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[Album Review] Tipi-Tap (6th Mini-Album) – Kep1er

December 6, 2025Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged Kep1erLeave a comment

Next up for an album review is Kep1er’s Tipi-Tap mini-album, the group’s 6th. Leading this five-track mini-album is the title track, which gives the album its name. Both the Tipi-Tap song and mini-album mark Kep1er’s first Korean release since June 2024’s Shooting Star and the studio album Kep1going On, as well as Kep1er’s first release as a 7-member group (following the departure of MASHIRO and YESEO, who redebuted as part of MADEIN).

More recently, Kep1er released their first Japanese mini-album, Against the World (led by YUM), and their seventh Korean mini-album, Bubble Gum, (led by the single of the same name).

1. sync-love – First song out of the gate is sync-love, a hyper-pop track, which features some really cool synth work and rapping work from HIKARU.I really liked how pronounced both these elements were throughout the track. Contrasting them are the less-pronounced vocals and the backing to the vocal’s sequences, but they bring such a nice grounded and R&B touch to the song. I also really enjoyed the outro, with the autotune filtering of DAEYEON’s lines and HIKARU’s acapella line. Overall, a strong start to the mini-album. (9/10)

2. TIPI-TAP (Title Track) – Click here for the full review of TIPI-TAP. (6/10)

3. Drip – Out of all the different aspects that make up Drip, it is the chorus that speaks the most to me. It is so catchy and addictive, even though the main hook is just simple repetition. That and the combination of the tight beats during the refrain was super cool. I did wish there was a bit more to the rest of the instrumentation. I also like the mature vibe of the vocals, which complements the mature-leaning lyrics well. Also, Drip has HUENING BAHIYYIH performing the more substantial rapping part and completely nailing it. (8/10)

4. Bitter Taste – Aside from the title track, Bitter Taste is probably the second most skippable song to me. I just don’t remember anything from it, even after listening to the song to write this review. After really focusing in on the song, the only thing I do get out of it is that it has dreamy instrumental and vocal moments. Unfortunately, nothing else stands out to me that I find worth mentioning here. (6/10)

5. Heart Surf – Heart Surf also has a dreamy and soft vibe to it, but it is the vocal work and harmonies in this song that set it apart from the previous song. The flow of the vocals and the song overall was extremely nice. I love the subtle piercing nature of the ‘Just stop the motion’ line just before the choruses. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.4/10

[Review] Panorama – TAEYEON (SNSD)

December 6, 2025Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged SNSD, Taeyeon (SNSD)1 Comment

Earlier this week, TAEYEON made her comeback with her first Korean compilation album, Panorama: The Best of TAEYEON, to celebrate 10 years as a solo singer. That was 2015 with the I (ft. Verbal Jint), though this album only features a solo version of her solo debut track. Leading the 23-track album of TAEYEON’s past hits and title tracks is the new single, Panorama. This comeback comes 1 year after her Letter To Myself comeback in November 2024.

Panorama starts off with soft piano and guitar in a ballad-like intro. It slowly builds towards the first chorus, which adds in the presence of drums before slowly building up again and bursting into the proper form of Panorama – a pop-rock single. From there, Panorama maintains the same momentum and energy before easing out at the end. The second chorus, however, launches right into the pop-rock sound and doesn’t feature a build-up in its first half. As with any of her solo songs, each section features her stunning vocals, keeping you engaged and entranced. While I quite enjoyed the choruses’ melodies, I wished the verses had something similar. The chorus really takes away a lot of the focus, and while the verses were good, they just didn’t have the same impact as the chorus. Overall, it is rare for any of TAEYEON’s songs to go wrong, and Panorama is another song that proves it.

The music video opens with a young female entering TAEYEON’s bookstore. The latter hands the younger a book and proceeds to stare at the younger customer whilst she reads it. Not creepy, but this sparks a smile from the younger customer and a friendship blooms from there. As they go on a road trip, it becomes clear that the pair share common interests and care for one another (particularly TAEYEON). As the video goes on, it is revealed that the younger girl is, in fact, the younger version of TAEYEON, taking possession of TAEYEON’s red umbrella that we see TAEYEON use at the start and throughout the video. While this felt very apparent from the onset of the video, I did quite like the reveal. I also like the scene where TAEYEON holds a battered version of the umbrella as she watches the younger girl, symbolising the hardships she endured on her journey to where she is today.

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

[Review] TUNNEL VISION – ITZY

December 5, 2025Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged ITZYLeave a comment

It has been almost a month since ITZY made their comeback, but I am finally getting around to reviewing their comeback single. The five-member group from JYP Entertainment returned in November with their 11th mini-album, TUNNEL VISION, led by the title track of the same name. It is the group’s first release since their Korean comeback with Girls Will Be Girls in June and their Japanese comeback with ROCK & ROLL in October. The group will also be embarking on their third tour next year.

Even after a couple of weeks after the release (enough time for the song to grow on me), TUNNEL VISION (as a song) doesn’t do it for me. The opening vibrant synth is intriguing enough to get me started on the song, and the edgy vibes and hefty beats of the instrumental were promising. But once the song ends, I find myself moving on from TUNNEL VISION as if it didn’t just play, or it never really existed. One of the most significant issues with TUNNEL VISION is its overly consistent nature, in which the song feels the same from start to finish. There is no buildup of momentum and/or energy, which holds back and exacerbates the lack of appeal of TUNNEL VISION for me. Similarly, the members fail to stand out in the song. The chorus and hip-hop influences were probably the most pronounced aspects of TUNNEL VISION, but the choruses’ chant felt dull and unexciting, and the hip-hop influences didn’t stick with me. I know I sound negative about TUNNEL VISION. But given that the song hasn’t grown on me or left any impression, I don’t see how I can be anything but that about it.

The song’s lyrics are about staying focused and not letting others cloud your line of sight to the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’. Conceptually, this was another interesting aspect of the song. With this in mind, the music video shows paparazzi, darkness, GPS systems blowing up, and other obstacles that prevent the members from moving forward. But this doesn’t stop them; the members push through everything. Even after the car accident and almost getting run over by a train (representing the hurdles to achieving their goals), they demonstrate their unrelenting focus, no matter what happens. I have to say, the car accident scenes, where the members are flying out of the car, and the train scenes were pretty epic moments in the music video and looked really cool. Likewise, the ending shot (see featured image) of the members at the tunnel’s end was super cool. The eyeball scenes though, had a creepy vibe, which is right up my alley.

As for the performance, ITZY does it again with their strong choreography skills. I really liked the ‘tunnel vision’ moves they did in the chorus. Two of them are memorable: one hand kept straight and the other in a wavy motion, raised to their face along their line of sight, while the other involves the members looking through a triangle formed by their hands. I also like how they incorporate the ‘crown’ at the end of the routine – it keeps me sticking around to the end.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.4/10

[Review] DIVINE – Stray Kids

December 3, 2025Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Stray Kids4 Comments

ICYMI – Stray Kids’ latest mixtape, Do It, features double title tracks. The first shares the same name as the mixtape and I have already reviewed it. The second is titled DIVINE, which will be the focus of this post. A music video for DIVINE was finally unveiled at the end of last week and was later performed for the first time at the 2025 MAMA Awards, where the group clinched onto the Album of the Year award for KARMA (led by CEREMONY).

DIVINE was an instant favourite of mine when Do It first dropped. Opening the track up was impressive vocals from SEUNGMIN, which I cannot help replaying constantly. My bias could be peeking through, but objectively, I found it to be a memorable and powerful opening. Similarly, the ending sees BANGCHAN come into the song for the first time with a really sleek and nice ‘Ooh-Woah‘ ad-lib. It would have been nicer with less autotune, but definitely ends DIVINE in a pleasant manner. In between the opening and ending is a hip-hop motif that I really enjoyed. There was a really strong yet simple rhythm and beat to the chorus that was appealing, and I liked the addition of the traditional Korean instrument to the mix. The combination of folksy and modern always comes off as unique to me. All of the hooks to DIVINE were super catchy, especially the traditional Korean chant that Stray Kids infuses effortlessly in this hip-hop influenced song. The rapping in the verses follows a similar straight forward, yet lowkey, beat and rhythm. I did make a side comment about autotune earlier, but I really liked its presence, and the descending melody, in the pre-choruses. It is such an interesting effect that helps boosts the song in the memorability department. Overall, DIVINE is quite charming and continues Stray Kids’ consistent high-quality title track output.

In the DIVINE‘s lyrics, the members rap and sing about creating a new world with their music. For the music video, we see Stray Kids co-exist in ancient Korean times, seeking to trap an evil spirit in a bottle to reinstall order in the world. While Stray Kids have used the traditional concept before through their Thunderous comeback, DIVINE‘s music video leans quite heavily into the concept. And I quite liked how all of the traditional elements were presented in the music video. My biggest problem with the music video is the screen time of some of the members. It appears each member only appeared during their parts of the song, which does make sense to a degree. But I think each member deserved a more substantial presence – maybe they could have featured another member in the background of some solo shots to boost each members’ presence in the video. This would also fit some of Stray Kids’ music video aesthetics.

The only performance of the DIVINE so far is at the MAMA awards. You can really see the hip-hop influence, as well as their stage, presence in action. Though part of me thinks the performance only has this grandness to it because of the many dancers that were on stage. However I must give mad props to both LEE KNOW and SEUNGMIN who performed despite being injured. If you really pay attention to LEE KNOW during the DIVINE segment, you can see how much pain he was in and how he pushed through the entire performance.

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 9.3/10

[Album Review] 導火線 (TRIGGER) (9th Mini Album) – THE BOYZ

November 30, 2025November 30, 2025Posted in Album Reviews, ReviewsTagged THE BOYZLeave a comment

Released at the end of October 2024 is THE BOYZ’s 9th mini-album, 導火線(TRIGGER). Over a year later, I am finally getting around to reviewing the mini-album (sorry about that). Led by the single that shares the same name as mini-album, the release features a total of 6 songs and is a fairly consistently good mini-album from the group.

A lot has happened with THE BOYZ since the release of 導火線(TRIGGER), including the release of a studio album (Unexpected, led by VVV) and another mini-album (A:effect, led by Stylish), a change in label to ONE HUNDRED, and line-up changes due to military enlistment, health issues and other matters.

1. Bite Back – Bite Back sets the intense scene that is the TRIGGER mini-album with atmospheric choir, before switching into a hip-hop track featuring afrobeats. I really liked the chorus for this track, with the afrobeats, the members’ husky vocals and simple repetition of the song’s title creating quite a catchy hook. The rapping was also quite cool in this track, with SUNWOO and ERIC taking the spotlight with their parts. I wish the rest of the vocals in Bite Back were more prolific, as they gave off a one-dimensional feel. (8/10)

2. TRIGGER (導火線) (Title Track) – Click here for TRIGGER’s full review. (9/10)

3. bAd – THE BOYZ continues with the hip-hop influence through bAd. I liked how bAd contrasts with the preceding songs by having a more minimalistic instrumental. I really liked the beat to the chorus – it brings forth an old-school vibe and the rhythm was catchy. I also appreciated that the vocals had a larger part to play in the song, and that they were a lot stronger on this single. (8/10)

4. Slip Away (숨바꼭질) – Slip Away is a R&B track, with sensual vibes oozing out of the song. I love the different paces of vocal delivery, the higher tones and harmonies throughout the track. This gives Slip Away a little more intriguing factor and colour, which is beneficial for a genre that can easily come off as flat. Whilst toned back, the rapping does go hand-in-hand with the R&B colour and vibes. But there was a risk that did eventuate as a result of toning back – the raps were lost to the rest of the song. (8/10)

5. Re-Wind – Re-Wind combines the R&B and hip-hop influences we have heard thus far on the mini-album, creating a groovy and sleek intersection. I enjoyed the smoothness, and the brighter feel-good vibes, that the song gives off. The opening line “Can you re-wind it again?” is also another catchy one-liner on the mini-album. Definitely an enjoyable song, and my second favourite off the mini-album. (9/10)

6. They See Me Dream – They See Me Dream stands in place of the mandatory ballad that usually appears at the end of an album. But THE BOYZ takes the vocal focus forward into this track, combining it and their emotions, with an atmospheric instrumental that changes momentum slightly on a number of occasions to keep the track dynamic. I like how the vocals and harmonies pull the song together, while the instrumental was refreshing and dreamy at the same time. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.3/10

THE BOYZ teaser image for 導火線 (*TRIGGER)*

[Weekly KPOP Chart] Week 4 of November 2025

November 30, 2025December 7, 2025Posted in Weekly ChartsTagged Stray Kids2 Comments

Welcome to the next Weekly KPOP Chart post for Week 4 of November 2025, which spans from November 23 to November 29 2025.

Between the first part of the final season of Stranger Things, trying to progress the end-of-year events for the blog, the MAMA Awards and just good old dissociating from life to think about life, I didn’t turn anything around this week for the blog. With two of those things out of the way (I will leave you to guess which two – they are obvious) and another on the way to completion (I will let you work out which one), I should be able to churn out some reviews this week. Unless that fourth thing snowballs and takes over my life…

Guess we will find out in the week ahead. Until then, here is the Weekly KPOP Chart post for Week 4 of November 2025.

What else am I listening to?

Each week, I spotlight a song not on the Weekly KPOP Charts that I’ve been listening to over the past week. This week’s song is SEVENTEEN’s Rock With You.

Non-Korean Song of the Week

Each week, the top-ranked non-Korean Song on the Weekly KPOP Chart is spotlighted (as this is an area I haven’t been focusing on as much on my blog lately). The non-Korean song of the past week is CLOSE YOUR EYES’ SOB (with IMANBEK).

The Chart

Stray Kids’ lead single of the same name from their mixtape DO IT ranked in the top spot this past week. Congratulations, Stray Kids!

Pos.	Title	Artist	Status
1	Do It	Stray Kids	(▲ 5)
2	Divine	Stray Kids	(NEW)
3	Fame	RIIZE	(NEW)
4	TUNNEL VISION	ITZY	(▲ 25)
5	BEAT IT UP	NCT DREAM	(=)
6	ONE MORE TIME	ALLDAY PROJECT	(▼ 5)
7	SUGAR	JUNGWOO (NCT)	(NEW)
8	NOT CUTE ANYMORE	ILLIT	(NEW)
9	PUT IT BACK	ONF	(▼ 7)
10	PUSH BACK	IDID	(NEW)
11	Lemonade Fever	CRAVITY	(▼ 7)
12	SPINNIN’ ON IT	NMIXX	(▲ 16)
13	Talk To You	YEONJUN (TXT)	(▼ 6)
14	FOCUS	Hearts2Hearts	(▼ 6)
15	Hollywood Action	BOYNEXTDOOR	(▼ 12)
16	OVERDRIVE	TWS	(▼ 5)
17	WE GO UP	BABYMONSTER	(▲ 2)
18	Say My Name	MIYEON (i-dle)	(▲ 8)
19	Reno	MIYEON (i-dle) ft. Colde	(▼ 2)
20	F.F.L.Y	MIYEON (i-dle)	(NEW)
21	Blue Valentine	NMIXX	(▼ 9)
22	Psycho	BABYMONSTER	(NEW)
23	SOB	CLOSE YOUR EYES (with IMANBEK)	(▲ 7)
24	HomeRUN	NOWZ	(NEW)
25	Fly Up	tripleS msnz neptune	(NEW)
26	Heart Drop	RESCENE	(NEW)
27	Q&A	tripleS msnz zenith	(NEW)
28	Christmas Alone	tripleS msnz	(NEW)
29	Bloom	RESCENE	(NEW)
30	Cameo Love	tripleS msnz moon	(NEW)

[Review] SUGAR – JUNGWOO (NCT)

November 29, 2025Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged JUNGWOO (NCT), NCT1 Comment

Ahead of his upcoming military enlistment in December 2025, JUNGWOO has made his solo debut with the single SUGAR. This is his first music release in over a year – his last was through his participation in NCT 127’s Walk studio album. Since then, NCT 127 embarked on a world tour, Neo City – The Momentum, which ended back in May this year.

For me, I found SUGAR to be a decent listen despite the unfavourable lead-up to the release. The less-than-a-week notice of the release and lack of marketing didn’t build much hype for the song, and SUGAR lacks standout features. But SUGAR still had enough to feel and sound sweet and pleasant. JUNGWOO’s vocals bring the sweetness to the table, while SUGAR‘s melodies and the subtle grooviness in the instrumental were the pleasant aspects of the song. The rapping in the second verse was a neat addition to the mid-tempo track. There is also a refreshing tone and foot-tapping upbeat nature that makes SUGAR feel more suited during the summery periods, and would have been a likable hit had it been released during that period. But irrespective of its release date, SUGAR is still a nice listen overall.

The music video sees JUNGWOO visit the dentist, after which he indulges in sugary treats – so much so that he turns into a working piece of art. Talk about trajectory! But upon reflection on the lyrics, there is probably more to the video than what meets the eye. The sugar most likely represents his fans. He enjoys being in their presence (i.e., he is the centrepiece of the artwork) and they bring him comfort (i.e., the scenes where he is enjoying the lollies and soft drinks). The dentist appointment can be seen as his military enlistment – a period of time where he can’t be with his fans (i.e., the sugar), with the subsequent scenes about him eating the sugary treats and the artwork also doubling up to represent his hopes that, following his military enlistment, he would be able to continue making sweet memories with his fans.

For the performance, I really liked the bubbly and bright energy he brings, personality wise, to the routine. It makes the whole routine feel comforting, familiar and enjoyable, which I am sure JUNGWOO’s fans like. There is a bit of a mature/sensual vibe behind some of the moves – these appear primarily in the second half of the chorus, and I enjoyed kicks that follow.

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

[Album Review] Whiplash (5th Mini Album) – aespa

November 25, 2025Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged aespaLeave a comment

aespa really hit it big last year with their lead singles. After the likes of Supernova (which took the industry by storm), followed by their Armageddon title track and studio album, aespa also returned in October 2024 with another hit – Whiplash. Just over a year after its release, I have finally gotten around to reviewing the mini-album of the same name, which features 6 songs (including the title track itself). And it is a super excellent mini-album, ranking quite highly on my list of album releases. All tracks on this mini-album are highly recommended for you to check out if you haven’t already!

Since Whiplash, aespa has released one digital single (Dirty Work) and a new mini-album, Rich Man, featuring the title track of the same name.

1. Whiplash (Title Track) – Whiplash definitely grew on me after I posted my review for the track. Given the growth, I am bumping the original review score to 8/10, though most of my thoughts remain the same. Click here for Whiplash’s full review. (8/10)

2. Kill It – The intensity and powerful energy from Kill It’s instrumental brings me to the edge of my seat each time the song plays. Combined with aespa’s commanding presence and strong vocals, aespa presents us with a killing combination that feels like a natural follow-up to 2023’s Drama. (10/10)

3. Flights, Not Feelings – If there is one sequence within Flights, Not Feelings to recommend you check out, it is definitely the chorus. Sure, the centrepiece is meant to be the most memorable part of the song. But the all-member vocal delivery of it, as well as the steady R&B beat of the entire length of the chorus, was just stunning. I find myself vibing to the song every time it comes up in my Spotify queue. Elsewhere in Flights, Not Feelings, you have some equally stunning harps and piano, and a consistent presence of amazing vocals from the members. (10/10)

4. Pink Hoodie – Seeing Pink Hoodie on the tracklist and the fact that the first two words of the song are ‘Baggy Jeans’ instantly remind me of NCT U’s Baggy Jeans. While there are some similarities between the two songs (i.e., both fall under the hip-hop and dance genres), Pink Hoodie is definitely more palatable. The execution of the chorus was much better – there was such a cool vibe to it that I couldn’t help but nod along to the beat. The bridge has a soothing presence, driven by vocals, contrasting with the rest of the hip-hop-based track. I also liked how intense the final chorus got, giving Pink Hoodie a final push to close out the song. (9/10)

5. Flowers – Flowers put the mini-album back in the R&B genre. I like how this is more of the classical R&B, with the prominent guitar riff in the background. The members sound stunning throughout the track, and I like how the melodies create a swaying effect. I also really enjoyed the subtle presence of autotune in the bridge, giving the track a little extra to offset it from being overly consistent. (9/10)

6. Just Another Girl – Hearing aespa have another go at the pop-rock genre is exciting. Whilst writing this review, I will admit I got slightly distracted and found myself checking out Live My Life. While not as explosive as the former track, aespa still does a great job with Just Another Girl. The deep vocals they used were intriguing, but I guess they were being nonchalant about calling out a cheating partner. The bridge is definitely the strongest and best sequence of the track. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 9/10

aespa’s solo teaser images for *WHIPLASH*

[Weekly KPOP Chart] Week 3 of November 2025

November 23, 2025December 7, 2025Posted in Weekly ChartsTagged ALLDAY PROJECTLeave a comment

Welcome to the next Weekly KPOP Chart post for Week 3 of November 2025, which spans from November 16 to November 22 2025.

Nothing new from me this week. I am still writing posts in the background and preparing for the end-of-year stuff. You can expect an announcement soon about the latter. But until then, here are the Weekly KPOP Charts for Week 3 of November 2025.

What else am I listening to?

Each week, I spotlight a song not on the Weekly KPOP Charts that I’ve been listening to over the past week. This week’s song is IU’s You and I.

Non-Korean Song of the Week

The Chart

ALLDAY PROJECT’s first comeback single, ONE MORE TIME, ranked in the top spot this past week. Congratulations ALLDAY PROJECT!

Pos.	Title	Artist	Status
1	ONE MORE TIME	ALLDAY PROJECT	(NEW)
2	Put It Back	ONF	(▲ 1)
3	Hollywood Action	BOYNEXTDOOR	(▲ 4)
4	Lemonade Fever	CRAVITY	(NEW)
5	Beat It Up	NCT DREAM	(NEW)
6	Do It	Stray Kids	(NEW)
7	Talk To You	YEONJUN (TXT)	(▼ 6)
8	FOCUS	Hearts2Hearts	(▼ 2)
9	Pinocchio	AHOF	(RE-ENTER)
10	Head Shoulders Knees Toes	TWS	(RE-ENTER)
11	OVERDRIVE	TWS	(▼ 3)
12	Blue Valentine	NMIXX	(▼ 10)
13	X	CLOSE YOUR EYES	(NEW)
14	SUPERPOWER (Peak)	xikers	(RE-ENTER)
15	Lost and Found	Xdinary Heroes	(NEW)
16	BURNING UP	MEOVV	(▲ 2)
17	Reno	MIYEON (i-dle) ft. Colde	(RE-ENTER)
18	Can’t Stop	TXT	(▲ 5)
19	WE GO UP	BABYMONSTER	(▼ 2)
20	SPAGHETTI	LE SSERAFIM ft. j-hope (BTS)	(▼ 15)
21	I DONT CARE	Baby DONT Cry	(NEW)
22	Pretty Please	Hearts2Hearts	(RE-ENTER)
23	Eight Eleven	unevermet (idntt)	(▼ 1)
24	RUSH	BAEKHO	(NEW)
25	Last Light	Seo Eunkwang (BTOB)	(NEW)
26	Say My Name	Miyeon (i-dle)	(▼ 16)
27	Me	KANG SEUNG YOON (WINNER)	(▼ 18)
28	SPINNIN’ ON IT	NMIXX	(RE-ENTER)
29	TUNNEL VISION	ITZY	(▼ 8)
30	SOB	CLOSE YOUR EYES (with imanbek)	(NEW)

[Album Review] I’LL LIKE YOU (2nd Mini Album) – ILLIT

November 22, 2025Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged ILLITLeave a comment

Another album review for a 2024 release. ILLIT’s I’LL LIKE YOU was released October last year and serves as the group’s 2nd mini-album since their debut earlier in 2024 (with Magnetic). Leading the 5-track mini-album was the title track Cherish (My Love) and follow-up promotional single Tick-Tack. Overall, this was a fair mini-album in my opinion.

More recently, ILLIT released their 3rd mini-album, BOMB, featuring the singles Do The Dance and Jellyous, as well as their first Japanese single, Toki Yo Tomare. The group is also due to make their comeback next week with the single album NOT CUTE ANYMORE.

1. I’ll Like You – The mini-album’s namesake track, I’ll Like You, is both cute and smooth. ILLIT themselves, as well as the bright pops of synth in the background, contribute to the track’s cuteness. The smoothness comes from the dreamy side of the instrumentation and the melodies, which were catchy and fun. While I did enjoy this opening number, I’ll Like You does feel a bit straightforward and plain (relative to other tracks on the album). (8/10)

2. Cherish (My Love) (Title Track) – Click here for Cherish (My Love)’s full review. (7/10)

3. IYKYK (If You Know You Know) – IYKYK is another plain song on the mini-album. I wish the song was punchier, particularly for the chorus, which feels flat. This could have potentially made the “IYKYK” hook more prolific and given the song some additional flair. I did enjoy the synths in the background, particularly the panning effect, which made it sound warpy. IROHA, WONHEE, and MINJU’s rapping was also quite nice and seamless. (7/10)

4. Pimple – ILLIT puts their vocals on display in Pimple. This makes the track extremely appealing to me (after all, I am a vocals guy). I loved how dreamy they made the track sound, especially with the harmonies and pretty melodies. The medium-pop instrumental was also extremely pleasant and made for a nice background. (8/10)

5. Tick-Tack – I had plans to review Tick-Tack separately, but I (and time, but more so I) got in the way of those plans. Anyhow, Tick-Tack is definitely the hidden gem of this mini-album. It was mostly because of the fun, super-catchy chorus that Tick-Tack features. But I also enjoyed the retro video game-esque synths in the background, as well as the underlying grooviness of the instrumental. The members sound great in the track, as well. My only gripe about Tick-Tack is that it finishes as soon as it starts, leaving me disappointed each time I play the song. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.8/10

ILLIT’s teaser image for *I’LL LIKE YOU*

[Review] Do It – Stray Kids

November 21, 2025November 21, 2025Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Stray Kids5 Comments

As mentioned in yesterday’s review, Stray Kids is officially back with their second mixtape, Do It, led by the single of the same name and Divine. The group has yet to release the music video for Divine, so the focus of this post will be on Do It. This is the group’s third release of the year, following the Mixtape: dominATE single album and their fourth studio album KARMA (led by CEREMONY).

It appears to be a good week for KPOP releases, with each appealing to me within the first listen. It is the same story for Do It, though there are moments where I wish there were a bit more to what we got. Do It features a reggaeton-influenced pop instrumental, with the Latin-influenced chorus serving as a strong centrepiece, revisiting the repetitive hook motif they have employed in many of their recent title tracks. Personally, I would have liked the chorus to be a bit more explosive by amping up both synths and bass. But I like the spoken nature of their “Do It” hook, which is catchy thanks to its repetition, but also because it helps bring forth a mature, sensual vibe to the song. This hook, paired with the instrumental that we did get, was a memorable combination in my book. As for their vocals, I liked the fresh bite the vocalists brought to Do It. And I enjoyed the dynamic the rappers brought to the song (though I do miss the more in-your-face execution they’ve been aiming for in their more recent releases). Overall, Do It is another strong Stray Kids release – though after checking out the mixtape, I have my eyes and ears out for Divine.

While I am sure there is a better interpretation storyline for the music video that might connect with the Divine music video, here is my stab at making sense of what we see in isolation. At the start, we see the members touch down (on a motorised broomstick, which is a bit of a trendy element) in a run-down place in their universe (or maybe it is the future, and their universe is run-down for whatever reason). The aesthetic, with the people standing around, reminds me of their past music videos, which is why I think it is in their same universe. Do It (the song) encourages listeners to take control and do whatever they want, and so we see the members sing and dance to help the inhabitants of this run-down place to ‘do it’. Eventually, we see the inhabitants join in with Stray Kids. I like how, in the initial and second choruses, they got the dancers to join in and then stand still in the next moment, showing us their desire to join Stray Kids. Unsure if it is editing, or just a clever use of lighting and having the dancers joining in and then pausing, but that aspect of the music video looked really cool to me.

As mentioned earlier, the song’s centrepiece brought forward mature, sensual vibes. And you see that come through the accompanying routine, with the members doing subtle yet noticeable body waves during that segment. I also liked how commanding the rest of the routine was for the chorus.

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

[Review] Railway – BANG CHAN (Stray Kids)

November 20, 2025November 20, 2025Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Bangchan (Stray Kids), Stray Kids10 Comments

With Stray Kids due to make their comeback on Friday with their new mixtape, Do It, led by the title tracks Do It and Divine, I thought it might be nice to quickly wrap up the review of the solo tracks from their Hop mixtape released last year. The final song to review is BANG CHAN’s Railway. For the other reviews of Stray Kids’ solo songs from the Hop mixtape, see the links below the music video. I will be back soon to review the unit tracks from their Mixtape: Dominate album.

I don’t have much to say about Railway. From the first second, you can feel the intensity and tension of Railway through its instrumentation. It is definitely the song’s best asset. While it is more on the typical end of the spectrum, I actually liked the presence of the trap elements and hefty beats alongside the darker, atmospheric synths in the song. As Railway develops, electric guitars are introduced, teasing out more of that intensity and tension as the song goes along. BANG CHAN himself adds a sultry vibe to Railway through his vocals, giving it a more mature, alluring feel. This aligns with the song’s potential mature themes, which BANGCHAN tends to explore in his solo work, and complements the intensity/tension I keep mentioning. Personally, I would have liked an extended version of Railway, as it feels relatively short despite its inherent slower pace to maintain a consistent intensity/tension.

Like the song, the music video visually explores dark and mature themes. Vampirism, blood and gore (including bone-crushing sound effects) make a presence in the video to represent the struggles BANG CHAN experiences with the different sides of himself. In the video, the one we think is in charge at the start loses his authority and is locked up by a different version of himself by the end. Which version is which, we won’t know. But it is a very artistic and haunting way of representing these struggles. Props to BANG CHAN for his superb acting throughout the video.

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

[Review] ONE MORE TIME – ALLDAY PROJECT

November 19, 2025Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged ALLDAY PROJECT2 Comments

One of the biggest rookies of the year is without a doubt ALLDAY PROJECT. In case you missed it, they kicked off their careers in June with the singles FAMOUS and WICKED. Almost five months on, they are back with their third single, ONE MORE TIME.

To be honest, I was a little sceptical whether the group would be able to exceed the heights of FAMOUS. But one listen to ONE MORE TIME, consider me hopeful. Can’t speak to their chart performance just yet, but things are looking promising on that front as well. I really liked the liquid drum-and-bass sound they used initially, with WOOCHAN and YOUNGSEO adding a delicate, sentimental touch through their vocals. From there, the instrumental gradually builds, with BAILEY, WOOCHAN and ANNIE doing a great job of matching the trajectory. The chorus kicks ONE MORE TIME up a notch with its drum-and-bass instrumental, increasing the momentum strongly (relatively to the earlier part of the song). This contrast between verse and chorus also helps make the centrepiece punchy. TARZZAN doesn’t appear until the second verse, with a rap sequence that I thought was somewhat classy, thanks to the atmospheric vibe going on. I liked the approach, but the rap sequence itself could have been executed better. BAILEY gives us a ‘calm before the storm’ moment for the bridge, before the instrumental switches from that drum-and-bass sound to a more electronic sound profile to close out the song. I personally enjoyed this moment in ONE MORE TIME, as it gave the song a more hyped and dynamic flair. Parts of me still want ONE MORE TIME to be more explosive and less ‘held back’ at specific points, but I think the end was satisfying enough.

I liked how the music video complements the differing momenta within ONE MORE TIME with the differing energies you would expect of a night out. The song started out slower (described above as delicate and sentimental), and the corresponding scenes show the members alone as if they are winding down after a long day. As the song builds, we see the members regroup and start hanging out together. In the choruses, we see the members dance together (but without a crowd), and the electronic and dynamic switch-up at the end of ONE MORE TIME is complemented by some club energy and a crowd to hype them up. It was a well-thought-out music video.

A dance performance has not yet been revealed for this comeback. But I could piece together enough of the reels to see what the dance performance would look like. And I am really digging what I’ve seen so far for earlier parts of the song. But it should come as no surprise that I am most excited for the routine that pairs with the electronic ending of the song, which features some interesting, fast-paced tutting and footwork.

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

[Review] Beat It Up – NCT DREAM

November 17, 2025Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged NCT, NCT DREAM1 Comment

Just four months after dropping their 5th studio album, Go Back to the Future (led by the singles BTTF and CHILLER), NCT DREAM re-enters the KPOP scene with another release, making this one of the busiest years yet! Their new mini-album, Beat It Up, features the title track of the same name. It also follows the solo debut of HAECHAN with CRZY in September this year (who follows MARK’s solo debut earlier this year, as well).

From the first listen, I found myself digging Beat It Up. It is a powerful and bold hip-hop track that boasts several prolific aspects. The first thing that really jumped out at me is the ‘Beat It Up‘ repetition in the background. While the thought that it might become annoying briefly crossed my mind, by the end of the first listen, I was really digging the repetition, both texturally and in its clean execution, as well as a catchy hook. Beat It Up also features some really cool rapping sequences. Both JENO and JAEMIN started the song off strong, but MARK’s sequence in the second verse really hit hard. The MARK and JENO combination as the pre-chorus before the second chorus was also a neat peak. It wouldn’t be an SM Entertainment song without some truly melodic vocals, even in a hip-hop song like Beat It Up. The vocals in the first pre-chorus and second verse really helped smooth out the bold energy, while the stripped-back bridge (a classic SM aspect) was beautifully executed by HAECHAN, CHENLE and RENJUN. JISUNG effortlessly pulls us right back into the hip-hop energy to lead us into a satisfying end to Beat It Up. Oh, and I haven’t yet spoken about the instrumental, which is full of ‘bold kicks and strong bass sounds’ (SOOMPI describes the song well, so I have borrowed their description of Beat It Up). It definitely delivers in impact and boldness.

Like the song, the music video definitely showcases NCT DREAM in a very cool limelight. The video opens with band-aids or minor scratches on the members’ faces, representing the scars they have received as part of their journey. Throughout the rest of the video, we see the members potentially engaging in heated moments with the actors in the background, a two-car head-on collision, numerous mangled bikes, crashing buildings, and a boxing ring match, all of which could explain the scratches and bruises. However, despite these, the members proudly display them as if they were battle scars and evidence of their hard work in achieving their current status. The scenes with the crashing buildings and the car collision floating in the sky (with MARK hanging onto a tyre and JISUNG/JENO in the car seats) were quite impressive moments in the video. The wiping transition at the start of the video (see the feature image for this post) was also very bold.

The boxing and punching references make sense for a routine to a song titled Beat It Up. While I am not sure if they make it into the choreography, the freestyle scenes throughout the music video also fit in well with the concept and the hip-hop nature of the song. But it is the routine for the final chorus that has me most excited. It seamlessly blends references and freestyle energy into one and serves as a really excellent closer to the dance.

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

[Weekly KPOP Chart] Week 2 of November 2025

November 16, 2025Posted in Weekly ChartsTagged YEONJUN (TXT)Leave a comment

Welcome to the next Weekly KPOP Chart post for Week 2 of November 2025, which spans from November 9 to November 15, 2025.

I’m back from my break and will restart song and album reviews tomorrow! I just needed a few days away from work (I had become very drained), and I ended up going to another city for this break. This meant I couldn’t actively draft and post reviews for new songs. Additionally, the Wi-Fi at the hotel was terrible (it took me three days to write the last Weekly KPOP Chart post).

But until tomorrow, here is the Weekly KPOP Charts for Week 2 of November 2025.

Non-Korean Song of the Week

The Chart

YEONJUN’s latest comeback single, Talk To You, ranked in the top spot this past week. Congratulations YEONJUN!

Pos.	Title	Artist	Status
1	Talk To You	YEONJUN (TXT)	(▲ 8)
2	Blue Valentine	NMIXX	(▲ 4)
3	Put It Back	ONF	(NEW)
4	Mamma Mia	izna	(RE-ENTER)
5	SPAGHETTI	LE SSERAFIM ft. j-hope (BTS)	(▲ 9)
6	FOCUS	Hearts2Hearts	(▼ 2)
7	Hollywood Action	BOYNEXTDOOR	(▲ 5)
8	OVERDRIVE	TWS	(RE-ENTER)
9	Me	KANG SEUNG YOON (WINNER)	(▲ 15)
10	Say My Name	MIYEON (i-dle)	(▼ 7)
11	In The Dark	TEMPEST	(▲ 19)
12	CYNICAL	SUNMI	(▼ 7)
13	I’m Him	NEXZ	(▼ 3)
14	From (2018)	ATEEZ	(NEW)
15	GOING SOUTH	JUST B	(RE-ENTER)
16	5, 4, 3 (Pretty Woman)	CxM (SEVENTEEN)	(RE-ENTER)
17	We Go Up	BABYMONSTER	(▼ 10)
18	BURNING UP	MEOVV	(RE-ENTER)
19	Falling	WOODZ ft. Young K (DAY6)	(NEW)
20	Tiger	THE BOYZ	(NEW)
21	TUNNEL VISION	ITZY	(NEW)
22	Eight Eleven	unevermet (idnnt)	(NEW)
23	Can’t Stop	TXT	(NEW)
24	number one rockstar	DAYOUNG (WJSN)	(RE-ENTER)
25	I’ll Never Love Again	WOODZ	(▼ 3)
26	ICU	Xdinary Heroes	(▼ 18)
27	EMBER	YUTA (NCT)	(RE-ENTER)
28	Just 1 Year	BIG Naughty ft. 10CM	(NEW)
29	Fly To You	ONEUS	(NEW)
30	Freak	BM (KARD) ft. B.I	(RE-ENTER)

[Review] WE GO UP – BABYMONSTER

November 14, 2025November 8, 2025Posted in KPOP1 Comment

BABYMONSTER also made their comeback last month with their second mini-album, WE GO UP, led by the title track of the same name (focus of this post). It is their first album release in almost a year, following their November 2024 DRIP studio album, which was led by the double title tracks DRIP and CLIK CLAK. But that wasn’t their last comeback to date. The group returned in July 2025 with the digital single HOT SAUCE (which, unsurprisingly, I have yet to review).

BABYMONSTER really establishes themselves in WE GO UP, an intense and hard-hitting hip-hop dance track. The verses reveal some powerful rap performances, while the rest of the song presents equally powerful vocal moments. This is BABYMONSTER’s strongest foot forward as a cohesive group, and really sells the group in my opinion. For the instrumentation, we get a mixture of electric guitars, synths that resemble church organs and a proud thumping beat to drive and propel WE GO UP forward. I am particularly drawn to those electric guitars, especially during the moments in the song when everything is stripped away, leaving just the guitars. The chorus lines feature repetition of the WE GO UP title, and I really like the punch this gives the song. One thing that I think WE GO UP would benefit from is an instrumental break. This could be something to really give the song that extra oomph and capitalise on the badass and intensity that WE GO UP exudes. Extra points if the dance break that corresponds does the exact same thing on stage.

WE GO UP‘s lyrics are about aiming to be on top. And what better way to depict that than multiple battles throughout the video? Essentially, we see the members battle and destroy the bad guys. The battle scenes are epic, featuring members participating in action movie-inspired fight scenes that involve guns, explosives and snipers; a katana sword fight; an underground boxing match; and even a supernatural/elemental fight. All of these result in the members coming out on top and being victorious, proving themselves to be ones to fear in the futuristic city. I really like that montage where each fight is drawn out like blown-out particles. There is probably a more technical term for this montage, but that really looked cool and epic (if the rest of the video wasn’t already enough).

The performance also taps into that epic nature and attempts to be bold. But I don’t get that from the moves. It is more a matter of the demeanour of the members, which is more of that hype nature commonly associated with hip-hop performances. I wished the moves matched that vibe, so that the comeback is well-rounded on all fronts.

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