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.
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
Following theirBITE 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
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
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
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)
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)
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
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.
Joining all those new releasesabove 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.
