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.

[Review] Broken Melodies – NCT DREAM

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , 2 Comments

Ahead of their upcoming comeback ISTJ scheduled for release next month, NCT DREAM has released a pre-release single titled Broken Melodies. This is the group’s first release since their Korean comeback with their remake of the single Candy and their Japanese comeback Best Friend Ever (review to come). The group is also in the midst of their The Dream Show 2: In A Dream world tour.

Broken Melodies successfully eases us into their upcoming comeback and easily excites fans and casual listeners of the group for what is to come. Personally, the song is fairly simple with its straight forward pop rock influences. While the simplicity side of things can be problematic in some cases, that was not a concern for NCT DREAM here. The group managed to make Broken Melodies dynamic and stunning. The two main elements that really jumps out at me in Broken Melodies is actually the pop melodies of the song and the vocals that bring said melodies to life. We all know how capable the vocal line of NCT DREAM are their vocal abilities and they did not disappoint. But the rappers really surprised me with how stunning their vocals were during the solo moments in the verses and choruses. However, that doesn’t stop the rappers from being incorporated later on in the song, delivering a powerful rap line which hurls Broken Melodies upwards towards its peak. The pop rock instrumentation in Broken Melodies felt refreshing and nostalgic at the same time, reminding me of similar releases that I grew up on in the 00s. But the best parts of Broken Melodies has to be when the instrumental doubles down and intensifies via dynamic and cool drumming in the bridge. This adds to the memorable factor of Broken Melodies. I also like it was paired with the shouted “Broken Melodies” at the end of the choruses, which was a successful last ditched effort to get me back into the song right as it wraps up. As mentioned above, everything in Broken Melodies works wonderfully in setting us up to the next release from the group, which will come out mid-July (i.e. a little under a months time).

One of the vibes that I got from the song that I didn’t mention above was that there was a pleasant and warming tone to the vocals, which complements the song’s message of wanting to protect a love no matter what, expressing that they will overcome the numerous emotions they feel while being separated a great distance from the person they love (taken from Soompi). That’s why we see a bunch of scenes of the members talking on the phone with a smile, or sending messages to their partners with a smile. I also liked how the members were dressed up in school uniform and the location of the music video was predominately at a school or college field. I prefer to think of a college setting, which aligns with the group’s more mature image. But the potential to take us back to slightly younger years doesn’t hurt the group, and complements their youthful concept that they began and built their image with.

The choreography that we do see in the music video looks great. But I won’t factor it in the final rating until we get a live performance of Broken Melodies, as what we do see is quite limited.

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

[Weekly KPOP Chart] 2nd Week of June 2023

Posted in Weekly Charts1 Comment

Welcome back to another Weekly KPOP Chart post – this time for the 2nd Week of June 2023. Again, a quick one today, as I have need some time to draft up more posts while I am on a break in a weeks time (more on this below). I am unsure if I can post anything more today, but I will try to see if I can sneak in another review of some sort. Otherwise, I will see you during the week for more song reviews.

Off the blog for a week + Future plans upon my return

As alluded to above, I will be taking a short break from the blog – mainly to recoup my brain cells and destress from a couple of stressful weeks. As a result, some things will be shifted around. The first is that I will not be publishing any reviews for new releases that come out between 23 June to 3 July. I will revisit these new releases (which includes SHINee’s long-awaited comeback and U-KISS’ grand return, amongst others) once I am back on board on 4 July. But don’t worry, I will be pre-scheduling song and album reviews for that period, so there will be some action still happening on the blog.

For the Weekly KPOP Charts posts for the 3rd and 4th Weeks of June 2023 will be posted on 3 July (or maybe 4 July, depending on how tired I am on the 3rd).

Upon my return, I will post some annual posts that I usually post in July, such as My Top 10 Songs of 2023 (thus far) and a recap of the Weekly KPOP Charts between July 2022 to June 2023. I also intend to finally make some special posts as well – such as episode recaps for Queendom Puzzle, and song reviews for the original releases from PEAK TIME, FANTASY BOYS and Boys Planet.

Recap & New releases of the Week

This week saw song reviews for EXO’s pre-release single Let Me In and ATEEZ’s comeback single BOUNCY (K-HOT CHILLI PEPPERS). I also post reviews for several solo debuts which I had not yet reviewed including MINHYUN’s Hidden Sides, JOOHONEY’s FREEDOM and MIJOO’s Movie Star. On the album review front, I also focused on GOT7’s JINYOUNG and his solo debut mini-album, Chapter 0: WITH.

Other releases from the week includes:

  • Lime & Lemon – TVXQ!
  • Remember – Ju Wontaek
  • Like a Movie – 2Z
  • R.U.N – Suzy
  • Designer – VAV
  • Ready To Move – REN
  • WALEEN – Villain
  • Firework – &TEAM
  • Contrail – Baek Yebin
  • I Need Love – DKB
  • Epilogue – Jung Seung Hwan
  • My Soles Worn Out – Jooyoung
  • Wild Heart – LUN8
  • Voyager – LUN8
  • Marshmallow – MISAMO (TWICE)
  • Walk & Shine – QI.X
  • DLC – Stray Kids
  • FNF – Stray Kids

Throwback Corner

As it is Summer in Korea and I am freezing where I live, I thought to relive some Summer KPOP tracks. Naturally, this turned my attention to Red Velvet’s Red Flavor, which will be feature in this segment of the Weekly KPOP Charts on a yearly basis (as long as I continue to do these). It was definitely listed last year in this corner of the post!

Non-Korean Release of the Week

This week’s non-Korean release of the week is KANG DANIEL’s all-English pre-release single, Wasteland, from his upcoming mini-album Realiez (which is to be released tomorrow). Wasteland ranks in the 27th position this week.

The Charts

Congratulations to Stray Kids for another week in the top spot on KPOPREVIEWED’s Weekly KPOP Chart with their latest single, S-Class. For more of the charts, keep on scrolling down.

2nd Week of June 202311th Jun – 17th Jun 2023
Pos.SongArtistStatus
1S-ClassStray Kids(=)
2FreedomJOOHONEY (MONSTA X)(▲ 40)
3BOUNCYATEEZ(NEW)
4Let Me InEXO(NEW)
5F*CK MY LIFESEVENTEEN(▲ 45)
6BLUE ROS3 (miracle)Eunice (▲ 65)
7Wind and WishBTOB(▲ 52)
8Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard’s WifeLE SSERAFIM(▲ 63)
9Movie StarMIJOO(▲ 16)
10JUMPP1Harmony(▼ 6)
11SuperSEVENTEEN(▲ 5)
12ERASE MEONEUS(▲46)
13But I Like YouBOYNEXTDOOR(▲ 38)
14AMYGDALAAgust D(▲ 9)
15The Day of MayBF(▲ 56)
16KARMABLACKSWAN(▲ 55)
17DLCStray Kids(NEW)
18MacerenaBLITZERS(▼ 6)
19PerfumeNCT DOJAEJUNG(▲ 52)
20#menowfromis_9(▼ 14)
21One and OnlyBOYNEXTDOOR(▲ 50)
22Don’t Call MeNINE to SIX (DKZ)(▲ 14)
23FNFStray Kids(NEW)
24BITE MEENHYPEN(▼ 19)
25Kick It 4 NowThe New Six (TNX)(▼ 18)
26Allergy(G)I-DLE(▲ 15)
27WastelandKang Daniel(▲ 44)
28CharismaticDROP THE Beat & PICK on the top(▲ 28)
29Welcome To My Worldaespa (ft. nævis)(▲ 42)
30BONVOYAGEDreamcatcher(▼ 27)

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:

  • FRIEND THE END – BOL4
  • Chase Love Hard – BOL4 ft. Hwang Minhyun
  • ROYALTY – MUSTB
  • Green – Bang Yong Guk ft. Soovi
  • Perfume – NCT DOJAEJUNG
  • Slow – Jackson Wang & Ciara
  • Predator – Lee Gikwang (HIGHLIGHT)
  • Dangerous – TEMPEST
  • Farewell Everyday – Soyou
  • Crayon – Golden Child
  • With You – Park Jisu
  • SHOW DOWN – ALICE
  • Finale – BF
  • SEVEN SINS – DRIPPIN
  • miko! – polar & zenur
  • TIME MACHINE (2100) – Giuk (ONEWE)
  • WAVE – MASC
  • Turning Point – DKB
  • Prime Time – VANNER
  • GT – BAE173
  • NOIR – M.O.N.T
  • This That Shhh – Team 24:00 (Moon Jongup, Heedo (B.I.G), Kim Byunjoo (TOPPDOGG) & Gon (ARGON))
  • NXT2U – NTX, GHOST9 & BLK
  • Let’s Say Goodbye – Parc Jae Jung
  • Grabby Girl – Ryu Sujeong
  • Haegum – Agust D (SUGA – BTS)
  • Jelly Pop – BOYS PLANET
  • Hot Summer – BOYS PLANET
  • Not Alone – BOYS PLANET
  • Super Chic – P1Harmony, New Hope Club
  • When I Close My Eyes – Kangta & Lee Areum
  • Miracle – OH MY GIRL

[Review] BOUNCY (K-HOT CHILLI PEPPERS) – ATEEZ

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 4 Comments

ATEEZ is back and they are supercharged with their latest song BOUNCY (K-HOT CHILLI PEPPERS) and their 10th mini-album, The World EP.2: Outlaw. This comeback follows the group’s December 2022 release HALAZIA and Spin Off: From the Witness single album, and their March 2023 Limitless comeback in Japan (which I have yet to review and will get around to in the future). The group is also in the midst of their Fellowship: Break The Wall world tour.

Going back to my opening comments for this review, “supercharged” is how I would describe BOUNCY. However, at the same time, if someone was to say BOUNCY was “overloaded”, I wouldn’t actually disagree with them. Each listen that I have given the song since its release, just over 24 hours ago, has given me the impression that BOUNCY is a high-octane release. There was barely a moment of rest anywhere in the song. The group just relentlessly pursued us with their powerfulness and abrasive ‘noise’ as some people might call it. The ending really emphasises this with its intensity and rush towards the end of the song. The only moment of rest that we get in BOUNCY was during the choruses, where there is a slight slowdown that coincides with the lyrics, which in turn pushes for a more playful and flirty vibe. It is an interesting move, but Hongjoong did a good job of selling that part, and so it catches on. The questionable part of BOUNCY follows right after Hongjoong’s part – the higher-pitched repeat of the chorus. It does give BOUNCY something different to play with and ultimately does add to the aforementioned playful vibe, but adds a screechiness that I personally did not enjoy. On a more positive note, the rapping in BOUNCY is impressive, which is what you expect from ATEEZ and their dynamic releases. Seonghwa’s part in the second verse is super cool and definitely serves as the song’s highlight for me. On the flip side, however, the vocals are pretty much underplayed in BOUNCY and are in the backseat of this song. However, Wooyoung’s slower and sensual take of the chorus following the bridge was a standout moment from the vocal line. Overall, BOUNCY has its charms and is another powerful and high-energy track added to ATEEZ’s repertoire.

The music video is action-packed, taking on the concept of outlaws. There is a fair bit going on in the video. Based on the teaser videos that dropped before the comeback, the group are sleeper agents who are activated to participate in a heist of green chili peppers, which seem to be the underground traffic item in this dystopian world that we saw previously in Guerrilla. Makes sense, given that world suppressed all emotions and expression, and hot green chili peppers will definitely elicit an emotion or expression from those who consume it. The goal of the group is to steal a batch of the the green chili peppers that are being transported into the city. Seonghwa and Yeosang are agents who are undercover in the team that is transporting the green chili peppers. Hongjoong and Mingi are cowboys gangsters that are wanted by the law, and well versed with the weapons. Wooyoung and San appear detached from the main story as they are part of some underground boxing ring, but maybe they fund the cause with their earnings. And Yunho and Jongho play cops, but I guess they are corrupt as they don’t do anything and join the rest of the team at the end. But in the end, they are successful with their heist, though we don’t see the green chili anymore. Interesting concept and a cool video overall, though I wished the characters the members are playing are a bit more teased out.

I do like how they bring the playful vibes to the performance. But it isn’t upfront or the centre of the performance. It is more so in the background or on the sides of the performance. As for the choreography itself, the knee-breaking move in the chorus and the snake formation was all very cool and super impressive. The ending with the high-energy rush was also well executed. Without a doubt, a performance that is worth the watch.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10

[Review] Movie Star – MIJOO (LOVELYZ)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , Leave a comment

MIJOO can easily be referred to as a rising star in the Korean variety show scene lately. But she is also a member of the female group LOVELYZ that debuted back in 2012 under Woolim Entertainment. Unfortunately, the group is currently on hiatus after the departure of all but one LOVELYZ member from Woolim Entertainment in 2021. Since then, many of the members have made their debut as solo artists under their new respective companies. MIJOO signed on with Antenna following her departure from Woolim Entertainment, and in May 2023, it was MIJOO turn to make her solo debut with the single Movie Star.

Movie Star is not spectacular, nor is it ground-breaking as a dance track. But it has its shining moments. I appreciate the track for its pleasant and easy-on-the-ears moments. They do hinder Movie Star in a way. The more pleasant moments (i.e., the verses and bridge) does make Movie Star feel like it is held back and the reversion back to pleasantness in the second verse does result in a loss of momentum that ultimately feels like a lost opportunity for Movie Star. On the flip side, these pleasant moments do highlight MIJOO’s airy and delicate vocals, which adds smoothness to the song. But if I had to preference one positive over the another, I would have picked momentum over vocals, simply because we still manage to hear MIJOO and her breathy vocals in latter parts of the song that were more upbeat. I did like the use of the percussive synths and xylophone-like metallic sounds in the song – both of which gave off a twinkling-like effect which goes well with the idea of a star. The guitar in the pre-chorus was also a nice touch. As the song gets to the choruses, Movie Star does pick up considerably and the momentum here was top-notch, exactly what the song needed. I like how it does embodies the idea of a dance track in a plain and simple way – no fuss, no frills. The replacement of the second half of the chorus during the chorus’ second run was a smart way of keeping the song dynamic and giving a unique structure to the song. Overall, MIJOO handles Movie Star quite well and it is a solid debut track altogether.

At the start of the music video, we see two cameos. The first is Lee Yi Kyung, who is usually playfully associated in the media as a potential romantic partner for MIJOO. We see him play a celebrity currently at a film or drama shoot and takes notice in MIJOO, who is an assistant in the production side of the shoot. The second cameo is by MIJOO’s fellow labelmate and senior, Lee Hyori, who dazzles on the red carpet just before the cameras unexpectedly switch over to MIJOO. The rest of the video shows MIJOO imagining herself to be a “movie star” (which matches the lyrics of the song). However, it is revealed at the end that she is, in fact, a movie star. So maybe we are looking at a Korean drama cliché here. I really liked all of MIJOO’s looks in the video – all very stunning. Even her casual part-timer worker look was pretty. My favourite part has to be the montage of all MIJOO’s looks in the video during the bridge. It was a nice, simple and seamless montage of the upper half of the choreography that just consolidated everything in the video in a matter of seconds.  

I enjoyed the smooth curves that the choreography has to offer in the choruses. They made the performance feel elegant and pretty. MIJOO handles the dance break wells, but I kind of wished it was stepped up a bit, just to fit the energy of the music a bit more neatly. Finally, I enjoyed the use of the flashlight on the mobile phones which individually looked like stars from afar. A pretty and smart touch to the choreography.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.8/10

[Review] Freedom – JOOHONEY (MONSTA X)

Posted in KPOPTagged , 2 Comments

JOOHONEY, one of two rappers from the male group MONSTA X, made his return to the stage a few weeks back in May 2023 as a solo artist with the single FREEDOM and the mini-album Lights. JOOHONEY has previously release solo music before in a form of five mixtapes since 2015, but this new release is being dubbed as his official ‘solo debut’. This makes JOOHONEY as MONSTA X’s third member to release ‘solo music ‘debut’ as a solo artist, following the likes of fellow MONSTA X rapper I.M in 2021 (with God Damn) and main vocalist KIHYUN in 2022 (with VOYAGER).

FREEDOM unexpectedly embraces multiple sides of JOOHONEY and it a stunning display of what JOOHONEY has to offer. Given his main position in MONSTA X is a rapper, I kind of expected him to gear towards that typical hip-hop genre with the title track. But I am all for surprises, as FREEDOM is definitely one in itself and definitely is full of them. Opening up FREEDOM is a spectacular showing of honey-like vocals from the rapper over a beautiful piano backing. A minute or so of this beautiful vocal/piano piece, FREEDOM diverts itself to that expected territory of rap and hip-hop. During this segment, JOOHONEY takes on an angsty persona that contrasts heavily with the preceding vocals. But this was short-lived, as vocals take over during the pre-chorus, returning us to a glimpse of the start of the song. For FREEDOM‘s choruses, the song keeps itself on its toes by blending together JOOHONEY’s vocals and with the harshness of rock elements, which highlights a more dynamic side of JOOHONEY. To me, the choruses highlights the blend of the intensity we get from JOOHONEY’s rap/hip-hop side with the mellow side that comes from his vocal. For the second verse, FREEDOM keeps us on our toes, with the vocal centric start before a dramatic and super intense instrumental break in place of the rapping/hip-hop side we heard earlier in the first verse. Obviously, such a break would allow JOOHONEY to highlight another side of his career – his dancing abilities in the performance and serves as another twist to FREEDOM. The song then closes with the rock-infused/vocal centerpiece, but with an extra layer of electric guitar riffs and intensity to signal that end. FREEDOM is designed to be a cool song and to highlight the best sides of JOOHONEY. That brief is, without a doubt, met. At times, FREEDOM does feel a bit much, but multiple listens and time have helped combat this feeling. Potentially, the song could have been dialed back and explore just one or two of the sides that FREEDOM had explored. But that could have limited FREEDOM to be rather one-dimension and would have meant we would missed out on a unique and personal song from JOOHONEY.

The music video for FREEDOM was pretty cool. Along the vocals and piano at the start of the song, we see JOOHONEY climb up the stairs to seek the freedom he mentions in the lyrics. That and the end with the ending poses/lights gave off a religious undertone, which I thought was interesting. I am sure those moments were symbolic rather than religious though, but that this is all speculation from my end. When we get to the more angsty rap/hip-hop, the video shows a more confronting and intense side of the artist with the use of fluorescence effects, which gave off a cool yet mildly unsettling moment. And everything else in between seemed to give off a more urban and casual vibe based on the outfits of JOOHONEY, the dancers and the sets. Overall, a pretty good music video.

As for the performance, the live vocals made it a captivating performance to watch. As for the rest of the performance, it all looked good and works well with the music. I really enjoyed the dance break enabled by the dramatic instrumental break mentioned before. The stomping moves and intensity both JOOHONEY and the dancers showed gave off a super powerful impression and made it an awesome watch.

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

[Review] Hidden Sides – HWANG MINHYUN

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 1 Comment

Minhyun has become quite the recognizable figure in KPOP. He began in KPOP by debuting as part of NU’EST and remained with said group until their disbandment early last year. Minhyun also participated in Produce 101 Season 2 as a trainee, where he ranked in the 9th position overall on the show, which earned him a spot in the highly successful project group WANNA ONE. Despite such a big career in the music industry, Minhyun only made his solo debut earlier this year (11 years after his debut) with the single Hidden Sides and the mini-album Truth and Lie.

I really looked forward to Minhyun’s solo debut, given that I have enjoyed majority of NU’EST releases. I found there was potential behind Hidden Sides, but the track fell short of being that track that pulls everyone in. It did have that trouble for me, as well. One of the reasons to why the song review for Hidden Sides has taken a while is because I don’t feel the urgency in the song to really motivate me to review the song. There are a few things I did appreciate in Hidden Sides. A subtle groove is present in Hidden Sides through its use of house influences and bass in the instrumentation. Minhyun himself does a decent job, showcasing his smooth vocals in the song. All of which made Hidden Sides a solid listen in the moment. But when you think of the song after it wraps up, nothing really springs to mind. The hooks do exist in the song, but just didn’t have that punchy or catchy aspect to them. Hidden Sides also felt stagnant in the energy department, which is always a major element in making a song appealing. This is particularly the case when you get to the final chorus, and it sounded like every other moment earlier in the song. Hidden Sides should have really concentrated at the end to give it some oomph and gone that extra mile to be a knockout track for Minhyun.

Minhyun’s handsome face and sensuous appeal makes up for a lot in this comeback. He has always been known for his looks even during his debut days and this music video reiterates that. Personally, even after 11 years, I am still blown away by his visuals. In the music video, he uses his handsome features to his advantage to attract the attention of ladies at the club and later to distract one of the people interrogating him – to get them to choose the ‘hidden side’ of him they want to believe in. I do find the storyline intriguing, but some of the elements (such as disappearing act with flying sparks and the magic tricks to be somewhat cheesy. But it was all a good watch, overall.

His charisma (in combination with his good looks) makes the performance aspect of the comeback quite a watch, as well. I do like the energy he puts behind his moves, and the effort the dancers gave to the performance to make the bridge pop by each sequentially flying into the air as Minhyun waves his arms around himself. I also liked how punchy and sexy the moves were.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 7.4/10

[Review] Let Me In – EXO

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 5 Comments

For the first time in over two years, EXO is finally making their long awaited comeback with their seventh studio album, EXIST. But we just got to wait a little longer, as the album release is not until July. Instead, the group has pre-released the single Let Me In ahead of the comeback today, which they previously performed at their fanmeet earlier in the year. However, the long awaited comeback isn’t without its issues, with SM Entertainment mishandling Kai’s sudden military enlistment which prevents him from promoting the new release alongside the rest of EXO (but he will still be featured in the comeback), and Baekhyun, Chen and Xiumin filing a lawsuit against SM Entertainment to terminate their contracts (but they are still part of the comeback plans/promotions). Phew, hopefully, nothing more happens between now and the comeback. Though, it should be noted that this comeback looks like it will not feature Lay.

Let Me In falls into ballad territory. And this one is an emotional one, as Let Me In talks about wanting to remain together and likening their lovers to the blue ocean. The instrumentation was nice, but there was nothing too spectacular with it. I did like how it had a beat to it and felt almost R&B-like, compared to the more traditional classical instrumentation that we hear with most other ballads. I guess this was done deliberately to allow Chanyeol and Sehun to fit into the ballad with their rapping. But the main drawing point, as per EXO’s past ballads, are the vocalists themselves. Each vocalists put a lot of emotions into their delivery, and the resultant product that is Let Me In also oozes a lot of emotions, as well. The two members that stood out to me in Let Me In is pairing of Chen and Baekhyun in this song. Both are amazing on their own, but the pair take the song to the next level. They shines brightest in Let Me In at the start of the final chorus with Baekhyun’s high note and Chen’s vocals, and during the outro of the song with that falsetto harmony. Overall, Let Me In a nice reintroduction to EXO and reminds me of their past ballads, which have been quite up there in amazing works in the KPOP industry in the past.

The music video depicts the members apart, separated and alone. There could be multiple reasons for this, such as still being in that emotional state following a breakup, moving out, moving on etc. A lot of speculation and theorizing can be done, but that isn’t the point of the video. At a certain point in the video, something pulls the members back together. Each member undergoes a time reversal where everything around them goes before the point in time a decision was made that led to the point of being apart, separated or being alone. This leads the reuniting of members (and Kai plus dog), new friendships and a return to that emotional state that gives the affected members a chance to redo. Concept wise, it is an emotional and heavy twist on their separation due to military enlistment and solo activities, but it is a clever one.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

[Album Review] Chapter 0: WITH (1st Mini Album) – Jinyoung (GOT7)

Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged 1 Comment

Jinyoung released his solo debut mini-album, Chapter 0: WITH, back in January of this year, prior to his military enlistment last month. It is lead by the single Cotton Candy and features an additional four songs (including the side track Letter, which also got the music video treatment). Jinyoung is the final member of GOT7 to make his solo debut, who I noted continued to focus on his acting career following GOT7’s departure from JYP Entertainment back in 2021 in the Cotton Candy review. Despite that, Jinyoung is not the final member of GOT7 to be reviewed on my blog. So, once again, an apology to Yugyeom. Hopefully, I will actually review one of his solo singles soon.

As for Jinyoung, he leaves us for the next two year or so with a really beautiful mini-album, which focuses more on his softer side and vocal tones. Ballads were the main feature of this mini-album, but there were some artistic ones that just sound so good. So, if you like ballads, definitely explore this mini-album. More on the individual songs below.

Chapter 0: WITH Album Cover

1. Animal – Chapter 0: WITH starts off with Animal, a beautiful and stunning ballad. The classically traditional balladry instrumentation of Animal stands out for its super captivating properties and being a stilling backing piece. Without even consideration of the vocals/lyrics, the instrumental adds a layer of emotions and complements Jinyoung’s vocals wonderfully. Whilst on the topic of vocals, Animal shows Jinyoung’s vulnerable side, as he expresses his feelings and emotions around loneliness and heartbreak following an unsuccessful relationship. But even without the context or translations of the lyrics, Animal manages to still hit hard – confirming Jinyoung’s skill of captivating the audience. (9/10)

2. Cotton Candy (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Cotton Candy. (8/10)

3. Our Miracle (너를 만남이란 기적) – Following the title track is Our Miracle which feels like a callback to JJ Project’s second mini-album era (Verse #2). Our Miracle features some riveting instrumentation through the use of electric guitars and synths. The guitar work was particularly intriguing and gives the track so much uniqueness. The combination gives the song texture, but yet Our Miracle manages to also come off as consistently smooth. Jinyoung’s vocals are the main driver of this (but the instrumentation manages to contribute to this as well) and he oozes so much personality in this song from his vocals. Overall, a favourite of mine from this mini-album. (10/10)

4. Sleep Well – We re-enter balladry territory with Sleep Well. But rather than having a repeat of the classical instrumentation we heard in the opening track, Sleep Well continues the use of electric guitars from the previous track and incorporates some trap elements as well. Despite these elements usually lending well to more upbeat numbers, Sleep Well comes off as soothing and peaceful for the most part. When it comes to the choruses, however, Sleep Well pulls off a soft yet impactful punch that helps give Sleep Well a moment of memorability. Once again, Jinyoung sounds really nice in the track, but his vocals are lesser compared to the above tracks. (8/10)

5. Letter (편지) – Acoustics and classical instrumentation close out Jinyoung’s first mini-album. Again, the instrumental diverts the song back into balladry territory, but the combination of Jinyoung’s vocals in the verses and the resultant combination of acoustics and classical instrumental gives Letter a folksy tinge. This is interesting and stunning in its own way. It is a beautiful ender to the mini-album and leaves us with a beautiful song whilst Jinyoung is away on his military enlistment duties. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.6/10

Chapter 0: WITH Teaser Image

[Weekly KPOP Chart] 1st Week of June 2023

Posted in Weekly ChartsLeave a comment

Welcome back to another Weekly KPOP Chart post. This introduction is gonna be a quick one today, as I have a fair bit to do this evening. But you can definitely expect an album review coming your way today. But until then, here is the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 1st Week of June 2023.

Recap & New releases of the Week

This week saw song reviews for fromis_9’s #menow, TAEYONG’s SHALALA, P1Harmony’s JUMP and SHINee’s The Feeling. The only album review that I posted was GOT the beat’s Stamp On It.

Other releases from the week includes:

  • The Reason I Love That Old – Song Kanto
  • Cherry Gene – ACID EYES (tripleS)
  • Forget Me Not – Suran
  • Off The Round – Wooyoung (2PM)
  • Relationship – Han Dong Geun
  • Wasteland – Kang Daniel
  • No More Excuse – Kim Dohee
  • Kick It 4 Now – The New Six (TNX)
  • Juliet – AleXa
  • Shut Off – Fantasy Boys
  • Gesture – Fantasy Boys
  • Can’t Go Yet – Amber Liu ft. Scott Hoying
  • Take Two – BTS
  • Red Flower – LAYSHA

Throwback Corner

This week’s throwback song is 4MINUTE’s Crazy, released back in 2015. Excuse me while I take a moment to come to terms that this song was released over 8 years ago.

Non-Korean Release of the Week

This week’s non-Korean release of the week is, once again, P1Harmony and New Hope Club’s collaborative single, Super Chic. This is its second week featured in this corner. It ranks in the 8th position this week.

The Charts

Congratulations to Stray Kids for rising to the top spot on KPOPREVIEWED’s Weekly KPOP Chart this past week with their latest single, S-Class. For more of the charts, keep on scrolling down.

1st Week of June 20234th Jun – 10th Jun 2023
Pos.SongArtistStatus
1S-ClassStray Kids(▲ 3)
2SHALALATaeyong (NCT)(NEW)
3BONVOYAGEDreamcatcher(▼ 2)
4JUMPP1Harmony(NEW)
5BITE MEENHYPEN(=)
6#menowfromis_9(NEW)
7Kick It 4 NowThe New Six (TNX)(NEW)
8Super ChicP1Harmony, New Hope Club(▲ 31)
9Cherry Talk+(KR)ystal Eyes (tripleS)(▲ 59)
10Queencard(G)I-DLE(▼ 3)
11Hare HareTWICE(▲ 57)
12MacerenaBLITZERS(▲ 8)
13I AMIVE(▼ 2)
14Lovey DoveyHORI7ON(▲ 54)
15NumbE.SO(▲ 53)
16SuperSEVENTEEN(▲ 2)
17The FeelingSHINee(NEW)
18Take TwoBTS(NEW)
19MiracleOH MY GIRL(▼ 7)
20RUNRunners (from FANTASY BOYS)(▲ 48)
21Mañana (Our Drama)Zhoumi (ft. Eunhyuk from SUPER JUNIOR)(▲ 47)
22WonderASH ISLAND(▲ 46)
23AMYGDALAAgust D(▲ 31)
24Rule BreakerGRAY ft. Coogie(▲44)
25Movie StarLee Mijoo(▲ 35)
26BLUE MOONN.Flying(▲ 42)
27SerenadeBOYNEXTDOOR(▲ 41)
28DangerousTEMPEST(▲ 40)
29TIME MACHINE (2100)Giuk (ONEWE)(▲ 39)
30DeliciousTHE BOYZ(▲ 38)

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:

  • Nothing’s Going My Way – Park Hyunkyu (VROMANCE)
  • Who? – XIUMIN (EXO) & Eunha (VIVIZ)
  • I AM – IVE
  • Without You – KARD
  • Giddy – Kep1er
  • Keeping The Fire – X:IN
  • Lemonade – DreamNote
  • Camellia – JUST B
  • KNOCK – LEE CHAE YEON
  • Blank Effect – Park Ji Hoon
  • Dear My Light – DAWN
  • Young & Dream – UO
  • Restart – UO
  • Cherry Coke – Yeeun
  • Season of Love – BIGONE
  • Ice On U – Thunder

[Review] The Feeling – SHINee

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 5 Comments

To kick off the celebrations for their 15th anniversary celebration today, SHINee dropped a pre-release single ahead of their 8th studio album’s, Hard, release later this month. The new single is titled The Feeling as was previously performed at their fan meeting held at the end of last month. Both the upcoming album and The Feeling follows on from the group’s last comeback – Don’t Call Me and Atlantis (combined album review here), from 2021.

One listen in and I can definitely say that I liking the song. I have definitely been coming back for more throughout today, as The Feeling just has this wholesome and lovely feel that speaks volumes. The Feeling is a refreshing listen that just comes at the right time as the Northern Hemisphere just enters Summer (and for the likes of me who lives in Australia – it brings me back to the nicer and pleasant periods that I love in Summer). The instrumental is quite upbeat thanks to the percussive elements and drum beats, while the members do an amazing job at keeping The Feeling breezy and flowy with their vocals. That being said, however, there some moments where the members broke away from that breezy and flowy motif, but it all felt just right in the bigger picture that is The Feeling. The instrumentation also features a side of brass in the post-chorus moments and more subtly during the bridge, which gives the song an extra vibrant element that helps prevent the track from falling into an overly consistent state (if that was ever the concern). For me, the best part of the song is when the members sing together, with their harmonies creating a very comforting and warm atmosphere that feels pleasant and satisfying. The Feeling is a great pre-release overall, and definitely has me excited for their upcoming comeback due at the end of the month.

Just like the song, the music video has this breezy feel to it. It might be due to the seaside setting/summery vibes or the floating plastic bags in the sky. Either way, the video complements the song quite well. The colourful trash that rains down around the members is an odd concept to feature in such a video, but the message of The Feeling is about moving forward and hope. So, you can already imagine the bursting of the bigger bag is all about letting go to move forward and that there is hope to do so. I am not entirely sure of the rest of the imagery in the video, but I am sure they are symbolic for similar reasons. Overall, a neat concept.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.6/10

[Review] JUMP – P1Harmony

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 1 Comment

P1Harmony made their comeback yesterday with their latest mini-album, HARMONY: ALL IN (their sixth to date), and their latest title track JUMP. They also released the English version of JUMP today. All of these releases follows on from their November 2022 release HARMONY: SET IN and Back Down and July 2022’s HARMONY: ZERO IN and Doom Du Doom.

There is a lot of potential behind JUMP. A subtle yet groovy underlay makes the instrumental lively, while the choruses employs a playful set of synths to sound fun. This all conforms to the alternative pop genre, with a clear feature of hip-hop influences infused into the song – all of which can be heard most vividly during the song’s final instrumental sequence at the very end of JUMP. For majority of the song, the members adopted a deep or low tone in their vocals and rapping, which aligns quite well with the instrumental and gives JUMP a consistent vibe throughout its 2:43 minute run. My favourite showing of this is KEEHO’s vocals in the first verse, where he drags out the ends of certain lines in such a intriguing and sensual fashion. The hooks of the song were quite catchy and worked well with the rest of the song. My biggest gripe with JUMP is that it fails to go that next mile, which ultimately made JUMP feel “held back”. Personally, I felt JUMP needed a more profound peak or moment of concentration towards the end to really take it to the next level. This could have lead to an explosive final chorus that would have amped up the song. Alternatively, the song could taken on a vibrant element throughout it run to give JUMP a bit more zing. We get a teaser of what this could have looked like through THEO’s vocals in the bridge (though this is quite brief). While I do think something extra is needed, it must be carefully crafted to fit in with the pre-existing elements of JUMP, as everything that we do get in JUMP already definitely shows promise.

The music video was pretty good. The song speaks of the message of enjoying the moment, which we see the members do whilst performing on stage and in the midst of the crowd. I did like the idea of a boombox flooring and walls, which both looked quite cool. The “jumping in the water” scenes were also looked awesome, especially as the camera captures the falling water droplets/splashes. The stage set was a good set-up, but I think the crowd element around the stage would have been more interesting. I also think the actual stage could have also been more bombastic and dynamic through some cooler lighting or a stronger background on a screen (think of a screen like in TREASURE’s I LOVE YOU music video). I am not entirely sure of the scenes where the members are in a bubble in space. Feels a bit random to me.

The performance was super great. Not much jumping happening in the choreography, as that would have been a massive undertaking whilst also performing live. Instead, the performance focuses more on a subtle approach to things, which works well with the song. I did like the footwork that could be seen in the performance, especially in the final chorus. Also at the end was the presence of a skipping rope. This would have been an interesting element to the performance (and quite relevant, given that it involves the idea of jumping). But it was such a brief moment at the end of the performance that just doesn’t feel like it could have been appreciated fully.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.6/10

[Review] SHALALA – TAEYONG (NCT)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , Leave a comment

Making his solo return on Monday was TAEYONG from NCT, with the shared title single and mini-album, SHALALA. While this is promoted as his solo debut, this isn’t TAEYONG”s first solo single. We previously got singles from TAEYONG through the release from the SM Station series, with the last being Long Flight from 2019.

With hip-hop influences and a very synth heavy production, SHALALA definitely heads in the direction that I had expected for a TAEYONG solo release. But we aren’t talking about the same combination of the two that (majority of the time) works for NCT 127 or U’s releases. SHALALA ends up bring a lot weaker, with TAEYONG’s delivery failing to evoke much of a reaction from me. I find his delivery in SHALALA to be quite monotonous. He essentially keeps to a low tone throughout the song and he never really picks up from where he begins. His flow is good, but there was room for TAEYONG to potentially be more expressive and to have driven more energy into the song. This potentially could have made SHALALA more ‘dynamic’. It is a pity that we never get there. Subsequently, this causes other parts of SHALALA to fall short, such as the lack of a memorable hook. Energy would have gone a long way, and this was a department of the song that would have benefited from this. If I had to point out a positive, I would say there were some decent vocal moments during the choruses (i.e., the “Shalala Lala“) and the second verses. They were brief and had a decent ring. But nothing long-lasting. As for the instrumentation and production, I am on the fence. There is a fair bit going on, but I liked the focus on percussive elements to give SHALALA a unique tinge. I think it does complement TAEYONG’s good flow in the song, but it definitely felt grating at certain moments. Overall, SHALALA is not a song that I would be going back to that much.

I can definitely say that the music video faired much better than the song. I really liked the idea of a God controlling everything (as you would expect), but on a computer system. But he ended up being hacked (how modern), resulting in a number of characters (all played by TAEYONG) being placed into different and incorrect metaverses (how trendy). Despite being misplaced, each character somehow excelled, reflecting the song’s message of shining wherever you are. We see Gamerboy TAEYONG introduce gaming to other yetis during the Ice Age, Knight TAEYONG from the 1800s excelling in a 1980s office job and yeti TAEYONG excel at bowling in 2023. In the end, God ends up resetting everything, by deleting all the metaverses (and effectively the world) but dragging all of it to the recycle bin on his computer. At the end, we see God close the clapperboard, effectively restarting life again. It is a weird concept, but funny and made for a good viewing.

Like the music video, the performance for this comeback also fairs better than the song. His moves were super clean, he had really great command of his body (which makes complete sense, given that he is known for his choreography skills) and that he shows off his personality and sense of style in the hip-hop centric performance. I also like the playful side to the choreography, which he pulls off effortlessly.

Song – 5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 6.7/10

[Review] #menow – fromis_9

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 4 Comments

Making their return today is fromis_9, who we last saw through their Stay This Way comeback. Today, the group returns with their first ever studio-length album Unlock My World and the lead single #menow. This is also the group’s first comeback as an eight member group, following the departure of Jang Gyuri, who opted to focus on her acting career.

Once again, #menow continues the pleasant nature that we heard in both DM and Stay This Way. I do like the aesthetic this style brings, and how well fromis_9 is portrayed each of the three songs as they really do fit the style. The light vocals in #menow just smooths out the song and bring a carefree tone that is super appreciable and enjoyable. The instrumental has this extremely subtle grooviness that helps makes the track super upbeat without doing too much. Altogether, it is a neat song and super consistent. My issue with #menow is more so that this is their third run at the style. I am glad that the group and their company has found a niche that works for them. But I kind of want something more to the song that adds some unique to the song. Maybe a bolder element in #menow, like a strong hooker or a more memorable melody. I felt these were slightly underbaked retrospectively, given that I don’t remember too much of the song now that I have paused it to focus on writing my thoughts on the song. I am not expecting anything too crazy or over-the-top, as this would have ruined the pleasant and light nature of #menow. Balance is key, and I feel like #menow‘s producer could have struck that somehow to give #menow a bit more uniqueness. But still, #menow is still a clean-cut and enjoyable track.

The music video also has a similar carefree vibe to it. Given the song emphasis on being one’s self in the lyrics, it makes sense that there is a carefree element, as that is how you would see someone’s true self. In the video, we see two sides to the members. The first is when the members feel tired and sad. The video connects this feeling to when the group is under the limelight/on-stage, backstage or through the television (most likely to represent that they are always on-screen). The second side is where they are more cheerful and happier, occurring when the members hang out with one another and at slumber parties – environments where that are carefree and where they can act as themselves. I have a theory about the plane flying away, representing their desire to escape their current lives. But the runway we see at the end is incomplete, so the members learn that they can be themselves where they are, and not necessarily need to run away, But this final point abut the plane is currently conjecture and I am not 100% sure of my interpretation.

Choreography wise, it was a nice piece for the comeback. I like how they drag out the moves to match the delivery of the initial lines in the choruses. Apart from that, the performance is both flowy and pretty. The former fits in with the song quite nicely, while the latter matches the aforementioned aesthetic.

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

[Album Review] Stamp On It (1st Mini Album) – GOT the beat

Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged , , , , , , , Leave a comment

The next album to be reviewed on this blog is GOT the beat’s first mini-album, Stamp On It, which was released way back in January of this year by SM Entertainment’s super female group – BoA, Taeyeon and Hyoyeon (SNSD), Wendy and Seulgi (Red Velvet) and Karina and Winter (aespa). It is led by the title track of the exact same name, and features an additional five tracks. If I had to share my thoughts on this mini-album and GOT the beat as a whole, I choose to echo part of the final sentence of song section of the Stamp On It review I wrote back in January this year – “a strong lineup, but yet the song choices for promotions have been a total letdown.” This sentiment stays true until this day. Honestly, SM Entertainment (which has been a mess this year) could have picked any song from the mini-album other than the title track, and that choice would be many times better than Stamp On It. I do prefer one track over the others, so keep on reading to find out which one of the other five songs I would choose.

1. Stamp On It (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Stamp On It. (5.5/10)

2. Goddess Level – While I do hear the potential behind Goddess Level, there is just too much going on in the choruses all at once. Maybe if the producers lost one layer of instrumentation in the chorus, Goddess Level would have been fine. Definitely retain the saxophone layer and the bass beat, though, as both are very cool and makes Goddess Level stand out. The vocals and rapping at certain points were very strong, while at other moments (namely the verses) were pretty bland and just doesn’t live up to the standard the stronger moments had imposed on the song. (7/10)

3. Alter Ego – Alter Ego is a grower. Not in the sense that it took a few listens to get into the track. But rather, the opening and first verse didn’t do much for me. It was moody and dark set-up for the song, but I wished there was more to it. Instead, it was the choruses/post-choruses that really wins me over. The melody and vocals in the choruses was super addictive, while the post-choruses gave such an edgy and memorable tone to the song. (8/10)

4. Rose (가시) – Deep hip-hop beats open up Rose. Then comes the exploration of silky harmonies and vocals, and some low-tone rapping, confirming the strength of the song from the get-go. As Rose progresses, the song becomes even more complex with the instrumentation taking up more electronic synths and textures, while the members showcase soaring vocals, and more alluring and darker rapping. I would have appreciated a touch more consistency in the song, as it developed. But this isn’t a major issue for me. Rose is definitely a journey, and I was not disappointed by it. (8.5/10)

5. Outlaw – If you looking for a track that is completely full of texture and abrasiveness, then Outlaw is the song for you. I liked the fact that the instrumentation was relentless in both areas and it helped the song become quite dynamic as a result. I am super impressed by the vocals and rapping in Outlaw. Not only did they contribute to the dynamism of the song, the members stood out strongly over the instrumentation. BoA’s high note was impressive and the crashing percussion/gunshots at the end was such a cool closer. (10/10)

6. MALA – MALA tones down the album, closing out the mini-album in an impeccable manner. We still have the electronic touches, but nothing as high-powered as the tracks preceding this one. Instead, we get a flowy instrumentation. The flute in the background throughout the song was quite interesting. We get the usual mix of vocals and rap in this song, but I liked the more delicate notes in MALA when it comes to the vocals, while Karina and BoA’s rapping I the bridge ended up having quite an impact. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.8/10

Stamp On It Teaser Image

[Weekly KPOP Chart] 5th Week of May 2023

Posted in Weekly ChartsLeave a comment

Welcome back to this past week’s edition of the Weekly KPOP Chart for the 5th Week of May 2023 (dates spanning 28 May – 3 June 2023). I hope you all had a great week and are looking forward to the new week ahead! For me, it was super busy one and I think I am going into an equally busy week tomorrow as well! But I am determined to make sure that the busy week ahead won’t affect my output here. Check back in a week’s time to see if it got to me or not. Hahaha… Incoming today is also an album review. But for now, here is the Weekly KPOP Charts post for the 5th Week of May 2023.

Recap & New releases of the Week

In the ‘catching up’ department, I posted reviews for LEE CHAEYEON’s April comeback single KNOCK and 8TURN’s debut single TIC TAC. In the new release department, there were reviews posted for AB6IX’s LOSER, CIX’s Save me, Kill me and Stray Kids’ S-Class. No album reviews were posted this past week. But I did manage to post an International Song Reviews posts which featured DRIPPIN’s SO GOOD, Rocket Punch’s Fiore, Kep1er’s Wing Wing and Kang Daniel’s Joy Ride.

Other releases from the week includes:

  • BLUE ROS3 (miracle) – Eunice
  • Star Crossed – Ryu Sera
  • Eyes On Me – HELLO GLOOM
  • Fading Seasons – Soohyun (UKISS)
  • A Shining Day – MeloMance
  • Serenade – BOYNEXTDOOR
  • Numb – E.SO
  • Bloom – Yang Eun Hee & CHEN (EXO)
  • Delicious THE BOYZ
  • Lovey Dovey – HORI7ON
  • Don’t Call Me – NINE to SIX (DKZ)
  • Time Difference – Aaron Kwak
  • Die For Love – B.I ft. JESSI
  • Dare to Love – B.I ft. BIG Naughty
  • Mañana (Our Drama) Zhoumi (ft. Eunhyuk from SUPER JUNIOR)
  • SPACEMAN – @IN_US (from FANTASY BOYS)
  • RUN – Runners (from FANTASY BOYS)
  • SNACKS – SUGAR POP (from FANTASY BOYS)
  • Hold Tight – Flash (from FANTASY BOYS)

Throwback Corner

This week’s throwback song is TEEN TOP’s Rocking. This particular track reappeared on my radar after I watched TEEN TOP’s Killing Voice video from Dingo Music, which Rocking was performed on. It is also my pick for the best TEEN TOP song ever!

Non-Korean Release of the Week

This week’s non-Korean release of the week is P1Harmony and New Hope Club’s collaboration, Super Chic. It ranks in the 39th position this week.

The Charts

Congratulations to DREAMCATCHER and their new single BONVOYAGE rising to the top spot on KPOPREVIEWED’s Weekly KPOP Chart. For more of the charts, keep on scrolling down.

5th Week of May 202328th May – 3rd June 2023
Pos.SongArtistStatus
1BONVOYAGEDREAMCATCHER(▲ 2)
2Save me, Kill meCIX(NEW)
3KNOCKLEE CHAE YEON(▲ 42)
4S-ClassStray Kids(NEW)
5BITE MEENHYPEN(▼ 3)
6LOSERAB6IX(NEW)
7Queencard(G)I-DLE(▼ 6)
8AlwaysXODIAC(▲ 52)
9JourneyWOODZ(▲ 51)
10Easy BreezyJueun ft. Seo In Guk(▲ 50)
11I AMIVE(▲ 4)
12MiracleOH MY GIRL(▲ 48)
13SiriusThe Wind(▲ 47)
14MIDNIGHT SKYXODIAC(▲ 46)
15Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard’s WifeLE SSERAFIM(▼ 3)
16TRICKY HOUSExikers(▼ 5)
17Movie StarLee Mijoo(▼ 11)
18SuperSEVENTEEN(=)
19SEVEN SINSDRIPPIN(▲ 41)
20MacerenaBLIZTERS(▲ 40)
21ISLANDThe Wind(▲ 39)
22SUNSHOWEREPEX(▲ 38)
23HYBRIDMAX Changmin (TVXQ!) & Ha Hyun Woo (Guckkasten)(▲ 37)
24DawnKim Wooseok(▲ 4)
25PredatorLee Gikwang (HIGHLIGHT)(▲ 35)
26Ice On UThunder(▲ 34)
27Young & DreamUO(▲ 9)
28PERFUMENCT DOJAEJUNG(▼ 15)
29UiKON(▼ 20)
30UNFORGIVENLE SSERAFIM ft. Nile Rogers(▼ 4)

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:

  • Spring of Mine – Yubin (ARTBEAT)
  • Come to Me – Kim Dohee
  • BLUE – DreamNote
  • Dawn – Kim Wooseok
  • Zero – NewJeans
  • One Two Three – Xydo
  • Way Up – Mincheon
  • D N D – APINK
  • Bad Revenge – from20
  • KISS ME – Giriboy ft BIG NAUGHTY
  • Vingle Vingle – Heize
  • Run For Love – UO
  • People Pt.2 – Agust D (SUGA – BTS) ft. IU
  • I AM – SHAMPOO BIBI
  • Golden Hour – Mark (NCT)
  • 8:50pm – San Yoon

[International Song Reviews] DRIPPIN, Rocket Punch, Kep1er & Kang Daniel

Posted in International Song Review, JPOPTagged , , , 5 Comments

Here we go, another International Song Reviews post. This time around, the gap between this and the preceding post is a tad shorter than last time – 6 weeks. Still not great, but definitely better than 6 weeks. I definitely want to increase the frequency of these posts to make sure I can catch up on these international songs, but so much to review at the same time. This post will focus on more 2022 Japanese pop releases, this time from DRIPPIN, Rocket Punch, Kep1er & Kang Daniel – three of which are debut singles.

SO GOOD – DRIPPIN

Language: Japanese
Release Date: 18 May 2022
Album: SO GOOD (1st Japanese Single Album)

DRIPPIN made their Japanese debut back in May 2022 with the single SO GOOD. Both the song and music video is a 180 degree change in direction, in comparison to their Korean releases (which are a lot darker and intense). From the get-go, SO GOOD is a lot perkier, colourful and brighter in all regards. It is definitely nice to see DRIPPIN in this lighting. Unfortunately, the entire package (i.e. song, music video and choreography) doesn’t offer much or anything new. It is pretty much a standard pop release that conforms to the Japanese market where colour and brightness is a major player. The instrumental for the most part is pretty generic. Even the whistles, which I usually find to be a nice touch in other songs, is a bit bland here. I did like the combination of the electric guitars and drumming we get at the very start of the song, and wish SO GOOD explored more of this in its body. The more dramatic marching drum and zippy synth combination we get in the dance break does help refresh the instrumental, and is another area in which the producers could have explored with the group. The hooks in SO GOOD were also pretty lacking. On the more positive side, SO GOOD does feature solid vocals and some strong rapping which helped drive the song forward. As for the music video, the members come off happier and cutesy in the colourful sets and bright lighting. I did like how the music video toned down the lighting/colour and opted for a moodier affair when it came to the dance break. As for the choreography, nothing stands out much here.

Overall Rating – 6.6/10

Fiore – Rocket Punch

Language: Japanese
Release Date: 29 June 2022
Album: Doki Doki Love (1st Japanese Studio Album)

Following their Japanese debut with Bubble Up! back in 2021, Rocket Punch returned last year with two Japanese singles. The first of the two is Fiore, which is another great single from the group. I practically enjoyed everything in Fiore. The verses came off as a pretty, thanks to the light melody and the retro touch the synth backing had. I enjoyed how clean and catchy the chorus felt. It was a simple yet effective centrepiece of this song that I remember enjoying. I also liked the squawky synth used as part of the dance break of Fiore. It was interesting and different, and stood out as a result. I liked that the producers held back on it and kept it contained, as it easily could have been too much and too weird for the song. Fiore also had a solid showing of vocals and rapping. As I said, a lot to like in this track. The music video emphasised the pretty side of the track, with the members performing and posing in a set that was styled with an abundance of flowers or outside in the beautiful nature of green fields and a forest. The members themselves also looked cute in their outdoor outfits and stunning in their red dresses. Similar comments on prettiness and cuteness can also be made about the choreography can also be made.

Overall Rating – 7.8/10

Wing Wing – Kep1er

Language: Japanese
Release Date: 3 August 2022
Album: FLY-UP (1st Japanese Single Album)

Out of the four songs featured on this post, Kep1er’s debut Japanese single Wing Wing is the weakest of the bunch. I was not much of a fan of Wing Wing when it was released and that sentiment still stands. But let’s begin with the positives – i.e. two aspects of Wing Wing that I actually enjoyed. The first was the pre-choruses, which was a great showcase of vocals and nice ramp up to the choruses. The second was the instrumentation, which had a nice vibrant and dynamic feel to it. The rest of the song doesn’t follow through. The verses were quite boring, but I appreciate the efforts the rapping took to help offset that with its energy. The choruses were questionable, and I blame the hooks for leaving this impression on me. The opening hook to the chorus became annoying very fast. Then came a solid first half of the chorus which also had some robust energy. But that soon became overwhelmingly empty thanks to the unnecessary dragging out of the song’s main hook. As for the music video, it was fairly generic There was some good post-production effects in the video. If anything, I think the cutesiness could have been dialed back. There were some things going on in the background that felt distracting. As for the choreography, Wing Wing‘s definitely fairs better than the song itself. I liked the energy that comes off the dance moves and how it also manages to show off Kep1er’s performance skills at the same time. It is a pity that the song is unable to do that.

Overall Rating – 6.4/10

Joy Ride – Kang Daniel

Language: Japanese
Release Date: 5 October 2022
Album: Joy Ride (Japanese debut mini-album)

The final song for this particular post is KANG DANIEL’s solo debut Japanese single, Joy Ride. Of the four songs in this post, Joy Ride is definitely the strongest of the bunch. The biggest drawing point of the sng is that it feels fitting for Kang Daniel and his discography. I liked the smooth and light approach to pop rock that Joy Ride took. The genre doesn’t come on strong until we get to the choruses, where it definitely makes an impression with its start-stop beginning. Kang Daniel’s vocals are definitely a highlight in this song, keeping the track light. And they also brought a smile to my face. I also liked his background high note at the end of the song (I am presuming it belongs to Kang Daniel). The catchiest moment of Joy Ride comes during the post-chorus moment, and this definitely makes the song ring in my head even after it finishes. The introduction of synths in the bridge as an instrumental break was quite interesting. As for the music video, it shows Kang Daniel having fun and enjoying life with friends, which I guess he likens to the thrill and fun of a joy ride. While we don’t see any choreography for this particular release in the music video, we are treated to the dance practice. If you hadn’t notice, the song features some car sound effects, such as car keys jangling, the engine starting and the beeps you hear when a car unlocks (or locks). In this choreography, the soloist and the dancers uses this to their advantage, incorporating car movements into part of the choreography. The dancers also start off in a car’s windshield formation with Kang Daniel as the driver. As for the rest, we get an urban hip-hop style which is definitely Kang Daniel’s style overall.

Overall Rating – 8.6/10