Author: kpopreviewed

Hi, my name is Tony and I am the man behind the site, kpopreviewed. Currently an university student who wants to introduce people to KPOP and if you are already into KPOP, different groups and bands.

[Review] Winter Falls – Stray Kids

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Stray Kids is nominated for Best Male Group, while Thunderous is nominated for Best Male Choreography (Group), Best Electronic Song and Best Music Video, and Changbin and Seungmin are nominated for other categories. Support Stray Kids, their members and Thunderous by clicking here.

As mentioned in my most recent review (i.e. Christmas EveL), Stray Kids have returned with a double title track comeback. In this post, I will focus on Winter Falls, the second title track of the comeback, as the music video for this dropped the day after Christmas EveL. This new release follows the group’s second studio album comeback, NOEASY and Thunderous‘, and their Japanese comeback, Scars.

Winter Falls is very different track to Christmas EveL. Whilst the other title track is a hip-hop themed Christmas track, Winter Falls is a lot more traditional with its approach. I must note that this particular track isn’t Christmas themed (there was no holiday references in this song), but rather just a Winter ballad-like single about holding onto past love. Winter Falls manages to still deliver a punch though, as the song technically doesn’t conform to the typicalness of a ballad. I really like how the acoustic touches in the instrumental, and the upbeatness the pop influences add to the song. However, the punch comes from the melodies that the group delivers, complimenting the emotional weight of the lyrics and the sentimental tone of the song. The ‘Winter Falls‘ and the subsequent ‘Fall‘ (and its echo) we get in the chorus was very memorable. It also helps that the melodies were very warm and inviting in this song, further adding to the appeal of the track. Bringing those melodies to life are the vocals. I mentioned in the review for Christmas EveL that I am not a fan of the hip-hop direction that vocalists follow as they don’t do the vocalist justice. Well, Winter Falls definitely compensates for that. And if I had to name a member who shined, it definitely had to be Seungmin who was effortlessly stunning throughout Winter Falls. They still managed to throw in rapping into the song, and expertly weave it into without it being too disruptive to the song’s melody, though the shouty line in the first chorus could have been omitted. I particularly like the rapped lines that is between the ‘La La La‘s at the end of the song. It helped create a nice outro that wrapped with the song well. Overall, Winter Falls is a very strong track with a stunning showcase of vocals and melody that I cannot put down.

Like the song, the music video takes an emotional approach. You can tell so from just the colours of the video, which were predominately grey. Definitely not exactly a white Christmas in this video. The members appear to be in this limbo, holding onto the memories of their past relationship. They are in the phone booth calling their past lovers, and their facial expressions show that their mind are heavy in such thoughts. The video ends with the phone booth on fire, which I assume represents that they are moving on. We don’t see who lights it up or how it came to its burning fate. But it tells us that they won’t be able call their former lover anymore. Lee Know also drops the necklace he was holding onto for most of the video, further fueling the change for the members. I don’t mind the video, and thought their acting portrayed the emotions well.

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

[Review] Christmas EveL – Stray Kids

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Stray Kids is nominated for Best Male Group, while Thunderous is nominated for Best Male Choreography (Group), Best Electronic Song and Best Music Video, and Changbin and Seungmin are nominated for other categories. Support Stray Kids, their members and Thunderous by clicking here.

Stray Kids is the first group to begin the annual Christmas season in KPOP, with the release of two title tracks from the seasonal celebrations. The first of the two, Christmas EveL, will be reviewed in this post, while the second track, Winter Falls, in the next post. This new release comes after the group’s second studio album comeback, NOEASY and Thunderous‘, and their Japanese comeback, Scars.

Christmas EveL was quite an unexpected song. Sure, it is a pretty much an odd ball when you think about – a Christmas themed hip-hop track. But I am quite certain that this isn’t the first time that a Christmas song had been crossed with hip-hop. It just seems to be the case in KPOP. And while the song did take a few listens for me to really get into it, Christmas EveL now comes off as fun and lighthearted track for the holiday season. These might not be words I would usually use for a pretty traditional hip-hop influenced track, but as I always say, there are exceptions. And I am sure that this is the original intention of the song. Since it is also Christmas themed, the cliché Christmas bells make an appearance throughout the song. I liked how they were tweaked for the chorus as well, to match with the overall hip-hop sound. I also like the references and tweaks to classic carols in this song, such as Jack Frost reference in the first pre-chorus, Jingle Bells in the chorus and Feliz Nevidad anthem chant at the end of the song. Its definitely added to the fun side of the song. Since it is a hip-hop based song, the rappers of the group definitely stand out and show off their skills in this song. Han, Changbin and Hyunjin do an amazing job with their rap parts, keeping the flow and maintaining the hip-hop vibe on top of the Christmas influences. Felix and Chan have the most memorable sequences of the song (i.e. the ‘Feliz Nevidad’ anthem ender), which I don’t mind replaying Christmas EveL for. The vocalists have a few good moments, but they seem to follow the hip-hop influence and I don’t think vocals are usually well presented in this manner. But overall, while Christmas EveL might come off weird, it surprisingly works well and successfully marks the start of the Christmas season.

What a fun video, which was expected based on the direction of the song. It was cringy at times, but still a well produced video. From the start of the video, we are told that Santa had lost his voice due to the Sound Monster that Stray Kids was battling in the teasers of Thunderous. And this presents a problematic issue with the current circumstances which the world is in and just weeks out of Christmas. So, Santa enlists the help of the Stray Kids members to hand out the presents to all the good kids in the world. And also from the start, the group has been busy doing so – groaning when Chan asks if they are ready for another trip. Interesting to see that Santa did not offer the help of any elves or reindeers, so the members had to collect their own toys from the store, self-wrap the presents and hand them out themselves. They have a truck that helps them hand out the presents though. They crash though, which leads to them being discovered by the little girl, who essentially schools them on what present to give to her (I hope that was the case, and she wasn’t schooling them on what type of presents of hand out, or else they would need to do the whole world again). They then proceed to have a full on party with the girl, before completing their mission. At the end of the video, though, Chan is sent another text message and the members all groan at the sight. Possibly another Christmas present run, or maybe there is something else that the members need to attend to.

[Update]There seems to be no stages for Christmas EveL and no news that promotions will be undertaken, so the likelihood of choreography for this track is dwindling. As a result, I will omit this section of the review and will keep the final rating based on song and music video.

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

[Review] Killing Me – CHUNG HA

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CHUNG HA is nominated for Best Female Soloist, while BICYCLE is nominated for Best Female Choreography (Solo) and Best Outfits, and Dream On You is nominated for Best International Song by a Korean Artist (Western) for the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support CHUNG HA and her songs by voting for her. Click here to do so now!

CHUNG HA is officially back with a special single titled Killing Me, which dropped yesterday. This is her first release since her first solo studio album, Querencia, and the title track, Bicycle. Since then, CHUNG HA has been relatively quiet, aside from a few collaborations with Colde (My Lips Like Warm Coffee), Rain (Why Don’t We), the I.O.I livestream show reunion, and a few soundtracks.

CHUNG HA kicks off the week with a relatively simple, but effective pop track. Killing Me features a club fitting instrumentation that has brings forth some good momentum that drove the song forward. I also found that it made the song simple and straightforward, working in harmony with the other aspects of the song (which I will talk about in a second). First impression wise, I did think the instrumental felt generic and plain, but additional listens really helped me warm up to the backing of this song. I wished this wasn’t the case initially, since Killing Me is such a good song now. But I can’t really change that first impression after it had occurred. Now, I can’t think of Killing Me with any other backing. I liked the idea of using the synths in the chorus as a metaphor for a long tunnel. It is quite an abstract concept and took me a while to get. But after some lyrics researching and pondering, I find that it actually feels that way, and so the ‘effective’ description. Also adding more to that effective descriptor is CHUNG HA herself. I find her vocals to be quite loaded with emotion, which isn’t really usually the case with pop songs, let alone up-tempo songs like Killing Me. But there is that maturity and experience behind her voice that really makes Killing Me so much more impactful. The simple description applies to both the instrumental (which I also mentioned), but also the melodies. The ‘Killing Me Killing Me‘ hook/melody was so simple but yet so memorable. It really pulled me in for second and third listens right away. It also felt so delicate, which I felt also worked with the journey towards the message of the song (i.e. that whilst what you are going through might ‘killing you’, there is always hope for light at the tunnel that makes things better). Overall, Killing Me stands out for its simplistic approach to such a loaded topic, and CHUNG HA expertly weaves that idea into the song to make it an impactful one.

Here is what I got out of the video. It starts off with CHUNG HA as a innocent child. She looks excited and looks like she is counting the hours down to her birthday. Upon her birthday, she is gifted a Russian doll, which ends up being a representation of her. As she removes the outer layer of the Russian Doll, her innocence is loss and is exposed to the harsh realities of life. We then see her in a tunnel with a much more mature look. From this, I think she has aged, and since has taken off an another layer of the Russian Doll, as we can see on the floor of the bathroom. It shows us that she is more insecure and that there is a struggle within her that breaks her further. The party scenes we do see is the outer layer of the Russian Doll, where we act like everything is okay. In the end, we see CHUNG HA reach the final piece of the Russian Doll. It is scratched beyond repair, and is indicative of the state she is in – broken. But I think she has an epiphany, and she destroys the doll (along with the rest of the room), coming to terms that the doll doesn’t represent herself. I think this is a great story that goes hand-in-hand with the lyrics and compliments the song very well.

Song – 9.5/10
Music Video – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9.8/10

[Album Review] BLUE LETTER (2nd Mini Album) – WONHO

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WONHO is nominated for Best Male Soloist in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Click here to support Wonho, your other favourite artists, songs and performances.

It has taken me over two months to get around to reviewing this album release, but it is finally here. WONHO made his solo comeback mid-September with BLUE (the title track) and BLUE LETTER (this mini-album which I reviewed today). This is his second mini-album since his solo debut, with the mini-albums Love Synonym Part 1: Right For Me and Love Synonym Part 2: Right For Us forming his first and debut mini-album. I will correct that point in the respective title of the second album review that I wrote up earlier in the year. Anyhow, regarding BLUE LETTER, it was a nice album release that really showcases WONHO vocals very well. It is something that I consistently commenting in this album review, so keep your eyes out for those comments when you read my thoughts on the individual songs below.

BLUE LETTER Album Cover

1. Intro: Seasons and Patterns (Intro: 시간과 잡화점의 무늬) – Kickstarting BLUE LETTER is an instrumental intro track, titled Seasons and Patterns. A mixture of soft synths and piano come together to create such a beautiful and stunning piece. It also feels light and airy, warm and inviting, and soothing and calming – all rolled into one.

2. BLUE (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for BLUE. (7/10)

3. No Text or Call – Following the title track is No Text or Call, an all-English R&B track. I quite enjoyed the mix of acoustic guitar, synths and bass in this song. The two come together to form a track that would definitely fit in well with Western music industry. No Text or Call has a rather simple melody to it, but it is effective and it definitely caught my attention. It also definitely brings out Wonho’s vocals in a warm and likeable manner, even though the song dives into the more delicate topic of a breakup. (9/10)

4. Come Over Tonight – Keeping the acoustic guitars, adding a more profound amount of synths and diving deeper into the R&B genre is Come Over Together. And that was all present in the opening sequence of the song, which in turn was a great start. I really like the swaying effect that the melody brings to this song, but I will admit that the melody was a touch on the generic side and doesn’t offer anything special in addition to that. As for Wonho’s vocals in this song, I find them quite enjoyable. There is also a slightest touch of autotune added at certain parts of the song, which did a fantastic job of blending his already fitting vocals further into the song. (7.5/10)

5. 24/7 – 24/7 is an aesthetic pop track that really draws me into the song. This is thanks to the buzzing and pulsing synth that forms part of the song’s hook. While I do think the instrumental for 24/7 is a big positive to the song, I am not a fan of the bleeping-like synth that follows up the commended synth hook that I just mentioned. It just stuck out and didn’t fit the aesthetics of 24/7. Wonho’s vocals, both autotuned and in falsetto mode, sounded so great throughout the track, complimenting those aesthetics I mentioned, but also sounding so drifty and airy. (9/10)

6. Stranger – The final song on the album is Stranger, which is the album’s mandatory ballad. While this ballad doesn’t necessary bring forth that swaying effect that I tend to notice in ballads, Stranger has other strengths that make it such a great song nonetheless. The acoustic guitar instrumental returns a one-track omission, but without synths and hence is the dominant element within the instrumentation. It was so nice and soothing, while Wonho’s vocals really bundled the emotions behind the lyrics up so well. The melodies were very beautiful, particularly the very typical but well executed ‘La La La’ in this song. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.3/10

BLUE LETTER Teaser Image

[Weekly KPOP Chart] 4th Week of November 2021

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Another week has gone by and we are about to enter the final month of 2021. With just five more weeks to go until the new year, we can expect a final rush of comebacks for the year before we left with a few quiet weeks at the end of the month and in the new year. And we will be getting some Christmas themed songs coming our way, with the first to be released tomorrow! But until then, I will be busy reviewing and preparing for the end of the year!

Before we move onto the rest of the Weekly KPOP Chart post, a very quick reminder that you are now able to vote and support your favourite artists, songs and performances in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Two weeks have past, so you have a month left to vote! Click here to do so.

New Releases of the Week

You probably have already seen my review for SF9’s Trauma, Hwasa’s I’m a B and GHOST9’s Control. But there were other releases this week, including:

  • RACE – Bang Yong Guk
  • FLASHBACK – B.I.G
  • Fireworks – Gaho
  • Star – ONEWE
  • Waves of You – Kisu
  • Designer – HeeO
  • ALL MY FRIENDS ARE TURNING BLUE – LØREN

Throwback Corner

This week’s throwback corner takes you back to 2015, when Taeyeon made her official debut with the chart topping and effortlessly stunning I. I was just revisiting past MAMA performances, as it is coming up, and came across one of the opening performance for the 2015 MAMA in which she performed I. Listened to it one night and have binged it the next couple of days on repeat!

Non-Korean Song of the Week

While the following song has a Korean version, my pick for Non-Korean Song of the Week is the Japanese version of TXT’s 0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You), which features Ikuta Lilas. There is something in this version that sets it apart from the Korean version, and potentially makes it better than the original! I also enjoyed the apocalyptic concept of this music video – very fitting for the song.

The Charts

Congratulations once again to ONEUS, who retains the top spot for the second week in a row with their latest single, LUNA. For more of the charts, keep on scrolling down below.

4th Week of November 202121st Nov – 27th Nov 2021
Pos.TitleSongStatus
1LUNAONEUS(=)
2Rush HourMONSTA X(▲ 3)
3I’m a BHwasa (Mamamoo)(NEW)
4Rock With YouSEVENTEEN(▲ 5)
5MAVERICKTHE BOYZ(▲ 2)
6SeriousPark Ji Hoon(▲ 49)
7TraumaSF9(NEW)
8ControlGHOST9(NEW)
9Butterfly EffectBOL4(▲ 42)
10TIKI TAKAT-ARA(▼ 8)
11BAD LOVEKey (SHINee)(▲ 41)
12SCIENTISTTWICE(▼ 6)
13Vibin’Youngjae (GOT7)(▲ 3)
14No Good in Good Bye2AM(▲ 1)
15Get Set YouMJ (ASTRO) ft. Kim Taeyeon(▲ 45)
16SiestaWeki Meki(▼ 13)
17GLASSYJo Yuri(▲ 40)
18Savageaespa(▲ 12)
19strawberry moonIU(▲ 47)
20FRESHICHILLIN’(▲ 9)
21COSMOSB.I(▼ 3)
22RING X RINGBilllie(▲ 10)
23FrostTXT(▼ 4)
242New VisionColde ft. Kim Soyeon ((G)I-DLE)(▲ 42)
25California LoveDonghae (Super Junior) ft. Jeno (NCT)(▲ 41)
26ElectrifiedHa Sung Woon(▼ 9)
27Work WorkLee Jin Hyuk(▲ 32)
28WOULD YOU RUNTRI.BE(▲ 12)
29Will Make A MistakeBLITZERS(▲ 37)
30No More XTO1(▲ 24)

Songs leaving the charts this week

The following songs have wrapped up their nine week run on the charts and will not be part of it from next week:

[Album Review] Attacca (9th Mini Album) – SEVENTEEN

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SEVENTEEN is nominated for Best Male Group, while their tracks – Not Alone, Bittersweet and Rock With You – are nominated for various song awards in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support SEVENTEEN and the listed songs, along with your other favourite artists, songs and performances by clicking here to vote!

SEVENTEEN returned made their comeback on 22 October 2021 with Rock With You and their ninth mini-album, Attacca. A little over a month since their comeback, I am finally reviewing the album! Overall, Attacca delivers the group’s next great album, though it isn’t my vote for their best. In addition to the already mentioned title track, the album consist of two additional full group songs, 3 unit tracks and a bonus all-English track from members Joshua and Vernon. Keep on reading for my thoughts on the individual songs!

Attacca Album Cover

1. To You (소용돌이) – Before the album went to the title track, Rock With You, we were treated to an synth pop track, To You, which merged the airiness of synths with a bit of pop rock together into a simple sounding track. It was an ideal track to start off with. It wasn’t too light or too heavy, but retaining the benefits of both. It was also quite atmospheric. I liked its consistency and enjoyed it until the end. Their vocals approach was extremely nice and soothing, though I wished the group employed a bit of rapping in To You to add a bit more flair to the song. (8/10)

2. Rock With You (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Rock With You. (9/10)

3. Crush – Crush lands very impactful and ‘in-your-face’ start, setting the song apart from the rest of the album. This definitely ticks the boldness box that I consistently mention on the blog. The chorus was definitely Crush’s most standout section for the exact same reason. The use of falsettos and textured rapping was very nice, and gave the song a lot more to appeal with. It is a bit repetitive, but I honestly look past this flaw thanks to the other elements. (9/10)

4. Pang! (Performance Unit) – Despite the album’s promotions lacking both Jun and The8 due to their schedules in China, they participated in all the full group songs on this album and the Performance Unit song, Pang!. Pang! was a fun number without a loaded instrumentation. Actually, the more accurate way to describe the instrumental in Pang! is underloaded, which brought on a whole different aesthetic than what we are used to. The chorus was very catchy and alluring, with the spoken ‘Don’t Come’ feeling quite punchy. Dino’s rapping in this song is top notch and very unique sounding. Definitely a standout for me. (10/10)

5. Imperfect Love (매일 그대라서 행복하다) (Vocal Unit) – As expected, the vocal unit’s song enters ballad territory. But Imperfect Love features a soft pop rock vibe, which is a nice change up to the usual classical instrumental we get when it comes to ballads. The harmonies are really nice and help fill up the song’s instrumentation. The electric guitars came in at the right time, and helped added a bit more colour and flair than if they were omitted. Interestingly, I didn’t find their solo parts to stand out as much, with everything else overtaking their individual moments. Not entirely sure about this, but Imperfect Love manages to work just fine anyway. (7/10)

6. I Can’t Run Away (그리워하는 것까지) (Hip Hop Unit) – The most surprising track from the units is I Can’t Run Away. While the song does include raps, I was taken aback by the delicate and ballad approach the quartet has gone with. To me, this is unexplored territory for the four, but one I would gladly be happy to revisit in the future. The raps were very nice, and I liked how it emphasises the members husky and raspy tones. But what shocks me even more was how good the vocals were. They definitely made the song standout. Also, both vocals and balladry instrumentation gave added an emotional and fragile touch to I Can’t Run Away, which works well with the lyrics of the song. (8/10)

7. 2 Minus 1 (Joshua and Vernon) – 2 Minus 1 is a song I highly recommend to have on blast. It is an extremely satisfying way to enjoy the song. It is a bit slow to begin with, but the energy that ultimately comes through during the chorus in this all-English punk-pop song is just so good. Both Joshua and Vernon have a hand in this as well with their awesome vocal pairing! But their solo parts are equally as good. Joshua shows off his vocal potential (which isn’t usually highlighted), while Vernon’s raspy tone is also well showcased in this song. I wished the energy was a bit more consistent and we didn’t have slow downs or moments where the instrumentals were stripped back, but overall a great bonus track for fans. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.4/10

Attacca Teaser Image

[Review] Control – GHOST9

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Support your favourite artists, songs and performances in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards by clicking here.

Returning yesterday was GHOST9, with their title track Control and fifth mini-album Now: Who We Are Facing. This is the group’s third comeback of the year, following the releases of SEOUL in March and Up All Night June of this year. This is also the group’s first comeback as a seven member group, following the sudden departures of members Hwang Dongjun and Lee Taeseung.

Despite such a promising and interesting start to the song, GHOST9’s Control ended up developing into a pretty generic and tasteless song. I hate to be crude, but I just didn’t get much out of Control. I saw the start of Control as very intriguing, thanks to the Erlkönig sample that the producers opted to use. It isn’t the first time we have heard dramatic piano work in a KPOP song, but its presence in this song promised potential and definitely could have been a start to a theatrical or dramatic song. I liked how they kept the vibe throughout the first verse, backed up with some powerful rapping and melodic vocals in the pre-chorus. However, once we get to Control‘s chorus, the song just felt flat. They kept the same elements as the verses (which I was on board with), but the song failed to really build on it. We get the slightest amount of bolstering possible for the chorus, but it was not nearly as satisfying as I had expected. Control could have gone for a harder and bolder feel to be memorable and impactful. But it just didn’t work out. Similarly, the rest of Control then felt like a repeat of what we heard at the start, and didn’t offer anything more. I didn’t feel like a peak was reached, nor was there any considerable development in the instrumentation, vocals, rapping etc. So why I do I feel this way about Control? I partly blame this on the trap-based instrumentation that paired with the piano throughout the song. I gave it the benefit of the doubt at the start, but it became tiresome and dry very quickly. But it isn’t just the instrumentation. There were other opportunities for the song to be bolster or develop that Control didn’t really grasp. The vocals and rapping had hints of aggression throughout the song which I tend to like. But in this song, they never really amounted to anything substantial. The melodies, especially the what should have been the centerpiece, was lackluster. Unfortunately, whatever potential Control had at the start was lost, and so ultimately Control just felt plain and underwhelming in the end.

I find the rest of the comeback to be much more promising than the song. The music video opted for a dark concept and a twist that I thought was rather clever. We see the members confined and trapped by a masked individual, who seems to have the members under its control (i.e. the masked individual was the dominating presence). And while the members are shown as victims throughout majority of the video, the twist at the end was that the members were the ones in control the entire time and were the masked individual. This is an interesting play on the lyrics, which urged the listener to wake up from the ‘dark’ control to be with them. I guess we do get hints of this twist throughout the video, with the member at the start waking up by the word ‘maestro’ written on the ground, and that very disturbing smile from another member from one of the group scenes (see feature image for that smile).

The performance was actually quite good. I liked the ripple effect they paired with the piano at the start of the song. I also liked the start of the final chorus, where the members formed themselves into two groups and pulled themselves into one. There were so some really great synchronized moments, and also some more calming moments in the choreography as well.

Song – 5.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance -8.5/10
Overall Rating – 6.9/10

[Review] I’m a B – Hwasa (Mamamoo)

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Mamamoo is nominated for Best Vocals for Where Are We Now? in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support Mamamoo and your other favourite artists, songs and performances by clicking here.

Making her return to the stage yesterday was Hwasa, with I’m a B (I’m a 빛). This new song is the title track off Hwasa’s second single album, Guilty Pleasure, which also dropped yesterday. This is Hwasa’s first solo comeback since Maria last year, and the first time we have seen her since Mamamoo’s return with mumumumuch earlier this year.

With a title like I’m a B, I’m a B is pitched to us initially as a bold track. But interestingly, the song isn’t that bold. The only boldness I really get from the song is when Hwasa exclaims ‘I’m a 빛‘ at she exclaims during the chorus. As an English speaker, that is pretty gutsy, but very clever when you factor in the Korean pronunciation of the Hangul there. But apart from that, I’m a B is a pretty tame song that sits in very subdued territory. I wished the official song featured the traditionally instrumented dance break in its entirety from the music video. Hwasa and her producers were on to something! It really pulled me in, and felt bold in a sophisticated manner. Its omission from the official audio felt like a missed opportunity. But while that is the case, I’m a B still manages to appeal with its nice melodies and the fact that Hwasa can captivate in such constricted territory. For I’m a B, the melodies felt simple. But they were also highly effective. In conjunction with Hwasa’s raspy vocals, I’m a B is charming and exudes a lot of charisma and confidence. All of which is a constant factor that Hwasa has managed to bring to us in her title tracks thus far. Also adding to the appeal of the song was the mature-sounding instrumental. While it played a heavy role in that tame/subdued nature, I also think it also brought out additional charm. Nothing really stands out in it, but I do find that it keeps true to the current trends of heavy bass and snappy percussions. It also felt a bit like a blank canvas, enabling Hwasa to do her thing. Overall, I’m a B plays towards Hwasa’s strengths, though I wished that it was bolder like how its title suggests.

What a stunning video. The visuals throughout this music video were on point, and amazed me. Underneath the visuals are some meaningful scenes/details. I stumbled across this one tweet (see below) while search for hashtags that I thought was very interesting. I liked how it explains the start of the video (i.e. Hwasa was in a crate full of water) and I believe the start also ties into the Maria music video. Aside from that, I also wanted to mention the epicness of the dance break that features in the music video. I was in awe and stunned at the beauty of that section. Not just at Hwasa’s presence, but also the instrument player and the dancers. Also when the instrument crumbles, that was a really strong and impact shot. Definitely a video to watch!

Once again the confidence that Hwasa exudes in the performance/choreography has to be mention. It make the rest of this component even better. More sensual and mature. I really liked the elegance of the dance break, and its contrast with the following part of the song where she does some tutting. A few different influences that somehow blends into one stunning performance.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.5/10

[Review] Serious – Park Ji Hoon

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Remember to support favourite artists, songs and performances in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Click here to vote!

A month overdue, but here is my review for Park Ji Hoon’s latest song titled Serious. Serious was released at the end of last month (28 October – to be exact) and is featured on Park Ji Hoon’s fifth mini-album, Hot&Cold, since his solo debut. This is also his second comeback of the year, following the likes of Gallery and My Collection back in August.

To be honest, Serious is one of the releases that somehow slipped my radar. I do remember it being teased and its release. But I haven’t listened to the song at all. Tracking my listening pattern through my Weekly KPOP Charts, it appears that I only ‘discovered’ Serious two weeks back. So, I am kind of going into it with a fresh mind today. But there might be a reason why I had only ‘discovered’ the song so many weeks after it release. Even when I do sit down to listen to it for this review, I find Serious to be a little plain. There really isn’t anything memorable within the song. The instrumentals of Serious falls into the R&B/pop territory. While this combination can be innovative and creative, Serious just isn’t a good case for that potential. I did get a moody sense from it, which I think compliments the lyrics of the song, and I did like the sleek start. But other than that, Serious was your standard backing to a dance song. Hook-wise, there was a bit of repetition in Serious, which helps build the song’s momentum to an extent. But they don’t stand out as much. Like the instrumentation, there isn’t really anything fresh or new that blows my mind or peaks my interest. Similarly, melody-wise, not a big fan of what the song did. I feel the strongest aspect of Serious was the vocal work. There were some good vocals in the song thanks to the slight raspy nature of Park Ji Hoon’s voice, and I did like the pre-chorus rapping and the momentum that we got out of that. The one vocal aspect that I disagree with is the switch to rap-singing in the chorus. its fine in the verses, but I just didn’t like how it came to be to the chorus. Overall, Serious is a lacking and unmemorable release, and ultimately a letdown following the likes of Gallery.

While the song might have not blown me away, Park Ji Hoon in this video did. Park Ji Hoon shows off some serious acting chops in this music video, and its so good that it makes this music video so much better. From what I see in this video, I think Park Ji Hoon’s character recently broke up with his partner, which leads him to this emotional state he is in throughout the video. He is locked in a hypothetical room. One moment he was writing a message in the bottle to his partner (I am assuming to ask for forgiveness), with the room being peaceful and lightened up. The next moment, it is trashed and the message in the bottle that he originally had written had gone missing. It appears that there is two sides of Park Ji Hoon in the video (represented by the scenes lightened up with the white light vs. the scenes lightened up a red light). I think the one side really wants to make amends (the white light), while the other side doesn’t want to. It got to the point where the glass bottle was ‘laid to rest’ in the boot of the car, as if it was kidnapped (which might explain the missing message above). The yellow light at the end seems to represent that Park Ji Hoon comes to terms with his emotions, and the sorry that we do seem is acceptance that he was the cause of the breakdown of their relationship and that there won’t be any chance of going back to what they were, even though he is ‘Serious‘ about going back. Serious guesses on what is happening and I could be very wrong, but I find the music video to be quite interesting.

The choreography is plain for me, but the entire performance still felt fitting for the song. It did bring to my attention that Serious doesn’t have much of a break in it and Park Ji Hoon is constantly moving and singing at the same time without any seconds to breathe, so I give him some points for that. But the moves don’t really impress me.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 6.5/10
Overall Rating – 7/10

[Review] TRAUMA – SF9

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SF9 is nominated for Best Male Choreography (Group) for Tear Drop and Best Special Performance for their cover of Taemin’s Move in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support SF9 and your other favourite artists, songs and performances by clicking here to vote!

Kick starting this week is SF9, who returns with TRAUMA. This is featured on their tenth mini-album since debut, Rumination, which also dropped today. TRAUMA is the group’s first comeback in almost five months, following the likes of Tear Drop (their previous title track) and TURN OVER (the group’s ninth mini-album), which I really enjoyed. Let’s see how TRAUMA stacks up against Tear Drop and the rest of the competition out there.

I find TRAUMA to be on the pleasant side of the spectrum, but I feel that there is potential for the song to grow on me. TRAUMA falls into the all too familiar funky and groovy motif that is basically everywhere in KPOP at the moment. But what I liked about TRAUMA is how SF9 had taken the style and made it sensually refined. While it isn’t the most innovative or creative use of the funk and groove, it definitely allows SF9 to tap into their own skills and also complimented the rest of their discography/style. Personally, I am not sure where I stand with that brassy trumpet-like synth that is present during the chorus. It definitely acts as a nice filler in the background. But I am not sure if I really like its overall presence in this song and it feels almost whiny, which doesn’t reflect a good impression on me. I also thought the vocal work in TRAUMA was a bit neutral overall. I wished there was a bit of more energy and tone to it. The rapping was a lot more inviting and had more of the dynamic that I wanted to see. Zuho’s part stood out, as it referenced his iconic line from the Move cover earlier this year (‘the male version of Venus‘). That definitely really emphasises the sensual atmosphere that I had already pointed out. Also sticking out at me was the Chani and Hwiyoung exchange in the bridge. Youngbin also did a good job in the second verse. For TRAUMA‘s hooks, there was a decent ring and it caught on during the first listen. Overall, TRAUMA could have been more, but it definitely achieves its primary goal as a (pleasant) sensual dance track.

So, there seems to be a reason why Good Guy, Summer Breeze, Tear Drop and now TRAUMA had the same aesthetic. It turns out that this was a whole series of music videos. I somehow have no memory of the trailer for the series (which was released back at the start of 2020), or somehow missed it. According to the description on SOOMPI, TRAUMA is the ‘prequel to their “9lory” storyline and reveals the past stories of the nine members who were scattered in the real world’. I am not exactly sure how TRAUMA showcases these ‘past stories’ exactly as they already looked pretty scattered already, but I figure I would probably need to go through all the videos to formulate a full story (Music Video Theory post, maybe?). I, however, did notice similar elements to those past music videos in this music video, including the chessboard as in Good Guy; bar scenes as in Summer Breeze; and (I think) the rain and feather reminded me of Tear Drop (not too sure about this one). I also wonder the tunnel they walk through at the start is meant to be similar to their |Believer| stage from the final episode of Kingdom: Legendary War.

I like how they captured the sensual energy in the performance, and the passion the members exuded as well. I also liked the use of the chairs was really cool at the start, and how they were reintroduced at the end of the performance as a sort of climax within the choreography. It also added a bit of a refined touch to the video. The pounding head in the chorus also looked very cool and made sense given the English lyrics in the song.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10

[Album Review] BAD LOVE (1st Mini Album) – Key (SHINee)

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Key is nominated for Best Male Choreography (Solo), while BAD LOVE is nominated for Best Electronic Song and Best Album in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. SHINee and fellow member Taemin are also nominated for other categories, as well. Support Key, Taemin and SHINee in their respective categories by clicking here and voting for your favourite acts of this year.

On September 27 of this year, Key made his solo comeback with the amazing BAD LOVE. On the same day, he also dropped his first mini-album of the same name. BAD LOVE not only features the title track BAD LOVE, but also the pre-release single titled Hate That which also featured Taeyeon from SNSD. Originally, I had planned to review the pre-release single separately before the album review. But after putting it off for so many weeks, I have decided to just push forward with the album review without the separate review for Hate That. Otherwise, this album review will not see the light of day. Regarding the album (spoiler alert), I highly recommend to anyone who just want to discover something new. It is so good that BAD LOVE has managed to score a Best Album nomination in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards and is also my pick for Best Album of the year! Though not all songs scored a 10/10, there is not a bad song on this album whatsoever, so I am sure you will find something that you like. But that’s the whole overview of the album, let’s dive into each of the songs.

BAD LOVE Album Cover

1. BAD LOVE (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for BAD LOVE. (9.5/10)

2. Yellow Tape – Continuing on from BAD LOVE with the electronic instrumentation is Yellow Tape. I really like how hard-hitting Yellow Tape was from start to end. It is the type of consistency that I quite like, with a refreshing tone also coming through at the same time. The bolstered beat and electronic textures in Yellow Tape makes this a knockout song. I also enjoyed the hype and satisfying energy that Key himself brings through his vocals. They were powerful and well-defined over the instrumentation. The breathy ‘breathe in, breathe out’ whispers were catchy and iconic, increasing the memorability of the song. A solid follow-up track to BAD LOVE. (9/10)

3. Hate That… (ft. Taeyeon (SNSD)) – As mentioned previously, Hate That… is the pre-release single of the album, and was released a month in advanced to the rest of BAD LOVE. It is a R&B track that brings out the best of both Key and Taeyeon. It is pretty much an outlier in the album, but it also gives us a bit of reprieve from all of the electronic influences. The pair really dug deep for this song, with each of them bringing a lot of emotion. To me, I find the instrumentation to be quite stilling for the most part, aside from the somewhat pulsing beat that adds depth to the song. This really compliments the emotional and R&B roots of the song. Their harmonies took the song to a new level, while the melodies for the main hook in the choruses were definitely memorable ring to it that just stayed in my head even after the song had wrapped up. Apologies for not reviewing this song earlier. (9/10)

4. Helium (헬륨) – Helium brings funky vibes to the album and also uses this opportunity to incorporate an all-English track. While the funky instrumentation was great, I wished it was bolder and had more gratifying bass, all of which would have taken the song to the next level. But that being said, my suggestions don’t mean that Helium is a bad song. I really enjoyed Key’s falsetto vocals and his rap-speak delivery during some parts of the song really helped make this one a memorable track. Not exactly my favourite off the album, but definitely still ana amazing track. (8.5/10)

5. Saturday Night – Saturday Night is blissful and atmospheric during the verses, before ultimately unveiling its true nature as another funky and groovy track when it came to the chorus. This one is a laid back and chill in terms of its energy, but effective and impactful at the same time. Key’s falsetto vocals return in this song to compliment the funky notes of the instrumentation.  I really enjoyed this song and was definitely grooving along to it when I heard it the first time. (10/10)

6. Eighteen (End of My World) – The final song on the mini-album is Eighteen and is a nice ribbon to tie the entire album together, in my opinion. To me, Eighteen felt like a concentration of everything that came before it and definitely showcases Key’s abilities. It started off as an emotional sounding track, similar to a ballad. The twist here would be the instrumentation, as it still emerges with that electronic influence that is throughout most of the album. When the chorus kicks in, the song brings forth a slow rock vibe, which in conjunction with the electronic created a very impactful and powerful instrumental. Key’s vocals were consistently powerful during the entirety of the song, emotionally charged and wholesome all at the same time. (10/10)

Overall Album Rating – 9.3/10

BAD LOVE Teaser Image

[Weekly KPOP Chart] 3rd Week of November 2021

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Another week has flown by and so it is for a quick look back through the Weekly KPOP Charts segment. Today’s post is going to be a quick one as I have a bit to do today for the blog (I want to smash out at least two album reviews and also get onto some song reviews).

Just a quick side, the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards have opened now for public/fan voting, so get your votes in to support your favourites. It closes at the end of December, but if you are a forgetful person like me, I find it better to do it earlier on! Click here to vote for your favourite artists, songs and performances!

New Releases of the Week

In addition to the reviews for T-ARA’s TIKI TAKA, Weki Meki’s Siesta, MONSTA X’s Rush Hour and Ha Sung Woon’s Electrified, the following songs are also new releases of the week.

  • Bad Influence – Bernard Park
  • Stardust – Younha
  • To.Lie – E’LAST

Throwback Corner

With Lovelyz’s disbandment earlier this month, I had a trip down memory lane with many of their songs. And as it is also unofficially Christmas season (since it is November, but the stores seem to have Christmas in full swing), Twinkle is my pick for this week in the Throwback Corner.

Non-Korean Song of the Week

TWICE’s The Feels is this week’s feature song in this segment of the Weekly KPOP Charts, simply because it has been make the rounds on Instagram.

The Charts

Congratulations to ONEUS’ LUNA for topping KPOPREVIEWED’s Weekly KPOP Chart for the 3rd Week of November 2021. For more of the charts, scroll down below.

3rd Week of November 202114th Nov – 20th Nov 2021
Pos.TitleArtistStatus
1LUNAONEUS(▲ 2)
2TIKI TAKAT-ARA(NEW)
3SiestaWeki Meki(NEW)
4Favorite (Vampire)NCT 127(=)
5Rush HourMONSTA X(NEW)
6SCIENTISTTWICE(▲ 5)
7MAVERICKTHE BOYZ(▼ 6)
8Adore YouB1A4(▲ 53)
9Rock With YouSEVENTEEN(▼ 7)
10Tamed-DashedENHYPEN(▲ 19)
11DDARAGolden Child(▲ 5)
12CHERRYAB6IX(▲ 16)
13Don’t Teach MeAilee(▼ 7)
14Shouldn’t Known2AM(▲ 45)
15No Good in Good Bye2AM(▲ 38)
16VibinYoungjae (GOT7)(▼ 7)
17ElectrifiedHa Sung Woon(NEW)
18COSMOSB.I(▲ 44)
19FrostTXT(▲ 43)
20Calm & PassionNam Woohyun (Infinite)(▲ 3)
21Let Me InWJSN (Cosmic Girls)(▲ 20)
22Sweet TravelVICTON(▼ 8)
23Take OverDo Hanse (VICTON)(▲ 10)
24Do 4 MeEPEX(▲ 38)
25VIVACELIGHTSUM(▼ 12)
26Santa MonicaNIK(▲ 24)
27Out of the BlueDowoon (DAY6) with Song Heejin(▼ 2)
28GHOSTDREAMNOTE(▼ 1)
29FRESHICHILLIN’(▲ 33)
30Savageaespa(▲ 21)

Songs leaving the charts this week

The following songs have completed their nine week run on the charts, and will not be eligible for next week’s edition:

[Review] Electrified – Ha Sung Woon

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Ha Sung Woon is nominated for Best Male Soloist, and his release, Sneakers, is also nominated for Best Male Choreography (Solo) in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Click here to support Ha Sung Woon and your other favourite artists.

Making his return yesterday as well was Ha Sung Woon. The title track of his sixth mini-album, Electrified: Urban Nostalgia, which also dropped yesterday is Electrified. His is Ha Sung Woon’s third comeback of the year, following the release of Sneakers in June and Strawberry Gum in August of this year. This also is the last release for Ha Sung Woon under Star Crew Entertainment, which he has been under since his debut in 2014 as part of HOTSHOT, which disbanded earlier this year.

Unlike what the title suggests, Electrified is not electrifying. It is more groovy and funky, in a laidback manner. While I do enjoy this style, I do think that what Electrified ended up being like was pretty typical and standard for nowadays, especially since groovy and funky has been really honed into this year once again. I wished that there was more of a zing to the song (i.e. be more electrifying) to match what I personally expecting from the song when I read it title. But I also think a bit of zing would have been helpful in giving Electrified some uniqueness to the song to set it apart from the rest of the other songs of a similar nature. But as I mentioned before, I am not troubled by the direction that Ha Sung Woon had ended up going in. I applaud the smooth consistency of the song throughout its almost four minute run. Had this been released earlier on in the retro and funky resurgence, I think Electrified would have been extremely satisfying to listen to. It is still satisfying at the moment, but just idea of the song sounding similar to others kind of gets in the way now of the feeling. Contributing to the smooth atmosphere of the song are Ha Sung Woon’s smooth vocals. While that might sound like the Electrified might be overly consistent, I find his breathy additions to be a nice change, yet also being within the boundaries of the smoothness parameter. His breathy moans throughout are quite memorable. The hooks and melodies felt subtle and don’t stick out as much like in other songs, but they still managed standout and had a nice ring to them as well. I also enjoyed the ‘La La La‘ at the end, especially with the slightly amped up instrumentation. I liked and enjoyed Electrified for the most part, but felt it could have been more individualised.

The music video was a bit bland for my taste. Ha Sung Woon essentially describes his feelings that the person who caught his attention in the lyrics. To match that type of vibe, we get a serenade from Ha Sung Woon to the female character in the video who is just browsing LPs. I did like the retro side of the video, with the LPs, the black and white style processing of photographs that is Ha Sung Woon’s job in this video and the neon lights. And I thought he looked good throughout the video. But aside from that, nothing else stands out for me.

It doesn’t seem like Ha Sung Woon is promoting Electrified and there isn’t much choreography in the music video (aside from some spinning), so I am skipping this part of the review. It won’t be factored into the score below.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 7/10
Overall Performance – 7.3/10

[Review] Rush Hour – MONSTA X

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MONSTA X is nominated for for Best Stage Presence and their single GAMBLER is nominated for Best Concept. MONSTA X member I.M is also nominated for Best Rapper, while God Damn is nominated for Best Rap or Hip-Hop song. Support MONSTA X, I.M and your other favourite acts by voting in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Click here to vote now.

Yesterday, MONSTA X made their comeback with Rush Hour. This is the group’s first official comeback as a five member group, with Shownu enlisting into the military in July of this year. The group previous promoted as a five member group back during their GAMBLER comeback, which was their most recent comeback before this one as Shownu has to sit out of promotions due to health reasons. Since their last domestic comeback, the group has been busy with some solo work and preparation for an upcoming English album and documentary.

I have had a couple of listens to Rush Hour since its release yesterday, but I haven’t really been convinced that it is their next big track. But before I dwell on this point, there are still some aspects in Rush Hour that I still appreciated that I want to point out. The ‘stand out’ element of this song is Joohoney and I.M’s rapping. I really liked the dynamism they both brought to the song. Their aggressive energy is always present in MONSTA X’s title tracks at the very least, but I felt like they pushed themselves even more in Rush Hour. Per usual, Rush Hour is synonymous to other MONSTA X title tracks, with bolstering beats and intense electronic instrumentals. But what sets Rush Hour apart is some suspenseful whistling. While it isn’t a memorable tune, it gave Rush Hour an interesting airy vibe and is used sparingly throughout the song. It isn’t the main centerpiece of the song unlike many other tracks nowadays, and so it isn’t overused or overbearing. The chorus was pretty decent. I find the vocals to be the star element here, especially with Kihyun’s explosive and powerful vocals here. I felt he was on par with the rappers in this song. I also like the sharp beats in the chorus, which stands out in the crowd of the ‘noise’, as some might describe Rush Hour as (and MONSTA X’s title tracks overall). Unfortunately, the hooks and melodies are mildly memorable, which isn’t exactly ideal. I wished they were stronger and punchier, which would have made Rush Hour so much more memorable. I also find Rush Hour to lack cohesiveness overall and bit messy. I wished everything in Rush Hour was better pulled together. Overall, Rush Hour is a decent song with a few standout elements, but not their best work.

It seems like cowboys are the new big thing in KPOP, with a few music videos and comebacks over the years featuring the theme. But I feel MONSTA X’s version of the cowboys concept is more style rather than substance. I did like the dynamic vibes from the music video, which is thanks to the way the video was shot and the various moving camera angles. The industrial sets and the outside scenes also looked quite cool, though I think the lighting could have made the video a bit more interesting. Minhyuk also looks great throughout this video and I felt that he owns this comeback. I do wonder if this video connected to the events of GAMBLER. The police vehicle they step out of at the start of the video reminded me of the vehicles the members drove off in at the end of GAMBLER.

The performance looks fierce and aggressive, as you would expect from MONSTA X. Nothing really stands out, but it was a pretty decent routine overall.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.6/10

[Review] Siesta – Weki Meki

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Voting for the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards is now open, so click here to support your favourite artists.

Today sees the return of Weki Meki, with the group making a long overdue comeback with Siesta (the title track) and I Am Me (the 5th mini-album). Their last comeback, COOL, was over a year ago in October. Since then, I don’t think we heard much from the group. I think some of the members ventured into acting, but other than that, it has been pretty much radio silence from the group. Until today, of course.

My first impression of Siesta was that it was somewhat plain and lacked that creativity and innovation that I look for in a song. But with some repeated listens of the pop song in the bag, Siesta now comes off as super catchy thanks to its infectious hooks and melodies in the chorus, and also its vibrant energy thanks to its instrumentation. Unfortunately, the plainness is still there. But I feel is localised during the verses. There just doesn’t seem to be anything memorable about them. There is some deep house in the verses that hints towards the direction of the song, but it just doesn’t enough. The nature of the chorus in Siesta just outshines the verses. From the start of the pre-choruses, Siesta ramps up in a spectacular fashion, bridging the plain nature and the energetic chorus together. The energy that comes from the chorus is almost explosive, thanks to the brass, electronic and percussion elements that make up. Paired with those already mentioned memorable hooks and melodies, it is definitely a blast and fun part of the song. I also find that the chorus comes off as somewhat light in the chorus thanks the hooks/melodies, balancing out the heaviness of the instrumentation and also contributing to a refreshing and revitalizing tone, for me. For the vocals/raps, I thought the members sounded great throughout Siesta. The outro of the Siesta was also quite satisfying, with the extension of the chorus and the funky guitars easing us out. I am sure there are in Siesta elsewhere, but I just thought it was a nice detail to have at the end. I guess I wished more was done to the verses to ‘level up’ Siesta.

The music video opted for an aesthetic direction, which I thought looked fine. I think the aesthetic push behind the video adds a plain tone to the visuals, similar to the song’s verses (and it feels a bit heavy handed as well, extending throughout the video . But I am not as troubled by it. It is also nice to see a video that is paired with an energetic song that doesn’t conform to the need of bold (and sometimes harsh) colours that you might expect to see from set designs. Shooting the video outside also really helped sell that refreshing and light tone that I got from the video as well. The fireworks and the members being more happy/enjoying life at the end was a nice compliment to the blasting nature of the choruses and lyrics of the song as well.

The performance was fun and also somewhat cute. But nothing that memorable, to be honest. I just liked the vibe coming from it, and the energy the members bring to it.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.9/10

[Double Review] Should’ve Known + No Good in Good Bye – 2AM

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Voting for the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards is now open, so click here to support your favourite artists.

While T-ARA returned earlier this week, another 2nd generation KPOP group returned two weeks ago (shame on me for not covering them sooner). 2AM, known for their ballads and being a brother group to 2PM (who also made their grand return earlier this year after a hiatus), has returned for the first time in over seven years! The quartet (made up of Jo Kwon, Changmin, Seulong and Jinwoon) was last on stage together with Over The Destiny, way back in 2014. Since then, the group parted ways for their solo careers, venturing into music and acting careers, along with their military enlistments. Earlier this year, the group confirmed a reunion was on the cards, and on November 1, they released the mini-album, Ballad 21 F/W, and double title tracks Should’ve Known and No Good in Good Bye.

Given that ballads is what the group is known for, it comes as no surprise to anyone that both Should’ve Known and No Good in Good Bye are both ballads. And it comes as no surprise that both ballads sound amazing, given that they mastered the style back during their prime. Should’ve Known has the edge for me, however. I feel the instrumentation of Should’ve Known was a bit more complex, with acoustic guitars, classical strings, piano and drums coming together to form up a ballad that feels timeless. In addition, the melodies in Should’ve Known brings forth that unconscious swaying that I use to measure the effectiveness of the ballad more readily. They also help make this ballad more memorable. The members’ voices appear to be more piercing at times and are quite commanding throughout the song, which gives off a jolting effect that keeps your actively engaged. I also enjoyed the harmonies that made up the second verse.

But while I do prefer Should’ve Known, No Good In Good Bye is still a good ballad. No Good In Good Bye has a more straightforward classical instrumental. But it also has its individual style. Instead of acoustic guitars, electronic guitars are used instead, and there is a bit of a delay at the start of the chorus, which helped added some punch to the background and make the song more engaging. When it comes to the melodies in No Good In Good Bye, I find it a bit lacking (relative to the previous song) and hence not as engaging. They were undoubtedly present and evoke that same swaying effect. But the melodies in this ballad just don’t seem as memorable as the other song. However, the vocals were powerful (and commanding like the previous song), which worked well with the classical instrumentation. I also felt the emotions from the members a bit more in No Good In Good Bye. So essentially, which song I preferred seemed to come down to the tiniest of details, and in this case the melodies in Should’ve Known was the additional element that really sold me the song.

The main purpose for this review, however, are the music videos. Talking about them separately will just be confusing, so they need to spoken about together (hence the double review format). I find the pair of MVs to be quite creative and unique, even though they might sound mind-boggling at times. Should’ve Known‘s music video starts with the ending of No Good in Good Bye‘s video, while No Good in Good Bye‘s music video starts off with the ending of Should’ve Known. So essentially, you are stuck in a loop. Whichever video you pick up first is the starting point of the story you get, which then leads into the other video. So if you start off with Should’ve Known, you find the story starts off with Kim So Hyun (the female actress) breaking up with Lee Jun Ho (the male actor). She regrets her decision and the memory of her boyfriend brings them back together. In No Good in Good Bye, the video begins with their reunion and the restart to a happy relationship, to which Kim So Hyun breaks off at the end of the video. If we start off with No Good in Good Bye, we see a happy relationship between to the two that ends up with Kim So Hyun breaking it off, before realizing her mistake in Should’ve Known, to which the pair reunites at the same train station they had broken up in. I liked how the video works both ways, and how they worked in tandem with each other with the small details of the letter than Lee Jun Ho writes and leave behind for her and the hair tie scene as a reality/memory.

Shouldn’t Known
Song – 10/10
Music Video – 10/10
Overall Rating – 10/10

No Good In Good Bye
Song – 9/10
Music Video – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9.4/10