Casual reviews of KPOP songs, music videos & dances
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.
ZEROBASEONE is due back in a couple of weeks on 13 May 2024 with their second comeback (mini-album titled You Had Me At Hello) since their debut last year. Ahead of the new comeback, ZEROBASEONE pre-released a single yesterday to tease us with. The single is titled SWEAT and marks the beginning of an early Summer. We last saw ZEROBASEONE through CRUSH in Korea and (more recently) through YURA YURA in Japan.
SWEAT is a solid pre-release track, though it does lacks a ZEROBASEONE personality. SWEAT doesn’t feel like it falls on a spectrum with the two extremes being In Bloom or CRUSH. However, I do think it is a bit on a pleasant side of another spectrum, whichisn’t a bad thing. I do think SWEAT could have been more robust in its house-based instrumental to drive up the energy and excitement. Maybe that could have given SWEAT a ZEROBASEONE feel. That being said, SWEAT does still have a beat and kick to it that made it enjoyable and chill. The song displays a good showing of vocals from the members, though nothing mind-blowing to really attract attention. That was delegated to the catchy hook which got my attention at the first pass when I checked out the track yesterday. Interestingly, the producers opted to not include a rap sequence. I think SWEAT could have benefited from a punchy and edgy rap sequence to, once again, drive up the energy and excitement even further. Wrapping up my thoughts on the song, it looks like SWEAT could have been more. But as it is, it is fine track.
While there is a music video for the release, the title of the video categorise it to be more of a ‘SPECIAL SUMMER VIDEO’. They definitely got the Summer bit down, with an overall very sunny music video that sees the group perform on stage at a beach, in the middle of a long road surrounded by breezy long grass and during a shower, and in a field with a sunset background. I also like the easygoing and chill vibes of the video. In addition to all of that, I am sure fans are enjoying the plentiful closeup of the members in the video.
Released a couple of hours after SWEAT, the performance video on the M2 YouTube channel was actually quite engaging thanks to the camera angles and how the members made a connection with the camera at these angles. As for the choreography, there was a slight sensual vibe to it, which interestingly didn’t make it into the music video. Other than that, a solid routine.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
It is a new week. And that comes with new comebacks and debuts. Kicking it off this week is DOYOUNG’s solo debut with the single Little Light and his first studio length album YOUTH. DOYOUNG becomes the fifth member of NCT after TAEYONG, MARK, TEN and JAEHYUN to have some sort of a solo career outside of their NCT works, which spans across NCT, NCT U and NCT 127 discography. If I also read correctly, we will be expecting more NCT solo works this year. We already have TAEYONG’s TAP and TEN’s Nightwalker (which I have yet to review) this year, and JAEHYUN is preparing a solo album himself.
But today’s focus is on DOYOUNG’s Little Light. The track is described as a band song with powerful guitar riffs (according to SOOMPI), which is an accurate description for Little Light. I would have also thrown in a ‘refreshing’, ‘revitalising’ and/or ‘uplifting’ descriptor into the mix when describing Little Light. When I first heard the song, I thought how nice some strings would have been in the background (particularly at the end of Little Light) and that led me to think of LUCY’s work (a South Korean band that I have reviewed before who is known for their use of strings in their band tracks). It turns out that Little Light is co-written by Cho Won Sang from LUCY! As for DOYOUNG, he sounds really nice. Not only does his vocal tone showcases those extra descriptive words I mentioned at the start of this section, I like how he presents himself throughout Little Light. There is a bit of a range with some some powerful notes, high notes and even some falsetto. Each were well used and at the right time, furthering Little Light as a captivating track. I do wish there was a bit more consistency within the melodies in Little Light to make it feel more cohesive. But as it stands, Little Light ticks off many boxes for me, especially the idea of it being a band track with a refreshing vibe.
The lyrics to Little Light talks about how a little light can lead someone to their hopes and dreams . Certain lines of the song speak about how it needs to be lit, is it can be the dimmest light you can ever find, or even be a star in the sky that is miles away etc. It is all quite clever imagery and presents to us the idea that little light can be something different for all of us. In the video, DOYOUNG goes searching for his little light, which he does come across a number of times. He goes chasing after it, but he loses sight of it just as many times as he spots it. But as it is his little light, it does come back to him to lead him forward. DOYOUNG went through windy conditions at one point, and also trips and grazes his face/hand. At one point, he almost gives up on his search. All of this represents the tribulations and journey we all must go on that is life. But in a happy ending, he finds his light and follows it to a hidden area that has even more little lights. While not shown, these lights somehow take him home. But before we think it all a dream, DOYOUNG notices his hands (and we can see his face) are still scraped, which alludes to the fact that journey he went through the previous night (i.e., life) still occurred. I also notice that the little light in the video is green in colour, which is also NCT’s colour. And I have a feeling that all those little lights that become one big light might be reference to the NCT fanclub. I also enjoyed the scenery and the aesthetic of band instruments behind him in the scenes where he is singing into a microphone. What a stunning backdrop.
Song – 9.5/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9.3/10
I present to you my thoughts on ATEEZ’s second studio album THE WORLD EP.FIN: WILL, which dropped back on 1 December 2023. I know I have been mentioning this review for quite a bit as I have been reviewing some side tracks in preparation for this album review over the last few weeks. A total of 12 tracks, including the title track Crazy Form, four unit and solo tracks and 2 interlude/outro tracks, feature on this album. Also in some unexpected news that I just found out whilst writing up this album review, ATEEZ literally announced their next Korean comeback yesterday with GOLDEN HOUR Part. 1 and a May 31 release date. So with this album review out of the way, it is also time to prepare for ATEEZ’s next comeback (if you have already recovered from their 2 epic Coachella performances). But first, my thoughts on THE WORLD EP.FIN: WILL.
Please note that this album review also marks my final album review for a 2023 album for now. Apologies if you were awaiting for another 2023 album to be reviewed. They will form part of the list of albums that I will look to review in my spare time on an ad-hoc basis from previous years.
THE WORLD EP.FIN: WILL Album Cover
1. WE KNOW – WE KNOW builds the intensity for what is to come on this studio album. It feels suspenseful and maintains that vibe for majority of the song, which makes for an interesting opener. There is a fair bit I like in WE KNOW, such as the refrained rapping and the use of the autotune to help further that suspense and intensity. However, I feel WE KNOW’s vocals (excluding JONGHO’s impressive ad-libs) were sub-par and the instrumentation (I expected some sort of peak and not a linear trajectory to this song) was lackluster, and the hooks and melodies felt too underbaked. (7/10)
2. Emergency – Emergency steps the energy up a notch, but it takes a while for me to actually get into the track. I like the infusion of a more “epic vibe” into the instrumentation. The bass and synths definitely make the song bolder, while the members bring a certain hype energy to the table in Emergency. The best part of the song has to be the bridge – from JONGHO’s vocals to slight inclination of the instrumental to the rappers bringing up the energy in a similar manner. While the melodies do sound better in Emergency compared to the previous song, it could have gone further. The hooks were also a weak element. Had both picked up sooner, I think I would have gotten into the track a lot faster and not wait until we got near to the end to realize I like the song. (7.5/10)
4. ARRIBA – I like the exotic tinge to ARRIBA’s instrumental. It instantly attracts attention and appeals to me. In addition to the instrumentation, the energy that the members channel felt promising. The ending was the most exciting sequence of the song, thanks to the layering of ad-libs and chorus. The hooks were catchy and the melodies were almost sleek-like. I did think there was opportunity for the members to go even further and make ARRIBA feel even more of a hype track. But there is already a lot more to enjoy in ARRIBA compared to the other side tracks thus far on the mini-album. (8/10)
5. Silver Light – Silver Light’s electronic and synth-based instrumentation reminds me of Cyberpunk – a very infamous side track of ATEEZ’s. However, instead of being as intense and hard-hitting as Cyberpunk, Silver Light opts for a softer profile. I quite like Silver Light as it feels very ATEEZ, but the delicate sound profile and simmering/held back intensity is very unique and different for the group. The members’ vocals and rapping work extremely well in Silver Light, with the vocal work bringing out a more elegant sound. The rappers hold themselves back to complement the soundscape but I did like the roughness they have to offer in Silver Light. Best part of the song has to be YEOSANG and YUNHO’s English line in the choruses – their deep vocals adds to that simmering intensity that makes Silver Light so entrancing for me. (9/10)
6. Crescent Part.2 – Serving as an unofficial interlude to the album is Crescent Part.2. We heard something quite similar in TREASURE EP.3 : One To All, where Crescent (Part 1) served as an interlude with a similar soundscape of ocean waves crashing and birds in the distance. In Crescent Part.2, the instrumental piece is also quite riveting and stunning. It literally felt like nature all around me when I listen to this track. Extremely atmospheric. But it ends with a foreboding sound of a ship horn going off in the distance.
7. Dreamy Day (꿈날) – Bringing in some light to the album is Dreamy Day. I don’t have much thoughts on the instrumentation, but the brighter tone to the instrumentation did bring a smile to my face. As does the melodies. The vocals are much softer and it really did feel like the vocal line in this song took full advantage of the softer tone of the song to bring out those melodies thoroughly. The rappers are contained to just the second verse and kept to the softer brief that is Dreamy Day. Altogether, it was a very pleasant and enjoyable track. (8/10)
12. FIN : WILL – Closing out this studio album and THE WORLD era is FIN : WILL. There are some really nice narrations to the song. It starts off with questions about having painful memories and moments in the past. After a short focus on those, the questions start to become more hopeful and positive, which felt fitting for the uplifting tone that the music goes for. The backing piece is atmospheric and reflective, reminding me of a walk where you are lost in your own thoughts that are positively influenced by the nice sunny and breezy surroundings.
Welcome back to another Weekly KPOP Chart post – this time for the 3rd Week of April 2024. Work once again took over the last week, so I over-promised and under-delivered once again. There is an upcoming public holiday this week, so I am hoping to use that to catch up on some reviews. This is in addition to the album review I will be posting later today and also the usual few songs reviews I do during the week. While you wait for those reviews, here is the Weekly KPOP Chart post for 3rd Week of April 2024.
Throwback Song of the Week
Each week I pick a song from the past to feature in this segment. It is recognition for the fact I listen to more than just the currently charting songs. And revisiting these songs are truly a blast from the past. Plus, I am hoping that this segment introduces new listeners to some great songs that I have enjoyed from my many years of listening to KPOP. Another song that hit hard this week for me was AILEE’s Room Shaker, which I had featured in this segment previously.
Non-Korean Song of the Week
As my focus on this blog is primarily on KPOP songs, I draw attention to a particular song that isn’t in the Korean language in this part of the Weekly KPOP Chart post. That song is the top ranking non-Korean song on each Weekly KPOP Chart post. The past week’s non-Korean song of the week is ATEEZ’s NOT OKAY. It ranks in the 6th position this week.
The Charts
Congratulations to ONF and their latest single Bye My Monster for remaining in the top spot of the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 3rd Week of April 2024 and for the second week in a row.
Over the last few weeks, I have been reviewing the solo and unit tracks from ATEEZ’s The World EP.Fin: Will that had an accompanying music video. Thus far, I have reviewed HONGJOONG & SEONGHWA’s MATZ, YEOSANG, SAN & WOOYOUNG’s IT’s You and YUNHO & MINGI’s Youth. That leaves JONGHO, who was the only member of the group to have a solo track on the studio album. The song is titled Everything. With the review completed, I can finally turn my attention to the album review – which will be posted tomorrow!
Once again, it should come as no surprise that the main vocalist of a group has gone down a balladry route for their solo track. But with JONGHO at the helm of Everything, you can definitely tell that this one is going to be an amazing one. Everything sees JONGHO and the piano start off quite soft, aligning with the lyrics that tells us that he is beginning to remember his former lover again (and on a regular occurrence). Once he approaches the chorus, the lyrics reflects his struggle with his inactions in the past and his soaring vocals in this part signifies the passion he personally feels that he would have done things differently in the past. The instrumental remains fairly neutral here. For the second verse of Everything, we get a bit more to the instrumentation and we hear JONGHO reflect how the unsuccessful relationship has affected him. We get another run at the chorus, before JONGHO really picks it up with some stunning high notes and oomph to his vocals. The lyrics here tells us he really wants to get back with his former lover. The power and emotion behind his vocals in this part tells us that he is very willing to do anything to get what he wants. But the final moments of Everything (and this interpretation also aligns with what we see in the music video – more on that in a moment) brings the story-telling to a semi-sharp ending, probably with the realisation that while his partner was everything to him, it won’t be that way anymore. Everything is definitely quite captivating and I liked how his lyrics told us a story. You can also definitely feel the emotions from his vocals and delivery. My only hesitation about the song is that the melodies aren’t as prevalent. But another great ballad for JONGHO and ATEEZ.
Similar to the song above, the music video shows us how JONGHO wants to do more in the past with his now ex-lover. At the start of the video, we see him alone, remembering about his former lover. He wanders to places where he has fond memories of her and can’t bring himself to go home. We then see his memories of the relationship and the subsequent breakdown of the relationship. The storyline and emotions in the video peaks as the song does with JONGHO’s final chorus of Everything. As mentioned above, the song finishes finishes semi-sharply (i.e., no instrumentation and final word from JONGHO). In the video, we see the partner’s presence disappear into the darkness and JONGHO only remaining at the end. From there, post-music, we see JONGHO sit around by himself and everything that gave him good memories (i.e., the basketball ring and their home) alight, which probably represents the reality that those memories shouldn’t linger but be forgotten (or else he would not be able to move on). It is a good video and I like how it works in tandem with the song and lyrics.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
At the start of the month, RIIZE dropped a comeback schedule that spans for more than 2 months, leading towards their first mini-album release, RIIZING. The first release as part of this schedule was the full-length version of Siren (which they unveiled as part of a pre-debut performance video) on April 3. The second release as part of this schedule comes today (April 18) through the form of the single Impossible. After Impossible. we are getting three side-tracks on April 29, followed by fan-cons in May and early June before the mini-album release on an unspecified date in June. So RIIZE are going to be very busy in the coming months. And I have been busy preparing my thoughts on Impossible for you.
Impossible is a dance pop track that actually comes off as quite pleasant. I don’t have anything negative to say about the song, with ‘pleasant’ being the simple one-word summary for this track. And to avoid any doubt, I mean it in a positive manner. Impossible features cool house beats and rhythm. The backing also features a variety of synth work, which brought some nice detailing to the mix. Throughout Impossible, you can hear some equally-as-cool squeezy-like synthesiser sounds in the background. Not exactly sure how to describe them, but they feel like someone took a synthesiser and squeezed the synth sound out of it. Towards the end, we get a splash of retro synths, which made for a nice ending to Impossible. The RIIZE members themselves comes into the song with a light approach to the song. Their consistent vocal work here definitely made the song enjoyable for me, and works well with the constant flow of bright and dance energy that the instrumental brought to Impossible. The only element I think Impossible is missing is a touch of some heavy. Presently, the overall tone of Impossible feels very light and this could make the song easy to miss. A hint of some something heavy would have helped ground Impossible and create an even more balance energy. Nothing too hefty or utilised too much, as that could throw out the entire balance of Impossible. But overall, Impossible is a really good song from the onset.
Keeping to the lightness of Impossible, the music video sees the members dance about and having some fun hanging out with one another. This just makes everything simpler and works well with the straight-forwardness of the song. The downside of this approach, however, is that there isn’t much else to the video. There were a few serious stares from some of the members throughout the video, so I wonder if this is just the beginning of something more as part of the bigger comeback.
The choreography for this release looks like a work out. The consistency of the song’s rhythm keeps the members constantly moving and there really isn’t much of a place to take a break. What stands out with the routine even more is the impressive footwork and leaps the members take during the chorus. Not only does that reiterate the workout descriptor of the choreography, but it also plays into the recurring lightness that I have mentioned throughout this review.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.7/10
We are now mid-week, but I am finally making a start on the comebacks that occurred at the start of this week. BOYNEXTOOR is one of the artists that did so, and they returned with the single Earth, Wind & Fire. The new single forms part of the group’s second mini-album, How?. An English version of the song also features as part of the new mini-album. This is their first comeback since the release of But Sometimes and WHY… last year.
BOYNEXTDOOR goes down a very playful route for Earth, Wind & Fire. This playful route revisits a dynamic that the group kind of touched on in one of their debut singles, One and Only. A major difference between the two songs is that Earth, Wind & Fire goes even further along in the playful department. This is particularly highlighted to us following the fun yet repetitive chorus (more on this in a second), with the sped-up line post-chorus. The chorus itself is already quite playful via its melodies, and the addition of the post-chorus sped-up line reiterates that even further. I can also see it potentially attracting attention and keeping Earth, Wind & Fire in your mind, even after it wraps. The chorus could have been better had it had more to it. It did end up being quite repetitive and this may have implications on continuous repeats of the song. I would imagine the repetitiveness might dull everything else going in the song or has been set up. To me, the most lacking sequences of Earth, Wind & Fire are the verses. The opening verse was okay with some interesting vocals, but there wasn’t anything that pinged me as interesting or worth mentioning, As for the second verse, the rapping and vocals we got didn’t feel like it fit with the rest of Earth, Wind & Fire. But the pre-chorus lines and trajectory serves as a nice ramp up to the song’s highlight. I also like the retro direction the bridge had. Overall, I appreciate the fun energy and unique elements in Earth, Wind & Fire, which keeps me around.
Backing up the playful song is the music video. And this video is definitely wild and a quirky journey. Earth, Wind & Fire is about the feelings of how the person someone love can be their whole world like the elements of earth, wind, and fire. These are definitely represented in some form in the video. But the song also highlights how love is like nature one can’t control, which we can see represented in the video via the imagery of the wild weather events in the sets. I quite enjoyed the addition of the sped-up choreography scenes to accompany the sped-up sequence of the song, as well as the in-built lyrics to help us (loosely) decipher that they are singing in that sequence. These two elements definitely adds to that playful nature really well.
Keeping the playful vibes alive is the choreography, which I really enjoyed to watch. They really carried the energy through the entire performance – both in the choreography and their chemistry on stage. It was so fun to watch and become engage in. I also found a down-to-earth side to the choreography, which furthers that engagement I just mentioned. I also find it astounding that they are also doing the sped-up sequence live, which adds intensity to the mix. Definitely can’t wait to watch more of this group performing this song on stage!
Song – 7.5/10 Music Video – 8,5/10 Performance – 10/10 Overall Rating – 8.3/10
I had intended to wrap up my reviews of 2023 albums (for now) this week with another album (look over my more recent reviews to figure which album that might be). But then I realized I may have overlooked an important comeback from the past year that I should have picked up earlier to review – TAEMIN’s Guilty. I know, I apologies for missing Guilty. But I have slid in Guilty into the agenda this weekend, and move that other album to next weekend. This is TAEMIN’s first mini-album since completing his military list, his last mini-album with SM Entertainment (TAEMIN left SM earlier this year and has signed on with Big Planet Made (BPM) Entertainment) and his fourth Korean mini-album overall. It features the title track of the same name and 5 additional side tracks.
2. The Rizzness – Despite having a questionable name, many listeners unexpectedly like The Rizzness. I am in that group as well, but not exactly to the extent of others. The Rizzness is a much edgier song than usual for TAEMIN, and this attracts attentions. He is known for more aesthetic works, so The Rizzness is very much different for the soloist. The instrumental adds to that ‘difference’ with a bold trap/hip-hop styled drill sound. His vocals definitely smooth out the roughness of the instrumental backing whilst also creating tension with the rest of the song. But I think there could have been some more interesting delivery from TAEMIN to make The Rizzness even more interesting. It is good as it is, but some flair (one way or another) in the vocal department could have made it even better. ICYMI – TAEMIN also released a performance video for The Rizzness. (8/10)
3. She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not – The trap and guitar riffs make this track interesting from the onset. Then comes TAEMIN’s vocals, which is by far the most captivating element and literally carries you onto the journey of She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not. He relies on a breathier tone in some parts to provide a more sensual yet pensive vibe, and amps up other parts with shoutier vocals in other moments to give us some vigor. This illustrates the dilly dally nature of the song’s lyrics and title (which is about realisation of an ending relationship). Clever. Despite the different delivery tactics used, he manages to also maintain a consistent softness and delicateness to the song, which helps give She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not an emotional ad heartbreaking dimension, as well. (9/10)
4. Not Over You (제자리) – Not Over You speaks to the feeling of not being over someone that you had broken up with and the fact the memories of the relationship still too raw. I found the R&B-esque instrumental for Not Over You gives it a calming presence, yet TAEMIN’s vocals were emotive and engaging throughout. I like how the various elements in Not Over You cohesively worked together. A good example of this is the autotune that blends TAEMIN’s vocals with the instrumental during the choruses. I also really liked how deep his vocals got in the bridge of the song. Definitely a gripping moment in Not Over You. (8/10)
5. Night Away (오늘밤) – Night Away goes for a softer pop track, which features a prominent acoustic guitar presence and some really nice dreamy synth work. The combination of the two makes for a soothing number. TAEMIN’s clear vocals also follows this direction, and does so in a very consistent manner. This consistency isn’t a flaw in the song, as any differentiation in vocals or delivery could have potentially disrupted the flow of the song. (8/10)
6. Blue – My favourite song on this album comes at the end. Blue is just so captivatingly atmospheric. The only way I can fully appreciate Blue is by stopping whatever I am doing and closing my eyes so I can be whisked away. From the synth work to the vintage drums to the guitar work to TAEMIN’s vocals, everything just felt so calming. Refreshing and freeing also comes to my mind when I listen to Blue. I keep on mentioning how good TAEMIN’s vocals are on this album, but I think his delivery here is the best. Just so captivating. (10/10)
Welcome back to another Weekly KPOP Chart post – this time for the 2nd Week of April 2024. Work took over last week, so I couldn’t get as much out. And I have a feeling that my work might take over my life this week, so I am looking to draft some reviews to be on hand should I need a or a few early nights to recuperate. Plus, I have plans today for another album review and to begin drafting one addition album review for a 2023 album before moving onto the very long list of 2024 albums I want to review. So a lot of work for me. In the meanwhile, here is the Weekly KPOP Chart post for 2nd Week of April 2024.
Throwback Song of the Week
Each week I pick a song from the past to feature in this segment. It is recognition for the fact I listen to more than just the currently charting songs. And revisiting these songs are truly a blast from the past. Plus, I am hoping that this segment introduces new listeners to some great songs that I have enjoyed from my many years of listening to KPOP. I listened to many good yet oldies this week to get through my work. A few hit hard, but nothing got many repeat as B1A4’s debut single O.K.
Non-Korean Song of the Week
As my focus on this blog is primarily on KPOP songs, I draw attention to a particular song that isn’t in the Korean language in this part of the Weekly KPOP Chart post. That song is the top ranking non-Korean song on each Weekly KPOP Chart post. The past week’s non-Korean song of the week is ZEROBASEONE’s YURA YURA. It ranks in the 17th position this week.
The Charts
Congratulations to ONF and their latest single Bye My Monster for debuting in the top spot for the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 2nd Week of April 2024. This felt very expected, given how much I enjoyed the song from the moment I first listened to it at the start of the week.
I am still wrapping up my list of 2023 album reviews, which I am expecting to have wrapped next weekend. Next on my dwindling list of albums is Xdinary Heroes’ Livelock, which was released in October 2023 alongside the music video for the title track Break The Brake. Following the album release, music videos for PLUTO and AGAIN? AGAIN! also dropped – the former got its own review which I posted last week, while the latter song’s review is located in this post. An additional four songs are featured on the album, rounding the tracklist for Livelock to 7 songs.
If you missed it, the band’s performance for Break The Brake earned them a nomination and win for Best Band Performance of 2023 in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. And that recognition should also be expanded to cover the entire mini-album, as the tracks on the album were all of a very high calibre and explored various rock and punk sounds in a very appealing and enticing manner.
Livelock Album Cover
1. Freddy – Xdinary Heroes begin the album with a very lively song. Freddy actually feels fitting for a fast-paced chase scene in an action-comedy movie – the song’s lyrics are also about a chase. The rhythm in this track was intense, but also fun at the same time. It makes for an interesting and compelling atmosphere. The drumming was definitely the main driver of this. It was also backed up with some animated vocals that kept the momentum of Freddy going. I also really like how they went full head-banging rock as part of the bridge. A very strong start to the album. (10/10)
4. Enemy – Enemy talks about how you are your own biggest enemy. It is an emo-rock song that has a fair bit of tension to it. When the track reaches the chorus, all of that tension is released in a very intense and loaded manner that makes Enemy shine. The electric guitar at the end is a bit skittish, but works well with the rest of the track. The vocal work has a conflicted tone to it, which makes perfect sense to this track. (8/10)
5. Bad Chemical – Bad Chemical bring synths and industrial rock together. I love the head banging potential behind the chorus of this track. It makes the song so much more thrilling. The shoutier motif that the members adopted with their chorus delivery made sure they could be heard over the packed instrumentation, and it added to that thrilling nature I just mentioned. Other parts saw more melodic vocals, which sound quite nice as well. (9/10)
6. Paranoid – With the likes of Good Enough in Xdinary Heroes’ repertoire, I am excited for another rock ballad from the band. Paranoid doesn’t give off that same spark as the former song did, but I find it so interesting that they managed to make a song about being insecure so dreamy. Jungsu’s long note was spectacular, and I like the raspier motif each vocalist brings to the song. I also like how the rock amps up throughout the song. (9/10)
7. AGAIN? AGAIN! – The mini-album ends off with another fast-paced and fun track. AGAIN? AGAIN! is very much a different song to the one that opened that the track thanks to its much brighter pop punk energy. It celebrates the idea of falling in love again. The drumming and guitar work goes hard in this track, which makes this track exhilarating to listen to, particularly in that instrumental break. The combination of such a positive message and energising atmosphere just makes it so profound. ICYMI – Xdinary Heroes did release a self-cam music video for this track. (10/10)
As previously flagged, I am gearing up to review ATEEZ’s The World EP.Fin: Will. But I will be reviewing the unit and solo tracks that has an accompanying music video released in January of this year first. So far I have reviewed HONGJOONG and SEONGHWA’s MATZ and YEOSANG, SAN and WOOYOUNG’s IT’s You. Today, I will be reviewing YUNHO & MINGI’s Youth.
Out of the four side-tracks that I will be reviewing from the The World EP. Fin: Will album, Youth is the most recognisable track of the bunch. There are a few elements within Youth that has made the song stay with me since its release in December. The most profound element is the song’s melodic flow. I find that the melodies in Youth bring out a nostalgia factor that ultimately makes the song so comforting and inviting to listen to. Further to that, the combination of MINGI’s raspy vocals and YUNHO’s crisper tone makes the melody feel so soothing to listen and ring out even louder after the fact. This definitely helps makes the song catchy and memorable. The hooks also help out with this memorable factor of Youth. The second element that stands out to me is the instrumental. It opts for a softer tone that I wished ATEEZ explores a bit more. I feel there is potential for the group to delve into this sound further. The combination of the melancholy piano and subtle sprinkle of brass, alongside the comfortable band instrumentation, just re-emphasise all of the descriptors that I have already mentioned for Youth. Even the rapping from MINGI was well balanced and I liked his presence in the song.
Youth is about the struggles that one experience at a young age and how it was tough yet under-played by adults who think they know better. And in the music video, we see both MINGI and YUNHO come to terms with their struggles. MINGI’s character’s struggles appears to be with other people – the societal struggles, based on how he is always surrounded or is with someone wearing a black mask. In a later scene, we see a shadow of MINGI with arrows in his back, representing the various ‘shots’ people have taken at him. YUNHO, on the other hand, is by himself for majority of the video and I think that represents a more personal and internal struggle. The broken car might represent his attempts to get away from it all. In the end, the video ends with their house (for MINGI’s character) and garage (for YUNHO’s character) burn down and we see them run away with one another, suggesting that their friendship has helped them move forward from the struggles. Aside from the plot, I like the warmer hue of the video, which enhances all of the above that I mentioned about the song.
Again, no formal performance video for this song release. So I am relying on the snippets that are in the music video and a fan-cam of the performance from their concert. The performance actually looks quite nice. Just like the other elements of the comeback, the performance also came had a comforting vibe. The suits the pair donned made the stage look more sophisticated and was probably to highlight the fact they are at a more mature stage of their lives now, and I really liked the jazzy interlude I saw the pair perform as part of their stage. I also think YUNHO shined with this performance, with his cool solo moment in the bridge.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.3/10
Keeping to traditional, CRAVITY has returned to the stage with a follow-up release to February’s Love or Die. Also released as part of the group’s 7th mini-album, EVERSHINE, is the track C’est La Vie, which the group will be promoting as the second single from the mini-album. Yesterday, the group dropped the music video for C’est La Vie, which has prompted today’s review post.
For me, I thought C’est La Vie was one of the more mellow and plainer dance tracks off EVERSHINE (from what I can remember when I checked out the mini-album). So it is interesting to me that it was chosen to be the follow-up single for EVERSHINE. Presently, I don’t have a clear pick for what could have been a better pick (I will need to revisit the album to decide that). But C’est La Vie would not have been my first choice. There are some elements in the song give C’est La Vie some edge, such as the consistently pounding beat and the rougher post-chorus sequence that follows the chorus. The pre-chorus has a blissful vibe to it, and the accompanying rap surprisingly pairs well with said atmosphere. But aside from thaose aspects, the rest of C’est La Vie felt ordinary and doesn’t really speak to me as much. I think the chorus could have been bolder and defined and the verses didn’t have much going aside from that pounding beat I already mentioned. As a whole piece and considering my thoughts on the song above are quite balanced, I find myself indifferent to C’est La Vie.
The music video appears to be influenced by stories such as Peter Pan (via the presence of the kids and CRAVITY, whom I think are a version of the Lost Boys in the video) and Howl’s Moving Castle (via the presence of the older lady in the video, who turns into a Miyazaki anime-styled older lady giant that looks similar to the Witch of the Waste). Both of these stories touch upon the idea of life, which is fitting for a song titled after the French translation of the phrase ‘Such is life’. I like the fun and chaos that is brought around by the little kids and CRAVITY in the music video, especially at the start. At the peak of the video, TAEYONG and one of the young kids come together to take down the anime-style giant lady, and return the giant to her original form – the older lady we see earlier in the video, whom we see again at the end of the video with the kid.
The choreography looks good, based on the snippets that are included in the music video and a fan-cam I found of their performance at their fan-con. Their synchronisation during the first pre-chorus made that sequence looks cool, and I liked the intensity they give off during the post-chorus sequence.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.5/10
ONF makes their comeback today with their latest single Bye My Monster and their 8th mini-album, Beautiful Shadow. This is ONF’s first comeback since their Love Effect comeback in October of last year.
From the very first listen, I was already blown away with Bye My Monster. For me, it was the crafting of the two sound profiles, at first sounds distinct, but comes together so well in the end to create a stunner. The first verse gave me Moscow Moscow vibes (an infamous song from ONF’s arsenal), thanks to the presence of the Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No.2 sample. And that same vibe re-emerges each time the classical sounds reappear in the song. The chorus introduces a hint of rock to the mix, which helps makes the choruses feel explosive and gripping. All throughout these two distinct sound profiles, the group showcases their vocals so well. The timing of their vocal delivery was really complementary to the style of music in that moment and helped heighten the associated feelings you get from the two styles. Bye My Monster very quickly peaks when the two sound profiles of classical and band/rock join forces in the bridge. This combination isn’t anything new, but Bye My Monster found the sweet spot between the two to give us that intensity. Hyojin and E-Tion’s high note was incredible. Following the rush of intensity, the group pans between each other to give us a softer side, with falsettos and the re-emergence of the classical touch. The only other thing I have yet to mention is the rapping. That step-up in the second verse was rather interesting. To me, it feels a little mismatch for this song, but I don’t hate it. Maybe a few more listens to Bye My Monster will help warm me up to it. But overall, another top-notch piece.
Just like the song, the music video for Bye My Monster is a stunner, as well. The visuals and post-production in this video is at its A-game. The scene that made me go wow was the explosion clouds o on the tall building in the background during the choreography shots for the second chorus of the song. The song itself warns that love, in this instance, had created a monster within the members. We see the members realize what has become of them. Wyatt’s eyes and the acting by some of the other members portrayed this well. Hyojin’s character is surrounded by a dark cloud that I presume signifies the transition to a monster. Through the other scenes involving the other members (and the choreography shots), we see the members observes their angelic forms (white suits). But they know deep down that their monster form (black suits) is the end result. While the ending was a little cryptic and could be open ended, I think Hyojin hold hands with his angelic form in the dark clouds, which backs my theory they knew they were always going to be monsters – that they were always one. That’s my theory – I would like hear what yours is.
The performance for this comeback (FYI – the group has already performed the track at their recent concert, so I watched a few fancams for this section) finds a balance between the gracefulness of the classical music and the more hard-hitting moments of the song. And this balance makes for a great performance. The verses were the more interesting moments in the choreography. In the music video, they looked quite cool, so I can’t wait to see them better through the weekly music shows.
Song – 9.5/10 Music Video – 10/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9.6/10
Xdinary Heroes made their comeback way back in October 2023 with Break The Brake and the mini-album Livelock. Since then, the band was awarded the Best Band Performance in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. I am preparing to review the mini-album (one of the last album reviews for 2023 for now, so I can make a start on 2024 albums). But in order to do this, I will need to review second track from the mini-album that got the music video treatment – PLUTO.
I am trying to rack my brains and remember if I actually have listened to Livelock at all since its release. And I am not sure if I have. I put that down to being overworked and stressed throughout 2023. And if I did listen to the album, I am utterly disappointed in myself for not remembering a song like PLUTO. PLUTO is by far on of Xdinary Heroes’ best tracks thus far. Xdinary Heroes tackles an almost pure pop-punk track head on, giving us a very refreshing and impactful side-track on the mini-album. The pop-punk direction that PLUTO heads in is definitely head-banging worthy. The vocal work is superb, for the most part. Jungsu and Jooyeon sound so blissful in PLUTO, especially when we get to the chorus where they push themselves vocally and the rock instrumentation surges us forward. This momentum feels fitting, as the song’s lyrics expresses the feeling that there is nothing in between another, even if they might be as far apart as the distance between Earth and PLUTO. Now, there is a caveat in the vocal department. I am not a fan of Gaon and Ode’s rapping. The change-up here didn’t feel needed, felt awkwardly executed, and didn’t add any value to the song. Their vocals (even Ode’s autotuned singing) was fine. It is just the rapping that gets to me. Other than that, PLUTO would have been a perfect song.
I wished the music video was a more than just the band performing PLUTO in a room. It feels incredibly plain, despite the camera work and lighting helping make the video feel a little more dynamic to complement the song. Despite that, I think the video highlights that head-banging potential that PLUTO has. Also, Gaon in those shorts and boots was a little distracting for me. His legs are fine, it was more so the combination of the two. 😀
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 6.5/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
Welcome back to another Weekly KPOP Chart post – this time for the 1st Week of April 2024. How is it already April? There isn’t much to update on today aside from the fact that song and album reviews are on the card for later today and this week. Maybe a few reviews for some ‘older releases’ are in the mix for later this week. I will see how much energy I have after work. But while you await for the next review, here are the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 1st Week of April 2024.
Throwback Song of the Week
Each week I pick a song from the past to feature in this segment. It is recognition for the fact I listen to more than just the currently charting songs. And revisiting these songs are truly a blast from the past. Plus, I am hoping that this segment introduces new listeners to some great songs that I have enjoyed from my many years of listening to KPOP. The throwback song for this past week is SNSD’s PARTY (from 2015).
Non-Korean Song of the Week
As my focus on this blog is primarily on KPOP songs, I draw attention to a particular song that isn’t in the Korean language in this part of the Weekly KPOP Chart post. That song is the top ranking non-Korean song on each Weekly KPOP Chart post. The past week’s non-Korean song of the week, for the second week in a row, is MAX and HUH JUNJIN’s (from LE SSERAFIM) STUPID IN LOVE. It ranks in the second position this week.
The Charts
Congratulations to TXT and their latest single Deja Vu for debuting in the top spot for the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 1st Week of April 2024.
Late to the game as always. But I am finally getting around to reviewing Jung Kook’s solo studio album. Golden. Golden was released by Jung Kook in November last year prior to his military enlistment in December 2023. The 11-song tracklist boasts Jung Kook’s 2023 singles, including the title track Standing Next To You, July 2023’s SEVEN (featuring Latto) and September 2023’s 3D (fearing Jack Harlow). Per usual with all of my album reviews, links to the reviews for these songs and my individual thoughts on each song are down below.
My thoughts on the album is simple. Golden is a predominately pop album that was perfectly curated for Jung Kook. I wouldn’t want to imagine the pressure of putting this album together, since it was so highly anticipated by fans in Korea and globally. But he really made sure it exceeded expectations that everyone had. The album itself also sees Jung Kook collaborate with some big names in the pop industry – including Ed Sheeran and Shawn Mendes. The album is also fully in English.
2. Closer To You (ft. Major Lazer) – Closer To You is a muted R&B track, with a reggae touch and enticing bass-line in the instrumental. There is a lot of tension in this track, but I find to be more subtle and of backseat manner. It is definitely there in Closer To You, but it isn’t in your face about it. Jung Kook brings a soft and breathy tone to the song, which works extremely well with rest of the track and makes it even more seductive and alluring to listen to. (9/10)
5. Yes or No – Jung Kook taps squarely into the pop genre with Yes or No. If you look at the team behind the song, you will see super pop star Ed Sheeran’s name, which explains why Yes or No feels so familiar. The track features a catchy guitar riff in the background, and it falls to the bright side of the spectrum. Jung Kook’s vocals definitely contributes to that commend the fact that his vocals were crisp and clear throughout this track. I would have liked something more, as it feels a little too simple and consistent. But it was a great track nonetheless. (8/10)
6. Please Don’t Change (ft. DJ Snake) – The upbeatness of Please Don’t Change makes it feel fitting for the dance floor. The track employs afro-beats and electro-pop, which makes for a really cool mix. The instrumental never really peaks, keeping fairly neutral overall. I find this direction (or lack thereof) to be quite charming and it makes complete sense considering the title of the song speaks to the desire not wanting one’s lover to change. The neutral feeling also flows into Jung Kook’s vocals. (8/10)
7. Hate You – Hate You is a pop ballad that I always close my eyes to when it pops up. It is the only way in which I can fully appreciate the song and take it all in. Jung Kook’s vocals is stunningly beautiful yet so heartbreaking at the same time. Hate You’s message of hating a former lover to make life easier is conveyed so well that you can feel Jung Kook’s pain in this voice. And this in itself speaks volume to the talent that is Jung Kook. This is all over a simple and minimalistic piano. The track boasts Shawn Mendes as part of the team behind it. (10/10)
8.Somebody – Somebody sees Jung Kook’s vocals processed and altered in a way that gives him a deeper voice. It is an interesting and peculiar result that I am not entirely sure of. But it doesn’t mean Somebody is a bad song. The deeper tone does pair well with the bass that features in the R&B instrumentation. I really like the beat and detailing synths to this this track, particularly in the parts without any vocals. (8/10)
9. Too Sad To Dance – Returning to the pop genre with a more acoustic direction is Too Sad To Dance. I find myself nodding along to the song, and enjoy the simplicity of Jung Kook’s vocals in this song. But when I dive deeper into the song, I find the happier and cheerful demeanour of the vocals and the sad and emotional lyrics to be an interesting contrast. I am honestly not sure what I should be feeling when I listen to the song, as a result. (7.5/10)
10. Shot Glass of Tears – The final original song on the album is Shot Glass of Tears, which is another pop ballad. I liked the pace of this track and Jung Kook continues to sound good in this song. The atmosphere that builds in the background as Shot Glass of Tears was intriguing in a not so good way. I am not entirely sure if it was needed or what its purpose was. (7/10)
11. Seven (Clean Version) (ft. Latto) – See my thoughts on Seven above.
KPOPREVIEWED 