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] How’s This – Hyuna

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Hyuna has returned for the first time since her former group, 4MINUTE, parted ways. Hyuna was the only member to remain under Cube Entertainment. Hyuna has a remarkable solo portfolio, so we shouldn’t be alarm. As Hyuna has already demonstrated by topping charts, Hyuna has a long road in front of her that is full of success and popularity. That was so cheesy. I am just going to have to go on with the review now.

I like the song. As soon as the song started, I started enjoying it. Dancing in my chair here and head bopping over there. It is just a great dance/club song. While I do find Hyuna’s voice in some parts this song somewhat whiney in the song, I let that go. The verses showed her as a great vocalist and I thought it brought out her voice very well (the chorus and start, I am not fond of). Also have a smashing instrumental. Definitely a club vibe and fitting for the season. However, everything was great up until that ending. It changed up the song a little too much for and it ruined the song for me. It sounded like moans you would here in a horror movie, rather than a club scene song. I also felt like there could have been a faster rap sequence in the song. It would have amped the song up a little more. Overall, (and I repeat) I do like the song. Just not the ending.

I am a little disappointed with the music video. The music exhibits a power club vibe, which the song has. Check. Club means dancing, alcohol, people. Check. Throw in a person in the spotlight (i.e. Hyuna) and focus the cameras on her. Check. Also sneak in a few extra shots of the crowd and them going wild. Check. Throw in some solo shots. Check. And then throw in a scene of the girls (plus Hyuna) in the bathroom, while this couple is making out. Check… You see, the video is pretty ordinary (even the club vibe) and that ending was a little awkward (plus random). It is another video where what you get is what you get, regardless of any other ideas. You can’t really deviate from what I mentioned above or run the risk of ruining the video. Just a couple making out (which I understand is completely normal) really makes me question the rest of the video. Once again, I was fine up til there… So….

Dance wise, I thought it was okay. Not amazing. Not too boring to make me avoid or not want to watch it. Twerking used to be focussed on the butt, but now, it seems like you can twerk from the front as well. (And this is where in my head a question pops up “where is this going?”). It just looked a little too repetitive. You can only twerk so many times in one performance and make it look like you just did it for the first time.

Final Rating – 5.5/10

[Review] What’s Your Number? – Zhou Mi (Super Junior M)

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SM has been churning out comebacks after comebacks for their artists, with the majority of their artists only being able to promote for a span of two weeks. Yesung and Ryeowook both had solo debuts at the start of the year, but given the short promotions, their debuts have been easily forgotten. Heechul has also made his comeback as part of M&D, but I don’t think their promotional span even lasted a week. Zhou Mi is the latest member to join solo comebacks from the entertainment company. What’s Your Number was released in conjunction with Empty Room, which I will not be reviewing (for the time being) due to time constraints.

It is a solid song. At first, I avoided the song at all cost. I don’t know why, but maybe I was a little overwhelmed with the continuous comebacks from SM entertainment. However, as I started to listen to the song, I thought that it was a pretty good song. I won’t say it is amazing because it leaves me a little disappointed. It feels like a typical song and a song that has been rejected by other artists in SM before being passed to Zhou Mi. There really isn’t much flare to the song nor is there anything to hook me in and keep me listening to it. I do listen to it because it is upbeat and bright. His vocals are pretty well highlighted in this song. But I wanted him to make a more powerful and strong comeback, not some sort of love summer song. While I do say his vocal potential is delivered in this song, I do have to say the song overall is quite monotone. Especially that launch into the final chorus. It sounded deflated and a failure, to be honest. Overall, the song did deliver but failed to keep my attention on it.

The music video reminded me of Jonghyun’s She Is video. I think it was the shipping crates, the overall tightness of some of the sets and some of the scenes. The video is essentially just close up shots of Zhou Mi, some dancing scenes and attempts to get a girl’s number. And SM is back it again with those brand name shirts. (When I say brand name, I actually mean a brand logo smacked onto a shirt – in this case, Pizza Hut). It was pretty boring and I am a disappointed by it. However what we got is probably what we get. It kind of does feels that this would be the final result of the music video if another artist did it. The video concept and overall idea do feel like a dead end. I guess I am more disappointed by the fact every time I watch this video, I automatically think back to Jonghyun’s one.

Dance wise, it is pretty good. I am impressed by this choreography. I do see a little uncomfortableness (or is it nerves) when I watch a few of his performances. Some moves do seem a little stiff at the start, but as the stages go on, he ends up more comfortable. I liked the simplicity of the chorus parts. It isn’t loud but still on point and well polished.

Final Rating – 5.5/10

 

[Review] Fantasy​ – Fei (Miss A)

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It has been a while since we last heard from Miss A. Sadly, Jia left the band earlier in the year. Suzy had a collaboration with Baekhyun at the start of the year and is active as an actress. But moving the other members aside, Fei has made her solo debut in South Korea. This is the first major release of a Miss A member that is promoted on stage. Fei is currently the only Chinese member in Miss A at the moment.

Fantasy is an okay song. It does have a sensual sound to it. Personally, it is another one of those songs that make me go “meh”. I am not impressed by it, but not disappointed by it. Like the title of the song, there is that fantasy vibe to the song, which goes well with that sensual sound that I mentioned. Many people liken it to Sunmi’s 24 Hours and I kind of agree with that. Just this song is more of an electronic and pop version of the latter. The song starts off with jaggered soft sounds which does a pretty good job at starting off the song. Fei’s vocals are pretty on point. Sure, they are not as strong, but she does suit this type of song and sound. I do feel like her voice is overshadowed by the instrumental (by the way, really liked the instrumental), especially on stage. Not sure if she is singing softly, but, it is a letdown, because I do fancy members who do not like limelight for their vocals because other members are better than them. All these “overshadowed” members usually have great vocals that suit a particular song. Sure they are not amazing, but they are great when the right song is picked. Song ended too abruptly for me. As a song that eased through the start, it would have been nice to have the song ease out at the end.

Adding to the sensual vibe of the song is the sensual video which had a 19+ rating on it. From what I see, most of the video is in the guy’s perspective who walks into this questionable, off-the-streets place to (I guess) speak some sort of fantasy. I really like the VR (virtual reality) idea. It adds to the futuristic side concept of the video. Though I was expecting porn for some reason somewhere in the video. Maybe at the end, but we were cut off. All jokes aside, I thought it was a well polished and classy (but in a sensual way) video. All the elements were brought together quite nicely. From the lighting to the editing, to the camera work. Some people may say that it went over the top, but I think it just right for the song. Who am I kidding? I probably am like the guy in the video. Just watching this on YouTube is making my jaw drop. I do know it was added to the video because of the concept, but that pixelated background wasn’t that enjoyable. Yes, to Fei, but not that background.

As you all know, I am a sucker for artists who using props on the stage. The hula hoops is an original idea and quite a complex object to incorporate into the dance. But every time I open up the performances, we see Fei and the backup dancers dance perfectly with the hula hoop. Those loops and kicks really well emphasised in the video. The start, with the hula hoop rings to make it look like the start of the music video, was quite nice. I would have liked for them to be used more in the performance, but then again, they are very hard to use (I say that from other experiences, but not dancing experience).

Final Rating – 7.5/10

[Weekly Chart] 1st Week of August 2016

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And I am back. Sorry about the lack of reviews this week. Been busy with university and HP & Cursed Child came out, so I spent a good deal of my time reading that (and yes, I have finished it).

I predicted Seventeen’s fall on the chart last week. Guess I was wrong. They still hold the top spot. Let’s see what inaccurate predictions I shall make today. Hopefully, the new songs shall rise to the top. They are all so good and are stealing my attention away from the current reigning champions, so I guess it may happen.

Interesting fact: Seventeen’s Pretty U stayed at the top of the charts for 4 weeks in a row. Currently, Seventeen’s Very Nice has stayed at no. 1 for 5 weeks. Let’s see with they can make the sixth week and prove me wrong.

Also looking forward to next week. Girl’s Generation and UP10TION have made their comeback at the end of last week, so they will officially (if they actually do) debut on the chart next week. Monsta X, B.A.P, I.O.I, BTOB, BlackPink, Jun.K, VIXX, 24K and probably a few more artists will be making their comeback next week. Sounds like I will be having my earphones in all week. Hahaha…

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. 

31st July – 6th August 2016
Title Artist Status
1 Very Nice Seventeen (=)
2 I Like U Too Much Sonamoo (↑ 7)
3 Aing Oh My Girl (new)
4 Take Me Now FT Island (↑ 11)
5 What’s Your Number Zhou Mi (Super Junior M) (new)
6 Navillera Gfriend (↓ 4)
7 All Mine F(x) (↑ 3)
8 I Like That Sistar (↓ 4)
9 Crying Stellar (↑ 2)
10 How’s That? Hyuna (new)
11 Can’t Help Myself Eric Nam ft. Loco (↓ 8)
12 Why Taeyeon (SNSD) (↑ 7)
13  Lip2Lip Nine Muses A (new)
14 On The Road DIA (↔)
15 Ribbon Beast (↑ 5)
16 Goodbye Taemin (SHINee) (new)
17 Why So Lonely Wonder Girls (↓ 10)
18 That Summer (Second Story) Infinite (↔)
19 Breathless Astro (↓ 13)
20 Fire Truck NCT 127 (↓ 4)

As I mentioned last week some songs will be leaving the charts. They were a part of this week’s (31 July – 6 August). However, as promised, the following songs have been removed from the charts due to finishing their 9-week span:

  • Stalker – UKISS (Peak: 1  – this did not occur on any of the charts published on the site, but occurred during trialling)
  • Monster – EXO (Peak: 7)
  • Lucky One – EXO (Peak: 5 – this did not occur on any of the charts published on the site, but occurred during trialling)

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

[Review] Take Me Now – FT Island

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KPOP’s rock kings are finally back with a brand new album. Their last comeback was way back in March last year. The group has been busy in Japan with multiple releases (as usual), however recently complained publically about the lack of domestic activities and chances to make comebacks in South Korea. Remember reading that somewhere, just don’t know where. Anyhow, it has been a while, so let’s get cracking.

I really enjoy listening to this song. Every time I hear the song I can’t help but head-bang my way through the song. It is the perfect song for 3 minutes of pure head banging. Singing along to this song is amazing. The song just keeps you up and going the whole time (lol). Though I am not fond of the way Hongki pronounces some of his words, the song still manages to exceed my expectations. Remember last year when I bragged about how good Pray was? This song is like the more levelled up version. I really liked the fluctuations in the song. Some parts were fast, some were slow. But the bigger picture ended up being amazing. I could hear some American influences into this song. If there was an English version of the song, I think multiple bands (sorry, this is just based off minimal knowledge of American rock bands) would fit this song perfectly. The fact that FT Island has gone down this route with Pray and now this (when they used to be more about ballads and toned down rock songs) really give me a good impression of them (which I don’t really need because I know what these guys are capable of). So yeah, currently the perfect song to head-bang and rock to in KPOP.

A little confused with the music video. The music video alludes to breaking away from tradition. I don’t know, it makes sense for the majority of the video, but I don’t know how that little girl plays into it. Is she the young lady we see who “conformed” to society but ends up going against the norms? The burning guitar and how everyone else is wearing protective gear and a gas mask makes me think that way.  Is the little girl the symbol of hope and freedom (too much Hunger Games here) and rebels against the government? The video is so symbolic, but it is quite open ended in my opinion. Some different scenarios can fit the video and that is probably a reason why I am so drawn to the video. I, for some reason, have thought of a few possibilities. Some of which (when thinking back) makes no sense whatsoever.  At first, I thought the video was alluding to a new beginning, particularly regarding the guitar on fire.  I really like the set which they guys perform in. Though it is the same set all the way through, they change it up a few times. Once with a standard normal camera, then a red filter and then fire everywhere. It is really cool and a pretty smart thing to do.

Final Rating – 9.5/10

[Review] Crying – Stellar

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Stellar has returned with another Summer song. Their previous release was at the start of the year (Sting).

I am a little torn about the song. Not saying it is bad in any way because it is honestly a pretty good song. However, it just sounds like a typical KPOP song and I am a little disappointed that the song falls under that description. There is a retro vibe in the song through the instrumental. The EDM based instrumental (which fits the Summer season perfectly) was pretty good, however, it did feel quite bland. Some bass or some other hook in the instrumental (maybe like a different instrument or beat) could have done the song some wonders. I was honestly yawning the few times I have heard the song. The vocal work and everything else is amazing. I could see a large potential in the song. Only if the instrumental was manipulated to be better. It honestly feels like an unfinished song and the producer (who I am pretty sure have put out continuous hits in the past) just forgot to add the bass component to the song. Minus the instrumental, the song is nice to listen to. It flows very well and while I do complain about it being bland, I do find it catchy (to an extent).

Hmmm.. Another video that I probably will never take seriously. Very dramatic video. The video opens up with a dramatic rewind of the ending of the video. It begs the question, what really happened at that poolside that very day. The video then pans to an out of control car, which the girls are driving in. The girls are originally on a holiday. But when they find out that their man is cheating on them, they bring out the water guns and race over to the pool. They plan their revenge by wearing robber’s mask and use their water guns filled with ammo (aka. water, but at some parts: actual gunfire – my guess is that then ran out of actual gun ammo after breaking all the glassware, so they opted for the massive supply of pool water). Once there, they start shooting everyone alike. They shoot the pool girls on the chest, who fall back in the pool. Once the girls are taken cared over, they deal with the dude. While my take on the plotline is questionable, I do find the editing (i.e. slow motion and gunfire) very dramatic and hence my attempt at telling the dramatic storyline. Another thing I noticed about the video, it isn’t overly sexual. Stellar’s videos in the past have been said to be overly sexual, but the most sexual part was the water rolling down the girl’s chest. That scene was probably thrown in there to draw the male demographic’s attention. Overall, the video was okay.

The dance was really bland and boring. I watched a few performance but don’t think the dance is fitting enough with the song. The dance seemed to be made for more of a “lighter” song, rather the EDM kind. Maybe the lack of bass was intentional. But it is disappointing.

Final Rating – 5/10

[Weekly Chart] 4th Week – July 2016

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Welcome back to this week’s Weekly KPOP Chart. If you noticed from last week’s chart, I was in a very big rush to get it out last Sunday, so I ended up copying the text from the week before. Hahaha… I will try to not do that anymore. For this week, I ended this week’s chart 2 hours earlier and am writing all of this before I go to sleep (currently writing this on a Saturday. A little occupied tomorrow). Oh and reviews will continue (at a reasonable snail pace), so don’t worry.

I want to take a minute to discuss a few things.

  • First of all, how you all like these weekly charts? I enjoy doing them (despite them taking a good chunk of my time), but I wonder if you guys like them.
  • Another thing is Sonamoo’s debut on the chart (below). Sonamoo is in their 3rd week of charts already but just debuted. This is going to happen a bit. I would naturally overlook a few songs and then it will come back and haunt me. Exactly what happened here and I just fell in love with this song.
  • The gap between first place and second place has been big these past weeks. However, the gap has become smaller. To the point, where GFriend was extremely close to taking out first place this week. My prediction is that first place will change next week. With who, I don’t know. Any of the top 3 this week could have taken it out.

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 July – 30th July 2016
Title Artist Status
1 Very Nice Seventeen (=)
2 Navillera Gfriend (↑ 1)
3 Can’t Help Myself Eric Nam ft. Loco (↑ 1)
4 I Like That Sistar (↓ 2)
5 She Vromance (↑ 7)
6 Breathless Astro (↑ 12)
7 Why So Lonely Wonder Girls (↓ 2)
8 L.I.E EXID (↑ 5) (Final Week)
9 I Like U Too Much Sonamoo (new)
10 All Mine F(x) (new)
11 Cry Stellar (new)
12 Stalker UKISS (↓ 2)
13 Free Somebody Luna (F(x)) (↑ 3) (Final Week)
14 Apple Pie Fiestar (↓ 3) (Final Week)
15 Take Me Now FT Island (↓ 8)
16 Fire Truck NCT127 (↔)
17 Lucky One EXO (↓ 3)
18 Fantasy Fei (Miss A) (new)
19 Why Taeyeon (SNSD) (↓ 10)
20 Ribbon Beast (↓ 12)

As I mentioned last week some songs will be leaving the charts. They were a part of this week’s (24-30 July). However, as promised, the following songs have been removed from the charts due to finishing their 9-week span:

  • Apple Pie – Fiestar (Peak: 2  – this did not occur on any of the charts published on the site, but occurred during trialling)
  • L.I.E – EXID (Peak: 1 (x2) – these did not occur on any of the charts published on the site, but occurred during trialling)
  • Free Somebody – Luna (F(x)) (Peak: 3 – this did not occur on any of the charts published on the site, but occurred during trialling)
  • No Oh No – CLC (Peak: 7 – this did not occur on any of the charts published on the site, but occurred during trialling)
  • Back Again – KNK (Peak: 11 this did not occur on any of the charts published on the site, but occurred during trialling)

Tune in next Sunday where another weekly chart will be posted. In the meantime, check out my latest reviews down below, in the grey area (or the footer).

 

[Review] Can’t Help Myself – Eric Nam ft. Loco

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Eric Nam has made a surprising return to the stage with a Summer hit. 2016 is proving to be a very busy year for the solo artist, who has collaborated a number of times this year, made two comebacks (Good For You and Can’t Help Myself) and joined a popular South Korean variety show. Eric Nam has proven himself to be one  Korea’s fastest rising stars currently active, putting his name next to rising idol groups and the hottest actors/actresses.

The song totally rocks. It has been a while since Eric Nam’s last Summer track, but this song truly slays. I enjoyed every aspect of this song. From the Summer vibe instrumental that puts you at Hawaii or some other tropical beach to Eric Nam’s smooth yet husky voice, to the well fitting rap of the song. Everything played well with each other and I was not disappointed with the song in any way. The song is quite catchy and addictive to listen to. The instrumental is pretty typical (if we compare it to other songs) but combined with the vocals and this is a winning track. I think the song could have done without the rap, but the rap keeps the song interesting. I have been listening to this song quite a bit lately. Melbourne has been cold (like cold fronts from Antartica cold) lately, so listening to this song makes me picture the sun and Summer. Warmth mainly. This song makes me miss Summer so much. It also puts a smile on my face. The lyrics essentially talks about how a guy or girl becomes nervous when trying to get to know their crush. It likens the nervousness to the heat on a hot Summer’s day.

I notice one thing when it comes to many different videos. I watch them all with a straight face. Nothing makes me laugh. I am a cold, cold person. This video is like all the rest, it failed to make me laugh. But I could tell that it was trying to go down a comedic route. Eric’s character meets his all time crush and he falls for her. He then tries to impress her. With pineapple? Or what he is known for in South Korea (his famous interviews with Western celebrities).   There is also Michael Jackson moves to show off in the video as well. Or him just being handsome? I think there were also parts that made reference to his virtual marriage. I am a little disappointed with the outcome (where I don’t laugh – am still looking for a music video that makes me “roll on the floor laughing”). I did like the parts of the video which shows the dance. The use of that lighting in the background looked pretty cool. Overall, the video was quite simple. There wasn’t anything too complex in it or “crazy” to the point where we actually need to watch the video multiple times. It was clear and easy to understand. And more importantly, it is the small things that make a great video (such as those rolling lights or Eric Nam’s handsome face).

Boy, Eric Nam cannot dance to save his life (as indicated by yesterday’s MCountDown Special Stage). But the actual choreography of this song? I think it is okay for this particular song and the singer himself. It is simple and quite catchy. It does fit the song appropriately and matches Eric’s dancing capacity (sorry).

Final Rating – 8/10

[Review] She – VRomance

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Another boy group has made their debut. VRomance is a4 member boy group, currently under Rainbow Bridge World, which also houses Mamamoo. This group is considered to be Mamamoo’s brother group. The group consists of Janghyun, Hyun Kyu, Chan Dong and Hyun Seok.

This is a solid song. It may not be many people’s cup of tea, but it definitely shows that this band has great vocals and a lot of talent. Truly a group to look forward to. The song is catchy and has a pleasant feel to it (aka. another song that doesn’t sound too heavy on your ears). The song is jazz/swing-based, with hints of pop scattered within it. It isn’t really common within the industry for a group to promote Jazz based song, however, as proven by Mamamoo and their debut song, they might do well in the future. As I mentioned before, the group has amazing vocals and that can be said about every individual member. Though  I am not familiar with the members of the group, what I hear tells me that they all have great potential and they all shined in this song. The high note and their harmony were well done and the taking turns in the chorus gives each of the members individual time to shine. While the song is quite giddy and all, I would have liked if there was a little rap section. It may make or break the song, but the song doesn’t feel complete. I think that is what excessive listening to KPOP do to you. Miss elements of songs which could potentially ruin it. Overall, I liked it a lot. Good debut song. Oh and “Hello, Hello, Hello ~” (love this part).

The music video is a little dry. It has that romantic feel that the song is trying to communicate across. It has that jazz and swing vibe going on. But, it just feels boring to watch. The featuring of Hwasa in the video doesn’t really make it better. If anything, I would feel the same way without her featuring in the video. Though, I did like the choppiness of the start (which is also the same as the teaser). It is different and it draws your attention into the video. It just doesn’t add up with the video. The featuring of the couples in the video gave the song that more romantic feeling and a cute element. Cause there is no other way to express interest and love but through dancing. The guys, dressed in the pink suits, did look quite obnoxious. I do prefer them in a more neutral colour or like their stage outfits. They look more a laid back band and more relatable, rather than a bunch of pink flamingos.

There isn’t much of a dance to this song. Unless you consider minimal footwork behind a microphone stand and leaning the stand to one side as a dance. But, I must mention the passing of the microphone is pretty cool. No, amazing. It is timed so well and perfection is key for the performance to work. I love to see some bloopers or mistakes on stage, mainly because this performance is 100% prone to them.

Final Rating – 8/10

[Review] Breathless – Astro

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It has been a few days since my last review and I (once again) apologise for that. I have restarted the second semester of the year and will be a little slower with reviews. I should still be able to publish reviews, though. Which leads me to Astro! They have returned with a brand new mini-album and their newest track, Breathless.

As you may know from my previous review of the guys, I was not as fond of their debut track, Hide and Seek. This song, however, is definitely an improvement. It isn’t the best song out there at the moment, but it is still a good song. It is a lot catchier and it suits the Summer season really well. Give it a few listens and I guarantee you will be singing along (that is what happened with me and this song). The instrumental puts you at the beach straight away. Upbeat, bright and fresh. The rapping is pretty good (but ain’t impressive). The vocals are pretty good as well. The chorus sounds pretty good because there are backing vocals there. The verses do sound a little bit empty and dry. Maybe a tiny bit of backing vocals will improve the verses, it doesn’t need to be as excessive as the chorus. The “Ppa Ppa Ppa Ppa” is really addictive and those “shouts”that they do after the “Ppa Ppa” do leave a good impression on me. The guys are definitely improving with their songs.

The music video is okay. They call it a music video, but from start to end I feel like it is more of a promotional run of that orange soft drink. The essence of the video is basically the guys are the orange soft drink bottles that we see with the girl constantly. It makes it funny, but yeah, it would be the perfect product placement video if the product actually existed. The video fits the Summer vibes of the song and it situates you perfectly at the beach. The guys also come in different colours. I don’t know you, but that duck is definitely the highlight of the video. Following the girl around and all. Beside that, there isn’t much else to the video. Not a video that I would go to watch constantly, but it was okay.

The dance can described simply as “cutesy concept with the guys trying to act cool”. I don’t think it is a great performance. Like their debut, not that impressive. Though, it looks like they are having the time of their lives on stage.

Final Rating – 6/10

[Weekly Charts] 3rd Week of July 2016

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The charts are in full effect this week, with the status/change column being used (it is so weird seeing just one colour). If you want to find last week’s chart, simply click the Weekly KPOP Chart tab at the top of the page to access the rules, plus past charts.

If you need a recap or don’t understand what the colour icons mean, see below or the same tab mentioned above.

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

17th July –  23rd July 2016
Title Artist Status
1 Very Nice Seventeen (=)
2 I Like That Sistar (=)
3 Navillera Gfriend (↑ 1)
4 Can’t Help Myself Eric Nam (↓ 1)
5 Why So Lonely Wonder Girls  (↑ 2)
6 Windy Day Oh My Girl (↑ 5) 
7 Take Me Now FT Island  (new)
8 Ribbon Beast (↓ 2) 
9 Why Taeyeon (SNSD)  (↑ 9)
10 Stalker UKISS (↔)
11 Apple Pie Fiestar (↔) 
12 She Vromance  (↓ 7)
13 L.I.E EXID  (↓ 5)
14 Lucky One EXO (↔)
15 Starlight Taeyeon (SNSD)  (↔) 
16 Free Somebody Luna (f(x)) (↔)
17 Back Again KNK (↑ 2) 
18 Breathless Astro  (↓ 2)
19 Wonderland Gugudan  (↓ 9)
20 Emptiness Madtown  (↓ 8)

As I mentioned last week some songs will be leaving the charts. They were a part of this week’s (17-23 July). However, as promised, the following songs have been removed from the charts due to finishing their 9 week span:

  • Windy Day – Oh My Girl (Peak: 1 – this did not occur on any of the charts published on the site, but occurred during trialling)
  • So So – Baek Ah Yeon (Peak: 10 – this did not occur on any of the charts published on the site, but occurred during trialling)
  • She Is – Jonghyun (SHINee) (Peak: 17 – this did not occur on any of the charts published on the site, but occurred during trialling)
  • Swagger Time – MAP6 (Peak: 7 – this did not occur on any of the charts published on the site, but occurred during trialling)

Tune in next Sunday where another weekly chart will be posted. In the meantime, check out my latest reviews down below, in the grey area.

[Review] Navillera – GFriend

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GFriend has returned with their first album. The girls are currently the hottest trend in South Korea and have confirmed their popularity with the release of Rough at the start of the year. Now they are back and are looking to further cementing their title as one of the most popular groups in South Korea at the moment.

Initially, the song felt quite dead and boring. It really did not yell out GFriend or sound as similar to their previous 3 songs. However, after listening to multiple times, the song has grown quite  a lot. To the point, where it claimed 4th place on my weekly charts. For a song that I did not quite get for most of the last week, it rose pretty fast towards the end of the week. Anyway, the song is really good. I love the “na-na-na-navillera” part of the song. So catchy. I would have liked it more if the chorus had some sort of bass or some other instrument to make it “heavier”. The vocals were great, though I felt at times during the song, it felt quite flat. But what we have already sounds amazing and I really enjoy listening to the song. The instrumental itself is pretty good as well. The start sounds a lot like Infinite’s The Chaser. Is it just me, when it comes to that observation? And I think I have figured out the formula for GFriend’s successful song. Each of their songs has allowed for an instrumental break. This gives the girls to showcase their moves while on stage, but also hype the crowd with what is to come (i.e. the high notes).

This video reminds me of Me Gusta Tu quite a bit. Not that is a bad thing because this video is shot in a completely different style and manner. Both videos showcase the girls having fun with each other. The other video followed their school trilogy, while this one shows a much more mature look and rollerblades. I love how one girl sings, and while the girls have fun, it spans to another member to sing the next line. Okay, it sounds terrible in words, but it is as if the camera is a person looking around the room and seeing the next member sing each time. Not fond of the home video concept, though. There is also an air of mysteriousness that hovers around the video, though I am not really sure why I have that feeling and why that is the case. Everything else looks quite polished, but those scenes filmed with the home camera (back in the day) kind of ruins that feel. But I guess it fits with the retro vibe the song had going. Overall, I think it is a great video which gives off a fresh feel, well fitting for the season of Summer in Korea.

The dance was a little underwhelming. I think the chorus could have followed on with their previous dances. Each of their previous dances has had a memorable dance move, but this one doesn’t have one. Or I have yet to see one that I can associate with this song. But that dance break was amazing. I love GFriend dance breaks. They look so cool and it shows different sides to the group that we do not commonly see.

Before I leave, these girls have basically started the new trend of dancing to songs at 2x the speed. Did you guys see their latest Weekly Idol appearance where they danced to Navillera, Glass Beads and Me Gusta Tu at 2x the speed? Amazing.

Final Rating – 8/10

[Double Review] Why + Starlight – Taeyeon (SNSD)

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The solo artist who reigned the charts in South Korea with her solo debut last year has finally returned with her second mini album.Taeyeon made her solo debut with I last year and returned at the start of the year with Rain, as a single that was part of SM Station. This time around Taeyeon brings two music videos. Her lead title track is Why and the other music video is Starlight, which features Dean. Both will be reviewed today.

While her solo debut and her recent single have been ballads, it was definitely a shock to hear a dance song from Taeyeon. It isn’t anything to be shocked over, I just thought she would make a comeback with another ballad, particularly with the success of her recent/past releases. However, Why does have that ballad-y feel to it. The start of it showcases her vocals quite well, similar to what she showed in I. As the song progresses, the beat builds up and those dance song sounds start to emerge. Yes, it is another EDM based song from SM Entertainment and I honestly don’t mind. Her vocals (per usual) shine throughout the song. Never did it get overshadowed by the instrumental. The chorus was particularly short and simple. It did feel choppy, but it was catchy and quite nice. Overall, I felt that she shined bright even though it wasn’t something that I expected from her.

Starlight features Dean, who is a solo artist. He has a nice voice, but he hasn’t amazed me as of yet with his releases. If you are a fan, please recommend some of his work down below for me and everyone to listen to. But moving along, the song is good, but it isn’t my cup of tea. The start of the nice with Taeyeon’s intro and the launch into Dean’s vocals is quite nice. The rest of song sounds “meh”.  It just sounds like a typical lovey-dovey song without any hooks or anything else to it. I don’t it particularly find it catchy or any appeal. The vocals are quite nice (and compliment each other) but the song is quite dry. That is all I can really say. I am more on the fence with regards to this song than anything else.

Music video wise, I am a little disappointed. Every element fits into the video quite nicely for Why. But the overall outcome looks too similar to Tiffany’s video. Both were filmed in America and  shows the girls having fun in America. Taeyeon takes it a little further by rebelling and spraying sauce over the poor cook at the food truck. Tiffany had more solo shots. The camera shots were also quite similar. I don’t know if the two were produced/directed by the same person but seriously, it just ruins the mood. Starlight had an okay video, but once again, I am disappointed. The chemistry between the two is the main concern. First of all, Taeyeon looks like she is the one pulling all the moves out and trying excessively hard to get his attention. However, he simply smiles in all the scenes or awkwardly gazes at her. His probably inexperienced with acting, which I get, but they should have toned Taeyeon’s acting down or made it look like he was somewhat more interested. Barely any interaction between the two looks decent or seemed too exaggerated. Furthermore, both artists had very minimal shots of them singing. So what was the point of adding those scenes, instead of scenes that may have contributed to their chemistry on-screen?

Why is the only song with a dance out of the two songs. The dance was pretty cool. I really enjoyed the snappy start and it looked quite cool with the camera zoomed up into her face. The rest of the dance followed with a similar snappy progression, which fitted well with the song.

Why – 7.5/10

Starlight – 4.5/10

[Weekly Chart] 2nd Week of July 2016

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The charts are in full effect this week, with the status/change column being used (it is so weird seeing just one colour). If you want to find last week’s chart, simply click the Weekly KPOP Chart tab at the top of the page to access the rules, plus past charts.

If you need a recap or don’t understand what the colour icons mean, see below or the same tab mentioned above.

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

10th July – 16th July  2016
Title Artist Status
1 Very Nice Seventeen (=)
2 I Like That Sistar (=)
3 Can’t Help Myself Eric Nam ft. Loco (new)
4 Navillera Gfriend (new)
5 She Vromance (new)
6 Ribbon Beast (↓ 3)
7 Why So Lonely Wonder Girls (↓ 3)
8 L.I.E EXID (↓ 3)
9 Fire Truck NCT127 (↑ 9)
10 Wonderland Gugudan (↓ 2)
11 Windy Day Oh My Girl (↓ 1)
12 Emptiness Madtown (new)
13 Butterfly Beast (↓ 2)
14 Hotel Heartbreak Tiffany (SNSD) ft SimonD (↔)
15 On The Road DIA (↔)
16 Breathless Astro (↓ 3)
17 Swagger Time MAP6 (↔)
18 Why Taeyeon (SNSD) (↓ 12)
19 Back Again KNK (↓ 7)
20 That Summer (Second Story) Infinite (new)

As I mentioned last week some songs will be leaving the charts. They were a part of this week’s (10-16 July). However, as promised, the following songs have been removed from the charts due to finishing their 9 week span:

  • Good Luck – AOA
  • All In – Monsta X

Tune in next Sunday where another weekly chart will be posted. In the meantime, check out my latest reviews down below, in the grey area.

[Review] Fire Truck – NCT 127

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NCT has returned to the stage with the debut of another subunit. NCT’s first subunit made their debut in April as NCT U. The lineup between the NCT U and NCT 127 are quite similar, however there were some changes. So the lineup for NCT 127 includes Taeil, Taeyong, Yuta, Jaehyun, WinWin, Mark and Haechan. Yuta, WinWin and Mark were not part of NCT U.

I was surprised when I first heard of Fire Truck. It was completely different to anything anyone in the industry has put out.  There is a very strong American EDM vibe in Fire Truck. I am one of those people who do not really enjoy the EDM genre (however, give me a good one and I will be heads over heels for it), but this song sounds amazing. It just took two words (Fire Truck) to win me over with the song. Those two words sound amazing in the song. Talking about those two words, they seem pretty random, don’t you think? To just have a song titled as Fire Truck sounds a little “out there”. But then again, it is KPOP we are talking about. Moving along, I was very unimpressed by the rap. The vocals were a little better. Emphasis on “a little better”. It just felt whiney and annoying (to an extent). I guess it is heavily influenced by the EDM and editing of the song. The vocals in the bridge are much clearer and Though, what we have already fits in well with the instrumental. It just doesn’t sit well with my ears. But give me the instrumental (though, I would like the bass to be turned up just a bit more) and just the words “Fire Truck” and I will be extremely happy.

Moving along to the video, I am quite confused. The guys go around with fire hoses and start spraying water around at people. Not that I have a problem with that, it fits in with the lyrics of the song, but it seems quite random (if you watch the video only). There are “supposedly” sexual themes in the video, from what I am researching off. It does make sense with the guys standing around females with water spraying into their faces and letting it go everywhere in other scenes.  Watching the video the first few times around, I just thought they go around spraying water at people for fun. Moving to SM’s explanation of the video. Essentially, the guys are the young girl’s guardian angels and these angels use fire hoses to “flush out” the troubles for the girl. It sounds really childish and very desperate. It sounds a lot more like a  back-up plan, than an intended story. I don’t know what to believe. While the sexual theory makes sense visually (hmmm.. that does not sound right at all), it doesn’t make sense with that final scene where the band “moves on” to the little boy, which fits more of SM Entertainment’s explanation. But I don’t think SM explanation fits in with majority of the video as well. Was there a need to do close shots of those moments? Might as well make the guys do the cutesy concept if that is your explanation. Are there any other theories that you guys know of? I only know of the two, but if there are any others, comment below! Besides the confusing plot, I really liked the choregraphy scenes in the video. Fits the feel and vibe of the song.

The dancing was pretty good. Overall, they do bring out more of a hip hop vibe to the dance. However, some moves look like they lacked imagination and lazy. I am talking about 1:02 minutes into the music video. But beside that, I liked it. Also, poofy hair dude. He is wearing a shirt that cyclists would usually wear. It looks completely out of place and terrible on him. And that is coming from a guy who has little to no fashion sense.

Final Rating – 5.5/10

[Review] Wonderland – Gugudan

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Another one! Gugudan is currently one of the newest groups to have graced the stages of South Korea, They are a 9 member girl group, who are currently under Jellyfish Entertainment, which also has Vixx under their belt. The 9 members include Mimi, Hana, Haebin, Nayoung, Sejeong, Sally, Soyee, Mina and Hyeyeon. Furthermore, Nayoung, Sejeong and Mina participated in the 101 Produce and Sejeong and Mina went on to debut as a part of I.O.I.

The song is okay. Once again, it isn’t terrible or amazing, but it fails to capture my full attention. I will be honest, I am drawn into the song for the chorus, but then while listening to the song, I easily get distracted and end up skipping to another song. There is a small hook in the chorus after each line, where they add emphasis onto the final syllable of each line they sing. That made the song catchy, but it just wasn’t enough. Besides that, the song is rather bland and boring. That straight line analogy can be referred to here as well. Another song that I don’t see any deviation from that straight line. Their vocals are quite weak. The only time when they sound decent is during the chorus, but that is when they overlay each other’s vocals on top of each other. The same can be said about the instrumental. It felt quite empty. The bridge of the song fits nicely, but it sounds quite choppy.

The video was okay. The concept of the video/comeback is mermaids and I believe that is a first in the industry. I just hope they keep with the fairytale concept because so much could be done with that idea. The video just lacked a lot. There was the choreography scenes and then closeups of them being pretty. Oh, and their acting could use a little help. They looked a little awkward. But there isn’t much else. The sets were quite beautiful. I really like the big, white tree looking set. I guess the idea of the story is that the girls are magically transported from under the sea to the stage of some kind. Just it would have been nice to make the audience look like … well… an audience. All the seats are completely empty. Also, dancing with water isn’t a first in the industry, but to dance in water with heels on probably is. While I did say there isn’t much else to talk about it, I managed to ramble on (somehow).

The dance was actually quite nice. A little to the boring side as well. But the dance does the job with fitting into the song quite well. The start looks quite nice. Liked the mini jumps they do at the end of the choruses. It could have been better though.

Final Rating – 5/10