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.
Welcome to the KPOPREVIEWED Choice post for the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards! Today, you will find out whom I have picked from the nominees under each category of the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards.
As there is a fair bit of categories to get through, I have split them over three pages under this post. You can find weblinks to the pages at the top or bottom of each page, or you can navigate to via the numbers at the bottom of each page.
On 15 November 2023, I will be posting the official link for you, the fans and audience, to begin voting. A reminder that officially begins at 12AM AEDT.
But until then, I present to you my/KPOPREVIEWED’s Choice of 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards.
Best New Male Group of 2023 Nominees: BOYNEXTDOOR, EVNNE, RIIZE, THE WIND, xikers, ZEROBASEONEBest New Female Group of 2023 Nominees: EL7Z UP, FIFTY FIFTY, KISS OF LIFE, LOOSSEMBLE, ODD EYE CIRCLE, tripleSBest New Female Soloist of 2023 Nominees: CHUU, JIHYO (TWICE), JINI, JISOO (BLACKPINK), MIJOO (LOVELYZ), ROA (ROCKING DOLL)Best New Male Soloist of 2023 Nominees: JAECHAN (DKZ), JIMIN (BTS), Joohoney (MONSTA X), Jimin (BTS), Jung Kook (BTS), RM (BTS), V (BTS)
Most Underrated and Rising Star Awards
Most Underrated Artist of 2023 Nominees: cignature, CSR, LUCY, NMIXX, SECRET NUMBER, THE NEW SIX (TNX)Rising Star of 2023 Nominees: DKB, CRAVITY, FIFTY FIFTY, H1-KEY, KWON EUN BI, XDINARY HEROES
Best Band, Rap and Vocal Performance Awards
Best Band Performance of 2023 Nominees: FTISLAND (for Sage), LUCY (for HAZE), ONEWE (for Omnipresent), ROLLING QUARTZ (for FEARLESS), W24 (for Voyager), Xdinary Heroes (for Break The Brakes)Best Rap Performance of 2023 Nominees: AGUST D (BTS) for Haegeum, Dynamic Duo & Lee Young Ji for Smoke, J-HOPE (BTS) for on the street, MARK (NCT) for Golden Hour, RM (BTS) for Wild Flower, Stray Kids’ Rappers for S-Class.Best Vocal Performance of 2023 Nominees: Ailee for I’ll Hold You, AESPA ft. Naevis for Welcome To My World, APINK for D N D, BIG NAUGHTY & Lee Suhyun (AKMU) for Hopeless Romantic, BTOB for Wind & Wish, LUCY for HAZE.
Best Subunit Award
Best Subunit of 2023 Nominees: BSS (SEVENTEEN), NCT DOJAEJUNG, NCT DREAM, MAMAMOO+, MOONBIN & SANHA (ASTRO), T5 (TREASURE)
Best Soloist Awards
Best Male Soloist of 2023 Nominees: AGUST D (SUGA – BTS), KAI (EXO), KANG DANIEL, KEY (SHINee), TAEYANG (BIGBANG), WOODZBest Female Soloist of 2023 Nominees: HWASA (MAMAMOO), JEON SOMI, JO YURI, KWON EUN BI, LEE CHAE YEON, SUNMI
Best Group Awards
Best Female Group of 2023 Nominees: (G)I-DLE, aespa, IVE, LE SSERAFIM, NewJeans, TWICEBest Male Group of 2023 Nominees: ATEEZ, NCT, SEVENTEEN, STRAY KIDS, THE BOYZ, TXT
One of the most successful debuts of the year (and in KPOP ever) has made their first comeback this week. Previously, ZEROBASEONE set records with their 1st mini-album Youth In The Shade, such as becoming the most pre-ordered debut KPOP album and being the first ever KPOP debut album to sell more than 1 million copies. This week, the group returns with their 2nd mini-album, Melting Point, and the lead single CRUSH.
CRUSH starts off strong, in my opinion. YUJIN’s smooth vocals to open up the song, TAERAE’s powerful line, RICKY and GYUVIN’s punchy delivery, JIWOONG’s slightly shouty rap line and MATTHEW’s sleek rapping all came together to create quite a first verse. I also enjoyed the the incline in the instrumentation towards the chorus. But things started to unravel when CRUSH opts for a descending melody to lead into the first chorus. I am not a big fan of the cluttering drum line that takes centre stage in CRUSH. While it is undeniably striking, it is also very jarring and detached from the rest of the instrumentation. The vocals also take on a shouty motif, which makes sense given the group has to channel the same energy in order to be heard over the drum line. But it also feels unimaginative. Somehow, the drumming does meld well into the second half of the chorus. While I do like the more melodic turn this half of the chorus takes, I do find it a bit plain and unexciting. If the song opted for a structure like the one final chorus but with a much stronger melody, I would have enjoyed CRUSH a lot more. The second verse comes along and features some rapping, but nothing as memorable as in the pre-chorus (which we do get a repeat of). CRUSH‘s bridge was a bore and there is nothing to remember it by. While CRUSH does attempt to do something bolder with the clanging drumline, that itself doesn’t sit well with me. And everything else, aside from the first verse and final chorus (albeit a strong melody), just didn’t feel memorable enough.
The music video is pretty cool. The post-production special effects, which made the members feel statue or art-like, definitively took the video to the next level. The cinematography of these same shots look super cool. ZHANGHAO’s shots at the start and end were without doubt the most memorable shots of the video, with the knight armory and sword in the rock. It made think of King Arthur and the Excalibur. I feel like there should be story in all of this, but I am not entirely sure. I wished the song had a similar effect.
The synchronisation makes for a very cool dance performance. I did wish the moves were sharper, just to give the performance a greater knife-edge impression. But it was a good routine, overall.
Song – 6/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.4/10
Welcome to the Nomination Announcement post for the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards! Today, you will find out whom I have nominated under each category of the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards.
In total, 36 categories and the nominations associated with the categories, are announced today. As there is a fair bit of categories to get through, I have split them over three pages under this post. You can find weblinks to the pages at the top or bottom of each page, or you can navigate to via the numbers at the bottom of each page.
On 10 November 2023, I will be posting the KPOPREVIEWED (i.e., my) Choice of winners for the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. And voting will officially begin on 15 November 2023 at 12AM AEDT.
But until then, I present to you the nominees for the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards.
Best New Male Group of 2023 Nominees: BOYNEXTDOOR, EVNNE, RIIZE, THE WIND, xikers, ZEROBASEONEBest New Female Group of 2023 Nominees: EL7Z UP, FIFTY FIFTY, KISS OF LIFE, LOOSSEMBLE, ODD EYE CIRCLE, tripleSBest New Female Soloist of 2023 Nominees: CHUU, JIHYO (TWICE), JINI, JISOO (BLACKPINK), MIJOO (LOVELYZ), ROA (ROCKING DOLL)Best New Male Soloist of 2023 Nominees: JAECHAN (DKZ), JIMIN (BTS), Joohoney (MONSTA X), Jimin (BTS), Jung Kook (BTS), RM (BTS), V (BTS)
Most Underrated and Rising Star Awards
Most Underrated Artist of 2023 Nominees: cignature, CSR, LUCY, NMIXX, SECRET NUMBER, THE NEW SIX (TNX)Rising Star of 2023 Nominees: DKB, CRAVITY, FIFTY FIFTY, H1-KEY, KWON EUN BI, XDINARY HEROES
Best Band, Rap and Vocal Performance Awards
Best Band Performance of 2023 Nominees: FTISLAND (for Sage), LUCY (for HAZE), ONEWE (for Omnipresent), ROLLING QUARTZ (for FEARLESS), W24 (for Voyager), Xdinary Heroes (for Break The Brakes)Best Rap Performance of 2023 Nominees: AGUST D (BTS) for Haegeum, Dynamic Duo & Lee Young Ji for Smoke, J-HOPE (BTS) for on the street, MARK (NCT) for Golden Hour, RM (BTS) for Wild Flower, Stray Kids’ Rappers for S-Class.Best Vocal Performance of 2023 Nominees: Ailee for I’ll Hold You, AESPA ft. Naevis for Welcome To My World, APINK for D N D, BIG NAUGHTY & Lee Suhyun (AKMU) for Hopeless Romantic, BTOB for Wind & Wish, LUCY for HAZE.
Best Subunit Award
Best Subunit of 2023 Nominees: BSS (SEVENTEEN), NCT DOJAEJUNG, NCT DREAM, MAMAMOO+, MOONBIN & SANHA (ASTRO), T5 (TREASURE)
Best Soloist Awards
Best Male Soloist of 2023 Nominees: AGUST D (SUGA – BTS), KAI (EXO), KANG DANIEL, KEY (SHINee), TAEYANG (BIGBANG), WOODZBest Female Soloist of 2023 Nominees: HWASA (MAMAMOO), JEON SOMI, JO YURI, KWON EUN BI, LEE CHAE YEON, SUNMI
Best Group Awards
Best Female Group of 2023 Nominees: (G)I-DLE, aespa, IVE, LE SSERAFIM, NewJeans, TWICEBest Male Group of 2023 Nominees: ATEEZ, NCT, SEVENTEEN, STRAY KIDS, THE BOYZ, TXT
Best Overall Artist of 2023 – Grand Award
Once again, you will be help decide, in combination with my Weekly KPOP Charts, who will be awarded the ‘Best Overall Artist of 2023”. Think it like the Artist Daesang that is awarded at the end of the Korean award shows for the biggest and most successful artist of the year.
All you have to do is name 1 to 3 Korean artists in the voting form, once voting begins on 15 November 2023. It can be any artist from any category above, or another artist (provided they released music between 1 November 2022 to 31 October 2023) who you think is worthy of becoming the ‘Best Overall Artist of 2023’.
It has been over a year since Golden Child’s last Korean comeback with the single Replay and the mini-album AURA. Apart from one Japanese comeback (CRAYON), the group has been fairly quiet. That was until yesterday, when the group released their newest single Feel Me and the single album of the same name. The group is currently down one member – this time being Y (who is carrying out his military enlistment), while the group did regain Daeyeol (who completed his military enlistment earlier this year).
Feel Me brings a very satisfying and enjoyable dose of rock to the table. It had me feeling the track from the very first listen I have Feel Me yesterday. I really like the retro profile that the rock elements in Feel Me has, which is a refreshing change to the ongoing rock presence that is happening in KPOP. Both the drumming and guitar work in the background just hits me in the right spot when I listen to the song, though I think more bite to the guitar riffs at the end of the song. Feel Me also features some atmospheric synths in the background, which complements the rock sound extremely well. All of the instrumental works hand-in-hand with the members vocals, which brings some really nice and crisp melodies to the song. All of this creates a very delicate atmosphere, yet also keeps Feel Me punchy and dynamic as you would expect from the rock genre. The rapping was nicely done, working towards the subdued nature of the rest of the song, rather than overpowering with an intense sequence. Come to the think of it, I also quite liked the contrast between the verses and choruses. The high note and electronic glitchiness that occurs in the lead into the final chorus was serves well as the peak of Feel Me. However, I wished this was backed up with some more prolific ad-libs to just give the final sequence a bit more edge. The wait that Woolim Entertainment made us go through was definitely unenjoyable, but I am glad that Golden Child was able to return with such a good song after this year hiatus.
Feel Me tells us the story of youth who have grown together, expressing the beauty of youth and a comforting message (taken from Soompi). And we see that in the music video, with the members hanging out with one another – having fun and also go through some hard times with one another. I also think the video highlights the concept of losing someone, which could be due to different circumstances, such as the members going separate ways. Someone on YouTube did point out that 2024 is Golden Child’s 7th year since their debut, which usually means contracts are up for renewal (though I am hoping this group continues on past 7 years). It is a good portrayal of the ‘coming of age’ concept, which I am sure everyone can really relate to in some way. The haziness of the video was a nice touch, as it makes us feel like we are reminiscing Golden Child’s story in this music video.
Choreography-wise, I like how it feels pretty breezy and not as intense. This complements the music extremely well. No move really stands out. But I have to admit, seeing them perform Feel Me hits differently. Solid performance skills and delivery definitely made Feel Me worthy of a few replays.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 8.5/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.7/10
It has been fairly quiet from VIVIZ lately, with their last release being PULL UP from January of this year. The female group makes their comeback today with the single MANIAC, which is the lead single from their 4th mini-album, Virus.
MANIAC is another song to fall into the subdued trend that is happening in KPOP. But it falls quite hard into the trend, as I don’t feel there is much going in on the song. More on this in a second. Describing MANIAC as subdued is quite an interesting takeaway for me, given there are rock elements in the chorus that does help boost the profile of the song. I really like the crunchiness that these rock elements bring to MANIAC and being subdued with rock elements does bring an intriguing factor to the song. There is also a slight grooviness to the song, as well. But beyond that, everything else feels flat. The vocals felt very processed, and I am not sure if all of it was necessary. Furthermore, there isn’t much character to VIVIZ’s vocals, which also contributes to the flatness of the song. MANIAC also falls flat on the melody front, with nothing sparking any interest from me. There are some decent moments in the song which do speak to me, such as the opening hook of MANIAC‘s chorus and the flow of the bridge. But these only add up to making MANIAC an alright listen. I do hope that more listens do help me get into the song, as it has only been a few hours since MANIAC‘s release. But I am probably not going to hold my breath over that.
The music video does feel a lot more interesting, as it shows an alternative reality where VIVIZ, who are a band who has been through some rough times in this alternate reality, splitting up and going their separate ways. It starts with SinB stepping away with a solo career, then Umji leaves Eunha behind to do some travelling and Eunha ends with an office job. But the love the members have for each other bring them all back and their reunite in the end. I am not entirely sure if that is the real story behind the music video, as I can’t work find the meaning of the lyrics or the song’s message anywhere on the internet. But for now, my interpretation makes sense in my head and I quite like the story it is telling me. Aside from that, the colours in the music video look super nice and dreamy, which I think works well with the group.
The choreography for the comeback is pretty good. It brings out a slight sensual energy and fits in well with the song as is. I do hope that diagonal formation bit occurs on stage, as that formation used as a transition looks cool.
Song – 6/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7/10
It is my greatest pleasure to announce that the KPOPREVIEWED Awards is coming back for 2023!
Once again, it has been a crazy year of amazing songs, captivating performances and show-stealing comebacks from our favourite artists, including some who return after a lengthy hiatus – proving to the audience that they still got what it takes to thrive in this industry.
Below are the key dates for the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards:
That’s right, voting this year reopens for a 2-month period. So there is plenty of time for you to think long and hard who you think is the best artist, which performance was the most stunning and which was your favourite song of 2023.
Just a quick side note: due to a holiday I am taking in January and February 2024, I won’t be able to finalise the winners until the end of February 2024. I know it is a lengthy wait and I do apologise for that, but this is in consideration of what happened earlier this year and the amount of time it took me to finalise the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards after voting closed.
Anyway, important details below in terms of the eligibility period for the artists, performances and songs nominated (or can be nominated in terms of the Grand Award categories):
An artist is eligible for nomination provided they released a song between `1 November 2022 to 31 October 2023.
A song is eligible for nomination provided it was released between 1 November 2022 to 31 October 2023.
An album is eligible for nomination provided it was released between 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023.
A performance is eligible for nomination provided it was performed between 1 November 2022 to 31 October 2023.
And with that out of the way, here are the categories for this year’s KPOPREVIEWED Awards:
Please note that the Blog related and KPOPREVIEWED Decided categories are not fan-voted categories and winners will not be unveiled until 29 February 2024.
So tune in on the 5 November 2023 to find out who is nominated this year in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards, which will be followed by the KPOPREVIEWED Choice on 10 November and then fan-voting beginning on 15 November 2023.
tripleS is one of the debuts this year that I have yet to review on the blog. Today, I will finally get around to reviewing their March 2023 debut with lead single, Rising, from their debut mini-album Assemble. What makes tripleS an interesting debut is that the group is still expanding via the addition of new members to reach the group’s confirmed 24 member lineup. As such, throughout 2023, tripleS has seen the addition of new members to form new subunits – +(KR)ystal Eyes, Acid Eyes, LOVElution and EVOLution (I will be returning to reviewing these unit’s releases in the future). But as of today, 16 members have been announced as part of tripleS’ final lineup, with more subunits and new members on the way. tripleS’ debut back in March with Rising only features 10 of the members – Yoon Seo-yeon, Jeong Hye-rin, Lee Ji-woo, Kim Chae-yeon, Kim Yoo-yeon, Kim Soo-min, Kim Na-kyoung, Gong Yu-bin, Kaede and Seo Da-hyun.
Rising definitely heads in the right direction in terms of a being a standout debut track. While I didn’t pay too much attention to the track when it was first released, I did turn my head towards the debut track a few times since then. And those few times have managed to convince me that Rising is a likeable track. Rising‘s rhythmic groovy instrumental and beat is quite sleek and keeps the song moving along. It also gives off a subdued vibe to the dance pop track, which is very much on trend in the KPOP industry. The instrumental steers closer to the pop genre as we get into the chorus territory, and I liked the bright and boosted energy they manage to give off during this sequence. The “La La La” in the background is a catchy element that I am surprisingly not tired over despite it being repetitively looped. The instrumental sequence we get following the post first chorus and its flourishes keeps the dynamic energy going. The vocals and rapping from tripleS in Rising is very solid and that subdued vibe comes off in a charming manner through their delivery. But while I do like Rising, there are some flaws and lacking elements that ultimately holds back the track for me. The biggest flaw is that Rising‘s shortness, which I also see as a strength. I liked that Rising is filling, as it does have a fair bit to it in a short amount of time and doesn’t mess around with that. But at the same time, the shortness does mean there isn’t opportunity for Rising to do more, such as having a similar (but not the same) instrumental sequence following the final chorus. In addition to that, I feel like Rising also lacks a catchier centric hook and melodies that could have taken the song to the next level. But overall, a very strong debut effort that I honestly should have reviewed earlier.
The music video sees the group hang out with one another after the sun goes down to dance, watch dance performances with one another and attend a concert of their favourite artists (i.e., themselves). The video highlights Rising‘s lyrics well, which calls out society for saying they support the dreams of individuals, but ultimately looks down on the individual who want to be different. In the video, it is the group’s love for dance that people say they support, but the same people who gives them weird looks for pursuing that passion – such as the other school students at the bus stop. By extension, sneaking out at night probably alludes the members parents do a similar thing to them. But the video also does show that the members have each other and are connected with one other by their common dream. I also like how the video ends with how it started, with the members sleeping on the bus travelling home after a busy night.
The choreography is good, but I think it could have been better. The routine could have been more polished with better synchronisation between the members on stage. I also felt like the members were pretty focused on looking cool and serious, which resulted in the dance moves looking less powerful then what it could have been.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 8.1/10
After over a 2 year hiatus as a solo artist (due to his mandatory military enlistment), TAEMIN is officially back with a brand new mini-album and title track, both of which are titled Guilty. The last time we heard from TAEMIN (as a solo artist) is through his Advice comeback in 2021. More recently, following the completion of his military enlistment, TAEMIN did return as part of SHINee’s comeback HARD from earlier on in this year.
Haunting is how I would personally describe Guilty. And it does that from the very first second, thanks to the instrumentation. The mix of some low beats and orchestral elements makes Guilty super atmospheric and evocative. The orchestral elements also adds a striking component to the song, at the same time. This in combination with TAEMIN’s vocals creates quite a piece. TAEMIN captivates with his singing in Guilty. For the most part, he sings in a slow and dragged out manner. It feels sensual and sultry, which is a style that we know that TAEMIN does best. We also get some powerful moments from TAEMIN via high notes and some stronger and really heavenly vocal work at other points in Guilty. The second verse also features some rapping from the soloist, which fits in amazingly well, and some deep whispery vocals in the pre-choruses that adds to that haunting vibe that I mentioned at the start of this section. Guilty is also definitely well-produced, with a lot of thought put towards the planning of when the vocals or instrumental comes into play. This just makes Guilty even more riveting and captivating to listen to, overall. If I had to be critical about something, I would have like more memorable melodies. But honestly, the music and vocals take care of that side of things for Guilty anyway.
The music video features a zombie-esque storyline (how fitting for the day before Halloween). But rather than it being gory and another horror conceptualized music video (beware – there is still some of this, like the emerging hands that looks like it was going to bend his neck just before the first chorus, but we are shown soon after that TAEMIN is just jerking around like zombie and TAEMIN’s zombie bite mark which he digs his fingers into), there is actually more to the video than just brain eating zombies. The zombie virus shown in the video is compared to the idea of selfish love portrayed in the lyrics of Guilty, where it causing pain to the other person while claiming it as one’s own way of loving (taken from SOOMPI). It is definitely a different and unexpected take on something that is quite terrifying and it keeps it quite terrifying. TAEMIN’s acting in this video is superb, with the zombie-like jerking throughout the video and the emotions you can see on his face when he is stilled and thinking about his lover.
If what we see in the music video is the choreography (i.e., the jerky movements that we saw during first chorus), then this is going to be a routine that you do not want to miss. It feels very artistic and contemporary. The ‘arm under the shirt’ move brings a sensual vibe to the table, which I thought looks very cool. The rest of the routine that we did see in the music video also captures the music quite well. For now, I am giving it a 9/10, just because it is unknown what the entire routine will look like. But it can be an easy 10/10 should the stage performance for Guilty replicate all of what we see in the music video (and I will return to update the review accordingly if that is the case).
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 10/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9.3/10
NIziU is JYP Entertainment’s resident Japanese female group, who made their debut back in 2020, following their formation through the survival program Nizi Project. Since then, they have released an abundance of title tracks, including Step and a Step, Take A Picture, Poppin’ Shakin’, Clap Clap, Paradise and Coconut. But today, NiziU makes their South Korean debut with the single album Press Play and the title track HEARTRIS.
HEARTRIS is a playful and cutesy synth-pop track that, from what I know of NiziU, suits the group quite well. If you haven’t noticed, the song’s title, HEARTRIS, is a play on the ‘Heart’ and the infamous ‘Tetris’ game. Parts of the synth work for this song resembles the 8-bit style of the background tune that you hear while playing a game of Tetris. But to suit the group and give it some modern zing, HEARTRIS‘ background is a lot poppier and much more colourful, which still works super well. We also get some cool piano-like work in the verses’ background and a dreamier motif that serves as the song’s pre-chorus. It is definitely a nice relief from the constantly energy that comes from the 8-bit styled instrumental. The vocal work HEARTRIS is super strong, working effortlessly to convey the cutesy melodies that are contained in this song. The rapping was also a great addition to the song, giving HEARTRIS a tinge of cool energy to make the song feel less ‘overly cute’. HEARTRIS‘ hooks are super catchy and addictive, as well. My favourite has to be the sing-song chanty “I’m coming down” post-chorus hook, which I honestly cannot get out of my mind. Overall, HEARTRIS is a very strong debut for the young yet seasoned group.
The music video sees the group following Felix (from Stray Kids), who is definitely known for his handsome looks. At first, I thought the group were following him because they had a crush on him, which is the path in which I would expect most KPOP music videos to go down. But instead, it turns out that they were following him for the blue teddy bear attached to his backpack. And Felix, well, he ended up falling into the manhole in the road. Guess it is not his day. Later on, it shown that the members have been busy, hunting for the teddy bears (and tricking countless people, at the same time) and have only one left to find. And that final teddy bear happens to go past their basement windows, which causes all of the members to spring into action to retrieve the bear (using whatever means necessary). Honestly, this was a very refreshing and lively take on a common KPOP music video trope, and makes for an interesting watch. I also like the anime version of the members and Felix.
The choreography for this debut is super cool. I really liked their use of angles in the routine, especially with the tutting we see towards the end. This angles is definitely the most recognisable part of the Tetris game, so it is a nice element to have in the choreography to connect the concept and the choreography together. The synchronisation and the members’ bubbly expressions, from what I can see in the music video, are also worth mentioning.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
As mentioned in my last review for TREASURE last week (i.e. the kaboom version of their side track B.O.M.B), I would be posting an album review for REBOOT this weekend. And here it is! REBOOT dropped at the end of July with BONA BONA as the lead title track. Ahead of the comeback, TREASURE also dropped the until track MOVE, which is also featured on this album. In total, 10 songs feature on the album.
As the name of the album alludes, REBOOT kicks off a new era for TREASURE and I think the studio album really shows that. Some of the songs, especially in the beginning, holds true to that. While some other songs do fizzle out towards to the end. But nonetheless, REBOOT shows a promising future for TREASURE. Let’s hope that YG Entertainment doesn’t get lost (again) with what to do with TREASURE and ‘reboot’ them again.
2. I Want Your Love – The element that wins me over in I Want Your Love is the instrumentation. The dance pop track features some really cool club beats and synths that reminds me of the music from ‘00s that I grew up on. The vocals and rapping were very solid efforts from the members. The vocals, particularly during the pre-choruses, also carry the same nostalgia. I really like the whispery underlay in the bridge, as well. I think a more memorable hook would have made I Want Your Love the ideal song. What we got was pretty good in itself, but it just lacks that really ear-worming effect. (9/10)
3. Run – When I hear Run, I find it very hard move away from the song. Run takes us down a very energetic rock path that has me bouncing along. Honestly, the energy that the members convey is enough for me to rate Run a 10/10. I also like the addition of electronic synths to give Run some zing, and a really cool and clangy hip-hop second verse. Their vocals and rapping were superb, pretty much keeping up with the dynamic tempo that the track was running (Ha!) at. That anthem bridge and high note at the end was really great, as well. (10/10)
5. G.O.A.T (ft. Lee Young Hyun of Big Mama) – The first unit track on the album is by the rap unit (Choi Hyunsuk, Yoshi and Haruto). The energy in this track is very show-stagey, which I am digging. The brass elements emphasises this further. I like the playful and dynamic approaches to the delivery which the rappers adopt,, which makes G.O.A.T a very fun and playful listen. The anthem chorus was perfectly executed by the members. Lee Young Hyun from Big Mama features on this track and she comes in towards the end. Her vocals and adlibs just effortlessly fitted into the rap-centric track, carrying us off in the end alongside the rappers in another head-banging end to the song. (10/10)
6. Stupid (멍청이) – All members return for Stupid. The upbeat energy is toned by a small bit to make way for this vocally centric track. The track still pounds away with a heavy beat, but it also features some really nice acoustic guitar riffs in the background. Other than that, Stupid steers into pop energy territory, which comes off it was nostalgic, as well. It reminds me of some previous works by done previously by other YG Entertainment groups like iKON and BIGBANG. Unfortunately, the hooks aren’t there in comparison to the other songs on ahead of the track and I felt the drumming was little heavy handed, particularly when we entered the bridge of Stupid. (7.5/10)
7. The Way To (어른) – The vocal unit (Jihoon, Junkyu and Jeongwoo) stays on to perform The Way To, taking us down a balladry path. It is a beautifully orchestrally instrumented ballad, paced in a way that allows you to take everything in the track all in. You can feel the emotions behind the members vocals. I did think the melodies were slightly underbaked, with the vocals feeling “quite short” in terms of being drawn out to matched the pace of the ballad. But still a lovely listen. (7/10)
8. Wonderland – Summery beats and energy comes back into play alongside all of the members in Wonderland. While the track is a decent listen, I think Wonderland is my pick for the album’s plainest track. Everything in the track, from the instrumentation to the vocals/rapping, felt very ordinary. I also don’t feel much of TREASURE’s usual energy in the song. (7/10)
9. B.O.M.B – I reviewed the kaboom version of B.O.M.B already, so I will be taking my rating of that version to implement in this review. I also did make some comments on the album version of B.O.M.B in that review, so click here to read the full review of the kaboom version of B.O.M.B. (8/10)
10. Lovesick (병) – The final track on the studio album is Lovesick. It was previously featured on the group’s 1st Japanese mini-album, which was released last year. It is a wholesome and dreamy track to finish on. Lovesick features a simple instrumental, melodies and hooks – all of which makes it easy on the ears and is a nice way to ease out of the album. I can imagine having this track on the background, while staring outside the window and taking in the prettiness of a bright day. (8/10)
Welcome back to the Weekly KPOP Charts, this time for the 4th Week of October 2023. Once again, it is going to be another short intro to get right into the post, as I have some posts to draft and schedule for this week. Plus, something special is coming this week. Plus the usual Sunday chores that comes with adulting life. So I am going to get right to it with the Weekly KPOP Chart post for the 4th Week of October 2023. (Honestly, how is it already November?)
Joining all those new releasesabove this week are the following songs:
DANG! (hocus pocus) – Billlie
Gummy Bear – Do Hanse ft. BIGONE
Like Heaven – KWON EUNBI ft. Paul Blanco
Truth or Dare – PIXY
JOURNEY – DV.OL
RUCKUS – GHOST9
Gum – JESSI
Listen to this Song – Park Boram
Plastic Candy – Haeseul (ARTMS)
Loved – B.I
Fallin’ – Mark Tuan (GOT7)
Poppin’ Love – WayV
To My Boyfriend – ILY:1
Throwback Song of the Week
It has been a T-ARA type of mood this week. And during this type of mood, I have been listening to a lot of T-ARA’s Sugar Free. As such, Sugar Free is this week’s Throwback Song.
Non-Korean song of the week
THE ROSE’s Wonder is this week’s top Non-Korean song of the week. It ranks in the 4th position this week.
The Charts
Congratulations to SEVENTEEN and their comeback single God of Music for debuting at the top of my Weekly KPOP Charts for the 4th week of October 2023. For more of the charts, keep on scrolling down below.
