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.

Apple – Gain (Brown Eyed Girls) ft. Jay Park

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Gain, from Brown Eyed Girls, have returned after a year since Truth Or Dare, which was released early last year. This time around she has got another 19+ rated music video for this song. Don’t know why but I will discuss it later. Her album this time has two title tracks and have proven to be a big hit in the industry. Though there are some criticisms and some of which I might add are double standards. But hey, that is what is known as an industry. Her other title track, Paradise Lost will also be reviewed. Most likely released tomorrow. Don’t quote me on that. That or next week when I finally go on my break.

This is a really nice summer song. It was refreshing and had a nice summery cooling effect on you. I think that was an oxymoron. But that summery effect was there, but it managed to cool you down. The song itself got slapped a 19+ rating by KBS. Don’t know why but KBS cited that the song had lyrics that suggested of a sexual relationship. Hmmm… Well, I think most songs need to be banned because a love song even though it is sweet, will lead to a sexual relationship in the end. In other words, KBS is not being making much sense. Music is meant to be up for interpretation. We don’t need people to tell us what this song means and what it doesn’t. Jay Park is an exceptional rapper and sounds amazing in this song. Gain has a really cute voice in this song. Something we don’t see much from her in her career. Together, I think they had really nice chemistry and would love to see this collaboration again in the future. Is it the best song out there? Probably not. But it really gives Gain a new side to her.

The music video also got a 19+ rating. I don’t see anything 19+ about this music video. Gain also wanted to challenge the rating on the music video. Yes, she wears extremely short shorts that resembles underwear and she holds a hose as if it was her d***. But beside it, it was a video that matched the summer feel of the song. She looked quite cute throughout the video running around after a ball and riding her bike. She obviously looked like she enjoyed herself. There was a lot of emphasis on the butt area, but like every other KPOP video out there that involves girl groups, don’t you think South Korea would be immuned to it by now? It was disappointing to know that the music video was quite short. Also, I rewatched the video. The music video was reassessed and given a 15 rating. At least we know these ratings are not final. Which means some bands can take unnecessary 19+ ratings if they want to.

As for the dance, we haven’t see much live performances of this song. Because it has been banned by so many broadcasting stations. However, last night, Gain performed Apple for the second time (as a full song) with the help of F(x)’s Amber. The cuteness also runs in the dance as well and Gain looks like she enjoyed her time on the stage. Not a memorable dance. but it fitted the song.

In conclusion (this whole review sounded more like an essay than a review), if you are going to ban songs, watch and make sure what ou say make sense. And remember music is very subjective. Overall, Gain did pretty well with Apple and it (alongside Paradise Lost) was a solid comeback.  9/10

Between Night n Music – B.I.G

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It is time to review a brand new band. B.I.G is a 5 member boy group that debuted last year with Hello. The members of the group include J-Hoon, Benji, Gunmin, Minpyo and Heedo. They have been around for less than a year (they made their debut in July 2014). They also released the single Are You Ready? back in October. In terms of activities, we don’t hear the band much. I don’t think they have been on many variety programs that much and they don’t get that much recognition. Essentially, they are still nugu (like ultra rookie). But their latest song has got my attention and that is why we are here today.

The song was amazing. From start to end, I found it to be a really amazing dance themed song with its disco and pop influence. I take the “14 feet, still look very good” away from the song. I don’t get the significance behind it and it distracted me from the songs many times. The instrumental of the song is pretty strong and it just so freaking amazing. The drums (I don’t know) that repeat throughout the song was really good and addictive. As for the dance break, it was a very interesting part of the song. I really like it how it sounds really modern but at the same time, quite retro. Their vocals are quite strong, though sometimes they sound quite weak. The rapping was really deep and it managed to fit the song quite well. Overall, the song flowed quite well (including the dance break which made the song a lot more interesting). It would be a song I’d play at a party (hopefully, that is the point of the song. To be a party anthem).

The music video was okay. You could tell that there was not much put into it. I like the setting and how the music video still had that dance party feel to it with the lights. I would like to go onto a bus with a party in it. The buses I take just have people sitting around and minding their own business. Not that exciting. I don’t like their shiny silver jackets. It was just too much of a throwback to the space days. I don’t feel like the editing of the music video was up to par. This is not a thing I talk about much and the editing was not terrible. It just felt choppy and did not flow as well. It also seemed like parts were zoomed in and focused on that weren’t even meant to be shot at. That could have been mine perspective from watching the video. Flashing lights have never been a great thing for me, so maybe they distracted me from enjoying the whole music video.

As for the dance, I liked it. It matched the style of the song. The dance break was amazing. It utilised the instrumental really well. During the dance break, there were sounds that were like balls bouncing. The dance used that to their advantage and I thought it made the whole stage a lot better and interesting.

Overall, a really amazing song and dance. Music video could have been a little better but it was still pretty good. 9.5/10

Growing Pains – Donghae & Eunhyuk (Super Junior)

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Super Junior is back!! Wait. Let’s back track for a moment. Donghae and Eunhyuk is back!!! Yes, it has been a while since we last heard from the duo. Their latest Korean releases includes Oppa Oppa and Still You; and the two have been quite busy and successful releasing songs such as Motorcycle and Skeleton in Japan. The song Growing Pains is the title track of their first album titled as “The Beat Goes On”. And beside that, Super Junior has been quiet lately. Sungmin got married in December 2014 and he, alongside Shindong, will be enlisting this month (I think). Other than that, Kyuhyun wrapped up successful promotions for his solo debut. I believe Siwon is filming something (when isn’t he in front of a camera for a drama). Heechul and Jungmo (from TRAX) is also set to return as the duo M&D.

This song is pretty good. I did not like Oppa Oppa and Still You rings no bells in my mind (probably wasn’t that memorable). This one is the style that I love and like. Like seriously, most songs take time to be implanted into my mind and brainwash me into thinking it is good. This was just immediate. It just clicked in my mind. The rock influenced instrumental was amazing and really fitted the song lyrics so well. As for the vocals Donghae sounded amazing. Eunhyuk was pretty good as well, just I felt the rap could have been left out. The rapping wasn’t bad and fitted into the song quite well. But still, I think a full vocal/singing concept would have been just fine. I absolutely love the  bridge of the song. I honestly would tell everyone to go check out this song. It is so good.

As for the music video, I haven’t watched it. So everything I say here will be first impressions.  SM is finally moving away from box sets. This music video and Red Velvet’s music video was shot all outside. We see the boys struggle with their break up. When they bump into each other, they looked like they were willing to punch each other. But really, if you looked that pissed off every time someone bumped into you (or you bumped into someone), I won’t be surprised that they dumped you. I liked the dancing scenes on top of the roof. Them lights look beautiful. The girl’s rejection for Eunhyuk was quite cruel. False hope hey. Finally we see the guys go seek some help with some erasing memory expert. Overall, the video was nice shot. Donghae’s forehead looked too smooth, but it was a pretty nice video to watch.

As for the dance, it was pretty cool. Don’t get why the microphones were there. They really did nothing to the performance. But I have to mentioned one thing. Their costumes (along with the dancers) looked quite cheap. Okay maybe not the dudes cause they are probably wearing high end stuff. But the dancers looked very cheap. And that got me distracted.

Overall, the perfect song, a nice video and a great dance. 9.5/10

Bounce – Boyfriend

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It seems like Starship now knows what is going on for Boyfriend. And now, just a couple of months after Witch, they are back with Bounce. Yes, Bounce. There are a lot of songs names with Bounce in the KPOP industry. Like how each year “I Love You” and “Lonely” pop up. I guess we can add “Bounce” to that list. Hahahahaha… Anyway, nothing has been happening for the boys since Witch. Well, Witch won the boys their first weekly music award on SBS MTV Show, which is quite a milestone for the boys since it has been like 3 years and a bit since their debut. Maybe they will win this time around as well?

The first time I heard the song I thought I clicked on the wrong song. The start of Bounce reminds me so much of Witch for some reason. I am really torn about this song. It is not that bad, but it isn’t that great. I liked the chorus especially that “Bounce more” voice we hear. Probably catchiest part. But the boys seem to be lacking this time around. I guess this time they are more focused on the dance than the song itself. The vocals and rapping have improved. Not entirely sure of the bridge. Vocally, it is out of place. I honestly don’t like random pauses in the middle of the songs and usually, you need to pick the beat up straight away. The instrumental was pretty good. Just minus the pause.

The music video went for an Alice in Wonderland concept which honestly looked quite cool. It seems like Boyfriend is going for more of that fantasy kind of concepts. Each character (from commentators on YouTube) have been played by the members which is honestly pretty cool. Just to me, they all look like Korean dudes wearing ridiculously costumes. When the twins are just staring around and painting that white object kind of gave me chills. From what I understand, the girl (who I assume is Alice) have all wooed the boys and the dudes all remember her fondly (as per the flashbacks). When she reappears, the boys are surprised and runs to her, only to have her disappeared once again. Then they drop down the hole. Wait, I think a scene (or a couple) are missing. I liked the set. It made it look mysterious and fitted the dark style the boys were going for.

The dance was pretty cool as well. There was a lot of sexual bouncing. In terms of crotch grabbing. But the chorus was pretty good. I like how the boys are running around on stage to get to their next spot and they make it seem pretty cool. To be honest, I was somewhat disappointed. This dance did not top Witch which was midly disappointing but it did do its job.

Oh I nearly forgot. Why would you shave your head? let the twins grow their hair out. They look really bad and a lot like … twins. Can’t tell the difference now. But anyway. 7/10

I’m Okay – Eric Nam

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Eric Nam is back on the stage once again with a brand new song. It has been a while since Ooh Ooh last year. Since this last promotions, he released a Christmas/Winter sing for his fans as a preview of what was coming up for the artist himself. He has been singing quite upbeat songs in this past promotions so this is the first ballad that Eric Nam has promoted on stage. Lastly, I think the company has started to promote him more in the past year by letting him feature in shows such as We Got Married etc. About time, because Eric Nam has a freaking great voice.

Even though Eric Nam did do a ballad this time and also has a voice that fits into ballads, I really wanted more of a upbeat ballad style song like his debut single: Heaven’s Door. Honestly, this seemed very boring. This ballad did not captivate me like other ballads. His vocals are good, but they don’t seem to poor the emotions that the song needed to be amazing. Beside that, I don’t have much to say about this song.

2 things I hated in this video: a) people’s odd obsession with showing ankles when wearing pants. Like seriously, it looks like you are wearing really short pants and don’t have enough money to buy new pants. Maybe because my ankles are bony so I get jealous, but seriously, it makes the pants look short on you. b) Sorry Eric Nam, but those shiny black shoes with the buckles don’t look that great. Actually, they don’t seem to fit in with the video. I don’t know they decided to shoot his shoes/feet when he started to walk. I really like the idea of the video. How he walks in some kind of memory art gallery and see all these pretty memories of him and this girl. Also loved the “empty picture frame plus chair” set. It looked quite stylish. The black and white filter also added that final stylish touch to it.

Sorry about how short this review is. I have lots to do and lots of reviews to put out. But overall, it was an okay comeback. Though I want something more upbeat to fit with his personality. 6.5/10

You’Re Pitiful – FIESTAR

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It is coming out weekly. I think I am going to stick to a schedule now. But I don’t my schedule yet. I’ll get back to you on that. Fiestar is back and finally. This time around the girls return with a more mature concept and of course they are sticking to the oh so catchy sexy concept as well. From the top of my head, the girls haven’t been doing much since their promotions of One More. This is what I don’t understand by some companies. Just because they don’t bring in the money does not mean you promote them once a year and then put them back into the dusty cupboard. If they have potential, to which many fans believe Fiestar does, then their company should be promoting the crap out of them (okay, moderately) to get them more well known in the industry. Once a year is just not going to satisfy your profit and also the fans.

As for the song, I think this song has so freaking much potential in the industry. Like I really love the everything about this song. It is addictive and it is really catchy.  Essentially, I really enjoyed listening to this song on repeat. Ever since it came out (with other songs) have been playing on repeat. Actually, their whole mini album was so great that I literally took all their songs and dumped it into my playlist which is usually for title songs only. The guitar sounds at the start with the beeping electronic sounds made the song pretty cool. The autotune on the vocals were pretty good and pretty much went well with the instrumental. The chorus was pretty catchy but I love Cao Lu’s part in the song. The rapping was pretty good as well, along with the transition from chorus to the rapping.

The music video was okay. Honestly, I felt it could have been a little better. I did recognise the dude. He played a role in the High School Love On series that just ended. And wow, he played a totally different role in this music video than in the drama. He leaves the girl when he is confronted about his coldness. In the music video we see him struggling to come to terms with the breakup and also see him calling his ex girlfriend. Yes, calling is going to get far when you haven’t plugged in the phone in to get connection. Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I don’t see that girl being safe around that dude. He getting angry when things are not going his way kind of tells me that something needs to be done. He has bad anger issues that may need to get looked at. The set where they dance reminds me of History’s Psycho set. Not sure if it is an exact copy but it kind of looks like it to me.

I liked the dance. When I first saw it, I was like “another chair dance” but this song actually does not use the chairs that much. They sit and stand (yes, I just stated the function of the chair in 90% of the dances), but I liked more about the dance was the coats. That was a nice addition to the dance and it seems like it is used to represent the embrace of their partner, to which is rejected when it gets handed back.

Song and dance are pretty good while the music video could have been a little bit better. 8.5/10

Hi~ – Lovelyz

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Lovelyz is back with a repackaged album. Their debut single was deemed as a very successful debut. To me, it lacked quite a bit, but it still did the job as it got them settled in the industry and garnered a lot of eyes on them. Hence, they are back with the repackaged version of their debut album titled as “Hi~”. This time around they are promoting as a 7 member group, with member Jisoo still taking time off from the scandal which shocked Korea back when they debuted.

I have a feeling that whatever I write here will not be what I want to say in my review within a couple of weeks. Candy Jelly Love is a weird track for me (especially the title) but I recently only started to get into the song and have been listening to it in repeat. It still has the cute sound to it that Candy Jelly Love and this song does sound a little catchy with the high note parts just prior to the chorus. The chorus, when they sing, together sounds pretty catchy and pretty good as well. I would love to hear an acoustic version of this song, but honestly, not entirely sure about their vocal talents. Their last two songs sounds like they are really holding back and some of the members don’t really have a strong vocal to show off at this moment (but they can improve). The song sounds sweet and very pretty overall. Just at the moment, I see the song as quite boring and bland. But give me a few more weeks, cause I see the potential for the song getting stuck in my mind and at the same time, this group has a very big future in the industry.

Music video was okay. Haven’t watched it in detailed yet, but I have skimmed over it a few times in the past week since it was released. This is another music video with close up of the members singing and the group members were dancing. There were some scenes in the music video where the girls were acting cute but still maintaining that mature kind of feel. There is no plot and I guess this repackaged album was just like a sudden option that the company chose to do. I noticed that the music video was not as bright as their previous video. Maybe because the song has this hint of disappointment and sadness for some reason and they chosen a more darker kind of feel for the music video. I love the bubbles in the music video with the slow motion. That was a nice part of the video.

As for the dance, not much to say about it. The moves are meant to be cute and girls could handle it. I don’t think there is much of s stand out part of the dance. That is okay as the dance fitted the song and the girl’s vocals as well. But really, there is not much to say about the dance. I did like their “Yeah”~jump though.

Song was okay overall, but definitely  has potential to grow on me. Music video and dance were both okay. 5.5/10

I’m Bad – NU’EST

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NU’EST is back with a special single, I’m Bad. This single is not going to be promoted from what I see cause it has been two weeks since it was released and nothing as been seen from the band. The song itself only features 4 members. Baekho, who we don’t get to hear in this song (but did sing in the ballad released with this song), is recovering from surgery from vocal cords surgery from late last year.  Pity we don’t get to hear his voice cause he has a pretty good voice.

Nevertheless, his band members make up for this lack of singing in the song. Honestly, I did not know that Baekho did not feature in this track until I researched some background on this song. His members either sound so good that Baekho is overshadowed (which I don’t think the case is) or that the members pretty much make up for Baekho’s disappearance. The rapping was pretty good and so were the vocals. It was catchy and would be something that I would play in the background to just listen to. It is not a memorable track but since NU’EST does not put out much songs, I think this digital single would be greatly appreciated by fans and also casual listeners. Their last song was so good yet no recognition for their talents. This song is like the continuation for that standard. The RnB track sounds pretty good, especially how this song at the start sounds a lot like the cafe style music I would hear from time to time.

As for the music video, it was meh. There was nothing that great about the music video. The girl in the music video was dancing a ballet type of choreography which surprisingly fitted the song entirely. Beside that the music video showed solo shots of the members being sad. Well, they were more like posing in front of the camera for most of the time. I agree with some people. I think a plot that involves a break up would have been perfect for this song. Maybe not too dramatic, but still something that will give an reason for the boys to be sad and depresso during the whole music video.

Welcome back to short reviews. The song was seen as ideal. The music video could have a bit better. 6/10

Sniper – Shinhwa

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I, once again, apologise fro my absence. I try to tell you before hand, but sometimes, work just gets the better of you. But now it is the weekend and some time has popped up for this.

Shinhwa is back on the stage once again. Way back, like two years ago, I ended reviewing their song: This Love. I wasn’t a big fan of it. Hopefully, this time around they did a much better job at this song. Anyway, so we all know how long Shinhwa has been around. They debuted back in 1998 and have been going strong since (minus their hiatus in the middle of that time period). Back in 2013, member Andy Lee went on a hiatus for a gambling scandal and this makes his first promotions with the group since his scandal at the end of 2013. (In other words, he wasn’t around with the band in 2014).

When I first heard the teaser, I just wanted those damn whistles is the song. They cowboy kind of sound made it really awesome and something that was very different and probably never done before in the industry. The whistles were in the song and it made the song a really good song. I just love it. It gave the song that more eerie feeling and pretty much set the song away from the others making it a stand out. The vocals were amazing. I just like how the song started off with the “Bam”. Also love the high note, normal note and then rap combination, just before the chorus. The chorus is pretty good itself. I thought the song flowed quite well from start to end. It was a roller-coaster in terms of the pitch they were singing at, but as I said, it is pretty good.

The music video was pretty good. I love how eerie the music video looked. It matched the eerie sound that the whistling sound gave to the song. The rest of the music video was also quite creepy. With like how the girl is always blindfolded and the members are looking at them closely and being very creepy around the girls. Like in the lyrics “Towards your heart, without no one knowing”, the members only see the girl while everyone (and the girl herself) are oblivious. I like the individual scene. What really threw me off is the dancing platform. It was stylish and classy but it was pretty open (in terms of space) while everything else seemed quite confined. But, a pretty good video.

The dance is pretty cool as well. The awkward crab walk as some have dubbed it was pretty cool. I need new words. The chorus dance was okay and it seemed more like a hit or miss type of choreography. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I think it is weird. I like how they gradually let each member joins and for the most part they are standing on the sides (beside the ending). It was cool, but it saw members wait for until the whole song to end before they actually got to move their limbs on stage. But still pretty cool.

Okay, first review in 6 days. And I am pretty tired. Going to write a few more so I can release something during the week. This was “pretty cool” as I repeated 56439 times in this review. 9/10

Love Equation – VIXX

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Despite being on stage just a few months ago with Error, VIXX has returned to the stage in 2015. But I agree with everyone. You can never have too much VIXX. But seriously, these poor boys (and it is not just these boys. Countless other idol groups, big or small) are probably working their asses off to get their name in place within the industry. Big name bands usually have only 1 or two comebacks within a year with massive gaps in between. This allows them to focus on individual work and rest. And that is one downside to the industry. Wait, this is now a rant? Okay. I shall end here. Bottom line: VIXX is working extremely hard and they deserve a break. Maybe not as bad as 2013 was a more hectic year. And maybe not to the extent that B.A.P needed a break. But still, they are pretty tired.

This is a remake of the 1995 of R.ef’s hit single Farewell Formula. And for those who don’t know, R.ef was a widely known group back in the day, though I don’t think they are active anymore. Though I have not heard the original song yet, I am going to take a massive stab in the dark that VIXX’s version is going to be modern and sound quite similar to the original. At the same time, I believe Ravi wrote the rap to the song, which was a great addition because that “Ha Ha Ho Ho” part of the rap was freaking amazing. Actually, all the members stood out for once. For a moment, I was kind of concerned that Hongbin was the only member to get one part of the song but my worries were at ease when I saw the live performances. Ken’s high notes just keep on getting higher and pretty sure is competing against Leo for the best high note belt-er. The English in this song really needs to be worked on. “Love is incomplete” but when Ravi says it: “Love is incompetent”? Also “Love Ekation” kind of made me go insane. Not making fun of his poor English, just it needs a little more work.

The music video is okay. Damn, I miss the dark side of VIXX time and time again when I see concepts like this. But then again, they bring in fresh air for those who quickly tire of the same old thing time and time again. I guess they went for the “boy next door” image this time around. They played basketball, played video games. However, they are reminded of the past with their exs. N got rejected in the video, while Ken was completely heartbroken when he realized his girlfriend was not next to him anymore. I have no idea what Hongbin was doing. He seemed to be un-phased (at the start of the video only) about the whole love idea. He was later reminded of his love when he packed all the things that belonged to her away though. Hyuk, on the other end, tried his best to make Ravi happy. But something tells me that he made Ravi go a little to the angry side. Overall, the video was light and fun, which is fitting to the song. It was a little boring, but it did its job pretty well.

As for the dance. I liked it. It was difficult like VIXX’s normal dances and had a VIXX feel to it. I love it how they included the Error concept in this dance as well. A big part of the choreography (and I kid you not) is the amount of smiles made by Leo at the camera.  Though N looks a lot serious now, so I don’t really know anymore.

That was a long review. I badly want to review Memory off their mini album this time. That song was totally an amazing song on the mini album. But nevertheless, the comeback was pretty good. Changed up from their signature dark concepts, but still pretty solid. 8/10

Rewind: February 2015

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Through this new segment (Finally got to use that one word), we will be looking back at the second month of 2015. I get to rank my top 10 songs. But we also get to look back at other events that happened in the Korean music industry. This way, I can talk about big events in the KPOP industry and rely my thoughts to you all.

YG says comeback for Big Bang will happen in April

This month, YG “promised” us that the first artist to make their comeback would be Big Bang, who has been scheduled for April. Yes, I put “promised” in quotation marks because half the time, we really cannot take his words as the final story. Hopefully, this time Big Bang will make their very long awaited comeback in April and for once Yang Hyun Suk say something we can actually could have relied on. iKON will always be make their debut this year, just we don’t have a clear time frame yet.

Comeback announcement for April?

About 343425946 bands in the KPOP industry have announced their comeback in April. Yes, there have been so many already that I can’t remember. As mentioned above, Big Bang is. Joining them is Girl’s Day, Miss A and Dal Shabet. B1A4‘s sister group will be making their debut in April as well. FT Island is also due to make a comeback in April as well. iKon is also another band rumoured to make their debut in April. As we look further into the future, SNSD and Infinite are both aiming for May comebacks. April is going to be one hell of a month with all the bands coming back for me. And April is going to be one busy month for me already…

Kim Hyun Joong’s Domestic Violence Scandal + Pregnancy rumours

Another turn for the worse for Kim Hyun Joong. Late last year, it was reported that his former girlfriend was a victim to domestic violence attacks from the KPOP star. She sued him for what she had alleged that he has done to her. Now, it was revealed that the former girlfriend had withdrawn the lawsuit and the two proceeded to meet up with each other. Now the ex girlfriend is claiming to be pregnant with Kim’s child as he prepares for military enlistment.  His side has been asking for the girlfriend to come out and do pregnancy tests, which from what I read, she refused (but she ended up,  through her lawyer,  giving out “her” test results). I am going to be honest, this sounds very suspicious on her part. Since she had sued and withdrew the lawsuit basically means she has a free ticket to get away from Kim Hyun Joong. Unless she is that crazy in love for him, this progression in their relationship is putting both parties in a bad light.

Top 10 Songs Of The Month

1. Black Swan – Rainbow

2. Crazy – 4Minute

3. Shake That Brass – Amber (f(x)) ft. SNSD Taeyeon

4. Love Equation – VIXX

5. 너무 Very 막 – MYNAME

6. Just – ZionT ft. Crush

7. Always – A.Kor

8. Because Of You – Berry Good

9. Beautiful – KXIS (DMTN)

10. Sniper – Shinhwa

Black Swan – Rainbow

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Rainbow is finally back after a whole year and bit disappearance. Last early, they did debut their second subunit group, Rainbow Blaxx, with Cha Cha. After that, the rest of the year was focused mainly on individual promotions. Now after a whole freaking year and a bit, they have returned as a full group to the stage. And move along cutesy concept, the sexy concept is officially in for the girls. Days of Tell Me Tell Me and Sunshine are over. Welcome Black Swan. Well, it was quite obvious. I don’t think anyone was going to expect to see another cute concept from the girls after Cha Cha.

When I first heard this song, I was generally confused. The song was lacking and it really disappointed me. After listening to it multiple times after, I basically fell in love with the song and currently obsessing  over it. Watch me hassle that replay button. This song just felt empty but like most songs I don’t like at first, I grew to love it. Overall, the vocals and rapping was pretty good. The vocals had that mysterious feel to it, but at the same time, they sounded really sexual and husky at some parts. I love the instrumental a lot. It is a sound that you find a lot of younger people listening to from the clubs and dance parties. The song structure was also quite different to other songs. If you did not notice, the second verse was quite short but it was featured at the end of the song, instead of after the 1st or 2nd chorus. It is a really interesting structure which got me into the song.

For a group titled as Rainbow, the lack of colour in this video is quite strong. Sorry I had to. But I absolutely love that idea. It gets me into the music video and song. The black and white filter made the video look pretty good. The background for a proportion of the video reminded me of that massive diamond structure in SNSD’s The Boys. I really liked the background of the music video. It made the set look quite large rather than literal corners in the box sets we usually see. How messy was that paint seen with the paint dripping down the wall. I just love it how there is a white wall with black paint, but turn around to the other universe, it is white paint on the black wall. That also reminds me. It seems like the girls are playing total opposites. After the girls look “innocently” through the eye hole of the door, they turn into completely different people. Hence the black and white come into play, because they are opposite and completely different.

The dance is pretty cool as well. It is a slow dance until the song starts to get a little more upbeat and the dance matches that transition very well. I just love the start of the dance. It looks really cool and very different from other dances. There is a lot of butt action as well.

This comeback did actually live up to the expected hype that got me into a frenzy, even though it did not seem to be that way at the start. 10/10

Beautiful – KXIS ft. Sane

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Sorry guys! It has been since the start of the week since I last wrote a review. Well to be honest, I released a review on the 22nd, but I haven’t written any reviews since early last week. I have been pretty busy in the last few days. Uni has started for me, so I was running around for orientation and on top of that, Lunar New Year was also last week, which took away a large chunk of my week. I am back now to review new songs, such as KXIS (formerly known as Jeesu from DMTN). Now I don’t know if DMTN is still around anymore, particularly after Daniel’s drug case last year (or the year before). There are pages that claims they have disbanded, but others says they are still together.

This song is pretty catchy and pretty good. I am not a fan of the rapping however. Sane is good and all, just this song really did not feel like a song that she should have featured in. His rapping part felt very disconnected from the whole song. While, I did not like Sane’s rap. I also did not like Jeesu’s voice. Not that I hate it or anything, it just got to me at certain parts. It just got annoying at some parts. As for the song, it was really catchy, especially the chorus. His voice does that thing to you when you listen to it. It is also quite funny how Koreans get something in English, such as “A+” and change it to how they would say it, which comes out like “A-plur”. Yeah, it cracked me up.

What is with the music video. I am not a fan of that grainy look. Besides that, I actually find this video okay. Okay, minus the choice of the girl. Hara is beautiful and all. I am just not a big fan of her. But anyway, I like how they tried to mimick the look of a one shot video which was pretty good and worked out pretty well. Something that annoyed me was the lip syncing. It was pretty off. Especially those pre-recorded parts. I liked the use of the room and the TV though. I like the backdrop of that club like building. It was pretty small, but it did a good job of containing the music video. But beside the grainy look of the video, this music video was alright.

This song sounds pretty bad live. I know that artists need to choose whether to focus on the dance or singing. This however, he goes into different phase throughout the song. Parts with those high notes, he does not sing and then he sings other parts. It is pretty obvious when he alternates. I like how they skipped Sane’s rap part and added a bit of a dance sequence into, which does not freaking fit the song. But overall, it is safe to see that he can dance and the dance as a whole (minus the extra dance break) was pretty good.

I apologise for the crappy way I expressed myself in this review. Usually I write a review in one day (that way I sound more fluent and it flows). This review was written over a course of 3-4 days so it seems choppy and jaggered at some parts. But overall, it was a pretty solid debut that needs a bit of tweaking. 6.5/10

Lovekiller – Niel (Teen Top) ft. Dok2

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Niel, the main vocalist of the boy band, Teen Top has officially made his solo debut. He did release a pre-release at the end of January, titled as Affogato, which I didn’t hear about. Also, to launch his solo career, he was a part of the new TV show 4 Things Show, which (I believe) talks about the personal life of the stars. On top of that, he also used his members C.A.P and L.Joe in this mini album and also had Dok2 feature in his title track. I believe his solo debut has been talked about for some time, with rumours originating since last year on forums that I have been silently reading. Yes, I do that. I can never be motivated to create an account though.

The soft guitar sounds open up the song for us. We then proceed to get Niel’s vocals which are quite husky. I never thought that Niel would have a husky voice, but now he does. So for the first part of the song and the first chorus, we got this RnB kind of sound that actually matched the lyrics quite well. Afterwards, the song changed up a little. We started to get more of an electronic beat and more modern sound. Not complaining, though, as I quite liked the change between the two and how they manage to go well together. The rapping was pretty good (why am I even commenting on that part, Dok2 is always good). I just don’t like that pause right afterwards and the sounds that Niel makes immediately after the pause. Why did the song just have to stop there for that 1 second? Also, I don’t like the background vocals for the chorus. It felt awkward and kind of made me cringe.

I don’t know why I find many videos boring nowadays. This one is between boring and good though. We see Niel rock up in a van on a really rainy day. And then we get shots of him dancing by himself in the tunnel, with cuts to his model girlfriend, played by Yoo Seung Ok. We get flashbacks to the happy times. The music video does go back to the lyrics though which is quite good. When he sings “When you don’t pick up” (something like that, not 100% translation, maybe just 50%), they have scenes regarding mobile phones and etc. When the song picks up and starts to transform, we change to a different set of Las Vegas style signage. I don’t get the connection, but I actually liked that set a lot. Also the tunnel with the lights was pretty cool as well. The music video was quite dark and I am guessing that represents heartbreak and sorrow.

This dance has references to Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal. When I heard that, I was surprised and excited. Just, there was no “man leaning at impossible angle” move. I was very disappointed in that though. I found that his moves seemed much smoother. With the clicks in the instrumental, I was expecting some kind of sharp movement. But anyway, the dance was pretty amazing. I know Teen Top does mad dances, but I think they should try this style out. It looks very cool.

Overall, a pretty nice track. The music video was so so. The dance was well polished and professional looking. 7/10

NPNP – Soya x KK

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This is the first time that I am reviewing both of these artists and they have come together for a collaboration. Now you, like me (probably) have no freaking idea about these two artists. Well, Soya is the female counterpart of this collab and she is the niece of Running Man’s Kim Jong Kook (who is also formerly a part of Turbo and a singer himself). She debut back in 2010 and I think she is known for her collaboration with Mighty Mouth for their amazing song Tok Tok. She has done past OST and have also featured on numerous other Mighty Mouth songs. KK is the male counterpart of this collab and he is very hard to find online. I did dig up a piece of information where he actually collabed with Wassup and I think the song title is “Boys Be…” (fast and Faster). This may be his debut song (not entirely sure).

This song is quite lively and to me, channels the same feeling as Some did when it was released last year.  I am going to be honest, I don’t like the rapper. He does not sound that suitable for this style of song where it is like similar to the cutesy and lovingly concept. However, I do think about their voices go well together. Soya has a really nice and sweet voice. After reading the description box of the music video, I found out that the song has “strong rhythm” but “soft instruments sounds that do not harmonize together”. Yes, I actually thought the two blended quite well together and did not actually think of it until I read it.  The one complaint that I have is that is lacks the appeal to me. Yes, it does “channel” feelings to me, but it is not a song that I would go back to. It really does not have a hook for me and I don’t think it is one that I would replay. However, this might be a nice song to listen to when you’re feeling down. There is just something about the sweet vocals. Also for the title, NPNP stands for My Side, My Husband (in Korean of course). As for the lyrics, I really don’t see the conflicting side between the lovers (as said in the description box) which kind of annoys me. Overall, a cute song that really does not have anything pulling me to it to listen to it again.

As for the music video, it was boring. The stop motion effect was good and all. The feel of the video suits the nature of the song and all. But it was boring to watch. I like the different sizes of the characters in the music video. And I think the music video is trying to push to the funny side a bit with the effects they put it in. It is okay, just I can watch this video with a straight face. I have to say, the colouring of the video is very dull (like the pale yellow background) and that kind of got me yawning. The effects changed it up for me and I guess without those extra pictures, the video would have been something I skipped. And if you need to give someone a test to find out they love you, I’d be a little concern. But I know that was just for the video.

I am not expecting a crazy dance routine for this song. And we just got that. It is a very simple choreography which matches with the song. I just think no dance routine would have a better effect for this song. Like the two can act cute and stuff just fine. If the company just got the two to act cute together on stage, it would have been fine as well.

OMG, such a long review. Overall, cute collaboration between the two. Just nothing that I would go back for. 5.5/10

Shake That Brass – Amber (F(x)) ft. Taeyeon (SNSD)

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F(x) has to be one of the most overlooked bands of Korean Pop. Well, not overlooked by fans but by their own company. Last year, F(x) made their comeback with Red Light, but promotions were cut short after Sulli “went on a hiatus” and that is basically code for “going against your company”. But now, I guess we will see the revival of F(x) with Amber, the group’s resident rapper, making her solo debut with Shake That Brass, which features SNSD’s Taeyeon. Amber is the first member of the group to undergo formal promotions for solo work. Other F(x) members are widely known for their OSTs and also acting works.

I think anyone listening to this song could tell it is very Americanized. There is no KPOP feel to it, but really a very big mass American appeal to it. In my last review, I did talk about the ongoing trend about mashup between various genres. For this song, I think all of the sounds went really well together. This song flowed soundly and I could not feel awkward or did not cringe at some places. Amber’s rap is pretty good and I really love the “na na na”part. That is pretty cool. Taeyeon’s part was okay. I am sure it could have been left out and Amber put in another rapping segment or another “na na na” part. As for the title, I am 100% Amber changed the wording around to avoid getting cricisted and banned from the networks. That or she really wants to shake some brass. Literally. But it was a very catchy songs and those trumpet sounds were really appealing to my ears.

This is one very bright and colourful video. You can tell that Amber brought the youth to her video. I like it how she invited most her friends to the shoot. It is pretty smart and at the same time, shows that she is very connected in the industry. So many people including Jackson, Joon from G.o.D, Rome from C-Clown, Min and Jia from Miss A, Brad from Busker Busker and many more celebrities that I cannot name from the top of my head attended. I love the little comic sound effects that they added in. That laundro-mat scene was pretty interesting. I would like some glasses that gets everyone to party, but that last part was embarrassing. Guess the glasses last only a few times. I like it how they took the gold brass colour and used that throughout the video. I believe in every scene there was something gold or made of brass. Nice video.

The dance was cool. I honestly don’t know what to say. It guess it is catchy. I just can’t really imagine a different dance routine in place of this one.

A very vibrant and colourful comeback. 8.5/10