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] O (Circle) – ONEW (SHINee)

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ONEW’s second mini-album, DICE, was voted as the Best Album of the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Congratulations to ONEW! Click here to see who else won in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards.

ONEW made his solo comeback earlier this week, with his third solo Korean release since his solo debut back in 2018. O (Circle) headlines this comeback, as part of his first studio length album, Circle. Both Circles follow the release of BLUE and Voice (from his solo debut in 2018), DICE (title of both his second Korean solo single and second Korean mini-album) and his Japanese comebacks last year.

O (Circle) reverts away from the retro city pop that ONEW had opted for his last comeback, and takes us down what almost sounds like a balladry path. But it isn’t like BLUE, which was pretty much your standard ballad with stunning orchestral instrumentation and amazing vocals from ONEW himself. Instead, O (Circle) takes on a softer and delicate R&B tone. The heavy bass line and organ-like synth in O (Circle) helps create a riveting backing piece to the song, while ONEW shines with his velvety vocals. Altogether, O (Circle) comes together to be a dreamy and soothing piece that stands out in the influx of comebacks, debuts and other releases we are experiencing. The use of the gospel choir as a backing to the chorus made for an excellent centrepiece and gave O (Circle) some deep impact. It also helped heighten the message of the song – just like the seasons are slightly different but also similar each year, life is quite similar as we have different experiences, but we are similar in the end. Relatively, it does make the verses sound lacking and very much less memorable. But it doesn’t necessarily stop O (Circle) from being an impactful and gripping song on a whole.

The montage at the start of the video of ONEW singing was one of the most captivating moments in a music video that I ever seen before. And this pretty much sets the aesthetic tone for the rest of the music video. We have some artistic shots of other things throughout the video. At one point, the items are colourful and alive, depicting the happier moments in life. Then, we see a bloodied phone screen, an unlightened light bulb cast aside and some crayons with dust around them, which depicted the darker moments in life to me. In the latter half of the video, we have a similar montage of items. The acting sequence of the video is probably the part that I find hardest to connect to, as I don’t know what is on going on there. At the end of the video, we get another montage of ONEW. It is a lot quicker and looks like the video is buffering. But I see it as a quick montage of a life, with the life being the entire music video.

Just like the music video, the choreography has this aesthetic side to it, which I really enjoyed. It definitely made for a captivating routine. I honestly did not expect to see a choreography routine for the comeback, given the song is very close to the balladry side of music. But I am glad it did, as it makes the live performances worth returning to. I also like how graceful the movements were, which not only fits the song, but give ONEW the opportunity to focus on the vocal work for the performance.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.6/10

[Review] Groovy – CRAVITY

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After finally getting around to announcing the winners from the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards, I am finally getting back on the reviewing train. As I have constantly saying for the past few months, I will get around to posting the reviews that I have missed. But for now, here is a review for a brand new release, literally right off the press. CRAVITY makes their comeback today with their new title track Groovy and their fifth mini-album, Master: Piece. The new release follows the group’s last comeback with PARTY ROCK and their fourth mini-album, NEW WAVE, from September 2022.

As promised and alluded by the title of this new single, Groovy delivers on being groovy and funky. It would be a disappointment otherwise if it hadn’t! Groovy is described to be an electro-funk song that captures retro pop and hip-hop vibes from the 2000s. You can totally feel each of those influences coming through in the song. I particularly enjoyed the dance break we got as the bridge of the song. The way those brassy synths were incorporated into the instrumental piece really bridged and blended the chorus preceding it, the hip-hop influence and the electronic roots quite well. This dance break instantly becomes a highlight in the song for me. Elsewhere, Groovy is a super energetic track, particularly when we reach the choruses. They contained a blast of energy, further heightened by the smoother and laid-back pre-choruses that comes just before it. Strong and well-presented vocals throughout the song, while the rapping helped infuse more of that hip-hop influence into the song. My only issue with Groovy is the lack of a strong hook or centrepiece. I really enjoyed PARTY ROCK, the group’s last comeback single, as it had simple yet strong hooks/centrepieces that really drew in my attention and got me excited about the song after the fact. In Groovy, there really isn’t much to this department and I am not exactly satisfied with what has brought brought to the table. It could be very well the fact that the hooks and other moments just haven’t really set in my mind yet. But as far as I can tell, it doesn’t feel like they sell me the song as strongly as their preceding single. However, that doesn’t stop the super fun and energetic tone of Groovy that CRAVITY executes well.

My guess is the video shows the creative process in producing a comeback. The members all play a variety of roles throughout the video, including the team of office workers who most likely plans and research new concepts, the idols themselves on stage and at their press conference (and my guess is the black suits represent the members at an award show), the production crew who are filming the performance and the backstage crew. And it is revealed at the end that member Hyeongjun is the janitor that leaves the mysterious puzzles pieces around the office that connect together to give us this fun video. My only question is how the space theme fits into the video. Not exactly sure. Maybe it is a hint towards a future concept for a future comeback?

Choreography-wise, this comeback looked quite decent. I liked how fitting and the simple the moves that coincide with the hooks of the song. Personally, I did want something a little more dynamic to the hooks, but given the hooks don’t really go in that direction in terms of sound, I felt an equally as intense and dynamic dance move here would have just overpowered the sequence in its entirety. As for the rest of the performance, I liked the balance of intensity and energy, which helps live up to the fun and energetic descriptors I gave the song.

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

[Special] 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards – Winners Announcement

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Welcome back to the final post from the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards series. In this post, the official winners of the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards are officially announced. If you remember back correctly, majority of the winners were all decided by YOU!

Majority of the categories were determined purely by fan votes gather backed in December/January – over 10,000 people participated in the fan voting. Thank you all for making this a widely successful project, once again!

Only a small portion of the categories were determined me by only (i.e. the blog related categories and Best Side Track of 2022). As for Best Overall Song and Best Overall Artist of 2022, both of us decided the winners for the two categories, via a 50% split of fan votes and of my Weekly KPOP Charts that I post on a weekly basis.

For information regarding eligibility, please refer back to the first post in the series.

With the introduction out of the way and without further delays (as you have waited long enough), I present to you the winners of the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards.

Due to the number of categories, I have elected to split the winners announcement of the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards into five sub-pages:

  • To view the ARTIST-RELATED categories, stay on this page and keep on scrolling.
  • To view the PERFORMANCES, VISUALS, CHOREOGRAPHIES and BLOG RELATED categories, click here or click to the second page at the bottom of this post.
  • To view the SONG-RELATED categories, click here or click to the third page at the bottom of this post.
  • To view the MOST VOTED SONG and BEST OVERALL SONG AWARDS (including the Top 100 Songs of 2022), click here or click to the fourth page at the end of this post.
  • To view the MOST VOTED ARTIST and BEST OVERALL ARTIST AWARDS (including the Top 100 Artists of 2022), click here or click to the fifth page a the end of this post.

For the relevant categories, I have bolded and written the WINNERS in yellow text, while I have underlined my KPOPREVIEWED Choice, in the nominees list.

Artist Categories

Best New Artists Categories

Nominees for Best New Male Group of 2022
| ATBO | NINE.i | TAN | TEMPEST | Xdinary Heroes | YOUNITE |

Nominees for Best New Female Group of 2022
| Billlie | IVE | Kep1er | LE SSERAFIM | NewJeans | NMIXX |

Nominees for Best New Male Soloist of 2022
| BAEKHO | JIN (BTS) | KIHYUN (MONSTA X) | WONPIL (DAY6) | WOOZI (SVT) | XIUMIN (EXO) |

Nominees for Best New Female Soloist of 2022
| LEE CHAE YEON | MIYEON ((G)I-DLE) | NAYEON (TWICE) | Seulgi (Red Velvet) | YENA | YUJU |

Most Underrated Artist Category

Nominees for Most Underrated Artist of 2022
| DRIPPIN | MIRAE | OnlyOneOf | PENTAGON | PURPLE KISS | woo!ah! |

Rising Star Category

Nominees for Rising Star of 2022
| (G)I-DLE | DKZ | Dreamcatcher | fromis_9 | TREASURE | VIVIZ |

Best Subunit

Nominees for Best Subunit of 2022
| Apink CHOBOM | ASTRO – JinJin & Rocky | ASTRO – Moonbin & Sanha |
| MAMAMOO+ | NCT 127 | NCT DREAM |

Best Delivery Category

Nominees for Best Stage Presence of 2022
| (G)I-DLE | ATEEZ | BTS | SEVENTEEN | Stray Kids | TXT |

Nominees for Best Band Performance of 2022
| LUCY (for PLAY) | N.Flying (for I Like You) | ONEWE (for Universe_) |
| THE ROSE (Beauty and the Beast) | W24 (for Revelations) | Xdinary Heroes (for Happy Death Day) |

Nominees for Best Rap Performance of 2022
| Changbin (Stray Kids) (for MANIAC) | HUTA (Lee Minhyuk – BTOB) (for BOOM) |
| j-hope (BTS) (for Arson) | JESSI (for ZOOM) | SUGA (BTS) (for That That) |
| Yeonjun (TXT) (for Good Boy Gone Bad) |

Nominees for Best Vocal Performance of 2022
| BIGBANG (for Still Life) | BTOB (for The Song) | HWANG MIN HYUN (for Again) |
| ONEWE (for Universe_) | TAEYEON (SNSD) (for INVU) | YOUNHA (for Stardust) |

Best Comeback or Reunion Category

Nominees for Best Comeback or Reunion of 2022
| BIGBANG | GOT7 | SISTAR | SNSD | T-ARA | WANNA ONE |

Best Soloist Award Categories

Nominees for Best Male Soloist of 2022
| j-hope (BTS) | Jackson Wang (GOT7) | Kang Daniel | Kim Yo Han (WEi) | PSY | SUHO (EXO) |

Nominees for Best Female Soloist of 2022
| Hwa Sa (MAMAMOO) | JO YURI | MoonByul (MAMAMOO) | Solar (MAMAMOO) |
| TAEYEON (SNSD) | WHEE IN (MAMAMOO) |

Best Group Award Categories.

Nominees for Best Male Group of 2022
| ATEEZ | NCT DREAM | ONEUS | SEVENTEEN | Stray Kids | TXT |

Nominees for Best Female Group of 2022
| (G)I-DLE | aespa | BLACKPINK | fromis_9 | ITZY | TWICE |

Page 1 – Artist Related Categories
Page 2 – Performances, Visuals, Comeback & Blog Related Categories
Page 3 – Song Related Categories
Page 4 – Best Overall Song of 2022
Page 5 – Best Overall Artist of 2022

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5

[Review] beyOnd – Nine (OnlyOneOf)

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Finally getting around to finishing the undergrOund idOl project, where each member of OnlyOneOf releases a solo track and two music videos from the project come together to form a storyline. And since stepping over into the near year, the group has completed the series with the release of Nine’s beyOnd in early January of this year. beyOnd follows the release of Yoojung’s begin, KB’s be free, JunJi’s be mine, Rie’s because and Mill’s beat. Now that the project is over, OnlyOneOf refocused on group activities with a Japanese comeback (chrOme arts) and they also appear to be gearing up for a Korean comeback in early March.

beyOnd goes with more of an alternative R&B approach, toning down and easing us out of the project in a comfortable manner. I quite enjoyed the synths and electronic side of the instrumentation. While there is a fair amount of textural components, I did find the instrumental for beyOnd to be built in a way that brought forth an intriguing smooth-like effect that I find to be quite enjoyable. Emphasising this smoothness are Nine’s vocals, which can be characterised as being of a low tone, raspy and breathy. All of which helped made beyOnd appealing. I did appreciate the rise in tone and prominence of the vocals, whilst also keeping to a lower tone, raspiness and breathiness. when it came to the chorus, which ultimately helps make beyOnd less neutral and gives more bite to the song. My favourite bit of the song is the start of the second half of the chorus, with the repetition of the first few words of the two initial lines of this half. It felt quite dynamic and adds another layer of appeal to the song. Overall, beyOnd is fairly straightforward, but also serves as a neat addition to the solo works that came out of this project.

In beat‘s music video overview, we left off with a slight cliffhanger, where Nine appears in front of Mill bloodied and injured. I mentioned that we will definitely find out why in this video and we definitely do find out. It turns out that Nine was cornered and targeted by Mill’s bullies, who end up bashing Nine up. Mill ends up taking Nine back home to take care of him, and ends up lying down alongside Nine. In the final moment of the video, it looks like Nine ends up going in for a kiss and Mill possibly reciprocating. But we won’t know as the video finishes just before anything else happens. Elsewhere in the video, it is revealed that Nine takes an interest in Mill, further confirmation that Mill is shy and scared of his feelings, the pair ends up hanging out with each more (which is where their feelings for each other develops more). We also see all of the other members as either a teacher or students playing basketball.

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

[Review] ROAR – THE BOYZ

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THE BOYZ kick off this week with their latest comeback, ROAR, and their 8th mini-album, BE AWAKE. This is the group’s first release since All About You in December 2022 and WHISPER, the group’s last official comeback prior to today’s new release. It also marks the return of Eric who sat out of promotions with the group since March of last year, including THE BOYZ’s last comeback, due to health issues.

Since the group’s hit The Stealer in 2020, THE BOYZ has been flicking between dark and bright concepts/sounds. THRILL RIDE and WHISPER takes the helm of the brighter concepts/sounds, while The Stealer, MAVERICK and now ROAR fall into the former category. From what I got out of the song, ROAR is an attempt at a sound that is geared towards a more sensual effect without going into the usual sensual motifs that male KPOP groups tend to go with. The song does fall into the R&B category, mixing it with a dance pop sound that allows THE BOYZ to show off their performance and choreography chops (more on that aspect of this comeback later). ROAR opens with a whistle, that is repeated throughout the song and thus becoming a memorable aspect of the song. The chorus, which the whistle mentioned just now appears most readily in, ends up following a similar refrain, just not to the same extent. I did like the vibrancy it brought to the song and there was a ring to it, which I quite enjoyed. But I honestly wished there was more of a zing to the chorus, just to give the song that extra edge and more of a catchy flair. Since I am already talking about edge, I have to mention ROAR“s powerful rapping. It definitely gave ROAR some much needed oomph and definitely highlights the rappers’ potential. Similarly, the dance break that we get packs a punch and adds a further cool/dynamic energy to the song with the more abrasive and intense synths. On the other hand, I felt the vocal work was a lot less impactful. I don’t get much out of it, but I appreciate the intensity and power that the vocalists infuse into the song, especially during the more defined moments of the song. Overall, ROAR is a fair comeback and feels quite on brand for THE BOYZ.

My first impression of this music video was a super big WOW. I am amazed at the quality of the cinematography and post-production for this 3:40 minute music video. The start where they are on clouds was a jaw-dropping beginning and everything that came after lived up to the standard set in the opening moments. The transitions felt flawless, pulling the video together to make a super cohesive piece, which helps brings together the different locations (more on this in a literal second). I also really liked the home video-like shots of the members, which helps add to the edgy vibes of the video. I also liked how it wasn’t just a simple one or two set video. Instead, there was a variety of locations used, which kept everything fresh and nothing ever looked like a copy of a previous scene. The members look super fine throughout the video, especially Juyeon when it came to the dance break. The video depicts them in a way that shows off a more animalistic profile, which goes hand-in-hand with the lyrics and title of the song.

Again, if this performance shows anything, it is definitely that THE BOYZ is a group to not underestimate on the performance/choreography front. This was a bold routine that has a cool and intense factor that feels quite unique to THE BOYZ themselves. The dance break we get prior to the final chorus was fierce, while the slow walk and open leg pivot we get during the chorus has the potential to become iconic.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 8.8/10

[Weekly KPOP Chart] 3rd Week of Feburary 2023

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Another short Weekly KPOP Charts for the 3rd Week of February 2023. Hope you all had a fantastic week wherever you are! Onto the charts!

Recap & New releases of the Week

A few more reviews this week for KEY’s Killer, STAYC’s Teddy Bear and PURPLE KISS’ Sweet Juice. No album reviews this past week, unfortunately.

Other releases from the week includes:

  • Yesterday – Jay Park
  • Love Is Ugly – Jay Park ft. Hwasa (Mamamoo)
  • Rising – tripleS
  • Love Things – Hyojin (ONF)
  • One Moment – JAY B (GOT7)
  • We Are Young – TRI.BE
  • There – Stray Kids
  • Self Portrait – Kim Woojin (AB6IX) ft. Kim Jae Hwan
  • Love or Die – TNX
  • Akita – BE’O ft. hartts
  • Goodbye – Brave Girls
  • Dancing In The Dark – HELLO GLOOM
  • Highteen – Dvwn
  • Honestly – Limelight

Throwback Corner

It has been hot this week where I am, so this week’s throwback song is TWICE’s Dance The Night Away. Dance The Night Away is refreshing and a summer hit in Korea, so I thought I bring it out to help cool me down. Don’t think it did any cooling, but it is a fun song to listen to.

Non-Korean Release of the Week

This week’s non-Korean release of the week is TWICE’s MOONLIGHT SUNRISE. It ranks in the 7th position this past week.

The Charts

Congratulations to Stray Kids for topping the Weekly KPOP Chart for the 3rd Week of December 2022 with FAM (Korean Version). A review for this release is incoming, as previously flagged during the Weekly KPOP Chart for the 3rd Week of January 2023, where Stray Kids’ FAM also topped the Weekly KPOP Charts.

3rd Week of February 202312th Feb – 18th Feb 2023
Pos.SongArtistStatus
1FAM (Korean Ver.)Stray Kids(▲ 5)
2Sugar Rush RideTXT(▲ 5)
3KillerKey (SHINee)(NEW)
4CandyNCT DREAM(▲ 36)
5Sweet JuicePURPLE KISS(NEW)
6Ay-YoNCT 127(▼ 3)
7MOONLIGHT SUNRISETWICE(▲ 20)
8Teddy BearSTAYC(NEW)
9Beautiful LiarMONSTA X(▲ 4)
10Still On My Brainpolar(▲ 48)
11MadnessMoonbin & Sanha (ASTRO)(▲ 47)
12PonytailYugyeom (GOT7) ft. Sik-K(▲ 46)
13PULL UPVIVIZ(▼ 4)
14FightingBSS (SEVENTEEN) ft. Lee Young Ji(▼ 13)
15VIBETaeyang (BIGBANG) ft. Jimin (BTS)(▲ 43)
16ReasonDreamcatcher(▼ 8)
17Cotton CandyJinyoung (GOT7)(▼ 1)
18AURORAcignature(▼ 13)
19PRIMROSEPRIMROSE(▲ 39)
20Small ThingsYESUNG (SUPER JUNIOR)(▲ 38)
21SNOW SNOW SNOWBRANDNEW MUSIC(▼ 9)
22Gift For YouWEi(▲ 28)
23DittoNewJeans(▲ 6)
242022 (Forever)DKZ(=)
25SHOOTING STARXG(▲ 33)
26One MomentJAY B (GOT7)(NEW)
27PuzzleSF9(▼ 8)
28Gift For YouWEi(▲ 30)
29Look Where We AreKang Daniel, 220 Kid, Willim(▼ 9)
30HALAZIAATEEZ(▼ 8)

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 starting next week:

[Review] Sweet Juice – PURPLE KISS

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PURPLE KISS is another group to return this week. This time around, the group delivers their latest single, Sweet Juice, and their fifth mini-album release, Cabin Fever. Sweet Juice follows PURPLE KISS’ July 2022 single Nerdy (and their fourth mini-album, Geekyland) and the unfortunate departure of Jieun from the group (due to health reasons and anxiety).

Sweet Juice has a strong set-up and potential in its sultry tone and haunting instrumentation. I really enjoyed the orchestral touch Sweet Juice had and the smoothness of the vocals from the members, overall. The haunting tropes that make up Sweet Juice‘s instrumentation, along with the soft and almost-whispery vocals, give the song a fair amount of character. The rapping in the second verse is also quite a good element, adding a brief but sassy tone to the song, infusing a different energy into the song (compared to everything else we hear in the song). However, while it does sound like I fam singing praises for Sweet Juice, there is a major issue with the song as it progresses along. I personally find Sweet Juice to also be an overly subdued song. It started off well, as mentioned, and I am pretty much fine with everything up until the second verse. But from there, Sweet Juice just stayed relatively neutral in its instrumentation and tone, and doesn’t build much from there. I wished the song had picked up momentum and intensity as it went on. This would have given Sweet Juice a lot more appealing points, and made the song more dynamic and interesting. With the haunting aspect to the song, I feel like this would have gone hand-in-hand and created a cool piece. We do have a bit of an incline during the bridge, but that is because it is building the song back from a stripped down sequence to another repeat of the chorus. Just not as satisfying, but it had the right intentions. Overall, I enjoyed Sweet Juice but I am of the opinion that the song could have done more.

Keeping in line with the haunting instrumentation, the music video also had a horror concept. The events take place within a hotel, which at first we are led to believe that the members work at (more on this theory just a bit). They feel a dark presence around them (i.e. the figure dressed in black with the hat), whom in some cases tries to harm the members. A mysterious phone call appears to help them escape the hotel. But I think, based on the ending of the video with the members donning uniforms, that the events we see are the ones that trap them at the hotel. And they are the dark presence that haunts the guests at the hotel. We actually never see the members greet any guests or escort anyone through the hotel. It is them in their plaid outfits holding the bag or that we see throughout the hotel. To further back my theory, there are messages that say RILAS throughout the hotel, which according to reddit is SALIR spelt backwards, which means ‘get out’. But despite that, the members still pick up the phone and say yes to Sweet Juice. Overall, I quite liked the video and think it nails what I want from such a concept.

I like the smoothness in the chorus sequence of the choreography, which goes well with the vocals. But for me, I quite liked the bridge and final chorus routines for this performance. The piano in the instrumental really allows the performance to include a few pretty moments, which ultimately helps makes the entire choreography more impactful.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.1/10

[Review] Teddy Bear – STAYC

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Apologies for another two days of no reviews. But I am back today and ready to review the load of comebacks over the next couple of days whilst I hide from the heatwave that is happening in Australia. Anyhow, first up is STAYC’s comeback, which is their first since BEAUTIFUL MONSTER in July of last year. Since then, the group made their Japanese debut with Poppy (which I have yet to review, but will get around to doing in a future International Song Review segment). On Valentines Day a couple of days back, the group made their comeback with Teddy Bear, which is also the title of the group’s fourth single album.

When you have a song title like this one, you can’t help but think the song is going to be childish and cutesy. And ultimately, Teddy Bear is best described as childish and cutesy. Personally, I have a hard time digesting most songs of this nature, though there have exceptions in the past. But Teddy Bear is actually quite approachable and enjoyable. I found it to be a fun and cheerful listen that brought a smile to my face (though this might have been an effect of the visuals). Teddy Bear is mostly pop, but there are pop rock elements during the choruses, which adds to the appeal of the song. The guitar intro was an entertaining yet light introduction to Teddy Bear. The hook was quite catchy, much to my surprise. While I have no issues with the repetition of “My Teddy Bear“, there is a whiny synth alongside the post-chorus hooks that I thought would have been annoying or jarring. However, despite the listens I have given the song since its release, it hasn’t come to that point. Maybe it will in the future, only time can tell for that. But it is this hook that makes me come back to the song, while the rest of the song has this pleasant melody that fits the fun and cheerful nature of the song, but also makes the song appreciable. I enjoyed the more serious breakdown in the second verse that made way for rapping. Was it needed? I actually do think so, as it didn’t make the song feel overly saccharine. Overall, Teddy Bear is a release that I enjoyed.

I mentioned before that the energy of Teddy Bear was potentially the cause of a smile on my face whilst listening to the song. But I also raised that the music video could have been the cause of that. The video features an childish and cute energy, just like the song does. There are over-the-top moments in the music video, such as the truck crashing into the store to deliver a supply of bear bread, the widening of the bus (which was a pretty clever set up for the upcoming choreography shot) and the cult-like scene during the bridge to summon the cartoon bears. I did find the teddy bear masks to be cringy. But it, alongside those over-the-top moments, were still okay to watch, and so brought a smile to my face.

I am kind of glad to see teddy bear references in the choreography. I was actually questioning how they would go about bringing a teddy bear element into the choreography. Props came into mind, but I wasn’t too keen on that. Apart from that, it is a fun and super energetic performance that works.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.3/10

[Review] Killer – KEY (SHINee)

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Casting out minds back to the end of August of last year, KEY returned as a solo artist with GASOLINE and his second studio album of the same name. Just over five months later (i.e. today), KEY returns with the repackaged version of GASOLINE, retitled as Killer. KEY’s latest title track also shares the same name.

I am super pumped to review this track. Without holding any of it back, Killer emerges with and consistently delivers an instrumental made of retro 80s synths (which reminds me of The Weeknd’s hit Blinding Lights). In fact, it features an unapologetic amount of 80s synth that just makes me so excited and feels like it could have been an amazing follow up to KEY’s Bad Love from 2021. Killer is also very up-tempo and upbeat, with the beat falling into the foot tapping category at the very minimum, but more so a track to get up and dance about to. I really enjoyed the intensity that comes with the choruses, which makes Killer feel explosive and powerful. To compliment, KEY projects one of his best and most impressive display of vocals ever, particular in the choruses, which ultimately helps fuel the intensity and power of the chorus. He also provides some falsetto, upping the ante to the song further. There are moments of reprieve, but they are very brief. Just enough to give you an opportunity to breathe for a second, before jumping right back to the energy that is Killer. I do think an intense rap segment, either from KEY or a featuring artist, would have been the icing on the cake and intensify the song even further. But what we got is absolutely fine and forms part of a super strong comeback.

I would have liked a stronger and more fleshed out story to the music video. It starts off with a flipped burning car and KEY zipping away on his motorcycle. Later we see KEY walk away from the wreckage with a flame thrower (or another type of flame gun). Based on the lyrics, KEY likens the pain memories cause following the breakdown of a relationship, where he likens the pain to killing his partner. The fiery crash most likely depicted his partner/past relationship, while his action of causing the fire signifies the end of the relationship with his partner. However, I do like details and would have liked to know the leadup to the the burning car. Apart from that, the music features a fair amount of passion and emotions, ranging from sadness to anger. All of which KEY nailed amazingly in this video.

From what I can see, the performance features equally passionate and intense moves that compliment the energy that comes off Killer. The entire chorus routine looks super cool based on what I could see via the snippets we got in the choreography. I also excited to hear KEY nail this song via a live performance, especially if he is dancing to the same calibre as in the music video.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.9/10

[Weekly KPOP Chart] 2nd Week of February 2023

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Another week has passed. But that means another Weekly KPOP Chart post. Again, the introduction short and sweet, so I can focus on counting that song votes that I mentioned last week. I am almost finished, so the announcement of winners for the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards is surely on its way. But until then, here is the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 2nd Week of February 2023.

Recap & New releases of the Week

This week, it was a light-on week as I continue to count songs for the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. But there was a review fo BSS’ Fighting and Mill’s beat. I also posted an album review for NCT 127 and CRAVITY this week. Finally, I also restarted a shorter version of the International Song Review segment, which featured THE BOYZ’s SHE’S THE BOSS, TWICE’s Celebrate and BoA’s The Greatest.

The following songs were also released this week and have been entered into the Weekly KPOP Charts system:

  • The Way We Were – Raina (After School)
  • TARGET – CLASS:y
  • Best Friend Ever – NCT DREAM
  • Aphrodite – ARTBEAT

Throwback Corner

The throwback song of the week is Davichi’s Letter. It was a ballad type of week for me this week (amongst other songs, but ballads dominated my YouTube feed this week). When you think of ballads in KPOP, Davichi naturally comes up. Letter was released back in 2014.

Non-Korean Release of the Week

The Non-Korean release of the week is Stray Kids’ The Sound, which ranks in the 2nd position this week. The Sound is Stray Kids’ title track from their upcoming Japanese album, which will be released next month. A more detailed review will be coming your way in the future as part of the International Song Reviews segment.

The Charts

Congratulations to BSS (BooSeokSoon from SEVENTEEN) for topping the Weekly KPOP Chart for the 2nd Week of February 2023 with their long awaited comeback single, Fighting. For more of the charts, keep on reading.

2nd Week of February 20235th Feb – 11th Feb 2023
Pos.SongArtistStatus
1FightingBSS (SEVENTEEN) ft. Lee Youngji(NEW)
2The SoundStray Kids(▲ 31)
3Ay-YoNCT 127(=)
4Will Spring Come?Def. (JAY B – GOT7)(▲ 51)
5AURORAcignature(▼ 3)
6FAM (Korean Ver.)Stray Kids(▲ 49)
7Sugar Rush RideTXT(▼ 6)
8ReasonDreamcatcher(▲ 4)
9PULL UPVIVIZ(▼ 3)
10beyOndNine (OnlyOneOf)(▲ 1)
11FireworksAIMERS(▲ 44)
12SNOW SNOW SNOWBRANDNEW MUSIC(▲ 43)
13Beautiful LiarMONSTA X(▲ 1)
14All About YouTHE BOYZ(▲ 41)
15PRESENTMoonbyul (MAMAMOO)(▲ 40)
16Cotton CandyJinyoung (GOT7)(▲ 6)
17Wanna DoU-Kwon (Block B) ft. Woosoo(▲ 38)
18Love WarYENA ft. BE’O(▼ 13)
19PuzzleSF9(▲ 2)
20Look Where We AreKang Daniel, 220 Kid, Willim(▲ 35)
21HUGSBRANDNEW MUSIC(▲ 34)
22HALAZIAATEEZ(▲ 33)
23Beautiful ChristmasRed Velvet & aespa(▲ 32)
242022 (Forever)DKZ(▼ 11)
25December, 24Yoon Jisung(▲ 30)
26too lateChunji (Teen Top)(▲ 4)
27MOONLIGHT SUNRISETWICE(▼ 8)
28Let Me OutLee Jinsol(▲ 27)
29DittoNewJeans(▼ 19)
30Get LooseTHE7(▲ 25)

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 starting next week:

  • Our Christmas – Jin (ex-Lovelyz)
  • White Christmas – Lee Boram (SeeYa), Punch, Yebin (DIA)
  • Dear My Winter – george & Chuu
  • December, 24 – Yoon Jisung
  • Night Flight – Gowoon
  • Flash – Shinhwa WDJ
  • Chase – Minho (SHINee)
  • Fallen – Seo In Guk
  • All About You – THE BOYZ
  • Reason – 2Z
  • Happy Christmas – Weeekly
  • Silence – DRIPPIN
  • Come Alive – Jackson Wang
  • Merry Merry Christmas – C9 Entertainment Artists
  • Still Life – RM (BTS) with Anderson Paak

[International Song Reviews] THE BOYZ, TWICE & BoA

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Welcome back to the another round of reviews for songs by our favourite KPOP artist that aren’t in Korean. Firstly, I want to apologies for completely dropping the ball on these reviews last year, which resulted in a backlog that just unmotivated me to write the posts. I have been doing some thinking about how I can revive the segment on my blog, and have landed on the idea of shorter posts. This hopefully should mean less time to write up one of these, which in turn would make them less draining. They used to be four of five in one post, which was manageable at first. But they just took up sooo much time. So, here we go. To catch up on the reviews, I will be focusing on three releases. For this post, the focus will be on THE BOYZ, TWICE and BoA.

SHE’S THE BOSS – THE BOYZ

Language: Japan
Released: 27 May 2022
Album: She’s The Boss (2nd Japanese Mini Album)

If I recall correctly, THE BOYZ’s last Japanese single (Breaking Dawn) only had a small portion that was in Japanese with the balance in Korean. That followed on from the group’s initial Japanese debut single (Tattoo), which only had a line of Japanese. SHE’S THE BOSS is a definite improvement in the language department based on what I can hear, as majority of the song is in Japanese (with the song’s main hook being in English). Anyhow, for me, the rappers really stood out in this track. Their segments really aligned with the song’s main chanty hook. The repetition really sold it to me. Similar instrumentation (i.e. crunchy synths and metallic skittish elements) and the rough tone was present in both, and I liked this commonality between the two sides. I also feel the intensity and force behind their parts. The vocals were nice and brought smoothness, but they don’t offer as much to SHE’S THE BOSS as the rappers did. Actually, I felt the vocals really stepped away from the crunchiness and roughness of the more memorable aspects of the song. I appreciate the contrast, but I wished more happened with the vocals than just smoothness. Overall, SHE’S THE BOSS was a decent track and a good listen, though SHE’S THE BOSS is another case of “more could have been done”.

The music video consists of smoldering closes up of the members and choreography shots. The sets were super cool and I quite like the brown marbling background used for one of the choreography dance sets. A bit dry, otherwise. As for the choreography, I really liked the intensity they put behind the routine for the main hook of the song. I also enjoyed the smoothness they brought to the routine during the song’s smoother moments. The contrast between the two was an interesting mix. But visually, it works.

Overall Rating – 7.6/10

Celebrate – TWICE

Language: Japan
Released: 15 July 2022
Album: Celebrate (4th Japanese Studio Album)

Days following the news of TWICE renewing their contracts with JYP Entertainment to continue group activities, the group returned with a very fitting track in Japan titled Celebrate. When I read through the lyrics for the song, I do feel like it is a song for fans, celebrating the time TWICE and ONCE have spent together over the last seven or so years. I mean, Chaeyoung’s opening line “Tonight, we’ll celebrate our love. After all this time, We’re still together” kind of says it all. Celebrate is a straightforward pop track that feels very cheerful, bubbly and bright. All of which we have heard from TWICE previously. However, Celebrate is more geared towards a pleasant effect, which I find to be fitting for the message. It is quite obvious that this song isn’t the most TWICE song we have ever heard. Nor is it the group’s most catchiest single yet. But the pleasantness, combined with the other aforementioned effects, helps create an enjoyable listen. That being said, Celebrate does have some catchy hooks and melodies, and I feel like the members executed the song extremely well. Overall, another enjoyable listen from TWICE.

The music video for Celebrate was quite colourful, despite black and pink being the dominant colours in the video (i.e. see what the members are wearing). There isn’t too much to the video, apart from smiles and the members having a great time with each other. It is pretty much lighthearted, which matches up with the song’s message quite well. The choreography is quite good. Nothing catchy or mind-blowing here, but it was satsifying to watch and looks fun!

Overall Rating – 8.3/10

The Greatest – BoA

Language: Japan
Released: 23 May 2022
Album: The Greatest (20th Anniversary Japanese Compilation Album)

To celebrate her 20th anniversary since her Japanese solo debut, BoA, the Queen of KPOP, released the single The Greatest as part of a compilation album that was released to celebrate the milestone. However, as far as I am aware, the release was pretty much swept under the rug as soon as it was released, which was rather disappointing. I will be honest, I didn’t pay attention to The Greatest that much at the time of the release either, and the song only grew on me in the months after. Luckily, it did so in time to earn a nomination from me for the Best International Song by a Korean Artist (Japanese) in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. There is a lot to enjoy in The Greatest. My pick would have to be the monotonous post-chorus hook, where “Greatest” was spelt aloud. There is something so charming with this hook. I definitely would have liked more to and of it, though. She does something similar in the bridge, just prior to jumping back into the chorus to complete the song. BoA puts her vocals on display during the choruses, which was another great segment in the pop song. The instrumental falls into the electropop genre and the crunchy synths really gives the song character and something for her to work with. My critical comments relate to the verses, which felt ordinary and lacked flair. Despite that, I think The Greatest is underrated and underappreciated.

The music video is pretty much has that modern SM Entertainment flair that the company has been pushing greatly (and seemingly dumped in 2022) with the whole futuristic and virtual KWANGYA universe. However, from what I can tell, this video doesn’t have a connection to the wider universe. Instead, the universe we see in this video belongs to BoA and it is evident that she is quite up there in the society (with her name plastered on top of the city’s tallest tower and The Greatest or GRE plastered throughout). I did like the purple and pink dominant colours of the video. Whatever BoA wore in this video made her pop out right at you, showing off her visuals and charms. As for the choreography, it was a pretty good one. Again, not her most mind-blowing one yet. But the electropop side and those synths mentioned earlier gave her an opportunity to showcase her performance skills and create a piece that reiterates her status in the field.

Overall Rating – 8/10

[Review] beat – Mill (OnlyOneOf)

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Late last year, I started to review the undergrOund idOl series from OnlyOneOf, a series that focused on each of the OnlyOneOf members individually, while every two music videos were intertwined with one another. At the time of writing the reviews, I had reviewed all four songs that were already released at the time, including Yoojung’s begin, KB’s be free, JunJi’s be mine and Rie’s because. Today, I return to review the fifth release of the series, Mill’s beat, which was released at the end of November 2022. And I am hoping either this weekend or the next week, I will also review sixth and final release of the series – Nine’s beyOnd.

Mill is OnlyOneOf’s resident main rapper, so I expected that his solo song would be geared towards showing off more of this side of him. And beat did just that. Compared to the previous songs we have heard in the series, beat is more upbeat, intense and dynamic, tapping into hip-hop influences and abrasive synths. I really liked how the producers roughened up Mill’s raps, adding the textures of beat and compliment the instrumental. This ultimately gave beat a crunchier exterior, which I actually quite enjoyed. Mill’s raps are delivered in a shoutier manner to usual rap based songs. But I personally do not mind this, as it just made beat feel more lively and adds to that dynamic factor. His vocals were also quite good. What makes beat more appealing is the grooviness we get in the choruses, which makes everything a lot more palatable and fits it into the current trends we have been seeing in KPOP. The groove also gave beat a unique profile and interesting character. I quite enjoyed everything that beat had to offer. But if I were to say something constructive about beat, it would be the fact I wished it went in harder. However, I completely understand why the producers didn’t do this, as this would have completely derailed the efforts of the undergrOund idOl and become ill-fitting with the rest of the series. Despite this, I would still like to hear an amped up version in the future, as I can totally imagine the song in such a light.

The music video focuses on a relationship that comes about in the school yard. Nine is a new student at the school that Mill goes to. Since coming over, Nine has been saving Mill from being picked on/bullied and a subtle friendship blooms between the pair. But Mill is a shy character, so he doesn’t exactly hang out with Nine, preferring to watch him from afar. But Mill is caught by his bullies, who make his time at school hard, especially since they realize that Mill has become quite infatuated with Nine. One day after school, Mill is dragged away from school by his bullies, but Nine stumbles upon them, attacks one of the bullies and runs away with Mill from them. The bullies give chase after the pair, but the pair quickly loses the bullies and (I think) this cements their friendship. One night, however, Mill is waiting outside in the cold (presumably for Nine). The latter comes up to Mill at their meet-up location, bloodied and bruised. Why this is the case, we don’t know until we watch the music video for Nine’s beyOnd. Like the other videos, the other members make a brief appearance, with KB acting as the teacher and the other three members play basketball with Nine.

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

[Album Review] NEW WAVE (4th Mini Album) – CRAVITY

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Another album review! This time, it is for CRAVITY’s 4th mini-album, NEW WAVE, which was released at the end of September 2022. It features the title track PARTY ROCK and the pre-release all English single Boogie Woogie. Overall, this was a fun mini-album, with the group showing off their youthful and energetic charms in both the title track and throughout the mini-album. I did think the release would have been more fitting as a actual Summer release (and not a mid-Autumn release, which was when NEW WAVE actually dropped in Korea). However, I live in the other hemisphere and the mini-album release came at a no better time as the weather was warming up and the energy that is given off this mini-album definitely fits better with the warmer season where you crave energy and a fun vibe. Anyhow, before I keep going on my life, check out my album review for CRAVITY’s NEW WAVE.

NEW WAVE Album Cover

1. Boogie Woogie (Pre-Release Single) – A month prior to the release of NEW WAVE, CRAVITY pre-released the group’s first all-English single, Boogie Woogie. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance to review Boogie Woogie yet (I had every intention to do so, but I keep on shelving the ISR segment various reasons on my end). It is a pop dance track that delves into bright and colourful territory. It is upbeat and super fun. I just wished the song explored the funky and groovy elements of the song more, just to give Boogie Woogie some extra appealing points and pull on the audience. (8/10)

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

3. New Addiction – New Addiction taps into crunchy EDM territory with a vivid pop flair. The vocals in New Addiction were super good, especially during the pre-choruses, while the rapping definitely helped hype up the song. Melody-wise, I think the song had promise. On the matter of the hooks, however, I felt they were somewhat lacking. That guitar solo during the bridge was awesome, and added a nice intensity to the song whilst also adding something different to the mix of EDM we get in New Addiction. (9/10)

4. AUTOMATIC – AUTOMATIC stays within the realm of EDM, with an even more textured synth line than before. The touch of piano between the pre-choruses and choruses (and in the background of the choruses) adds a classy touch. It was very brief, but it was my favourite part of the song. I felt the melody line was also good, and the rapping felt very sleek and sensual in the song. The raspy vocals were also a fitting touch to the song. The bridge was a surprising twist, smoothing out the instrumental. It is a very strong contrast, but it was one that fits into the bigger picture that is AUTOMATIC quite well. (9/10)

5. Colorful – Colorful features breezy moments during its tropical/moombahton instrumentation, making it an ideal song for the warmer season period that the mini-album was released in. I quite enjoyed the “wide reaching” style of vocals Colorful had. It just gives the song a bit of depth. The rap-line really shined during their parts. Unfortunately, the melody and hooks were a bit ordinary for my liking. I wished they were a bit more vibrant. (7/10)

6. Knock Knock – Knock Knock doesn’t feature intensity as like in the previous songs. Instead, you could describe Knock Knock as a softer track in a way (relative to the other tracks on the mini-album). That being said, Knock Knock is still firmly part of the electronic side of music that we have heard earlier on the mini-album. I liked the stylish and bouncy feel of the house instrumentation. The vocal work and melodies were pleasant and a strong aspect of the song. Unlike the other songs, however, the rappers didn’t shine as much, which is a disappointment. As the song still falls into EDM territory, there was room for the rappers to go in hard and bring some contrast and roughness to the song. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.2/10

NEW WAVE Teaser Image

[Review] Fighting – BSS (SEVENTEEN) ft. Lee Young Ji

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It has been a while since we heard from BSS, one of SEVENTEEN’s subunits consisting of Boo Seungkwan, DK (Lee Seokmin) and Hoshi (Kwon Soonyoung). In fact, their only release before today was Just Do It from 2018. But that changes today, as the trio have returned with their 1st single album, SECOND WIND, and a new lead single titled Fighting. The new single also features the up and coming female rapper Lee Young Ji, whom Seungkwan has collaborated with via the collaborative cover of LIZZO’s Juice and Hoshi had previously featured as a guest on on Lee Young Ji’s webshow No Prepare (and it was hilarious).

If you are basing your expectation for Fighting on the unit’s first release, then you are going to be super satisfied with the likes of Fighting. It is a super energetic, dynamic and wild funky track that just gets you pumped and excited. This exact ‘effect’ is what the song intends to give off as the message behind the lyrics is telling us to not give up and push through the times of struggle and hardship (hence the title Fighting/Hwaiting – the Korean word for encouragement made popular by KPOP, Korean dramas and TV Shows). Again, the trio hit the mark in terms of expectations, delivering a fun and cheerful persona that helps liven and lighten up Fighting. There were some great vocal moments, especially that impressive high note at the end of the song and the energy they channel in the chorus. Fighting has catchy moments that just makes the song even better, such as the post-chorus hook that repeats the “Fighting” title and the ‘Na Na Na‘ that finds itself just ahead of the second verse. Lee Young Ji’s rapping was quite cool, and I felt it was a nice way to add a slightly more serious tone and keep Fighting grounded. I did think her part could have used a bit more bounce to just fit in better with the rest of Fighting. If I have to be critical, the one sequence that I am not exactly a fan of is the shouty rap pre-chorus sequence. The minimalistic vibe from this sequence just felt dull and the sequence really missed an opportunity to hype up the chorus and the song. Overall, Fighting is a fun track that delivers a positive message in the manner you would expect from BSS.

The music video for this comeback was super enjoyable. Firstly, I really liked the one set approach in this music video. Each set we get in this video is actually shot with another in the background or off to the side. For example, the bedroom location is right next to the coffee shop, while all of the sets of the music video appear in the background of the main choreography set (i.e. the street set). Not exactly a new idea, but what the producers did with this one set approach and how they tied the music video together to make it one cohesive video was super innovative in my books. Secondly, I enjoyed the energy that the members put into the video. They really made it funny and lighthearted. From their facial expressions to their actions with one another, it all made for a fun video. I also liked how the video ‘darkened’ for Lee Young Ji’s presence, which created a ‘serious tone’ to the video, which worked really well with the more ‘serious tone’ she brought to both the song.

I liked the comedic tone they inserted into the choreography, which helps keeps the performance true to their individual charms (and to their unit’s charm). From that, it was a fun routine that matches all of the characteristics you feel from the song. I really liked the first half of the “Fighting” routine of the choreography, which was probably the highlight of the entire choreography.

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

[Album Review] 2 Baddies / Ay-Yo (4th Studio Album / 4th Studio Album Repackaged) – NCT 127

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Also flagged early last week, I would be fast-tracking (depending on which album you are looking at) the album review for 2 Baddies and Ay-Yo, NCT 127’s 4th studio album and the repackaged version of the same album, respectively. Both albums features the title track of the same name (links below) and a total of 13 additional tracks. 2 of these 13 additional tracks were added to the album as part of the repackaged version, which dropped on 30 January 2023. The original version of the album, 2 Baddies, dropped back in September 2022. This 4th album is another strong display from the group and there are a few 10/10 tracks on the album. Find out which tracks I am talking about, and my thoughts on the entire album and the repackaged version below. I fear if I continue waffling on in this intro (as I am doing now), this album review will never see the light or day (at least until next weekend).

2 Baddies Album Cover
Ay-Yo Album Cover

1. Ay-Yo (Title Track) – Click here to read the review for Ay-Yo. (8/10)

2. Faster – Faster served as the opening track for the 2 Baddies version of the album. And it was a great start. Faster is loaded with energy, but it is all delivered in a subtle manner. And that is what I really enjoyed about the song, as it is all quite unsuspecting. I really liked the minimalist hook to the song, which is an add on to that subtle touch. Elsewhere, there was powerful bass to the song that just heightens everything else and acts as a solid base to the song. The members brought texture to the song via their rapping and there were some growling to bring forth an aggressive side to Faster. The car sounds in the background were also a cool touch to the song. (9/10)

3. 2 Baddies (질주) (Title Track) – Click here to read the review for 2 Baddies. (7.5/10)

4. Time Lapse – A mid-tempo R&B track follows the title track. I am not entirely fond of the electronic start. It is another case of an intro that adds no value to the song. The electronic elements do appear in the song, but I don’t think that justifies the start. Aside from that, Time Lapse was a satisfying track. I did want more of a backing during the choruses to give the song a bit more substance. It felt a tad empty, in my opinion and there wasn’t anything for the vocals to anchor themselves to. Talking about vocals, it was Time Lapse’s wining element. I really liked how the vocals and harmonies pull you in and captivate you, especially during the chorus where all the members sung together. (7/10)

5. DJ – DJ is one of the new tracks added to the album alongside the release of Ay-Yo. I really liked the jazzy vibes that this track has. It brought a smile to my face. You can say the exact same thing with the energy that the members put into this song. DJ also stands out for me for its balance between vocals and raps. NCT 127 tends to be geared towards the rap, as they are hip-hop dance genre type of group based on their choreography. However, I really liked the pleasant nature and the bigger presence the vocalists had in the song, whilst the rapping gives DJ a nice boost of enthusiasm and makes it feels like a NCT 127 release. (8.5/10)

6. Crash Landing (불시착) – Crash Landing brings about a nice balance between hip-hop and R&B. I liked how the percussion was used, giving off mini/soft punches in the instrumental. The twinkling like synth that starts off the song and makes its presence known by repeating in the background was quite intriguing. Again, the vocalists flourish in this song, with their smooth vocal delivery during their parts and the simple R&B melody that they brought to life in Crash Landing. And I liked how the rapping also stood out with the chanting in the chorus and how they made the rappers made themselves known in the second verses. (8/10)

7. Designer – Designer starts off like any other NCT 127 song, where the synths here hinted at some badass and possibly tough and powerful. But the song, very shortly after the opening second of the song, breaks down into a much gentler song thanks to the twinkling percussion and a more mellow approach to vocals and raps. The union of vocals in the chorus was a highlight in my book for Designer. I like how the raps still had a rough exterior to them, which keeps the song feeling like an NCT 127 track. I also enjoyed the change in momentum for the bridge. Come to the think of it, the cohesiveness of Designer is definitely a standout element of the track. (9/10)

8. Gold Dust (윤슬) – Doyoung and Jaehyun’s acapella (with slight autotuning) was an impressive start and end to Gold Dust, respectively. The R&B ballad continued with a very minimalistic approach to the instrumentation, allowing the vocals for NCT 127 to really stand out and be the main driver of the song. The melodies were wonderful and so charming. The rappers kept a low profile during their segments, but still had enough kick to make themselves known in the song. I really liked the way Mark built up the song in the bridge and Doyoung carried on the momentum effortlessly in the bridge. Everything in this track oozed a golden tone to it, which makes perfect sense give the title of the song. (10/10)

9. Black Clouds (흑백 영화) – Black Clouds is another track I am impressed with. This is a more vocally driven track, with Black Clouds gearing towards a pop/R&B style ballad. That being said, Mark and Taeyong’s rapping does fit into the track really well. This is thanks to what sounded more like a band instrumental that brings a good beat and substantial definition to the song. I really like it when the members all sing together, especially for the “Rain, Rain Up in my head” post-chorus hook. The melodies in Black Cloud also made is a super easy listen, which I really enjoyed. (10/10)

10. Playback – I am not fond of the metallic percussive synth that appears in the instrumental. While it has it charm and is quite playful, it is quite jarring and sticks out like a sore thumb in my opinion. Its presence, no matter how hard I try to suppress any thoughts about it, just distracts me from the other elements of Playback. Though what I could make out in Playback were playful melodies and neat vocals. The slight buffering at the end of the bridge was cool (I honestly thought my internet was down at that point for a brief second). (6/10)

11. Skyscraper (마천루) – Skyscraper is the album’s most loaded and intense hip-hop affair on the album. It is the third new song added to the repackaged album. It definitely adds a blast (and more!) of energy to the album’s tracklist. I really liked how the powerful side of the group is shown in Skyscraper, in both vocals and rapping. I did think the song could have used a more innovative instrumental. Add in some electric guitars and unfamiliar synths that brings a whole lot more texture to the song. This way, Skyscraper could have stood out and been an alternative title track choice. (8/10)

12. Tasty (貘) – Tasty is a cool track, bringing together hip-hop and EDM. A typical combination for NCT 127, but Tasty overlooks that. I liked the descending rhythm the track had and how the vocals contributed to the rapping in this song. I also found a lot of the rapping to be alluring and tempting (i.e., the deep ‘So Tasty’ we get in the chorus). Tasty had some really strong hooks that is constantly replaying in my head and I liked the intensification of the EDM for the dance break. It was an unexpected amplification that just emphasized that cool factor. (10/10)

13. Vitamin – Vitamin brings forth a funky tone to the album, reminiscent of the 90s. The hook was super catchy and definitely concentrates NCT 127’s hip-hop presence quite well. The addition of brass for the final chorus was a very welcomed and logical addition for this song. Elsewhere, I think the song could have used some extra work. But Vitamin is definitely a strong song, nonetheless. (8/10)

14. LOL (Laugh-Out-Loud) – The brass makes a return and has a heavier presence in this upbeat and funky pop dance track. I liked the feel-good vibes of this song and how pleasant the vocals and rapping sound in the track. LOL is not the most memorable track on this album, but it is the album’s most brightest and vibrant track. (8/10)

15. 1, 2, 7 (Time Stops) –1, 2, 7 ends off both the 2 Baddies and Ay-Yo album and also has an accompanying music video. I really enjoyed the groovy undertones overall smoothness of the track. You can also feel the sweetness behind the members and their voices. It all makes for another pleasant track. And a nice one to ease out of this album, as well. Mark and Taeyong’s rapping in this song is also a fun sequence in the song. (8.5/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.4/10

2 Baddies Teaser Image
Ay-Yo Teaser Image

[Weekly KPOP Chart] 1st Week of February 2023

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January has flown by and we find ourselves in February 2023 already. This post is going to be a fast one (i.e. a reduced intro) as I have an album review to write up (hint: I mentioned it earlier this past week) and will continue to press on with the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. I definitely made progress this week, but still a long way away. Here is the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 1st Week of February 2023.

Recap & New releases of the Week

It was a relatively slow week. Plus I was also trying to finish the counting for the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Definitely a fair way through, but not that close to the finish line just yet. However, I did manage to get reviews for NCT 127’s Ay-Yo, VIVIZ’s PULL UP and LE SSERAFIM’s Impurities. This week was also slightly heavy on the album review side, with album reviews for Dreamcatcher, XIUMIN, AB6IX and LE SSERAFIM‘s most recent album releases.

The following songs were also released this week and have been entered into the Weekly KPOP Charts system:

  • Still On My Brain – polar
  • TIC TAC – 8TURN
  • Fly Away – BXB
  • PARALLEL PARALLEL – TVXQ
  • Catch – Epik High ft. Hwasa (MAMAMOO)
  • HELLO – Sojung (LADIES’ CODE)

Throwback Corner

The throwback song of the week is a favourite of mine and many people (especially those who missed the group greatly – me included) – GFRIEND’s MAGO. The track has probably featured in this segment of this post three or four times. Main reason, apart from the one I already mentioned, is that was an awesome comeback and unexpected finish to their careers as a group.

Non-Korean Release of the Week

The Non-Korean release of the week is TWICE’s latest English single, MOONLIGHT SUNRISE, which ranks in the 19th position this week. MOONLIGHT SUNRISE serves as the pre-release track for the group’s upcoming March comeback, which was confirmed earlier this week. Like many of the non-Korean songs on this blog, I will get around to reviewing them when I have time.

The Charts

Congratulations to TXT for topping the Weekly KPOP Chart for the 1st Week of February 2023 with their latest single, Sugar Rush Ride. For now, keep on reading for more of the charts.

1st Week of February 202329th Jan – 4th Feb 2023
Pos.SongArtistStatus
1Sugar Rush RideTXT(▲ 21)
2AURORAcignature(▼ 1)
3Ay-YoNCT 127(NEW)
4MadnessMoonbin & Sanha (ASTRO)(=)
5Love WarYENA ft. BE’O(▲ 10)
6PULL UPVIVIZ(NEW)
7VIBETaeyang (BIGBANG) ft. JIMIN (BTS)(▲ 26)
8CandyNCT DREAM(▲ 3)
9Back DownP1Harmony(▲ 19)
10DittoNewJeans(=)
11beyOndNine (OnlyOneOf)(▲ 45)
12ReasonDreamcatcher(▲ 44)
132022 (Forever)DKZ(▲ 22)
14Beautiful LiarMONSTA X(▼ 9)
15chrOme artsOnlyOneOf(▲ 25)
16I ≠ DOLLHuh Yunjin (LE SSERAFIM)(▲ 27)
17Stamp On ItGOT The Beat(▲ 20)
18Small ThingsYESUNG (SUPER JUNIOR)(▲ 5)
19MOONLIGHT SUNRISETWICE(▼ 3)
20SHOOTING STARXG(▲ 36)
21PuzzleSF9(▼ 19)
22Cotton CandyJinyoung (GOT7)(▼ 13)
23Here I AmBoys Planet(▲ 27)
24BirthdayRed Velvet(▲ 25)
25Gonna Be AlrightVIXX(▼ 22)
26Fly AwayBXB(NEW)
27CHEMISTRYMoonbyul (MAMAMOO)(▲ 29)
28ParadigmATEEZ(▲ 10)
29FlashShinhwa WDJ(▼ 9)
30too lateChunji (Teen Top)(▼ 16)

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 starting next week: