Casual reviews of KPOP songs, music videos & dances
Author: kpopreviewed
Hi, my name is Tony and I am the man behind the site, kpopreviewed. Currently an university student who wants to introduce people to KPOP and if you are already into KPOP, different groups and bands.
MONSTA X made their official comeback to the stage yesterday with a new song and mini-album. Titled LOVE and Shape of Love respectively, it is the first time we are seeing the group (sans Shonwu, who is currently serving his military enlistment) since November of last year through their Rush Hour comeback. This comeback also follows KIHYUN’s solo debut with VOYAGER which occurred last month. The comeback was originally scheduled for earlier in April, but was postponed by two weeks due to COVID-19. But the members have since recovered and are ready to crush the stage with LOVE.
MONSTA X’s affinity to EDM in the past for their title tracks has made it synonymous with the group’s sound. I quite liked this aggressive, powerful and intense side of the group, even when others didn’t. LOVE steps away from that reliance on EDM and re-enters old school R&B and hip-hop territory. Despite how I started this section of the review, I must say that there is definitely nothing wrong with this sound profile as MONSTA X expertly executes and showcases the two sides of song really well. What I quite enjoy about LOVE is how within the instrumental, the two sides of the song were distinct and clearly identifiable. But what really glued the song together were the vocals, which blurred the boundaries a bit (i.e. hip-hop melodies in the R&B instrumental territory and vice versa). It is an interesting blend, and one that MONSTA X pulls off successfully. I also like the colourful nature of the instrumental, from the brass that literally felt oozy to the punchy synths. For me, the standout member for this comeback was Jooheon. His vocals and rapping worked so well on both sides of LOVE, and I quite liked how energetic and upbeat he was throughout the song. Definitely made it captivating. His growls were very alluring and hit at the right moments. The other members did excellent in the song, as well. In terms of weaknesses, LOVE should have stronger hooks that were more defined and memorable. What we got just didn’t really feel enough for this song, and there was moments where they could have gone further. But overall, LOVE was a nice departure from their usual sound.
Visually, MONSTA X shows off two sides of themselves in this video. The first is a more casual side, and the second is a more elegant side. Both were captivating to watch, but the elegant side was a lot more alluring. Though I might be bias due to that cool stage set and the gold on black colour palette that made everything feel so expensive. I guess that might say something about my taste. The glittery closeups of Hyunwon and Kihyun also may have played a part. I also liked how the video acknowledges that MONSTA X is a six-member male group even though they are promoting as a five member group at the moment. At the very end of the video, we see six microphones, with the sixth microphone corresponding to Shownu (who is currently enlisting as already mentioned). What a warm way to end off the video.
The choreography felt extremely fitting for this song, with the choreography’s intensity feeling just right. I also enjoyed the bounce the choreography had, particularly in Hyungwon’s part in the bridge. Some other observations I had whilst watching the stage performance includes wanting better utilization of I.M’s cane (its adds a classy touch, but felt under used) and that Minhyuk’s visuals were so good.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 8.5/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.6/10
It is time we crown the next Queen of KPOP through the second season of Queendom. Following the success of Queendom Season 1 (which crowned Mamamoo as the winner), Road to Kingdom (which gave The Boyz a one way ticket to the next competition) and Kingdom: Legendary War (which crowned Stray Kids as the winner), Queendom is officially back with six new female participants. This season sees WJSN (Cosmic Girls), LOONA, Brave Girls, Kep1er, VVIZ and Hyolyn battle it out for the Queendom title, while Taeyeon (from SNSD) takes the helm as MC this time around.
As I have reviewed part of Queendom, all of Road To Kingdom and Kingdom: Legendary War, I will also be reviewing the stages of Queendom 2, recapping the high caliber performances from each round and also putting forward my thoughts on what the ranking should have been for that round.
Opening Show Performances
Starting off the show this time around are short introductory performances, referred to by the show as Opening Show Performances. Unlike the 100 second performances that opened up Kingdom: Legendary War, Queendom 2 does not consider this as an official round and these performances are not a determinant in determining the final winners of the show.
However, for the purposes of my recap and ‘my thoughts on what the ranking should be’, I will be determining a rank for these Opening Show Performances (based on my personal thoughts) and will use this ranking in determining my personal pick of a final winner.
WJSN’s Opening Show Performance
WJSN starts off their Queendom campaign with a short version of Save Me Save You that focuses on both the elegant and dramatic sides of the song and group. I quite like this performance for the showcasing of these styles, and overall stage presence. It begins with a brief instrumental sample of their hit Secret and Seola opening a music box. The design on the music box ends up being displayed on the floor of the stage, and the other members performing on the design, before all eight members (sans Bona who was preoccupied with acting schedules, and Dawon who is currently sitting out of schedules due to health issues) come together to showcase elegance and dramatic sides through their dance routine over some classical piano. Vocals come into play, and the members do a quick outfit swap (from dark blue to light blue). I wished the cloud that shoots up from the front of the stage did a better job of hiding the members during the outfit change, just to give that performance more of a wow factor. But overall, a satisfying beginning to the show for the group.
LOONA’s Opening Show Performance
Everything in terms of stage, instrumental and outfits was extremely simple for LOONA’s Opening Show Performance, so the focus was placed on the group’s performance. It is a silky routine that showcases the group’s performance potential. I quite like this direction, as it definitely feels like the group hit the brief for Queendom. There was a range of emotions portrayed throughout this performance (which includes a bit of their Satellite single), such as gracefulness, fierceness, sensual, powerfulness and probably a few more. None of them overpowered or became dominant, and so there was a level of sophistication and aesthetic to the performance. Overall, a strong showing from the group, as expected by fans such as myself. On a more critical note about the performance, the group could have been a bit more synchronised. I think the intention to be synchronised was there, but it just wasn’t perfectly executed. Had it been perfectly executed, LOONA would easily been miles ahead with this opening performance.
VIVIZ’s Opening Show Performance
VIVIZ continues the retro theme of their debut track, BOP BOP!, on their Opening Show Performance stage. You can also hear snippets of BOP BOP! in the background of this performance! Personally, I felt VIVIZ’s performance was the most vibrant and pop-aligned start to the show, which is appealing to my personal taste. I like the brief start with the shot from above. It is creative and the hand choreography was fun. We then switch to small solo stages for each of the members. Given that the group only has three members, this was a unique move and one I think pays off in terms of impact. However, I believe a bit of refinement was needed from each member to make their solo routines stand out a bit more. I also wished their expressions were less serious, which would help add life to the performance. The three members then reunite, and this is when the performance is at its peak. The moves here felt more polished and there was a level of sexiness that I quite liked. I also liked the speaker towards the end of the performance, pumping powder up into the air. It just adds a bit more flair to the performance.
Brave Girls’ Opening Show Performance
For Brave Girls performance, consistency was the big that popped out at me. All the moves definitely fitted in with one another and the flow was great. The music was just right and I really like that the group capitalised on their Rollin’ hook in this song without pulling out any of the Rollin’ dance moves. They easily could have gone down that route, and that would have resulted in a ‘safe’ performance (or potentially ill-fitting routine, if the music remained the same). But this stage was not safe, but was somewhat more adventurous for the group instead. Overall, it was a fun stage to watch, which showed off the group’s showmanship and skills. The use of hats and jackets throughout the performance was definitely cool. The jacket flick back at the end was definitely very sexy. And I really enjoyed the sequence where two members were facing forward and the other two members were walking backwards whilst walking towards the camera, followed by that switcheroo move. If anything, I wished the dance moves were a bit sharper in terms of execution.
Hyolyn’s Opening Show Performance
Hyolyn’s is this season’s one person act. Through this performance, Hyolyn establishes that she is one versatile performer. She has the performance skills, the experience, the amazing vocals that once (and still) swoons the audience. She kind of has it all. In this brief version of Dally, Hyolyn commands the stage alone. I expected dancers to appear on the stage, but this expectation did not become fruitful. Instead, she pulls off the performance by herself with no problems. This speaks towards her stage presence and skills no doubt. The stage hosted one sexy act that is bound of drive fans crazy. Her opening was striking and made an impression, both in a visual and in vocal sense. Hyolyn definitely made an impression, and a strong one at that!
Kep1er’s Opening Show Performance
Kep1er is the relative newcomer and is expected to bring a youthful charm to the show. I don’t have much to say about this performance, other than ‘wow’! I like how fierce the performance was. It just shows us that they are not a group to mess around with or underestimate, given their lesser experience. I also really like the military influence to the performance. I also enjoyed the bolder and abrasive remix of See The Light that the group performs to. They got the synchronisation down pat and definitely had strong stage presence, something remarkable for a group that has only been around for a couple of months. Once again, I have nothing else to say about the performance other than a wow!
And the winner is…
As mentioned before, there is no official winner for the Opening Show performances round. But as per my past posts for Road to Kingdom and Kingdom, I have decided to also rank the Opening Show performances in order from preference. I just want to note that all the performances were amazing in their own right, so it was extremely difficult to actually rank these. But I have managed to settle on a list on where I think these Opening Show performance should rank had there been an official rank:
Ranking
Opening Show Performance
1
Hyolyn
2
Kep1er
3
LOONA
4
WJSN
5
VIVIZ
6
Brave Girls
Do you agree me? Let me know in the comments below!
Next up: Queendom 2 – Preliminary Round 1 – Representative Song Battle
Apologies for the slow week that had just past. I was very tired after work this week, and so spent the time I should have been blogging, resting. As a result, I only reviewed two songs this week, those of which were from previous weeks. I am hoping that I will be back on board to review some new/old releases, and work on those special posts (Queendom Season 2, mainly) that I have been promising for weeks. In the meanwhile, here is the Weekly KPOP Chart for the 3rd Week of April 2022.
New releases of the Week
I wrote no new reviews for this week. But this doesn’t mean that the past week had no new releases. See the list below of new releases from the past week that have been entered into this Weekly KPOP Chart segment:
D-Day – Wheein (Mamamoo)
Hit Me Up – Min ft. JMIN
I Want You To Be Happy – APINK
FINE! – HA:TFELT
Seoul – BOL4
1 of 9 – YOUNITE
EVERYBODY – YOUNITE ft. DJ Juice
Make It Right – Jungmo
SO GOOD – DRIPPIN
Crossing In The Line – BOUN
Memory – BOUN
Overcome – Mimi
Savior – Kim Sung Kyu (Infinite)
Bluebird – Ryeowook (Super Junior)
Memories– Me:us
Throwback Corner
This week’s throwback song is 2NE1’s I Am The Best, all thanks to their surprise and unexpected reunion on stage at this year’s Coachella.
Non-Korean Release of the Week
The highest ranking non-Korean song this week is, again, Red Velvet’s WILDSIDE, which placed in 5th position for this past week.
The Charts
Congratulations to DKZ for topping the Weekly KPOP Chart for the 3rd Week of April 2022 with their latest single, Cupid. This is the first time DKZ (or Dongkiz) has topped the Weekly KPOP Charts segment on my blog! For more of the charts, keep on reading.
3rd Week of April 2022
17th Apr – 23rd Apr 2022
Pos.
Song
Artist
Status
1
Cupid
DKZ
(▲ 55)
2
MANIAC
Stray Kids
(▲ 9)
3
X-Ray
GHOST9
(▼ 2)
4
LOOK
N.O.M
(▲ 43)
5
WILDSIDE
Red Velvet
(▲ 68)
6
Savior
Kim Sung Kyu (Infinite)
(NEW)
7
I Want You To Be Happy
APINK
(NEW)
8
Oh Sorry Ya
Sunmi
(▲ 65)
9
LOVE DIVE
IVE
(▲ 11)
10
JAWS
BAE173
(▲ 12)
11
VOYAGER
KIHYUN (MONSTA X)
(▼ 2)
12
Glitch Mode
NCT DREAM
(▲ 25)
13
Rollin
VANNER
(▲ 60)
14
O.O
NMIXX
(▲ 11)
15
WHO
Moonbin & Sanha (ASTRO)
(▲ 19)
16
UNBELIVABLE
Woo Jinyoung (D1CE)
(▲ 57)
17
Flower
Park Bom ft. Kim Min Seok (MeloMance)
(▲ 56)
18
ESPER
Kwon Eun Bi
(▲ 55)
19
RE=LOAD
JUST B
(▲ 54)
20
Parallel Universe
NINE.i
(▼ 14)
21
SMILE
ZELO
(▲ 52)
22
MAISON
Dreamcatcher
(▼ 17)
23
Too Bad
WEi
(▲ 7)
24
Glitch
Kwon Eun Bi
(▼ 9)
25
DU DU DU
TAN
(▼ 7)
26
J♡B = LOVE
W24
(▲ 1)
27
coNEXTion (Age of Light)
NCT U (Doyoung, Mark & Haechan)
(▲ 46)
28
GingaMingaYo (the strange world)
Billlie
(▼ 15)
29
Real Love
Oh My Girl
(▲ 3)
30
O
VERIVERY
(▼ 26)
Songs leaving the charts this week
The following songs have left the charts this week as they have wrapped up their nine week run in the charts system:
It is time for another round of International Song Reviews. Unfortunately, the songs released by our beloved Korean artists have fallen to the back of the pack, and so they haven’t had much attention over the last few months. But I will eventually catch up and get around to reviewing them. Last post (way back in February) featured MONSTA X, SEVENTEEN, TWICE, WONHO and Jeon Somi. This time around, I am focusing on WOOZI (from SEVENTEEN), Eric Nam, Golden Child, Changmin (from TVXQ) and (new group) NIK.
Ruby – WOOZI (SEVENTEEN)
WOOZI kicked started off the year with his mixtape solo release, Ruby. This track genuinely surprised me because I was under the impression that the track would be a Korean song. But it ended up being a full-English song. I was totally prepared to write a full review for it at the very start of the year, before I realized that it was in English. Anyhow, Ruby starts off as an unsuspecting ballad thanks to the strings that started off the song and gave a classical vibe. But that is just the intro to Ruby, which ended up being a unrelentless head-banging worth rock track. I liked that WOOZI maintains a light vocal tone throughout Ruby, but is also kept on top of the instrumental and isn’t drowned out by the backing piece at anyone point. The way the autotune comes into play throughout Ruby helps adds texture and amps up the energy, confirming Ruby‘s status as a top notch song to kick off a solo career. My only complaint is that Ruby could have been longer. As for the music video, I liked how the colour red was used in a balanced manner. Never was any scene was oversaturated in the bold colour (plus, there were some scenes that didn’t have a lick of the red colour!). But yet, you can tell that red was the central colour to the video. WOOZI also donned some sleek looking suits and got his boogie on during some parts, which felt refreshing and unique compared to other music videos we have seen for rock songs. (9/10)
I Don’t Know You Anymore – Eric Nam
It has been a while since I reviewed Eric Nam, with my last review for Eric being 2020’s Paradise. Since then, Eric Nam has released a handful of solo tracks, such as 2021’s I Don’t Know You Anymore (which was rereleased as a track on his second English studio length album, There and Back Again). I have picked I Don’t Know You Anymore as Eric Nam’s next review on my blog because it was such an an ‘easy on the ears’ track to listen to. It remains within the pop realm and is quite upbeat, but never does it feel too much. This is a style Eric Nam excels at, based on his many hits that I have covered on the blog. I like how his vocals flow through this song, the simplicity of the hooks and melodies, and the prominence of guitars that makes up the instrumental. It does get a bit repetitive, and I wished there was something within the song that dispels the repetitiveness. But still a great listen nonetheless. For the music video, I liked the simplicity of the scenes and shots we got. Eric Nam showed character and let himself loose for this video, which made it is a fun video to watch. Some of the post-production effects felt unnecessary, and it felt like the editor got a little too excited on their part whilst editing the video. (8/10)
A WOO!! – Golden Child
Earlier this year, Golden Child made their debut in Japan with the single A WOO!!. Knowing what Golden Child has put out in Korean, I am disappointed with A WOO!!. While the track dabbles in a synth-pop like dance track, it never hits hard and the instrumental never really catches on, for the most part. The ‘A WOO‘s we get as part of the lyrics and hook falls flat and doesn’t really excite me. Similarly, their vocals and rapping doesn’t really appeal to me. But they do hold their ground well. But it isn’t all bad news for A WOO!!. My favourite part of the song is actually the post-chorus that follows the first and third choruses. It is when the song hit hardest, is the most abrasiveness (and so is the most interesting part of the instrumental) and the intensity is quite memorable. It is just unfortunate that the rest of the song is generic and doesn’t live up to the same level. For the music video, it was a fairly simple setup of choreography shots/closeups. Like the song, the video is pretty plain-looking. But it isn’t the end of the world for me, as the stylists did a good job of making the members look edgy throughout this video. For the choreography, A WOO!! doesn’t really have much going on to stand out. But I note their sharp moves (as always) and the wolf references we get in the choreography. But nothing as strong as their Korean routines. (6.2/10)
Human – Max Changmin (TVXQ)
In addition to making his solo comeback in Korea earlier this year through Devil (title of both title track and mini-album), Max Changmin also made a solo comeback in Japan with the track Human (though at the end of 2021). Human is a three language song, with Korean, Japanese and English lyrics. To me, the song could have been epic. Key words being ‘could have been’. The lacking element to Human is the instrumental and this prevents Human from fully entering that epic territory. Instead, it felt half-baked and didn’t have much going on within it. I personally have no idea how else to even describe it! I wish the instrumentals went with either dramatic orchestra, or intense EDM, or powerful rock to really take Human to the next level. What does give Human some hope and drives the song towards epic possibility is Max Changmin himself. He really packs a punch in Human and doesn’t hold his vocals back. I like how loaded the lyrics felt, and the way Max Changmin delivered his lines definitely emphasised this point. As for the video, I like the premise of what we see. I would go the extra length to say the plotline, but what I got out of the video is based on my imagination. My interpretation of the story is that Changmin makes the ultimate sacrifice at the end to save the younger boy, who I am guessing is himself. I am basing this on the fact that he seems prepared to take that plunge and spends the moments beforehand reminiscing about the ocean through his hands. Also we don’t see the young boy in the sandstorm until after Changmin take the plunge. (8.5/10)
ANOTOKIE – NIK
NIK is a new group whom I have not reviewed before on this blog. They are Japanese-Korean male group consisting of 11 members, some of which are former and current members of KPOP groups, that made their debut in 2021. For more information about NIK, check out their profile on Kprofiles. ANOTOKIE is a Japanese single released by the group in December 2021, but it didn’t get my attention until early this year. For me, it is the warmth of the chorus and comforting nature of the melodies that really got me into this simple song. There is also a hopeful atmosphere to the song that I was also drawn to. This is partly thanks to the pleasant pop instrumental, which paired well with the straight forward vocals in the chorus. Elsewhere, I heard solid vocal and rapping potential (Though the heavily autotuned rapping in the second verse could have been omitted). I am not entirely sure what the music video was meant to show, given how the ending some of the members seem to be happy that they are together. Throughout the video, some of the members were reflective, frustrated or sad. I guess they are encompassing the emotions that they sing about in ANOTOKIE, which is all about wanting that extra chance to make things right with their partner (but knowing that chance has passed). But the ending doesn’t make much sense. Also, their outfits look like they shot this between schedules. The all white outfits don’t look natural in the urban setting. Maybe some refinement and clearer direction could have helped the video. (7.8/10)
Apologies once again for the break I took this week. Work took a lot of energy out of me again. But I am back this weekend with reviews for you all. Starting off this weekend of reviews (and more!) is DKZ’s Cupid, which was released on 12 April 2022. For those who might think DKZ is a new group, they are not! DKZ is actually DONGKIZ, originally a five member male group from Dongpyo Entertainment which debuted back in 2018. Earlier this year, it was announced the group would under go a rebranding from DONGKIZ to DKZ. It was also announced that member Wondae would depart from the group due to health reasons, and the group would be reformed into a seven member group with the addition of 3 new members. The release of Cupid also follows the success of Jaechan’s acting in Semantic Error. This is also my first review for the group since their 2020 comeback Beautiful.
The reason to why I picked up Cupid for my first review after almost a week’s absence is because I have been thoroughly enjoying Cupid this week. I remember upon its initial release that I found Cupid to be lively and upbeat. And while that still remains to be the case, Cupid has definitely snowballed for me since then. Cupid had grown into an exciting, fun and playful track that is super catchy and definitely worth every replay I have given it. The melodies and the song’s main hook (i.e. ‘Forget me, Want to me, Bounce on me‘) are definitely elements of Cupid that have been keyed into my mind (just ignore the poor of English in this song). The brassy pop instrumental has a nice punch to it when it gets to the chorus, which helps makes Cupid super energetic and gives the chorus a chance to really pop out from the standard verses. I also like how shouty the members get in the second half of the chorus, which undoubtedly complements the energy driven nature of the chorus. In addition to the shouty delivery, I liked the vocalists in choruses, as they give Cupid a really abrasive texture with their scratchy voices which contrasts with the rest of the song and also gives oomph to the song. My favourite bit has to be the ending, when Jaechan shouts ‘Encore‘ and the same instrumental that backs the choruses comes into play for a final round. There is just something about this section that just stands out even though it is just a repeat sequence. Overall, I can see why a lot more people are attracted to Cupid.
The music video is pretty standard, but it offers a fun and lighthearted story that works well with the song. (despite it also being cringy at the same time). Essentially, DKZ operates a business that searches for others’ loved ones (similar to how Cupid connect people together). They get a few random clients at the start, but nothing really interests them. However, when a mysterious female character steps in and asks the group to search for a person, they all jump on board and accept her as a client. She hands them a bunch of pictures of this person’s features, which the members start using as clues to find this person. Well, it turns out they weren’t searching for one person, but rather than seven persons (i.e. themselves), as each image corresponded to each member. In the end, the members were rounded up by the mysterious female character who actually is the police and the guys go to prison. A bit of a reach towards the end, but hey, the video is meant to be comical and not taken serious. Other than the plot, I really like colourfulness of the video, which help boosted the vibrancy of both the visuals and the song.
Like the song and music video, I would say this choreography is fun. My favourite bits was during the chorus, when the music was intense and their moves matched said intensity. I did wish the final sequence of instrumental (following ‘Encore‘) was more freestyle, as that would made the routine a bit more exciting. But overall, a fair effort.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 7.5/10 Overall Rating – 8.2/10
Once again, I am travelling back in time to a few weeks back for the next review. Making her comeback on 11 March was Park Bom, with the single Flower. It features Kim Min Seok, who is part of the duo MeloMance, and has been trending recently for his remake single Drunken Confession (originally released by Feel in 2005). This is the first time I am covering Park Bom on the blog since her 2019 release 4:44, which featured Wheein from Mamamoo. However, she has had a few releases since then that I didn’t review, including First Snow (with Sandara Park) and Do Re Mi Fa La Sol (with Changmo).
Following her track record of recent solo singles, it comes as no surprise as Flower opts for for the ballad genre, as well. But while ballads are in huge abundance in the KPOP scene, Flower manages to stand out as a stunning piece that I find quite indulging. It starts off with a simple piano backdrop (with a brief hint of strings). It isn’t anything amazing instrumentally, but the repetitiveness of the piano was rather striking in its own way. The simplicity of the background also allows for Park Bom’s unique vocals and tone to take centre-stage, and she sounds amazing in her solo verse. For the chorus, strings are added to the background and Park Bom’s vocals build in a manner that makes the chorus stilling and gripping. Kim Minseok, the other half of the Flower collaboration, takes over the second verse and chorus, and adds a hint of smoothness to Flower that was missing from Park Bom’s section. Here, Flower‘s instrumental also stands building, developing the simple piano instrumental into an orchestral piece. Despite that, I really liked how Kim Min Seok’s nasally tone pierces through and manages to stay on top of the developments underneath it. The pair comes together for the bridge and final chorus, with Park Bom leading the vocals and Kim Min Seok handling the ad-libs. I quite liked they weren’t forced to harmonise for majority of this section, and were instead allowed to focus on their own strengths and complement each other at the same time. A clear balance was achieved. We did get one line at the very end of the Flower in which the pair does sing together, closing out the song with the expected union of the two. It also felt fitting to keep this moment until the last second, based on the breakup of sections for each singer preceding it. The instrumental became dramatic (in an orchestral sense), peaking alongside the singers and helped really drive momentum in Flower. Overall, a captivating listen that salsifies my personal craving for a rousing ballad.
The music video was also quite striking. The grayscale filter really helped set the serious tone of the video. I also quite liked the location. It felt very different from your usual setting for a ballad, but the producers really knew how to use the space to help emphasise the dramatic side of the song. As for the ‘content’ of the video, Flower‘s music video can be split into two halves. One half of the video features both Park Bom and Kim Min Seok in their closeup shots, singing their sections of the song. Even though they would be consider ‘solo shots’, some of the wide shots showed the pair were in somewhat close proximity with one another, allowing Kim Min Seok to walk over to bring the pair ‘together’ for the song’s final moments. The other half of the video features two interpretative dancers, with the female dancer intertwined with Park Bom’s solo moments and the male dancer intertwined with Kim Min Seok’s solo moments. And like the singers who came together in the final moments, so did the dancers.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9.6/10
I am back after my short Easter break, and now I turn my attention back to the blog. Before I can proceed with any further reviews, I want to knock out the usual Weekly KPOP Charts, so here we are today. As this is a late post, I am going to make this introduction short and get right to content, just so I can smash out one review later tonight. So without any further delays, here is the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 2nd Week of April 2022.
New releases of the Week
In addition to the three reviews I did write this week (EPEX’s Anthem of Teen Spirit, Kwon ONEW’s Glitch and Dreamcatcher’s MAISON), here are the other new releases from this past week:
Spring Day – Han Hye Ri
Cupid – DKZ
ZOOM – Jessi
LA LA POP! – Ha Sung Woon
RE=LOAD – JUST B
Love Theory – Taeyong (NCT) & Wonstein
NO NAME – Yezi
Darl+ing – SEVENTEEN
Non-Korean Release of the Week
The highest ranking non-Korean song this week is Jackson Wang’s Blow, which placed in 24th position for this past week. Blow is Jackson Wang’s latest solo release, which officially dropped at the end of March 2022.
The Charts
Congratulations to GHOST9 for topping the Weekly KPOP Chart for the 2nd Week of April 2022 with their latest single, X-Ray. This is the first time GHOST9 has topped the Weekly KPOP Charts segment on my blog! For more of the charts, keep on reading.
2nd Week of April 2022
10th Apr – 16th Apr 2022
Pos.
Song
Artist
Status
1
X-Ray
GHOST9
(▲ 80)
2
Anthem of Teen Spirit
EPEX
(NEW)
3
DICE
ONEW (SHINee)
(NEW)
4
O
VERIVERY
(▲ 41)
5
MAISON
Dreamcatcher
(NEW)
6
Parallel Universe
NINE.i
(▲ 41)
7
Diamonds
Suran ft. Taeyong (NCT)
(▲ 74)
8
Bad News
TEMPEST
(▲ 1)
9
VOYAGER
KIHYUN (MONSTA X)
(▲ 6)
10
Thank You
Brave Girls
(▲ 10)
11
MANIAC
Stray Kids
(▼ 10)
12
Again
NU’EST
(▲ 49)
13
GingaMingaYo (the strange world)
Billlie
(▲ 44)
14
Take You Down
Yugyeom (GOT7) ft. Coogie
(▲ 67)
15
Glitch
Kwon Eun Bi
(▼ 12)
16
Lovender
Han Seungyun
(▲ 7)
17
Switch
Kim Woo Seok
(▼ 11)
18
DU DU DU
TAN
(▲ 63)
19
The Answer
DAYBREAK & LUCY
(▲ 62)
20
LOVE DIVE
IVE
(▼ 18)
21
Riding
UV & Choi Siwon (Super Junior)
(▲ 39)
22
JAWS
BAE173
(▲ 59)
23
Gray So Gray
Epik High ft. Younha
(▲ 58)
24
Blow
Jackson Wang (GOT7)
(▼ 6)
25
O.O
NMIXX
(▼ 4)
26
Still Life
BIGBANG
(▼ 12)
27
J♡B = LOVE
W24
(▲ 54)
28
save me
Mark Tuan (GOT7)
(▲ 53)
29
Real Love
Oh My Girl
(▼ 19)
30
Too Bad
WEi
(▲ 2)
Songs leaving the charts this week
The following songs have left the charts this week as they have wrapped up their nine week run in the charts system:
I have finally moved onto albums from February! Hooray! (That being said, I don’t have time to write up studio album reviews over this weekend, so there might be one or two from January coming in the next few weeks). Anyhow, first up in the start of the post-January album reviews is TREASURE with their first mini-album, THE SECOND STEP: CHAPTER ONE. It is the group’s first album release in over a year (their last being MY TREASURE from January 2021) and features the title track JIKJIN. Three additional side tracks are featured on the album as well, making it a shorter mini-album with four songs in total.
Overall, a fair mini-album from TREASURE. It seems like the title track focused more on the hype energy that is synonymous with YG Entertainment’s release, while the side tracks focused more on the vocals and softer side of TREASURE. Both show potential and promise for the group, and definitely has me wanting more from the group in the future.
2. U – U starts off with a piano melody and sounds like a soft track from the beginning. But U emerges as a groovy track from the first chorus. Both sides of the song stay from then on, creating a neat pop track that is fun and showcases the group’s vocals. With the chorus, I liked the short and sharp guitar riffs that brings the groovy/funky nature of U to life. I also liked the slight glitchiness we get ahead of the final chorus, which helps keeps the song interesting (and not repetitive) in its final moments. (8/10)
3. DARARI (다라리) – As far as I am aware, DARARI is supposed to get its own music video and that it has been shot already. But it appears that it hasn’t been released just yet. Hopefully, we don’t have wait long for said music video. Anyhow, DARARI is an extremely pleasant upbeat R&B track that has very catchy and memorable hooks. I like how everything rolls off so smoothly in this song, and how easy on the ears it is. Again, the group’s vocals are on display in this song, and they sounds really solid throughout DARARI. (9/10)
4. IT’S OKAY (괜찮아질 거야) – Final track on this short mini-album is a ballad. I guess YG albums aren’t immune from having the mandatory ballad (quite sure I have used this joke somewhere before). My impression of IT’S OKAY is that it is pleasant. For a mellow guitar-driven ballad like this, this is a good impression. The vocal work is nice, and I liked how they added definition via backing vocals and harmonies in the chorus. The ad-libs at the end showcased their abilities really well. Also, the way they incorporated the rappers felt logical and fitting for this mellow style. (8/10)
Overall Album Rating – 8.5/10
THE SECOND STEP: CHAPTER ONE / JIKJIN Teaser Image
Max Changmin made his return as a solo artist earlier this year in January with his second solo mini-album, Devil. It features the title track of the same name, two pre-release tracks (Fever and Maniac) that I had previously reviewed in a double review format, and three additional side tracks. It is his first Korean solo release since Chocolate (name of both title track and his first mini-album) back in 2020. Devil is the focus of this album review.
Devil is such a dynamic album. It starts off intense and extremely aesthetic. As the mini-album progresses, it slows down a bit, but still maintains that dynamic nature. It isn’t until the final song does the mini-album slow down considerably. Nonetheless, this mini-album is a strong one and this expected from such a legendary artist that is Max Changmin. Do you agree with me? Let me know in the comments below.
4. Alien – Alien features a groovy Latin instrumentation that I thought was quite neat. What really impresses me the most in Alien is Max Changmin’s vocals. It didn’t take long for Max Changmin and Alien to win me over. He ultilises both his high and low ranges in this song extremely well, and the entire track comes off smooth. The ending changes up the dynamics of Alien, by featuring a high pitched autotune backing vocals. It is interesting and gave off a unique effect to the song. (10/10)
5. Dirty Dancing – The instrumentation for Dirty Dancing is quite interesting. It also plays into the Latin sound. But instead of just being Latin influences, Dirty Dancing adds bass and synths to make Dirty Dancing a bit modern and robust. The bass in Dirty Dancing allows the beat to really come to life, whilst also making it powerful in a subtle manner. Max Changmin provides solid vocals for this song, and the hooks was super catchy. Another strong track from the solo artist. (9/10)
6. Airplane Mode – Final song on the mini-album is Airplane Mode, and it is the album’s most mellow track. It is so much softer compared to the previous tracks, and it is a nice way to ease out of an intense mini-album like this one. It also feels quite refreshing. I really liked the laid-back manner of the instrumentation, and the soft and delicate nature of Max Changmin’s vocals. It is quite a warm and lovely song. (8/10)
One last review for this week before I head off for the long weekend (Happy Easter to those who celebrate!). For this review, I have decided to bounce back in time to last week to review GHOST9’s X-Ray, which dropped last Thursday. It is the title track off the group’s sixth mini-album, Arcade: V and is also the group’s first comeback since the release of Control in November of last year.
When I consider the verses of X-Ray, the song is pretty much your standard dance track. Nothing more, nothing less. I wished the instrumental hit harder, as the song’s intention of being powerful and heavy just doesn’t hit the mark for me. While there are some productions that excel at this style, there is a large majority of releases that tend to fall into the ‘typical’ pile of this style and doesn’t 100% deliver. And X-Ray‘s verses falls into the latter pile. However, X-Ray has its chorus to thank for disrupting this typicalness, inserting a refreshing element and taking it in a different direction. The chorus features Junhyung (standout member alert!) delivering his line at a higher tone, which offsets the intended heaviness of the song. The melody was also quite memorable. Had the instrumental been a bit more innovative (it is fine as it is, just it lacks some sort of punch that potentially could have taken the song to the next level), X-Ray‘s main centrepiece would have been aesthetic as heck. But it is still a standout moment in this song. I like how the song’s main hook’s melody was repeated in a chanty form at the end, which finishes off X-Ray in a neat yet revamped manner, but also keeping it close to its foundations. Elsewhere, the vocal work and rapping were fine. Though, I felt they could have gone harder to infuse and give off more energy, intensity and power. This would have been a big help to X-Ray.
Most of the music video also felt typical. The settings chosen by the producers for the video had that (i.e. the abandoned room, the hallways, the outside of the building scenes) were staged to look edgy, but I necessarily didn’t get that vibe from those scenes. However, the grayscale scenes and some of the editing of the music video (i.e. transitions) looked really cool and had a level of visual aesthetic that was memorable. I particuarly enjoyed the grayscale closeup that focused on hair colour instead. That was the most promising aspect of this video.
I liked the performance’s ‘snap & release’ moves that featured heavily in the chorus. It looked good, and definitely showcased the song in much stronger light. But other that, it was a good performance, but with little else standing out.
Song – 7.5/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.5/10
Dream Catcher also made their comeback earlier this week with MAISON and their second studio length album, Apocalypse: Save Us. MAISON follows the release of July 2021’s BEcause and the special mini-album, Summer Holiday.
MAISON is Dreamcatcher’s most electrifying title track yet. Right off the bat, the song brings in a electronic guitar riff that definitely promises great things. This keeps MAISON within Dreamcatcher’s niche of rock influence title tracks, as synths are shortly brought in and infused with the electronic guitar to create a dynamic and powerful backing piece. I liked the balance shared between the two sound profiles during the verses, but I was left disappointed with how the balance was continued into the chorus. As it stand, I find it incredibly hard to pinpoint the end of the verse and start of the chorus for MAISON, no matter how listens I have given it. It just sounds too alike. I wish one profile (either the rock or the synths) popped out more during the chorus in an intensified manner, This would have really helped give the chorus more definition and not have it blend in with the verse. At this stage, I have decided the section that contains the ‘Save my home in the …‘ to be the chorus, as it is MAISON‘s main hook and it is very catchy. For a brief moment, MAISON does take a breather from the intensity by inserting a melodic piano piece and I quite like how this climbed in intensity to return the song to its original mix of rock and synths. I also liked how they inserted that choir backing in the final chorus, for an additional dynamic touch. As for Dreamcatcher’s vocals and rapping, both were solid throughout and showcased intensity that complemented the powerful nature of the instrumental. MAISON is another strong song under the group’s wing, but does need a bit of refinement in its production.
The entire video was shot in front of the green screen. Not entirely sure how I feel about this. Usually, the green screen is applied to the background of a built set (especially for the choreography shots), and I think MAISON should have gone down this route. But this style isn’t that bad. It just feels overly artificial when it didn’t have to be. MAISON “sends a message to those who shamelessly destroy the environment in this current state of the earth, which is gradually losing its original state due to the actions of humankind” (taken from SOOMPI) and you could see this message in this music video, as it shows the world in an apocalyptic state. It also affects their world, which appears heavenly and beautiful in one scene, but broken and destroyed in the next.
I quite enjoyed how powerful the performance looked. This might appear to be an obvious statement as the performance matches the music and it reflects well, given Dreamcatcher’s past stages. But I found the group to be super charismatic on the stage whilst performing this track. Their moves, formations and transitions were strong, and it left a strong impression on me.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.2/10
After another brief absence, I am back and coming to you with more reviews. This review focuses on the second comeback that occurred on Monday. The track in question is DICE and belongs to SHINee’s leader ONEW, who is returning to the music scene as a solo artist for the first time since 2018. He debuted as a solo artist in 2018 with the single BLUE and mini-album Voice. Since then, ONEW completed his mandatory military enlistment and last year returned as part of SHINee through Don’t Call Me and Atlantis. He also resumed his acting and musical careers, whilst also releasing a few collaborative singles and solo OSTs.
DICE is a retro city pop track that is extremely pleasant. For those who have been reading my blog knows that the word ‘pleasant’ can either be a good or bad thing. With DICE, the use of the term is a bit ambiguous. The pleasantness of DICE makes it palatable and balanced. But at the same time, however, the pleasantness is a bit of a disappointment, as I expected the song to kick it up a notch along the way. But it never did. ONEW sounds really good in this song, with smooth vocals bringing life to DICE. It was silky and the flow from one end of the song to the other just felt flawless. The retro influence on the instrumental gave DICE a very nice subtle groovy touch, whilst also being rhythmic. For the final chorus, I liked the leadup and that refinement when it came to the mini explosions in the instrumental. There were some smooth hooks and I can see the song growing on me even more as I continue to replay the song. But whilst DICE comes off as a great song, it ultimately lacks oomph. There is definitely potential for DICE to really have a bit more meat to it in both the instrumental and vocals department. It didn’t have to just be pleasant. We all know how good ONEW’s vocals are, as evident through the many hits SHINee have provided us. And we all know how good city pop songs can be if the instrumental was just a tad bulkier or bolder. Overall, DICE is promising and a nice return for ONEW, but it definitely felt like more could have been done.
The music video features ONEW as the main character, who notices the female character from afar. But she is soon kidnapped by these pale green masked people and ONEW goes in pursuit to find her. At the start, you can tell that ONEW is a bit scared and timid when going into the hotel and following the path of green gloop. But as he roles the dice, he becomes more comfortable and relaxed in his surroundings (though there are parts of him that is still scared and timid). He notices some unusual practices in the hotel including injecting lemons with some mysterious substance (that seems to be the life source of these masked people) and the use of chainsaws throughout the hotel. He later finds the female character, who has dealt with the masked people herself (i.e. ending their lives with high heels), and she runs away with ONEW in a happily ever after type of ending. I thought it was a neat video, with a small plot twist and creepy factor, all rolled into one.
The performance felt pleasant as well, which works well the version of the song that we got. But it is bit plain and looked loose. Had DICE had what I felt was lacking from it, and the choreography was intensified and made to look sharper and tighter, this would have been a smashing performance piece.
A new week means new comebacks. And starting off this week is EPEX, with Anthem of Teen Spirit. This is the title of the group’s latest comeback and the title track of the group’s third mini-album, Prelude of Anxiety Chapter 1. ’21st Century Boys’. Anthem of Teen Spirit comes after the group’s debut with Lock Down and Do 4 Me comeback, all of which occurred last year.
Anthem of Teen Spirit has all the hallmarks for a standard intense dance track. The key word in that statement is ‘standard’. Unfortunately, for the most part Anthem of Teen Spirit was pretty generic. You have to get through the first verse and first half of the first run of the chorus to get to anything worth talking about. And since this was the case, Anthem of Teen Spirit was a bit bland from the start. The opening verse didn’t have much going on, and the first half of the chorus has that stock standard shouty nature to make the song seem edgy. The hooks here are pretty shoddy here, as well (i.e. ‘Click, Clack, Brrr, Like‘). The instrumentals were also pretty generic and doesn’t score points for innovation. However, Anthem of Teen Spirit takes a turn from the second half of the chorus onwards. The ‘Brom pom pom‘ caught my attention for fully encapsulating that intended intense nature of the song within a span of two seconds. Highly effective, if you ask me. It doesn’t make up for the start, but it is a sign that Anthem of Teen Spirit is heading the right direction. The chorus is then followed up with some really fast rapping that left me impressed. Powerful rapping also featured in the bridge, and my impressed thoughts extended to the bridge as well. I also like how the instrumental intensifies in the bridge as well, creating a nice and satisfying peak to the song. Overall, the generic nature of Anthem of Teen Spirit outweighs the positive aspects of the song. But it does get better as it progresses along.
My thoughts on the music video also follow a similar pattern. The video is dark, suitable for an edgy sound. But this one is just dark. You are pretty much thrown into this world without any context. Some of the members are being hunted by other members, but for an unknown reason. My best guess is that this whole video is based on a fight between two members. But it is unclear. Ambiguity is good in some case, but not when it leaves question marks throughout the whole video about what is going on. I also question the dance set with the diamond fixture, but with a more curious demeanour. Its intriguing and could be a symbol that represents one side of the members. But once again, it is unclear. However, it does look cool.
The choreography portion of this comeback fairs the best. I liked how powerful and intense the stage looked, and it also helped translate to a better listening experience. The moves during the ‘Brom pom pom‘ hook was cool and best part of the performance.
Song – 6.5/10 Music Video – 6/10 Performance – 7.5/10 Overall Rating – 6.6/10
The final album review for this weekend is for Moonbyul. Mamamoo’s rapper returned as a solo artist back in January with the title track LUNATIC. This follows two pre-releases in December 2021, G999 (ft. Mirani) and Shutdown (ft. Seori), both of which are featured on the 6equence mini-album as well. In addition to the title track and pre-releases (per usual, you can find the links to their respective reviews in the body of the album review), there are two more side tracks, an introductory track and the English version of her title track (not factored into the final album rating).
6equence definitely shows Moonbyul’s range. She goes from a fun title track to very emotional and heavy ballads. I would love to hear Moonbyul explore more and attempt different styles, given that her parts in Mamamoo’s songs tend to be quite limited (however, that has changed more over time after she gained more confidence in her vocals). Continue reading to find out my thoughts on her side tracks and more!
6equence Album Cover
1. Intro: Synopsis – Starting off the mini-album is an intro track titled Synopsis. It is a smooth R&B track that exudes a sensual and alluring atmosphere. The long instrumental segments of this song tell me that Synopsis would be more of a performance piece (Spoiler: it definitely was a captivating one, based on a performance I found at her solo concert from earlier in the year, capturing the smooth and sensual descriptions I just mentioned). We do get some vocals, and they work well with the instrumentation. (8/10)
5. For Me (너만 들었으면 좋겠다) – For Me enters R&B ballad territory. The instrumental features straight forward acoustic guitar and simple percussion. Sometimes simplicity is just enough, and this song proves just that. The simple nature of For Me also allows the focus to be placed squarely on Moonbyul’s vocals. You can tell just from her tone (and of the instrumentation) that For Me is an emotionally loaded song, and the melodies make For Me quite riveting. A strong song, ‘for me’. (8/10)
6. Ddu Ddu Ddu (내가 뭘 어쩌겠니?) – Ddu Ddu Ddu adds a slight kick to it that puts the song into mid-tempo waters, thanks to its band instrumentation. But that doesn’t really change much else, as Ddu Ddu Ddu continues the emotionally loaded direction of the album. And Moonbyul’s vocals a definitely top notch here. I find the band instrumental to be more up Moonbyul’s alley, as it enables for a smoother transition into rapping and Ddu Ddu Ddu’s style definitely fits her vocal tones. (9/10)
7. LUNATIC (English Version) – Refer to my full review of LUNATIC linked above.
The next album review belongs to PENTAGON and their 12th mini-album since debut, IN:VITE U. This one also dropped in January (although I am now making a start on albums released at the end of January, which mean I am slowly catching up on the backlog of albums I want to review. Just ever so slightly, however.). IN:VITE U features the title track Feelin’ Like and five additional side tracks.
After finishing writing this album review, my summary comment is that I am very impressed with IN:VITE U. The quality of songs on this mini-album was well above average. But that shouldn’t come as a surprise, given that I have previously enjoyed PENTAGON’s albums in the past (We:th springs to mind instantly). There are two 10/10 songs on this album, along with a slight alteration to the title track’s original song rating that I gave in the full review. Keep on reading below to find out which songs earned the perfect rating.
IN:VITE Album Cover
1. Feelin’ Like (Title Track) – Feelin’ Like has grown on me since its release considerably. I have decided that I shall revisit this song in the future to update my review. In the meanwhile, I have decided to bump the song rating for Feelin’ Like to a 8/10. Click here for the full review for Feelin’ Like.(8/10)
2. One Shot (한탕) – One Shot delves into alternative rock that actually comes off as quite sleek. I can imagine a cool and modern (because it is PENTAGON) cowboy style music video for this song. I quite liked the energy that comes from One Shot, especially during the chorus where the energy become quite relentless and subtly intense. Their vocals were quite clean throughout the One Shot, as well. But the scene-stealer moments of the song have to the ‘Are you ready?’ that starts off the song; is present at the start of the chorus and in the bridge; and merged into the background at the end of the song. Definitely pulled out the sleekness that I mentioned earlier. (10/10)
3. The Game – The Game kicks off with an opera one-liner, courtesy of Jinho. Right off the bat, this makes The Game super unique and intriguing to listen to. It doesn’t stay an opera piece, however, as The Game develops into an epic sounding dance track that thrives on intensity from both rock and EDM synths. What I appreciate about The Game is that opera influence isn’t lost. It re-incorporated into the song for the second verse. Overall, The Game is another standout track from this mini-album, and one (as a whole) that left a strong impression on me. (PS. Would love to see a live performance for this track, as well.) (10/10)
4. Call My Name – Call My Name goes for bolder vocals (shouty at times, but I don’t mind that) that are extremely clear and clean. It is layered over funky instrumentation that also makes Call My Name a highlight on this mini-album. Electric guitars also played an important part in this song, giving it some cool twang and emphasises that funky sound. I also liked how catchy the song was, despite how straight-forward the repetitive hook was. (9/10)
5. Sparkling Night (관람차) – Sparkling Night tones down the energy a notch, going for a (relatively) softer approach with its instrumentation. It is a synth pop track that has a melodic touch, both of which helps create and exudes a dreamy atmosphere. The hooks a bit more generic in this track, but they had a nostalgic vibe to them that helps make Sparkling Night an appealing listen nonetheless. (8/10)
6. Bad – An acoustic ballad closes out the album. The music doesn’t necessarily hint towards this, but the song is actually an emotional one. Again, the vocals are extremely clear and clean throughout this song, and the acoustic instrumentation is rather straight forward. It doesn’t score any innovative points. But what I did enjoy was that Bad still had an upbeatness to it, which I think makes it fitting for this album (i.e. after such songs that had intensity and strong energy, the album didn’t end with an overly slow and typical song). The balladry nature still was a nice way to finish off the album. (7.5/10)
Another week, another Weekly KPOP Chart post. This time, it is for the 1st Week of April 2022. Unfortunately, I was unable to deliver the Queendom 2 posts that I had intended to write up over last week and this weekend. They will becoming next weekend, as I will be writing them in the week (I have some time off from work due to the Easter long weekend). In the meanwhile, I will be writing album reviews for posting later today. Also got to write album reviews for next weekend, as well. Lot’s to do, so I better get cracking. Here are the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 1st Week of April 2022.
New releases of the Week
In addition to the four reviews I did write this week (SUHO’s Grey Suit, Kwon Eun Bi’s Glitch, BIGBANG’s long awaited comeback Still Life and IVE’s LOVE DIVE), here are the other new releases from this past week:
Revelations – W24
J♡B = LOVE – W24
Love In Bloom – ILY:1
Your World – Kim Hyerim
Hurdle – SUHO (EXO)
UNBELIVABLE – Woo Jinyoung (D1CE)
Flower – Kim Jeong Uk
save me – Mark Tuan (GOT7)
Oh-eh – DAYBREAK & LUCY
X-Ray – GHOST9
JIU – Lay Zhang
Yesterday – CHOA
Throwback Corner
This week’s Throwback Song is actually a recent release from earlier this year. fromis_9’s DM has re-emerged onto my YouTube feed via the live performance the group gave on the it’s live live show, and it is hard to turn down such a good song/performance. That high note, as well! Top notch!
Non-Korean Release of the Week
The highest ranking non-Korean song this week is Red Velvet’s WILDSIDE, which placed in eighth position for this past week. WILDSIDE is Red Velvet’s latest Japanese title track off the group’s first Japanese studio album, Bloom, which officially dropped earlier this week.
The Charts
Congratulations to Stray Kids for topping the Weekly KPOP Chart for the 1st Week of April 2022 with their latest single, MANIAC. Stray Kids and MANIAC previously topped the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 4th Week of March 2022. For more of the charts, keep on reading!
1st Week of April 2022
3rd Apr – 9th Apr 2022
Pos.
Song
Artist
Status
1
MANIAC
Stray Kids
(▲ 2)
2
LOVE DIVE
IVE
(NEW)
3
Glitch
Kwon Eun Bi
(NEW)
4
Grey Suit
SUHO (EXO)
(NEW)
5
Event Horizon
Younha
(▲ 64)
6
Switch
Kim Woo Seok
(▲ 59)
7
Feel My Rhythm
Red Velvet
(▲ 30)
8
WILDSIDE
Red Velvet
(▲ 54)
9
Bad News
TEMPEST
(▲ 29)
10
Real Love
Oh My Girl
(▼ 9)
11
GANADARA
Jay Park ft. IU
(▲ 55)
12
coNEXTion (Age of Light)
NCT U (Doyoung, Mark & Haechan)
(▲ 27)
13
Detox
Feeldog
(▲ 61)
14
Still Life
BIGBANG
(NEW)
15
VOYAGER
KIHYUN (MONSTA X)
(▼ 9)
16
The Song
BTOB
(▲ 19)
17
Venom
Stray Kids
(▲ 36)
18
Blow
Jackson Wang (GOT7)
(▲ 56)
19
Glitch Mode
NCT DREAM
(▼ 17)
20
Thank You
Brave Girls
(▼ 9)
21
O.O
NMIXX
(▼ 12)
22
Lonely St.
Stray Kids
(▲ 52)
23
Lovender
Han Seungyun
(▲ 47)
24
Dilemma
APINK
(▲ 2)
25
CHIQUITA
Rocket Punch
(▼ 7)
26
memeM
PURPLE KISS
(▼ 10)
27
Ghost Town
Moonbin & Sanha (ASTRO)
(▲ 47)
28
Voltage
ITZY
(▲ 44)
29
EASIER
Amber Liu ft. Jackson Wang (GOT7)
(▼ 16)
30
HONEY
Solar (MAMAMOO)
(▼ 6)
Songs leaving the charts this week
The following songs have left the charts this week as they have wrapped up their nine week run in the charts system:
KPOPREVIEWED 