kpopreviewed

[Album Review] Golden Age (4th Studio Album) – NCT

December 25, 2023December 21, 2023Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged NCT, NCT 127, NCT DOJAEJUNG, NCT DREAM, NCT U, WAYV1 Comment

NCT is nominated for Best Male Group, while MARK (NCT) is nominated for Best Rap Performance, and NCT DREAM and NCT DOJAEJUNG are nominated for Best Subunit (amongst other categories) in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support NCT and their associated acts, songs and performances by clicking here to vote today.

NCT returned with 20-members (sans LUCAS, who left the group due to controversy, and SUNGCHAN and SHOTARO who both were transferred to RIIZE) in August this year with a new album – Golden Age. Leading the charge on this 10-track album are Baggy Jeans and Golden Age. In addition to the 2 title tracks, I have also been busy reviewing 4 songs that has an ‘archiving video’ released as part of the promotions. And with all possible tracks eligible for a separate song review now ‘reviewed’, the only thing left is the rest of the album, which is why we are gathered here today. Golden Age is a fair album, with some great tracks on the list. For more of my own thoughts on the individual, continue reading onwards.

1. Baggy Jeans (Title Track) (TAEYONG, DOYOUNG, JAEHYUN, TEN & MARK) – Click here to read the full review of Baggy Jeans. (6/10)

2. Call D (TAEYONG & TEN) – You might remember the pairing of TAEYONG and TEN from their Baby Don’t Stop days (almost 6 years ago). They are paired together again (just like how Baggy Jeans reunited the initial NCT U lineup) for Call D. And boy, this is an amazing track! I really like the synth work in this instrumentation, which translates to an awesome performance. It feels very textural, and the glitchness double downs towards the end. I find both TAEYONG and TEN to be quite charismatic in Call D with their rapping and vocals (that bridge was beautiful), captivating us further. (10/10)

3. PADO (JOHNNY, TAEYONG, JAEHYUN, MARK, XIAOJUN, HENDERY & HAECHAN) – Click here for the full review of PADO. (10/10)

4. Interlude: Oasis (YUTA, JAEHYUN, WINWIN, JAEMIN & CHENLE) – Oasis is a very soft R&B-like number, much different to what we are used from NCT. ‘Easy on the ears’ as I tend to say, but this description also comes about from the overall smooth vibes that comes from the track. This interlude track also highlights the vocals and rapping from this lineup, particularly from CHENLE and JAEMIN. (8.5/10)

5. The BAT (TAEIL, JOHNNY, YUTA, JUNGWOO, HENDERY, JENO & JISUNG) – Click here for the full review for The BAT. (8.5/10)

6. Alley Oop (YUTA, WINWIN, HENDERY, JENO, JAEMIN, YANGYANG & JISUNG) – Click here to read the full review for Alley Oop. (8/10)

7. That’s Not Fair (JOHNNY, TAEYONG, TEN, MARK, JENO & YANGYANG) – That’s Not Fair takes on the hip-hop style of music in a unique manner. Firstly, the instrumental has this subtle type of intensity which bubbles way. It never really builds, but you can tell it happening in the background. I also like the ‘down low’ nature of the backing, which complements the deeper and lower registers that the unit delivers their line in. This lower tone also enables a monotonous approach in That’s Not Fair that just screams out hip-hop. The melodies that manage to come through helps push the song along, and there are some catchy hooks in That’s Not Fair. All of this contributes to an experience that I wouldn’t mind going back to time and time again. (8/10)

8. Kangaroo (TAEIL, KUN, RENJUN, YANGYANG, CHENLE & JISUNG) – Click here for the full review of Kangaroo. (7.5/10)

9. Not Your Fault (TAEIL, KUN, DOYOUNG, TEN, JUNGWOO, XIAOJUN & RENJUN) – For the second last track on this album, this seven-member vocalist lineup brings us a R&B ballad. Not Your Fault is pretty much a familiar track for the likes of an R&B ballad. It features a warm and pleasantly instrumented piano-centric backing and stunning vocals from the lineup – JUNGWOO’s vocals at the end is soooo nice. It isn’t the most memorable track of the bunch, but it is still a nice listen. (7.5/10)

10. Golden Age – Click here for the full review of Golden Age. (7/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.1/10

YUTA’s teaser image for Golden Age
YANGYANG’s Teaser Image for Golden Age
XIAOJUN’s teaser image for Golden Age.
WINWIN’s teaser image for Golden Age.
TEN’s teaser image for Golden Age.
TAEYONG’s teaser image for Golden Age
TAEIL’s teaser image for Golden Age.
RENJUN’s teaser image for Golden Age
MARK’s teaser image for Golden Age.
KUN’s teaser image for Golden Age.
JUNGWOO’s teaser image for Golden Age.
JOHNNY’s teaser image for Golden Age.
JISUNG’s teaser image for Golden Age.
JENO’s teaser image for Golden Age.
JAEMIN’s teaser image for Golden Age.
JAEHYUN’s teaser image for Golden Age.
HENDERY’s teaser image for Golden Age.
HAECHAN’s teaser image for Golden Age.
DOYOUNG’s teaser image for Golden Age.
CHENLE’s teaser image for Golden Age.

Happy Holidays 🙂

[Album Review] Letter with Notes (1st Studio Album) – Young K (DAY6)

December 24, 2023December 21, 2023Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged DAY6, Young KLeave a comment

Young K’s let it be summer is nominated for Best Rock Song in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support let it be summer and your other favourite acts by clicking here to vote today.

If you haven’t seen yet, I have posted the song reviews for Young K’s 2023 releases, nothing but and let it be summer (links below), over the last two weeks. And with that, I am ready to post my thoughts on Young K’s album that features these two tracks – Letter with Notes. This is Young K’s first comeback since his military enlistment and his first studio album. It dropped on 4 September 2023. Personally, I really like the variety that Young K offers in this album – there is a bit of rock, jazz, ballads etc. I kind of had the mindset that the entire album will just be variations of rock (given that Young K does come from a band) or just the more typical vocals/band formula. But there is a lot more to Letters with Notes as you dig further into the album. I highly recommend this release, especially if you are missing your DAY6 dose lately.

1. waited (오늘만을 너만을 이날을) – Starting off the album is waited. To me, this 90s-like rock track is one of a few that I feel DAY6 easily could have executed together. It just had that whole band vibe that DAY6 has built for them. Well, of course, Young K does a really good job himself with his passionate vocals. I also enjoyed the upbeat and bright energy from the band instrumentation, the pairing making waited a lovely opener, and the glitchy-like echo of following the first chorus was a memorable and unique element of the song. (9/10)

2. nothing but (이것밖에는 없다) (Title Track) – Click here for the full review for nothing but. (8.5/10)

3. let it be summer (Pre-release Track) – Click here for the full review for let it be summer. (9/10)

4. Dreamer (꿈꿈) – Dreamer is a British rock track, with feel-good vibes at the forefront of the track. I really like the grungy guitar work in this track, which gives Dreamer a bit of grit, and the splash of brass in the background that emphasises and concentrates those feel-good vibes. Those same vibes are also exuded through Young K’s vocals – the best showing of his vocals is during the bridge, when the melodies curls up. The way he sings those ‘curls’ is impeccable. I find myself getting lost in all of the above often when I hear Dreamer on my queue, and that is definitely a solid indicator to how good the song is. (10/10)

5. Bungee Jumping – Bungee Jumping moves us into slightly softer territory, with a more mellow and pleasant vibe to its instrumentation (despite remaining upbeat). But before you think this translates a softer or mellow approach to Young K’s vocals, think again. I find Young K still puts some oomph behind his vocals during certain parts of the song (such as the opener to the chorus), which brings forth a bungee jumping-like effect to his vocals, which I find complements the title of the song well. Apart from that, everything (melodies, delivery etc.) feels pretty standard. (8/10)

6. natural – The instrumentation to natural evokes a foot-tapping reaction from me, which is another sign of a good song. I like how straight forwardly simple and pure the instrumentation, which complements the title (again) and the romantic intent of the song. Young K’s vocals are really nice in natural, with the soloist going down a more heartfelt and soft approach. I love how delicate he gets in this song, which contrasts nicely with the instrumentation. (9/10)

7. STRANGE – STRANGE reinvigorates the album with the infusion of synths alongside the band instrumentation. It ends up giving off a different dynamic to the rest of the traditional band approaches on the album, serving us with a playful vibe. You can also feel the refreshing energy coming from the soloist’s vocals. Throw in some catchy moments and you have a strong side track in STRANGE. (9/10)

8. SOUL (ft. COILB) – We revisit brass and band instrumentation in SOUL. This time around, the brass is more in the forefront and we also get a nice mellow touch via the presence of piano. Together, with the band instrumentation, we get a jazzy-like atmosphere. Young K himself brings so much soul and passion during the chorus, captivating and engaging me. So much so that I feel SOUL is his best effort vocally on this album. COILB’s rapping also complements SOUL quite well, with his delivery also giving passionate and soulful vibes. (10/10)

9. playground – The playful vibes come back to play in playground, with a funkier sound profile in this rock track. There also appears to be a touch of blues in playground. Young K’s vocals also play around, with his delivery throughout and the quirks in the vocals giving off confident, lively and cheeky undertones. I really like the dynamics of playground and just wished it had gone on and on. (9/10)

10. babo – Despite the song’s title being the Korean word for ‘fool’, babo is an all-English track. The instrumentation makes babo an interesting track, with the various detailing, pauses and changes that unexpectedly arises as the song progresses. Despite listening to the song a few times since its release, I do find that I still get caught off guard with some of it, such as when the song turns acoustic out of nowhere and fades away. But despite that, babo is still a decent listen. (8/10)

11. what is.. – The final track on the album is (no surprises) a ballad. I really like the atmospheric instrumentation of what is.. and how it further emphasises the emotional heft that ultimately comes from Young K’s vocals. In addition to the emotions, his vocals are stunningly beautiful, captivating and engaging us once again. It also made for a nice closer to this album. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 9/10

[Album Review] All My Girls (4th Single Album) – EVERGLOW

December 23, 2023December 21, 2023Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged EVERGLOWLeave a comment

Support your other favourite artists, songs and performance in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards by clicking here to vote today.

EVERGLOW made their long awaited comeback with the single album All My Girls and the title track SLAY back in August of this year. This comes after a year and 8 month absence (their last being PIRATE and the mini-album Return of the Girl). Now, when I vetted the album for review, I could only find one good track on it. The other two (including the title track) falls a bit flat. I normally wouldn’t have picked up the album to review if that was the case. But I did want to continue reviewing EVERGLOW’s album releases, given that they do have a lot of potential. It is just this comeback (I hope) just didn’t hit the mark for me. For more of my personal thoughts on the individual songs, continue reading below.

1. SLAY (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for SLAY. (6.5/10)

2. Oh Ma Ma Girl – To me, Oh Ma Ma Girl is a cohesive piece. I like the guitar work in the background and the punch the percussion brings to the song. The breathy and smooth vocals are also a strong aspect of Oh Ma Ma Girl. Where the song falters in the melodies. Yes, it makes the track pleasant to listen to. But I don’t find them to be memorable enough to get me to return to the track. (7/10)

3. Make Me Feel – Make Me Feel is by far the superior track on this single album. I really like the synth work in the background of this pop track, the rhythm that comes about from the percussion and beat, and the simplicity of the vocal work. There is some variety in all of that, but they all contribute to an easy on the ears and enjoyable listen. The chorus itself felt catchy and had I paid more attention to the single album since its release (the two songs before this one didn’t really give much incentive to do so), Make Me Feel would have grown greatly on me. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.5/10

[Review] Kangaroo – NCT U

December 22, 2023December 18, 2023Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged NCT, NCT U1 Comment

In preparation for an album review for NCT’s Golden Age that dropped back in August with Baggy Jeans and Golden Age at the helm, I have been reviewing the tracks that had an ’archiving video’ released alongside it. And for the final time – what on earth is an archiving video? So far, I have reviewed PADO, The BAT and Alley Oop. But there is one more to review before I can post that album review – Kangaroo.

TAEIL, KUN, RENJUN, YANGYANG, CHENLE and JISUNG are the members that form the lineup for Kangaroo. Out of the four additional songs that I am reviewing separately from Golden Age, Kangaroo is the least interesting for me. I personally find this track to be fairly standard of the bunch and it doesn’t really offer anything new or memorable that gets me coming back for more. That being said, I don’t personally mind Kangaroo. If it pops up on my queue, I won’t turn away or skip over it. Kangaroo is still a bright and upbeat track. The members make it bubbly and fun with their vocals. And most notably, there is a pleasantness, chillness and carefree vibe which I do see as charming.

The music video is also just as bright as the song, and the members turn on their cute charms to bring it all to life. While I would usually find such concepts to be cringy, it isn’t as bad as it could have been. Maybe they could have expanded on the idea of the ‘escape plan’ that we see in the video. It is just kind of shown and casted aside. I also don’t really see much of a kangaroo reference aside from the paw-like dance move, which I think is a missed opportunity to make the video even more fun than what it is. Plus, I do like kangaroos (though that might be my Australian-side coming through).

The performance is just like the music video. It is definitely bright and cutesy. But I do also see the fun and kind of see the kangaroo reference in the video. Maybe more hopping would have made the performance a bit more aligned with the title, but I enjoyed this aspect of the release nonetheless.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.5/10

[Review] Who’s Next – Lapillus

December 21, 2023December 30, 2023Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged LapillusLeave a comment

A group who I don’t really pay attention to whom I ought to pay attention more to is Lapillus. While I am not 100% sure why, I have a gut feeling that tells me that they should be on my radar. And their latest song, Who’s Next, backs up this thought. Who’s Next was released in June 2023 as part of the group’s second mini-album, Girl’s Round Part.2.

Who’s Next is clearly loud and noisy, but it is the boldness and striking nature of the song that I like best. You can say that the instrumentation plays a part in this (and it does, though I am not 100% impressed with the background – more of that in a second), but I actually put it down to the song’s clear and simple chanty “Tell me who’s next” hook, which does get pretty addictive. The “Na Na Na” refrain that follows the second chorus and ends off the song also has a similar effect. The pre-chorus that leads to the song’s main hook actually sounds quite good and gives a nice incline towards my personal likeable aspect of Who’s Next. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the rest of the song. The verses were a complete miss, with vocals and rapping not coming off as polished. The instrumentation was very typical and dated ‘loud noise’ and I felt it didn’t offer Who’s Next anything new to really set it apart from the competition. I also didn’t feel like it was cohesive, with it feeling like we were more so thrown into the production. Overall, I like Who’s Next’s intention, but not necessary all of its execution.

The music video appears to be pretty sub-par. There just isn’t a whole heap going on over than closeup and choreography in this video. While the background does give off an edgy vibe, the concept either felt plain (i.e., street food laneway) and was pretty overkill (i.e. gun-filled bathroom). The members’ styling was also quite boring. The post-production sucked. For example, the video includes a pretty cool drone shot at 1:10 of the video, with the drone flying through a window. But the editing that follows to merge it with the choreography scene to make it feel like the drone was also going to capture the choreography to make it appear seamless was very elementary and cheapens the whole deal. Also, what on earth is going on at the 2:33 mark, with the camera work capturing all members of the gun filled bathroom. They kind of used a 360° camera on a drone? It feels a bit much and felt distracting from the rest of the video.

I am quite impressed with the routine for this release, particularly when it comes to the chorus and instrumental break. The synchronisation between the members and sharpness of the moves looked cool and edgy. It also felt logical, which I liked.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 6.4/10

[Review] nothing but – Young K (DAY6)

December 20, 2023December 18, 2023Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged DAY6, Young KLeave a comment

Young K’s let it be summer is nominated for Best Rock Song in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support let it be summer and your other favourite acts by clicking here to vote today.

Young K from DAY6 made his solo debut back in 2021 with the single Guard You. Following that, he carried out his military enlistment until April of this year. In September, he returned as a solo artist, bringing his first studio album Letters with Notes, the pre-release single let it be summer (which I have already reviewed) and the title track nothing but (the latter being the focus of this review).

While let it be summer was an energetic rock track, nothing but goes down the balladry path. The rock/band elements do remain in the instrumentation and the backing is also rather simplistic. These elements and its simplistic approach tones down the energy quite a bit to fit that balladry approach. But it is obvious to me that the execution of the backing remained passionate to enable nothing but to be an effective carrier of Young K’s vocals, which is so damn emotive. You can feel the heartbreak and pain behind his voice, which made the song so impactful to me when I first heard it. And it still remains that way every time I play the song again and again. Aside from that, I found the jerky piano at the start made for a stilling opening and a good beginning. But I would have liked more striking piano work elsewhere in nothing but to complement the beginning somehow. As it is, nothing but is still an emotive rock ballad that serves as a strong addition to Young K’s solo work.

The music video features both Young K and DAHYUN from TWICE, who we see are going through a break up. From Young K’s perspective (based on the lyrics of nothing but), he could feel that the breakup was coming. But he tries to hold onto what is left, as much as he can. We see him lose the ring in a car that is going to be dropped from up high. But no matter way, he tries to find it. DAHYUN drinks all of the water in the glass, and he goes to fill it back up as a way to keep her at the table. We see her hand back the presents that he once bought her – later shown to be frozen in ice (a metaphor for their relationship). But he still smashes his way through the ice to free the items. But no matter what he does, the video shows ultimately ends in their breakup. It is a really abstract yet interesting music video to watch. I also thought the acting of both Young K and DAHYUN was exceptional in this video.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10

[Review] AMNESIA – WOODZ

December 19, 2023Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged WOODZLeave a comment

WOODZ is nominated for Best Male Soloist and ABYSS is nominated for Best Ballad in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support WOODZ and ABYSS by clicking here to vote today.

WOODZ announced that he will be enlisting into the Korean military later this month. But ahead of this, he also confirmed one final music release, AMNESIA, which dropped on Monday of this week. This follows on from his earlier 2023 comeback with ABYSS and Journey. AMNESIA will also serve as my final ‘new release’ review of 2023, as previously mentioned.

WOODZ kicks off AMNESIA with an alternative-rock ballad approach. And this start alone was breath taking to listen to. His vocals was extremely captivating and you could already feel the emotions behind WOODZ’s voice from this opening verse. Similar comments can be said about the second verse. But for the chorus, WOODZ takes AMNESIA up many notches with a powerful rock sound. And then he pushes the boundaries further with an even more heightened instrumental following the choruses. He has definitely tapped into the rock genre before in his discography, but this is the first time a song really blasts its way through and really grabs your attention. To be fair, the way this powerful rock sound comes off will either makes or breaks AMNESIA for everyone. Some will feel it is too much – it already feels so powerful that it overpowers WOODZ’s vocals in the latter half of the chorus. Others will enjoy it, with the powerful display being indicative of emotional heft AMNESIA delivers and the impact that the song delivers. I am of the latter category, though part of me does agree with the former regarding the overpowered vocals (hence why I raised it). But overall, I felt like the rush of energy from the choruses and the instrumental sequence following the choruses in AMNESIA to be quite exhilarating, which adds to the memorability of the song that firstly began with the captivating vocals in the verses.

In addition to the dark and grungy vibes that are given off at first glance through the rock band/singing scenes, the music video appears to be quite aesthetic. There is a fair bit to unpack in this video, such as the mysterious nature of the blonde person – it looks like they are contributing to WOODZ’s struggle, but they also rescue him. What does this all mean? Also the car crashing down into the room with the bathtub is quite intriguing. AMNESIA, according to Soompi, ‘asks the question what we have forgotten while living today.’. So, I am guessing these aspects of the music video are what WOODZ might have forgotten after moving on from a past relationship, given the parts when he is in a leather jacket does show him more ‘put together’ compared to the bathtub scenes? All very intriguing, and I am not put off by that.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.8/10

[Review] BORN TO BE – ITZY

December 19, 2023December 19, 2023Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged ITZY5 Comments

ITZY is nominated for Best Female Performance (Group) for CAKE, while RINGO is nominated for Best International Song by a Korean Artist (Japanese). Support ITZY’s CAKE and RINGO, songs and performances by clicking here to vote today.

Ahead of their official comeback on 8 January 2024 with their second studio album, ITZY has pre-released the single BORN TO BE. This upcoming comeback will be ITZY’s first return with a four-member lineup, after it was announced that LIA would not be part of this comeback due to anxiety. It also follows on from the group’s CAKE comeback in July of this year and their more recent Japanese single RINGO.

BORN TO BE attempts to become the group’s most powerful and bombastic sound yet, based on the visual aspect of this release (more on that in the music video and performance aspects of this review). And while I do hear it during certain parts of the song, I just don’t think BORN TO BE gets there. I personally thought the song was rather tame. Sure, the instrumental was busy and loud (though it was very clear to me that it was typical and lacked originality), and ITZY’s delivery at times alludes to a powerful undertaking. But I felt something was holding back the song from realizing its full potential. To me, a more innovative instrumental could have resolved some that. For example, I was waiting for some added vibrancy and intensity to kick in during the final chorus to make everything at the end feel more enhanced. That would have made BORN TO BE‘s ending to be more satisfying to end on. Also, I wished the chorus was less monotonous with its ‘Born To Be’ repetitive hook. I felt that really dulls the song down quite a bit. But it isn’t all bad news for ITZY. The shoutier moments of BORN TO BE felt like a statement, and I actually like the stillness (relative to the rest of the song) that the pre-chorus brought to the track. The vocal backing in the instrumental break was actually refreshing and different to the usual synth-only dance breaks we get. Overall, I definitely think more can be done with BORN TO BE.

The music video goes for a darker than usual concept for this performance centric music video. But I also like its simplicity. It might not be apparent, given the different visual effects utilized in the video and the amount of dancers present in video. But when you start breaking it down, there really isn’t much. The room is literally dark, with post-production used to apply a limited yet cool set of visual effects that plays out above the members/dancers. LCD screens are below the members as the ‘floor’, which at times was lava or just a white foundation for the group and dancers to perform and ‘pop’ out on. Minimal lighting was also used – there was enough so that you can see the members/dancers, but not enough such that the background feels like it is darkness. At a certain point, red carpet was introduced along with a rock formation that some of the members danced upon, just to give some form of height and depth to the video (otherwise, the video would have been very flat). I like it, simply because all of the above works well together with the song to show us what was intended out of BORN TO BE.

Performance looks amazing. The synchronisation at the pre-chorus is probably my highlight, simply because the angles at which their arms are at make it super difficult to achieve. The sheer volume of dancers (alongside ITZY) makes the chorus looks epic. And the dance break was awesome to watch. We might just have a contender for the 2024 KPOPREVIEWED Awards already.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 8.1/10

[Review] Alley Oop – NCT U

December 18, 2023December 16, 2023Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged NCT ULeave a comment

Last week, you would have seen me drop two reviews for NCT U – PADO and The BAT. These tracks form part of NCT’s Golden Age album and also had an ‘archiving video’ (whatever that is). There are two more tracks that have archiving videos, one of them being the focus of this review – Alley Oop. In addition to the four songs with archiving videos, Golden Age also features the title tracks Baggy Jeans and Golden Age.

Alley Oop features YUTA, WINWIN, HENDERY, JENO, JAEMIN, YANGYANG, and JISUNG. These seven NCT members brings us an energetic hip-hop track with powerful bass and 808 bass (based on the official description). I really like the hyped-up energy that the members and instrumental exudes, which makes Alley Oop a strong song. Once you start head-nodding to Alley Oop (and you will), it is extremely hard to stop and put down the song. I also really like the textures in this song, which I felt also came from both the members’ rapping/vocals and what I assume is the intentionally unpolished instrumentation. The texture gives Alley Oop some more vigour and intensity. I have to commend both JENO and YUTA in this song, as they are the members that stood out to me the most in Alley Oop (The rest did a fine job themselves, as well). JENO’s rough voice and YUTA’s vocals (particularly in the bridge) are my picks of Alley Oop’s highlights.

Based on a Google search, the term ‘Alley Oop’ is a basketball term and the moves that leads towards an alley oop requires teamwork. Alley Oop (the song) makes a lot of basketball references itself, but also focuses on that idea of a team. So, it makes perfect sense that the archiving video for Alley Oop is set on a basketball field and the styling of the members also go down that path. There is still a bit more to the video, with references to music, glittery pizza (?) and the members stealing (or maybe just unloading) shoeboxes from a truck. In addition to that parallel, I find the concept and styling throughout the video to work well with that hype-energy that I made reference to earlier in this review.

Song – 8/10
Music Video (or “Archiving Video”, in this case) – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8/10

[Weekly KPOP Chart] 2nd Week of December 2023

December 17, 2023Posted in Weekly ChartsTagged Stray KidsLeave a comment

Welcome back to the Weekly KPOP Charts, this time for the 2nd Week of December 2023. There is a bit to update you on down below, as this will be one of the final posts of the year from me that I will be writing and posting in ‘real-time’. I will be taking a break from the blog to celebrate Christmas and the New Year. As such, I have developed a little plan for the remainder of 2023. I will be back online from 2 January 2024 (totally wrote 2023 out of habit).

So, as this will be the final ‘personal’ post of the year – I do wish you all a Happy Holiday season. If you celebrate Christmas – Merry Christmas and/or break. If you don’t, I wish you a splendid few days with whatever you will be getting up to. And collectively, I wish you all a happy and joyous new year.

Plan for the rest of 2023

Rest assured, the blog will continue to be active whilst I am on break. Song and album reviews will continue to be posted on the blog over the holiday break – I have been trying to draft up a few to schedule ahead of time.

The final review ‘new release’ review of the year will be WOODZ’s AMNESIA (due for release tomorrow). I will see if I have time to review it tomorrow, otherwise the review will be posted Tuesday (at the very latest). Scheduled reviews will begin the day after AMNESIA‘s review, though I have already been tapping into that stockpile during the last week.

Weekly KPOP Charts for the 3rd and 4th Weeks of December will be combined and posted upon my return on 2 January 2023, and you can expect song reviews (beginning with the new releases that I missed while on break) from 3 January 2023.

ICYMI – 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards

If you have yet to vote in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards, click the link here to be taken to the voting page to support your favourite artists, songs and performances of 2023.

Voting page does not close until after new years, so keep on voting!

Recap of the past week

This past week, I have posted:

song reviews for NCT U’s PADO and The BAT, Young K’s let it be summer , DINO’s Wait and WEi’s OVERDRIVE, and
an album review for KWON EUNBI’s The Flash.

Joining NMIXX with new releases this week are:

HBD – Hwiyoung (SF9)
GAME – Narsha (Brown Eyed Girls) ft. Verbal Jint
NUM – WOO
Twinkle Little Star – Shin Jimin
PINK CHRISTMAS – APINK
Beautiful Winter – Hwang Chi Yeul
Just Another Day – PUNCH
FIRST SNOW – XODIAC
Snowball – BOL4
Eternal Love – BOL4

Alley – Lee Hi with Sung Si Kyung
Merry PLLIstmas – PLAVE
Gravity – Nicole (KARA)
Dat Girl – Yuto (PENTAGON)
Episode – Lee Mu Jin
Dreamy Ocean – Sunyoul (UP10TION)
Find The Way – TIOT
Dear My U – A.C.E
Fire! – Alan Walker (ft. Yuqi (G)I-DLE & JVKE)
Promise – JUNNY
Ticket To You – UNIVERSE TICKET

Throwback Song of the Week

This week’s throwback song is NCT U’s Baby Don’t Stop, which emerged as part of my review for Call D – a single off NCT’s Golden Age album (which was released a few months back). A single that I have been drafting a review for. A review to be released another day.

Non-Korean song of the week

LE SSERAFIM’s Perfect Night is this week’s top Non-Korean song of the week. It ranks in the 7th position this week.

The Charts

Congratulations to Stray Kids and LALALALA for rising back to the top of the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 2nd Week of December 2023. For more of the charts, keep on scrolling down below.

Pos.	Song	Artist	Change
1	LALALALA	Stray Kids	(▲ 4)
2	Bad News	KISS OF LIFE	(▲ 73)
3	Wait	DINO (SEVENTEEN)	(▲ 72)
4	WATCH IT	THE BOYZ	(▲ 16)
5	MEGAVERSE	Stray Kids	(▲ 52)
6	CRUSH	ZEROBASEONE	(▲ 26)
7	Perfect Night	LE SSERAFIM	(▲ 68)
8	Crazy Form	ATEEZ	(▼ 7)
9	Drama	aespa	(▲30)
10	Talk Saxy	RIIZE	(▼ 3)
11	Fall In Love Again	P1Harmony	(▲ 64)
12	Sweet Venom	ENHYPEN	(▼ 9)
13	MANIAC	VIVIZ	(▲ 25)
14	Soñar (Breaker)	NMIXX	(▼ 6)
15	NO WHERE, NOW WHERE	ROTHY	(▼ 2)
16	Chill Kill	Red Velvet	(▼ 12)
17	Standing Next To You	Jung Kook (BTS)	(▲ 58)
18	I’ll Be There	Jay Chang	(▲ 57)
19	NOBODY	Jeon Soyeon ((G)I-DLE), Winter (aespa), LIZ (IVE)	(▲ 21)
20	Feel Me	Golden Child	(▲ 55)
21	To. X	TAEYEON (SNSD)	(▼ 11)
22	Forbidden Midnight	iii	(▲ 53)
23	God Of Music	SEVENTEEN	(▼ 21)
24	Boogie Man	LUCY	(▲ 51)
25	What Are We	BAEKHO ft. Park Jiwon (fromis_9)	(▲ 50)
26	HEARTRIS	NiziU	(▲ 49)
27	On And On	AMPERS&ONE	(▲ 48)
28	Fallin’	Mark Tuan (GOT7)	(▲ 47)
29	the soul savior ~ I don’t need a superman	Billlie	(▼ 13)
30	NEW STAR	n.Ssign	(▼ 2)

Songs leaving the charts

The following songs have wrapped up their nine week run in the charts system, and will no longer be on the charts from next week:

THIS IS LOVE – Queenz Eye
Possessed – ZELO
Give You My All – HIGHLIGHT
Kiss Me Baby – E’LAST
Rockstar – Jay Chang
I’ll Be There – Jay Chang
BROKEN IPHONE – LOCO ft. Woo Wonjae
NOT OK – LOCO ft. Minnie ((G)I-DLE)
STRANGER – SUNMI
FLIGHT – YOUHA
RINGO – ITZY
COUP D’ETAT – KINGDOM
Beam Me Up – SUPERKIND
Love It – YOUNITE

HOWL – CHUU
MACARONI CHEESE – YOUNG POSSE
Discord – QWER
Wave In My Heart – JINJIN (ASTRO) ft. YUNHWAY
TOO MUCH – Jungkook (BTS), The Kid LAROI, Central Cee
I’m Crying Over You – Kwon Jieun
Good Enough – CHANYEOL (EXO)
B.O.M.B (KABOOM ver.) – TREASURE
PLUTO – Xdinary Heroes
REUNION – GIFT
Hands Up – NCT NEW TEAM

[Album Review] The Flash (1st Single Album) – KWON EUNBI

December 16, 2023December 16, 2023Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged Kwon Eun BiLeave a comment

KWON EUNBI is nominated for Best Female Soloist, Rising Star and Best Female Performance (Solo) for The Flash in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support KWON EUNBI, The Flash and your other favourite acts by clicking here to vote today.

KWON EUNBI’s single album, The Flash, was released in August lead by the same-name title track. And based on the title of this post, you can probably tell it is the focus of this album review post. I am particularly excited to share my thoughts on this single album, as I practically like all of the three songs that make up the single album. So much so, that The Flash is now the highest rated album of 2023 in my books (i.e., this blog). Continue reading to find out why I am raving this single album. The Flash follows on from her October 2022 Underwater and Lethality comeback which I have yet to review.

1. The Flash (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for The Flash. (9/10)

2. Comet – KWON EUNBI brings us a very bright, upbeat, club-like electronic song in Comet that I find it very hard to skip. Its fun and feel highly suitable for the summery season the single album was released in. But the instrumental is only one likeable aspect of this song. KWON EUNBI’s vocals come through quite well. She makes the song feel pretty, and the melodies makes it catchy. Personally, I felt certain parts were a touch too soft and was in danger of being drowned out by the backing. I would have liked a slight touch of definition to her vocals to help alleviate that concern. But that is honestly a minor concern, and I would still recommend Comet regardless. (9.5/10)

3. Beautiful Night – Pop rock takes over in Beautiful Night and it makes for an amazing song. While each of the other songs on this single album is quite good, it was actually Beautiful Night that caught my attention at first and convinced me that an album review for this single album is warranted. I found the energy and rush that comes from Beautiful Night to be peak pop-rock vibes, and I like how KWON EUNBI’s delivery is playful, particularly when it came to the post-chorus sequences following the second and final choruses of the song. Other parts of Beautiful Night were refreshing and the song in its entirety is also just as unskippable as the previous song. (10/10)

Overall Album Rating – 9.5/10

[Review] OVERDRIVE– WEi

December 15, 2023December 15, 2023Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged WEiLeave a comment

Support your other favourite artists, songs and performance in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards by clicking here to vote today.

Did you know that WEi made a comeback in June of this year with their sixth mini-album, Love Pt. 3: Eternally and the title track OVERDRIVE? Well, I never got around to reviewing OVERDRIVE. But that changes today! Both their sixth mini-album and OVERDRIVE follows WEi’s fifth mini-album, Love Pt. 2: Passion and the title track Spray.

OVERDRIVE is quite upbeat and bright, which feels very appropriate for the summery season in which was released in. It is also very appropriate where I live currently, which has been heating up quite rapidly the last few weeks. The electrical guitar at the very back on the instrumentation, the twinkling details, the tropical base and the crunchy percussion helps all makes this track pleasant and lively, while the members bring to life the melodies that give off that brightness and good vibes in OVERDRIVE. While the chorus was probably the best bit of the song (thanks to all of the above), I am impressed with the bridge. It does slow the song down, but it serves as a nice showcase of vocals from the group, particularly Seokhwa’s breathier vocals. His part in the bridge was brief, but definitely caught my attention. I also commend the ramp back up to the final chorus, which was handled extremely well with WEi, going from Yohan’s vocals (which ended with a slight touch of autotune) to the very fun “Woah~” from everyone else to the chorus. OVERDRIVE was a solid summer song!

My understanding is that the original music video was replaced with a reuploaded version following an issue with the map at the start of the video. I couldn’t find an official source for that news, but that is the explanation I gathered from Reddit and YouTube comments. If that is the case, it had very little impact on the rest of the video, which captures the members having fun at the beach. The video is lowkey and light-hearted, which suits the summery vibe they are channeling. The beach setting makes sense, given the song’s lyrics which makes reference to going to “the end of the world”, which is commonly associated with the coast. It might not be a music video I would consistently return to, but it complements the song quite well.

The choreography is quite nice. I like its more fluid and freer energy, particularly as we get towards the end of the routine. Its fun, its upbeat and it looks like a blast – all of which goes hand-in-hand with the song.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8/10

[Review] Wait – DINO (SEVENTEEN)

December 14, 2023Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged DINO (SEVENTEEN), SEVENTEENLeave a comment

Beginning in April 2021, SEVENTEEN members have been releasing solo mixtapes as part of ‘The Thirteen Tapes‘ project. The first was HOSHI’s Spider in April 2021. WOOZI released RUBY in January 2022, followed by VERNON in December 2022 with Black Eye. Next up in the series is DINO, who dropped Wait two weeks ago.

Wait explores a hybrid genre of music that see jazz and glitch come together. It is a unique mashup of genres, and we should definitely commend DINO and the producers of Wait on going out there in terms of the sound profile. But I am kind of left wanting more from Wait. While the mashup does come off as a notable centerpiece, everything else in Wait (from the verses to DINO’s vocals) doesn’t come off as nearly memorable. And when I reflect on the song overall after listening to it, the overall feeling I get from Wait is that it is flat. I just wished there was a bit more zing and zest to the song, to give it that vibrant factor and to really hone it all in. We do get some variety from DINO in this song, like some rapping and a decent peak towards the end of the song, which makes me form the opinion that DINO’s delivery in Wait is good and decent. But it also could have been more exciting and eventful. Overall, I’d considered Wait to be a fair release.

DINO does a whole heap of waiting in the music video, with the song expressing his desire to move forward with his relationship, whilst his partner has reservations or hesitations on the matter. We see DINO pull a ticket number and is made to wait for his food, wait to cross the road, awaiting a text message reply but is met with the dreaded three dot bubble. All the waiting appeared to be fruitful though, as he is able to collect his food by the time the video wraps up. And attached to his meal is a dried flower and his ticket, which we see him respectively smiling at and lose earlier in the video. I take this as a sign of acceptance of their relationship and moving forward from his partner. I guess my only query regarding the video is why he has such a dirtied look when he is sleeveless during a choreography scene. Not sure what the connection is there.

Talking about choreography, his performance skills are shown off in this video/release. His moves were sharp and precise, and he looks so focused and charismatic whilst dancing. The whole bridge sequence was my favourite part of this routine.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10

[Review] The BAT – NCT U

December 13, 2023December 13, 2023Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged NCT, NCT ULeave a comment

As mentioned previously, I will be reviewing the side tracks that was treated with an ‘archiving video’ (whatever that means) from NCT’s latest studio album, Golden Age. The album, if you missed it, was released in August of this year and is lead by the singles Baggy Jeans and Golden Age. In addition to those two songs, I have also reviewed PADO already. Next up is the 5th track from the album – The BAT.

The BAT brings together TAEIL, JOHNNY, YUTA, JUNGWOO, HENDERY, JENO and JISUNG. I can easily see The BAT being slipped into any of the main units’ (NCT 127, NCT DREAM, WAYV) discography. But I am glad that we hear it here on this NCT album instead, as it gives the best of the three. The BAT goes dark and sensual, which is a ‘done before’ sound profile that has been proven to be successful in the past. What makes The BAT slightly more unique than past iterations of these two energies merging together is the song’s textural and abrasive instrumentation, which is synth-heavy. Not entirely new territory for NCT (or KPOP in general), but the abrasive textures do feel unique as I don’t think we have heard anything that leans into that as much as The BAT. We also see some really impressive delivery from JENO and JISUNG in the second verse, where they both rap quite rapidly. Again, not as new. But fast rapping is no easy feat and can be a drawing point, as it was here. I also like the edgy vibes both the rapping and the instrumental gives The BAT. The ‘Ma bat apex’ hook was pretty memorable (though I would like to know the meaning of this line). The vocals are also impressive in The BAT, especially when the latter reaches its peak in the high notes. Another likeable track on Golden Age.

Dark and sensual is the way to go, and the archiving video for this release definitely went with that. The dark comes through via the concept of the video, which I can’t exactly pinpoint what that is. But the lighting, the heavy reliance on the colour black on practically everything from background, props and outfits, and the ‘dangerous’ aspects of the video (i.e., speeding) that alludes that they might not be up to any good just screams out darkness. The sensual comes through via the all of the members, with JENO and JISUNG really surprising me the most in particular. All I can say is you should re-watch the video in detail if you want to find out why.

Again, the dark and sensual vibe comes through in the choreography for this particular release. The darkness actually taps into more of an edgy territory, which I think works really well. And the slow and deliberate moves, along with the outfits, emphasise that sensual energy. It is an engaging performance, overall, which shows off each individual members’ fatal charms and performance skills.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video (or “Archiving Video”, in this case) – 9/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10

[Review] let it be summer – Young K (DAY6)

December 12, 2023December 16, 2023Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged DAY6, Young K1 Comment

Young K’s let it be summer is nominated for Best Rock Song in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support let it be summer and your other favourite acts by clicking here to vote today.

In September of this year, Young K from DAY6 marked his return to the solo stage with his first studio album, Letters with Note. The first song from the album released was let it be summer, which dropped at the end of August as pre-release single. Following this track was the official release of the studio album and the title track nothing but (which I will be posting a review for in the coming days).

For me, I found let it be summer to be a very straight forward track. It is a lively and energetic rock track that never stops, with the rock energy continually pushing the song forward. The atmosphere of let it be summer can easily be described as feel-good, and has always evoked a foot-tapping or head-banging reaction from me (depending on the day). It also always puts a smile on my face for its celebration of summer. Young K’s vocals in let it be summer are just as dynamic as the instrumentation and I really like the extra oomph his singing gives the chorus. While my thoughts and impression on let it be summer is short and brief, I found the track to be super effective and a highlight on my playlist (and Young K’s album). As such, I nominated let it be summer as one of the contenders for ‘Best Rock Song of 2023’ in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards.

The music video also does not fluff around, showing two things – the first is Young K rocking about in the country side and the second is a younger actor (presumably playing the role of a younger Young K) hanging out and having fun with his friends. I really like the part of the video where the two words combine, with Young K and his younger self playing the guitar alongside one another. But while the song is energetic and dynamic, I wished the camera work wasn’t much so. There was a bit too much movement and it made it extremely hard to focus.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

[Review] PADO – NCT U

December 11, 2023December 11, 2023Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged NCT, NCT U1 Comment

NCT returned as a whole group in August this year with the studio album Golden Age. Leading the charge of that album are the title tracks Baggy Jeans (performed by TAEYONG, DOYOUNG, JAEHYUN, TEN and MARK) and Golden Age (performed by all 20 active members). Alongside the title tracks, NCT also released 4 “archiving videos” (whatever they are) for an additional four side tracks from the album. Over the next few weeks, in the lead up to the album review for Golden Age, I will be reviewing those tracks in separate song reviews. First up is the 3rd song on the album – PADO.

Performed by a lineup of 7 members (JOHNNY, TAEYONG, JAEHYUN, MARK, XIAOJUN, HENDERY, HAECHAN), PADO is quite the melodic track. The entire track felt classy from start to end, and this consistent vibe held me over to the end. I just cannot bring myself to skip PADO every time it comes up. I really like the vocal focus of the track, which all comes to a head during the song’s “You got me confused, You got me satisfied” hook line (delivered by Xiaojun and Haechan). And boy, was that line super memorable and catchy. While the song’s vocals are the more showcased element of the song, PADO does feature rap-centric verses that plays with the song’s texture a bit. Not too much, as PADO does remain easy on the ears, stays true to that classiness I already mentioned and never overwhelms us. The instrumentation of PADO was very clean and sleek, with the added brass and jazzy elements in the verses and choruses being the prime suspect for why PADO has such a classy vibe. The flute-like sound that comes into play after the choruses concentrates all the adjectives that I have used in this portion of the review into a common point. And all of that works exceptionally well with PADO’s beats, maintaining the tracks’ upbeat nature. Overall, a strong side track from NCT that I can definitely see being promoted into ‘title track’ status.

The archiving video places PADO into a bar setting, which makes perfect sense for such a classy song. The colour palette that the video does go for steers us down a refreshing vibe, with the simple screen of waves in the background over a white background being the big focal point of the video. The white is further seen in the bar and other props present in the video, while the blue is also seen in the background of the queue outside said bar and the signage of the bar. I like that as it feels modern and trendy, whereas the usual red colour that I would have immediately associated with the song and bar concept to be typical and bland. I also like the additional splash of colour the members have via their outfits, which give the video a bit depth and variety.

To match up with those classy vibes, this unit of NCT members bring a sensual tone to the choreography, which feels appropriate and brings out an engaging energy. The coloured outfits in the music video does detract from that unfortunately. But the performance they gave (whilst dressed in black outfits) at the recent NCT concert definitely showcases the sensual energy a lot better.

Song – 10/10
Music Video (or “Archiving Video”, in this case) – 9/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.5/10