Casual reviews of KPOP songs, music videos & dances
Author: kpopreviewed
Hi, my name is Tony and I am the man behind the site, kpopreviewed. Currently an university student who wants to introduce people to KPOP and if you are already into KPOP, different groups and bands.
It is Sunday. And per usual, I reserve part of my Sunday for most weeks to put together the Weekly KPOP Charts before pushing on with album reviews (or any reviews I had planned to write up). Like last week, I want to make this introduction a fairly quick one, so I can move onto those album reviews I had planned to write up (and complete some other errands). So without any more delays, let’s get to to the Weekly KPOP Chart post for the final week of February 2021.
New releases of the Week
In addition to BTOB’s The Song, NMIXX’s O.O and STAYC’s RUN2U, we also saw the following releases drop this past week:
JUST BREATHE – SKY-HI ft. 3RACHA (STRAY KIDS)
Going Bus Home – Haebin
Reason – Jeong Yu Jin
Always – ENHYPEN
Dawn to Dusk – Lay Zhang (EXO) & 24kGoldn
GingaMingaYo (the strange world) – Billlie
Dance With God – CRAXY
Sharp Objects – Sorn
LOOK – N.O.M
EASIER – Amber Liu ft. Jackson Wang (GOT7)
IDK – Tyrone Laurent ft. Min (Miss A)
Fade Away – Solji (EXID)
Throwback Corner
2NE1 was on my mind this week, and while listening to a playlist of 2NE1 songs, Do You Love Me stuck out at me. I remember people not liking the song as much, but I was pretty much a fan of the track since its release, so it was nice to ‘rediscover’ the song. I admit it isn’t their most famous track, but it isn’t as bad as some make it out to be!
Non-Korean Release of the Week
The highest ranking non-Korean song this week is U-KNOW YUNHO’s KIMI WA SAKI E IKU, which translates to You Go Ahead. It was released early February and is featured on Yunho’s second Japanese mini-album that shares the same name. Check it out below!
The Charts
Congratulations to TREASURE for rising to the top spot of KPOPREVIEWED’s Weekly KPOP Chart with their long awaited comeback, JIKJIN. For more of the charts from the last week, keep on reading!
4th Week of Feb 2022
20th Feb – 26th Feb 2022
Pos.
Song
Artist
Status
1
JIKJIN
TREASURE
(▲ 2)
2
The Song
BTOB
(NEW)
3
Smiley
YENA ft. BIBI
(▲ 20)
4
LUNATIC
Moonbyul (MAMAMOO)
(▲ 8)
5
DM
fromis_9
(=)
6
RUN2U
STAYC
(NEW)
7
Voiceless
Wonpil (DAY6)
(▲ 74)
8
Dilemma
APINK
(▼ 7)
9
Eye On You
WONHO
(▼ 7)
10
Step Back
GOT the beat
(▲ 71)
11
Play
Yuju
(▼ 4)
12
suit dance
OnlyOneOf
(▲ 69)
13
DESSERT
Kim Yo Han (WEi)
(▲ 13)
14
1, 2, 3
AB6IX
(▲ 41)
15
Just Breath
JinJin & Rocky (ASTRO)
(▼ 1)
16
Blessed-Cursed
ENHYPEN
(▲ 28)
17
Feelin’ Like
PENTAGON
(▼ 4)
18
Beauty and the Beast
The Rose
(▼ 3)
19
INVU
Taeyeon (SNSD)
(▼ 15)
20
Marvelous
MIRAE
(▲ 17)
21
BOP BOP!
VIVIZ
(▼ 11)
22
O.O
NMIXX
(NEW)
23
Satellite
Bae Suzy
(▲ 58)
24
WA DA DA
Kep1er
(▼ 18)
25
TNT (Truth & Trust)
TRENDZ
(▲ 23)
26
Because
ASH ISLAND
(▲ 14)
27
WooAh Hip
MAMADOL
(▲ 51)
28
Ghost Town
Moonbin & Sanha (ASTRO)
(▲ 53)
29
Can’t Control Myself
Tayeon (SNSD)
(▲ 5)
30
Will Be Fine
Kisu
(▲ 51)
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 am finally getting around to posting my first International Song Review post in a long while. My last post was way back in October 2021, and since then I have been fairly busy and unable to write any of these posts. But I am now back on the bandwagon. For those who may be unfamiliar with this segment, I review songs that aren’t in the Korean language (or are not marketed for the Korean music scene in some cases – such as some side tracks on Korean albums) that have been released by Korean artists (or artists that have a direction connect with a KPOP group). In this post, I will be covering songs released by MONSTA X, SEVENTEEN, TWICE, WONHO and Jeon Somi.
You Problem – MONSTA X
MONSTA X spreads the ongoing groovy and funky trend that we are currently experiencing in KPOP to the Western music scene. The group, now down to five members as Shownu has enlisted in the military, released this disco number early December 2021. It is quite unlike any of their Korean title tracks, which have been very EDM focused and performance heavy tracks. You Problem settles for a simpler approach, and one that is quite pure and fun. I love the guitar work in this backing of You Problem, along with those disco vibes we get in the chorus (as already mentioned). I also enjoyed the vocal focus of the song, which each member (even the rappers) singing in this track, complimenting the lighter than usual tone for MONSTA X. Kihyun and Jooheon’s falsettos in the chorus make the song even cooler! The hooks are super memorable, and the hooks are so damn catchy. Even after two months, I am still digging You Problem!
For the music video, it is set in a bowling alley that is reminisce of bowling alleys from the 70s. Definitely suiting the light tone, fun vibes and retro direction of the song. There are also heavy presence of other retro elements throughout the video, such as the checked pattern (commonly associated with racing) and neon lights. Even the glittery tinsel decoration behind the group when they are performing as a ‘band’ screamed out retro. The performance I saw also had a fun vibe. It was loose and fluid, as if the group was freestyling their performance. But also showed their personality, which made it even more enjoyable.
Overall Rating – 8.8/10
Power of Love – SEVENTEEN
Power of Love‘s music video officially dropped at the end of November, and closes out their Power of Love project that started earlier in 2021 with the release of Mingyu and Wonwoo’s Bittersweet (ft. Lee Hi). It is a neat ballad with a really meaningful message that even in difficult times, having the Power of Love can help you through it. I liked how even though the instrumental had sleigh bells ringing throughout the whole instrumental, Power of Love doesn’t feel constricted to just Winter or the Christmas season like other songs that ultilises sleigh bells. It was also quite soothing and it was a nice display of all the members’ vocals. Unfortunately, however, Power of Love doesn’t fair well in the memorable arena. It is a good ballad, but I am not necessarily looking for the song when I feel in a mood for ballad. I guess Power of Love was produced to be more on a sweet side. I do think there could have been room towards the end to oomph up the ballad a bit, just so it didn’t feel the same from start to end. I think Power of Love would have come off better if it went down this path.
The parts of the video where some of the members were in built sets (I believe it was just limited to Joshua, DK and Vernon) looked quite cool, and I wished the video had more built sets (as it felt stylish and modern). But instead, the producers for this video chose to just use green screen, and I felt this really cheapened the video. While the actual backgrounds applied through the use of the green screen looked aesthetic and the members look good as always, I wished the post-production team incorporated the members better. We have seen great use of green screen in the past, and this is just not one of those instances. It is just quite unfortunate.
Overall Rating – 6.2/10
Doughnut – TWICE
Doughnut was released on 15 December 2021 and the track itself comes in the form of a ballad. Not exactly the first genre of music you think of when you hear of a sugary treat. But it does create an abstract appeal, which makes Doughnut memorable for me. Talking about abstract, I also like how the members likened the void they experience without their partner, and the constant looping they refer to in the lyrics to the shape of a doughnut. To me, the song definitely needed this extra appeal, especially since I thought it was a bit of a blur. Everything from start to end felt similar, and I couldn’t work out where the chorus was in the song had it not been for the music video. While I did like the city-pop direction the instrumental was going and the delicate nature of their voices (which isn’t something we get in TWICE title tracks that much), I just wished parts of Doughnut were more distinct. The most significant distinct moment of the song was during the finale sequence with the use of synths to give off textures. But it was too late to really sell Doughnut to me.
Visually, I thought this was a very neat video. The snow, warm indoor settings and dress colours compliments the Winter season in which the song was released. That scene in the bridge where Mina and Chaeyoung are lying on the ground over a wreath was extremely memorable for me. I am a bit confused about the start and end of the video, with the ‘doughnut crime scene’. My guess is that the crime scene symbolises that the loop and void represented by the shape of doughnut is broken and that the members had moved on from what they thought were ‘the only one in the world’. Though, I am more confused about the amount of jam spilling from the doughnut (How did they get so much in the doughnut to begin with? And in a doughnut with a hole?). As for the choreography, it felt fitting for the balladry nature of the song.
Overall Rating – 6.8/10
ON THE WAY～- Wonho
Wonho’s Japanese debut single, ON THE WAY~, is actually the oldest song in this review post as it was first unveiled on 27 October 2021. It is a decent track that pleases with its sweet lyrics, thanking fans for staying by his side and that he treasures them greatly. Don’t be fooled though. ON THE WAY~ is no typical ballad. Instead, it features a satisfying band instrumental that really makes this song more appealing. I also like how amped the chorus gets. It did feel somewhat overpowering at first, but Wonho manages to shine throughout ON THE WAY~ with his blissful and honey-like vocals. I did wish there was something more to the song, like a more profound electrical guitar solo sequence (we did get an instrumental break, but it did feel enough) to make it even more satisfying.
The accompanying video was also quite nice. Not one that I see myself going back to however, since it just Wonho acting sweet and grateful to match the lyrics of the song. There are also some band shots and some decent outdoors shots. I am sure fans would adore this video.
Overall Rating – 7/10
Anymore – Jeon Somi
The final song on this post is Jeon Somi’s Anymore. You would have heard Anymore way before the music video dropped (which occurred on Christmas Day), as it was originally featured as a side track on Jeon Somi’s first solo studio album, XOXO, which dropped at the end of October (the 29th to be exact). It is an all-English track that delves into pop-rock territory. I quite like this song because it doesn’t feel complicated or difficult to navigate like EDM tracks. Anymore just sounded pure and doesn’t mess or fluff around. The soft pop rock sound that we hear in this song just suits Jeon Somi’s tone and she sounds very good. The melodies were also very memorable and satisfying, as well.
I need to applaud Jeon Somi’s visuals and acting in this video. Both were highlights that draw me back to the music video. I liked how she well she portrayed her heartbreak and emotions, whilst looking stunning as always. As for the music video concept, all looked terrific and worked extremely well with the song. I liked how chaotic the chorus appeared to match the increased energy we get from the chorus, while the verses were more still.
Returning back to Monday, STAYC also made their comeback on this day, with RUN2U and their second mini-album, Young-Luv.com. This new release follows their successful 2021, which started off with their hit ASAP, and their September 2021 release STEREOTYPE(the latter earned them their first music show win since debut).
RUN2U has a lot of potential to be the next big track for STAYC. And for the most part, I feel that the song lives up to that potential. But the verses were just so boring and lackluster. One of the reasons why I feel this way was because of the bare/minimalistic instrumentation. Now, the bareness stays on in the other parts of the song that I would describe as highlights of RUN2U, as it helped draw out some interesting elements that I ultimately enjoyed (though it comes back to bite them later on – more on that in a little bit). In the verses, the bareness/minimalistic just made RUN2U feel so empty and dry. Another reason is that I didn’t get much out of the vocals and rapping. They lacked character and profile. This does get better though, as when we enter the pre-chorus territory, we get a familiar profile of the vocals that reminds me of STAYC’s 2021 tracks. Apart from the verses, as I flagged earlier, other parts of RUN2U was quite catchy and memorable. I really like the squeaky brass synth used in the chorus as the song’s central element. It did sound off at first, but I find it extremely charming now. I also liked the ‘So I’ll run to you‘ repetition in the chorus, and the melodies that make up the lines that follow. The pulsing/descending spiral like synth at the start of the song was also quite notable for me, which kicked RUN2U off with a bit of sophistication. The “Little Bit Little Bit” hook was also memorable for me, but not as much as the chorus’ hooks. When we got to the final chorus, I wished the producers added something new into the mix, just to give us a bit of freshness, excitement and pop to make RUN2U end on a much stronger note. That bareness and minimalistic vibe they adopted throughout the song bites them at the end, and makes the song feel repetitive in a bone-dry way, which ultimately is not a good thought to have at the very end of the song. Thankfully, it had the catchy chorus to rely on (which I just really dig) to make the final chorus a bit better.
Colourful sets, a range of closeups and choreography shots. That is the music video summed up. So a bit generic and typical. I did like the more elegant shots (the scenes with the crystals hanging down, the colourful flowers) the video had, and I wished the video explored more of that side for this comeback. They also felt a bit more cohesive as a concept compared to the mashup of colours we got in the brighter and colourful sets.
The choreography was on the meh side of the spectrum for me. I did like the domino pattern than began the performance with, but the rest of the performance just felt a bit flat and nothing really stood out at me.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 6/10 Performance – 6.5/10 Overall Rating – 6.6/10
A new player is on the playing field! JYP Entertainment’s latets female group, NMIXX, make their debut today with O.O, which is featured on the group’s debut single album, Ad Mare. NIMIXX is a seven members female group consisting of Haewon, Lily, Sullyoon, Jinni, BAE, Jiwoo and Kyujin. While the release dropped today, NMIXX unfortunately hasn’t been able to start off their careers as planned with a debut showcase as some of the members have tested positive for COVID-19. Unsure what that means for their promotions for this week, but hopefully the affected members recover quickly to be able to perform O.O on stage for us soon.
Hang tight, as there is a lot of unpack from O.O. When I listened to the song, it sounds like three songs were mashed into one. We have heard this before and sometimes it works (unexpectedly). O.O is one that doesn’t not work for me, and is not a good first step for a debut. I have listened to it a few times and I just can’t get over how distinct each section of the song. The first third of O.O was this edgy and powerful sound that I was not a fan of. It was quite overwhelming on many fronts, such as the vocals and rapping. They were poorly processed and sounded quite strained for the most part. It was a bit ‘try-hard’, if you wanted me to be direct about the sequence. The second third of the song was much more likeable and enjoyable, in comparison to the preceding sequence. It was a lot brighter, taking on a pop profile with hints of rock. The vocals and rapping were better here, but they still felt they were pushed too far. If there was a takeaway from this middle sequence, it is that they are youthful. The final (and third) sequence went down more of the hip-hop route. This also wasn’t that bad, but it lies in between the first and second sections of the song in terms of likeability for me. It was noisy, it was intense, it was overwhelming as well. It sounded like they were competing with the music, and I wished the producers had went with a slightly milder sound so we could hear more of NMIXX. Attitude and sassy also come to mind. When you consider the three parts as a whole, as intended, it felt like the whoever put the three pieces together were trying to fit three puzzle pieces together that were never going to fit. I am hoping that with time, O.O becomes a bit more bearable and that I find myself enjoying it more. Time after time, my reviews have turned up side down as a result to second chances and repeat listens. I personally think that O.O has a lot of warming up to do in order to recover, but who knows.
Like the song, it made sense that the music video would be in three segments as well. To match that edgy and powerful tone in the first sequence, we got a mysterious visual piece. Members are running into walls, colours are all very neutral and dominos are falling throughout the city. Personally, I found this sequence to be the coolest of the three when it came to the visual aid. In comparison to the first sequence, the second sequence of the video (for the second segment of O.O) felt like a unicorn did its business. It was super colourful and really encapsulated an innocent and youthful vibe (just like the song). For the third part of the song, the video adopted a darker vibe to compliment the noisy hip-hop sound. I do wonder what the final scene to the video is about. It is a bit ambiguous, but also very mysterious at the same time.
The choreography aspect also felt promising. One of the perks of having what felt like three different songs in one is that you can do a fair bit on stage. The start of the performances looks very cool, while the swing in the second sequence looks quite unique. I also liked how powerful the routine looked.
Song – 4/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 6/10
Just like last week, we start off this week with another another long awaited comeback. After almost four years, BTOB has made their first comeback as a full group with the single The Song and their third studio album, Be Together. Their last full group comeback was through the release of Only One For Me back in 2018. Since then, the group members have completed their military enlistment. Elsewhere, the active members (as they returned from the military or just prior to their enlistment) released the special album Hour Moment and the single Beautiful Pain, kicked off their own solo careers, formed a subunit (BTOB 4U, consisting of Eunkwang, Minhyuk, Peniel and Changsub, and debuting with Show Your Love), participated in Kingdom: Legendary War and released a special mini-album as quartet under the BTOB name with Outsider. BTOB also lost a member, Illhoon, who left the group in 2020 due to his drug use controversy. Needless to say, we have been well fed in terms of BTOB releated activities despite have no full group comebacks.
BTOB returns with a ballad, the genre that skyrocketed them to success and was the genre of some of their biggest releases since debut. So there is a familiarity and nostalgic feeling from The Song that reminds me of the good old days for the group. Aside from that, The Song is quite a beautiful piece. I liked that The Song didn’t fall into the trap of having a typical instrumental of classical instruments. We have had a few pieces in the past from BTOB, so it was great to get something a bit different this time around. It is still relatively typical and plain, but I appreciate the different yet familiar direction the band elements (drums, electric guitar etc.) of the instrumental steers this song towards. Other than the backing, the main focus point of The Song (and any ballad) would have to be the vocals though. And BTOB sounds amazing in this song. That nostalgia that I mentioned initially comes through via the vocals and rapping, and I liked how the rappers (i.e. Minhyuk and Peniel) incorporated their parts into the song without breaking the song. That is what I love about BTOB’s ballads – they are just experts at blending rap sequences into their ballads, especially when you think they won’t be able to do so this time around. The harmonies in The Song also make it spectacular. I am bit a disappointed with the lack of memorable melody though. I feel that their previous ballad hits that they promoted always had a melody that everyone got into and made the song appealing. While their voices captivating, the melody we got in The Song didn’t really evoke thought out of me, nor did it repeat in my head after the song. Maybe a few more listens could help develop the melody for me, but I just don’t think it is there to begin win. Overall, another great ballad under BTOB’s belt.
The song is all about wanting to be with their fans once again, with the lyrics name dropping a number of their past tracks. With that in mind, the music video brings together the different members who are all alone and in different locations, so that the members can deliver that message to their fans, as we see by the performance on stage at the end of the video. It is the reality of the last few years, as they had to split up for their military enlistment and do solo or unit work rather than a full group comeback. I like how as they come together, they return to Eunkwang’s residence, who for those who don’t know is the leader of the group. I presume the letters that we see throughout the video is a representation of the fans, given that the Melodies (BTOB’s fandom name) fanclub colour is ‘Slow Blue’ and the stamps (and letterbox) were of this colour. It is a touching video, with a beautiful landscape in the background, as well.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
The final album from 2021 that I will be reviewing is ONF’s Goosebumps, the group’s sixth mini-album. It follows a string of releases from the group in 2021, including Beautiful Beautiful (featured on their first studio album, ONF: My Name), Ugly Dance (featured on the repackaged version of their first studio album, City of ONF) and Popping (featured on their summer popup album of the same name). After the release of Goosebumps in early December, it was announced that ONF will undertake their military enlistment at the same time to reduce their hiatus. And by the end of the year, five members (excluding U, as he is not a Korean citizen) enlisted in the military, thus pushing the group into hiatus until (and I am guessing here based on the usual two year enlistment period) the end of 2023.
But while ONF is currently not releasing any music, they did leave us with Goosebumps, which features the title track of the same name and four other side tracks. Overall, Goosebumps was a terrific album that boasts high quality and enjoyable tracks. All the songs on here definitely throws me back to some form of ONF release, and has a unique tone that tells me that it is ONF’s album from afar. Check out the release below and let me know if you agree with my thoughts!
2. Whistle – Following the title track is Whistle, and it is a very creative and unique track on the lyrics front. Essentially, the members sing in a perspective a cat who is close by to their owner, who is actually a cursed human that is now being punished for their past actions in their human relationship with said owner. But they want the curse to end, and the only way for that to happen is for their lover to whistle. It is quite an abstract idea, but one that makes Whistle standout as a track. I like the sorrow, reflective and pensive tone the members take in this song, while I like the somewhat jazzy nature of the instrumental. There is a bit of bass and pop melody infused into the chorus, which makes it a strong centerpiece. But the best part of Whistle for me is the bridge, which had enough change to be different, but stay within the boundaries of the song. (9/10)
3. Fat & Sugar – Fat & Sugar is a return to the upbeat, vibrant and energetic energy that I associate with ONF. It takes a form of a funky hip-hop song that makes me groove along to the music every time I listen to the song. The chorus is extremely memorable, thanks to the repetition of the ‘I like bad things, Fat and Sugar, Fat and Sugar’. It does seem a bit childish (I remember passing over this song initially because of this childish tone), but it quite charming after many listens. I like the character they brought to the song through their vocals and rapping, which helped make Fat & Sugar so much more appealing than you think. (8.5/10)
4. Alarm – The album takes a turn with Alarm, this time entering ballad territory. It is a stunning piece. The verses were a bit typical and the instrumental is pretty standard for the ballad. But the stunning nature of Alarm comes during the chorus, where there is so much vocal layering. However, not once does it sound or feel overwhelming. It adds complexity to the otherwise simple track. Vocally, they sounded amazing throughout. The harmonies in this track are to die for. Talking about harmonies, the unexpected incline at the end of Alarm just makes the song even better! And of course, the swayable melody is also there. (10/10)
5. Show Must Go On –As mentioned in the introduction paragraph, this is ONF’s last album for a while. And a song titled Show Must Go On is very fitting for this hiatus. The direction that the song took us in was unexpected, however. But I love the fast pace nature of Show Must Go On and how it gives off and reminds me of the group’s title tracks. The fast pace nature also provides great energy and the chanting at the end is quite satisfying. It feels like ONF is going out with a big bang (in a way) with this release. (9/10)
Another album review that has been a long time coming. UNIVERSE is the next instalment in NCT’s career, with 21 of the 23 active members participating in the release of the group’s third studio-length album (Lucas is on hiatus from his controversy, while WinWin had schedule conflicts, preventing both of participating from recording and promotions). UNIVERSE officially dropped mid-December, on the same day that Beautiful was officially released as a promotional track. Another title track, Universe (Let’s Play Ball), dropped four days prior. In addition to these two tracks, there were another 11 tracks on the album (3 of which were based on the group’s standard units – NCT 127, NCT DREAM and WayV, while the other performed by their rotation unit, NCT U).
Overall, I would say this is a very good album. There were some standout tracks mixed throughout the song, and NCT definitely showed themselves off strongly throughout UNIVERSE. But that is just my thoughts on the album. Check out the tracks and my review of each song below to see if you agree!
Universe Album Cover
1. New Axis – Impressively kicking off the third studio album was Taeyong, Mark and YangYang with this short track. New Axis takes on a hip-hop profile. The focus is purely on the three members, with the instrumental opting for a minimalistic approach. The trio definitely opened up the album in spectacular fashion with their dynamic and immensely powerful rapping performance. They don’t hold back in this track! (9/10)
3. Earthquake – NCT 127 shakes up the world with their side track Earthquake. If you want a really powerful and intense dance track, Earthquake is the song you are looking for. Such words are usually what you associate with NCT 127 already, so it should not come as a surprise. I really enjoyed the amped up nature of this hip-hop track. It is quite a noisy one (which may be a flaw to some), but this just made Earthquake even more impressive to me. As for the members, they did a great job with their vocals and rapping. I found they fitted right in with the noisy and intense environment that is the instrumental and their delivery made the song even more dynamic. (8/10)
4. OK! – OK! is brought to you by Taeyong, Yuta, Ten, Mark, Hendery, Jeno and Yangyang. With a line up like that, I think it is clear that OK! also encroaches into hip-hop territory as well. OK! is a satisfying listen, with another strong display from all the members who participated in the song. There is also a memorable ring to the ‘OK!’ in the chorus. The bridge was my favourite bit, especially when some of the members bring a faster pace to their delivery. The instrumental was quite minimalistic, with a few added details that I thought gave OK! an intriguing nature to it. The metallic xylophone percussion is a good example of this. The flutes, however, reminded me a bit too much of NCT 127’s Favorite (Vampire) for my liking. (8/10)
5. Birthday Party – Johnny, Yuta, Jungwoo, Hendery, Jaemin, Shotaro, Chenle and Jisung come together to give us Birthday Party. Based on the initial seconds of the song, it appears that Birthday Party takes on a more energetic tone. I liked the rapping in this song, with the members bringing a bit of a playful tone to the mix. The elongated ‘Woooow’ was questionable, but I think it can be overlooked. The vocals were superb when they were in play. For the instrumental, I liked how colourful it felt. I also appreciated the attempts to change up the song towards the end as Birthday Party was borderline repetitive at that point. (8/10)
6. Know Now – Know How features Johnny, Doyoung, Mark, Renjun, Jeno, Jaemin, Yangyang and Sungchan. It starts with (and ends with, completing Know Now as a full circle) some scratchy gospel samples that made for a cool opener. Following that opener was a fun melody and a bright instrumental piece. I like how that melody was a consistent piece in pretty much all the elements (for most of the vocals, rapping – to a degree, and the instrumentation), which cohesively pulled Know Now together. Know Now was such an enjoyable listen for me. (9/10)
7. Dreaming – Dreaming is performed by the members of NCT Dream. I liked its mix of softer tones for the verses vs. the harsher nature of the chorus. The softer moments of the song had this music box-like focus piece, which felt very nice. The harsher chorus features a funky synth EDM piece, which provided a decent rush of energy to the song without taking it too far or making it feel too different. I also liked the layering of vocals and rapping throughout, regardless of the backing piece. (9/10)
8. Round & Round – Taeil, Ten, Jaehyun, Xiaojun, Haechan and Sungchan comes together to bring us Round & Round. It is a decent mid-tempo R&B track. The instrumental had a dynamic touch to it, with the various effects added in to increase the momentum of the song. I quite appreciate that, as it didn’t make Round & Round a typical mid-tempo track. But aside from that, nothing else really stood out at me. (7/10)
9. Miracle – The final NCT fixed unit track on this album belongs to WayV (sans Lucas and WinWin, who I already mentioned didn’t participate in this release). Miracle also opts for a mid-tempo R&B profile. But I felt Miracle was more impressive. The song came off as quite sophisticated, expensive, classy. This was felt most in the instrumental, which was smooth. The guitars were definitely the icing on the cake for me. It also effected the rapping in this song, with the rappers really jumping out at me due to the energy they put into their delivery. The vocals were clear and crisp, and the layering of both vocals/rapping at the end was extremely satisfying. (10/10)
10. Vroom – The album takes a turn from here with its sweeter sound. Kun, Jaehyun, Jungwoo, Hendery, Shotaro, Chenle and Jisung features in Vroom, and it’s a nice melodic track (for the most part). The pre-chorus really stuck out, mainly because it didn’t go with a sweet sound, or can be described as a ‘nice melodic track’. Instead, it intensifies briefly before reverting to a sweet sound in the chorus. It is interesting and different, and unexpectedly work. Still a bit foreign after all this time, but not detrimental to the track. (8/10)
11. Sweet Dream – Wishing the listeners a ‘Sweet Dream’ are Taeil, Kun, Jaehyun, Haechan and Chenle. Extremely velvety vocals are the centrepiece of this song. They are present on top of a warm R&B instrumental. It started off like a piece as you would hear in a coffeehouse, but the instrumental built over the course of the song. I liked the addition of the subtle brass in the background. I do think that coffeehouse impression was still maintained throughout even as the song built. (8/10)
12. Good Night – Taeil, Doyoung, Xiaojun and Renjun sings us a soft and delicate ballad. It starts as a lullaby, with a slow swayable melody – one of the highlights of the song. The instrumental does build over the length of the track, and this does bring it back a soothing ballad territory. Not complaining though, as it helped maintain Good Night as a decent piece. Elsewhere, the vocals from the quartet were also quiet soothing and captivating. The emotional input from them made the song even better! I also loved the way Renjun ended this song. (8.5/10)
Another week has passed, so here is the Week KPOP Charts for the week that had just passed – the 3rd Week of February 2022. Per usual, I am surprised at how fast time is flying by already. Blink again and we will be at the end of the month. Anyhow, I am going to make this introduction a quick one this week, as I still got to write up two album reviews (the last of the 2021 albums, before I can make a start on that ever-growing list of 2022 albums).
New releases of the Week
On top of this week’s new releases that did get a review (i.e. Taeyeon’s INVU, APINK’s Dilemma, TREASURE’s JIKJIN and WONHO’s EYE ON YOU), we also saw the following releases drop:
Gray So Gray – Epik High ft. Younha
MOODY BLUES – LXX
Heart Rider – Rocking Doll
don’t forget me – Kim Jeong Uk
Lovender – Han Seungyun
Satellite – Bae Suzy
Throwback Corner
This week’s throwback song belongs to WJSN and is actually their single from last year, Unnatural. I am not sure if a song released less than a year ago can be considered a throwback song. But it was the song that I was listening to over the last few weeks that didn’t make the cut for this segment yet, so here it is!
Non-Korean Release of the Week
The highest ranking non-Korean song this week is T1419’s Daydreamer, which officially dropped at the end of last month. As far as I am concerned, there was no music video for this release (and hence it won’t be getting a review), but I did list it as a single and so deemed it eligible for the Weekly KPOP Charts. Anyhow, check it out below!
The Charts
Congratulations to APINK for rising to the top spot of KPOPREVIEWED’s Weekly KPOP Chart with their long awaited newest single, Dilemma. For more of the charts from the last week, keep on reading!
3rd Week of Feb 2022
13th Feb – 19th Feb 2022
Pos.
Song
Artist
Status
1
Dilemma
APINK
(NEW)
2
Eye On You
WONHO
(NEW)
3
JIKJIN
TREASURE
(NEW)
4
INVU
Taeyeon (SNSD)
(NEW)
5
DM
fromis_9
(▲ 9)
6
WA DA DA
Kep1er
(▲ 18)
7
Play
Yuju
(▲ 18)
8
Daydreamer
T1419
(▲ 70)
9
Catch The Stars
woo!ah!
(▲ 25)
10
BOP BOP!
VIVIZ
(▼ 9)
11
STAY
ONEWE & ONEUS
(▲ 46)
12
LUNATIC
Moonbyul (MAMAMOO)
(▼ 10)
13
Feelin’ Like
PENTAGON
(▼ 9)
14
Just Breath
JinJin & Rocky (ASTRO)
(▲ 8)
15
Beauty and the Beast
The Rose
(▲ 63)
16
skinz
OnlyOneOf
(▲ 1)
17
LOVE ME LIKE
OMEGA X
(▲ 61)
18
Flower Language
IZ
(▲ 22)
19
Super Yuppers!
WJSN Chocome
(▲ 40)
20
Find You
BZ-Boys
(▲ 38)
21
Scars (Korean Version)
Stray Kids
(▲ 57)
22
Villain
DRIPPIN
(▼ 9)
23
Smiley
YENA
(▼ 17)
24
Frozen
Taehwan (VANNER)
(▼ 6)
25
Maniac
Max Changmin (TVXQ)
(▼ 2)
26
DESSERT
Kim Yo Han (WEi)
(▼ 7)
27
Layin’ Low
Hyolyn ft. Jooyoung
(▼ 20)
28
Lost On Me
Eric Nam
(▲ 50)
29
Anymore
Jeon Somi
(▲ 14)
30
Pity Party
Jamie
(▲ 48)
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:
Making his comeback today is WONHO, who returns with the single Eye On You and new single album, OBSESSION. This is the first comeback since his September release BLUE. It also follows a few Japanese releases, including On The Way ~ Embrace ~ (Wonho’s Japanese solo debut single – I will be reviewing this a later date in the International Song Reviews segment) and Winter Miracle.
EYE ON YOU is a decent comeback. It is an electro house pop track that has pretty darn good rough textures, but the instrumental maintains a hollow effect. The balance to get this on point is something I quite appreciate, as the song could have leaned too much to one side and it wouldn’t have been pleasing. I also appreciate the subtle groovy vibes of the instrumental, which added a bit of fun to the very serious and mature direction of how EYE ON YOU sounded. The roughed textures also brought out that raspy nature in Wonho’s voice. The autotune helped heighten this as well, making Wonho’s vocals quite blissful sounding in EYE ON YOU. However, the reason why I say EYE ON YOU is ‘decent’ is because I had hopes the song was going places. But EYE ON YOU never really resulted in that. Instead, it stayed pretty stagnant throughout. There were some mini curveballs throughout the song, such as the delayed drop that headed the second chorus, the more atmospheric bridge (that ultimately stayed within the boundaries that were set by the instrumentation), and an extension sequence at the end of the song that felt purely like an extension of the chorus (and didn’t add much to the final moments of the song). As implied, none really cause much difference, and so EYE ON YOU felt pretty much the same throughout. I wished there was some sort of change, maybe a hard-hitting instrumental break or some sort of amped up final chorus to really bring the song home and/or give it a bit more bite.
Tight shirts, abs and clothing that shows off Wonho’s muscles (and in some cases teases us with them) definitely makes it a Wonho music video. Aside from his body (which is pretty much on display), I quite liked the various shots of Wonho and his closeups throughout the video. It looked artistic and cool, as well. I also felt the same way as with the sets. The colours used in this video really made Wonho stand out and that is one of the reason’s why the video really sells. The post-production also made the video cooler (my favourite was the smashed glass around the edges and towards the middles of the video). Even though the choreography and closeup set up was pretty standard, the video is still worth watching for the visuals.
The performance aspect of this comeback was pretty decent, just the like the song. I don’t have anything particularly negative to say about the performance. It just a bit dry and could have done with some more exciting moves. I did like the moments where Wonho was paired with the female dancer. That looked cool, and I feel like there could have been more chemistry had there been no mask on the female dancer (Wonho’s contribution was on point!). I also like picture-sque (at least in the music video) start and end of the performance, with the dancers forming a frame-like formation with their bodies around Wonho.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 8.5/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.7/10
TREASURE kicked things off in 2020 with back to back comebacks, starting off with their debut BOY and comeback singles I LOVE YOU and MMM. The group then kicked off 2021 with their MY TREASURE comeback before subsequently disappearing from the Korean music scene for the rest of the year. They did make their Japanese debut last year and did have a horror (I think) web series on YouTube. But the point is, they haven’t released any new music in over a year, which was disappointing given the momentum they gained. That is until today. TREASURE has made their long awaited comeback with their first mini-album, The Second Step: Chapter One, and new single JIKJIN.
JIKJIN is a hard-hitting hip-hop dance track that really packs a punch when it needs to. I really like how profound some of the beats and percussion (such as in the pre-chorus) were, which really made JIKJIN dynamic and energetic. In addition to that, I enjoyed the pop-like sequence during the verses (the part preceding the pre-choruses). It got me tapping along to the song and it appealed to my personal taste. For the chorus, I felt how the producers took the ‘Ooh‘ and turned it into a engine-like effect to be quite cool and creative. I was unsure of it at first, and it made me laugh. But repeat listens helped me come to realize that it was different and fascinating at the same time. I also felt that the rapping and vocal works were extremely strong and robust in JIKJIN, which also helped me enjoyed the track as well. I raise this because I actually enjoyed the second verse rap sequence, which surprised me given that it isn’t usually my style. Once we hit the bridge and you could hear the club sound emerging in the background underneath the vocals, you get a sense of where JIKJIN is going for its final moments. And so it came as no surprise that they went a shouty final sequence that reminds you of other YG songs. But this one isn’t as typical, given that they managed to incorporate the original chorus into the mix. The shouty nature also made that sequence super energetic, as well. And as mentioned before, the instrumental mix we get at the end was extremely dynamic and intense, ending JIKJIN on a high note for me.
The music video is reported to cost more than $400,000, which is approximately the amount allocated to BLACKPINK’s music videos. While I do find this fact very interesting, I do question where the money was directed. To me, it seems like most of the budget would have gone to renting those spot cars that we see throughout the video. They also erected screens in a very familiar location (we have seen that circular concrete structure in music videos like VIXX’s The Closer, ONEUS’ TO BE OR NOT TO BE, Kim Lip’s Eclipse etc.), which I will admit brought new life to that structure. I am a bit disappointed by this, as they really hyped the video up to be something super cool. But I don’t think it lived up to that hype. On a more positive note, I enjoyed the cinematography throughout the video, which really helped make the video dynamic as well.
The main point of the choreography seems to draw on that car concept that is evidently in the music video and my comments on the chorus sounding ‘engine-like’. Elsewhere, I liked the various parts we saw in the music video. The pop sequence I mentioned for the verse seemed to have nice flow, and the final sequence in the song definitely seems to be the performance’s peak in terms of dynamism and energy. Looking forward to see everything on stage later this week.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.7/10
Also making her grand comeback is Taeyeon, who returns to the spotlight today via her 3rd studio length album and latest title track, all sharing the name INVU. This comes after she released Can’t Control Myself as a pre-release single ahead of this album release. It is also her first major release since Weekend, which she dropped last year as a digital single and is featured on this latest album, as well, as a side track.
INVU is a pop dance track, with a house based instrumental. While it ultimately is what I would consider to be an atmospheric piece, INVU feels mostly bare and typical on the instrumental front, as well. I was waiting for something to happen in the instrumental, but it never came to. We do get some flute work in the chorus and a funky vibe, but both were subtle or brief and didn’t really add a huge deal to INVU. The benefit of being a fairly empty track is that the focus can be placed elsewhere. And well, the only other thing you could really focus on was Taeyeon’s vocals. And boy, did she come through! INVU definitely showcases Taeyeon in a more mature limelight, and I thought her vocals were quite captivating for the most part. The English in the song really popped out at me, and I thought the INVU title was quite clever (‘I Envy You’). However, I still think INVU could have benefited had something been worked into the background, so that Taeyeon could have reacted alongside it to make INVU more gripping. I guess my takeaway from INVU is that I wanted more in this already decent song.
I think we might already have a contender for the Best Music Video award for the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. The entire set and post-production of the music video was simply stunning. There is no other word that could describe it. The marble set looked impeccable and flawless, and the cloudy background was so fitting. It has to be one of the best high-budget music video productions I have seen in a long time. Taeyeon herself is also stunningly beautiful throughout the video. I am not entirely sure, but I think Taeyeon plays some sort of goddess (my guess is Artemis, based on her bow/arrow and the moon).
Performance-wise, it was good. I think because the song was literally bare for the most part, there wasn’t much to work with on the choreography front. But from what we did get, I really like the INVU move. The poses that Taeyeon were in felt striking. And if they replicate the same aesthetic on stage in the video, the performance would be fine to watch and not as boring.
Song – 7.5/10 Music Video – 10/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.4/10
Kickstarting this week is APINK’s grand return with the single Dilemma and the special mini-album, Horn. This is the group’s first official comeback since the release of their March 2020 single Dumhdurum, though they did release a single last year (titled Thank You) in celebration of their 10th anniversary. Last year also saw the group undergo contract renewals, and all members besides Naeun re-signed with Plan M Entertainment (now known as IST Entertainment, after a merger with Cre.Kr Entertainment later in the year). Naeun, however, remains as a member of the group, but signed on with YG Entertainment as an actress. Naeun was part of the album preparations (including music video), but will not be promoting this new release with the rest of the group due to scheduling conflicts.
Dilemma continues the APINK’s run of mature sound, a sound profile that they adopted after a reinvention of the group in 2018 through the single I’m So Sick. Dilemma adds a more sophisticated sound this matureness, but in a modern and trendy manner. It features a simple synth beat instrumental for the most part, but on top of this was these synth-like horns that elevates the song in an unique manner. This extends into the chorus with the unique instrumental piece in the background reminding me of a kazoo. In addition this (possible) kazoo, the repetition of the song’s title and the vocals in the second half of the chorus (courtesy of Eunji and Bomi) make the chorus quite memorable, pop out and catchy. Elsewhere, I enjoyed the softness the other members’ vocals brought. It brought on an intriguing dynamic that really helps make Dilemma become quite appealing to me. With the pre-choruses, I liked the striking nature the keyboard had and the build in momentum to the fabulous chorus. Another part of Dilemma that I enjoyed was that instrumental break. It really ‘woke up’ the song and infused a burst of groovy energy into the matured nature of Dilemma. But while it seems like I am just giving praises to Dilemma, there are two aspects of the song that I am not keen on. The first is the rap sequence in the second verse and its trap instrumental sequence. It definitely tries to change up the momentum of Dilemma, but doesn’t really feel like a commitment to a change whatsoever. I am just glad it was brief and we return to the original pre-chorus and chorus. The second aspect has to be the ending. It felt sudden and abrupt (never a fan of those). An extension of some kind would have helped reduce the abruptness for me. But the positives outweighs the negative aspects, and Dilemma is still a fantastic song that I will definitely be be replaying a lot into the future.
This music video is stunning. The featured image I have posted with this post was extremely eye-catching for me. And I felt the rest of the visuals of the video, its concept and the members followed through in a similar manner. The dresses they wore really sold me on that sophisticated and mature concept that I mentioned earlier. I also have to compliment the members on their acting throughout the video. While it was all sadness to convey that dilemma of whether to give up on their relationship or push on, they really nailed their concept and I was captivated from start to end.
It is such a pity that we won’t be seeing Naeun on the stage with the group to perform Dilemma. Hopefully we will see an OT6 stage one day. From what I can see in the music video, the performance looks good. I really liked the dilemma move at the start of the chorus. The members turn their wrist back and forth, which reminds me of being indecisive about something. That dance break we get towards the end looks extremely striking and I am super excited for that the most!
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8.5/10 Overall Rating – 8.4/10
As flagged in last week’s Weekly KPOP Chart post, the week that just past ended up being a slightly busier week than the one that preceded it! And the next week is looking to be busier with some big name acts returning, including APINK, TREASURE, Taeyeon (SNSD) WONHO and former MISS A member Suzy confirmed for releases this week. And as usual, before I can proceed with any review in the new week, here is the Weekly KPOP Chart for this past week – 2nd Week of February 2022.
New releases of the Week
On top of this week’s new releases that did get a review (i.e. WONPIL’s Voiceless, VIVIZ’s BOP BOP!, Ha Sung Woon’s Can’t Live Without You and Moonbin & Sanha’s Ghost Town), we also saw the following releases drop:
Delight – Rolling Quartz
Love Message – Parc Jae Jung
WINNER – Ravi (VIXX) ft. ASH ISLAND
KIMIWA SAKIE IKU – Yunho (TVXQ)
Need You (Outro) – G.Soul
Ghost Town – Moonbin & Sanha (ASTRO)
suit dance – OnlyOneOf
Throwback Corner
This week’s throwback corner song is Girl Next Door’s Deep Blue Eyes, a project single from 2017 from the TV show, Idol Drama Operation Team. The project single features Mamamoo’s Moonbyul, Red Velvet’s Seulgi, Nature’s Kim So Hee, former Sonamoo member D.ana, Oh My Girl’s YooA, former Lovelyz member Sujeong and now-solo artist Jeon Somi.
Non-Korean Release of the Week
The highest ranking non-Korean song this week is Jeon Somi’s all-English side track single, Anymore, from her first studio album, XOXO. A music video was released for this single at the end of last year.
The Charts
Congratulations to fromis_9 for rising to the top spot of KPOPREVIEWED’s Weekly KPOP Chart with their latest single, DM. For more of the charts, keep on reading!
2nd Week of Feb 2022
6th Feb – 12th Feb 2022
Pos.
Song
Artist
Status
1
BOP BOP!
VIVIZ
(NEW)
2
LUNATIC
Moonbyul (Mamamoo)
(▲ 3)
3
Heartbreak
Minho (SHINee)
(▲ 11)
4
Feelin’ Like
PENTAGON
(▼ 2)
5
Devil
Max Changmin (TVXQ)
(▲ 73)
6
Smiley
YENA
(=)
7
Layin’ Low
Hyolyn ft. Jooyoung
(▲ 26)
8
Can’t Live Without You
Ha Sung Woon
(NEW)
9
Ghost Town
Moonbin & Sanha (ASTRO)
(NEW)
10
1, 2, 3
AB6IX
(▲ 3)
11
Voiceless
WONPIL (DAY6)
(NEW)
12
nostalgia
JUNNY & JAY B (GOT7) ft. Lullaboy
(▲ 46)
13
Villain
DRIPPIN
(▲ 14)
14
DM
fromis_9
(▼ 13)
15
Blessed-Cursed
ENHYPEN
(▲ 15)
16
Beautiful
NCT 2021
(▲ 27)
17
skinz
OnlyOneOf
(▲ 20)
18
Frozen
Taehwan (VANNER)
(▲ 60)
19
DESSERT
Kim Yo Han (WEi)
(▼ 2)
20
Universe_
ONEWE
(▲ 58)
21
TNT (Trust & Truth)
TRENDZ
(▼ 17)
22
Just Breath
JinJin & Rocky (ASTRO)
(▲ 48)
23
Maniac
Max Changmin (TVXQ)
(▲ 46)
24
WA DA DA
Kep1er
(▼ 6)
25
Play
Yuju
(▼ 22)
26
Because
ASH ISLAND
(▲ 50)
27
Adrenaline
KOM (N.O.M)
(▲ 5)
28
Make Me Happy
Wheein (Mamamoo)
(▲ 50)
29
Fever
Max Changmin (TVXQ)
(▲ 44)
30
Runaway
1iL
(▲ 48)
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:
This is such an long overdue album review. If memory serves me right, I made promises last month that I would write this album review. Well, sorry for the delay. But as they all say, better late then never. ENHYPEN made their comeback in October 2021 and in January 2021 with DIMENSION: DILEMMA (their 1st Studio Album) and DIMENSION: ANSWER (their repackaged version of the 1st Studio Album). Leading the charge on these albums, respectively, are the title tracks Tamed-Dashed and Blessed-Cursed (links below). In addition to these title tracks, six side tracks, an intro, interlude and outro. Before I delay this review any further, let’s get right into it!
Dimension: Dilemma Album CoverDimension Answer Album Cover
1. Intro: Whiteout – As usual with all of ENHYPEN’s releases thus far, we are treated to another Jake narrated intro track. This one is quite exciting thanks to the electronic instrumentation that features in the background of this track. It started off as a suspenseful piece, which works extremely with the narration, before developing into a vibrant, bright and poppy piece. (8/10)
3. Upper Side Dreamin’ – I liked the retro hip-hop vibe this song had. It isn’t like Blessed-Cursed on many fronts, however, though I am not entirely sure if this is a good thing or not. Upper Side Dreamin’ is more vibrant and brighter with its energy, and was quite upbeat from the get-go. But the vocals felt disappointing. They brought a one-dimensional tone to the song, thanks to the heavy usage of autotune. It is still bearable, and I feel like the melodies make up some of the autotune. But not exactly enough, which leaves me not enjoying Upper Side Dreamin’ as much. (7/10)
4. Just A Little Bit (몰랐어) – Just A Little Bit takes us a different route, with a dreamy pop track. The acoustic guitar dominates the background and adds a hearty touch to the song. The added details, like the twinkling chimes and the soft pounding beat, to the instrumentation definitely brought out a dreamier tone. Just A Little Bit also stands out thanks to the vocals, which were really nice. They too complimented the dreamy nature of the song and also had a memorable hook to it that I really enjoyed. (9/10)
5. Go Big or Go Home (모 아니면 도) – Go Big or Go Home is one of my picks for favourite side track from this album. The party/club vibes that comes from this song is just on point and definitely makes me feel lively even just by listening to it. Its instrumental feels like it could have been big hit in the ’00s and it for sure would have been a highly requested song at the parties I went to. While the vocals were a bit held back, it doesn’t break Go Big or Go Home. (9.5/10)
6. Blockbuster (액션 영화처럼) (ft. Yeonjun (TXT)) – Blockbuster features the like of Yeonjun from TXT, and kicks off with a dynamic and angsty rap sequence. Blockbuster ends up being a mix of EDM and rock element, which is what I would think a collaboration between TXT and ENHYPEN would be like (based on the sounds of the respective group). I liked how edgy it felt, while the vocals and rapping was very fulfilling. (9/10)
7. Attention, Please! – In a similar manner, Attention, Please! brings on a nostalgic vibe, reminding me of the punk rock we got in the 90s and 00s in the Western music industry. I really like how ‘full-on’ and satisfying the instrumental for Attention, Please! was. Definitely a highlight on this album, and it is a song that I would demand to see a live performance for (think live band, crowd cheering and hyping the group, and the group going all out while performing this track on stage). (10/10)
8. Interlude: Question – Ending the DIMENSION: DILEMMA studio album is the interlude track. It is another narrated track from Jake. But the instrumental here was quite fun and energetic. I also like the changing nature of the instrumental, going from soft and chill to subtly dark and intense, before leading into a retro influenced ending. (8/10)
10. Polaroid Love – The only new side track added to the repackaged album is Polaroid Love. This is slightly different to anything we have heard preceding it. Polaroid Love is a R&B pop track that is easy on the ears and has a certain softness to it that makes it delicate but appealing. Similarly, the vocals also encompass these exact same feelings and vibes, and also adds a tinge of cuteness to the song (which I am sure fans are enjoying). I found the chorus to Polaroid Love to be very catchy and the instrumental to be pleasantly upbeat. (8.5/10)
11. Outro: Day 2 – The outro track (also narrated by Jake) starts off with a pulsing background and atmospheric vibe. It’s good, but it wasn’t the same as the interlude or the intro track for this album package. (7/10)
Last month, we saw the debut of ASTRO’s latest subunit, JinJin & Rocky, who partied it up with their Just Breath single. It was later confirmed following JinJin & Rocky’s unit debut that ASTRO’s first subunit, Moonbin & Sanha, would be make their comeback in March, with a pre-release single dropping in February. Well time flew by as we waited, and Moonbin & Sanha’s pre-release single, Ghost Town, officially dropped yesterday. Now, we will be counting down to the day that Moonbin & Sanha returns as a duo, making it their first release since BadIdea, their debut single from 2020. In the meanwhile, let’s have a deep dive into Ghost Town.
Ghost Town is another stop along the mature path that Moobin and Sanha has sent us on with Bad Idea. It is not a grand stop of any kind, as there isn’t anything big or groundbreaking within Ghost Town that gets me excited or is a ‘must see’ attraction. It is just more so like a rest stop you stop at before going on with the last leg of your trip to the real destination (that is, their March comeback). After all, that is the purpose of a pre-release single. Ghost Town is pretty straight forward track with a pleasant blend with its acoustic instrumentation and trap/hip-hop beats. There was potential at the start, however. I found the acoustic guitar to be quite striking, but it was soon lost to the heavy hip-hop beats that is heavily present throughout the rest of the song. In the end, it does make Ghost Town repetitive. But not to the unbearable extent where it drains out the energy of the song. This is why I still found it pleasant. As for the duo, I don’t have much else to say other than that Moonbin and Sanha sounded quite satisfying throughout Ghost Town. They fitted in nicely with the instrumentation, and complimented the hip-hop vibes. The melodies were quite pleasant as well, but as mentioned at the start, not memorable. Overall, Ghost Town is basically your typical side track/pre-release single that just isn’t title track material. I sure do hope that whatever Moonbin & Sanha unveils in March, it is ‘title track material’.
The music video is pretty basic and isn’t too fancy. This felt right for the song, which was of a similar nature. All of the video was the pair in front of a screen that was showing static, red tinge cloudy backgrounds or was simply off some portions of the video (these parts were extremely dark and it was hard to see the two of them). The pair interacted with the camera in a way that reminded me of 90s R&B music videos. I personally thought the video was a bit dry and isn’t something that I would find myself revisiting. It is a fitting video for the song, but not my cup of tea.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 6/10 Overall Rating – 6.6/10
Ha Sung Woon also made his comeback on Wednesday with a special mini-album, You. Leading this mini-album is the title track Can’t Live Without You. This is Ha Sung Woon’s first release since he departed Star Crew Entertainment (his company for the past seven years) and his first since the release of Electrified and Electrified: Urban Nostalgia (which dropped late last year). Interestingly, this isn’t his first release under his new company, BPM Entertainment (the home to VIVIZ who also debuted on Wednesday). Not entirely sure why that is the case, but Can’t Live Without You and You are a nice treat nonetheless.
Can’t Live Without You is a light and mellow ballad, suitable when you want to take it easy, with a nice warm beverage in hand. It isn’t the most riveting song out there, nor does it gain points for being innovative. Nor is it the type of song that I usually steer to, as well. But it was extremely pleasant and nice sounding, and there is always time and need for a song like this. I also found Can’t Live Without You to be very warm and inviting, which I am sure was Ha Sung Woon’s intention for the song given that it is a song for his fans. As for Ha Sung Woon himself, he definitely sounds splendid. I like the husky tone he provided the song, which adds a nice texture to Can’t Live Without You. The softness and lightness of his vocals compliment the instrumental, but also at the same time, manages to pop out in a fitting manner. The melodies of this song are relatively simple, but definitely bring forth that swaying measure I look for in ballads and adds to the pleasantries of this song. Altogether, Can’t Live With You is a neat track that just feels perfectly soothing and comforting, for his fans and the casual listener alike.
That warm and comforting feeling was definitely well portrayed in his video. It was the main feeling that I got from the video, despite the surroundings seemed cold and chilly throughout the video. It seems like Ha Sung Woon spends all of the video alone, but it appears that we are by his side for parts of the video. He interacts with the camera at various points to give off the impression that we are with him. This indeed compliments the idea that this is a song for the fans. It is a fine accompaniment to the song.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
KPOPREVIEWED 