kpopreviewed

[Review] Spotlight – Monsta X

January 21, 2018January 21, 2018Posted in JPOP, ReviewsTagged MONSTA X1 Comment

With a number of Japanese releases unveiled in the last few weeks, I thought it would be nice to actually get some of these reviews out in weeks that follow the release, not months. One of these is Monsta X’s Spotlight, which happens to be their first original Japanese single since their debut in Japan last year.

As soon as we hear the first seconds of the song, it reminded me of their debut single, Trespass. It had a similar type of synth for the intro, which I thought was cool. The song is quite intense and you get that feeling from the very first second. But for a very intense feeling song, the chorus was rather weak, which is pretty ironic. The drop back into the chorus was underwhelming and it just didn’t have that element to make it memorable. If it had a more powerful drop and something that gave it a catchy touch to it, I would have been won over. All the other parts (verses and bridge) is what gave the song its definition and I pretty much liked that. I liked their contrasting sides within the verses, how they start off with the tough powerful raps and then allow the song to drop down to a slower yet smoother vocal sequence. It is a little different to what we are used to. The raps were amazing and the vocal work throughout the song was quite nice.

I like the simplistic route that they were going for when it came to the video. The most important equipment in the entire video was the spotlights, which I thought gave off a really cool effect in some sections of the video. It reminded me of BLANC7’s Yeah, which I already had liked. Clearly, this one had more money injected into the budget and this allowed it look more defined and flashy in a way to watch. This flashiness made the roughness of the song stand out.

Monsta X has been standing out recently for their performances and this just cements that idea. That intensity is definitely featured heavily throughout the song. While I did not enjoy the chorus of the song, the choreography stood out for me.

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

[Weekly Chart] 3rd Week of January 2018

January 21, 2018Posted in Weekly ChartsLeave a comment

We are already flying through the year. Welcome to this week’s instalment of the Weekly Charts. I just wanted to start off by saying that both the 2017 KPOPREVIEWED Awards and the End of Year Charts are all released. You can find the posts by clicking the titles above.

Entering the charts this week is Sunmi, Kim Chungha, JBJ, The East Light, Dream Catcher and Jang Wooyoung.

Taking out the top spot for the 3rd Week of January is Sunmi’s recent release, Heroine. Such a good song. Rising to the top as well and securing the 2nd position is Oh My Girl and Secret Garden. Last week’s number 1 song, Boom Boom by Momoland, dropped to the third position, while Infinite’s Tell Me dropped down two positions as well to the 4th position. Finishing off the top 5 is Kim Chungha’s Roller Coaster.

For the rest of the charts, scroll down below!

	14th Jan – 20th Jan 2017
	Title	Artist	Status
1	Heroine	Sunmi	(new)
2	Secret Garden	Oh My Girl	(▲ 3)
3	Boom Boom	Momoland	(▼ 2)
4	Tell Me	Infinite	(▼ 2)
5	Roller Coaster	Kim Chungha	(new)
6	Paint Me	Mamamoo	(▼ 2)
7	Hot Potato	N.Flying	(▲ 4)
8	Like Paradise	Kriesha Chu	(▼ 5)
9	My Flower	JBJ	(new)
10	Diamond Girl	MXM	(▲ 2)
11	Wolf Baby	TRCNG	(▼ 2)
12	Don’t Leave	Block B	(▲ 1)
13	Real Men	The East Light	(new)
14	Lip & Hip	Hyuna	(▲ 4)
15	Full Moon	Dream Catcher	(new)
16	Quit	Jang Wooyoung (2PM)	(new)
17	Heart Shaker	TWICE	(▲ 7)
18	Grr	Stray Kids	(▲ 15)
19	You In Me	KARD	(▼ 13) (Final Week)
20	Love Is Gone	MAP6	(▲ 9)
21	Hands Up	B.A.P	(▼ 13)
22	Ending Credit	Uhm Jung Hwa	(▼ 12)
23	Where U At	1NB	(▼ 2)
24	Going Going	Jang Wooyoung (2PM)	(▼ 17)
25	Walkie Talkie	HINT	(▲ 3)
26	Runaway	Pentagon	(▼ 7) (Final Week)
27	I Like You	DAY6	(▼ 11)
28	Universe	EXO	(▼ 5)
29	Charm of Life	Heechul, Shindong, Eunhyuk (Super Junior) & Solar (Mamamoo)	(▲ 1)
30	This Christmas	Taeyeon (SNSD)	(▲ 1)

Finishing their run for this week are the following songs (where they will not appear on the charts starting next week).

Dear – Snuper
You In Me – KARD
Runaway – Pentagon
Someone To Love – HONEYST

So thank you once again and I hope you all have a fantastic week!

[Review] Candy Pop – TWICE

January 20, 2018Posted in JPOP, ReviewsTagged TWICELeave a comment

TWICE’s One More Time was voted as the Best Japanese Song by a Korean Artist for 2017. You can see who else won in the 2017 KPOPREVIEWED Awards by clicking the link here.

TWICE is back in Japan with a brand new single, Candy Pop. This is their second single to date in Japan, the previous being the catchy and addictive One More Time.

And while One More Time was catchy and addictive, Candy Pop doesn’t really give off the same flare. It just doesn’t replicate or exceed that nature of their previous single, which disappoints me. The sound does feel like their Korean releases but does sound a lot fluffier, which I think suits the Japanese market. There were few good moments that showcased their vocals and the raps were quite nice as well. The song just doesn’t feel like it buildups at all. Instead, it tends to feature a number of moments where they strip back the instrumental, which seems to feel like the slowing down the song. But that just cuts the flow of the song for me. Any attempt to showcase a buildup has been undermined. The chorus was okay but I felt the same copy-paste formula just doesn’t work as well, making the chorus feel repetitive, especially by the time we reached the third and final chorus. These are just some of my thoughts in regards to the song. For the most part, it was still okay to listen to but I wouldn’t go out of my way to find the song to listen to.

The music video was far more interesting compared to the video. The introduction of the video reminded me of GOT7’s Just Right but the video takes on a different storyline. Essentially, TWICE are anime characters of a TV show in which the girl watches. They notice the disappointment on the girl’s face and go on a mission to cheer her up. They get into some trouble but with some help from JYP (or Brock) himself, they get to the girl’s room by conveniently smashing down a wall with their purple bus. Their presence itself complete cheers up the girl and all is fine. It is a fun video. The ending was probably really boring and dry. But the rest of the video was nice to watch.

We don’t see much of the choreography in the video. It just seems like the article regarding how similar their dance moves for their South Korean comebacks is applicable here between both their Japanese songs. I am talking about the move around the 4:00 mark of the video. But from what I could see from the rest of the video, the dance looked cute.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 7/10 (I may return to redo the review for this part once I find an actual performance for this song)
Overall Rating – 6.5/10

[Album Review] Secret Garden (5th Mini Album) – Oh My Girl

January 20, 2018Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged OH MY GIRLLeave a comment

From what I can see from my notes, I don’t do many female artists album reviews, which is quite a disappointing aspect of this site. This year, I will strive to do more album for female artists (and hopefully do more album reviews in general). Starting off this goal is my album review for Oh My Girl’s latest mini-album, Secret Garden.

OhMyGirlSecretGarden-2 — *Secret Garden* Album Cover

1..Secret Garden (비밀정원) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of Secret Garden. (8.3/10)

2. Love O’Clock – What drew me to this song is definitely the clock sounds at the very start of the song. They were extremely fitting, not just for the title but the overall feel of the song. The vocals were nice but it was best showcased in the pre-chorus. To me, there was a beautiful feeling that I felt through the catchy chorus. The one part that felt mind-blowing was Mimi’s raps, which had such good intensity but managed to work perfectly with the rest of the song. (9/10)

3. Butterfly – Compared to the previous two tracks, Butterfly takes a mid-tempo approach. For the most part, it was another forgettable track. The only comment I could make was in regards to the sweet melodies. But the bridge was the very part of the song that had me coming back. It felt like it shouldn’t work with its different rhythm but it worked, which was definitely intriguing. (8/10)

4. Sixteen – To me, this song felt like a continuation of Perfect Day, which was released last year on their Coloring Book mini-album. I know they are completely different songs, but I got the same vibes from them. The piano was incredibly striking and the vocals were good. There was a good build-up leading up to the chorus. Chorus itself was catchy. The only letdown was the rap of the song. (7/10)

5. Magic – Ending the album is a much softer song, a complete change-up compared to the rest of the album. What I like about the song is how the vocals and raps felt like they were being whispered, which gave the song some character. I thought the bridge was quite quirky, which made the song intriguing. Overall, it allowed the entire mini-album to end on a great note. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.3/10

OhMyGirlSecretGarden-3 — *Secret Garden* Teaser Image

[Review] Real Men – The East Light

January 19, 2018January 19, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged The East LightLeave a comment

It has been a long time coming but I am officially reviewing The East Light!! The 6 member boy band have been around since 2016, debuting with Holla. At the time of their debut, the group had an average age of 15. In 2017, the band made three comebacks with You’re My Love, Love Is… and I Got You. Managed by Media Line Entertainment, some of the members have been known to have participated in some variety shows such as Voice Kids, Superstar K3 and Produce 101 Season 2.

While I admit that I wasn’t that drawn to their previous works, Real Men sparked an interest due to their image change. More on that later but that’s the reason why I started to listen to the song. The sound of the song is definitely more mature than their past tracks but it also keeps to their more youthful sounds heard in their previous works. The track had a funky vibe, which was okay, but I felt like they could have gone a step further with the funkiness. That way, the track would have definitely been more appealing. That synth, which resembles the sound of something spiralling down, during the second half of the chorus was very ear-catching and worked well with the song. The vocal work, despite the higher pitch, was nice and a unique element that the group brings. Those ad-libs at the end just made everything feel so good. But the definite spotlight stealer was the rap sequence. It was quite addictive and a very strong element that made the song even better.

As mentioned before, I was definitely drawn to their more mature and darker concept. In pictures, it looked quite cool and definitely something I am drawn to in this industry. The video portrayed this very well. Part of me, however, felt the video felt a tad too dark but it allowed to add a level of aesthetics to the video. The black and white filter also worked well. Like the song, I like the rapper’s part of the music video. It definitely kept up with the tempo and intensity of the song. Overall, it is a good video to watch.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10

[Review] Heroine – Sunmi

January 18, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Sunmi1 Comment

Sunmi was chosen as the Best Female Soloist and my pick for Best Choreography. She also ranked 9th on the 2017 KPOPREIVEWED End of Year Charts. To find out who else won the individual categories, click here. And to find out how your favourite song ranked for 2017, click here.

Sunmi is officially back with her latest single, Heroine. Her return to the industry last year with Gashina became a chart topper and her performance became a hot trend in Korea and beyond. While Sunmi just dropped Heroine, it is apparent that she is an expected rival on the charts to any group or artist in the coming weeks.

When I first heard Gashina, I wasn’t a definite fan of the song. But with numerous listens later, I was on board the Sunmi fan train. Heroine definitely starts off on a much better foot with its instrumental attracting my attention from the very first listen. I like how it starts off with just the piano and as the song progresses through each subsection of the verse, the song builds up in a way that feels expected but still leaves you stunned. Her vocals are extremely soft at the start and like the instrumentation, it builds up wonderful to the pre-chorus where she just lets go of that restriction and project her vocals. I love the post-chorus saxophone type sound which gave off a funky yet intriguing appeal to the song. I thought the entire track was quite catchy and I predict within a days time, it will be the one track that I want to keep listening to.

Given Gashina and Heroine, I conclude two things. Only Sunmi can pull off a not-so-normal-looking solo dance performance in an empty location (I love her solo work at 1:30 – 1:46) and she likes her milkshakes. Both elements featured in the videos but it seemed to look more naturally occurring in this video. I love it when she walks forward and suddenly the spotlight is on her with the yellow curtains closing behind her. The entire video has an epic feel and I think the only reason why I think that is regarding how each scene was connected to the next. It gives off the feeling that all the differences throughout the video are interconnected somehow and that makes it a stunning video to watch.

I love her performance, once again. She used a table in Gashina and her choice of prop for Heroine were chairs. But that is not the main point. I love her sexy side and her moves during the post-chorus dance break was extremely cool. The chorus and various other parts gave off an edgy vibe, allowing this performance to incorporate multiple different styles into one.

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

[Review] Roller Coaster – Chungha

January 18, 2018January 18, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged CHUNG HALeave a comment

Kim Chungha was voted as the best new solo artist of 2017. To find out who else won in the individual categories, click here. To find out which song has been awarded the 2017 Best Song award, click here!

The Best New Soloist of 2017, Kim Chungha, has finally made her first comeback with Roller Coaster and her second mini-album, Offset. Kim Chungha previously made her debut with Why Don’t You Know last year, which definitely got her name out there in the industry.

Given the title, you expect the song to have some sort of thrill to it. And Chungha manages to deliver it with an upbeat song. It is not exactly thrill-seeking music but it has some momentum to it which I think it quite nice. The buildup to the chorus was great but the drop into the chorus felt (once again) underwhelming. Her vocals work stand out throughout the song, which suited the song really nicely. I liked how she ended the lines during the chorus with the slight upward bend of each final word (1:09-1:12, for example). My most favourite part would have to be the ‘Look’ during the pause just before the final chorus. While the instrumentation was quite cool, it did feel a little plain. It needed that kick in terms of intensity, which could have been satisfied with a fitting rap sequence. An instrumental break that allows for a rocking dance break or just some bass during the chorus could have lifted the song to a whole new level. Overall, despite it needed something else, it is still a decent song to check out.

It has been a while since we have seen neon lights and colours in KPOP. There isn’t much to the video but it was still a nice video to watch. While I have expressed in the past that I am not a fan of the light images that are displayed on the wall (and the singer just standing in front of them), I thought they were a nice addition to the music video. Sure, they can be distracting at times but I felt they looked good this time around. The choreography shots also looked quite nice.

To me, there is a cute side to the choreography (i.e. the start of the chorus) but the performance mainly focuses on the sexy side of the spectrum (i.e. all other moves). I actually thought it was a really cool dance routine to watch and cannot wait for the live stages.

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

[Review] My Flower – JBJ

January 17, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged JBJ4 Comments

The 2017 KPOPREVIEWED Awards have ended and the results are out. To find out who won in the individual categories, click here. To find out which song has been awarded the 2017 Best Song award, click here!

JBJ have made their return with My Flower. The project group made their debut last year with Fantasy and is due to disband later this year. However, there have been talks of JBJ extending their contracts, which is clearly a thing that fans want to hear about! This comeback comes in the form of their second mini-album, which is titled as True Colors.

To me, My Flower is very standard. It feels like a traditional pop song that doesn’t have much within itself to make it a memorable track, which is disappointing since Fantasy was a really good song. The song does have some colour or flare to it but I just don’t think it is enough to be another great track. I liked the falsettos during the chorus, which were somewhat catchy. I liked the instrumental during the post-chorus parts, giving off a faster tempo and more intensity than the other parts of the song. But that is all I can say. The first rapper wasn’t horrible but his parts felt unfitting for the song. The drop into the chorus felt underwhelming and the ending to the post-chorus instrumental break just seemed misplaced in the middle of the track (it felt more like something that should have been only at the end of the track). Overall, it was definitely a let-down in many ways but still listenable in others.

While I didn’t like the song as much as I hoped I would, the music video was a far more superior aspect of the comeback. The video reminded of the similar concept previously done by Oh My Girl. Just a lot more simplistic in terms of its presentation. And I liked it. The white background allowed the members to pop (with their coloured clothing) and the use of colours as the video progressed just made everything feel more bold and vibrant. The use of the coloured lights during the post-chorus definitely added to the moment.

There are two sections of the choreography which I liked. The first being the second half of the chorus (this could become viral) and the second part is the post-chorus instrumental break. Besides that, everything else was good but not as memorable.

Song – 5/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 6.4/10

[Review] Quit – Jang Wooyoung (2PM)

January 16, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 2PM, Wooyoung (2PM)Leave a comment

The End of 2017 Charts have been released and if you haven’t yet to check which song was selected as the Best Song of 2017, click here to check it out!

Last week, Jang Wooyoung teased the start of his promotions for this latest mini-album, Bye, by releasing the pre-release track, Going Going. Now, with the actual min-album officially out yesterday, Wooyoung has powered ahead with his promotions, with the release of the music video for this title track, Quit. He also released a separate music video for Party Shots and a special video for Don’t Act.

Wooyoung takes an unexpected turn with his main title track. Something along the lines of Going Going or Party Shots would have been understandable, but Quit is just completely surprisingly for me. The song starts with an acoustic guitar, strumming out a pretty nice rhythmic piece. Throughout the entire song, the guitar remains as the centrepiece of the instrumental, which is definitely interesting. They did bring out some percussion but it was much more light compared to the instrumental. What the song does best is bring out Wooyoung’s vocals really well, which isn’t something that you get often. It doesn’t feel masked in any way and just makes the song feel raw and pure. Despite the chill vibes from the song, his vocals add the emotional touch to the song. Overall, while it definitely was not the route I expected Wooyoung to go, its unexpectedness just puts the song into a stronger spotlight, in my opinion.

The entire music video is set after a breakup and how it has an affect on a person’s life. It plays nicely with the song and is definitely a toned down concept that mirrors the toned down nature of the song. Despite that, however, the video was more on the boring side of the spectrum. There just wasn’t enough to make me feel that interested in the video.

I suspect this will have a performance to it but we won’t see one before Thursday (if I am not mistaken). I will update this review (and the Block B review) on Thursday or Friday this week.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 6/10
Overall Rating – 7.8/10

[Album Review] Top Seed (3rd Studio Album) – Infinite

January 15, 2018January 15, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged INFINITELeave a comment

Another very long album review for you all. Infinite returned last week with their third album and I intended to publish this at the end of last week. A few things popped up which prevented me from doing so. Regardless, the review is completed and published for your viewing pleasure. I won’t write anymore due to the length of this review.

InfiniteTopSeed-2 — *Top Seed* Album Cover

1..Begin (Intro Track) – Starting off the album is your Infinite styled mash-up between an orchestral piece and something similar to their title track. While I don’t tend to review the intro track to most albums, I have to say I really like the clashing cymbals in this one.

2. Tell Me (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of Tell Me. (7.9/10)

3. Synchronise – I am on the fence in regards to this song. It seems like the instrumental (particularly during the chorus) drowned out the vocals and it also felt overwhelming, Despite that, the rolling drum beat was nice and the transition between verses to the chorus was pretty good. I like the extension of the instrumental at the end of the song. The only other thing I am disappointed in was the lack of a rap segment, which felt expected. (6/10)

4. No More – I felt that this song wasn’t that interesting. Despite that, it had some elements which made it a decent song. It features great harmonies from the members. In regards to the previous songs, it is definitely nice to hear a song that is tone down. The vocals were nice and so was the rap sequence. (5/10)

5. TGIF (Dongwoo Solo) – This is first of three solo songs that featured on the album. The song does a good job at presenting the vocal and rapping talents of Dongwoo. I thought the chorus was really well done. The buildup to the bridge was nice but the instrumental break was too awkwardly placed and broke the flow of the song. (8.5/10)

6. Pray (Maetal’s Sorrow) (기도 (메텔의 슬픔)) – Pray has a dramatic start to the song, which is something that drew me to it. The orchestral instrumental had an interesting tango twist to it. I really enjoyed the epic feel to it but I felt that the song could have used more powerhouse vocals to make it even better. (8/10)

7. Why Me (왜 날)– It is your typical ballad but I have to say that the vocals were on point throughout the song. In particular, Sunggyu stood out during his parts in the chorus. Once again, it is a great song to sway to, which makes it a good song in my book. (7/10)

8. Wind (분다) – Starting off the track are whistles along with some acoustic guitars, which draw your attention in. Once the upbeat chorus is unleashed, the acoustic guitar takes a turn and transition into electric guitars, which I thought was incredibly cool. The harmonies during the post-chorus were awesome. Sungjong shined the brightest, particularly in his part during the bridge. I particularly like this song a lot. (9/10)

9. I Hate – The rock-based song adds another genre to the album and they nailed it. And despite me liking the song, there isn’t much to comment on. The vocal work from each member is amazing here as well, but Dongwoo’s rough vocals fit the song so well. (9/10)

10. Reminisce (지난 날 ) (L Solo) – L has always had a great voice when I hear him in Infinite songs, so his solo work obviously put forwards his underrated vocals. And while it shows off his capable vocals, the song is rather plain for my taste. (6/10)

11. Love Song (고백) (Sungjong Solo) – Sungjong gets the honour of being the last member to have a solo song featured on the album. Love Song is like that Spring ballad that gets released each year. It has a very bright feel, accounted for by the instrumentals. And both vocals and instrumental complement each other really well. (6/10)

12. Begin Again – We began the album with Begin and now we must Begin (another chapter) Again. It is an upbeat song that has a really great chorus and the vocals (along with the harmonies during the chorus) just made so much better. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.5/10

InfiniteTopSeed-3 — *Top Seed* Teaser Image

Top 50 KPOP Songs of 2017

January 15, 2018January 13, 2018Posted in KPOPREVIEWED Awards, SpecialLeave a comment

Welcome to the final post for the 2017 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. It is time to find out who took out the award for Best Song of The Year. If you have yet to find out who won the individual categories, make sure you click here first!!!

This year’s awards are structured differently. This year, the way the Best Song of 2017 was chosen is based on 50% fan votes (which was conducted over the voting period of December 2017) and the other 50% is based on the Weekly KPOP Charts that I publish every Sunday.

So without further ado, I present you the Best Song of 2017 along with the rankings that determined the Best Song. I have only published the Top 50 on this site, but if you want to see a full listing, scroll down to the end to find the link which will send you there.

Pos.	Song	Artist
1	Peek-A-Boo	Red Velvet
2	Don’t Wanna Cry	Seventeen
3	Red Flavour	Red Velvet
4	Likey	Twice
5	Beautiful	Monsta X
6	Really Really	Winner
7	Rollin’	Brave Girls
8	Clap	Seventeen
9	Gashina	Sunmi
10	As If It Is Your Last	BLACKPINK
11	Yes I Am	Mamamoo
12	Hands Up	B.A.P
13	DNA	BTS
14	Power	EXO
15	Never Ever	GOT7
16	Honeymoon	B.A.P
17	Like This	Pentagon
18	You In Me	KARD
19	Remember	Nine Muses
20	Crazy Sexy Cool	ASTRO
21	Universe	EXO
22	Spring Day	BTS
23	DDD	EXID
24	I (knew it)	Sonamoo
25	I Like You	DAY6
26	You Are	GOT7
27	Wake Me Up	B.A.P
28	Hwi Hwi	Laboum
29	Beautiful	Wanna One
30	Energetic	Wanna One
31	Love Whisper	GFriend
32	Black Suit	Super Junior
33	I’ll Be Yours	Girl’s Day
34	Baby	ASTRO
35	Signal	Twice
36	Twinkle	Lovelyz
37	Dramarama	Monsta X
38	Rumour	K.A.R.D
39	Heart Shaker	TWICE
40	Chase Me	Dreamcatcher
41	Good Night	Dream Catcher
42	Holiday	SNSD
43	Happy	Cosmic Girls
44	365 Fresh	Triple H
45	Whisper	VIXX LR (VIXX)
46	Fingertips	Gfriend
47	Where You At	NU’EST W
48	Just U	Jung Sewoon
49	I Wish	WJSN (Cosmic Girls)
50	I Smile	DAY6

To see the full charts (Position 1 to 236), click on the link here to be transported to a Google Spreadsheet. Click on the tab at the bottom of the page that says ‘End of Year Charts’.

Congratulations to Red Velvet and their November release, Peek-A-Boo, who has ranked the top song of 2017 and hence, The Best Song of 2017.

[Weekly Chart] 2nd Week of January 2018

January 14, 2018Posted in Weekly ChartsLeave a comment

Once again, I am late for this post. Aim for 3PM but posting way after that time, very typical of me. This is the charts for the second week of January 2018. Debuting on the charts this week is Infinite, Oh My Girl, Wooyung (2PM)’s pre-release, MXM and Block B.

Rising to the top is Momoland’s Boom Boom, which earned the group their very first win on MCountDown in the past week! Infinite debuts with Tell Me on the charts in the second position while Kriesha Chu rosed from the bottom of the charts to 3rd position. Last week’s number 1 song, Paint Me by Mamamoo, dropped slightly to 4th position, while Oh My Girl rounds out the top 5 with Secret Garden.

Before we get to the charts, I just want to quickly state that the 2017 KPOPREVIEWED Awards have been published and you can find out who won by clicking the link here! As for the Best Song of 2017, this (along with the end of year charts) will be revealed tomorrow at 12PM AEST.

But before we get there, here are the charts for the 2nd week of January.

	7th Jan- 13th Jan 2018
	Title	Artist	Status
1	Boom Boom	Momoland	(▲ 1)
2	Tell Me	Infinite	(new)
3	Like Paradise	Kriesha Chu	(▲ 33)
4	Paint Me	Mamamoo	(▼ 3)
5	Secret Garden	Oh My Girl	(new)
6	You In Me	KARD	(▼ 1)
7	Going Going	Jang Wooyoung (2PM)	(new)
8	Hands Up	B.A.P	(▲ 1)
9	Wolf Baby	TRCNG	(▲ 12)
10	Ending Credit	Uhm Jung Hwa	(▲ 21)
11	Hot Potato	N.Flying	(▼ 5)
12	Diamond Girl	MXM	(new)
13	Don’t Leave	Block B	(new)
14	Peek-A-Boo	Red Velvet	(▼ 3) (Final Week)
15	Beautiful	Wanna One	(▼ 3) (Final Week)
16	I Like You	DAY6	(▼ 2)
17	Lip & Hip	Hyuna	(▼ 7)
18	The Night	Soyou ft. Geeks	(▲ 18)
19	Runaway	Pentagon	(▼ 1)
20	Boy	The Boyz	(▲ 5)
21	Where U At	1NB	(▼ 4)
22	Twinkle	Lovelyz	(▼ 2) (Final Week)
23	Universe	EXO	(▼ 19)
24	Heart Shaker	TWICE	(▼ 8)
25	Joy	NCT Dream	(▲ 4)
26	Day & Night	Taemin (SHINee)	(▲ 9)
27	Lower	Amber & Luna (F(x))	(▼ 1)
28	Walkie Talkie	HINT	(▼13)
29	Love Is Gone	MAP6	(▼ 5)
30	Charm Of Life	Heechul, Shindong, Eunhyuk (Super Junior) & Solar (Mamamoo)	(▼ 11)

Songs no longer on the charts starting next week are:

Beautiful – Wanna One
Twinkle – Lovelyz
Candy – Samuel
Peek-A-Boo – Red Velvet

And that is all this week. Hope you all have a wonderful week and see you all again next week (though hopefully earlier).

[Review] Going Going – Jang Wooyoung (2PM)

January 12, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 2PM, Wooyoung (2PM)Leave a comment

Jang Wooyoung will be back with a brand new solo mini-album in South Korea next week. Despite this, Wooyoung has dropped a pre-release titled as Going Going for the fans on Monday, which is why we are here today. Wooyoung has been active in South Korea for the past few years after 2PM went on a hiatus to allow the members to individually enlist in the military. I just haven’t got around to review any of his solo works since Sexy Lady in 2012.

Anyone called for a throwback to the 90s? Going Going is a track that is overloaded with all the same elements (e.g. disc scratching) and vibes as some of the popular music from the 90s. And in reference to my earlier review today, I still think this track could have been a great title track for the Summer months, due to its vibrant sound. But this is just a pre-release, so I guess we have to let that slide. The drums in this song is definitely a successful attempt at trying to get the song to stick in my mind. That bridge with the consecutive drums was definitely a highlight. His English lyrics did catch me off guard when I first listened to it, making me doing a double take back to check the lyrics to be sure I heard correctly. And while I did like the vibrancy of the music, I wasn’t sure about the chorus. It just felt a little plain, in comparison to some of the other parts of the song. I feel like the verses had a lot more colour when compared to the chorus. Great song, though.

Following that vibrancy, the video is clearly shot to make it fit that Summer season. I just don’t know why the video was hit with a dark or pale filter, which really felt unnecessary in my point of view. Some of the shots didn’t seem to have the filters, which was pleasing to watch. Besides that, I don’t think there was much else to the video to comment on.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 6/10
Overall Rating – 6.6/10

[Review] Like Paradise – Kriesha Chu

January 12, 2018January 12, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Kriesha Chu1 Comment

The winners of the KPOPREVIEWED Awards 2017 have been announced! Check out who won by clicking here!

Time to review a brand new artist! Kriesha Chu is technically not a new artist, as she made her formal debut with Trouble last year in May. For those who are not familiar with Kriesha Chu, she came runner-up on KPOP Star 6, which aired in 2016 and 2017. Like Paradise is her first comeback and the title track off her first mini-album, Dream of Paradise.

Like Paradise is a decent song that introduces me to Kreisha Chu. The song does a feel a little bland, in my opinion. The song doesn’t really peak for me. Instead, it remains too consistent from start to end. That’s the biggest problem that I have with the track. The EDM chorus was very nice (particularly the launch into the chorus), with her vocals compliment the style. I just feel that this song would have done a lot better in the Summer months. The EDM and synths do give off a somewhat bright vibe. It isn’t like a particular sound can only exist in its stereotypical season but I personally do not think it works this time around. Her presence in the song did leave a strong impression on me and I am interested to see what else she has up her sleeves. Initially, it did take a few listens to get into (hence the delayed review). But now, I like it quite a bit and don’t mind it playing in the background if it appeared on my playlist.

Some of the shots looked quite nice in this video. I am always complimenting the drone shots when it comes to some of these videos that are set outside. The video also featured a little storyline. The two girls used to be best of friends. But after discovering they liked the same guy, their friendship turns sour despite their attempts to make it work. I feel like the part when they reunite seems a little unresolved. What happened to the dude? Did they both take a step back from him and this allowed them to be friends once again? Or did he step back because he was feeling troubled? The video doesn’t really say much in regards to this and I feel like it should have been addressed since that is a major part of the video. But overall, it was a nice video to watch.

The performance just lacks energy. I know she is trying her best to come to a compromise between singing live and take on the choreography. But I feel like the dance is weak, to begin with. I just don’t think the performance is interesting enough to watch.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 5/10
Overall Rating – 6/10

[Review] Grrr (Law of Total Madness) – Stray Kids

January 11, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Stray KidsLeave a comment

Have you seen the winners of the 2017 KPOPREVIEWED Awards yet? If you haven’t, feel free to click here to be transferred to see who won!

Last year, as an introduction to a potential upcoming boy group by JYP Entertainment, Stray Kids unleashed Hellivator. The group then went on to compete to see who would be able to debut later this year, with all nine members confirmed to debut at the end of the show’s run. Now, they are back with a pre-debut mixtape (in the form of a mini-album) titled as Mixtape and features the main track, Grr (Law of Total Madness).

If we want to talk intensity, Stray Kids is probably the group to talk about. From the very start, there is no holding back. Instead, the group just launches right into there. The song seems to be a mixture of rock and EDM, with elements poking out at you during certain moments throughout the song. You could say that the combination turns it into a mess but given their past track, it is clear that it was intentional and definitely adds to their portfolio. It does lack something that could have made the track more catchy, in my point of view. Maybe a chorus because I felt this song’s chorus didn’t have much of a presence due to the song’s style and rap-dominance. But it is still decent to listen to. Once again, the vocals are overshadowed by the raps. So while this is just a pre-debut, I am hoping to hear a few tracks that highlight the vocal capabilities of the group in the future.

The music video is essentially the performance of this song, throwing in some closeup shots of the member. Everything felt fitting for this music video, from the shaky camera work to the industrial background. So there isn’t much else to talk about.

But the key part of the video is definitely the dance performance. That level of intensity that you could hear from the song is seen throughout the performance. In my previous review for the group, I commented on their potential and this performance just cements that. I like the ‘running towards the camera’ during the chorus and the second verse rap where some of the members are lying on the ground (at 1:30) is pretty unique.

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

[Album Review] The Hottest: N.Flying (3rd Mini Album) – N.Flying

January 11, 2018Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged N.FlyingLeave a comment

This is my first N.Flying album review. When I first heard the highlight medley prior to the official release of the mini-album, I knew I had to sit down and review the album. This is their 3rd mini-album to date and titled as The Hottest: N.Flying.

nflyingthehottest-2 — *The Hottest: N.Flying* Album Cover

1..And So, We (그러니까 우라) – Opening up the album is a track that felt so similar to an OST to a cheesy drama. The song overall, especially the chorus, felt very poppy. It was also quite bright and refreshing, similar to songs that you would get during the Summer season. It is a great song to nod along to, with great vocals and raps. For some reason, I really like how the song ended. It seems like your standard ending but I am somehow digging it. (8/10)

2. Hot Potato (뜨거운 감자) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Hot Potato. (8.6/10)

3. In The Back Alley (골목길에서) – The song opens up with a very serious rap sequence which did a good job at gaining my attention. Compared to the previous two songs, the level of energy is toned down, which provides some relief, since it could have been overwhelming. I thought the raps and vocals were well balanced. Despite the presence of the thumping drum beats, the song is soothing to listen to. The best part of the song would have to be the bridge, which gave the song its needed peak. The only downside to the song is the abrupt ending. (8/10)

4. I Know U Know – There are many elements of this song which I liked. I liked the guitar in this song. But more than that, I loved the build-up for this song. At first, I thought it was just going to be a ballad but it ended up turning into a pop song. The unexpected turns the song take do give it an appealing touch. The hollow electronic drum beats during the chorus were really nice. I also liked the high note at the end. (9/10)

5. The Best (이보다 좋을까) – Unfortunately, The Best seemed to be my pick for the least interesting song on this album. It opens up as a jazzy number and quickly turns into a pop band track. I thought the vocals and raps were nice. The chorus had a sweet sounding melody. Besides that, I don’t have much else to say about the song. (6/10)

6. Just This One Day (딱 하루만) – I think the one thing we must comment on in this song is the chorus. It was that rock sound that seemed to be missing from this album. When I first heard it, I was digging the head banging vibes. I like the scratching record which you heard throughout the raps sequences. The way the ad-libs were layered at the end gave the song a more appealing manner. The vocals were a little plain during the verses, but they contrasted nicely with the chorus. The only thing I am not keen on is the rap-speak during the bridge. (8/10)

Overall Album Review – 8/10