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.

[Album Review] I FEEL (6th Mini Album) – (G)I-DLE

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Next up on the album review front is (G)I-DLE’s I FEEL, which is the group’s 6th mini-album to date. The mini-album is headlined by the hit Queencard, the pre-release single Allergy and four addition title track. More recently (as this mini-album dropped back in May of this year). the group has been touring the world with their successful discography and have also signaled their English debut with the single I Do and the upcoming release of their 1st English mini-album HEAT.

I FEEL Album Cover

1. Queencard (퀸카) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Queencard. (7/10)

2. Allergy (Pre-Release Track) – Click here to read the full review for Allergy. (8/10)

3. Lucid – Lucid is a club-like pop track with a consistent thumping beat and some interesting bass-organ element in the background. Quite striking, if you ask me. The members sound very sleek and mature in the song. Both styles complement that club-like nature the song immediately makes me think of. The chorus was a strong centrepiece and exudes a sensual vibe, thanks to the vocals and instrumentation working together. (8/10)

4. All Night – Kicking off All Night is a very suspenseful piano. But this is soon left behind, after the song switches up into club-banger territory and stays in that realm for the rest of the song. Groovy bass and a mixture of soft and crunchy rock guitar riffs make up the backing of All Night. Throw in a super cool and catchy chorus, in terms of both melodies and hooks, and you pretty much have the best song of the tracklist. (10/10)

5. Paradise – Paradise takes the form of a pop ballad, with the members showcasing their vocals in this track. Their vocals are beautiful and soothing to listen to, while the instrumentation features a peaceful and atmospheric set of synths. The melodies and chorus were stunning. The bridge features Soyeon’s rapping, and she does it at a paced manner that allows it to fit Paradise nicely. It is a hard song to dislike. (9/10)

6. Peter Pan (어린 어른) – Finally, Peter Pan ditches the synths and brings us back to an acoustic form of instrumentation with this pop number. We get acoustic guitars and a consistent beat in Peter Pan. The members deliver their vocals and rapping in a punchy and fun manner. Overall, it’s a light and an easy-going pop track to close out the mini-album. (7.5/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.3/10

I FEEL Teaser Image

[Review] CHEEKY – EL7Z UP

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Whoever is naming KPOP groups nowadays really need to stop! Now that I got that off my chest, here is my review for EL7Z UP’s debut single, CHEEKY, which is featured on the group’s 7+Up debut mini-album . The group formed through the Queendom Puzzle show, which is a spin-off from the Queendom series where female KPOP artists from active groups or have active solo careers would compete with one another to earn a place in a global project group. 28 contestant started off on the show, but the final line up ended up consisting of Hwiseo (H1-KEY member), Nana (woo!ah! member), Yuki (PURPLE KISS member), Kei (part of the currently inactive Lovelyz member), Yeoreum (WJSN member), Yeonhee (Rocket Punch member) and Yeeun (former CLC member). What makes EL7Z Up interesting is that the members can still promote as part of their existing groups/solo careers as they wish (like in the case of PURPLE KISS, Rocket Punch and H1-KEY’s recent comebacks), which sets them apart from the other groups formed other MNET survival shows we have encountered.

Anyway, my long introduction is over and now we can get right into CHEEKY. To me, I find the song to be quite an assortment of sorts. There are parts that I like, and there are parts that I am not a fan of. So, based on what I have mentioned so far, you can cross cohesive and impressed off the list of potential descriptions for CHEEKY. Let’s begin with the likes of the song. The very low thumping bass in the background of the verses was interesting and the pre-choruses had a nice melodic touch. The chorus was a nice refreshing melody, which I thought had a nice ring to it. I also enjoyed the brightness the members bring to the central part of CHEEKY. But the rest of CHEEKY were lacking and less enjoyed by me. There are a few momentum killers in the song, such as the sample of Borodin’s Prince Igor as backing of the rapping in the second verse and the sudden/instant transition from second chorus to the bridge. Elsewhere, the verses were very dry and consisted of nothing of interest. And I couldn’t take the serious toned “Cheeky Cheeky … Cheeky, Cheeky Woo, Cheeky Cheeky, Freaky Deaky Cheeky Cheeky Woo” repetition seriously It was also pretty mundane and awkward. It would have been nice to hear more character in the song, especially from the members as I am sure they each have something interesting to offer, and something more expressive in the lesser enjoyed parts of CHEEKY.

The concept for this video/debut appears to revolve around an audition, with the members in line for a ballet audition based on what I can make out from the posters/other auditionees. It might also explain the ballet sample mentioned above in the song. But in the end, the members break ranks from ballet (their cheeky action of the video) and end up dancing to CHEEKY instead. I find the idea of an audition concept to be logical for this group, as it can represent the start of a new beginning for them, especially since they have their own careers to return to throughout their promotions as part of EL7Z UP and once the activities for the project group officially ends. Other than that, I found the music video to be a decent watch.

For me, CHEEKY featured an alright routine. It works with the song, but I just found the routine doesn’t offer anything interesting to comment on.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Performance – 6/10
Overall Rating – 6.5/10

[Double Review] Good Enough + Dear H. – Xdinary Heroes

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Joining their labelmates in having more than one music video for one album release is Xdinary Heroes. Part of their Deadlock mini-album from April this year is Good Enough and Dear. H, the mini-album’s fifth and seventh track respectively. Today, I will be reviewing both balladry tracks in this one post. Featured alongside these two side tracks is the title track Freakin’ Bad.

Good Enough is a captivating and emotional ballad, featuring both band instrumentation and piano/strings in the background. The former is throughout the entire track (which is expected for a band), but the latter is heard from the second verse onwards. Jungsu and Juyeon’s vocal work in this song is so enchanting to listen to. From the softer tones in the verses to the soaring vocals in the bridge, you can feel the emotional pull of Good Enough so profoundly. It is also very nice to hear some of the other members participate vocally in Good Enough as well. The swayable effect/melody you know I look for in ballads is very much present in Good Enough, and this is the result of the vocals and instrumentation working well with one another to create that captivation. I really like the powerful combination of the high notes and rock ballad instrumental sequence in the final seconds moments of Good Enough, creating such a memorable moment and felt very much like the icing on the cake for the song. It, and the final twinkling of piano, just closes out Good Enough in such a satisfying and deep manner.

Dear H. honestly caught me off guard when I first heard it. Once again, the song starts off like a an ordinary ballad, extremely peaceful and soothing. But the chorus really goes in hard with the rock instrumentation and Jooyeon’s soaring vocals was breath-taking. Interestingly, following the first chorus, Dear. H switches back to the simple ballad beginning and the vocals showed no sign of that powerful rock instrumentation that just preceded it. It does fragment the song, but it isn’t the end of the world. The good news is that this allows us to revisit the same incline and powerful punch that the first chorus served in the second chorus. This time is was taken on by Jungsu and it sounds blissful once again. Dear. H finishes off with soft balladry vocals once again, closing out the song in a full circle manner. Just like the composition of Dear H., its lyrics are also quite impactful, beckoning one to talk to about their internal secrets and feelings. Overall, a unique side track from Xdinary Heroes.

Both side tracks’ music videos are connected, which is largely why I put both Good Enough and Dear H. into one review. There is a nice theory in the comments by @aaaaareuok (see screenshot below) to explain the two videos and how there are two possible stories depending on which video you think goes first. So, based on that theory, I will adapt and explain what I think happened. To me, given Dear H. features the group in school uniform and the video is a little hazy, the events in Dear H.‘s video is like a memory. We see all the members as friends hanging out with one another in school, along with JunHan (who was absent from the Good Enough video due to illness and doesn’t make an appearance until the very end of Dear H., though he is featured off-screen as the person filming the members together/alone since he had the video camera in the end). They are happy, but obviously each had something weighing on their minds throughout the video. In Good Enough, the members are largely by themselves, signaling the possibility the members have drifted apart (though I think JunHan kept in touch with everyone, as we see the prespective of a video camera filming each member individually). Also, Good Enough‘s video isn’t hazy, which to me represents more of a modern day. Whatever is weighing on their mind eats at them in Good Enough. But JunHan most likely reunited everyone back to the beach (as per the ending of Dear. H‘s video, where we see six names etched into the sand and he recording isn’t hazy like the rest of the video) so that everyone can have that same good time they had back when they were in school. But that is just what I think happened in the two video and follows the below theory from @aaaaareuok. There could be alternative theories out there, and I would love to hear them.

Good Enough
Song – 10/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.6/10

Dear. H
Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9/10

[Review] Somebody – D.O (EXO)

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Starting the new week off is D.O, one of EXO’s main vocalists, with his solo comeback with Somebody. The new track is featured on his second solo mini-album, Expectations, which also dropped today. This is D.O first solo release since his solo debut with ROSE in 2021, which followed his military enlistment. More recently, D.O featured as part of EXO’s long awaited comeback with Cream Soda and also returned to acting and variety shows.

Somebody is an really pleasant folk pop song that really drew me in within my first listen of the song. For me, I found there to be two main drawing factors to the song. The first is D.O’s vocals, which just sounds so heavenly in the song. I really like how he used his lower notes and the slight rapping-like vocal delivery he pulls off in the verses. When it comes to the choruses, D.O steps his vocals up, adding some definition to his vocals and bring such a refreshing and vibrant tone. It really creates a strong centrepiece for Somebody and the melodies are very inviting and loveable. The “I Love You” that follows the chorus and the vocal work in the bridge felt very profound and resonated, basically for the same reasons mentioned above. The second drawing point to Somebody was the acoustic and minimalistic instrumentation. Asides from the guitar work, the only other major element to the backing of Somebody was the thumping beat in verses and this transitioned into some pleasant drumming in the choruses. Overall, Somebody is a strong effort from D.O.

The music video for Somebody features D.O playing a crew member behind the scenes of a TV commercial and actress Lee Jae In playing a newbie in the commercial industry who most likely landed her first commercial. Unfortunately, things don’t go to plan for Lee Jae In, who is awkward in front of the camera and ends up being replaced with someone else. However, D.O takes notice in Lee Jae In from behind the camera. Soon after being replaced, Lee Jae In crying on the staircase and D.O stumbles into her. After offering her some ice-cream and coolly asks her to sign his back, he takes her out as a friend. But while on this outing, he is reminded of her audition, which makes him smile, and in this moment, he knows he likes her. Elsewhere in the video, we see D.O alone, waiting to meet that “somebody” that he expresses in the lyrics of the song. The smile at the end of the video suggests that he has. I am not into the whole romance thing when it comes to acting and drama. But this video kept the theme very light and refreshing, complementing that exact aspect of the song.

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

[Album Review] PYGMALION (9th Mini Album) – ONEUS

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Ahead of their upcoming comeback later this month with La Dolce Vita (their 10th mini-album) and the title track Baila Conmigo, I will be reviewing ONEUS’ PYGMALION today, which was released back in May of this year. It serves as the group’s 9th mini-album and features the title track ERASE ME, the pre-release single Unforgettable and an additional three side tracks to round out the mini-album (links and thoughts down below). PYGAMALION follows the group’s MALUS mini-album from a year ago.

PYGMALION Album Cover

1. Intro: LETHE – Dramatic orchestral strings start off LETHE and remain in background the rest of this introductory track. This is alongside some synths that adds some momentum to the track. Together, LETHE is quite a haunting introduction. Disappointingly, I felt the members sang their way through LETHE quite plainly. I think more could have been done to really push LETHE to higher heights. (7/10)

2. ERASE ME (Title Track) – Click here for the full review of ERASE ME. (8.5/10)

3. Unforgettable (잇다있다잊었다) (Pre-Release Track) – Unfortunately, I have decided to ditch my plans of reviewing Unforgettable separately due to time constraints. I honestly wished I reviewed the song separately earlier as it does deserve its own review. I like the mixed of the pop rock and orchestration in the background of the chorus. The pop rock just gives Unforgettable so much punchiness, while the orchestration adds a beautiful touch to the song. HWANWOONG and LEEDO’s rapping was very cool, while all the members do an amazing job on the vocal front to make it a captivating number. (9/10)

4. ECHO – ONEUS revisits R&B in ECHO. I quite like the slight bounce the members bring to the song via the smooth melodies, particularly in the choruses of ECHO. In addition to that, ECHO also sees a slightly groovy tinge to its instrumentation. Both allows the track to come together to form an unexpectedly playful side track to indulge in. LEEDO’s rapping, again, takes centre attention with his deep voice in the second verse and the extra oomph he gives the song in the bridge. (8.5/10)

5. Halley’s Comet (반짝임 그 찰나의 너) – Halley’s Comet takes the form of a pop ballad. All the members sound amazing throughout the track. But the stand out member in Halley’s Comet was SEOHO, who’s soaring vocals in the choruses and high notes really took the song to the next level. I like how the instrumental also soared with the vocals, which helped made the song more impactful. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.2/10

PYGMALION Teaser Image

[Weekly KPOP Chart] 2nd Week of September 2023

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Welcome back to the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 2nd Week of September 2023. Again, I have some work to knock out for the blog for the week ahead, plus the usual Sunday chores to get through. For some reason, I decided today is the day to do a massive clean of my pantry. So I am going to get right to it with the Weekly KPOP Chart post for the 1st Week of September 2023.

Recap of the past week

This past week, I posted:

Joining all those new releases above this week are the following songs:

  • Good Day (Special Daileee) – Weeekly
  • L.O.V.E – Hur Youngji (KARA)
  • CEREMONY – SUPER JUNIOR-L.S.S
  • Favorite– POW
  • Psycho – withus
  • CHEEKY – EL7Z UP
  • Your City – Jung Yonghwa (CNBLUE)
  • FLIRTING – mimiirose
  • So I Danced – DPR IAN
  • Back For More – TXT with Anitta
  • Star – DAWN ft. 10CM
  • Heart – DAWN
  • Foolin’ Myself – DINDIN
  • Sensitive – Loossemble
  • Blue – V (BTS)
  • For Us – V (BTS)

Non-Korean Song of the Week

Each week, I feature the highest ranking non-Korean song by a Korean artist in this part of the Weekly KPOP Charts. For the 2nd Week of September 2023, that song is Stray Kids and LiSA’s Social Path.

The Charts

V’s solo debut title track Slow Dancing is the top song (making V the top artist!) for this week’s Weekly KPOP Charts. For more of the charts, keep on scrolling down below.

Pos.SongArtistChange
1Slow DancingV (BTS)(▲ 13)
2Fast ForwardJeon Somi(▲ 62)
3MemoriesRIIZE(▲ 33)
4Social PathStray Kids ft. LiSA(▼ 3)
5Killin’ Me GoodJIHYO (TWICE)(▲ 16)
6Good & GreatKEY (SHINee)(NEW)
7Back For MoreTXT with Anitta(NEW)
8BubbleSTAYC(▲ 12)
9The FlashKWON EUN BI(▲ 1)
10SALTY BOYONEWE(▲ 71)
11LET’S DANCELEE CHAEYEON(▲ 33)
12Get A GuitarRIIZE(▼ 10)
13LIP GLOSSTHE BOYZ(▲ 4)
14I LOVE MY BODYHWASA (MAMAMOO)(▼ 10)
15TAXIJO YURI(▲ 66)
16Better Thingsaespa(▲ 65)
17Drive5Hwiyoung (SF9)(▲ 44)
18ETANewJeans(▼ 12)
19let it be summerYoung K (DAY6)(▲ 49)
20DO or DIExikers(▲ 45)
21I’ll Hold YouAilee(▲ 35)
22ISTJNCT DREAM(▲ 1)
23Ready Or NotCRAVITY(NEW)
24CAKEITZY(▼ 2)
25But SometimesBOYNEXTDOOR(▼ 22)
26Smooth Sailingcignature(▲ 27)
27Rainy DaysV (BTS)(▲ 54)
28Highern.Ssign(▲ 53)
29Summer ComesOH MY GIRL(▲ 10)
30Love Me A LittleSHOWNU X HYUNGWON (MONSTA X)(▲ 51)

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:

  • Bastard – Kwon Jieun
  • ISTJ – NCT DREAM
  • Tap Tap Tap – REDDY ft. BOBBY (iKON)
  • YOUR TIME – PEAK TIME TOP 6
  • Summer Sky – HENRY
  • Whale – Hui (PENTAGON)
  • BLUE MOON – JAY (iKON)
  • Save Me – MAMAMOO+
  • BAD BLOOD – NANA, SANGAH, SUYUN, Yeeun, WOOYEON, Kei (Queendom Puzzle)
  • Overwater – DOHWA, Shiroma Miru, SEOYEON, LEE SOO JIN, JINWOO, Fyeqoodgurl (Queendom Puzzle)
  • WEB – RIINA, BO RA (Cherry Bullet), Yeoreum, Yuki, JoA, JIWON, Jihan (Queendom Puzzle)
  • Glow-Up – Park Soeun, Elly, YEONHEE, JOOE, JURI, CHAERIN, HWISEO (Queendom Puzzle)
  • I Can’t Forget You – Hwang Chi Yeul
  • KICK-START – ICHIILIN’
  • JUMP! – MIRAE
  • Can I – Lee Junho (2PM)
  • Cool With You – NewJeans
  • ETA – NewJeans
  • Beat It – from20
  • Back To Me – The Rose

[International Song Reviews] KANG DANIEL, Golden Child, AB6IX & THE BOYZ

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It’s time for another International Song Review post. Last time, I covered Kep1er, DRIPPIN, New Hope Club & P1Harmony. & WayV. Today, I will be reviewing KANG DANIEL’s Wasteland, Golden Child’s CRAYON, AB6IX’s FLY AWAY and THE BOYZ’s Delicious.

Wasteland – KANG DANIEL

Weeks prior to his SOS comeback earlier this year, KANG DANIEL teased his return with the single WASTELAND, an all-English side track from the same mini-album that SOS was part of (Realiez). To me, WASTELAND adopts a familiar style that I personally associate with KANG DANIEL. His music is quiet and never-in-your-face, yet very impactful and rhythmic at the same time. And that is what we get in WASTELAND. The backing takes on a slightly grungy form of alternative rock and has such a memorable haunting vibe that. By itself, the backing of WASTELAND already captivates me already. Throw in KANG DANIEL’s vocals, and you pretty much have a solid song. His vocals are quite interesting, as they are quite soft in sound, but firm in terms of delivery. His ad-libs, whilst do sound distant, does give the song some hype energy. I am also with everyone when we chat about the lyrics of WASTELAND, which KANG DANIEL himself says is about “betrayal of a firm faith and the moment of realizing it“.

To complement this dark messaging and sound, the music sequence (which serves as the ‘music video’ component of the comeback takes on a dark vibe as well. The short version is an extension of the scene in SOS where KANG DANIEL is captured by ‘death’, while the long version is an extension of the scene in which (I believe) is in hell. Both scenes work extremely well with the song and concentrating the darkness that KANG DANIEL exudes in the lyrics of WASTELAND.

Overall Rating – 8.6/10

CRAYON – Golden Child

It has been a while since we have heard from GOLDEN CHILD. Their last released covered on my blog was their AURA mini-album from last year. In April of this year (and literally their only release so far this year) is their 3rd Japanese single CRAYON. It is a powerful dance track with very intense and crunchy synths serving as the background. I quite enjoyed the emergence of guitar riffs in the pre-chorus, which adds a refreshing element to the song and allows CRAYON to feel not as reliant on synths as previous Japanese tracks of there have been. I did think the the vocals and rapping were a let down. While CRAYON does give us some melodic material to enjoy, but I felt that it didn’t feel as bold or loaded as it could have been. Likewise, the rapping was a fair element in the song, but it largely lacked anything memorable. For me, I would have liked to hear the vocals soar a bit, and the rapping deliver some more intensity. This in turn would have made CRAYON come off as a stronger piece.

As for the music video, it was a stylish 3 and half minutes, with a lot of black and white in the sets and outfits. The most colour we got in the video was in the more casual outfits that were neutral camo-like colours. I did want more out of the video, but it works. As for the performance, it is a powerful piece that works well with the song.

Overall Rating – 7.3/10

FLY AWAY – AB6IX

AB6IX made an ‘under the radar’ release in Japan back in May of this year with FLY AWAY, their first Japanese single since their debut in Japan in 2021. I describe FLY AWAY as an ‘under the radar’ release because I don’t remember it being promoted on social media and I only knew of the song through the list of KPOP releases on Reddit. Anyhow, FLY AWAY is a pleasant pop release from the four-member male group. It has a nice upbeat soothing synth-line as its instrumental. The vocals and rapping pretty much follows the same direction, with an equally soothing and enjoyable brightness to their vocals and WOOJIN’s rapping stays pretty much in a vocal manner for most of the song. He does manage to go into more of a rapping motif during the bridge that worked well with the rest of the song, but it was short. Unfortunately, while FLY AWAY is all very nice, it doesn’t have much of a longevity aspect to it. I pretty much forgot about the song after I took it out of my Weekly KPOP Chart system, and even after listening to the song for the purposes of this review, I am not inclined to return to it once it wraps up.

As for the music video, it too lacks that memorable aspect and is easily forgotten. It looks like 3 members (DONGHYUN, WOOJIN and WOONG) are hiding from DAEHWI, who is using drones to look for the members. But everything about this release is pleasant, so think hide-and-seek type of finding (and ignore the lasers and worried looks at the end of the video). Interestingly, there is no choreography to this release. Instead, the members just stand around and sing towards the camera for their group scenes.

Overall Rating – 7.1/10

Delicious – THE BOYZ

Also released in May of this year is THE BOYZ’s Delicious. Compared to their other tracks, Delicious is rather flat and also lacks that longevity element that I spoke about above. However, Delicious does have a bit more to it, which helps in the appealing department. The vocals exude a laid back vibe here that sounds comforting and inviting. The melodies follow a similar frame and has a nice ring to it. The instrumental was uneventful and rather generic for the most part, but I did like the splashes of synths and guitar in the verses. ERIC’s rapping in the second verse was probably the best aspect of Delicious.

Concept-wise, this feels very typical for a Korean act going into Japan. Instead of their more intense image that the group adopted in past Japanese singles or in their previous Korean single (ROAR) prior to the release of Delicious, the group adopt a more casual, brighter and almost cutesy demeanour for this release, which I feel does feel like the expectation in the Japanese pop industry. Obviously, the bigger driver from the brighter concept is the song choice, but it is also something we have seen often when Korean songs/videos are remade for the Japanese market. Choreography-wise, my thoughts above is pretty much aligned. It works well with the song, but it is many steps away from their other performance pieces.

Overall Rating – 7/10

[Review] Allergy – (G)I-DLE

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Prior to their Queencard comeback earlier this year, (G)I-DLE pre-released the single Allergy as a teaser for their I Feel comeback in May of this year. I had flagged that I will review Allergy some time in the future, and that is finally happening today. So, here we go!

Allergy takes on the early 00s form of pop punk rock and it comes together well. It is more on the softer and delicate side of the spectrum, but still has some good energy to it. I did wish there was a bit more oomph or a kick to the pop rock to help Allergy become a more memorable anthem or track. This would have aided the lyrics of Allergy as well, which expresses insecurity due to the pressure of social media and social norms. Also (while we are on the topic of lyrics), there are also references to Hype Boy and TOMBOY in the song, as well! To complement that softer side, the members approach Allergy with vocals. While the choruses’ melody does have a nice ring to it, I did think the extra kick to the instrumental would force the members to give a bit more power and oomph to their delivery, which would help prevent Allergy from sounding flat. Allergy wasn’t necessarily flat, but the neutral nature of the song did lead it in that direction. So, Allergy is just missing that extra something to give it a boost, which in turn would have really helped everything else.

The music video for Allergy serves as a prequel to the events in Queencard. In this video, we see the members struggle with the impacts of social media and social norms. Soyeon, an ordinary person, is deeply insecure about her looks and decide to go under the knife. The video cuts out with Soyeon going under, which the events in Queencard following immediately from this. I thought that this video did a really good job of showcasing the lyrics, and I quite liked the scrapbooking effect that we see throughout the video.

There really isn’t too much to the choreography of Allergy. It is a fairly simple routine, that features more acting that dancing. The members taking a slightly cutesy approach to show off their insecurity on stage. It isn’t as strong as the theme was in the video, but you could still feel it on stage.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.8/10

[Album Review] Down To Earth (2nd Mini Album) – TAEYANG (BIGBANG)

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TAEYANG kicked off 2023 very strongly with the release of VIBE, a collaboration with JIMIN from BTS, and his second ever mini-album, Down To Earth. Alongside VIBE, the mini-album also features the title track Seed, the side track Shoong! (which is a collaboration with LISA of BLACKPINK) and three additional side tracks (two of which are further collaboration with other artists). Per usual, all the links to the individual song reviews and my thoughts on the other three additional side tracks are located down below.

Down To Earth Album Cover

1. VIBE (ft. JIMIN of BTS) – Click here to read the full review for VIBE. (9/10)

2. Shoong! (슝!) (ft. LISA of BLACKPINK) – Click here to read the full review for Shoong! (7/10)

3. Seed (나의 마음에) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Seed. (9/10)

4. Reason (나는) – Reason is such a soulful and dreamy track to get lost in. Considered me charmed and captivated from the opening second. TAEYANG’s vocals steal the show and the instrumentation was beautiful. The song was a stunningly swayable melody that you know I enjoyed and that saxophone midway in the song was beautiful. (10/10)

5. Inspiration (ft. Beenzino) – I liked the touch of funkiness in Inspiration. The guitar riff and flute was a nice touch. Altogether, it makes for an appreciable and pleasant instrumentation. TAEYANG gives the song some oomph with his vocals, which moves it up the rating spectrum for me. Beenzino’s rapping sequence starts off good, but I do not like the way it ended with the spoken motif. I was also not a fan of the distant filtering that he applies to his vocals in the in the bridge. (7/10)  

6. Nightfall (ft. Byran Chase) – Nightfall is a synth pop track that gives off such an atmospheric vibe. I found it hard to step away from Nightfall, just because it pretty much had everything I liked. Needless to say, TAEYANG and Byran Chase’s vocals were really amazing and complements this synth-pop track so well. The instrumentation itself was perfectly upbeat and consistent throughout, yet it never felt tired or overdone. Both the instrumentation and TAEYANG gave the chorus the right amount of punch to it to make it feel impactful, making this the highlight part of the song. (10/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.7/10

Down To Earth Teaser Image

[Review] FNF – Stray Kids

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It is time for another Stray Kids review and their 3rd studio album ★★★★★ (5-STAR) has an abundance of side tracks that have become eligible for a review with the release of a music video. So, today, I will be picking another track from album for a quick review. FNF is the 9th track on the album and is the third song review from ★★★★★ (5-STAR), following on from S-Class and DLC.

FNF stands for floral and fauna, and was written by Bangchan and Felix in honour of the plants and animals that lost their lives during the devastating bushfires that occurred over Summer in eastern states of Australia in 2019-2020. As for the song, it is very pleasant, with a bright and summery pop instrumental that instantly reminds you of the feeling of a nice warm day. The guitar work was very refreshing and I like how pure this element of FNF sounded. The beat that came through with the synths gives the song some bite to it. The vocals were very nicely pitched, and FNF also sees the members adding a slight delicate and emotional touch in their delivery of their vocals, which works well with the lyrics and other take on FNF‘s meaning. The melodies were also enjoyable and there was a decent flow to them. While FNF doesn’t stand out as the best track of the album, it was super appreciable and touching number to feature on this album.

I mentioned above that the song reminded me of the feeling a nice warm day. And that is exactly what we see in the video, which was shot in Australia. In the video, we get to see the members appreciate, the really nice weather that Australia has to offer in the cities and at the beaches. We also see the members being pensive throughout the video, which complements the other meaning of longing for someone who isn’t there anymore. Also, not a compliant and more of a suggestion, but I thought that the video feature more of the regional areas of Australia, where the floral and fauna are located in Australia given the inspiration of the song, For me and knowing what regional Australia has to offer, that is what I personally felt was missing from the video.

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

[Review] Sacrifice (Eat Me Up) – ENHYPEN

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Following their BITE ME comeback earlier in the month of May, ENHYPHEN followed up promotions with the side track Sacrifice (Eat Me Up). As Sacrifice (Eat Me Up) does have a music video, it is eligible for a song review on my blog and hence why we are here today. Both BITE ME and Sacrifice (Eat Me Up) are featured on their fourth mini-album, DARK BLOOD (which I will be reviewing soon).

Sacrifice (Eat Me Up) is another song that I would consider to be decent, but it would have really benefited a lot had the producers really built on it and given the song more oomph. BITE ME ended up growing on me (Heads up: I will be making a slight adjustment to the song’s rating in the album review) , which is thanks to the song having some bite to it. I consider this to be the missing element in Sacrifice (Eat Me Up). Don’t get me wrong. There is definitely potential in the song, with the group showcasing more of their vocals in this mid-tempo R&B song than usual. I enjoyed the raspiness and breathy delivery of the vocals, which makes way for a potential excellent listen (had the rest of the song picked itself up). Undoubtedly, the members shine brightest during the song’s chorus where there is a more melodic flow – my pick for the most memorable element of Sacrifice (Eat Me Up). Unfortunately, everywhere else in Sacrifice (Eat Me Up) is a rather bland. I find the mid-tempo nature develop an ‘overall’ sluggishness to the song. Apart from the choruses, the melodies elsewhere were pretty bland and lack any memorable pull. The instrumentation, while solid, didn’t have much excitement coming from it. I think it could have accented and bolden in some parts to give off a harder and rougher touch, as opposed to the softer and more subdued approach Sacrifice (Eat Me Up) took. The pre-chorus was a good example of what that could have sounded like. I am also not entire sure of the wobbly synth, which I only just noticed today, that you could hear throughout the background. Had Sacrifice (Eat Me Up) been more dynamic in some way, this would have helped make the song more appealing.

From what I could see, the music video depicts the members’ desire to escape their feelings for a more euphoric paradise, with the lyrics highlighting their partners being that escape. We see the members at different stages of their struggle/escape of with their emotions. Some of them are very much still trapped or buried underneath them, looking towards the light signifying their desire to be freed from that cage of emotions. Others make it out of the dark ‘cage’, but still struggle to get to the absolute top. But we do see Jake, making his way up the stairs and leaves his dark heart at the top of the platform, confirming that he does achieve that desire of the members depicted in the video. The wings do make a nice touch to the video. I would like to know they significance, but it does make the video appear like a reverse fallen angel type of story. Aside from that plotline, the music video also showcase the members’ visuals, especially in the brighter paradise-like scenes.

The tempo of the song does enable the group to showcase a more sensual and slower routine, which they do pull off well. There isn’t anything too extreme, and I did think there was potential for some more intense moves. But what we got on stage was visually pleasing to watch and complemented the song quite well.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10

[Review] Ready Or Not – CRAVITY

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Also making their comeback yesterday was CRAVITY, who returns with their 6th mini-album Sun Seeker and newest title track, Ready Or Not. This is CRAVITY’s second comeback of the year, following on from MASTER: PIECE released back in March which is lead by the single Groovy.

Ready Or Not is described as an up-tempo dynamic pop and rock song, which is nailed decently by the actual final product. The energy of the song is definitely in line with their more previous works, and I do like the more bombastic approach the instrumentation as taken. It gives Ready Or Not a level of boldness and intensity. The guitar riff at the start of the song and heard throughout the first verse is a great first sign of the song’s potential. The hooks, while are on the plainer side, still works well and makes Ready Or Not a catchy listen. However, I do think that Ready Or Not is a bit muddled. While I do praise the bombastic percussion that does help set the track apart from its competition, I do think it drowns out the vocals in the chorus a tad bit. I did wish the percussion was a bit sharper and crisper to help levitate this issue, and the vocals a bit louder to offset the boldness. The pre-chorus and bridge of slows down the song quite a bit and I don’t think that is the right move for the song. It upsets the momentum of Ready Or Not, and I would have Ready Or Not to maintain a continuous approach to the up-tempo and dynamic vibe of the song. The rapping in the second verse was strong, but the backing was a bit typical. The saxophone was an interesting touch and gives the rapping sequence an interesting element. But I wished it was more explored more in the song and not half-baked as it was in Ready Or Not. Overall, a decent track from CRAVITY, but more could have been done to boost it up.

Even though the sets are clearly fake, I did like the urban vibe that the video has. It complements the song well and the energy that do give off in the song. I did wish the video had something more to it, as it is just mainly choreography and close up scenes. I guess the comic strip images do add that something, but it doesn’t really strike me as a memorable element. Out of all the videos I have watched over the years, I have to say that the ending of the video is probably the most awkward to watch. The video just pauses whilst the members are mid-air and just stays paused for what felt like a few seconds too long. I guess it is pair it with the abrupt ending, but I am sure the producers could have done something to not make it feel awkward. Something as cheesy as a tilted photo alongside a snapshot sound effect be edited in, with the photo made part of a comic book strip to just round everything out.

The choreography looks good from what I can see in the video. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like there is anything memorable (at least highlighted in the music video). But the energy and dynamic flair is all there, which is exactly what the song calls for.

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

[Review] Good & Great – KEY (SHINee)

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Making his comeback yesterday with his second mini-album and title track (both of which share the same name), Good & Great, is KEY from SHINee. This makes KEY’s second release of the year following his February comeback with Killer. KEY also participated in SHINee’s May comeback, HARD.

While Good & Great is a good song, it isn’t a great song. Out of all the title tracks that KEY has released as part of his solo career, Good & Great is probably his dullest number to date. I was waiting for the song to really pick up and exude some energy, but that never really occurred. Instead, it just kept to a plateau and never deviated from what had already preceded it. Good & Great does have charm and it does fits KEY’s profile super well. But it just doesn’t go anywhere. I must admit I had high hopes, when the song first began. The start and first verse of Good & Great laid out the path for a groovy tone and some awesome bass, both of which definitely continued throughout the song. KEY’s delivery of the first verse make its super engaging. Even throughout the first half of the chorus, I was on board. But where I had expected Good & Great to pick up (i.e., in the second half of the central piece), we never really get there. Instead, the song opts for a very subdued and melodic repeat of the song’s title. It sounded nice and adds to the smoothness of the song, but it just dulls the song and it doesn’t take Good & Great to the next level. Similarly, the bridge suffered the same problem and just didn’t come off a memorable moment when it should have been. Aside from the groovy instrumentation, the rapping in the second verse was definitely a highlight and adds an extra something to the otherwise melodic and smooth track. But overall, my opening statement to this section of the review stands quite firmly.

KEY speaks a message of self-praise in every day life to help get oneself through another day. In the video, he is depicted of a hard working office worker, who lives a very dull life of just continuous grind – sometimes working through the night to appease the higher ups. But just like everyone else in the world, he still desires for a break and to do something different, and his different is to find the furry creature (which I find totally cute). And taking that break is absolutely okay. There is a sense of wackiness to the video, which makes it an interesting watch. This helps liven up the video so that it doesn’t seem as dull as it sounds. And I super appreciate that.

The choreography goes for a more simplistic approach, but I quite like the looks of it. There is still sharp execution and a very KEY feel that does add some complexity to the routine. There is also a fun vibe in the verses from the parts that I could see, which complements the messaging of the song/music video.

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

[Album Review] UNFORGIVEN (1st Studio Album) – LE SSERAFIM

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The next album to be reviewed on the blog is LE SSERAFIM’s UNFORGIVEN, the group’s first studio album since their debut last year. UNFORGIVEN was released back in May of this year and features the title track of the same name, six new songs (including the follow-up promotional song Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard’s Wife), and 3 songs each from their first and second mini-albums released last year (including FEARLESS and ANTIFRAGILE).

Now, to include previous released songs (albeit the first three from the FEARLESS mini-album do have a ‘2023 version’ next to them) and call it a full studio album is a bit of a leap. But that was done here for UNFORGIVEN, so it is something that we have to live with. And for this album review, I have included two album ratings – the first rating is only for the new songs released and the second rating includes all 13 songs that formed part of UNFORGIVEN. The latter is the official album rating, given it consists the entire track list. If I had to make a comment on the based on the new songs alone, I would definitely say this is a very strong album release. However, the older tracks do weigh it down. For more of my thoughts, see the links and text below.

UNFORGIVEN Album Cover

The World Is My Oyster, FEARLESS and Blue Flame were all songs from LE SSERAFIM’s debut mini-album, FEARLESS. I have previously reviewed both the title track and mini-album in separate posts. For the title track Fearless, click here for the full song review, and for the mini-album, click here for the album review.

The Hydra, ANTIFRAGILE and Impurities were all songs for LE SSERAFIM’s second mini-album, ANTIFRAGILE. Again, I have previously reviewed both the title track and the side track Impurities in separate song review posts. I have also reviewed the entire mini-album, as well. For the title track ANTIFRAGILE, click here for the full song review. For the side-track Impurities, click here for the full song review. And for the mini-album, click here for the album review.

7. Burn The Bridge – Burn The Bridge serves as the official introduction to the newer side of the album. Like The World Is My Oyster and The Hydra, Burn The Bridge features the members narrating a message of moving forward in Korean, English and Japanese over a repetitive acoustic guitar riff and a drum line. The former fades out, while the latter fades in. In the end, Burn The Bridge embodies more of a rhythmic drum beat and lovely harmonies. (8/10)

8. UNFORGIVEN (ft. Nile Rogers) (Title Track) – Click here for the full review of UNFORGIVEN. (8/10)

9. No-Return (Into The Unknown) – Injecting a super vibrant and energetic sound into the album is No-Return. I really enjoyed the upbeat energy that this song and the brightness that the melodies and vocals brought. The brass elements add to and enhances all of the above to make it an even better song. No-Return has made me get up and dance to it on many occasions making it super effective side track. (10/10)

10. Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard’s Wife (이브, 프시케 그리고 푸른 수염의) – Click here for the full review for Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard’s Wife. (9/10)

11. Between You, Me and the Lamppost (피어나) – There is only one word that springs to mind when I listen to Beautiful You, Me and the Lamppost – beautiful. LE SSERAFIM sounds wonderful in this song, captivating me from the very first second and throughout the rest of the song. The delicate touch they give just makes the song more meaningful and impactful. The soft rock instrumentation gives the ballad some body and drive, amplifying the aforementioned captivation and making this track a gem so worth listening to. (10/10)

12. Flash Forward – Flash Forward is a sweet pop track from the group. Everything sounds nice in the song and was an enjoyable listen. The hooks were catchy and I also enjoyed the upbeat energy in this one, as well. Compared to the other side tracks, however, Flash Forward feels elementary and doesn’t really exceed the bar set by those songs. (8/10)

13. Fire in the Belly – Closing out the entire studio album is Fire In The Belly. It visits the all too familiar Latin pop influence that KPOP has explored continuously in the past. What makes Fire In The Belly somewhat more unique is that the song goes in harder than other examples of Latin pop influenced KPOP tracks. I appreciate it that, as it comes off bolder and riskier (and this pays off). The vocals and rapping are very strong in the song. I also really enjoyed the inclusion of the infamous Spanish chant of “Olé, Olé, Olé” towards the end, ending the song and album on a wholesome and exciting note. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating (New Songs) – 9/10
Overall Album Rating (All Songs) – 8.5/10

UNFORGIVEN Teaser Image

[Weekly KPOP Chart] 1st Week of September 2023

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Welcome back to the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 1st Week of September 2023. I have some work to knock out for the blog for the week ahead, plus the usual Sunday chores to get through. So I am going to get right to it with the Weekly KPOP Chart post for the 1st Week of September 2023.

Recap of the past week

This past week, I posted:

Joining all those new releases above this week are the following songs:

  • Voyager – W24
  • Voyage – Kim Sejeong
  • Top or Cliff – Kim Sejeong
  • nothing but – Young K (DAY6)
  • 7HEAVEN – PURPLE KISS
  • LEMONADE – XODIAC
  • Acid Dream – Kim Boa (KEEMBO)
  • I Do – D.O (EXO)
  • MY WAY – TRENDZ
  • Hello – Jaechan (DKZ)
  • LET’S DANCE – LEE CHAEYEON
  • BOOM – Rocket Punch
  • Sage – FTISLAND
  • N.Y.C.T – Taeil & Haechan (NCT)
  • Only For A Moment – Eric Nam

Throwback Song of the Week

This week’s throwback song is from Gain’s discography, the youngest member of Brown Eyed Girls. The particular song is Truth or Dare, which was released back in 2014.

The Charts

Stray Kids’ Social Path, featuring LiSA, is the top song and artist for this week’s Weekly KPOP Charts. Social Path is also this week’s non-Korean song of the week as it also a Japanese song. For more of the charts, keep on scrolling down below.

Pos.SongArtistChange
1Social PathStray Kids ft. LiSA(▲ 68)
2Get A GuitarRIIZE(NEW)
3But SometimesBOYNEXTDOOR(NEW)
4I Love My BodyHWASA (MAMAMOO)(NEW)
5Girls’ CapitalismLOVElution (tripleS)(▲ 64)
6ETANewJeans(▲ 19)
7HOMEBOYxikers(▼ 1)
8NEW DANCEXG(▲ 61)
9TimeJaechan (DKZ)(▲ 60)
10The FlashKwon Eun Bi(▲ 25)
11STARLIGHTSECRET NUMBER(▲ 35)
12Cream SodaEXO(▲ 57)
13PADONCT U(▲ 42)
14Slow DancingV (BTS)(NEW)
15Party O’ClockNMIXX(▲ 54)
16Top or CliffKIM SEJEONG(NEW)
17LIP GLOSSTHE BOYZ(▼ 5)
18ElevatorBAEKHO(▲ 41)
19RowdySORN ft. Seungyeon(▲ 25)
20BubbleSTAYC(▼ 18)
21Killin’ Me GoodJIHYO (TWICE)(▼ 10)
22CAKEITZY(▲ 47)
23ISTJNCT DREAM(▲ 29)
24In BloomZEROBASEONE(▲ 45)
25SUPER BOWL (Japanese Ver.)Stray Kids(▲ 44)
26PADO (wave to me)PENTAGON(▲ 43)
27SEOUL (Such a Beautiful City)H1-KEY(▲ 34)
28RUSHMUST B(▲ 41)
29Vuja DeYUNHO (TVXQ)(▲ 40)
30DUBI DUBIARTBEAT v(▲ 39)

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:

[Review] Shoong! – TAEYANG (BIGBANG) ft. LISA (BLACKPINK)

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TAEYANG made his long awaited solo comeback earlier this year with his second mini-album since his debut as part of BIGBANG way back in 2006. As part of the comeback, TAEYANG has released VIBE (which features JIMIN from BTS), the title track Seed and a performance vide for the side track Shoong! (which features LISA from BLACKPINK). As flagged in Seed‘s review, a review for Shoong! was on the cards and I will finally be getting around to doing that today.

Of the songs that was released in April as part of TAEYANG’s second mini-album (Down To Earth), Shoong! is the one that comes to mind most readily (more so than the title track). It recurred in my recommendations quite a bit in the weeks following its release and the track also boasts the featuring of LISA from BLACKPINK (which probably helped widen the audience of the song, and so it was shared further). But despite it boasting two big names in the KPOP industry and was shared around quite a bit on my social media, I oddly don’t remember much of Shoong! months on from its release. Listening back to Shoong! now, I find it uneventful. On Wikipedia, Shoong! described to be a mid-tempo dance track, described as an R&B and trap song. That is pretty accurate. But Shoong! is also is described as having “addictive melodies and trendy hip-hop beats”. This I disagree with. I find the melodies to be a bit of a drag (even though there is a ring to it, but not enough for me to categorise it as memorable or addictive) and the trendiness to be absent. Also, for a song titled after the sound of cars passing by, the way that the title is delivered throughout Shoong! makes it seem like everyone is going below the speed limit and passing by. The vocal work in Shoong! is reasonable for a mid-tempo song, with TAEYANG’s being quite solid and LISA adding a tinge of brightness to the song with her higher pitched vocals. I also liked LISA’s that flirty delivery, which adds a bit of character to the song. However, I think more could have been done in pretty much all areas of Shoong! to make it even better. As it is, Shoong! is an okay song, but it doesn’t live up to the expectations that I had expected with the two artists.

For this review, I am combining the music video and performance aspects of the release into one paragraph, given the video we do get is a performance video. I did appreciate the crispness and quality of the video, which is an expectation of a YG product. For those who are wondering, The Black Label (the company which TAEYANG is now signed to following his departure from YG Entertainment is actually a subsidiary under YG Entertainment). With the song in mind, the simplicity of the T set made a lot of sense. But I also enjoyed the “outdoor scenes” in the alleyway and cityscape roof. It was also definitely nice to see LISA in the video alongside TAEYANG. As for the choreography, it works. It was by far the most memorable aspect of the release. The key moves were smooth and I liked their chemistry. LISA’s flirty tone makes it into the choreography, while TAEYANG does a great job towards the end in adding a bit more intensity to the routine.

Song – 7/10
Music Video/Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.4/10