Author: kpopreviewed

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

[Review] Shooting Love – Laboum

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Laboum has returned to the stage with a brand new song. They made their first comeback in 2016 with Journey to Atlantis, which I totally loved. Just 4 months later, they returned with a new mini album and their newest title track Shooting Love. Furthermore, Laboum topped my weekly KPOP chart for last week. That was just my way of sliding my charts into these posts!

They came back with a pretty good song. I have to admit. It was catchy and addictive to listen to. I totally fell for it. But there are a few things that did disappoint me. The song sounds more childish (and at parts, cringeworthy). Journey to Atlantis was still that cutesy aegyo concept, but there was a more mature vibe to it. Parts of Shooting Love sounded like a kid was making shooting sounds. Some parts would have sounded a lot better in cheerleading format, but instead, we got kiddy format. I did like the rest of the vocals. The “Bang Bang Bang Boy” reeled me in pretty fast (though it did take me a while to figure out what they were saying, which I don’t really know why, though). The rap was unnecessary and was probably the other part of the song which I did not like. The pop vibe in the song was pretty great. I liked the instrumental to the song. Consistent throughout and the extra beats added for the chorus came at the right time. Really made me happy to listen throughout the rest of the song (minus the rap).

We really need to address this ongoing use of guns in the videos. I get they try to avoid the rating officials and want something cute rather than violent to be in the video, but honestly, it is getting pretty damn embarrassing and ridiculous. Have no clue on what is occurring the video. I get that they are split into teams. One of the teams comes with bombs and spy gear, while the other team comes with grenades and pink guns. I guess they are competing for someone’s love and trying to eliminate the other team. While my idea is ridiculous, I am going with what I think. And though that is pretty cringeworthy and really childish to watch, I find the video quite interesting and amusing. Plus dropping the bomb in the bin somehow managed to stop the bomb from blowing everything on camera to bits. Yeah, I don’t know. I loved the camera work in this video. It made the video look quite cool at some parts. In regards to the ending, I don’t know if the video was actually meant to be the “shooting of a (terrible) movie”.

The dance was great. The editing in the music video made the dance look quite cool and really made me expect a lot. I was a little disappointed with the stage performances, but only a little bit. Overall, I thought the dance was fitting for the song. Though I do have to ask, what were with the random “place hands under each boob” part of the chorus? Got a little lost there, but I loved the use of the handguns (makes sense) and the imaginary bow and arrow (also makes sense) in the dance. Just that random move I don’t find any sense in it.

Final Rating – 7.5/10

 

[Review] Chewing Gum – NCT Dream

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NCT is back (once again) but this time with a brand new subunit, NCT Dream. This new subunit consist of 7 members: Mark (who has also debuted with NCT 127 and NCT U), Ren Jun, Jeno, Haechan (who is also a part of NCT 127), Jaemin, Chen Le and Jisung. Every time I hear this song, I have to let out a sigh.Their average age as a group is around 15 years old. I also did some research and all the members are younger than me. I feel old and am getting old.

This is another amazing song to add to the mix of recent releases. It is a completely different style to what the previous subunits have done. To be precise, this song is more pop than any of 127 or U’s releases. Furthermore, it is a completely different style to what SM puts out. It is such a colourful and bright song. It is damn catchy and addictive. “Chew-Chew-Chew-Chewing Gum“. It is easy to remember and you will be singing along in not time. Even the vocal work and the rapping in this song is pretty good. It doesn’t sound like a new debut group, but one that has tonnes of the experience in the bag. The instrumental is pretty nice as well. It was consistent throughout. No major slow downs to throw the track off its … track. Even when it came to the rap, the song remained true to itself and didn’t change in any way. So many songs do that and somehow manage to ruin the vibe and the flow of the song. This is by far the best NCT release yet, mainly because I fell for the song as soon as I heard it.

The music video is definitely colourful and vibrant. Fits in perfectly with the song and the concept. As the average age of the group is quite young, it makes sense for them to go for this concept, the scouts. Move over school boy concepts, make way for the boy scouts! It is pretty unique, to be honest, I give that to them. So, from what happened in the video, I guess the camp leader is not too big on chewing gum. He lines them up and makes the boys spit out whatever is in their mouth if he catches them chewing. My question is: why are you acting as if it is disgusting? You asked someone to spit on your hand. Even if you are not expecting chewing gum, I don’t think anything nice will be coming out… But per usual, you tell kids to do one thing and they will do the other. So they have a hidden stash and at night, they have fun. Until the guy comes in, so they have to hide. But somehow, they trap the camp leader guy with chewing gum… Okay, towards the end of the video, it becomes a little confusing. Despite that, the video was fun yet interesting to watch. Not complaining about anything here. I liked it a lot and I keep coming back to the video and watching it.

Hands down. This has to be one of the best dance performances of the year. They are dancing on freaking segways. I can’t even ride a segway. I never even seen one in real life. I am amazed. After one week of promotions, I am in awe. None of them has had a stuff up on the boards and they make it look like it too easy. Even when they are not on the boards, the guys still manage to blow me away with their moves. Damn… For a pop based song, I think the quality of the dance was excellent. All I can do is the water sprinkler and I still manage to look like a clumsy human being.

Honestly excellent debut. Final Rating – 9.5/10

[Review] Secret Time – Spica

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It has been over two years (apparently two years felt like an eternity) since we last heard anything from these girls. Not much has happened in the previous two years since their last release, Ghost, which was not even promoted at all. They have changed to a different company, CJ E&M Entertainment (earlier this year) and since then, their activities have increased. Notably, Bohyung is appearing on the show, Girl Spirit, which allows main vocalists of underrated girl groups to shine.

If you don’t remember Spica or have not heard of them, remember them now. Their vocals and unique retro songs back in the day made them quite popular. And now they are back with the superb harmonies and vocals with this new song. It is as if there was no 2-year gap that could have undermined their vocal abilities. I am amazed at the quality of the song. Sure, it does fall short compared to other songs at the moment however I liken this song to like a “re-debut” rather than a comeback. Okay, more about the song. It is a very nice nu-disco track that makes me want to dance. It is funky and retro-y, fitting really well into the songs that Spica had released in the past. As I mentioned before, the vocal work in this song is amazing. I feel like they selected the right person for each part of the song. Jiwon, in particular, fits the chorus really well, in my opinion. Bohyung and Boa sounded amazing together. Narae and Sihyun (they don’t really shine in the song) sang really well. While they do all sound different, they came together really well and made the song flow spectacularly. I really loved the small short segments of no sounds, right after each chorus. It gave what followed through right after a nice punch and it made the song more vibrant and cool. The beat was there throughout the whole song and it contributed to that nice vibrant feel.

Not exactly fond of the video. I guess the song had a party-like vibe to it, so it made sense for a party to appear in the video. Love the idea of the skating centre. The set (and the idea) does bring you back to the times when roller skates used to be cool. I just feel like the events in the video are quite outrageous and extremely random, to the point where it did undermine the quality of the video (for me). I loved everything else regarding the choreography shots and the closeups. We need to talk about the “gun” nature in KPOP videos one day. This pretty much adds to my frustration when it comes to guns. The video, I admit, looked quite hardcore then. And then it turns to bubble guns and the girls are all smiling the next minute. I had a “huh?” face for the rest of the video. It makes no sense and it ruined the mood of the video. I feel like the video could have lost of the craziness and make it feel like a party. It is a way to capture our attentions, but as I said before, it was over the top. Like the addition of the backup dancers to the party was far too late.

Dance wise, it was okay. Sure, it could have been better. But Spica is definitely highlighting their vocals in this song. Hence if they had a more upgraded dance, their vocals were gonna be sacrificed. I understand that and for that, I can’t really say much about. Quality first. I did like the end of the performance where they line up in a diagonal line and do the “ssshh” gesture. That looked cool.

Final Rating – 8/10

 

 

[Review] Secret – WJSN (Cosmic Girls)

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WSJN (Cosmic Girls) have returned to the stage with their brand new mini-album, The Secret. This is their first comeback since their debut. It is also Yeonjung’s first time performing with the group. She was previously a Produce 101 trainee and was also chosen to be part of the lineup of I.O.I. She had taken time off from I.O.I to promote with Cosmic Girls and will return to the temporary group once her promotions (for Secret) with her group are over.

I freaking love this song. I am in awe. I am amazed. I can barely contain my excitement while I write this. Because everything in this review will be praising the song and the entire comeback. For those who don’t remember, I was not  fond of Mo Mo Mo (their debut track). This is definitely an improvement in all aspects. I loved the funky/retro instrumental that I would have associated with Space and the universe when I was younger. The vocal work (especially in the chorus) was superb. The rapping here is 100% improved from their last release. There was a nice kick to it this time that really drew my attention to it. The song was catchy and addictive. As soon as I heard it, I fell for it and this song has been replayed every day ever since it was released. I was satisfied from start to end and I have no complaints about anything in the song.

That Space sound that I mentioned before, it was definitely incorporated and reflected in the video. The video reminded me of  Lovelyz’s Destiny for the camera angles and the way the video was shot. It also reminded me of Brown Eyed Girl’s Brand New World for the futuristic and universal concept. I am not saying that they copied the mentioned videos, just it reminded me of them. Anyway regarding the content of the video, I have no idea with what is going on. It seems like they are wishing upon a star (hopefully) or doing some weird astrology mashed up with witchcraft. There was an air of mysteriousness in the video, which looked really cool and I also liked that a lot. Even though the majority of the video was shot with a green screen and some shots were cheesy to watch, I thought it was a nice looking video. I am not disgraced or disappointed by anything in the video, though. I love the choreography scenes a lot. While I am quite sure they shot that in a studio with the green screen (I may be wrong), they made it look so much like outside but with an artificial component to it as well.

Dance wise, I loved it. A lot of likes and love with this review. Since there are so many members, it is very hard to get everyone proper screen time and the movement around the stage is always hard for a group with many members. But Cosmic Girls have done it effortlessly. I love the start of the dance, where they split into groups and strut out in diagonal lines. Also liked the chorus dance as well.

Final Rating – 10/10. I will recommend this to anyone who wants to get into WJSN (Cosmic Girls).

 

[Review] Lotto – EXO

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EXO has returned with their latest repackaged album, Lotto. If you don’t remember, EXO made their previous comeback with Monster and Lucky One back in June. In the brief absence, the band have been busy with international and domestic concerts (both solo and company). Unfortunately, though, this comeback have been riddled with problems. The majority of the members have been injured or currently sick. Yet they still manage to pull through and perform every week for this promotion run. It shows their passion and determination for the fans, but like any human being, they need rest and a break. A long massive break! And that goes for all artists, KPOP or not!!!

For those who don’t know, I am not a big fan of autotune. Yes, I do enjoy it to some degree, especially when it is used interestingly and in small doses. However, a song that is autotuned from beginning to end really irks me. Not all the time, as a few songs with autotune all the way through it, have been my favourites. But from experience, the majority of the songs of that kind do disappoint me. Moving back to this song, though, I am a little torn. I am extremely disappointed with the copious amount of autotune, but I am digging the instrumental and it is quite catchy. From the vocals and rap, everything has been laced in autotune and I can’t help but shiver from it. I do much prefer the live versions (or the stage version) where the autotune is reduced and you can clearly hear the vocals and rapping work. With that alone, the song is quite good. We (and I) already know that the group is capable enough with the autotune. I just cannot get over the autotune. The instrumental (at the start) sounds a lot like RnB back in the day. I do like the electronic components in the background. I am totally in love with the short instrumental bit for the dance break.

The music video is a lot dark and shot in a way that resembles Monster’s music video. The camera angles, the wide panning and the overall way the camera moves (should have said that from the start) seem quite similar (probably the same director). I like it very much in this video. It captures the scenes pretty well and gives the video a nice “story” feel to it. Anyway, like the song title suggests, the video is made purely with the idea of gambling and money surrounding it. Yes, even Suho is burning money.  The guys went for a more edgier look and style for this concept and I do think it suit them. I am a little surprised about the content of the video. For a video which promotes gambling, the people who rates the music video put down a rating of 15+. That’s okay an all but doesn’t this video send a bad message to the younger kids. I am quite sure there are many mature fans who know what is right and wrong. But I am a little concerned about the younger generation. I won’t hate on the video for showing all of that plus some activites that are illegal (in my country at least), but I think something should be said about those who puting ratings on the video. Minus the ethics of behind the video (will refrain from going into a huge debate), I actually do like this video quite a bit (more so the imagery and viewing pleasure).

As for the dance, I like it as well. It suits the song pretty well. Love the “pokie machine handle” dance. It fits in with the sound/concept of the song but at the same time, emphasises the sexy and ediger side of the guys. I do also like the dance break they have. That is probably the most memorable part of the dance. If I were to use a word to describe the dance, I would say “cocky”. Their facial expressions and some of their dance moves give off that vibe.

Final Rating – 6.5/10

[Review] Whatta Man – I.O.I

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I.O.I are currently one of the trendiest groups in KPOP at the moment. For those who don’t know who I.O.I. are (the first thing should be: where on earth have you been?), they are a girl group formed from the show Produce 101. The top 11 girls went on to debut in I.O.I who will continue with activities, until they are to disband in January 2017. Some of the 11 girls are from girl groups who have recently debuted, so the last times the girls performed as  a group of 11 was with Dream Girls (which I did not review). Now, the girls have returned with 7 members and their new song, Whatta Man.

Sounds familiar, do you say? Well, the song is a remake of What A Man by Linda Lyndell and Whatta Man by Salt ‘N’ Pepa. I.O.I’s version is obviously going to be more modern and I like it (to be exact – half of it). Love the rock inspired instrumental , which sounds really fitting for the song. This song sounds more powerful and gives off a nice strong vibe than the originals.The vocal work in the chorus and the instrumental is phenomenal.However, I do think the vocal work of some of the members needs to be improved. They kept the strong vocalists for the chorus and left the other members to do the verses, which is smart, but it kind of gives off an empty feel when I started to listen to the verses. I personally do not listen to the song for the verses, but for the catchy chorus. I would like to see future releases and see some of the other members get their moment to shine, though.

So the music video opens up with one of the members on a date with a handsome guy. He is uninterested in the girl, who is devastated  when he leaves. Her friends are concerned for her and decide to the girl a makeover. So they start redoing her makeup, choosing her clothing and teaching her how to be confident. And while it is as cliche as it sounds, the guys fall for the girl after she becomes “stronger” in the end. It is a pretty simple, yet overdone plot. Besides that, I don’t really have much else to say about the video.

Once again, the dance also goes for the strong  and powerful vibe that I was talking about before. I personally think it looks really cool and nice. Not sure about the latex style outfits, though.Everyone assumed the girls were going for the sexy concept when the photos of the girls in the latex was released. YMC Entertainment (their company) scoffed and questioned why everyone assumed so. I was like everyone else and thought it was going be a disaster. But hey, they managed to pull it off with a fitting dance to go with it as well.

Final Rating – 6/10

[Review] Fantasy – VIXX

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VIXX has returned to the stage with the second part of their Greek God trilogy. Last time, they were Zelos, the God of Jealousy and Rivalry and made their comeback with Dynamite. This time, they returned to their dark roots as the God of the Underworld, otherwise known as Hades. The title track for this promotional run is Fantasy.

Jaw dropping. I am amazed and in awe when I hear this song. I love the orchestra feel of the instrumental. The instrumental itself was sampled from Moonlight Sonata, which in the context of this song, gives it an eerie feeling that really cannot be described in words.I love the slow buildup in this song and that burst of power and sound that we get as soon as we launch right into the chorus. And saying launch makes it underwhelming. More like thrown into the chorus as approx 100 km/hr. Okay, I will stop. The vocal work and the rapping in the song are amazing. None of them felt lacking or  underwhelming. I do have two minor complaints. While I did love the chorus a lot, I felt it was quite overpowering for the vocals. I found it a bit difficult to listen to Ken and Leo the first few times I listened to the song. I am more used to it now, just I do have that thought come into frame every now and then. Ravi had quite a limited part. I am a little disappointed in that. The rap sequence we got is already excellent, though I would appreciate it more if it was a lot longer. But still, it is an excellent song that is right up VIXX’s alley.

Concept wise, I don’t really see much of the “Hades” concept in the video. But when we talk about the Greek God of the Underworld, ‘eerie’, ‘mysterious’, ‘dark’, ‘powerful’ and ‘terrifying’ are all terms we would use to describe him. And once again, VIXX has ticked it all off. The darkness was not there that much in Dynamite, but it is definitely here in this one, which reminds me so well of the old days for VIXX. Though I have no clue on what is really happening in the video, here is my take on the video: the members are like demons from the underworld. They are sent to bring N down to their world, and coerce him into going into the door that leads to the new world. So some of the members (N, Hongbin, Ken and Ravi( had halos at the end but in the form of the prickly metal halos. Once N officially becomes one of theirs, it seems Leo is their next target but somehow manages to avoid it (as he is bandaging up his wounds at the end, where the prickly metal bits are meant to be). Hyuk seems to be someone from above, stopping people before entering the door. That’s my take on the video and if I was even remotely right, I think it is an interesting story to tell.

The choreography fits the song and concept really well. Though I do not see anything memorable, them singing the song and pulling off any dance is bound to blow all our minds. I do think the dance does back up my theory in the music video. At the end of the first chorus, the lyrics “Get back up, off that dream”. They drop down to the stage as if the underworld is calling them, but the eerie vocals make it seem like someone from above is calling them, hence they look up. Just something I noticed that probably isn’t right, but still amazing.

Final Rating – 8.5/10

[Weekly Chart] 4th Week of August 2016

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Welcome back to the charts for the week. This time, it is a Sunday and I will be doing the top 30 songs this week. It will take up more of my time, but it should take up that much (hopefully).

Last week, VIXX made their comeback and debuted as the number 1 song for the 3rd week of August 2016. If you scroll down below, you will see that this week sees the debut of a new number artist: Laboum. Congrats!

As for next week, NCT Dream and Spica (both songs I really like) will be making their debut on the charts. NU’EST is also the other big artist that will be able to make it on next week’s chart.

A lovely reminder of the what the colours mean. Added a new one for songs that appear on the charts during their final week.
Green (↑)  – Song has gone up in ranking
Pink (↔) – Song did not feature in top 20 of the previous week, but has re-entered this week’s top 20. 
Red (↓) – Song has gone down in ranking
Blue (=) – Song has remained in the same position as the previous week
Orange  (new) – Song debuts on the chart
Grey (Final Week) – Song appears on the chart for its final week. 

24th April – 30th April 2016
Title Artist Percentage
1 Shooting Love Laboum (new)
2 Fantasy VIXX (↓ 1) 
3 Whatta Man IOI (↑ 16)
4 Very Nice Seventeen (=)
5 Stuck Monsta X (=)
6 Lotto EXO (new)
7 Aing Oh My Girl (↓ 4)
8 Secret WSJN (Cosmic Girls) (↓ 6)
9 Navillera Gfriend (↓ 2)
10 Whistle BlackPink (↔)
11 Tonight UP10TION (↓ 3)
12 Can’t Help Myself Eric Nam ft. Loco (↑ 1) 
13 Boom Bah Yah BlackPink (↑ 10)
14 That’s My Jam B.A.P (↓ 5)
15 Alright INX (↑ 11)
16 How’s That Hyuna (↓ 6)
17 Lip 2 Lip Nine Muses A (↓ 11)
18 Still 24K 24K (new)
19 Why So Lonely Wonder Girls (↓ 8)
20 Ribbon Beast (↑ 4)
21 Thinking of You Jun.K (2PM) (↓ 4)
22 What’s Your Number? Zhou Mi (Super Junior M) (↔) 
23 She Vromance (↓ 9)
24 I Like U Too Much Sonamoo (↓ 4)
25 If You Ailee (new)
26  Strange MASC (new)
27 Take Me Now FT Island (↑ 1) 
28 Fantasy Fei (Miss A) (↑ 1) 
29 Do Better Y-Teen (↓ 13)
30 Try Park Jimin (15&) (new)

Per usual, there are songs that have completed their 9 weeks on the chart and starting from next week, will not be included on the charts anymore. They are:

  • Butterfly – Beast (Peak: 9 – appeared on charts for 3 weeks)
  • Why – Taeyeon (Peak 6 (x2) – appeared on charts for 7 weeks)
  • Starlight – Taeyeon ft. Dean (Peak: 15 – appeared on charts for 2 weeks)
  • Emptiness – Madtown (Peak: 12 – appeared on charts for 3 weeks)

Check in next Sunday for next week’s chart! Also be sure to check out the reviews I have released in the past few days and will be releasing soon as well. Follow me on Twitter (click the bird icon in the grey area below, follow the site or just like the post! All will be appreciated.

[Review] Tonight – UP10TION

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UP10TION made their Summer comeback with Tonight. They released their song back on August 5th and have been promoting the song. They previously came back with Attention in April this year.

Honestly not too bad of a song. It just isn’t find it memorable or that catchy. Sure, I will listen to the song, but it isn’t something that I would say I would go back to it over and over again. I do prefer the more powerful and strong sound that UP10TION is going for. This suits the Summer concept really well, even borrowing lines from top Korean Summer hits. The vocal work is solid and the rapping was okay (not their best). The instrumental does feel quite bopping but (and here is contradicting me coming along) quite monotone for my liking. I don’t mind the brass sounds in it, but it does feel lacking in many ways. It does have a more colourful and bright vibe to it, which is something that we have not yet seen from the guys. But then again, these Summer tracks are something that most KPOP boy bands do. Which kind of leads me onto my next point (and refer back to the top). It is pretty generic (i.e. every band does a song like this and the sound/concept becomes unoriginal) and bland. That contributed to the lack of memorability of the song. But like I said, if it was there, I would listen to it.

Can’t really bang on how generic this video is. Unless I think of some way to show the Summer concept without throwing in the pool and the guys having fun. But that is essentially what the video is and there really isn’t much to say in regards to it. Though, rolling disco balls on a sunny day isn’t that fun. The light reflecting off the ball and into your/stranger’s eyes? Isn’t that annoying? This is coming from a guy who squints every time the suns pops out from behind the clouds. Where is this going?

Dance is okay. The stages aren’t that memorable as well. They do use a blanket or some material of some sort on the stage. The start looks quite cool, but pulling your members on it looks too childish for me. The blanket itself is something that I would associate with toddlers, not young adults.

Final Rating – 5/10

[Double Review] Whistle + Boom Bah Yah – BLACKPINK

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One of the newest groups on the block. BLACKPINK is a four member girl group under YG Entertainment. The group is the first girl group from YG Entertainment, since 2NE1 made their debut back in 2009, which was 7 years ago. Countless rumours over the years have suggested YG would be debuting another girl group, but those plans fell through. Glad to see that one of their plans managed to make it in the end. The group consist of Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa.

Whistle is a song that is quite addictive and is firmly rooted with its hip hop influences. When I say it is addictive, I think we can thank the continuous whistles in the song. While they do seem somewhat annoying and repetitive, it made the song feel alive and more likeable. I really liked the completely slow verses and then the sudden buildup to the chorus. The chorus + bridge had such a nice soulful vibe to it, which pretty much showed me their vocal abilities (which are quite strong). I am on the fence when it comes to their raps in this song.

However, Boom Bah Yah shows their rapping and vocal talents off pretty well. This song is quite bass heavy and still have that hip hop influence in it. It also has a nice powerful vibe to it. I like this song more (over Whistle) because there is more of a vibrant colour to the song, plus a much better hook that reeled me into the song.The words “Boom Bah Yah” are the perfect way to start off the chorus. The insturmental is more likeable here. Overall, Boom Bah Yah was my more preferred song.

The music videos that were released alongside these songs really failed to capture my attention. I basically watched each once and haven’t returned to any of them at all. Both videos were shot inside sets that felt a little too constricting. That was the first thing that I noticed. But even the dance scenes were constricting. Boom Bah Yah had great colour in the video. It just lacked the powerful feel the song had going. It  seemed weak and needed something to make it seem stronger. Maybe more flashing lights that were in time with the beat? Whistle had a more stronger vibe in the video, but it didn’t suit the song. Majority of the scenes in the video showed the girls stuck to one spot and only the camera moved. That made it boring. I would liked to see more of the scenes where the girls were dancing or at least moving. Might have given me more to talk about. I did like the sets for this video though.

Dance wise, not that memorable. That goes for both performances. The dances did suit the songs to a certain degree, but I feel like they fall short compared to other artists with (what I see) is great choreography.

Whistle – 5.5/10

Boom Bah Yah – 6/10

[Review] Stuck – Monsta X

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Monsta X previously made their comeback with All In. Another song that was released with All In was Stuck. Stuck was chosen as another special release and was promoted on shows for 2 weeks. While it does not have an official music video, there is an accompanying “special” video that I will dive into very briefly.

With that last statement, I feel like I am reviewing Stuck mainly for the song. Stuck is such an awesome song. How did I not notice it before? I think Stuck is a very unique song, despite it being somewhat similar to their previous releases. Monsta X is doing pretty well with this rough and edgy eletronic EDM sound. All their songs so far that I have listened to tend to fall into that genre. Stuck is more sophiscated, in the fact that the song isn’t as simple or clear cut. The vocal work in this is amazing and so are the raps. But let me focus a little on the vocals. There is something about each time they start the chorus. It stood out for me from the get-go and I think it makes the song amazing. It leads into the rest of the chorus quite well and I like that for that. The song is (obviously) powerful and from the start to the end, you can definetely hear that load of power. Regardless if you are listening to it on full blast or full blast with your earphones is (don’t judge – and it was by accident). Personally, I really like the song and think (as mentioned above) it is really awesome.

The video that was released with it includes a few close up shots but majority of it is cheorprgaphy. Nothing to mention about the video. Would have loved a full music video however this still does the job nicely. The video was filmed in an abonaded place that when paired with the song, matches the edgy feel I was talking about before.

Moving to what Monsta X does really well. The dancing is extraordinary. There is no arguments against that. It fits the song perfectly (from the power feel to the clean cut moves that matches the clean cut beat). It hit the expectation bar quite nicely. I just do not watch it enough to bang on about it. I write this review more for the song (as I said) than anything else.

Final Rating – 9/10 

[Weekly Chart] 3rd Week of August 2016

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So I just finished half of my semester this week and have the next week off. That means a lot of catching up with my class work that I have yet to touch. But that also means I have time to start writing reviews. It is going to be one busy week with the need to catch up on reviews that I have assigned myself to do for the last few weeks. But nonetheless, here is the chart for the week between the 14th and 20th of August.

VIXX and Cosmic Girls both took out the first two places this week, dethroning Oh My Girl. Seventeen, despite dropping more than expected last week, have risen once again, so this week will be interesting.

I am actually going to try removing the pink doubled ended arrows from the chart starting next week and see how it goes. They make the chart look boring. I honestly don’t know why I include them. This means I will extend the chart to top 30 for now. It’s only a trial and I shall update you all on it.

EXO released their latest song, Lotto, on Thursday. They did not debut this chart, but will be debuting on next week’s chart. Other artists joining EXO will be Ailee, Laboum, Two X and some other artists.

A lovely reminder of the what the colours mean. Added a new one for songs that appear on the charts during their final week.
Green (↑)  – Song has gone up in ranking
Pink (↔) – Song did not feature in top 20 of the previous week, but has re-entered this week’s top 20. 
Red (↓) – Song has gone down in ranking
Blue (=) – Song has remained in the same position as the previous week
Orange  (new) – Song debuts on the chart
Grey (Final Week) – Song appears on the chart for its final week. 

14th August – 20th August 2016
Title Artist Status
1 Fantasy VIXX (new) 
2 Secret WSJN (Cosmic Girls) (new) 
3 Aing Oh My Girl (↓ 2)
4 Very Nice Seventeen (↑ 2) 
5 Stuck Monsta X (↓ 2) 
6 Lip 2 Lip Nine Muses A (↑ 4) 
7 Navillera Gfriend (↓ 3) 
8 Tonight UP10TION (↑ 3)
9 That’s My Jam B.A.P (↓ 2) 
10 How’s That Hyuna (↓ 8)
11 Why So Lonely Wonder Girls (↓ 2)
12 I Like That Sistar  (↓ 7) (Final Week)
13 Can’t Help Myself Eric Nam ft. Loco  (↑ 3)
14 She Vromance (↔)
15 Cry Stellar (↔)
16 Do Better Y-Teen (new) 
17 Think About You Jun.K (2PM) (↓ 2)
18 Goodbye Taemin (SHINee) (↔)
19 Whatta Man IOI (↓ 5) 
20 I Like U Too Much Sonamoo (↓ 8)

Once again, one song was removed from the chart this week due to it being on the charts for 9 weeks. This song is included in this chart, but will not be eligible for next week’s chart.

  • I Like That – Sistar  (Peak: 1 (x2) – appeared on charts for all 9 weeks)

Check back  next week for the charts. Hope you guys are well and enjoying this. Check out my latest reviews that I wrote in the past week, in the grey area below.

[Review] That’s My Jam – B.A.P

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B.A.P has returned after 5 months with a brand new single. Earlier in the year, the guys made their first comeback of 2016 with Feel So Good. After finishing promotions for the song, they went on a world tour and recently completed it. Now, back in South Korea, launched right back in with their song.

It is a totally cool song that will totally be anyone’s jam. B.A.P has done it again. Their last song had a similar style but this one is more upbeat and party anthem like. It is a great song to rock to at a party or just to dance around the house. There are many components to the song that when you step back sounds like a horrible mashup. But when you listen to the song, it somehow manages to work. The chorus is quite upbeat and poppish. The raps were hip-hop oriented. The song slowed down at some parts and made it sound dramatic. Let’s move onto the rapping. Yong Guk and Zelo used to stand out, however, the raps in this song were quite lacking. I didn’t really enjoy their raps as I wanted to. But the vocal work in this song was amazing. Per usual Daehyun got the most parts but Jongup’s forever improving vocals were put into the spotlight. Youngjae and Himchan basically got the short end of the stick. Not much time to shine at all (or barely noticeable in the song). But overall, it is a good song to just have a dance around to. Quite catchy and has a great hook.

Parts of the video make sense to me. Some parts have me going “huh?”. The guys at the start look like they are about to die from boredom. But Daehyun’s plays his songs, which gets everyone in the mood for partying. Then the videos move to them going to some holiday. Okay, makes sense. But why the cheesy close-up shots to make them look like they are doing some commercial throughout the whole video.For a few parts, I get. But like Daehyun, Youngjae and Jongup on the beach chairs. Was that necessary?  And where do they plan to go for the holiday? Cause it looks like the desert and the middle of nowhere. Anyway, finally comes to the shooting scene. What? I don’t see the connection there. Just because you are having fun doesn’t equate it to shooting guns… You see my reasoning? I am lost for parts of the videos and that does impact my viewing experience. The fun element in the video, however, is through the roof and I do like that. While it is all staged (and you cannot deny it), the boys look like they are genuinely having fun and making the best out of the situation. Oh, and I like apple juice as well (thought I somehow add that in there).

The dance was more of a “let’s party” on stage kind of dance. Sometimes I can appreciate it. Sometimes, I can’t. With this performance, the backup dancers have a set routine that they had to follow, but the performance I watched today was incredibly messy. I am going to blame the guys for that one because they were running about and having fun. While the concept was good, the overall look of the stage was disappointing.

Final Rating – 6/10

[Review] Lip 2 Lip – Nine Muses A

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Nine Muses have returned but as a subunit consisting of Kyungri, Sojin, Hyemi and Keumjo. It has been a while since we heard from Nine Muses and since we last heard from them, a few other members (namely Minha and Euaerin) left the group once their contract was up.

Lip 2 Lip is another okay song. Sadly, it is not as memorable as I would want it to be. It has a diva-like feel to the song and falls nicely in within the retro realm. The chorus is not as catchy, but that “la-di-da chu~” steals my attention. Them singing that makes somewhat catchy, but I would have liked more of a hook to the rest of the chorus. It just feels empty and bland. Sojin’s rap is pretty nice. It is very mature and sounds very classy. I don’t know why but the song starts to pick up at the bridge and slows down before getting into the last “la-di-da chu~” part. I felt like that faster beat should have been there from the start and the bridge should have been a simple slow down. However, as I said, it is okay. It is bearable and I do listen to it. If it was catchier, I would have liked it more and probably more people would pay attention to the song. I agree with you, that is harsh, but I think that is what is missing in the song.

The music video depicts a group of girls who gather around and I guess chat about a guy one of them is meeting. This chat makes the main character in the music video discuss with the others about her experiences with the guy (which makes the other girls envy her). However, towards the end of the video, it is revealed that the guy is two-timing with another girl from the group and the girls are angry at that. The ending kind of leaves you on edge a little bit. There seems to be something more to the video and hopefully, this is a sign for a future Nine Muses comeback, so the story can be continued. Interesting story line. One that has been done a few times too many recently. Rest of the video (i.e. the dance shots) were okay.

The dance featured a small part of the music video concept. The end of the dance shows the girls standing around a phone and realising the same thing that occurred in the video. Quite smart. The rest of the dance was okay. It isn’t memorable or anything, sadly. Nine Muses usually do well with the dances. Just not this time, sadly.

Final Rating – 4.5/10

[Weekly Chart] 2nd Week of August 2016

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It has been a busy week for me (yet I still am able to churn out so many reviews during the week). I am drowning in the amount of work that I need to complete. It just keeps piling up and up. Unfortuately, the next two weeks are going to be busy. Hence, there is a slight possiblity that I won’t be able to post next week’s charts next Sunday and might have to push it to Wednesday 24th of August. Reviews, I will try to get them out. Maybe 1 or 2 in the next week. Maybe, if I am lucky, a few more.

I did say VIXX and 24K were to make their comebacks this week. However, I noticed that if I included them in the charts, them debuting on the charts is a) unlikely and b) unfair, since I only had a day or two to include them on it. So, they will make their debut in the upcoming weekly charts.

There has also been a change in rankings this week! Seventeen (who held the top spot for 5 weeks with Very Nice) have moved down the charts, making way for new entries and a new chart topper, Oh My Girl. Oh My Girl previous peaked at the number 1 spot with Windy Day. Congrats Oh My Girl! I honestly did not expect (or make) Seventeen drop down that much. I expected one rank down, but not 5.

A lovely reminder of the what the colours mean. Added a new one for songs that appear on the charts during their final week.
Green (↑)  – Song has gone up in ranking
Pink (↔) – Song did not feature in top 20 of the previous week, but has re-entered this week’s top 20. 
Red (↓) – Song has gone down in ranking
Blue (=) – Song has remained in the same position as the previous week
Orange  (new) – Song debuts on the chart
Grey (Final Week) – Song appears on the chart for its final week. 

7th August – 13th August 2016
Title Artist Status
1 Aing Oh My Girl (↑ 2)
2 How’s That Hyuna (↑ 8)
3 Stuck Monsta X (new) 
4 Navillera Gfriend (↑ 2)
5 I Like That Sistar (↑ 3)
6 Very Nice Seventeen (↓ 5)
7 That’s My Jam B.A.P (new) 
8 Fantasy Fei (Miss A) (↔)
9 Why So Lonely Wonder Girls (↑ 8) 
10 Lip 2 Lip Nine Muses A (↑ 3)
11 Tonight UP10TION (new) 
12 I Like U Too Much Sonamoo (↓ 10) 
13 Alright INX (new)
14 Whatta Man I.O.I (new)
15 Thinking About You Jun.K (2PM) (new) 
16 Can’t Help Myself Eric Nam ft. Loco (↓ 5) 
17 0805 SNSD  (new)
18 All Mine F(x)  (↓ 11)
19 What’s Your Number? Zhou Mi (Super Junior M)  (↓ 14)
20 Whistle BLACKPINK  (new)

As I mentioned last week some songs will be leaving the charts. They were a part of this week’s (7 August– 13 August). However, as promised, the following songs have been removed from the charts due to finishing their 9-week span:

  • Hotel Heartbreak – Tiffany (SNSD) ft. Simon D (Peak: 6 – appeared on charts for 4 weeks)
  • On The Road – DIA (Peak: 14 (x2) – appeared on charts for 3 weeks)

Check back  next week for the charts. Hope you guys are well and enjoying this. Check out my latest reviews that I wrote in the past week, in the grey area below.

[Review] Listen To My Word (Aing~) – Oh My Girl

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It has definitely been a very busy year for Oh My Girl. They previously released Liar Liar and Windy Day, this year. Some of the members have been busy with their other appearances. Seunghee is garnering attention for her very successfully and highly skilled performances for Girl Spirit. YooA, just the other day, joined Block B’s U-Kwon for Hit The Stage. And on top of the promotions for their title tracks. Wow.

I don’t exactly sure, but it kind of feels like Oh My Girl and their company have found a new niche – bringing in different cultures into the realm of KPOP. Windy Day had this addictive Arabian and ethnic sound to it. This song combines the innocent sound of KPOP and the reggae sounds of Jamaica. It is an interesting mix and it works in their favour. A lot of attention was directed to the track. One way or another, but I am quite sure fans are loving it. It felt awkward at first, but it ended up working perfectly. Skull and HaHa featured in this track and provided that reggae sound to the song by the two small parts they had. Overall, it set the Summer and beach theme of the song quite nicely and provided the girls with the right platform to “launch” into the song. While the vocals were soft and cutesy, can I just point how amazing Mimi’s rap was? As I was listening to the song, I was in awe with her rap part and the transition between reggae, the rap and the rest of the song was amazing. Maybe the only downside to the song I could see was the awkward idea of the two sounds together, but honestly, I am currently in love with this song.

The music video was interesting. It is set in a swimming pool and shows that a little imagination can go a long way. Okay, maybe that isn’t the actual message of the video, but it was the first thing that popped into my head. From the lyrics of the song plus the video, I guess the girls want their friends (lover or social friend) to listen to their story (well I just ripped that out of the English translation provided), despite how crazy it may sound (like sailing in a swimming pool). Honestly, quite a cute video, though. There were some things that caught me off guard, but nothing bad. First of all, Mimi’s rap scene. Love the set there. However, one of the scenes where the girls are standing behind Mimi and those questionable shelves with the plants looked quite freaky and scary. And that English translation on 1TheK’s YouTube video. Wow. Might want to check them out. Quite interesting to read. (I understand that OMG’s company is in charge of the translations).

Dance wise, it was to the boring side, but still enjoyable to watch. Wasn’t as amazing at Windy Day’s dance. However, it kept that cute and innocent concept quite well. And yes, the girls looked quite cute. On stage and throughout the video.

Final Rating – 8.5/10

[NOTE: I also know OMG consist of more than two members. I couldn’t find a decent picture of the whole group from the music video or the teaser images]