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[Review] Neverland – Holland

February 2, 2018February 2, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged HollandLeave a comment

Last week, we saw the debut of Holland, a new soloist in South Korea. He is currently garnering a lot of attention and support from fans and listeners for being the first openly gay KPOP idol, earning over 5 million views in just one week alone (which is really impressive for a debut act). While it is completely fine that he is gay, I am interested in what Korea’s response to the artist would be. But nonetheless, it is clear he has a lot of support already.

I personally don’t mind the song but if I were to be critical about it, I have to say it is rather stagnant. The song just felt flat from start to end and it doesn’t really develop into anything. Both the instrumental and Holland’s vocals don’t really do much to the song, which is why I put it on the backburner for a week to cover the other artists. It just doesn’t have that interesting factor. He does have a nice voice but the song just don’t showcase it. To me, the only reason why I still have this song in mind is that of his sexuality. Besides that, the song doesn’t have that memorable element like other ballads do. There was one thing that I did like that does leave an impression on me, however, and that is how he sings ‘Neverland‘ at the end of the chorus. But besides that, the song just isn’t for me.

You can tell how conservative South Korea is in regards to this issue because of the 19+ rating it was given. But I am not here to get political. I just personally do not agree with such a rating. The song definitely has an effect on the music video, with it not holding my attention for long. There was some development (which were the events building up to the kissing) but that doesn’t seem much of a highlight for me. But good for them.

Song – 5/10
Music Video – 4/10
Overall Rating – 4.6/10

[Review] The Boots – Gugudan

February 1, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Gugudan2 Comments

Making their return to the stage with their latest single is Gugudan. They were previously on stage with Chococo, which was released in the second half of last year. This comeback, The Boots, also marks the return of Soyee, who had to sit out of the last round of promotions due to an injury.

Right off the bat, you would notice that the group had gone for a much more different sound. Gugudan has done mainly cutesy sounding songs with their previous comebacks. This time around, they opted to remove that cutesy element. While that does usually mean a mature sound, the producers have managed to keep that energetic and upbeat sound that you would also associate with Gugudan. I particuarly like the pre-chorus and the second verse. That being said, the other parts aren’t terrible. They just didn’t stand out as much. I did also like the grooviness of the chorus, which I think also had some funky elements to it as well. The chorus has potential to be addictive and catchy but I feel like the hook could have been more stronger. I did like the dance break as well, the saxophones definitely adding that funk side to the song. Overall, it is a decent song. I think it is a strong effort by the girls with a change in their usual sound.

I really like the modern and mature look they went for this comeback. Even the sets were made to reflect this, which made the video feel as if it was by another artist. That chess set looks awesome and something I would buy to style an apartment (that one day I will hopefully own). I really like the effect post-production had placed onto the items of interest and the background images for that large screen was really cool. Overall, I like the video. It did feel like there wasn’t much in it to comment on but it was still a very stylish and cool video.

Great footwork in their choreography. I know it are just some swirls but they make it look complicated. The other standout part is pre-chorus, which pushed for that edgier side of the concept.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.9/10

[Review] NEGA DOLA – BoA

February 1, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged BOALeave a comment

BoA is known as the Queen of KPOP, proven by her massive portfolio of releases Korea. In the past few years, her promotions in South Korea have dwindled to only a few singles as part of the SM Station releases, most notably Camo (released last year). But after 3 years of no music promotions in Korea, BoA is back with her latest single, NEGA DOLA.

NEGA DOLA is a dance track that mixes electronic synths and a Latin twist to the song, which ends up giving the song a lot of character. This Latin twist is present throughout the song but it is the most dominant during the start, the bridge and the very end of the track. The concoction is a little quirky, but very fitting for the song (more on that in just a moment). While the rapping to this song is definitely a potential downfall for this track, the vocal elements by BoA are really good. I love the way she sings ‘Nega Dola‘ in the song, which means ‘Going Crazy’ (from what I can find out about it). It does feel like a little crazy. I also particularly like the when she brings out her power vocals at the end of each chorus, which I think also adds to that character comment I mentioned before. Overall, it is quite a nice song to listen to, particularly if you want to listen to something that is a little more different to your usual releases.

There is nothing as crazy as an upside down room. Essentially, the video is an odd mixture of an upside down room, your standard choreography shots and a lot of target practice. But I feel, given how the song does sound, they could have gone for a wackier concept, which would have fitted well with the meaning of the song. I am not a major fan of her panda ears hairstyle but her outfits are on point.

BoA has not disappoint with any of her performances from what I remember (don’t fact check that by reading up on the old reviews. I don’t remember what I wrote 5 years ago). I really liked the dance moves during the chorus, particuarly the very start of the chorus. The start and end of the performance was also quite cool looking.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.6/10

[Review] Spotlight – VAV

January 31, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged VAVLeave a comment

2017 has been a very busy year for VAV, who has released a number of songs in the last 12 months, such as Venus (Dance With Me), Flower (You), ABC (Middle of the Night) and She’s Mine. Following the same momentum with their first comeback of 2018 (and 2 months after their last 2017 comeback) is Spotlight, which shares the same title as their title track.

Opening Spotlight is this really cool thumping sound, which definitely attracted my attention. In a way, they set up the song to be quite aesthetic (but I am a little disappointed that they didn’t follow through with this). The verses became a total miss for me. It wasn’t terrible. It just didn’t feel as interesting. The chorus managed to pump some energy with a more funky sound which definitely does brighten up the track. The post-chorus was the catchiest part of the entire song in my opinion, which was a cool hook in the song. Interestingly, the song omitted a rap section, which I thought was interesting. In its place seems to be an overwhelming autotune section. They could have toned it down a little to make it feel more fitting for the track, from what I could hear. The vocal work for the track is okay but it doesn’t feel that impressive as compared to their previous songs. Overall, Spotlight is definite another track to add to the list.

I liked it how the music video had a heavy emphasis on the lights, which make sense given that the title is Spotlight. The scenes at the dinner table reminded me of EXO’s Monster, which was definitely interesting. I did like the colour palette of the music video, which was definitely vibrant and (in some areas such as the white gallery) bold. I feel like the symbolism in this video is quite great but personally, I don’t know exactly what I should be looking for.

Once again, since the title of the song (and the lyrics) focuses on the Spotlight, the choreography also does a good job at putting this forward. The most impressive part of the choreography would be when they move forward during the post-chorus (around 1:11 of the music video).

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.9/10

[Review] It’s U – Golden Child

January 30, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Golden ChildLeave a comment

Making their first return to the stage is Golden Child. Golden Child is a group currently under Woolim Entertainment who debuted in August 2017 with Dam Da Di. Since then, they lost a member, Jaeseok, who left the group due to health issues. However, the group has reformed as a 10-member boy group for their comeback.

It’s U feels like your standard KPOP song. There are some synths that make it feel like some past KPOP tracks that give the song a nostalgic element to it, which I actually quite like. I say it is standard because it has that KPOP feel to it but there are some elements that make it feel a tad bland and dry, in my opinion. The verses, for example, didn’t do a good job at keeping my attention. The vocal work and the raps for the song in these sections were okay but they don’t really show anything off nor do they felt memorable. That being said, the song managed to make up in memorability during the chorus with that really catchy and addictive opening to each line. The very fast pace repetition that opens the chorus was the main reason to why the song places towards the higher end of the rating spectrum. Otherwise, the song would have just remained in the bland category for me.

Dam Da Di (their debut track) gave them a young concept that made them look like children, It’s U places them in school uniform outfits and this automatically makes them look so much more mature. I feel like they look so much better in this video, in comparison to their previous concept. Besides that, I am thoroughly confused about what is going on in the video. It seems like the members are learning tricks to impress a girl that they like. That is my (unoriginal) take of the video but I feel like the storyline can be a lot more original than what I think. If you have any understanding of the video, feel free to explain it to me in the comments below!

The performance for this song is quite lively, which fits their image and the song. I really liked the chorus and the pointing choreography that they do with it, which makes sense since they are singing ‘It’s U’ repetitively.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10

[Review] Holiday – Suzy ft. DPR LIVE

January 30, 2018January 30, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged DPR LIVE, Suzy2 Comments

Making her first return since her solo debut last year and the disbandment of Miss A is Suzy. Last week, I reviewed her pre-release, In Love With Someone Else and this week, it is her main title track’s turn. Holiday (the title track), along with her pre-release is featured on her second mini-album, Faces of Love.

I did expect something a little more upbeat, like her debut track, Yes No Maybe. Holiday ended up being a soothing track that is pretty easy on the ears. It doesn’t feature any booming synths or obnoxious sounds. Instead, it focuses on having a laidback and softer tone, which is quite nice if you listen to it a few times. With repetitive listens, however, it becomes bland and if you strip her voice away, you basically have an instrumental that resembles elevator music. Her vocals are a great match for the song. I like it how it also glides over the surface of the music and manages to involve that laid-back sound. I have personally never heard of DPR LIVE before. His featuring in this song is quite nice because the way he delivers his section is pretty much similar to how Suzy performs her track. He does add a rougher element to the track but it isn’t over the top. I don’t think the song is personally for me but it does still sound quite nice.

The music video, from what I can gather from news sources, is shot in both New Mexico and Los Angeles. And from the scenery in the music video, it does feel like you are on a holiday. It all looks stunning. Most of the video is essentially Suzy on her travels or walking around the nice sites, so there isn’t much to comment with in regards to the video.

A part of me felt like the song did not call for any choreography. But watching her performance at her showcase, it looks nice. It isn’t over the top and allows Suzy to focus more on her singing. My only other comment is if the performance was somewhat more graceful, it would look more fitting for the song.

Song – 5.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 6.6/10

[Review] Bad Boy – Red Velvet

January 29, 2018Posted in KPOP, Reviews1 Comment

SM Entertainment’s announcement of Red Velvet’s return seems a little unexpected and abrupt. But nonetheless, I am glad they back. For those who are wondering about their quick return after their Peek-A-Boo promotions, Red Velvet is returning with their re-packaged version of Perfect Velvet, titled as The Perfect Red Velvet. The lead title track is Bad Boy.

Bad Boy is a completely new sound for the group, whom I have felt kept to the KPOP sound in their more recent releases. It is an edgier sound that taps into the hip-hop and RnB side of KPOP. And while this is a nice twist to their sound, the song does lack that usual colour element that you commonly find in their title track songs such as Rookie, Red Flavour and Peek-A-Boo. But while they don’t conform to that, the song does have a slow yet flowy chorus, which isn’t something I hear often when it comes to their songs. It has a nice melody, which allows the song to simply glide across. Vocally, the song is actually quite nice. I like how they all sing together in the chorus and the harmonies that come as a result of this. I especially like the first line, ‘Who Who Who Dat Boy‘, which is a definite attention grabber. I also like how minimalistic the instrumental to the track is, which allows the main focus to be on their vocals (as already mentioned).

The music video is a little confusing in my opinion. For the most part, the music video does a good job at conforming to that edgier sound, which attempts to present the members of Red Velvet in a more bad-ass concept. What I am a little confused is the more innocent looking side of the members in the video, especially the final scene of the members in their PJs or the bed that is randomly on the road, getting snowed on. But besides that, the music video is actually quite nice to watch and definitely puts the girls in a new light for me.

The choreography look likes it matches the slower nature of the song but in a way which manages too still make the members look cool. From what I can see in the music video, the chorus is going to be ‘lit’ in a subtle way (is that even possible?) and I thoroughly enjoyed what I saw in the music video (which should mean I would enjoy the lives even more).

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

[Weekly Chart] 4th Week of January 2018

January 28, 2018Posted in Weekly ChartsLeave a comment

It is the fourth week of January 2018 and here is this week’s instalment of the Weekly Charts. Apologises for the lateness once again. It is extremely humid and hot where I live at the moment. And writing up anything in the afternoon was just not possible due to the heat. But since it has cooled down (ever so slightly) and the air conditioner is on full blast, I think it is now possible to write up the post.

Once again, topping the charts is Sunmi with her latest single, Heroine. Rising to the second position is Kim Chungha and her song, Roller Coaster. Jung Sewoon’s Baby It’s U makes it debut in 3rd place, while To Heart (by Fromis_9) debuts in 4th place. Rounding out the top 5 is Infinite’s Tell Me. For more of the charts, scroll down below!

	21st Jan – 27th Jan 2018
	Title	Artist	Status
1	Heroine	Sunmi	(=)
2	Roller Coaster	Kim Chungha	(▲ 3)
3	Baby It’s U	Jung Sewoon	(new)
4	To Heart	Fromis_9	(new)
5	Tell Me	Infinite	(▼ 1)
6	Like Paradise	Kriesha Chu	(▲ 2)
7	Diamond Girl	MXM	(▲ 3)
8	Shinin’	Kim Jonghyun (SHINee)	(new)
9	Secret Garden	Oh My Girl	(▼ 7)
10	Hot Potato	N.Flying	(▼ 3)
11	Don’t Leave	Block B	(▲ 1)
12	Neverland	Holland	(new)
13	Turn It Up	Rainz	(new)
14	Paint Me	Mamamoo	(▼ 8)
15	My Flower	JBJ	(▼ 6)
16	Love Scenario	IKON	(new)
17	Love Is Gone	MAP6	(▲ 3) (Final Week)
18	Universe	EXO	(▲ 10)
19	I Like You	DAY6	(▲ 3)
20	Boom Boom	Momoland	(▼ 17)
21	Wolf Baby	TRCNG	(▼ 10)
22	Quit	Jang Wooyoung (2PM)	(▼ 6)
23	Real Men	The East Light	(▼ 10)
24	Where U At	1NB	(▼ 1) (Final Week)
25	Hands Up	B.A.P	(▼ 4)
26	In Love With Someone Else	Suzy	(new)
27	Timeless	NCT U	(▲ 10)
28	Days Without You	Davichi	(new)
29	Full Moon	Dream Catcher	(▼ 14)
30	Lip & Hip	Hyuna	(▼ 16)

The songs exiting the chart this week (and will not appear on the charts starting next week) are:

Love Is Gone – MAP6
A Moving Day – Jun.K (2PM)
Where U At – 1NB
Glass Shoes – Fromis_9
Gang – Rain

And that is all from me for now. I shall return to my usual sweating routine now. Hope you all have much better than this in the days to come and hope to see you all back in the same place next week!

[Album Review] Carnival (5th Mini Album) – B.A.P

January 27, 2018January 27, 2018Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged B.A.PLeave a comment

Last week was an extremely busy week, so I haven’t had the chance to sit down and listen to the newer albums. However, I have previously written some album reviews for situations like this, so I can at least post one on a weekly basis. One of these albums is B.A.P’s most recent mini-album, Carnival, which was released back in February 2016 (2 years ago).

1..Today (Intro Track) – Despite this being an intro track, I would love to hear a longer version. I love the epic feel that comes from the instrumental of the track. Daehyun’s vocals are excellent, but I would have liked to see how the other members would have contributed to the song. It is an epic intro track that opens the album up perfectly. (10/10)

2. Carnival – Carnival is a super catchy track that is bound to make you smile due to its happy and carefree atmosphere. The saxophone works well in the song and the energy that the members put into the song is definitely what brings the song to life. Per usual, both the vocals and the raps of the song are amazing. (10/10)

3. Feel So Good (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of Feel So Good. (9.5/10)

4. Go – Continuing the bright theme of the album is Go, which feels like that great Summer hit we look forward to each year. The song lack some intensity but that is made up with Zelo raps and the post-chorus. The chorus itself is catchy, especially how everyone joins in the final chorus. The ad-libs at the end was a great addition to the song. (9/10)

5. Albatross – From the very first second, the song launches you right into it. It is a great rock song that fits well with the bright energy concept that the album has been going for. The slowdown in the bridge, along with the breakdown was really cool moments in the track that were both needed. Bang Yong Guk’s raps (particularly the one ending the second verse) were by far my favourite section of the entire song. (9/10)

6. My Girl – The song gives off a One Direction feel, particularly the chorus. In the entire album, this particular song is the weakest and that may be attributed to its soft rock sound. I feel like this song just proofs the ability of B.A.P to fit in their genres into whatever genre that they attempt. There is a great ending to this song, which makes the entire album have a great ending, as well. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 9.25/10

[Review] Days Without You – Davichi

January 26, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged DavichiLeave a comment

Davichi is often referred to as the ballad queens of South Korea. Their many hits time and time again have been enough proof to support these claims. The duo has returned with their 3rd full-length album, titled as 10&, which celebrates their 10 year anniversary since debut. The main title track is Days Without You. This is also their first official comeback since 2016.

Days Without You is definitely further proof of the claims made above. The song starts off slow with soft vocals. With the soft vocals come the very nice melodies which set the song up for a great start. It slowly builds up in both instrumental and vocal work. And when I say slowly, it is definitely a gradual process. This build-up made the song even better, with the climax being the best part of the song (both vocally) and instrumentally). There is a slight pause in the bridge just before that climax, which makes the impact of the high note even better. And the harmonies still shine very nicely. There are a few moments that were definitely attention-grabbing such as that beautiful high note or that moment in the song where the piano makes a sort of prancing sound (1:27 – 1:33 of music video). Overall, it seems like Davichi has done it again.

Accompanying the beautiful song is a beautiful music video. The video features Wanna One’s Daniel, who in the video, is going through a break-up. His acting in the video is quite good, which definitely makes the video even better. The Winter forest setting is also quite nice, as the song gives off a feeling of warmth, which compliments well with the cold surroundings. Overall, it is a great video to watch for a ballad song.

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

[Review] Love Scenario – iKON

January 25, 2018January 28, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged iKonLeave a comment

Making their long-awaited return to the stage is iKON with their second full-length album, Return. There is only one title track of this particular YG album, the title track being Love Scenario. This is the group’s first comeback since their promotions of Bling Bling and B-Day in May last year.

Am I the only one surprised they went with a more mellow track as their promotional single this time around? I did expect a more hard-hitting track, similar to how Bling Bling or debut was. But that being said, we know that iKON can handle this softer sound through some of their other singles in the past. I feel like the group did a good job with mixing it with their usual hip-hop style, which is definitely what they are known for.The instrumental was nice, definitely stripped back in comparison to their previous songs. The vocal work here is superb and the raps were (per usual) really good. For me, the best part of the track is when the members sing together during that final chorus. The harmonies there were really nice and it made the chorus feel a little catchier. To me, the only thing the song lacks is a catchy element. If there was something more prominent, I would have liked this track so much more.

It is only the fourth week of the new year and I think we already have a contender for the Best Music Video awards for this year’s KPOPREVIEWED Awards. The way this video was shot in a way I don’t think we see much. The shots at the start of the bus stop, B.I’s slow-motion spinning shots, the lighting for Ju-ne’s solo moments and the choreography shots, all looked quite cool. I might be lousy when it comes to explaining the awesomeness of videos so I guess it is best if you all go watch this video to understand what I am getting at.

[Updated] The performance is quite fitting for the song. It doesn’t call for an intense choreography routine, which is exactly what the choreography avoids. I did like some of the moves, such as the one I saw at 0:32 – 0:35 of the music video or Ju-ne’s solo part.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 8/10 [Updated]
Overall Rating – 8.9/10 [Updated]

[Review] Baby It’s U – Jung Sewoon

January 25, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Jung SewoonLeave a comment

Jung Sewoon has made his first comeback since his debut last year with Baby It’s U and his second mini-album, Part: 2 After. A few months ago, Jung Sewoon debuted with Just U, after participating in Produce 101 Season 2 and finishing in 12th position.

Baby It’s U is described as a ballad but mixed with the EDM style of music. And while it does use two different extremes of music, the song works surprisingly well. It isn’t the first ballad/electronic mix that has been attempted but it is the first one in a very long time. That being said, don’t expect anything hard-hitting because it features EDM. It started off as an acoustic track but it soon progressed into a song that featured a softer form of EDM. The instrumental is quite balanced and very calming, which is something that I really like about this song. It allows his vocals to be at the forefront of the song, which something that I have grown to love since his debut track. I find the song quite catchy and addictive, so I am sure it will be another chart-topper like Just U was, on my Weekly Music Charts. Overall, the track is quite upbeat, fresh and definitely something I will be coming back to.

The music video feels more suited for that period leading into the Summer season. It is something that I am definitely noticing with many comebacks featuring that Summer feel in this videos (or songs) despite it is Winter in South Korea. The video is made up of Sewoon walking around and enjoying great scenery. It definitely makes for a nice video to watch, with great cinematography. He does find a cylinder cypher, which he solves during the video (and this also made up the teasers for his comeback), which makes sense since he is singing about solving the puzzle to his lover’s heart. Overall, it is a good video complimenting well with the song.

The performance is quite nice. It isn’t anything impressive but it does a good job fitting in with both the ballad (i.e. the slower walking bits at the start) with the more upbeat moves during the chorus (and hence fitting in nicely with EDM side of the song).

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

[Review] To Heart – fromis_9

January 25, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Fromis_9Leave a comment

From another trainee survival program to their first big performance on the stage of the 2017 MAMA Awards held in Japan, fromis_9 has started out big. Now, they are back with their official debut track and mini-album, which both share the same title, To Heart. The MAMA version of their pre-release single, Glass Shoes, is also featured on the album.

To Heart is a decent song but it does suffer from that standardness that I tend to mention when I don’t think the song is that unique. This isn’t a major problem as the song does feel somewhat fresh from its upbeat and bright instrumental. I love the classical feel that the pop instrumental gives off, particularly the violins at the start (which were definitely ear-catching). At certain points, it felt like the song was definitely pulsing or thumping, which creates a really addictive and catchy beat. The vocals were equally as bright and energy filled as their instrumental, which goes hand-in-hand with each other. I do like how the vocals lead into the raps for this song. While it does go over 3 minutes, the song does end up as a blur sometimes, which isn’t another major problem but rather a surprise when the ending appears out of nowhere. For a debut song, To Heart does the job quite well.

I love how they started with a home video of one of the members playing the violin and this leads perfectly into the song. I like the overall presentation of the music video, reminding me of Lovelyz’s past videos and GFriend’s school concept. But in a way, there is a different level of aesthetics given off in the video with it not being in a box. I actually like their outfits, which seemed to be a little posher and fancy. It is genuinely a great video to watch.

I really like their fist motion that they make during this performances. Looks really cool and could be the next big trend. I also like the ending for their performance as well (when they hold hands). For the most part, the performance was definitely upbeat and energetic like their song, so what more can you ask for?

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

[Review] In Love With Someone Else – Suzy

January 24, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged SuzyLeave a comment

Suzy is gearing up for comeback schedule for next week. And as a teaser, Suzy has pre-released a track, In Love With Someone Else, off her second mini-album, Faces of Love. This is Suzy’s first solo comeback since her official debut last year with Yes No Maybe.

Suzy’s pre-release takes the form of a ballad, which is no surprise as it tends to be the default genre for most pre-releases. Her ballad pre-release last year, Pretend, was pretty successful on the charts. So this comes with high expectations. And that she fulfils. It is your standard ballad. It features a really nice piano and violin instrumental which is more grounded in the background. That being said, when the song is required to build up to the chorus, it does so in your standard way but still giving off a grand feel. Suzy’s vocals are the main element of the song and it is clear how beautiful her voice is. You can literally feel the emotions that she had poured into the song which makes this a really good ballad to listen to.

I like the video was presented. The main part of the video is Suzy literally confessing to her now ex-partner that there is no longer there and that she is in love with someone else. I like it how she is singing her lyrics while doing so, which allows the audience to have some sort of a connection between Suzy in that scene. The rest of the video describes how they once the ideal couple (very lovey dovey) and how it progressed to the present point in time. I don’t think it showed Suzy actually falling for another person and I felt like that could have been added in to make it a little bit clearer. But from the lyrics and visuals already in the video, it was quite clear already.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

[Review] Turn It Up – Rainz

January 24, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged RainzLeave a comment

Adding to the long list of comebacks this week (that I need to get a move on and start writing the reviews for) is Rainz, who are returning with their latest title track, Turn It Up. Turn It Up is the main track of the group’s second mini-album, Shake You Up. For those who may have missed Rainz, the 7-member boy group made their debut late last year with Juliette.

To me, Turn It Up is a decent song but there is a quite a bit of confusion that hinders its potential. The song could have been that really cool and powerful dance hit but some of the segments just do not fit well with each other. Take the chorus and post-chorus (or bridge to instrumental dance break). They are distinctly different sounding sections of the song and the way they got from one to the other is quite uncomfortable. I feel like a better transition could have been utilised to make the song flow. For some reason, I also felt like the song took a little too long to get to the chorus. It just feels drawn out for a tad too long when I first listened to it and that feeling just stuck with me. But it is not all criticisms though. I feel like the instrumental (for each separate sections) were good and the vocal work/raps were pretty decent. It just be the sound structure of the song that doesn’t sit well with me.

Welcome to another post-apocalyptic world, which interestingly lasted for one-third of the video. The second third seemed to be an abandoned warehouse, which goes hand-in-hand with the first third. But the last third was a white background studio. I am not too sure of that choice, which feels a little odd when you look at the bigger picture. Majority of the video was just choreography shots, while a very small fraction was dedicated to close-ups. There just isn’t much else to comment on.

Choreography-wise, this is pretty good. I liked the intro to the performance, which doesn’t look that impressive when you compare to other performances but works wonderfully with the slow start. I liked how they matched the gradual buildup of the song in their moves. But the winning moment has to be the bridge and dance break that follows after. Very impressive.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.5/10

[Review] Shinin’ – Jonghyun (SHINee)

January 23, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Jonghyun (SHINee), SHINee2 Comments

One month ago, KPOP (as a whole) lost a very dedicated and passionate artist, Kim Jonghyun, the main vocalist from SHINee. It was confirmed weeks prior that Jonghyun would be returning shortly with a new solo album. One month on, we finally are able to listen to the second and final album, Poet Artist, produced by Jonghyun, which was released in memory of the artist.

Shinin’ is a funky track that is quite upbeat in comparison to his past promoted songs. However, you get the same vibes from each of his songs. I haven’t been much of a fan of his previous works but this particular song was very easy on the ears and I easily got into it within the first listen. The instrumental isn’t overwhelming but managed to remain funky and retro, which is quite good. It feels like restraint was put onto the instrumental but it allowed the song to become more retro. An instrumental like this also allows his vocals to be the main attraction of the song. They were quite smooth. I particularly like the way he delivered the lines during the pre-chorus, which makes me come back to re-listen to the song. The “Baby, come in, you you you‘ chorus was really catchy and addictive. Overall, definitely, a new song that I would be replaying constantly.

Fitting in with the funky and retro sound is the music video. I like the ending of the video, which reminds me of some of the scenes that came out of the Tron movie. But needless to say, the light strobes patterns do bring a sense of nostalgia. I also liked how Jonghyun literally shone throughout the video. Not sure if it is intended originally but it definitely put him in the spotlight.

For this particular review, I have decided to forgo the rating, which is something that I put at the end of the reviews. In its place:

Author: kpopreviewed