Suho (EXO) & Jang Jane	(▲ 4)
11	Dreams Come True	WJSN (Cosmic Girls)	(▼ 7)
12	Thanks	Seventeen	(▼ 6)
13	Bad Boy	Red Velvet	(▲ 35)
14	One Shot Two Shot	BoA	(▲ 21)
15	Only Then	Roy Kim	(▲ 38)
16	Bibidi Babidi Boo	Honey Popcorn	(new)
17	Rubber Band	iKON	(▲ 15)
18	One & Only You	GOT7 ft. Hyolyn	(▼ 1)
19	Baby It’s U	Jung Sewoon	(▲ 10)
20	Love Scenario	iKON	(▼ 2)
21	The Boots	Gugudan	(▲ 15)
22	Mamma Mia	SF9	(▼ 3)
23	Flower Road	Big Bang	(▲ 30)
24	Gorgeous	VAV	(▲ 6)
25	Angel	Hoya	(▲ 8)
26	True Love	Kim Sung Kyu (Infinite)	(▼ 10)
27	Spotlight	VAV	(=)
28	Boss	NCT U	(▼ 19)
29	She’s Gone	Jung Ilhoon (BTOB)	(▼ 9)
30	Spotlight	X:TIME	(▲ 21)

Songs leaving the chart this week and will not be appearing on the charts staring next week are:

Neverland – Holland
Shinin’ – Kim Jonghyun (SHINee)
Turn It Up – Rainz
Awake – Target
In Love With Someone Else – Suzy
Baby It’s You – Jung Sewoon
To Heart – Fromis_9
Days Without You – Davichi
Love Scenario – iKON

So that is all for this week. Hope to you see you next week (which will be Easter!).

[Album Review] Eyes On You (8th Mini Album) – GOT7

March 23, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged GOT7Leave a comment

GOT7 has made their return with their latest mini-album, Eyes On You. The release features Look as their title track, their collaboration single with Hyolyn and another 4 songs. This particular album seems to focus more on the vocalists of the groups, as they stand out more (and are mentioned throughout the entire review constantly). So here are my thoughts on the songs of the Eyes On You mini-album.

got7eyesonyou-2 — *Eyes On You* Album Cover

1..One And Only You (너하나만) (ft. Hyolyn) (Pre-Release Track) – Unfortunately, I never got around to reviewing this pre-release track, mainly because only a short video was released for it. So, this is my chance to say that this another great track. The song has this deep autotuned vocal lines that are scattered throughout the song, which I really liked. In a way, it makes the song a little more non-traditional. There is also this energetic and bright energy, which makes it a great opener to the album. The vocals are really nice, particularly when Hyolyn and GOT7’s vocal line sing together during the chorus. (8/10)

2. Look (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Look. (7.7/10)

3. The Reason – The Reason is another song that highlights the vocal ability of GOT7. It starts off with a soft sound but builds up instantly to the chorus. The song has an epic pop drop, which contrasts nicely with the soft preceding sound. Likewise, the rappers also were quite soft in their delivery but this fitted perfectly into the song. As a whole, the song is awesome and is a track that I won’t mind coming back for more. (9/10)

4. Hesitating (망설이다) – This particular song is another soft song, which resembles ballad with a more upbeat instrumental than usual. Both vocalists and rappers sounded good but it wasn’t that captivating as the other songs on the album. In fact, I think this is the most passable track of the entire album. Mainly due to the fact it is bland and not that memorable. (6/10)

5. Us (우리) – Once again, the vocalists are at the forefront of the song, particularly in the verses. And they hold their ground pretty well. But the rappers are the true winners in the track, despite being hidden away and receiving smaller parts in the song. All three rappers just sounded so smooth in the song. The song also had a nice melody and was also catchy without the energy that you would associate with a catchy song. (8/10)

6. Thank You (고마워) – The usually say the quiet people are the people we need to watch for. It might also apply to songs, which this one is a good example. What we have is a beautiful R&B track to end the mini-album. Per usual, the vocalists sound amazing. The rappers don’t get really get their chance to shine, mainly due to their limited sections. However, Mark manages to deliver a punch during his part. I love the background humming in the song, which seemed to get me swaying along to the music. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.8/10

got7eyesonyou-3 — *Eyes On You* Teaser Image

[Review] Bibidi Babidi Boo – Honey Popcorn

March 22, 2018March 22, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Honey Popcorn2 Comments

It isn’t uncommon to hear of a KPOP consisting of one or two foreign members. However, it is rare to find a group where all the members are from countries other than South Korea. Honey Popcorn is a brand new group who fall into this category. But they aren’t getting attention for that. It is rather that the members are all part of the Japanese Adult Video industry. The reception for the group is mixed amongst the community. The three girls are also former members of Japanese girl groups. But we are here to listen to their song and watch their music video, so let’s do just that.

Once again, we are faced with a similar title of Berry Good’s song from last year. And my comments still stand in regards to the title. It is a mouthful to say. But despite that, the song is actually quite nice to listen to. It isn’t the strongest track out of the bunch but its cutesy sound is bearable. The members have nice vocals as well, not once did they disappoint throughout the song. I like the song’s instrumental in the chorus, which seems to be my most favourite part of the entire track. But while I praise them, the song does feel repetitive. By the end of the song, it does get bland. Repetitive listens in a row won’t do this song justice but rather listening to it once in a while would have the most impact. Furthermore, the song doesn’t just seem to have that energy that would have made the track more exciting and interesting. Rather, it stays monotone. But overall, it is a decent track to listen to.

Given the background of the members, I was honestly expecting something other than a cutesy song. So I wasn’t expecting another cutesy video. And it isn’t that bad. The visuals were nice and it feels like an actual KPOP video. Knowing that they were from Japanese, I was expecting some JPOP flare in the music video but they didn’t seem that prominent. I also love the colours of the sets, which made the video feel brighter. The downside to the video is that is boring on the content-front.

Their dance performance was okay. Fitting for the song but there wasn’t anything that special about it.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 5/10
Overall Rating – 6.4/10

[Review] Just Do It – BSS (SEVENTEEN)

March 21, 2018March 21, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged BSS (BooSeokSoon), SEVENTEENLeave a comment

SEVENTEEN is keeping the momentum going for 2018 with another special subunit debut. BSS or Boo-Seok-Soon is made up of three members, and judging by their subunit name, you could guess is it made up of Seungkwan, DK and Hoshi. It is expected that with the three funny characters of SEVENTEEN in one subunit, there must be ‘fun’ written all over this single.

And if you too expected that, then the trio delivers with Just Do It. The song has this fun vibe to it, which makes it enjoyable to listen. Listening to the song, you just can’t help but smile, even if you don’t understand a single word that is coming out of their mouths. It just has that cheerful element that is extremely hard to not notice. Certain moments reminded me of EXO-CBX’s Hey Mama, which also had a similar level of fun to it. The song itself is super duper catchy with my feet just tapping along to it as I listen. The instrumental is rather standard, with pop vibes and electric guitars supplying some details to the song. DK and Seungkwan, who are in the vocal unit of SEVENTEEN, do put on a display of their vocals and the smoothness that they deliver really suits the song. Interestingly, Hoshi and Seungkwan share the rapping load in this song. Hoshi was expected but Seungkwan was rather unexpected (but he can definitely rap). Overall, the song was awesome to listen and something I would love to play again and again when I am in a good mood.

We don’t actually have a music video for this song. Instead, we are treated to a live performance (but the audio is studio recorded for the video) of the trio performing on stage at their recent official fan-meeting. I am a tiny bit disappointed because I was expecting a proper music video. So I am going to just review the performance here. I think it was awesome. While it doesn’t have flashy moves or crazy stunts, they manage to get the performance to do its intended job, be fun. Acting like the cool dude on the street that is always combing his hair and the running on the spot aren’t your everyday moves. But it is simple and seems like something that could catch on.

Song – 10/10
Music Video & Performance (because they are together) – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.6/10

[Review] Boomerang – Wanna One

March 19, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Wanna OneLeave a comment

2017’s ‘monster rookie’ has made their first official comeback this year. Boomerang is the title track off their latest mini-album, 0+1=1 (I Promise You). Gearing up for this comeback, Wanna One dropped their pre-release single, I Promise You, two weeks ago.

Boomerang, at this very stage, is a decent track. It isn’t a mindblowing track, mainly because its chorus seems to be a little weak for my tastes. It could have been more captivating by having a more powerful and intense EDM hook (more bass?). The lines that make up the chorus could have been a whole lot better, particularly how they don’t seem to connect with the music whatsoever. While the rappers and vocalists all sounded awesome, each section for each person felt ridiculously short and it just suddenly jumps to the next person. To an extent, the different parts do seem cohesive together but it is borderline at best. The ‘Wing Wing Wing Boomerang‘ (despite how odd it sounds as words) before each chorus were a nice killer part as well. The pre-choruses also had a nice buildup, while the bridge was probably my most favourite part of the entire song. Overall, it is a little underwhelming at this very moment. However, who knows how a few more listens might drastically change these comments!

I am totally liking the black and gold palette that they went for in this video. It looked really cool. On top of that, I liked the individual sets as they too had this cool feeling to them. The camera angles/work went well with the song’s energetic and upbeat style. There wasn’t one moment that looked odd, so it was a really good video to watch. It would have been more interesting to see more of the members dodge the arrows that Daniel was trying to dodge. That alone would have made an awesome video to watch.

The main move at ‘Wing Wing Wing Boomerang‘ was definitely quite cool. The choreography during the chorus could have worked better if they were packed together. On stage, they just all seemed separated. I am sure that the aesthetics of the performance could have improved if that was the case but I guess safety first. Everything else looked good.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.1/10

[Album Review] Yellow Flower (6th Mini Album) – Mamamoo

March 18, 2018Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged MAMAMOOLeave a comment

Mamamoo recently made their comeback with Yellow Flower, their 6th mini-album. It is definitely amazing to see how far the girls have come since their debut days and how they managed to rise to the top of the industry. The mini-album consists of Starry Night, Star Wind Flower Sun and Paint Me (which I have all previously reviewed and linked below). On top of that, there are another 3 different songs on the release. There is also an intro track and like normal, that is not included in the review.

mamamoo-yellowflower-2 — *Yellow Flower* Album Cover

2..Star Wind Flower Sun (별 바람 꽃 태양) – Click here for the full review for Star Wind Flower Sun. (9/10)

3. Starry Night (별이 빛나는 밤) (Title Track) – Click here for the full review for Starry Night. (7.2/10)

4. Be Calm (덤덤해지네) (Hwasa Solo) – We all know that the Mamamoo members are all talented with their vocals. We have yet to see Hwasa shine on a solo front yet and Be Calm finally gives her the chance. While her husky vocals do this song justice, I just think this song wasn’t that captivating enough. There were some good parts that made this track still good. Firstly, her vocals. Secondly, the electric guitar and drum instrumental. Thirdly, it makes me want to sway along. And fourthly, it is a relaxing track. (7/10)

5. Rude Boy – Rude Boy is a very catchy song. The first verse just seemed to pass along and I didn’t really care for it. But the chorus brought my attention back to the song. It has an awesome hook and I thought it was cool. From then on, I liked all the other parts of the track. The song had a body roll type of instrumental. Moonbyul’s raps were also amazing. That pause, however, felt too sudden for my liking but the launch back into the final chorus was awesome enough to forget that issue. (9/10)

6. Spring Fever (봄타) – I can’t help always point out that all members are singing in the song. I don’t know why but it just happens to be the first thing I notice. The vocals aren’t that breathtaking like in Paint Me, however, it still compliments well with the acoustic sound of the song. Harmonies are also spectacular. Oddly (and this will be hard to explain), the acoustic sounds managed to make me feel like I was listening to some dance music. Finally, I didn’t expect the song to have a rap but it ended up being quite fitting. (10/10)

7. Paint Me (칠해줘) – Click here for the full review for Paint Me. (10/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.7/10

mamamoo-yellowflower-3 — *Yellow Flower* Teaser Image

[Weekly Chart] Week 2 of March 2018

March 18, 2018Posted in Weekly ChartsLeave a comment

Welcome back this week’s chart post and to the end of the second week of March 2018. It is going to be a very quick post today. A number of comebacks occurred this week including GOT7, UP10TION, NCT127, APRIL, Suho & Jang Jane.

Let’s have a quick summary of the Top 5 for this week! Mamamoo’s Starry Night took out this week’s number 1 spot. GOT7’s latest comeback, Look, managed to book out the second position, while Wanna One’s I Promise You rose to the third position. Last week’s number 1 song, Dreams Come True by WJSN dropped down to the fourth position, while NCT remains in the top 5 with their latest comeback, Touch, from NCT 127.

As for the rest of the charts, scroll down below.

	11th Mar – 18th Mar 2018
	Title	Artist	Status
1	Starry Night	Mamamoo	(▲ 3)
2	Look	GOT7	(new)
3	I.P.U	Wanna One	(▲ 6)
4	Dreams Come True	WJSN (Cosmic Girls)	(▼ 3)
5	Touch	NCT 127	(new)
6	Thanks	Seventeen	(▲ 1)
7	Candyland	UP10TION	(new)
8	Baby Don’t Stop	NCT U	(▼ 6)
9	Boss	NCT U	(▼ 6)
10	The Blue Bird	APRIL	(new)
11	Do You Have A Moment?	Suho (EXO) & Jang Jane	(new)
12	Black Dress	CLC	(▼ 6)
13	Go	NCT Dream	(▼ 8)
14	Dinner	Suho (EXO) & Jang Jane	(new)
15	Heroine	Sunmi	(▼ 7)
16	True Love	Kim Sung Kyu (Infinite)	(▼ 5)
17	One & Only You	GOT7 ft. Hyolyn	(▲ 3)
18	Love Scenario	iKON	(▼ 2)
19	Mamma Mia	SF9	(▲ 7)
20	She’s Gone	Jung Ilhoon (BTOB)	(▼ 7)
21	To The Sky	CLC	(▲ 8)
22	My Flower	JBJ	(▼ 10)
23	Where Am I Gone	Yang Yoseob (HIGHLIGHT)	(▲ 11)
24	Shinin’	Jonghyun (SHINee)	(▲ 17)
25	Quit	Jang Wooyoung (2PM)	(▼ 4)
26	It’s U	Golden Child	(▼ 7)
27	Spotlight	VAV	(▲ 8)
28	To Heart	Fromis_9	(▼ 18)
29	Baby It’s U	Jung Sewoon	(▼ 14)
30	Gorgeous	VAV	(▲ 14)