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] TIKI TAKA – T-ARA

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

Another second generation group has returned! T-ARA has officially made their long-awaited return today with the new single TIKI TAKA. The last time we heard from T-ARA was through What’s My Name back in 2019, after which the group left their company (MBK Entertainment) and went their separate ways. However the group consistently reminded and reassured fans that T-ARA had not disbanded and would return one day. And after four years, the members delivered on their promise with an actual comeback! I am excited to see what T-ARA in store for us, so let’s dive right in!

While I am super excited for a T-ARA comeback given their wide range of title tracks, I will be honest and say that TIKI TAKA is slightly underwhelming at first. It isn’t that bold or upbeat track that I guess I was expecting from the group. Instead, the group went with a mature dance track that feels drawn out at times (in terms of its style) to sound more sensual and mature. I guess this makes sense given that T-ARA has matured over the years themselves and this style works well with that in mind. However, TIKI TAKA just lacks innovation and imagination for me, and felt like a standard mature dance track that we have heard from many female groups over the years. However, I note that I used the word ‘slightly’ in that first sentence. And that is on purpose. While TIKI TAKA‘s first impression was as I have discussed, I am ever so slowly warming up to the song. The TIKI TAKA repetition in the chorus is actually quite catchy and the melodies in the second half of the chorus makes me sway along unconsciously when I repeat the song for the purposes of this review. I am also digging the extension at the end of the song after the final chorus, which to me really emphasised the mature tones of the song, but also attempts to end the song on a more powerful, focused and impactful note as well. As for the instrumentation, it is pretty standard (as I already had mentioned) and that hasn’t really budged for me. If anything, I liked how slightly groovy vibes in the chorus. Overall, TIKI TAKA seems to be a slow grower and I might be completely on board with the song with more listens. But for now, it isn’t what I had expected initially, but it is still a decent song.

The music video really pushes that mature vibe from the song, opting for elegant visuals from the members. I feel that this is a great homage to T-ARA and reflects their current status in the industry really well. The video appears to be set in a very sophisticated bar for the most part. In addition to the bar, every other place chosen as a backdrop in the music video had a similar wow factor to it that worked extremely well with the bar setting, adding more heft to the video. Overall, a fitting video for the group and their grand return.

To me, the choreography was okay. Like the song, it isn’t their best work. But I still think it works well with the song and the mature/sensual vibes. But I am also glad we still got an opportunity to see T-ARA to perform again in some form.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10

[Review] Do 4 Me – EPEX

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EPEX is nominated for Best New Male Group in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Voting for the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards is now open, so click here to support EPEX and your favourite artists.

I start off this week with a review for another track which I should have reviewed sooner. This particular track, Do 4 Me by EPEX, was released on 26 October 2020 and is the very first comeback by the new male group who debuted earlier this year with Lock Down. Do 4 Me is featured as the title track on the group’s second mini-album, Bipolar Pt.2: Prelude of Love, which also dropped on the same day.

Swapping out the hip-hop dance track style their debut had gone for, Do 4 Me opts for a much different vibe – a funkier, colourful, vibrant dance track with a lot more personality and individual style. I quite enjoyed this change up and found it to be fun and lighthearted. So out of the gate, Do 4 Me is already ‘speaking to me’, as one would say. What makes Do 4 Me a bit more interesting is the way it is described. Their company has described the song as a homage to ‘Queen’s Another One Bites the Dust, INXS’s Need You Tonight, and Dua Lipa’s Break My Heart‘. While I am no music expert, I kind of get hints of the three songs in Do 4 Me. Queen’s Another One Bites The Dust comes through quite faintly the Do 4 Me‘s main hook (i.e. the line ‘So what are you going to do for me‘). It gives off a similar vibe and I feel the melody of the line to be somewhat similar. INXS’s Need You Tonight influence seems to come through the guitar work, with the heavy strumming present throughout both songs which both sound somewhat similar. To me, Dua Lipa’s Break My Heart is most prominent, with it influencing Do 4 Me‘s retro instrumentation style and the first line that opens the choruses. To be honest, the idea of the three songs in one is a bit out there and left field for me (especially with Dua Lipa’s song being part of the mix), but it somehow works extremely well. I liked how defined everything felt in this song, making it heftier and more pronounced. What EPEX do exceptionally well, in addition to the top three influences, was make themselves prominent over the instrumentation. Their vocals and raps were pretty strong and well-showcased throughout, adding additional boldness and defintion to the song. Overall, Do 4 Me comes off as a unique song, stands out in the crowd, and is ideal as a follow up song following a debut.

The song is about the feelings of falling in love for the first time. And the music video showcases that well through the group scenes, where the members look like they are crowding around a phone screen to compose the perfect text message to their crush. I am unsure if their solo shots adds to that. but they appeared to have a fun vibe that works well with the song. Elsewhere, I quite enjoyed the video – from the vibrancy that the colours offer, to the cool post-productions and transitions, to the camera shots. The only aspect that I disliked was the elementary boarding school boy outfits they wore (i.e. white/cream jumpers and black shorts). I get that they are trying to incorporate the idea of ‘first love’ into every aspect of the comeback (in this case – when does one experience their first love). But I found that it made them look way too young and the style just doesn’t suit them.

On stage, they are dressed much better and look like high school students, which is a better image for them. No specific moves stand out for me, but I enjoyed the bounce in the choreography and felt that it works extremely well with the song.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

[Special/Awards] 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards – Voting Opens

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Welcome all to the next phase of the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Over the last few weeks, I have posted the nominations and announced my personal picks for who I personally thought was the best of the best in 2021. But in keeping with the annual KPOPREVIEWED Awards from previous years, the final decision of who should win each category will ultimately lie with you (the audience and readers of the blog).

From 15 November 2021 to the final second of 2021, you will be able to vote for your favourite artists, choreographies, visuals, songs and albums. Voting is officially now open, so click the link at the bottom of this post to be taken to the survey and get voting! 37 categories, including Best Male and Female New Artist, Best Male and Female Soloists and Groups, Best Music Video, Best Male and Female Choreography (Solo and Group), Best Album of 2021 now rest in your hands.

Like previous years, you will be able to vote up to five songs in the Best Song of 2021 category at the end of the survey, with your votes making up 50% of the criteria for the category (and the other 50% being my personal Weekly KPOP Charts). Putting five songs down is optional, however. But you must vote for at least one song. If you are certain you know which song is ultimately the best of 2021, then you are allowed to put down that one particular song. But you are open to putting up to five songs, so that you do not need to dwindle your list down to just one song. As always, there are some rules for the categories and they are as follows (you will be reminded of them once you get to that stage of the survey as well):

  • Please type out the title and artist, especially to differentiate songs with the same title. If I cannot tell which specific song by a particular artist it is, I cannot count your vote.
  • You can only vote for one song once. You cannot list the same song five times.
  • Eligibility period for this category is between 30th November 2020 to 24th October 2021. For a list of songs eligible, view this spreadsheet to help you out. (Note this is just a list of songs that I reviewed this year, and there are many other songs eligible that I haven’t reviewed yet).
  • Only title tracks or songs with a music video will be accepted for this category (sidetracks with a MV are permitted, but sidetracks without a music video are not).
  • English and Japanese language songs (like the ones nominated earlier) will be accepted this year in this category, so if you want to vote for BTS’s Butter or TXT’s Magic (for example), feel free to. However, title tracks or songs with MVs only – see the list above for eligible songs.

Happy voting. Check the blog in January 2022 to find out if the groups/artists you supported, songs you liked and the performances you enjoyed were awarded in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards.

CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT YOUR FAVOURITES IN THE 2021 KPOPREVIEWED AWARDS.

[Weekly KPOP Chart] 2nd Week of November 2021

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Another week has passed, and so I will be looking back via another Weekly KPOP Chart – the 2nd Week of November 2021 edition. 🙂

Just a reminder that the 2021 Award Circuit is still ongoing, with more winners and nominations being announced on an almost daily basis! Most recently, the 2021 Critics’ Circle announced their winners for the 2021 Critics’ Circle Awards. You can find out more about the winners and more about the 2021 Award Circuit by clicking their respective links above!

And since we are on the topic of awards, the public voting for the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards are about to get underway. From midnight my local time (which is about in 10 hours), everyone will be able to vote on who they think are the winners of the many categories that I provided nominations for (including Best Artist, Album, Song, Performance, Choreographies etc.). For a refresher of those nominations, check out the nominations post. More details will be provided in the post going live at midnight, which will also contain the link to the voting page! Until then, here is the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 2nd Week of November 2021.

New releases of the week

In addition to VICTON’s Sweet Travel, ONEUS’ LUNA and TWICE’s SCIENTIST, the following new releases also dropped this week:

  • RUN – Lee Jun Young (NOIR
  • Adore You – B1A4
  • RING X RING – Billlie
  • HIDE & SEEK – JUNNY
  • FRESH – ICHILLIN’
  • COSMOS – B.I
  • vertigo – DRIPPIN
  • BARCODE – Lilli Lilli

Throwback Corner

I have been revisiting some inactive groups – one of them is T-ARA, who will be making their long awaited reunion and comeback tomorrow! I leave you with their last comeback, What’s My Name, in this corner this week.

Non-Korean Song of the Week

This week’s non-Korean song this week continually popped up on my playlist and I have been listening to it constantly as a result. So featured in this corner of the post is Stray Kids’ Scars.

The Charts

Dethroning the reigning top song for the past three weeks (SEVENTEEN’s Rock With You) is THE BOYZ’s MAVERICK, who has clinched on to the top spot (but not by much) for this weeks. Coregulations to THE BOYZ. For more of the charts, keep scroll down.

1st Week of November 20217th – 13th Nov 2021
Pos.TitleArtistStatus
1MAVERICKTHE BOYZ(▲ 1)
2Rock With YouSEVENTEEN(▼ 1)
3LUNAONEUS(NEW)
4Favorite (Vampire)NCT 127(▼ 1)
5bugAboobugAboo(▲ 3)
6Don’t Teach MeAilee(▼ 1)
7SeriousPark Ji Hoon(▲ 37)
8XOXOJeon Somi(▼ 4)
9VibinYoungjae (GOT7)(▲ 5)
10BAD LOVEKey (SHINee)(=)
11SCIENTISTTWICE(NEW)
12strawberry moonIU(▼ 6)
13VIVACELIGHTSUM(▲ 34)
14Sweet TravelVICTON(NEW)
15Gone AwayHan Jisung, Seungmin, I.N (Stray Kids)(▲ 10) (FINAL WEEK)
16DDARAGolden Child(▲ 1)
17Deja VuATEEZ(▲ 6) (FINAL WEEK)
18SpaceBOL4(▲ 44)
19SWIPEITZY(▲ 43)
20No More XTO1(▼ 9)
21SoberN.Flying(▲ 41)
22Black CrownKINGDOM(▼ 9)
23Calm & PassionNam Woohyun (Infinite)(▼ 14)
24VENI VIDI VICICRAVITY(▲ 48)
25Out of the BlueDowoon (DAY6) with Song Heejin(▲ 37)
26WAITINGWOODZ(▼ 10)
27GHOSTDREAMNOTE(▼ 8)
28CHERRYAB6IX(▲ 1)
29Tamed-DashedENHYPEN(▼ 22)
30Red LightsBangchan & Hyunjin (Stray Kids)(▲ 32) (FINAL WEEK)

Songs leaving the charts this week

The following songs have wrapped up their nine week run on the charts, and will no longer be considered part of the charts in the next week:

[Album Review] Crazy In Love (1st Studio Album) – ITZY

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As teased in my latest song review, the next album review on this blog would be for ITZY’s first studio-length album, Crazy In Love, which is headlined by the title track LOCO and the follow-up single, SWIPE. The album dropped on 24 September of this year. In addition to the two already mentioned songs, Crazy In Love also features 7 other new songs from the group, an English version of the title track, and instrumentals for LOCO and all their past title tracks (from DALLA DALLA to M.A.F.I.A (In The Morning). I thought the addition of all the instrumentals were interesting. To sum up my thoughts on the entire album before we delve into each song, Crazy In Love is a pretty good album with some awesome songs on there. It definitely reiterates a lot of characteristics of the group, including their youthfulness, vibrancy and edginess. Anyhow, on with the rest of the album review!

Crazy In Love Album Cover

1. LOCO (Title Track) – Click here for the full review for LOCO. (9/10)

2. SWIPE – Click here for the full review for SWIPE. (6.5/10)

3. Sooo Lucky – Bubbly and fun is how I would describe Sooo LUCKY. I really enjoyed this song, especially following the likes of both the title and follow-up promotion track. It delves into a pop territory that freshens up the group’s tracklist, features a prominent guitar presence in its instrumentation that adds to the fresh energy, and features a catchy chorus (both hook and melody wise) that has me hooked. The song is suitable for Summer and showcases a fun side of the group that I would like to hear more in the future. (9/10)

4. #Twenty – Returning to the hip-hop transmission of this album is #Twenty. I liked the clashing percussion throughout the song, reminding me of the 90s. The rapping was very cool, with the rappers showcasing their skills with rapid delivery of their lines. Here is where I think the song might break for some. The pre-chorus was sugary and pretty random. I personally enjoyed it and felt like it fit in with the theme behind the song. This is followed by a chorus that really concentrates the hip-hop genre into a dynamic and powerful centerpiece. Though I can understand if someone was to say it feels empty and soulless. The bridge upticks the energy with a sparkly and thumping background. Overall, a fun song for me. (9/10)

5. B [OO] M-BOXX – When B [OO] M-BOXX kicked off, I was reminded of some of ITZY’s past instrumental. This is definitely exciting, as I think B [OO] M-BOXX could have been a title track for the group. It is a dynamic pop track and features a fun and catchy chorus, with the booming bass fitting for the song titled B [OO] M-BOXX. The vocals and rapping in this song highlight the skills of the group and they add a depth of appeal that makes this song more than just flair and noise. Definitely one of my favourites of this album. (10/10)

6. Gas Me Up – Gas Me Up, once again, returns the group to the hip-hop genre, with a rap centric song. Personally, I wasn’t much of a fan of this song. I found the rapping to be on the lazy side of the spectrum, and I didn’t like the drawn-out vocals to match the rapping style. Gas Me Up also had a plain instrumental that I didn’t remember much of. Sadly, a skippable song in my mind. (6/10)

7. Love Is – Love Is a good song, but it isn’t the best. I liked the song’s pop direction and the energy explosion we get as part of the chorus. Vocals and rapping-wise, the group nailed it in Love Is. I just wish the song was a bit less predictable and more innovative. That would have made the song more memorable for me. (7/10)

8. Chillin’ Chillin’ – Another pop track greets us on this album. Chillin’ Chillin’ is another step up compared to the songs directly preceding it. It is a bit standard, but I still enjoyed the energy that comes from the chorus of Chillin’ Chillin’. I also enjoyed the members’ vocals in this song, especially since they sounded very sweet throughout this song. The rapping was also quite nice and didn’t feel overly heavy for a song about unwinding. The melodies and hooks were pleasant and enjoyable. (8/10)

9. Mirror – The final new song on the album is a ballad. No surprises, to be honest. This is after all where most albums place their singular ballad. I liked the pop instrumentation of Mirror and enjoyed the vocals, but I wouldn’t go to the length in saying it is their best. Mirror also has a nice melody that closes out the album on a soft and soothing note, especially after all the energetic and fun songs that preceded it. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.1/10

Crazy In Love Teaser Image

[Review] SWIPE – ITZY

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In preparation for their album review later today, I am reviewing ITZY’s SWIPE! For those who may have missed it. ITZY returned with LOCO (the title track) and Crazy In Love (the 1st studio length album – coming very soon) back at the end of September. In less than a week, ITZY also unveiled a music video for the sidetrack SWIPE, which ultimately became the group’s follow-up song, following the conclusion of LOCO‘s promotions.

When I first heard SWIPE whilst browsing the album when it was first released, I wasn’t much of a fan of it. That is the case with most hip-hop dance tracks, with exceptions. But SWIPE definitely benefits from its really infectious hook that really helped the song grow on me over the last two months. And since the song has grown on me, I have found some aspects of SWIPE to be quite interesting and well-executed. The members’ rapping and vocals in the song were pretty good, and their delivery definitely works well with the song’s leaning into the hip-hop genre. Their spoken delivery of the song’s main hook in the chorus helped it be memorable, and surprisingly kept it fresh and fitting for the group. I also found myself enjoy the ‘Ring Ring Ring Ring‘ hook that featured in the bridge of the song. It was clever of the producers to incorporate that into the song, given that the song’s theme revolves around mobile devices. But I also thought it was catchy and added a nice melody to the song. The biggest part of SWIPE that I am still not on board with is with the instrumentation. It definitely aligns with the hip-hop genre, and I do like how it is pretty low-key throughout. But I found the high pitch whiny vocal effect in the background following the first chorus and just before the final chorus to be quite obnoxious. Not a fan of it. I also find the entire backing to be quite plain and lacks excitement. I feel a more vibrant and poppier instrumental would have worked fine with the song, and this would have done a lot to boost the appeal of SWIPE. Overall, SWIPE is a decent song that I am in the middle of. Some of its good, other parts are not so good.

I liked all the mobile phone references throughout the music video. From the portrait orientation of some of the shots to the QR code that I am sure we are all familiar with to the massive green/red accept and deny call buttons. There are also some swiping references, such as in the choreography (more on that in the next section of the review), and the fun swiping Tik Tok trend. Everything just made sense. I wasn’t a fan of the choreography sets and the colours used in the background of the ‘portrait modes’, however. They felt noisy and had a lot going on.

The choreography looks good and suits the edgy vibes the song was going for. I particularly enjoyed the swiping move in the chorus, along with the vibrations they incorporated into the section for the ‘Ring Ring Ring‘ part of the song. Definitely some memorable moves there.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.1/10

[Review] SCIENTIST – TWICE

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And now I bounce back to the present day with a new song release. TWICE returns to the stage with their latest comeback today with the song SCIENTIST and the third studio album, Formula of Love: O+T=＜3. This is the group’s first comeback in five months, the last being Alcohol-Free. Since then, TWICE has been active in both Japan with the release of Perfect World and in the Western music scene, with their debut English single, The Feels (where at the end of the music video, they had teased this particular comeback).

Compared to the previous song I just reviewed, SCIENTIST seems to have the same issues but in the opposite places. For me, SCIENTIST‘s verses stand out. I really like the deeper tone the members had opted for with their vocals, complimenting the deeper and funky instrumentation. Even though it was brief, I also enjoyed the order in which the lines were presented to us (i.e. vocal, rap, vocal, rap) and how they flowed into one another. The pre-choruses were also quite promising and brought my hopes up for the chorus. Unfortunately, that hope didn’t come through. The chorus that we got in SCIENTIST ended up not carrying forth or building upon the elements and undertones from the verses. By no means in the chorus is terrible. It was just safe and doesn’t evoke much excitement as you would expect. Maybe SCIENTIST‘s chorus will grow on me into the future, but for now, it just felt lackluster. I also wished the English pronunciation was a bit clearer, as it felt a bit messy to me. Dahyun and Chaeyoung’s rapping part in the bridge was awesome. I actually liked the start to the final chorus with their staggered approach. It changed things up in a way that helped make the feel less repetitive and kept the song dynamic as much as it could be with a plain chorus. The dance instrumental outro we got was pretty cool as well, adding in a bit of that funky tone from earlier in the song. Overall, I would say that SCIENTIST is a good song from TWICE, even though the chorus could have been more fun and exciting.

As a bit of a science geek myself, I am pretty happy with the idea of the science concept. I liked how they tried to interlink the lyrics with the visuals as much as they can and kept it creative throughout (a big emphasis on ‘creative’ here). Their visuals were also very strong throughout the video (though I do question Dahyun’s standing hair – it looks really childish). The cutesy vibes and visuals in this music video seem to throw it back to their earlier videos (i.e. TT, Cheer Up etc.), which I thought was pretty nice given the string of mature comebacks from the group. Some of the video it was good, whereas some had some questionable/exaggerated acting which I don’t really get (or like), such as the crying in the crowd over a bit of dancing at the end of the video. It felt a bit too much. Other than that, I enjoyed the sets and the post-production.

The choreography here looks decent. While the video looked like it was cutesy and takes you back to their early days, the choreography opts for TWICE’s style nowadays (which is a bit more complicated/mature and doesn’t have that simple and repeated ‘main move’ as like their early comebacks). The best part for me has to be the dance outro we got at the very end. It was by the far the coolest part of the whole routine. I also liked how they represented the title of the album for this comeback in the second verse.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.8/10

[Review] XOXO – Jeon Somi

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Time to bounce back around the timeline and cover some past releases. This post covers Jeon Somi’s XOXO, which was released two weeks ago! XOXO is the title track off her very first album release since her solo debut in 2019, which also shares the same name as the song! The album is also her very first studio length album and it also consists of her past hits, like her solo debut single, Birthday, and her most recent solo comeback prior to XOXO, DUMB DUMB.

When XOXO was first released, I didn’t care for the pop song as much. I found it to be quite plain, with her earlier solo works being more memorable and catchy. Two weeks on, XOXO has grown on me. But I am still of the opinion that this is Jeon Somi’s plainest song since her debut. The song’s anthem-like chorus is without a doubt the song’s centrepiece (as a chorus always is) and is the main reason why the song has grown on me. It has a nice fluid melody, which in combination with her vocals and backing, adds oomph and definition to the chorus, which in turn provides a substantial and satisfying feeling. The ‘XOXO’ in the chorus is quite catchy. Altogether, the chorus now does come off as memorable and definitely is my favourite part of the song. Unfortunately, the rest of the song was pretty plain. Even after just finishing listening to the song, I don’t think I can even properly describe the verses as there just isn’t anything memorable or interesting. On a more positive note, XOXO is vocally driven and it is a fair showcase of her vocal abilities. The one thing I did pick up on was the reference to Jennie’s (from BLACKPINK) solo song, SOLO (from 2018) in the second verse. I guess that means that XOXO could potentially be a song passed up by Jennie (but this is just me speculating). I wished the instrumentals were more striking, similar to her past releases. I also miss the ‘switch-up’ that usually comes in the final chorus, as per her previous songs. I find that keeps Jeon Somi’s songs dynamic and maintains interest for me, which was lacking in XOXO. Overall, a pretty safe and standard pop song with a catchy chorus. I just wished XOXO was more than that.

XOXO‘s music video is a continuation of the story from DUMB DUMB, but the story turns goes from a high school crush to heartbreak. Essentially, the guy in the DUMB DUMB video (which was confirmed at the end of the video when the dog mask came off) has been cheating on Jeon Somi. Jeon Somi and her friends kidnap him and torture him with a variety of methods, and I think in the end, they end up killing him by crushing him in a car. I liked the edgy change that we saw Jeon Somi undertake for this video, which I think works really well with her visuals and the story. There were also some laughable moments, such as the disclaimer at the start of the video that this video is fiction, and when the police officer drove past and they made it look as if the guy was not kidnapped. Not suspicious whatsoever. I also liked how she ‘accidentally blew up the building at the end, despite rigging it with explosives just a matter of seconds prior.

The choreography was pretty decent. The song restricts it, so it can’t be as punchy as some of her past performances. But it is still good to watch. I really like the big X and O she and the dancer make on stage when the title XOXO comes up.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.1/10

[Review] LUNA – ONEUS

Posted in KPOP, Reviews8 Comments

As mentioned in Monday’s review for ONEUS’ Life Is Beautiful, ONEUS would be making their comeback the very next day (a.k.a. yesterday!). Well, yesterday, ONEUS returned with their 6th mini-album, Blood Moon, and the title track LUNA (the focus of this review). This is the group’s first comeback since the release of Black Mirror in May of this year. Between their May comeback and now, the group has been super busy with a return to the Japanese pop music industry with the Japanese version of Black Mirror, released two songs as part of their ONEUS Theatre series (Shut Up 받고 Crazy Hot! and Life Is Beautiful), and held an online/offline concert for the first time in nearly two years!

As soon as LUNA started for me, I was practically on board with the song. The traditional Korean instrumentation at the start was so beautiful, making it a promising start to the song. The first verse was pretty good, working well with the tone of instrumentation. The synths present give you an indication that LUNA would be much more than just traditional elements. We have previously heard traditional elements from ONEUS through the release of Lit. There, the traditional elements contributed to a much bolder sound, whereas in LUNA, the traditional elements are used in a much smoother way. The build in the pre-chorus was quite satisfying. The chorus is where the song is strongest, with a well-delivered chorus. The instrumental has this continuous momentum to it, which made it satisfying as well. The emphasis on some of the syllables of their lines was quite subtle but impactful at the same time. Both instrumental and melody resulted in a chorus that I could not stop thinking about once LUNA had wrapped up. For the second verse, I really enjoyed the idea of a ‘traditional only’ backed rap sequence. But the follow-up vocals were probably the most lacking aspect of the song. For the second chorus, I enjoyed how they added textures via the jaggered backing in the first half. The dance break was awesome, with a really good blend of traditional and contemporary delivering a bold and powerful sound. I really enjoyed the lead-out of the song, from Leedo’s rapping to the folksy ad-lib that we were greeted to the textural touches brought on by the synths. I would have liked more folksy ad-libs in the background, but I guess the producers were short on time. Overall, LUNA is a very strong song with a beautiful and bold blend of instrumentation, creating a very unique sounding track.

I thought this was a really cool video, simply due to the fusion of traditional and simplicity. The traditional aspects were quite obvious, from the outfits, some of the backgrounds, the styling of some of the sets. The simplicity aspects come through the colour scheme used in the sets, the way the camera was focused and the way the sets were styled. This resulted in a visually stunning video. The members’ visuals are also showcased really nicely in the video, showcasing their handsome profiles. I am quite sure there is some sort of story or message from the video, and I will presume that it surrounds itself around that image of the sky we saw one of the members painting. Just a wild guess.

Choreography-wise, I really liked how it channelled the song’s beauty, through the use of the fans and the coloured/white scarves. I liked how they really emphasised the sound of the fans opening throughout certain parts of the choreography in the stage version of the music, which really draws your attention to their fans. That being said, the group still manages to show off their dance skills throughout the more modern sequences of the song (i.e. the chorus and dance break), creating a well-balanced routine.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9.2/10

[Review] Sweet Travel – VICTON

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VICTON is back as a six-member group (without Seungwoo, who has recently enlisted into the military) to celebrate their five year anniversary since their debut. Back in 2016, VICTON kicked off their careers with the title track, I’m Fine. Fast forward five years, the group has released six mini-albums, two single albums, one studio album, with the most recent release being What I Said earlier this year. Considering that some members (Seungwoo and Byunchan) did participate in Produce X 101 and that two members have made their own solo debuts (Seungwoo and Do Hanse) as well, it definitely sounds like the group has been busy over the last five years. Hopefully, there are many more in them! VICTON’s fifth-anniversary single is titled Sweet Travel and is the focus of this review.

I have to admit, I enjoyed Sweet Travel a lot more than expected. While it does sound I am rooting against the release, that is not the case. Usually, with songs dedicated to fans (like this one), I find it a bit awkward to express my disappointment in such songs. Simply because the song’s intention is meaningful for both the members and fans alike, and I kind of feel rude to say something negative about the song. Thankfully, I don’t think I have even run into a fan song that is that bad and more often they are simply pleasant and touching. Sweet Travel is a lot more than just pleasant and touching, however. The song features a fun and upbeat pop-rock sound that instantly drew me in. It is quite vibrant and powerful but also in a lighthearted and likeable manner. It is also another song that is consistent throughout, but it does not bore me. Maybe it could be repetitive to some, but I don’t feel that (at least, not yet). What really jumps out at me was how much the song’s chorus stands out. The instrumentation really bolstered up the energy of the song, but this was only one-third of why I liked the chorus a lot. The other thirds were the vocals and catchiness of the lyrics, which the members all had a hand in delivering both (as the members both sang and also penned the lyrics to the song). Including everyone in the first half of the chorus really helped add so much definition to the song and emphasise a lot of the descriptors that I have already mentioned. The English was super catchy and added more fun elements to the song. Elsewhere in the song, the vocals and rapping were fine. Sweet Travel was definitely an unexpected song for me that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I have very little to say about the music video aside from pointing out the members clearly had fun throughout the video, as seen in the video and that little outro. It makes a lot of sense and shows a more down-to-earth profile of the members, which is miles away from their darker and mature concepts. I particularly liked the members’ dancing at the end when they were shooting outside at night. It made me chuckle, and like the rest of the video, brought a smile to my face.

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

[Review] Life is Beautiful – ONEUS

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There will always be a bit of time jumping for me, with the next release on the reviewing block coming out a month after BDC’s MOON WALKER (which I just reviewed). But there is another reason why I want to cover ONEUS’ Life Is Beautiful over many others today. For those who may not be aware, ONEUS is making a comeback (tomorrow in fact), and I wanted to review this particular release before their next comeback. So essentially, the deadline for this review is tonight. Life Is Beautiful is the second release in the ONEUS Theatre series, following Shut Up 받고 Crazy Hot!.

Add why I hadn’t reviewed Life Is Beautiful sooner to the list of world mysteries out there because even I cannot figure out why I completed passed over the opportunity to review this amazing release much closer to its original release date. I freaking enjoyed Life Is Beautiful‘s refreshing tone and its breeziness, which doubles as a great Summer release. It is also a very soothing and calming pop track that I just want to continually go back to. Just listening to the song brings a smile to my face, and I quite liked that in a song. Compared to what ONEUS usually puts out, Life Is Beautiful is very different. Not only does this release steer away from the group’s heavy dependence on synths in their title tracks, but the pop song is also light, extremely pleasant and quite upbeat. It is pretty much a straightforward song in retrospect, staying quite consistent from one end to the next. But is that an issue in Life Is Beautiful? I don’t think so. There are a few standout moments in the instrumental. The guitars in the second verse felt so right and the flutes used in the song’s post-chorus instrumental hook were fun and added so much colour to the song. Otherwise, all the descriptors that I started off within this paragraph can be applied to the rest of the song’s backing. When it comes to the chorus, I loved the melodically driven approach that the pop sound enables. The melody is charming and exudes that happy feeling that the song is effortlessly conveying to the listener. Their vocals bring this to life and they sound so good, highlighting their vocal versatility. The English lines in the chorus were very catchy and addictive to listen to. Even the rapping we get in Life Is Beautiful works really well. I do wish there was some sort of peak in the song. I felt like that was the only thing that was missing and would have made the song less consistent (not that was an issue in this particular track). Overall, Life Is Beautiful is almost a perfect song that I want to continually listen to.

As mentioned previously, the music videos released as part of ONEUS Theatre are based on movies. For Life Is Beautiful, the inspiration for this video was the movie Dead Poet’s Society. I personally haven’t watched the movie, but upon some reading of its themes (you can get a sense of those themes by reading the plotline of the movie on Wikipedia), you can definitely tell that they were carried throughout the lyrics and scenes of the video. The members played students in what seems to be an uptight school. They are taught the exact same thing as the movie’s main character had taught his students – ”Carpe diem”, which is Latin for ‘seize the day’ (i.e. make the most of present-day). And we see that when the members enjoy their time with one another on the beach and by the sea. I liked the camera work for most of the video (sans the shaky camera work for the indoor choreography scenes), especially the drone used to capture footage as the members dance. It made the video seem more epic and amazing.

From what I can see from the music video, the choreography looks pretty good. I liked the way it captured the energy of the song, along with the song’s breeziness. It might not be as complex as their other tracks but I think the group managed to find an amazing balance of their skills for this song.

Song – 9.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 9.1/10

[Review] MOON WALKER – BDC

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With no major releases today, it would be a great opportunity to jump back into the past to review some of the releases that I have missed (again). First up today is BDC’s MOON WALKER, which was released at the start of August of this year (3 months ago!). MOON WALKER is the group’s fifth single since their debut, following the likes of MOONLIGHT (the lead track for The Intersection: Contact). MOON WALKER is a special single as an epilogue to their Moon trilogy.

As a song released during the final weeks of Summer, MOON WALKER was a fitting song for the season, more so than their previous release. There was a vibrancy and refreshing energy that was I quite enjoyed and goes hand-in-hand with the season in question. The song itself (overall) was quite light, despite the thumping and heaviness of some of the percussion we got in the pre-choruses of MOON WALKER. I quite enjoyed the strumming guitar work in the verses, leading into that epic thumping and heavy-handed percussion. It was simple, but it felt good. I just wished the rest of the song followed through with the energy and tone of the pre-chorus. To me, the thumps and percussion in the pre-chorus alluded to a drop that is more bolstered and defined. What we got right after as the main drop isn’t exactly that. The producers opted for a delayed drop approach, which I couldn’t help being disappointed with. I do appreciate the bolstering in the second half of the chorus (as this is what I wanted) and see that the delay enabled for the performance big moment (see next paragraph), but I kind of wanted it as soon as we launched into the chorus. The epic potential just fizzled out with what we got and the delay just left me hanging. Another aspect of MOON WALKER which I was rather disappointed in was the vocals/raps. It kind of was the reason why I hadn’t dived in to review this song earlier. I thought the members’ tone was rather plain and didn’t carry much excitement. I wished they exuded some sort of excitement or energy from the song, as this would have made MOON WALKER better. Overall, I would say that MOON WALKER is a decent track and what we got was good enough. It just didn’t deliver what I had hoped for, and this just left MOON WALKER in a less favourable light.

We didn’t get a music video for this release. Instead, we got a performance video in which the members are dancing on the moon in front of a green screen. Not really the most exciting concept, but it felt like a nice wrap for the trilogy. I think the one thing that I was most upset about in this video were the outfits. I wished they had something cooler on, as this would have made the video better, in a visual sense. As it was a performance video, the focus was more so on the choreography, and I thought the performance for MOON WALKER was alright. The biggest moment of the choreography was the moonwalking in the chorus, which was cool. And it clearly was a no-brainer, given the title of the song. But apart from that, the rest of the choreography looked and felt pleasant.

Song – 7/10
Music Video/Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7/10

[Album Review] Savage (1st Mini Album) – aespa

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It felt like it has been a while since I posted an album review. When in reality I wrote one last weekend (for another SM Entertainment group). Today, I am focusing on the newest addition to the company. Almost a year after their debut with Black Mamba, and months after their Forever and Next Level comebacks earlier this year, aespa has returned with their first mini-album, Savage, which is also the title of the lead track off the mini-album. The mini-album features an additional five tracks in addition to the title track, all of which will be reviewed below.

Savage Album Cover

1. Aenergy – Aenergy highlights the group’s vocals potential, showcasing the group in a bold and powerful manner. Winter’s high note and NingNing’s ad-libs at the end of the track were epic and floored me. The chanty anthem style chorus for this track was very catchy. The song also throws in a bit of paced rapping into the mix (which intrigued me and pulled me into the song). Interestingly the instrumental was rather consistent, diverting away from the mashup styled background we hear in the title tracks, but I quite liked the depth and bass it had. The only thing I would change within Aenergy are the cheesy lyrics and the nonsense English we got at the mid-point of the song. (8/10)

2. Savage (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Savage. (5/10)

3. I’ll Make You Cry – I’ll Make You Cry is another strong song. It too is heavy on the synths, but stays consistent throughout the song with no crazy changes or mismatched styles attempting to follow up each segment. I quite liked this, as it isn’t overwhelming and allows the focus to be diverted to other elements within the song without the overarching wariness that the instrumental would change and sound completely different within the next few seconds. Again, the vocals are awesome throughout and the rapping was very edgy. I particularly liked the flip-flop set-up between vocals and rapping in the chorus. It felt dynamic and kept me on the edge of my seat for the majority of the song. (9/10)

4. YEPPI YEPPI – YEPPI YEPPI is a welcome change from the group’s edgy sound, with the song leaning into a fun and bright pop sound. It is definitely a song that standouts on this album. However, there are some similarities with the rest of the album. YEPPI YEPPI does seem to go back to that mishmash style within its electronic instrumentation. So, there is a lot going on, but it still comes off cohesive and is tied together nicely by the energy that is exuded from the chorus. I did enjoy all the textures which kept the song interesting. The weakest point of the song was the slowdown in the bridge. To me, it felt like a big gaping hole in the song. (8/10)

5. Iconic – Iconic is within the same realm of YEPPI YEPPI, with a pop sound infused into the chorus. Though the pop influence is charmful and unlike the name suggests, Iconic is not as iconic as it could be. It is a bit plain and didn’t really pull me, unlike some of the other sidetracks. The metallic percussion that made up the instrumental for Iconic felt clunky and clanky, and such descriptors can be applied to the rest of the song. Even the vocals and rapping felt plain in this song. (6/10)

6. Lucid Dream (자각몽) – Lucid Dream shows a different side of the group. While everything thus far has been heavily synth-based, Lucid Dream is a further indication that aespa can do more. R&B felt more prominent compared to the synths, hence my observation. That being said, the EDM we did get in this song felt pretty elegant, aesthetic and gave off a mature feel that is fitting for the R&B genre. Their husky and raspy vocals, especially in the chorus, was very good and also well-fitting for the song. A nice ender to the album. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.3/10

Savage Teaser Image

[Weekly KPOP Chart] 1st Week of November 2021

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November, already? Woah! Time has really flown by this year. In just two months time, we will be celebrating 2022. Just ponder on that for a moment. But before we can think of 2022, we have to get through the mentioned two months. Just the confirmed releases for the month of November, and the many award shows/ceremonies/year-end shows that occur in December says there is a lot more in the KPOP industry to look forward to!

Talking about the award shows/ceremonies, as you may know, I have posted the KPOPREVIEWED Choice for the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards earlier in the week. if you haven’t checked out that post yet, click here to see who I thought are the best artists, songs, performances and choreographies of the year. Remember that these aren’t the final winners. You (the audience) will be given the opportunity to vote on who/what you think are the best of 2021 in a week’s time – so keep your eyes out for that post!

Still on the top of award shows/ceremonies, the other blogs participating in the 2021 Critics Award Circuit have announced their winners for their respective awards. Click the links below to be taken to their blogs to see who they thought were the best of this year!


The 555 Review Awards
10/10 Music Awards
2021 deforestedmusic Awards
Seoul Music Critics Association Awards
Gayo Music Festival 2021
2021 Golden Tunes

Nominations were also released (since last week’s Weekly KPOP Chart) for the 2021 Online KPOP Music Critics Association Nominations and the 2021 Critics Circle Nominations.

New releases of the week

Because I focused on the KPOPREVIEWED Choice component of the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards this week, I only reviewed a few releases this week (THE BOYZ’s MAVERICK, LABOUM’s Kiss Kiss and TO1’s No More X). Other releases that dropped this week are:

  • Cause I Miss You – VAV
  • Tales of the Unusual – PinkFantasy
  • Shouldn’t Known – 2AM
  • No Good in Goodbye – 2AM
  • I’m Still Here – Leo (VIXX)
  • ZERO – Super Junior D&E
  • Get Set Yo – MJ (ASTRO) ft. Kim Taeyeon
  • Good Night – HUTA (Lee Min Hyuk – BTOB)
  • New Vision – Colde ft. Kim Soyeon ((G)I-DLE)

Throwback corner

This week’s song featuring in the throwback corner of the post comes as LABOUM makes their long-awaited comeback with Kiss Kiss. It is one of my favourite LABOUM songs of all time, Hwi Hwi.

Non-Korean Release of the Week

This week’s non-Korean release by a KPOP artist is TXT’s Magic, which is also my choice for Best International Song by a Korean artist (Western) from the nominated releases in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards.

The Chart

Congratulation to SEVENTEEN once again for topping KPOPREVIEWED’s Weekly KPOP Chart for the 3rd week in a row with Rock With You! For more of the charts, keep on scrolling below.

1st Week of Nov 202131st Oct – 6th Nov 2021
Pos.TitleArtistStatus
1Rock With YouSEVENTEEN(=)
2MAVERICKTHE BOYZ(NEW)
3Favorite (Vampire)NCT 127(▼ 1)
4XOXOJeon Somi(▲ 36)
5Don’t Teach MeAilee(▼ 1)
6strawberry moonIU(▲ 32)
7Tamed-DashedENHYPEN(▼ 2)
8bugAboobugAboo(▼ 5)
9Calm & PassionNam Woohyun (Infintie)(▲ 19)
10BAD LOVEKey (SHINee)(▲ 9)
11No More XTO1(NEW)
12Kiss KissLABOUM(NEW)
13Black CrownKINGDOM(▲ 13)
14VibinYoungjae (GOT7)(▼ 5)
15Red LipstickLee Hi ft. Yoo Mi Rae(▲ 51)
16WAITINGWOODZ(▼ 6)
17DDARAGolden Child(▼ 9)
18ZombiePURPLE KISS(▼ 3)
19GHOSTDREAMNOTE(▼ 7)
20ICONSHOT ISSUE(▲ 12)
21mumumumuchMAMAMOO(▲ 47)
22LOCOITZY(▼ 5)
23Deja VuATEEZ(▼ 10)
24Eternal SunshineATEZZ(▼ 2)
25Gone AwayHan Jisung, Seungmin, I.N (Stray Kids)(▲ 22)
26GAIACRAXY(▲ 40)
27GOTYAICHILLIN’(▲ 39)
28My UniverseColdplay & BTS(▲ 38)
29CHERRYAB6IX(▲ 30)
30FINEW24(▲ 28)

Songs leaving the charts

The following songs leaving the charts this week (as they have completed their nine week run) are:

[Review] No More X – TO1

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Next up is TO1, who made their comeback yesterday with No More X. This is the group’s second release under the name TO1 following Son of Beast, and their fourth release overall since their debut under the group name TOO back in 2020 (they rebranded earlier this year when their two co-managing companies had a conflict with one another).

No More X amps up the aggression compared to their previous comebacks, going for a more powerful and dynamic EDM backing. It is abrasive and rough around pretty much every corner. However, I also detect an air of typicaliness from the song, as it feels like your standard song from male groups nowadays. That being said, I still appreciate the blastful energy, aggression and rough textures that are present throughout the entirety of the song. No More X is just isn’t innovative. There is a still fair bit of the song I quite liked. No More X starts off with the main hook, the very catchy ‘Dum Dum Dum‘. It doesn’t appear so at first, but once it presents itself in the chorus, you come to the realisation that it is catchy and also adds a somewhat fun tone to the song. The dance instrumental break we got was probably the most promising part of the instrumentation, feeling quite vibrant. I also quite liked how grabbing the layer of instrumentation, hook and rapping was in the final moments of No More X. It seemed like there was a lot going on in that moment, but I found it to be a bold part of the song. The rest of the song is pretty much standard raps and vocals. There isn’t anything wrong with it, but I think they could have pushed themselves in the song more to make it even better. Overall, No More X seems to be a decent song, though I feel the producers/groups could have done more to make it even better.

The music video for No More X was pretty good. From what I understand (and from what I have read), TO1 becomes beast in this music video via some wine. We see the before (i.e. the scenes in which the members are wearing white and have this white light shining throughout the windows), and the aftermath of developing into a beast (i.e. the scenes in which the members are wearing black). I like this play of opposites. I do think the outdoor scenes when the members are wearing their black outfits (and hence have converted to the dark side) could have been a bit more edgy, with the choreography scene shot at night and in the rain being a good example of what they should have aimed for. But I think what we got did a good job of wrapping the song up in a visual manner.

I also thought the choreography for this comeback was fantastic. I like X formation that appeared during the first pre-chorus, and the X’s incorporated via their arms throughout the choreography. Highly relevant. I also enjoyed the boxing moves and the dance break was very powerful and fitting for the instrumental sequence we got in the song.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10

[Review] Kiss Kiss – LABOUM

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It is time to get back into review mode. There is a lot to catch up on over the last two weeks and before that, but let’s start on more recent releases and work our ways backwards. For this post, I will be focusing on LABOUM’s Kiss Kiss, which officially dropped yesterday. Kiss Kiss is a notable release for the group for a number of reasons. Firstly, the release marks seven years since the group’s debut. Secondly, it is the first release since the release of Firework back in 2019 (they did release a single titled CHEESE in 2020, but never promoted it). Kiss Kiss also follows the resurgence of Journey to Atlantis (one of their 2016 singles) earlier this year; is their first release as a four-member group since Yujeong’s exit from the group, and is their first release under Interpark Music Plus. Definitely a number of changes and milestones.

Pretend there is a spectrum. One end of the spectrum is the group’s earlier cutesy work, such as the recently popular Journey of Atlantis or Hwi Hwi. On the other end, you would find the group’s more refined and mature comebacks like Firework and Between Us (the latter song grew on me considerably since I reviewed it). Somewhere along the middle is Kiss Kiss. In a perfect world, Kiss Kiss would have taken the best of both worlds and created a really nice blended track, and I would have fallen for the track as both ends of the spectrum are favourite sounds from the group. But the resulting Kiss Kiss we did get doesn’t hit the mark. It is a pleasant track, so it isn’t all bad news. But I think that is the furthest extent I would go with describing the song. Kiss Kiss is rather forgettable, and I found that I had to really focus on the song to really get something out of it. The instrumental, while soothing and pretty, did not have any memorable elements within it, leading to a background that felt like a grey blur. If you were listening to Kiss Kiss casually, the instrumental won’t draw your attention. Likewise, the vocals were really nice when you focus on them and have a sweetness to them that made me smile. But the melodies just don’t pull you in as much. Solbin’s rapping was a nice touch and was well incorporated into the softer sound of Kiss Kiss. But like the vocals, not really something to pull you in. The hooks were weak and forgettable, as well. I wish each element really stood out from afar/if you were to listen to the song casually. If this was the case, I am sure I would have found myself gravitating back to the song. But Kiss Kiss just doesn’t do that and may become a victim of the skip button.

The Kiss Kiss music video looks good. It isn’t the most interesting music video, and the sets did look quite cheap (I think the main choreography one is one that we see often). But there were some good shots in there and their visuals were very strong. Like the song, there is a pretty and sweet aesthetic to this video, which made it pleasant to watch. I liked the post-production additions to the video, but I thought the style the producer/editors opted for suited a more cutesy style/concept than Kiss Kiss‘s concept (which I would say is slightly more mature).

The speed at which the choreography was at made the song seem more upbeat than what it felt like if you were to listen to the song by itself. I actually quite liked that. It gives off a different feel, and makes the song a little more inviting (but not enough to really change my thoughts above). I liked the ‘Kiss Kiss‘ part of the choreography (the one that outros the chorus).

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 6.9/10