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] Why So Lonely – Wonder Girls

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Guess who is back??? Wonder Girls!!! Yep, the ladies have returned to the stage. Last time, they promoted I Feel You and introduced us to the band version of Wonder Girls. Once again, the band version of Wonder Girls have returned with Why So Lonely and have also brought a dance along with them. So let’s get on with it, shall we?

The girls went with such an amazing song. They have constantly pushed out songs that have always been deemed as unique and like no other. KPOP is a very large industry, but this is the 2nd or 3rd time I have actually heard someone attempt the reggae genre.  Yeah, it sounds like it wasn’t released in the right era nor does it sound modern and upbeat. But it definitely  is unique and it drew my attention (and most likely, yours) in straight away. The vocals were great. Yubin also has singing parts, on top of her rapping parts. Yubin’s rap was amazing. South Korea also likes the new sound as well, as their song topped the charts as soon as it was released and received certified perfect all kills. I love the harmonies during the chorus. The song isn’t heavy on the ears and is a song that I wouldn’t mind listening to every now and then. With such a unique song under their belt, the girls have done a great job with it.

The music video is made up of a simple story and close up shots of the girls. I particularly like this video because of the story line. It makes me laugh. The girls find the their “partner” cheating on them (if you go by the video) or their partner has lost interest in them (if you go by the song). The girls, either way, take matters into their own hands and deal with the situation. They kidnap him, slam a car’s bonnet on top of his arm and proceed to chain him up. But that ain’t the peak of it. They wrapped him up and then chop his arm off. But the peak is where they just start performing in front of him and then leave him there to… I don’t know what plastic dolls do… rot? It was such a freaky video, but the ending could have been dramatised a little bit, don’t you think? There is also a very kinky or sexual side to the torture, though , and I guess that alludes to the fact that he hasn’t been paying attention to the girls in any way. I thought the idea of the video was amazing and most of it was. Just a little disappointed with the ending performance and then just leaving him behind. Why not bury him in a hole? He lost an arm and in real life, he would have bled to death, so might as well just get rid of him?

There are two versions to this song when we refer to the performance. First is the band version, and second of all, is the dance version. Can’t say anything about the band version, but their blank facial expressions, for some reason, fit in really well with the song. The dance gives their facial expressions a lot more freedom. But the dance is very bland and lackluster. It was kind of expected from the sound of the song. The song doesn’t necessary have the dance feel, so I don’t know why they wanted to make a dance version of this song. If anything, they should have promoted I Feel You with a dance version.

Final Rating – 8.5/10

[Double Review] Butterfly + Ribbon – Beast

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Beast has returned to the stage. This comeback marks the first time the boys have returned since Hyunseung withdrew from the group back in April this year.

Let’s start off with the pre-release, Butterfly. This ballad song is great. Their vocals are quite nice. Since Hyunseung departed, you can definitely tell that the group needed to step up to fill in the empty spot and this song is an excellent example of that. Even Junhyung, who predominate raps in Beast’s songs, have stepped up and opened the song really well. The rest of the group sings really well, as well. The chorus is quite addictive as well and I find it a great song to sway along to. To me, it sounds like a flawless song and I really do enjoy listening to it.

Ribbon is another great song to add to the list. The song sounds like version 2.0 of 12:30. I can’t say this is a ballad, but I see where everyone is coming from. I really enjoyed the violins in the instrumental. It was well emphasised and it drew my attention right away. It does have a few issues in my book, though. The first would have to be the vocals vs. instrumental balance. I found the instrumental was very overpowering at times and I couldn’t hear the vocal work of the members as well. The “Tie up a ribbon” sounds really awkward and it took me a while to actually understand that is what was being sung. I actually thought they were saying something in South Korean. Those high notes at the end were pretty cool. Overall, both songs are pretty good.

The music video for Butterfly is really beautiful . Though, I do think the addition of the props are a little weird (who really enjoys a couch in the open field?), the overall setting is really nice. The camera captures a really nice shot of both nature and the guys. Though, there really is not much else to talk about the Butterfly video, it fits in well with the sound and the overall expected “gracefulness” when we hear the title of the song. Ribbon is a much darker video. The darker atmosphere matched the sombered feel of the song, but the video does remind me (quite strongly) of 12:30 as well. I don’t know what is going on the video But it seems the guys each had good memories about the surroundings they are in (for example the teddy bear in the locker). However they are bounded to these surroundings (by ribbons) and are reminded constantly by the heartbreak (Kikwang’s expressions when he sees both the teddy bear and the extending hand). They try to break away, some successful and some I guess were not. And once again, those awkward props are placed in the weirdest environments. Who honestly puts a photo booth on a skyscraper’s roof top and helipad?

Glad Butterfly doesn’t have a dance. I think Ribbon’s dance is quite nice. Them hip movements, though. Hahaha… Something needs to be done with their pants though. Way too baggy around the ankles. The dance does remind me a lot of 12:30. I did like 12:30’s dance, so I don’t know if it is a bad or good thing that it reminds me of 12:30.

Just a closing statement – Both were awesome, but I am a little troubled about how simlar Ribbon was with 12:30, espeically now how I have finished writing this review and I have mentioned it so many times.

Butterfly – 9.5/10

Ribbon – 8.5/10

[Review] Very Nice – Seventeen

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Seventeen has returned with their first repackaged album and title track Very Nice or 아주 Nice. They previously made their comeback with their first official album and title track Pretty U in April. 

First time listening to the song, I thought it was rather weird and cluttered. It is a song that you would describe as multiple songs mashed into one. It turns out to be a typical pop song, but there are so many different elements in the song, that sometimes it catches me off guard. But I have grown to love it. It is a song that I constantly play and because of that, it topped the first weekly KPOP charts that I posted on Sunday. I did like the fast chorus and then the slow downs in the song. It worked in their favour. I particular like the start of the song (DK did a pretty good job there and the rest of the high pitch lines before the choruses), Woozi’s ballad breakdown/slowdown and Vernon’s and Dino’s rap in the middle of the song. The one part that I am not feeling is Jeonghan’s part in the bridge. It honestly does not match the rest of the vocals and the “explosive” nature of the song. For sure, I find the song extremely addictive and catchy. Overall, I really liked the song and I honestly recommend this song.

The music video was “Very Nice” to watch. Okay, I will refrain myself from the puns. That is one creepy girl. Of course, it makes senses with their heart exploding since they are singing about her and how she make their heart explodes. But damn, those shots where she appears out of nowhere and walks in the shot. Also, when the guys are dancing in the video and the camera zoom into her staring at them. Tell me that isn’t creepy. And how she stares blankly at them when their heart explodes. It is as if her goal is to kill the guys, rather than be with them. Really liked the exploding heart effect, though. I liked this video more than Pretty U, mainly because they are interacting with the camera. Not exactly sure about the ending when they are all running. KPOP has this odd fetish with explosions. First the lying dude from EXID’s L.I.E and now S.Coups. I think the question that should be asked is: who is next? I also wish to applaud Wonwoo. For a person who is sick and meant to be resting, he appears in the video multiple times and we probably cannot continue the review without some acknowledgement.

The dance was amazing. The chorus probably got some fangirls excited (i.e. hip thrusting and butts everywhere) but I thought the dance fitted the song extremely well. The chorus was amazing and looks too hard to even attempt an attempt.  As if a key and lock. The suspenders (even though looked quite unstylish) were well used.

Final Rating – 9/10

[Review] Emptiness – Madtown

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Slowly catching up. Getting there, but ever so slowly. Madtown has made their first comeback of the year with their third mini album. Their last comeback was OMGT, released in November 2015.

When it comes to this particular song, I am in the middle. I don’t think it is genuinely a bad song, but there is clearly a lot of room to make the song better. While the song has a really nice RnB feel to it, I do think the autotune at the start was not required. Sure, it made the song interesting, but comparing the start of the song with the actual choruses (where no autotune was used), the choruses sound more decent and carry more emotions with it. Their vocals are a little flat. That might be caused by the actual instrumental, but some parts in the song seem to be lacking. I think the best way to describe the song is my straight line example. The entire song sits nicely on the straight line, but that makes it boring and deters me from wanting to listen to the song. The instrumental itself sounds pretty nice. I would have liked a more hard-hitting rap, though. There is a rap sequence, but it doesn’t satisfy my ears.

The video was boring. It fits the song pretty well and it falls into what we expected, especially with the lyrics about feeling empty. The black and white contributed to the overall end product of the video. The video does look quite cheap (and probably the reason why I would label it as a bad video if it was in colour). But the video looked more sophisticated and well polished with the black and white filter. Their acting was okay. Would have liked something that showed a little more chemistry. Or maybe a few scenes that were a little longer. But what we have is decent enough and tells the heartbreak or “emptiness” pretty well.

The dance was standard. Again, nothing was there to amaze me. A decent dance routine can go a long way. But then again, incorporating a dance to a slow song is pretty hard. I am one to avoid dances with ballads and other types of slow songs, but this is a song and performance that would require a dance to keep it interesting. It matched the RnB feel and the slow tempo of the song.

Final Rating – 4.5/10

 

 

[Review] On The Road – DIA

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DIA has returned. This is my first time reviewing the girls. For those who are unfamiliar with this new girl group, they are currently a seven-member girl group under MBK Entertainment, which also houses T-Ara. They made their debut last year with Somehow and also released My Friend’s Boyfriend. On The Road is their first comeback for 2016. Some members of the group featured on the Produce 101 show and is also part of IOI. Currently the lineup of the group includes Eunice, Hui Hyeon, Jenny, Yebin, Eun-Jin, Chaeyon and Eunchae. The group’s former leader, Seunghee, withdrew from the group once her contract with the company expired at the start of the year.

The song is quite good, but it isn’t amazing. It didn’t blow me away and I am a little disappointed by it. It is a catchy song and I think that is why I like it. Particularly the chorus. The somewhat long note at the end of each chorus gives the “quite standard catchy” chorus more of a hook to it. It is a great song to have to play on in the background. The song isn’t heavy nor extremely loud, so it won’t distract you in any way. Their vocals compliment the overall balance of the pitch and tempo of the song. Same as the rap. Neither overpowered the instrumental or any other components of the song. What this song needed more of is harmony. They already sound quite good, but a little more background vocals or harmony with the other members could have made the song a lot better.

The music video was pretty boring. Again, it was quite standard and that was disappointing. Such a good song, with such a bland video. Basically, it is that formula of closeups and choreography, nothing more to it. There are some other shots with the girls and a guy, but there isn’t anything to talk about in those scenes. I want to say and speak about the video more, but there honestly was nothing to talk about.

The dance was boring as well. I am not fond of their live stages. But I guess the dance does fit the song. It is very underwhelming and lacks a lot of appeal. Maybe because the song isn’t heavy and “loud” that they adopted this style of dance, but overall, I would have like something with a little more powerful. (I guess I am all powerful choreography this and powerful dance that nowadays).

Final Rating –  5.5/10

[Weekly Chart] 1st Week of July 2016

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Welcome to the very first Weekly Chart of the year. It has been a while since I have done charts (like years ago) but I have decided to bring them back. This is the weekly chart for the 1st week (dates featured below) of July 2016. For more information regarding the charts and some rules that I will abide by, please check out the tab labelled as “Weekly KPOP Chart” above or click here.

The truth is, I have been doing this chart system as trialling for the past 2 months. Some of the songs will be taken off the charts in the next few weeks since the 9 weeks they are allowed to be on the charts will be up. Only songs that have been on the chart for the full 9 weeks will be taken off.

Check the chart out below and check back next Sunday to see what changed!!!

3rd July – 9th July 2016
Title Artist Status
1 Very Nice Seventeen (NEW)
2 I Like That Sistar (NEW)
3 Ribbion Beast (NEW)
4 Why So Lonely Wonder Girls (NEW)
5 L.I.E EXID (NEW)
6 Why Taeyeon (SNSD) (NEW)
7 Monster EXO (NEW)
8 Wonderland GuGuDan (NEW)
9 Stalker UKISS (NEW)
10 Windy Day Oh My Girl (NEW)
11 Butterfly Beast (NEW)
12 Back Again KNK (NEW)
13  Breathless Astro (NEW)
14 Lucky One EXO (NEW)
15 Apple Pie Fiestar (NEW)
16 Good Luck AOA (NEW)
17 Free Somebody Luna (F(x)) (NEW)
18 Fire Truck NCT127 (NEW)
19 She Is Jonghyun (SHINee) (NEW)
20 Starlight Taeyeon (SNSD) ft. Dean (NEW)

[Review] I Like That – Sistar

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It is not officially Summer until Sistar makes their comeback. Sistar are the queens of Summer, making comebacks with numerous hits including Touch My Body, I Swear and Shake It. Now, they are going back to a more classy style with their latest comeback.

I Like That reminds me more of the Give It To Me and Alone tracks that the girls made their past comebacks with. Not saying the tracks are similar, but they remind me of the mature sound. When it comes to Sistar, line distribution is something that will always be discussed. Last few comebacks have been okay, but this time around Hyorin has more lines than Dasom, Bora and Soyu put together. Talk about being uneven. Though I am going to say, overall, the vocal work was fine and that applies to all members. I loved that Dasom got more lines, but instead of getting lines from Hyorin, Soyu had to pay the price. What this song needed more was a rap. We got a few seconds  of one, but it wasn’t enough to quench our thrist. The song could have easily eliminated the “I’m so fine, I’m so fine. Baby, don’t touch me” part and replaced it with another rap sequence. First of all, I always thought that part had been a little awkward and it doesn’t match up well with the rest of the song. The instrumental sounds just right and I love the start as well (with the “Let’s dance”). I also loved the slow down in the chorus. It made the song more interesting and intriguing to listen to.

I love the oriental feel that the video had going on. I guess that feel was created based on the sets and props, but it gave off a really nice and fresh Summer feel. One the note about the sets, I thought they really looked cool and amazing. It didn’t seem claustrophobic or tight at all (like in 90% of other KPOP videos). Besides that, there isn’t really much else to the video. Most of the video of the girls are dancing and then some solo shots of the girls sitting around and sulking. I did enjoy the editing and camera angles in the video. Some parts had a really fast zooming motion and that seemed very cool. Not sure about the green breath. But overall, I thought the video was pretty nice, despite it having so little.

The dance was amazing. I am in love with their choreography. I am pretty much a sucker when it comes to excellent use of people’s surroundings or costumes. The use of the skirts as the curtains for their dance was amazing (and genius). I am not fond of the “I’m so fine, I’m so fine. Baby, don’t touch me” part, though. It just felt distant from the rest of the dance.

Final Rating – 8/10

 

[Review] Monster – EXO

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EXO is back and I will be reviewing both Lucky One and Monster. Not in the ‘double review’ format, though, since I want to talk about both songs. Their album has managed to break records that the group has set themselves including massive pre-sale numbers and the highest selling numbers in the first week alone. They, of course, conquered the charts and once again, proved to Korea and the world that they are not a force to be reckoned with.

Monster is the track that is more associated to EXO. It is a powerful track that is more of EXO’s style than anything else. Once again, the vocals and the rap roll smoothly in this song. The raps, in particular, suit the song a lot more. Chanyeol’s and Sehun’s husky and raspy voices really do wonders to this song. The vocals come together quite well and the power behind the vocals suit the song quite well. It is a song that oozes energy and the vocals exhibit the perfect amount of that power needed. I can’t say this song is catchy. It is fine as it is at the moment, but the chorus needed more of a hook to reel me in. It just doesn’t wow me or amazes me in any way. Just a standard chorus to be honest. I particularly love the ending of the song. It is a complete change up from the powerful side of the song. The song becomes much slower as Chen’s “creeping” dominates the foreground of the song. It kept the song interesting and yeah, it hooked me to the song. However, a hook at the end of the song doesn’t really mean anything to me, because the song is basically finished and most likely I have made my mind up in regards to the next song I want to listen to.

Okay, here is what I see from the video. EXO is some sort of squad that goes to war with the force. We see them sitting around a table at the start. I assume that war or fight occurs a little after that table shooting scene because the table and all the things on it is badly damaged at one point in the video. In the end, Baekhyun remains at the table, while the rest of them is being carted off to jail. This means Baekhyun betrayed the others (for his freedom, I assume). But wait! Plot twist alert. It is revealed that Baekhyun is a double agent and he ends up letting everyone go. That is my basic rundown of the video and what I saw. I think it is a great video overall. The story is there and everything was chaotic, as expected. The really like the dance scenes. Another fine video, where the darkness works really well. I also liked how in all the scenes, despite the darkness, they emphasised all the members that were in the scene. I liked the use of colour and the contrast between them. Also liked that huge pole with all the security cameras. Don’t know why, but it seems cool to sit on top of that.

Dance wise, I thought it was pretty cool as well. Fitting the song, it was quite powerful. It wasn’t obvious and the ‘power’ was very  subtle, but it was there. I loved the start of the dance with the violent swaying and the ending with Chen’s “creeping” part. And everything in between. Particularly the X formation they did in the first chorus. That blew my mind.

Another long review. Final Rating – 8.5/10

[Review] Lucky One – EXO

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EXO is back and I will be reviewing both Lucky One and Monster. Not in the ‘double review’ format, though, since I want to talk about both songs. Their album has managed to break records that the group has set themselves including massive pre-sale numbers and the highest selling numbers in the first week alone. They, of course, conquered the charts and once again, proved to Korea and the world that they are not a force to be reckoned with.

My favourite track off the entire album. Lucky One caught my attention almost immediately and I essentially fell in love with the track. It is so damn catchy and addictive to listen to. The song brings you back to the funky days of disco. It is a style that is more retro than any of their other tracks or releases, so it is quite different from the normal EXO sound we would associate with them. The funky instrumental is also a favourite of mine. The vocals and rapping were smooth and fitted the song quite well. I love the change in tempos for different parts of the song. Even the change in tempo matches up with the vocals and I think that gave the song a great effect overall. Usually, different tempos do not string together well, but everything in this track flows quite well. Out of all the EXO tracks that I have heard, I think this has to be one of best ones (for my personal taste) and put it up there with Love Me Right, which I loved so much from last year.

The video here is quite good. The video opens up with these futuristic nurses or experimenters rolling in EXO, who are lying in bed. They get injected with some blue magic fluid, which seems to awaken something in their body (I wrote that last part 5 different times, each time giving off a perverted and dirty feel). There is a moment where scenes of the moon and space. Kind of links it back to their original concept from having superpowers and being from another planet. Something clicks and they start to escape from the hospital/experimentation centre. Using superpowers that they probably recovered and from what I see from the majority of the second half of the video, their good looks. It is as if they tempt the nurses/experimenters in the video. Once the girls get distracted by the guys, well, they self-destruct. In the most painful (but instantaneous way possible. Kind of similar how fangirls/boys will “self-destruct” of their favourite band or bias looks at them. They find every way possible to escape and tempt the females (for example, Kai dancing. Pretty cool yet no one (I repeat, NO ONE including Kai) knows why he was to dance there). The other problem was finding a way out of the area. Well, because it (and quite cleverly) is a maze in the form of the EXO symbol. Overall, I thought it was a great video that matched the tempo of the song. When the song was slow, the video was slow and so on. I love the different camera angles at the start as if the camera man was floating in space and the use of editing in the video.

I am starting to realise that there are no flaws to Lucky One. Everything so far is just perfect. And if you are wondering about the dance, I think it is was perfect as well. I would have liked something with more power (maybe more hip thrusting). So many hip thrusting in the video. But what we see matched the song perfectly. And the start where they are all moving their heads side to side (it looks funny, but it fits the song).

Longest review I have written in ages. Final Rating – 10/10

[Review] Stalker – UKISS

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UKISS has finally returned after nearly a year and a half disappearance from South Korean stages. Per usual, when the group is not in South Korea, they are most likely in Japan. They have released new songs in Japan, some of which I have reviewed: One Shot One Kill & Kissing For You.

This is the song style that I want UKISS to stick with. Give the boys anything electronic based and a song that is worthy of an amazing dance. Stalker is so freaking catchy. I really enjoyed listening to the song. I fell in love with it when I first listened to it and have since been a song that I have been listening constantly to. The “stalker, stalker” introduction really hooks your attention. The instrumental is probably one of the best of the year. I love the electronic components of the instrumental and the bass of the song. It gives off a pulsing effect, as like a heart beat. The chorus feels a little “safe” and really doesn’t wow me. It is good, but it doesn’t amaze me. I am more drawn to the verses. The line distribution is completely off. Playground (their last Korean release managed to be balanced) but Jun and Eli got the short end of the stick this time around.

Creepy title = creepy video. And that is what we got. The video consists of footage of the guys staring at the girl while she is sleeping and carrying about her normal routine. I am suprised at how close the guys was to the girl. Probably if you are stalking someone, you probably would rather stay hidden then be spotted. So sitting in a chair in the corner of the same room your target is in, probably isn’t ideal.  Though I think the rest of the video is well thought out. The dance scenes are filmed in darkness with bits of light is pretty smart. Gave off the creepy feel pretty well, even though, I could not see 75% of the video. Not complaining though, because it make sense to use darkness here. Overall, I thought the video was quite interesting to watch. I had to pay extra attention because of the darkness and I guess that drew me into the video. Or the dark side, which ever makes sense.

The dance was really cool as well. I really enjoyed the “covering up the eyes with your hand” movements. It is like opening a closed blind or peering over a ledge to see who you are trying to stalk. The dance fitted the tempo of the video and I thought the chorus was handled pretty well. I would have liked something to give the dance more of a wow factor or some sort of intensity. It looks cool already, but I am quite certain that something could have been added (or replaced) to make the dance even cooler.

Final Rating – 8.5/10

[Review] Back Again – KNK

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KNK made their debut with Knock, back in February.  They have since returned with Back Again during the month of June.

The boys are back at it again with another powerful song. Comparing to Knock, Back Again is not as catchy or addictive. However, the guys still sound amazing. Reading through the comments, I agree with many fans who are saying this is a song that you have expected to be released years ago. Not saying the song is currently outdated, but it sparks the memories of the many boy groups that released songs similar to this, like Beast or Infinite. Oh, the good old days. Vocals and raps were highlighted and emphasised in this song. They sounded great! The instrumental is already quite powerful by itself. There was a great balance between the vocals/raps and instrumental. Either one did not drown the other out and it sounded quite nice. As I said above, it just wasn’t something that I would describe as a memorable song. It just did not contain the punch in the chorus as I had observed and heard in Knock.

Music video was a little boring to watch. I was more into the song than video. The standard formula of choreography, close up shots and a tiny sprinkle of acting on top. Those overused sets are back at it. I don’t mind them, but it would be a little nice to see many KPOP videos change it up. I understand that usually, they go for these sets because they are convenient and cheap to use, but you can only change a template so many times.  Besides that, I don’t have much to comment about the video.

The dancing is spot on. Another group with knife-like precision and accuracy. 100% synchronisation. Thought the dance for the chorus was spot on. The dancing that KNK has done so far with their two promotional runs have shown their powerful side and it is a side that I want to continue seeing from the guys, because it suits them a lot.

Final Rating – 6.5/10

[Review] L.I.E – EXID

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Last year’s hottest group is officially back. EXID has returned with their first ever full album in their 4-year career.

Big fan of the group, but when I listen to the song, it doesn’t blow my mind. I kind of go “meh” every time I hear it and just listen to it. It doesn’t have me head banging or bouncing around in joy. It isn’t as catchy (which they are known for) nor addictive.   According to some people Up & Down, Ah Yeah and Hot Pink sounded very similar, which I disagree with. This song sounds a lot weaker than any of their previous singles. I do have to say it is a great mash-up of the classy and electronic genres. There is definitely some class in the verses and chorus. As for the electronic additions, you can hear them in the instrumental break down. It is a little weird as it barely matches up, but it still manages to work pretty well. I personally liked them a lot, but yeah, it did make the song sound awkward. The vocals seemed to be held back. Not bad, but once again, I do miss that powerful vocal style. I do agree with many people and say that LE’s rap gave the song more meaning (and is probably one of the few reasons to why I would actually listen to the song). And if you cannot tell how I feel about the song so far: I am disappointed with it.

The music video is pretty nice to watch. It does fall a bit on the boring side, but I actually put up with it every time I listen to it. I just want to start off with the “sexual controversy” that the video had. Many people (netizens) have complained about the many sexual references made in the video.  The director responded with “it was deliberate” and that pretty much made my day. Anyway, those sexual scenes were probably my favourite parts of the video. Hani, seasoning the meat so suggestively and LE in that bathtub. OMG. The music video starts off with a couple checking into the hotel. It seems like the girls are searching for the guy, who probably from the title is lying to a lot of people. I love Hyerin in the black dress, who instead of picking petals off the flower, is ripping hair out of a Ken Doll. Their acting in this video is quite nice and very bright. I just felt something else in terms of the plot should have made the video more interesting. The guy exploding at the end was a little alarming and confused me quite a bit, but they should have included what happened in between, like “why did the guy explode?” and “how did that occur?”.

The dance was okay. Not as memorable as their previous dances. Loved the dance break but felt the chorus was a little lacking.

Final Rating – 6/10

[Review] Free Somebody – Luna (f(x))

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Another long-awaited solo debut. Luna, the main vocalist from f(x), has finally made her solo debut. It has been years since fans wanted a solo album under her own name and finally the wait is over. Who’s excited? I am!!!! Though, SM Entertainment promotional runs are becoming extremely short. We only saw her for a short amount of time and it is such a pity.

Another song to add to the favourite list. I am not a big fan of Luna, but I agree with many people that she is a person that deserves a lot more attention from her company. She is definitely very talented and it is such a shame that we had to wait for this song for her solo debut. And regarding that, I don’t think I can think of another song that can encapsulate her amazing vocals and talents on the stage. I love the retro sound that the song had going on in it. Throw in Luna’s explosive vocals and a very simple but catchy chorus, and you have a killer song. Every time I listen to the song, I cannot hear a single flaw. I bang on things that sometimes you guys probably see as too harsh or just plain stupid. But Free Somebody ticks the boxes for everything. It is the perfect song for her and definitely an amazing song to listen to. I just can’t help but to bob my head along and sing the “Free Somebody” lines with her when I listen to the song.

The music video is really unique and it stands out for me. It has that retro and funky vibe channelling through the video. I absolutely love the animations (even though they did weird me out). Luna jumping into your mouth and all is not part of the normal day living. I love it how the dude was just like checking out Luna the whole time (and who wouldn’t) when she was dancing outside the elevator. I also love how the whole thing was basically set inside the elevator. Though it really looks constricting, the camera angles and their chemistry made it look like an infinite amount of space. It is such an interesting video. Though, I did expect something scandalous from the two the whole time they were in the elevator (if you know what I mean). We did see a little glimpse of it at the end but come on. More! More! More!

And the true reason why I wanted to see a little more is because of the dance. Damn, can Luna dance or what. She made such a simple choreography quite sexy and manage to still belt the song out. Them squats were just too much to handle hahaha…

Final rating – 10/10

 

[Review] Apple Pie – Fiestar

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Fiestar has returned with a brand new song in time for the Summer comeback rush. With their previous releases being focused on a much darker and sexier concept, the girls have returned with a brighter and fresh concept. Is it enough for the girls to succeed in South Korea? Since they were picked as one of the girl groups to look out for in 2016.

Sadly, Korea does not agree with the song (or the band for that matter). This song failed to even dent the charts and it seems that the group (or their company) failed at capturing the right moment. I’ll talk more about that later. I actually enjoyed the song. I was expecting something a lot darker (given their recent releases), so I was caught off guard. It took a few listens to actually get into the song. It sounds like a generic KPOP song, hence I kind of shrugged it off and went off to other songs. But after leaving it for a while, I actually fell in love with it. The vocals were okay. I feel like I enjoyed the song more because of it is catchiness rather than the vocals. Besides the vocals, I think Yezi’s rapping was pretty good. I was more impressed with her part than any of the other members in the song. The instrumental was a little odd. It was generic for the most part, but there was that odd breakdown (which I loved) just after the first chorus and after Yezi’s rap. It added another dimension to the song and matched the for the rap. It just did not match the rest of the song. The song still managed to flow, but that part always seem to catch me off guard.

The music video is honestly just boring. I feel like the girls should have avoided the concept altogether and went with something that suits all the members. Yeah, sure, the girls were originally the cutesy and bright concept group. But with their latest string of concepts and with a particular member (I will discuss this even more) looking like she is regretting life choices, I think the dark and sexy concepts are better for them. Anyway, we have the girls centred around Apple Pies and their attempt to get a good Apple Pie or bake the perfect Apple Pie. It ties in nicely with Snow White’s story, though. Instead of eating all those apples (which could kill her), she can simply eat an apple pie. Which is less nutritious that an apple, but oh well. The sets didn’t seem to match. All of them was bright, besides one which was made to look like an alleyway, which I do not understand.  Don’t get me wrong. The video itself wasn’t awful but more boring than anything else.

The dance falls in between boring and okay. It doesn’t amaze me and I don’t think their fans were feeling this comeback as well. As for Yezi, after appearing in Unpretty Rapstar, she looked mighty uncomfortable with this comeback. Maybe it is her own way to keep to her rapper style, but she barely smiled and it looked like she did not want to be there at all.

As I said before, the song barely made a dent on the charts and I think people are now agreeing that Fiestar’s company threw a good chance of making the girls big. Mirror (their previous comeback) charted well and higher than any of their previous releases, but Apple Pie seemed to go backward.

Anyway, final rating of Apple Pie – 5/10

[Rewind] June 2016

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Welcome back to my rewind post, recapping important events in KPOP in the month of June 2016. Let’s just get stuck into it.

4Minute Disbands?

Probably something we have all heard already. But 4Minute has officially “disbanded” according to many news outlets. If you haven’t heard, 4Minute’s contract was up to renewal this month and all the members (besides Hyuna) decided to not resign and has since left Cube Entertainment. According to Cube, they are currently preparing Hyuna’s comeback. However, I have been reading somewhere that 4Minute has yet to disband and that they will just be under different companies. But to that point, I point out the many KPOP bands that did not “disband” but split up to different companies and who have not made a comeback since leaving their original company. Furthermore, the members seem to be more focused on individual work more than group work. Anyhow, like everyone else, I wish the girls best of luck in all future endeavours.

Yoochun’s alleged sexual abuse

Another piece of news that you guys most likely heard of is Yoochun’s ongoing sex scandal. 5 ladies have reported Yoochun to the authorities for alleged sexual abuse, in the bathroom in what I am reading as adult entertainment bars. The first victim reported to the police, however, retracted her statement. She has (just recently) refile her case against Yoochun. the four other alleged victims have also claimed similar stories to the first victim. The first victim has also underwear as submitted evidence, which police has confirmed that there is male DNA on it. That is currently being tested for Yoochun’s DNA. I am reading that some of his fan sites have decided to shut down due to this scandal. I feel like they might have acted a little too hastily since he is only accused of the crime. It isn’t proven yet. Once proven, then I, 100%,understand their intentions. We just don’t know the full story yet and what really happened. The question stand as “did he do it or not?” and that is what the police is trying to determine, not us, his fans or the netizens. And this morning, I have been reading that other popular male actors are being brought up in this scandal. Don’t know what to say, but this is getting bigger every day that goes by.

Top 5 June Songs

  1. Windy Day – Oh My Girl
  2. L.I.E – EXID
  3. Apple Pie – Fiestar
  4. Lucky One – EXO
  5. Stalker – UKISS

New Content

For those who don’t know, I have been releasing new content for this site. First off, I have published a few profiles of artists, which you can find in the menu bar on top of the page. I have been compiling these profiles for a few months now (it is a lot harder than you think) and have aimed for a July release. Thankfully, I published a few earlier than what I intended and I will continue releasing different profiles as they are completed.
Furthermore, I have decided to bring the charts back. They will be posted weekly on Sundays for the week that went just went by. For more information, you can check the menu tab dedicated to “Weekly KPOP Chart” that I have published. The first one will be published this coming Sunday (10th July) for the week 3rd July to 9th July.

[Review] #WYD – iKON

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iKON has returned with a brand new song. And then they disappeared. Like, where are they at the moment? Isn’t a pre-release? Where is the actual release then? Why am I asking these questions, when I know they are from YG Entertainment? But honestly, this was released in May and it is the start of July. And all these teasers were released in between for Bobby’s solo debut, so what is really happening?

It sounds a lot like a sadder version of My Type, which they debuted with last year. Didn’t like My Type, but I dig this song. It has a better beat and flows a lot better. The vocals here are a lot smoother and the rapping is pretty nice. The only problem I see with the track is the bridge of the song. It isn’t bad, but it sounds completely different from the song. It does contribute to the flow, but every time I hear it, it takes me by surprise, as if it comes from another song. The ending of the song was nice. The title is what you would commonly use in a text message and the ending of the song makes it sound like the whole song was part of a text message. Bobby signs off with “Good Night” and I think that is a pretty smart thing to do. I also noticed, but finally an iKON song, where the rappers aren’t singing and they just stick to rapping. It is one of the things I pointed out with My Type and I am glad that there is a change in their song.

For the music video, it just compromises of shots of the guys playing around with their love. Damn, it makes me want to be in a relationship. Can’t really complain about anything in the video. The only thing I will complain about is Bobby’s 70s style shirt and his hair. I have to be honest, though, I personally think B.I look hot in this video. Fanboy in the making? But then again, Korea has a lot of hot men (and ladies… you can never talk KPOP without the ladies) and if you are a dude into KPOP, there is probably a guy out there in the KPOP industry that you have felt some sort of attraction towards. I’ll end it there.

Wow, I wrote started this review yesterday and I was meant to spend a good amount of time on the music video part today. But, guess who wrote the music video part in less than 10 minutes? 7/10