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.

Rewind: May 2015

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Hi guys. Now, I have been doing these rewinds for 4 months now and they have been focused a lot on the news rather than the songs that were released in the month. So this month, I am going to go through my favourite songs. 20 of them. Just for you. Why 20? Well, 10 songs seem too short for me. And I often find one or two songs that isn’t mainstream KPOP that I really enjoy. It might be an OST of a drama or just a random song that needs some recognition.

The first video of the playlist corresponds to the 1st song on my list of favourite songs for May. Yeah, it is long overdue. BUT I insist you skip the first few videos, because there are some hidden gems towards the end. Some of these songs I wanted to push up higher, but since I really did not listen to them as much, I couldn’t compared to like the first song.

  • Kim Sung Gyu has 4 songs on this list. Mainly because every song on his mini album was amazing. I actually wanted to add his intro track, but that would have been excessive. By far on the best albums.
  • Other artists that I honestly have never heard of until I listened to them was: Chaebol & Associates, Bear Planet, Welldone Potato (the names are getting to me).
  • Debut tracks were also on there. More than I expected. Watch the playlist above. Only a few more days until the June comes out, so be prepared.

In May, I put in some polls for you to see which song or music video was better:

  • I asked you, which Big Bang song you guys preferred. Loser came in first with 71.43% and Bae Bae came in second (last, in other words) 28.57%
  • I asked you which BTS music video you guys preferred and 100% of the votes went to the 19+ version. Well, I was expecting that, since the editing for the 15+ version did not make any sense.
  • Finally, I asked you which song Kim Sung Gyu released was your favourite. Both Kontrol and The Answer were tied. Well, given the standard of the songs, I am not surprised.

 

 

Catch Up Review #15 – MONSTA X, Seventeen, N.Flying

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I believe this will be my final Catch Up Review for now. I don’t I missed out on a lot of comebacks and new songs during the last two weeks, so I shall start getting a move on with Big Bang and EXO’s reviews, since I promised that I would do them (to myself) since they have come out. As per usual, if you click on the subheadings below, they shall take you the music video.

Trespass – MONSTA X

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If you guys know me, I am not a big fan of the hip hop genre. And why I even bother reviewing such songs beats me as well. I know there can be some great songs from the genre, me being a fan of many songs and artists, but this really does not impress me. It is a powerful song and their skills in rapping and singing just is amazing. The only problem is that, I find the song lacking in parts. There is hardly any backing vocals in the song, especially for the rap. I don’t know how exactly rapping works, but I personally feel like it there was some sort of backing vocal, there could have been more depth. Music video and dance fitted the style of song though, so not everything was a disappointment for me, for this debut. But I honestly think that they can do better, cause beside that it just sounds “typical”. 3/10

Adore U – Seventeen

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Seventeen has finally debuted!!! After 5476593 years of making fans wait, the 13 member band, called Seventeen has been unveiled. WAIT what??? Hmmm… we were promised 17 members with an average age of 17, not 13 members with the average age of 17. And they are going to age, so that 17 number is going to become useless soon. Don’t kill me for saying that. Amazing song. It drew me in from the very start and I have been playing this song so much. I put this song as the best song for May. Sure, it does kind of fall in the typical boy band debut song category, but I feel the spread between vocals and rapping in this song is pretty even. For the instrumental, it was a really nice pop-ish sound. Music video could have seen a little more investment. It just looks cheap. I am amazed at how they managed to fit all the members into the dance and song. Yeah, some of them have the 1 line (which should be improved on), but considering the amount of members, it was bound to happen. 8/10

Awesome – N.Flying

nflyawesumAfter CN Blue and FT Island, comes N.Flying. This band has finally made their own debut as well, after being promised for a year or two from FNC Entertainment. I love the mix at the start with the classical piano, the rapping and also the rock sound. The song is very catchy and I got hooked on. I don’t listen to them much, but the song did enough to put them onto my radar and list of best rookies. I like the bridge of the song. They are a band, so there is no choreography, unless you consider bouncing around on stage to the music a dance, which technically means, I must be a professional, since that is what I do. Too many commas. The music video was good. I love the glass box at the end. You could tell they got something decent in terms of budget. 8/10

 

Catch Up Review #14 – BESTie, CLC, Oh My Girls

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And I am back. So many reviews to do. Exams just finished today and I am done for the semester, so expect reviews to come out every day from now until late July. Maybe, but I will try to get 1 review out every 2 days. That is my goal. Likewise, the titles below are links to the music video.

Excuse Me – BESTie

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BESTie has returned with Excuse Me, after a pretty successful year of promotions and getting their name out there. Excuse Me just did not live up to my expectations. It was rather disappointing. The song had colour but it really did not use that sense of appeal that well and I grew very tired of the song. Sure I would listen to it, but it just doesn’t fit their past songs. It’s not that catchy at all, which is disappointing. Maybe the saxophones got to me, but I don’t really find their voices fitting for the song. For the music video, it does break the stereotype. Well, for the most part it foes fall under the stereotype of a typical KPOP video, but the plot doesn’t. The glasses that shows guy’s true feelings regarding people around them. Interesting concept but not one that I want to learn about. The choreography fits the song pretty well. The movements fits the beat really well. I kind of like their costumes but at times it does get cringe worthy. Overall, I am sure BESTie could have done better with the song, but I thought the video was a plus. 4.5/10

Like – CLC

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I have not reviewed Pepe, which was CLC’s debut song. But instead, I am going to review Like. This is a pretty solid song that I am totally digging. It is very fun and light-hearted. Most importantly, I think the song fits the concept they are going for as cute girls. I thought the vocals for this song and the rapping in this band is pretty cool. I loved the chorus and how the main vocal does that like pouting sound at the end of a line. I love the part after the first chorus. It changes the up the song pretty well and still manages to flow pretty well. As for the music video, the girls go on a detective hunt to find out what kind of guy one of the girls like is. Turns out their mission failed in the end, but I thought it was a very cute video and quite colourful. The dance is pretty cute as well. 9/10

Cupid – Oh My Girl

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Another group that debuted. But this is their debut single. I recently got into their song but there is one major compliant. The rolling drum beat needed to be softened down or just taken away from the song. Everything about the song was amazing and I thought it was a solid song as well. But the drum beat really smothered every other aspect of the song and made it sound messy. Such disappointment. Though the song and choreography gives off the cheerleader concept really well, which I like. The “Hey cupid has shot my heart” was cringe worthy, but I must confess it is my favourite part of the song.  Their street set and the ending reminded me of AOA’s Elvis. Thought instead of mysterious, these girls act like Cupid. But beside that, the music video was a little boring to watch. 6/10

Next review: new boy bands in KPOP for 2015.

Cupid – Kara

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Kara has returned with a brand new song. It has been a while since Korean promotions, but they have a little more busy with Japanese activities. On top of that , Youngji was promoted on the TC show, Roommate for a while last year. Hara is tipped to make a comeback through solo promotions within this year. And beside that, there really haven’t been much going on for the band, except for the odd promotion here or there.

Cupid is a really typical song. It has not uniqueness and just falls into the “KPOP” genre. It sounds like a cute song and has bits of ageyo in it, which kind of confuses me, since the girls are quite mature and really don’t carry the same concept through their music video or dance. I am glad that Youngji is getting more lines, unlike Mamma Mia, which barely promoted her at all. The whole rap sequence is just Youngji’s. but it has this fake sound all the way through. The vocals were quite lacking in this song. There was no depth and don’t get me started on the live performances. But do I like the song? I guess so. It just doesn’t feel right to say it is an amazing song, because there are definitely some flaws. I really wanted to see a powerful comeback such as their past songs before the departure of the other two former members, but their past few songs have been very airy fairy for me.

The music video was really boring. Dance here. Great, solo shots in these massive sets with perfume bottles and flowers. Add a small parts of a man dodging flower arrows and a silhouette of him getting shot. Music video done. I really don’t like the pale green they were going for. As you can see, I analyse videos very well. There just was not a single thing that made this music video amazing. To be honest, it looked a lot like Mamma Mia. Beside that the fact that the camera angles were a tad different, the music videos to me were perfectly the same. Even the dance set seemed to have the same feel to it as in Mamma Mia.

The dance was okay. Not great, but it did its job. So wasn’t disappointed. I like the choreography at Youngji’s rap part. It seemed fluid and flowed very well. As I said, the live performances were terrible. They don’t sound good.  The vocal work here did not seem like last years or any of their past songs.

Overall, it was an okay comeback. Typical song, boring music video, alright dance. 5/10

I should comeback with more catch up reviews starting Monday and then probably dive right into Big Bang, EXO and my Rewind article for May.

View – SHINee

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-whispers- SHINee’s Back. Yeah… I just had to. After over a year of no promotions as a group in Korea, the 5 member boy group is finally back with a brand new album. Let’s see what the band has done since their last promotions of Everybody back in 2013. Taemin and Jonghyun made their respective solo debuts in 2014 and 2015. 2014 was essentially SHINee’s year in Japan with loads of promotions, releasing numerous songs in Japan and having tours and concerts in the country. And they recently had their 4th Korean tour in May. So they have been busy even though as a group they were more in Japan than Korea.

This song is pretty amazing. At first I thought it would be a very weak song. It lacked a lot the first time around. But when I got to listen to it more, I have to say it grew a lot on me. It was a powerful song is a very subtle way. It is a song that I would expect attract a lot of young teenagers nowadays, mainly because that is what they are all listening to now. And I said that in an elder’s voice. Hahaha… Not but seriously, I now think that this song can top so much. It is catchy and addictive. The instrumental is quite strong on its own and the vocal work is adds another dimension to the song entirely. I may have wanted a rap sequence somewhere in the song, mainly because that is what I expected from Minho, not just three lines. The ad-libs really did not go overboard in this song. The high pitch vocals were not needed, because I can imagine them singing at a lower note and still rocking this song. But overall, a pretty amazing song.

The music video made entirely no sense to me. I got the really obvious parts, but beside that, I felt it did not match the lyrics that well. From the music video, the boys are kidnapped by a group of girls somehow. Don’t know how because they kidnapped the guys in the city, with guns and masks on. Wouldn’t that be obvious? And where was the security team? Anyhow, it looks like they were taken to a more tropical jungle and released. To which they decided to stay with the girls, do some illegal work and partying up a storm with their kidnappers. Oh, and making out with them. Ummm.. Yes, the view was nice, but they are your kidnappers. Just a kindly reminder. AND YESS!! SM has finally unleashed SHINee out of the box. Can you believe it? I expect a brand new trend with SM music video’s. F(x), Red Velvet, SHINee and from memory, EXO as well. Good work!!!

The dance was okay. It matched the song really well. It just doesn’t have that SHINee feel that I am used to. There really were no iconic parts to the dance, like Ring Ding Dong, Sherlock, Everybody etc. But it did do the job for the song and comeback.

Song was amazing music video was okay (minus the confusion) and the dance managed to do well. Minho’s biceps agree with me. So do many Shawols. 7/10

Catch Up Review #13 – MYNAME, History, SPEED

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Another catch up review. Was supposed to be up a few days ago, but I may have been a little too busy. But with some time now, I shall review the songs for you. If you cannot tell right now, boy groups are up in the spotlight this time around. Today, MYNAME’s Just Tell Me, History’s Must Just Die and SPEED’s recent release What U? will be reviewed for you guys. I was planning on review UNIQ’s EOEO, but one things led to another and SPEED was put up instead.

Just Tell Me – MYNAME

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This song was really meh to me. It ticked the right boxes for a modern song and kind of continues on with their mini album they released at the start of the year with Too Very So Much. The song was just so boring. I listened to it once, and haven’t really looked back on it at all. It is somewhat catchy but overall there is no appeal to the sing. The rapping feels very dramatic here as if they are trying hard. As for the vocals, I was fine with it. The music video had this club feel to it and more of a “sexy” concept with the feeling. But the choreography made it feel to distant from the concept and I was very confused. The plot line of the music video was very serious and sexy. But the dance was a little more carefree and playful. So that disappointed me quite a bit. There was so much potential with the music video, but the dance really did not suit it. But the dance did suit the song, so I guess it is just a mismatch between the song and music video then. 3/10

Might Just Die – History

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Finally, a modern day orchestra. Wow, I was so amazed when I heard this song. I was not disappointed with it whatsoever. The song just punched me in the face. Maybe they did go a little overboard with the dubstep sounds in the song, but I thought that it complimented the orchestra so well. As for the vocals and the rapping, I was cool with it. The first rapping verse though was a little unsettling as it just changed the song up entirely for me. But beside it, I thought it was a solid song. As for the music video, their acting is pretty good. It seems like they were locked away and when they were released by the girl, things got a little out of hand and they made a mistake that drove the girl away. So I guess this where the “Must Just Die” title came from, as they might as well die if the girl is not there. As for the dance, I thought it was pretty good. Those abs are very defined. Probably so many fan girls swooned over them abs. I like the dance towards the end more than the rest of it but overall, the entire dance fitted very well with the modern song. 8.5/10

What U – SPEED

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As again, I thought this was an amazing song. The orchestra is there once again but with more of the epic and grand feel for this song. the vocal work was really well done especially the ad-libs at the end. The title was really off putting for me though. What U what? It is a little disappointing to here Taewoon had left the band and the rapping just did not feel like normal. But you can tell that Sungmin and Sejoon tried very hard to fill in Taewoon’s position as well. The music video was a little boring to watch though, I have to be honest. So much more could have been done with it and I was just do bored of it. There was a plot line to it, but it just felt so empty that I am kind of glossing over it. From what I got out of it, the boys follow this girl. And she is very terrified. And I would be as well, mainly because they are all creeping her out at the end. Unless you are a hardcore fan. Then they should be scared of you. Hahahaha… The dancing concept was amazing. They brought tutting into KPOP a few years back and now they are coming in with Heely shoes. I have no idea what they are called, but apparently they used to be popular. Yeah, they existed for a very long time and I only heard of them now. Well, I knew they existed. But the dance is amazing with it in. More complex and I just can’t wait for someone to stack it. Too evil? Yeah, I think so too as well. MUAHAHAHA…. 8/10

Wow, I wrote more as I went by. Click on the song title’s for the music video. The next two reviews will be the more standard ones with just one song. I plan to review both SHINee’s View and Kara’s Cupid. They should be out tomorrow and Saturday, so just a little more waiting.

 

 

 

[DOUBLE REVIEW] Who Are You + Kiss My Lips – BOA

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This is the first BOA comeback that I am reviewing. I believe the last one was Only You and I never got around to it. For those who don’t know, BOA is a very popular female soloist in Korea who has been around since the early 2000s and have proven to be one of the most successful acts in Korea at the moment. She was only a young teen when she made her debut, and now, is more known as the Queen of KPOP. She is now 15 years into the industry and is still going strong.

Overall, her songs are nice, just the recent ones have been very bland and boring. What happened to those big hits like Hurricane Venus? Her last comeback, Only You, really lacked colour and feel. So that was overall very disappointing. Now she returned with two songs, to me, had the same initial feelings with Only You. Who Are You? is more of a romantic pop song that sounded okay. I don’t have much against her, but her voice suits the songs with more of a dance feel to it. The song has a nice instrumental and fitted the Spring weather quite well. I don’t think the rapping was needed. It wasn’t bad but it disrupted the feel of the song for me. Kiss My Lips was more of a subtle dance song. The dance feel was there, but it wasn’t as big as her other pop hits. Not a big fan of the start of the song. It sounded very weird. The rest of the song was very boring. It lacked appeal and catchiness for me, which was very disappointing. Though I can see how the song is a pretty good song, it just “misses the beat for me”. But as I said before, 15 years in the making and there is no signs of stopping. I am 100% sure that BOA will put something out that I will enjoy one day, just not this time.

As the music videos go, I don’t mind them. Both a ridiculous at some points, but it works I guess. Like in Who Are You, it is an okay video. You could tell that is was going to be something long the lines of a romance plot. But what’s with the random CCTV shots of her dancing (and it is sad to admit that I look like that at parties)? And the random scene where she randomly flies and jump to her next destination? It makes so little sense, but in the end, she got to the “one she was hoping for”. Someone should like mention that Sehun is like 6 years her junior… -runs away-
As for Kiss My Lips, I thought it was a very stylish video. Just those close up shots of her in the white room and the different coloured lights and patterns projected really disappointed me. I can’t see her face for half of them because it was so dark. And you probably know I already hate them, even though they are meant to look arty. But beside, it was a nice video that was clean and the dancing set fitted the overall song quite well.

As for the dance for Kiss My Lips, I thought it was a little boring. I like the Vegas style fans and I guess we can see that Femme Fatale concept she is going for in this comeback with this song. Though, it was not as impressive as Only You’s dance though.

I feel like I did 3 reviews for some reason. But BoA’s comeback was deemed as successful. Just SM really needs to sort out their problem with overlapping comebacks. SHINee, EXO and BoA are promoting at the moment. Kind of excessive. I don’t want to start any wars, but SM’s money hunt is going a little too far. Also SNSD is due to comeback this month as well. And this is why SM has overworking controversies. Didn’t want to leave this review on a bad note, but I had to address it somewhere. Maybe a rant article in the future?

Who Are You? – 3/10

Kiss My Lips – 3/10

Which BoA song did you like for this comeback? Kiss My Lips or Who Are You? Results will be published in the Rewind article for June, in July.

 

Catch Up Review #12 – Eunjung (T-Ara), Hyosung (Secret), Park Boram

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They are back!!! It has been so long since I’ve done of these and I promised that they were gone. But they are back. Sorry… But this way, I can get more reviews done. Sometimes I have to cancel reviews because I have no time to do it, or newer artists are coming out and therefore, the certain artist’s review would usually be trashed. Yeah… Like for example, Park Boram’s review. I was meant to do that at the start of May, but I have so much work to do :(. Anyhow, I tried to theme them. This theme is female soloists. Yes, if you haven’t guessed, all the artists here are female soloists. Let’s go.

I’m Good – Eunjung (T-Ara) ft. K.Will

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Also under the name of Elise as well, but for my purposes, let’s keep with Eunjung for now. This song features K.Will in the actual song, while K-iO from Speed has helped with the live performances for the first two weeks. I like the song. It is a nice dance ballad that fits in with the current weather in the Southern Hemisphere.  The vocals of both Eunjung and the male artists featuring was really good as well. The music video was of a typical “break up” and “sorrow” type of video, where they used to be lovers, but then they drifted apart for whatever reason. It was okay to watch. The dance was cool as well. It matched the song quite well and the instrumental. However, there just happens to be something missing from this comeback which I can’t really identify. I just feel this entire comeback lacks attention and appeal to the public. 7/10

Into You – Jung Hyosung (Secret)

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Any one who has read my reviews probably know how much of a big fan I am for Secret. I consistently love every song they put out. But this one, yeah, I thought was very boring. I was pumped for a Hyosung comeback, but this was not what I was expecting. There is too much focus on the sexy and not enough on the talent. There was nothing that was amazing from the song. The music video was a total bore to watch and the performances, I just gloss over. I’ve listened to the song once, and have not gone back to it since then. Even writing this review, I am putting the part where I listen to the song and watch the music video off. Sorry, but not this time Hyosung 😦 2/10

Celepretty – Park Boram

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Now, while the last song was terrible and Eunjung was good, this took the cake for a “great” song. I love this song. It is catchy and it is fun to listen to. I am not turned off from it in anyway. Though, that phone vibration seems like what my phone sounds like, so every time I hear it, I think my phone is trying to get my attention. The music video is also quite colourful and matches the summery feel from the song. As for the dance, I don’t expect Park Boram to do much, so this dance took me by surprise. Her debut one had very little movement and it seems like she is becoming more comfortable on stage. Her debut was also another review that landed in the “maybe next time” pile. 8/10

I’m not going to do another Catch Up Review for the next one. Mainly because BOA’s comeback has been sitting on my waiting list for quite some time. And guess what, it is a DOUBLE REVIEW!! So expect Who Are You? and Kiss My Lips for the next review. Bye Bye!!

 

[DOUBLE REVIEW] The Answer + Kontrol – Kim Sung Gyu (Infinite)

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It is another Double Review. I have a few more lined up, so this is going to be fun. Anyway, too much to write and review. so let’s move along. Kim Sung Gyu is the leader of Infinite and has returned with his second solo mini album, after 60 Seconds, which was released back in 2012. Since then, he has been promoting alongside Infinite. Fans have been requesting a comeback from the singer since his solo debut.

The first song I will be talking about it The Answer. Actually, I am going to say this about all the songs on the album. It has been sometime since I have listened to a whole album. This whole mini album was so perfect. Every song was produced and presented to an exceptional standard. The Answer is a ballad, with a bit of pop sounds in it, but it stayed more on the classical ballad side throughout. The song was very beautiful and I could feel the emotion from Sunggyu in the song.  Many people know I have a soft side for ballads and this song just ticks all the boxes for an amazing song. Vocals blew me away, the instrumental was so calming and powerful. Though I prefer this song over the rest (as this is beyond perfect), all the other songs are so well done, so go and check out his mini-album guys. As for Kontrol, it had more of an electronic funky style of beat to it. I guess it is more of a ballad, but it has that additional feel to it as a pop and electronic style song. Once again, the vocals are amazing here. I particularly like the chorus. The song builds up to the chorus and I just love it. From start to end, this was also another exceptional song that did it’s job very well. On top of that is was quite unique. It would be hard to pick a personal favourite, but I go for The Answer any day.

As for the music videos, both was pretty good. The Answer was more monotone. It was shot in a grey scale filter (not the whole video though) and only really contained shots of Sunggyu singing throughout the video. There were shots of him being distant and lonely, but it matched the song’s feel really well. The video seemed like it was warming up, because we started to get this old brown vintage colour and then full colour was introduced. I honestly thought it was a very beautifully shot video. However, not sure about the floating diamonds. I really did not know what they represent. Maybe memories or something?

Kontrol’s music video was another beautifully shot video. From a foreigner’s perspective, I hope that was Sunggyu’s lover. But at the same time, the girl being his sister matched the story line really well. The move into this alleyway, which consisted of nothing, but I guess with a bit of imagination, you can turn nothing into your own space. It seemed like they live there as well. The decoration for this alleyway suited the sounds of the song really well. I enjoy the choppy camera shots in this music video, as they matched really well with the instrumental. From the video, we see that she goes missing and Sunggyu goes to find her, or in fact the place that she “went on”. It turns out it was the seaside and that the girl probably drowned and Sunggyu could not leave her. Now many people have speculated that this song and music video was done in honour of those who passed away on the Sewol Ferry Accident last year. But Sunggyu said it wasn’t and just a song about a lover. But nonetheless, the music video did have many shots that corresponded to the accident and either way, it was a sad video still. But still amazing.

There is a dance for Kontrol, but I am going to gloss over the dance. Mainly because Sunggyu  doesn’t participate in the dance himself that much.

Overall, I think this by far, has to be one of the best comebacks of the year. As I said, not just these songs, but the whole mini album from Sunggyu was perfect and so amazing to listen to.

The Answer – 10/10

Kontrol – 10/10

Pick a song that you enjoyed 🙂 For this poll and the past two polls, I will put the results in the Rewind posts for the month.

Ma First – Jang Hyunseung (Beast)

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It has been so long. Apologies guys, I had this massive group project that I had to complete and we only started this week. Hahaha… Life of a university student. Any how, I have a few days that I should be cramming for exams (which I have yet to start) but I think I can make some time for you guys. Catch up time for the reviews. I was thinking of doing a few double reviews (Big Bang is still under my watch) but also a few “Catch Up Reviews” like from last year. Some of which are themed like “Solo artists” or “Boy groups”. Oh wait, this is about Beast. Jang Hyunseung is the third member to have a solo music career, the first being Yoseob and second was Junhyung. Beside that, Dongwoon is set to make his own solo debut in Japan and Doojoon has been a popular actor. Kikwang is a well known variety star. Hyunseung is also one half of the ever so popular duo Trouble Maker. Hyunseung said he wanted to show a new side of him to the fans without the Beast and Trouble Maker name following his.

It is an okay song. I liked the instrumental and it has a pretty cool beat to it. I just have not been impress with Hyunseung’s vocals on a whole for most of my time that I have followed Beast. His voclas are good, but it just lacks feelings and emotions for most of the time, which puts me off his vocals. For some reason, I have the idea of the song having a “dirty” beat to it. I don’t think that is what it is called though, but the chorus left that kind of impression for me. Beside that, I did not like find anything else to say about the song. I feel like he is trying a little too hard with the song. It does suit him, but with the extra high notes and all that jazz, it really makes the song feel quite distant from what I am used to from the singer. Of course I expected a dance song, but not a dance song with powerful vocals and high notes that I would expect from a ballad or a softer song. I know it is very vague and I just have a hard time explaining it. Sorry…

As for the music video, this is my first time watching it. I know, I am very delayed but uni got the better of me. Firstly, I like the set. It does look fake but it did a good job of replicating an underground club and an alley way. Second of all, that girl was all teasing Hyunseung. And yet he tried so hard (though he did get to her in the end). I expected a little more clubbing scene and none of that Hyunseung being a pervert scene. The song had that club feel to it, and that was touched on for a while in the video. I just expected majority of the video in a club set. Beside that, it was an okay video. Very American influenced but it did the job quite well.

As for the dance, all I can give is praises. This comeback seems to be more dance centred for me and I enjoy it for that aspect. Jang Hyunseung lives up to his name as the dancer of Beast after all. Though some bits I was very impressed with, others kind of looking like he was having uncontrollable spasms.

Overall, it was an okay comeback. Not that great overall to be honest, but it managed to do its job, I guess. 5/10

 

Summer-gic – Kara

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It has been a while since I have reviewed a Japanese song. And with Kara’s recent return to the Japanese Pop music scene, I guess it is only right if I review their song. I also believe this is the first Japanese song from Kara that I am reviewing. There will always be a first time. Let’s not hope it is the last. Kara, as well know, is a widely popular Korean group that have cemented and is quite well known in Japan for their songs.

I like this song quite a lot. It is a summery and fresh song. It also feels like a genuine JPOP song that really does not exaggerate cuteness or sexiness. I feel like Youngji is finally fitting into the songs more and more, with more lines (not the one or two odd lines, like in Mamma Mia). Actually, all the girls sound amazing in this song and I am not disappointed at all. Even Hara, who I consider to not be a strong vocalist, actually has managed to do a really good job with this song. The instrumental was bubbly and fitting for the current season (up there in the Northern Hemisphere at least). I love the “du du du” parts of the song and thought it was very cute. And besides that, there really is not much to say about this song.

The music video was like a typical Japanese Pop music video. It is very weird to see them act cute, mainly because Mamma Mia was more on the sexy side. The bunny was cool and all, but the video made little sense to me. The bunny was one of the girl’s boyfriend, but originally the bunny was an actually living bunny. So magic trick gone wrong I guess? And then she proceeds to show off with to the girls that she has a lover and wouldn’t that evoke jealousy and sad feelings, rather than happy and (what was Gyuri doing?). Plot wise, not 100% sure. But the video was shot really well and I enjoyed it. It was bright and fresh. It matched the song quite a lot.

The dance fitted well with the song. At first I thought it was lazy, but then I thought back and actually liked it. The “du du du” parts were cool and also that beat dropper sound and its accompanying dance (1:56 of the video). Very technical terms here.

Sorry for the really crappy review. Writing this at an awful time and really busy this weekend (I’ll try to get more reviews out though). But one review is better than none. Once again, I feel like Kara has conquered Japan with their new song. 9/10

FULL MUSIC VIDEO HERE

Rewind: April 2015

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Apologies, it has been nearly a month. Haven’t forgotten these, just been so busy with so much work and studying that I had to push this back so many times. But now, let’s get on with this. This segment recaps the news of last month (April 2015) and let me put my thoughts into each news. This is so badly worded. I am doing this prior to my bed time, so sorry if nothing makes sense. I also lists my favourite songs of the month, and it was very hard for this month. You will be very surprised. Let’s get on with it!!! (yes, I rushed the preview picture. It looks bad, I know. I say sorry in advance!!)

EXO Tao’s departure rumours

Yes, I guess it won’t be 2015 until something EXO related pops up. I believe each Rewind has featured an EXO story so far, and that I kind of concerning, because I don’t think any have been any good for the band. But unfroteutely, there are rumours with another member, Tao. He was injured during promotions of Call Me Baby and he was allowed to return China where he got his time to rest and heal. But while his time in China, there were reports that his father talking with SM Ent to cancel Tao’s contract and according to Tao’s father, Tao gave in and is now wanting the contract to be cancelled. Not that I am opposing Tao’s father, but if you are asking your son to reconsider his job after he has explicitly said that he will forever be with EXO is kind of mean considering what has happened with the band in the last year or so. I understand he is concerned and I don’t doubt him for that. But is just seems sudden like there is something else that fans the public don’t know about it. That is my idea of the whole thing. All we know now is that Tao has left for America and we don’t really have any word from any side. Let’s hope that the talks between the two parties come out with a favourable outcome for Tao, his family, EXO L’s and also the company. Maybe a little hiatus for a few months? But then again, I think that is what he is going through.

Jinusean makes their first comeback in almost 12 years

Yes, legendary duo Jinusean made their comeback with Tell Me One More Time (featuring Jang Han Na) in April. No review for it, but is is a pretty solid song. If you don’t know, the band consists of Kim Jin Woo and Noh Seung Hwan. They basically were one of the first bands in South Korea to bring out the hip hop genre of South Korea and is still managed by YG Entertainment. They did pretty well with their comeback. They topped charts and ranked quite high on charts for a very long time (until other artists made their comeback though). I like the song a lot. Just YG promised Big Bang first, so I was very disappointed, but hey Big Bang ended up making their comeback in May.

Another couple of SNSD

Yuri and baseball player Oh Seung Hwan are reportedly dating. I think it was confirmed by SM but I am not too sure. But if they are, don’t worry about fans and date comfortably. I don’t think Girl’s Generation is a suitable name for them anymore. Best of luck for the couple!!!

EXO’s Instagram dilemma

With rumours of EXO Tao’s departure, some EXO members have gone to some extreme length regarding their instagram accounts. Firstly, Kai opened his prior to the comeback, but while in promtoions, deleted it. From what many speculate that Kai’s account has nothing to do with the rumours and was just a promotion stunt to get more people aware of their comeback. But Lay deleted all his photos and Xiumin deleted his account after a very long time on the social media site. We just will never know if this is in anyway related to the rumours regarding Tao. Let’s hope not. BUT it became a bigger problem, with Tao wiping “EXO” from his profile. Ahh, EXO. What is going to happen to you guys??? Like I said, we will never know what happened, but all this makes rumours sound like they are the truth. But let’s hope not.

Top 10 songs of April 2015

1. Ah Yeah – EXID

2. Catch Me If You Can – SNSD

3. I Need U – BTS

4. Joker – Dal Shabet

5. Call Me Baby – EXO

6. Hopeless Love – Jimin (15&)

7. Aah Oop – Mamamoo ft. eSNa

8. Only You – Miss A

9. Awoo – Lim Kim

10. Tell Me One More Time – Jinusean (No Review)

 

 

Bae Bae – Big Bang

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As per my last review, I told you that I would have this review out sometime this weekend. That means I have an hour and a half to get this review done. If I post this up before 12:00 am AEST (1 hour and a half), then I successfully completed my mission. If not, I failed and really should try to push to do these reviews a little earlier. This is part two of Big Bang’s first comeback of the year. Apparently these are just teasers to what really is coming up next month (which is going to be the fan’s main course). The other song they came back with was Loser.

I don’t want to rant about what I said last review regarding Daesung, but I think I don’t have anything else to say about this song. While it was fun and “different”, I found it a little boring to sit through. The song is short, which is a disappointment, but I don’t want to think about extending this song into a 3 minute + song. We got a very different feel from the band, something that I don’t think they ever have gone for. The vocals and the rapping were just find, it just lacked a lot of appeal and I am very disappointed for that. Once again, I feel the song is Taeyang orientated, but I have already discussed that, but it seems like only Taeyang in the song got the promotion he deserve (but that can only be seen more clearly during the live stages). Even almighty G-Dragon and TOP got shut out this time. I also despise of the word “bae”. So the title gave me shivers. It is like “Yolo”. Just no.

As for the music video, whoever wrote “TOP’s sexual awakening” deserves a freaking gold star. Every time I see this video, all I can think of is TOP, his eyes and his unlikely behaviour in this music video. It kind of got me nervous and scared when I first watched it. Each member is a little crazy in this video. G_Dragon went a little crazy over breasts. Tayeang went crazy with his hair (it has to go). TOP went crazy as the Mad Hatter (his part reminds me of the Mad Hatter). Daesung was too lonely (and probably sex). And I think entirely Seungri got crazy over finding a partner (he was the one with nothing, but hands over his chest. Fake hands to be precise). Overall, I was okay with the video. Surely more could have happened for it to be something that I would rank high. The ending scenes were nice, but that just confirms the crazy nature of the music video.

As for the dance, there really is not much of it during the solo parts (unless you consider the prancing of TOP as a dance). The ending when they all sing together had a dance that kind of gave it that “different” feel. I am for some reason glad, that Big Bang embraced this side for the stage. But dance at the end was so so as well.

I think I did a good job for less than 10 minutes. LOL. Don’t know why I was begin so dramatic at the start. Sorry for that. As for this song, music video and dance, I think I am going to give it a 6/10. Music video and song could have a little more appealing.

As for the question I put out last time, which was you favourite Big Bang song for this promotions?

Loser – Big Bang

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The wait is over. After three hectic and chaotic years, Big Bang has finally returned as a five member band, not as 1 member or a two member subunit, but actually five members. This time around they went digital, with plans to release 1 or 2 songs per month and then releasing a full album later in the years with the already released songs. Yes, probably every fan has been going on non stop about this and I am too very excited. I mentioned in a past review about doing “Double Reviews”. Not this time around Big Bang, but I will be doing that kind of reviews for the upcoming few releases (given there are two new songs each month).

This is a pretty good song. It isn’t really the fun or crazy side of Big Bang we are used to. It kind of goes back to Haru Haru, Lies or Blues style of songs. I enjoyed it. There is something that I am going to rant about. But I feel like Daesung is overlooked in Big Bang. It feels like there is no faith in him. Both songs that were released consist of Daesung singing one verse and that is it. I know his sick and all (from the looks of live cams) but seriously, it is very disappointing. I understand Taeyang has a good voice and because of his recent success with Eyes Nose Lips, but to me, his voice only gets so far when it comes to emotional feels. Maybe it is because Daesung is just sick, but if the next few songs have Daesung little parts, I guess I am onto something. On the other hand, everyone else (including Daesung) have done an excellent job with the song.  The rapping, vocal work and instrumental is very calming (just maybe the “I’m a loser” part. Way to be optimistic). I really liked Seungri’s part in the song at the bridge. It is pretty unique and sets the song apart from their past songs.

The music video reminds me of Blue and Bad Boy just minus the unnecessary one shot takes. Their acting is definitely pretty good (disappointing we don’t see more of them acting). To me Daesung’s, Seungri’s and TOP’s parts in the video made much more sense than Tayang’s and G-Dragon’s. You can definitely see the loser part in the other three’s parts. But I guess Taeyang is a loser in this video because he is lonely? And G-Dragon is just walking around? I just like it how Daesung, despite getting punched and ganged up on, manages to be fashionable. It is pretty funny come to the think of it. And Taeyang, I think you have a condition. No-shirt-itis. Not complaining since you have a nice set of abs, but sometimes it is a little excessive. Out of the 5746556536 music videos he has been in 99% of them consist of a Taeyang without a shirt.  Also, I think we witness TOP stepping out of his comfort zone………. And then there is his part in Bae Bae……….

There is apparently a dance to this song. I find the song fine without a dance, but whatever floats their boats. I noticed it on their Music Bank stage, but I think it is like a one off thing. It is only this performance (I think) so far with a dance. Glad they incorporated the L sign. It makes sense after all.

Don’t worry. I should get the Bae Bae review out sometime during the weekend. Things have finally started to lift up off my shoulders and I only have exams (plus the odd one or two assignments) left. But I promise you, the Bae Bae review will come out. But for Loser, going to give it a solid 9.5/10.

But which song has been your favourite? It shall be an interesting question, since t is now Big Bang vs Big Bang.

I Need You – BTS

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Moving along with more reviews now. I just had a whole list of them, but because I have been skipping so many scheduled days, I just had to dump them all. Just for your information, BTS’s new song was not a part of that list. But there were so many songs and comebacks that I thought that I need to review, but sadly can’t. Don’t know why I am going on about this now. BTS. Yes, The group that we know of is finally back with a brand new song. Their comeback, known for their songs and amazing choreography, has wowed the viewers once again and have finally been nominated and claiming the number 1 spot on the weekly music shows. Congratulations!

Also congrats on such an amazing song. I don’t think that there is anything bad about this song. I genuinely enjoyed the song from start to end without being distracted by odd vocals or irrelvant parts of the song that could have been left out. The one thing that I did notice about this song was that it was much different compared to their past songs. Their past songs were more focused on the beat and the dance. This is a song that displays their rapping and vocals to an emotional standard. It mirrors a dance style ballad in a way and that is basically why I like this song. It is something that is different but at the same time, works really well if their image. As I said their vocals and rapping were focused more on the emotional side this time around. BTS’s rappers tend to be hardcore and fast paced, but with this song, the rapping was slowed and made to match the slow and dark nature of the song. The chorus and verses were good and the instrumental gave the song that more electronic feel, and ties the song together quite nicely.

The music video was released as two versions. The “normal” version which was rated as 15+ and the 19+ version. I prefer the 19+ version. And no, there is no sex (though I think some fans wouldn’t have minded). It was just the way the boy’s characters in the music video dealt with heartbreak was pretty extreme and pretty sure no on would want youngsters to “copy” or mimic them. There is more of a plot line and it makes senses rather than the heavily edited 15+ version which left chunks out. I have to say, that scene with Taeyung killing the dude was quite full on and graphic. Not too graphic, but nothing that I am sure Korea would want people to see at dinner time. Their acting in this music video was very captivating. It got me asking questions and I actually see a whole future for the band in acting. The one thing did tick me off, but Suga (Did I get the right member? Or is it J-Hope? Apologises if I got it wrong) drowsed the whole mattress in gasoline. So why was everything around the mattress burning and not the mattress? Kind of got me there. But the 19+ version was really nice to watch. Not in that way, but it was very intriguing.

Did I say the song was a ballad like song? That doesn’t mean there was a dance. It was definitely toned down but I thought the dance was still pretty nice. It still had the BTS feel to it and matched the vocals, rapping and beat of the song. Yeah, not going to lie, but the body waves were really good. Caught me by surprised, but it is the one part of the dance that I remember.

BTS should keep this style. It is a fresh look on the boy groups that many expect abs and full on crazy dances that could leave them with broken bones and twisted ankles. Though I still love the dance centred BTS that we all know of. 10/10

Below are the two versions! Which did you like more? (Just a retrial of the poll system. Also haven’t done a poll in a long time!!!)

15+ version

19+ Version

[DOUBLE REVIEW] Awoo + Love Game – Lim Kim

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This time around, I think a  double review is in order. So basically, when artists come out with two songs (as it is a growing trend) of various title tracks, it is pretty hard to review every song that they promote. Yes, Big Bang, I am looking at you and I am not going to do this for your newest songs, but if next month, two songs come out… Look out. And I usually review one song and completely miss out on the other song, which is usually disappointing, so why not join the two songs together and make a joint review. Easier for me and more efficient for you. Well, this is the case for  Lim Kim, when she made her comeback with Awoo and Love Game. Two awesome songs, just it would be a pity if I missed out on one of them. We haven’t heard much from her since her last promotions last year but also I think she has been floating around in the OST industry.

Both songs compliment her voice very well and showed a new retro/modern sound to the audience. I love her vocals in Awoo. The instrumental blew me away.  Everything about this song was amazing. I loved the chorus, how basically she sings a couple of words and leave it to the backing vocals (which I think is mainly her) to fill in the rest. The bridge of the song was amazing as well. It changed up the song a little bit, but still maintaining her vocal style. Love Game is more of a popish song, but it still maintains that modern sound to it. I also feel hints of retro in it as well. The same thing applies to this song. Love how the verse are choppy and it still makes the song pretty good. The chorus has a completely different (but equally favourable) sound with her vocals. The vocals in the chorus seem to drag out a little longer than compared to the chorus. I think both songs were to a perfect standard and it really makes it hard to choose a better song.

As for the music video, Awoo was more of a pale video. It reminded me of Orange Caramel’s videos. Probably the same director as it is his style, but at the same time still entertaining. I love how she is a cat (or acts like one in some scenes) and I think the cinematography did an amazing job in capturing the action. I thought the music video was done to a very high standard. I love hoe she forces the dude to communicate with her as he needs “his final piece of the puzzle” if you know what I mean. The hand motions were pretty original, but it reminded me a little too much of Perfume’s Spending All My Time. Actually, the whole music video actually had the “Spending All My Time” feel to it.

As for Love Game, the music video had a bit going on. I agree with Lim Kim. If you are very obvious at trying to hit on someone who is obviously tired of your antics, throwing a dart into your eye is a suitable punishment. I am only joking. Her “revenge” techniques are a little too extreme for me. Though I like it how there is a more of a humorous side to the music video. Also, the music video was much more bolder and colourful. I liked it. Glad the dude at the end got the message though. It probably saved him a limb or an eye. I guess the one thing I did not like about the video was that it really did not feel like it was its own thing. It just felt like a typical KPOP video to me.

There is no dance for Awoo. Well, beside the finger business. But there is a dance for Love Game and I thought it looked pretty good. Not falling into the “sexy concept” entirely, but it seemed to be a way for her to “tease” guys, like in her music video.

Hopefully, I was clear when I was talking about songs. I know a few artists are planning for multiple title tracks comebacks (Once again, Big Bang), so hopefully this a way for me to tackle their reviews. If you have any suggestions (or if you liked or disliked) this style of reviews, comment below.

Awoo – 10/10

Love Game – 8/10