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[Review] BLUE – Wonho

September 15, 2021Posted in KPOPTagged Wonho4 Comments

The next comeback of the week belongs to Wonho, who returned yesterday with the new single BLUE. The new single is featured on Wonho’s third mini-album, Blue Letter, which also dropped yesterday. This is Wonho’s second comeback of the year, following the release of Lose and Love Synonym Pt.2: Right for Us. More recently, Wonho released a music video for Ain’t About You (a collaborative single with Kiiara that was featured on Love Synonym Pt.2: Right for Us), held an online concert, and will be making his Japanese solo debut in October.

Since his solo debut last year, Wonho’s two solo title tracks have stayed within what I would describe as ‘sexy synth’ territory (I aimed to find a term that describes the combination of music and direction of the two songs). For this release, he opts for the pop genre with BLUE. It is definitely a bit refreshing to hear something different from the soloist and I find this suitable for the Summer season. But while BLUE is a solid song that is quite consistent throughout and shows off Wonho’s in a different light, I also felt that BLUE was a bit lackluster. To me, the song felt like it stayed in a neutral gear for the entirety of the song. BLUE‘s main selling point was it lightness. The instrumental was pleasant and upbeat, but it was also not hard-hitting nor substantial. Wonho’s vocals were a combination of high pitch and breathy, which is quite light in tone. As you see, this lightness was pretty much a common thread and hence why I am describing BLUE as overly light. When I listen to the song, I feel like I could easily be distracted, knowing that I would not have missed out on much if I was distracted for whatever reason. I also felt the chorus suffered as a result of the lightness. While the Korean version doesn’t sound too bad, the English version (featured on the mini-album) felt slurred and rushed. I wished the lightness was held down somehow, as this would helped to a degree. Thankfully, we did get more definition in BLUE when it got to the post-chorus segment (following second chorus), bridge and final chorus, as the hook here felt meatier in terms of how it sounded and its catchiness. The zappy synth breakdown in the bridge that allows for a dance break also helped. But this was concentrated at the end of the song, and I wished there was something like this earlier on. Overall, BLUE was a decent and different track. But it isn’t Wonho’s best work, in my opinion.

Unlike the song, the music video for BLUE follows a similar set-up, with Wonho having his abs and muscles on full display at some point in the video. It wasn’t as in your face like his previous videos, but that element was (not surprisingly) still there. The video does feature a bit of a romantic storyline, but it isn’t a grand plotline. Essentially, Wonho, a successful jock (literally no surprises there), asks the female character out. Pretty plain, but I think it works.

From what I can see in the music video, the choreography fits the upbeat and lighthearted nature of the song. I also didn’t see anything mind-blowing, so I am guessing the moves were more on the standard side. However, they did highlight the fun side of the song, which I think shows Wonho under a different dynamic.

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

[Review] Deja Vu – ATEEZ

September 14, 2021September 14, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged ATEEZ3 Comments

Now onwards with the start of the new week!! First comeback of the week is made by ATEEZ, who returns with the fan-chosen Deja Vu as the main title track for this comeback. This comeback is their first since Kingdom: Legendary War and also marks the return of member Mingi. For those who don’t know ATEEZ have allowed fans to choose the main title track for their comebacks since last year’s comeback, Inception. For this comeback, KQ Entertainment put forward Deja Vu and Eternal Summer as contenders for title track, with the former emerging victorious. I am sure Eternal Summer’s music video will still drop later on. But for now, here is my review for Deja Vu.

Out of the two options for fans to choose as the main title track for this comeback, Deja Vu was most aligned with what the group has put out previously. Anything that sounds intense and powerful sound is definitely within ATEEZ’s wheelhouse. Deja Vu opens with what sounds like some dull metallic clanging and the muffled version of the ‘Da Da Da‘ hook. Standard dance synths and effects are used throughout the verse and pre-chorus. The dull metallic clanging returns in the chorus as the main centre piece of the instrumental side, while the vocalists perform the chorus in a very straightforward manner. I think now is a good moment to pause, so I can point out one of the issues with Deja Vu. Everything so far has been very generic and unoriginal. They get ticks for good energy, but other that I am a little disappointed with the standard drive the song is in. The rapping in the second verse does help lift Deja Vu‘s game. Hongjoong’s whispery delivery of the first half of this rap sequence was very interesting, drives Deja Vu forward in ways that the rest of the song hasn’t, and stole the show for me. Mingi’s followup rap sequence follows a similar setup. But once the vocals sequence (at no fault of the vocalists themselves) kick back in, we are back in that standard frame. Thankfully, the bridge cuts the standardness by introducing orchestral touches and this brings concentrated dramatic flairs to the song. This effect felt much needed and lifted the song for me. It just made everything from the rappers and vocalists more impactful, giving Deja Vu that round out that satisfies. If that isn’t enough, then the rappers end the song with a post-chorus extension, which (for me) ends the song on a more positive note. Overall, I feel like Deja Vu is an ATEEZ track, but it falls more so the generic side of the spectrum for me.

Similar to the song, the music video felt pretty standard as well. To me, the music video follows the standard formula of choreography and closeup. There are scenes throughout the video that hints towards a storyline (there is a scene with one of the members wearing the black outfit/hat that they kicked off their universe with), but they don’t seem as prevalent and felt more so on the ‘back-burner’ for this comeback. However, that doesn’t make this a bad video. Like the song, the visual aspect of the video gets better as it goes along. We move from generic dance sets to more ‘adventurous’ locations. And the video gets more captivating when the members perform in the rain and we can see their superb charisma on camera.

Correct me if I am wrong, but we have seen Hongjoong use his microphone as a baton before. It looked oddly familiar. Anyhow, it was the start of the charisma overflow in the choreography, which always makes the performance so more captivating to watch. It is also nice to see Jongho participate on stage (I believe he was injured at the time of shooting the music video, and hence didn’t appear in the choreography parts of the MV). His absence was a noticeable gap in the MV, for me.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 6.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.1/10

[Review] NAKKA – AKMU ft. IU

September 13, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Akdong Musician, AKMU, IU2 Comments

Before we launch into the new week, I just wanted to cut down my catch up load with one more review. And it is a review that I should have written weeks ago when the release was first dropped. Yes, that should be the case for all the releases. But have you seen the caliber of the two artists that have joined forces for this particular release? AKMU and IU, mega digital topping artists? With big names like that, I don’t know why I have avoided reviewing NAKKA, the title of their collaborative single. NAKKA is also featured on the recently released AKMU album, Next Episode (the duo’s second mini-album), serving as the title track of the release.

NAKKA is an electronic track, tapping into the synthwave subgenre of electronic music. From a casual listen perspective, I would have said that the song didn’t offer anything new and felt plain at best. But NAKKA (and synthwave in general) is a song that you really need to sit down and listen to really appreciate what it is offering. For example, I felt that I could have missed out on the aesthetics of the song and the abundance of textures on top of the sleekness of the song, had I just listened to the song whilst doing other stuff. I would have missed out on the vocals from the members of AKMU and IU herself, which were aesthetically monotone and grey in colour (but when paired with the instrumentation, they really popped out). I would have missed out on a lot. And all of this resulted in a captivating and charming track. I do wish that NAKKA had a bit more bass to it. In its current form, I would have to say the everything comes together decently. But I feel that some additional bass would have taken NAKKA to the next level. As mentioned before, the vocals (standalone) aren’t something to rave about. But they were delivered in a such a way that was aesthetic and hypnotic in combination with the instrumentation. I particularly really liked Changhyuk’s part in the bridge, where there was autotune to give his vocals a choppy texture. It, along with the ‘Ba da bum‘ hook, were probably the song’s most memorable sequences for me. I do feel like they could have made IU’s featuring parts more noticeable, as that would have been a positive selling point. But I kind of also understand that they probably didn’t want to do that to avoid her ‘overwhelm’ the song with her usual higher tone. Overall, NAKKA is one to sit down and really dig into, as there is a lot to discover.

From what I got in the lyrics and the story told by AKMU in the music video, the song was about the fact that no matter what life throws at you, there would be people around to support you. Changhyuk falls through many holes and spends most of his time in the video in freefall. His sister, Suhyun, helps him in the end (after sitting at the edge of the hole and reassures him that everything will be fine), which sends him back up to the party which started off the video. The scene that gets me the most is the one of the level he falls that contains a bunch of little kids, whom I assume are people who fell through and didn’t have someone to help them back up (it explains their sad faces). I also assume that they are young, mainly because ‘falling’ isn’t something that happens with age and that kids will also have their troughs in life, just the same how adults would as well. I would have liked to see IU feature in this video, though.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9.4/10

[Album Review] & (4th Mini Album) – LOONA

September 12, 2021Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged LOONA1 Comment

Next album I am looking to review is LOONA’s fourth mini-album, & (pronounced ‘and’), which was released at the end of June of the year. It features their title track, PTT (Paint The Town). This is the group’s first comeback since the release of 12:00 and Why Not. This comeback also marked the return of Haseul, who has been on hiatus for their last few comebacks. Like the recent album reviews I have been writing, I too also made a few remarks regarding the intro track but have not included it in the overall album rating, which will instead feature the other 6 tracks on the album. Anyhow, on with the album review!

1. & – Kicking off the album is the howl of wolves and synths in this intro track. It is powerful intro track that features those traditional Indian elements also heard in PTT, teasing us with what is to come. But & is more than that. Dramatic and suspenseful synths precede and set a very strong tone.

2. PTT (Paint The Town) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for PTT (Paint The Town). (8/10)

3. WOW – WOW is an upbeat jazzy number that comes off as an exciting addition to the album. There is also a bit of a familiarity with WOW, as the song sound similar to Wow Thing (a collaboration between Seulgi, SinB, Chungha and Kim Soyeon from 2018). Like Wow Thing, LOONA’s WOW is extremely lively and energetic thanks to the jazzy influences. It also adds a nice classy colour to the album, whilst also reminding some of their pre-debut work. The vocals shown off in WOW was impressive and had the right level of oomph for the song, which just makes this a satisfying track to listen to. Altogether, WOW was a great song. (9/10)

4. Be Honest – Be Honest follows a similar upbeat and energetic nature as WOW. However, I didn’t find anything that grand within Be Honest, as I did with the preceding song. This song was a pleasant retro pop track and LOONA does pack a punch with their chirpy melodies and lines. The upbeat energy gives the song a nice kick and I will agree that it makes for a fun summer track. However, Be Honest just doesn’t come off as memorable for me. (7/10)

5. Dance On My Own – Dance On My Own is this album’s English track, similar to how Star was LOONA’s English track. It is also the start of the album’s more toned down side, tapping into the R&B ballad general. It is a nice listen, with pleasant melodies. I liked the overall lightness of the song and the catchiness from the repeated ‘Dance On My Own’ hook. The issue with this song, in particular, is that it gets pretty repetitive, which may not be many people’s cup of tea. (8/10)

6. A Different Night – A Different Night is another pleasant ballad. It is very light on the ears and is quite a blissful piece. Instrumental-wise, A Different Night isn’t anything different to your typical ballad. Classically instrumented. There isn’t anything wrong with this when it is done right, and I feel that A Different Night is an example of it being done right. Another great aspect of the song are the vocals. In A Different Night, harmonies are more prevalent and adds a soothing factor to the song. (9/10)

7. U R – Another R&B song to end the album. U R is a nice listen that continues the toned-down nature of the second half of the album. I like the breathy nature of the vocals and the lo-fi beats give U R a different profile from the rest of the toned-down tracks on the album. However, to me, it doesn’t have a memorable factor to it. I also find the song to be on the dry side. (6.5/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.9/10

[Weekly KPOP Chart] 2nd Week of September 2021

September 12, 2021Posted in Weekly ChartsLeave a comment

Another busy week has passed and it is time for me to reflect on it via a Weekly KPOP Chart post! I don’t have much to update you with, other than that I have decided that next weekend will be a intensive album review weekend, so I can finally make some progress on that load of albums I have flagged that I will be reviewing. Otherwise, still in lockdown and still eating my weight in snacks (though I have balanced that out with a fruit salad binge – fresh though). Hopefully, I can have something more interesting to update you with next week!

New songs on the charts

In addition to the songs I have reviewed this week (Young K and Lisa’s solo debuts, the comebacks of STAYC and PURPLE KISS, and the collaboration release between HyunA and DAWN), a whole bunch of other releases have been added to the charts, including:

Everything Is Because of You – CHOI (LU:KUS)
Goodnight, Summer – Sungmin (Super Junior)
GOTYA – ICHILLIN’
Run – LUMINOUS
Red Lipstick – Lee Hi ft. Yoo Mi Rae
mOnO – OnlyOnOf
CHEESE – Stray Kids (I also added The View to the charts as part of last week’s entries)
All unit releases from Golden Child’s second studio album, Game Changer.

Throwback corner

I spent a lot of my week listening to Infinite, B1A4, Sonamoo and Oh My Girl for some unknown reason. They just popped into my autoplay and I told myself ‘why not?’. So I had a lot of choice this week to decide who to feature in the Throwback Corner of this post.

Ultimately, I have decided to feature Sonamoo and their single Friday Night. They are the lesser known group out of the four that I listed, so let’s give them a shoutout!

The Charts

Congratulations to Stray Kids, once again, for rising to the top of the charts for the 2nd Week of September 2021 with Thunderous. They were last in the top spot for the final week of August with the same song. For more of the charts, scroll down below.

	2nd Week of September 2021	05 Sep – 11 Sep 2021
Pos.	Title	Artist	Status
1	Thunderous	Stray Kids	(▲ 1)
2	Zombie	PURPLE KISS	(NEW)
3	Guard You	Young K (DAY6)	(NEW)
4	THRILL RIDE	THE BOYZ	(▼ 1)
5	PING PONG	HyunA & DAWN	(NEW)
6	Lemonade	Lee Eun Sang	(▲ 72)
7	STEREOTYPE	STAYC	(NEW)
8	Gas Pedal	CRAVITY	(▼ 4)
9	Changer	A.C.E.	(▲ 6)
10	Popping	ONF	(▲ 47)
11	Outsider	BTOB	(▼ 10)
12	FLEX	T1419	(▲ 24)
13	DUMB DUMB	Jeon Somi	(▲ 15)
14	Queendom	Red Velvet	(▼ 1)
15	SOOP	Jenyer ft. Heo Gayoon	(▲ 63)
16	Dreaming LUMINOUS	LUMINOUS	(▲ 48)
17	The View	Stray Kids	(▲ 61)
18	LALISA	Lisa (BLACKPINK)	(NEW)
19	Not Friends	Ryan Jhyun & Heejin, Kim Lip, Jinsoul, Yves (LOONA)	(▲ 59)
20	Alive	ASTRO	(▲ 58)
21	OMEGA-X	OMEGA X	(▲ 26)
22	After We Ride	Brave Girls	(▼ 4)
23	DIVE	Jinyoung (GOT7)	(▲ 3)
24	Dizzy	W.A.O	(▲ 54)
25	You Can’t Sit With Us	Sunmi	(▲ 8)
26	KISS OR DEATH	MONSTA X	(▲ 20)
27	Summer or Summer	Hyolyn & Dasom	(▲ 23)
28	Tictoc Tictoc Tictoc	AKMU ft. Beenzino	(▲ 11)
29	Gallery	Park Ji Hoon	(▼ 12)
30	Life is Beautiful	ONEUS	(▲ 28)

Songs leaving the charts this week

The following songs have wrapped up their nine week run on the charts and have now been removed!

Rain – BOYHOOD (Nam Donghyun) ft. Kisum
Teamo – Minzy
Drink It – The Boyz
Summertime – HA:TFELT ft. Keem Hyoeun
Summer Taste – Rain, MONSTA X, ATEEZ & Brave Girls
questiOn mark – OnlyOneOf

[Review] Gas Pedal – CRAVITY

September 11, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged CRAVITY6 Comments

I told you I would bounce around while catching up on releases that I should have reviewed much closer to their release dates. At least for this particular release, the group is still promoting it! As you can tell by the title of this post, I am reviewing Gas Pedal, CRAVITY’s latest release. It dropped back on 19 August 2021 (making this review almost a month late) and is also the title track of the group’s first studio album, The Awakening: Written in the Stars. I will confirm now that I will be reviewing this album, but that particular review post will be released sometime in October. Until then, here is my review for Gas Pedal (finally).

Gas Pedal follows the same pathway as their last title track, My Turn, which is quite unfortunate since that particular song did not fair well. The good news is that Gas Pedal seems to stray away from falling into the same obnoxious trap that My Turn fell into, with thanks to a much better chorus. Sure, Gas Pedal is still on the ‘noisy’ side of electronic hip-hop music, with a descending series of synth as the song’s main instrumental piece. This main synth is an odd choice, given that it reminds me more of a dying lawn mower or a decelerating car, rather than the acceleration that the title alludes to or is portrayed in the lyrics. But the other synths that also make up the instrumentation really helps make up for this odd choice. As mentioned, the chorus in Gas Pedal is ultimately better, with the repetition of the title as the main hook. It is executed in a way that is surprisingly catchy to me. I also like the mix of powerful and whispering vocals around this repetition in the chorus, which help creates an interesting atmosphere during the centrepiece of the song. The powerful vocals are further emphasised in Gas Pedal‘s first bridge (i.e. 2:00 mark of the song), which was one of the standout aspects of the song. We also had vocals in the pre-choruses, which helped smoothed out the song. The rapping, which were present in the verses, also had some heft to them and pushed the song along. We actually also got a second bridge (i.e. the 2:39 minute of the song) which featured some powerful rapping as well, giving us an edgy exit to the song. Overall, Gas Pedal is a definite improvement, despite it being from the same realm of song as their preceding title track.

I am not entirely sure if there is a plot in this music video, but it seems like there could be. I am not going to make an attempt at decoding the music video for a plot, as I wouldn’t know where to start anyway! But it looks like the music video is set in the future, with the members having the ability to load their minds into an alternate reality world. But it looks like when one of the members is loaded into this world, everything is collapsing. I liked the other half of the concept of the video (i.e. bikers), which was also quite edgy and matched the tone of the song. I liked the editing in this video and the various sets they were in. It is quite a cool video!

I really liked how edgy this performance was. It also looked quite tough due the constant movement (it doesn’t look like there is much of a break during the performance), but this fits the sound of the song. I liked how they incorporated movements that look like they are revving motorbike handle bars into, which I guess works in place of a gas pedal.

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

[Album Review] SIREN: DAWN (5th Mini Album) – A.C.E

September 11, 2021Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged A.C.ELeave a comment

As you may know, I have been fretting about how behind I am with reviews! Well, here is a second album review! It is for A.C.E’s fifth mini-album, SIREN: DAWN, which was dropped in June of this year. It features the title track Higher and four other songs (including an intro track, which I wrote something about but did not include in the final rating). A.C.E also recently returned with a repackaged version of their fifth mini-album (Changer : Dear Eris) more recently, but all tracks on SIREN: DAWN does not feature on the repackaged version. Instead, the repackaged version includes some new tracks and alternative/new versions of some of their past songs. I have decided that I will not review the repackaged version, but I highly recommend the title track, Changer, if you still after an A.C.E fix. Otherwise, here is my review for SIREN: DAWN.

1. INTRO : Miserere Mei Deus (We Fall Down) – How haunting and suspenseful is this intro track. There is always something about orchestral choir that sends shivers down my back, and I feel this intro track really reiterates that feeling. I also felt that the intro track fits in neatly with the concept pictures that were released to help tease this comeback.

2. Atlantis – Atlantis is an alternative rock track that is quite consistent through and through. I like the subtle intensity that Atlantis has and I feel that the alternative rock in this song goes in the direction that I like. I also enjoyed the vocals in this song, which were moody and heavy, suiting the song’s tone. However, I wished that Atlantis wasn’t as consistent as it was, and that the climax was more fulfilling. I was mildly disappointed with the climax, as it made the song feel like it didn’t progress or go anywhere. (7/10)

3. Higher – Click here to read the full review for Higher. (8/10)

4. Chasing Love – Chasing Love started off as a moody R&B track. Nothing that special or mind-blowing, but the vocals and sing-rap were definitely captivating. There was a clear indication that the song was in an incline direction, however what the song ended up developing into was unexpected. The vibrant string synths in the chorus brought in a fresh kick that I enjoyed and was surprised by. I liked how the second verse maintained that vibrancy in its sound, allowing the vocals to build and add flair. The bridge was also a nice pause, with the acceleration to the final chorus being quite satisfying and impactful. Quite a dynamic and catchy track. (10/10)

5. Story – I like the chilled side of Story, which is ultimately a pop ballad. It creates an ethereal atmosphere and is quite alluring to listen to. Story shows off the group’s vocals abilities, which I have highlighted in the past before. In Story, their vocals are breathtaking in this song, especially when they sing together. The harmonies, falsettos and melodies that they bring to life are just so stunning. It also makes for a great album closer and eases you off the album in a very pleasant and nonchalant manner. (10/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.8/10

[Album Review] CONNECTION (2nd Studio Album) – UP10TION

September 11, 2021Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged UP10TION1 Comment

It is the weekend, and weekends are when I write my album reviews. And first up this weekend is UP10TION’s second studio-length album, CONNECTION. The group released the album, which featured the title track SPIN OFF, mid-June of this year. It is the group’s first comeback since in almost a year (the last being Light in September of last year) and three years after the release of their first studio album (Invitation, lead by the single Candyland) in 2018. Alongside SPIN OFF, CONNECTION also included nine other new tracks, including three exceptional unit tracks from the group. CONNECTION features only seven members, with Kim Wooseok and Lee Jin Hyuk still absent from the lineup and Jinhoo still on a health-related hiatus.

1. SPIN OFF (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of SPIN OFF. (9/10)

2. Liar – Liar is one of those standard dance tracks that satisfies but doesn’t necessary blow your mind. It has a bit of a groovy flair in its house-based instrumentation, which helped the song be more appealing. I also felt a sense of smoothness in the song thanks to the same flair, especially during the pre-choruses of the song (which were also the most memorable part of Liar). The vocals and rapping work was pretty good as well, adding a heavy tone to the song, which in turn works well with the lyrics (i.e. the song is all about the feeling of being betrayed by their lover). (7/10)

3. Summer Drive – Summer Drive is an appropriately titled pop track and gives off the perfect feel for a road trip or a summer nights drive where you just want a blast on the road from your speakers. Summer Drive already starts off with a good level of energy, but the chorus incorporates a bit more to make the song more satisfying and upbeat. The rapping in the second verse stood out for me, as I felt the rappers balanced out the song by adding in an appropriately level of oomph that works well with the rest of Summer Drive. (8.5/10)

4. Parade – I liked how wholesome Parade felt. I recommend Parade if you are looking for a synth-based track that isn’t forceful or high impact. It is another satisfying pop song, with a smooth tone that carries you along for the length of the track. It is also a super easy track to get into and appreciate. The rapping and vocals were really nice, and contribute to that overall wholesome appeal of the song. I do have one minor gripe about Parade however. I am not liking how they added the deep autotune backing to some of the vocals/raps. It didn’t feel necessary and undermined the smoothness of the track. (9/10)

5. Destroyed – Compared to the songs before and after it, Destroyed has this dramatic and epic flair to it, which ultimately made it stand out on the album. It started off calm with a piano backing, before building up to the dubstep infused chorus. Bridging the two was an orchestral/electronic mix, which I thought was clever at joining the two extremes. I anticipated that the song would build up once those electronic thumps made themselves apparent, but I still thought the dubstep side was a surprisingly element. (9/10)

6. If (만약) – The next song, If, is a ballad duet between Kogyeol and Hwanhee. It was a beautiful sounding song that captivates you. The ballad’s instrumental was exceptional. There was a jazzy touch to it, which helped give the instrumental a bit of a spark of colour and identity. This really helped If sound more appealing and interesting than your common everyday ballad. The vocals from the pair was also stunning. Their harmonies and chemistry in this song just made it even more captivating to listen to. (10/10)

7. Forever (혹시라도) – The album’s second unit track is by Kuhn, Sunyoul, Gyujin and Xiao. Forever is another beautiful sounding ballad, however this one leans towards pop more and has a bit more energy to it (as a result). I liked how each of the four members brought a different colour to the song. However, they all came together like puzzle pieces fitting correctly with one another. I also like how Forever elicit the swaying effect that I find in ballads and how easy it was to get into the song. (9/10)

8. Believe in You – Believe In You features all the members (odd that it is placed between two unit tracks). It is also their most outstanding side track (as an eight-member group) on this album, from my perspective. I just love the bright colours in this song, brought to you by their energetic vocals and the pop rock styled instrumentation. The melodies and hooks were exceptionally easy to get into and enjoy. A surprising number given its placement, but definitely a gem on this tracklist! (10/10)

9. Sky Line – The final unit track on the album is a duet between Kogyeol and Bit-to. And out of the unit tracks, it is the one that I would definitely recommend to you! I really like the contrast between the synths and the acoustic guitar in the instrumentation. Both elements were distinct in their own right, but they worked really well with one another. Kogyeol and Bit-to’s delivery was also exceptional. Kogyeol’s vocals added freshness to the song, while Bit-to’s rapping delivery and deep tone kept the song grounded. (10/10)

10. Honey Cake – Ending the album is a pop track that has a pleasant and fun bounce to it. But I felt like Honey Cake had a bit too much going on during its chorus. Everything else about Honey Cake was great, but the chorus was overwhelming for me. Will that stop me from liking the song, overall? Nope. It was still a great song to end the album on, though it could have been executed a bit better. (7.5/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.9/10

[Review] LALISA – LISA (BLACKPINK)

September 11, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged BLACKPINK, LISA (BLACKPINK)9 Comments

The next BLACKPINK member has finally made their solo debut. We were first teased with solo work from the members of BLACKPINK back in 2018. We first saw Jennie making her solo debut in 2018 with SOLO. It took three years for the next member, ROSÉ, to debut as a solo artist with On The Ground. And today (and not after a three year gap), Lisa makes her solo debut with LALISA. That just leaves Jisoo, whom I hope we can see solo music from in the very near future. But for now, this is my review of Lisa’s LALISA.

LISA’s solo debut comes in the form of an anthem about herself. As much as I want to like LALISA, I feel like this is a barrier for me to get into the song. I am indifferent to songs that are just for the artist themselves (i.e. stamped with their name throughout the song). Of course, there are exceptions (as always). But I felt this indifference for this release and it had a pronounced flow on effect to other elements within the song. I wish I could overcome the barrier. But no matter how much I have replayed the song thus far, I can’t get over the fact that this song is only for LISA to sing or perform. It might just be that I am narrow-minded in this regard. Anyhow, putting aside my personal thoughts of the lyrics and title, LALISA has a pretty standard instrumental. I didn’t find anything interesting within it. I did like how it enabled a bit of attitude and sassiness from LISA herself. I also enjoyed LISA’s delivery of the song, particularly her rap verse in the second verse. That sequence was a bit of a wow factor for me and further proved to me her rapping ability (not that I had any doubts of her rapping capabilities in the first place). The repetition of the title ‘LALISA‘ is definitely quite catchy and helps makes the song memorable. But as I said at the start, the overly emphasised personalised side of LALISA makes it hard for me to really enjoy the song (though this is great for LISA!).

What I like about these solo music videos is that they are not confined to the usual amazingly designed and detailed sets we see the group (and other YG artists usually in). While they did re-emerge in this solo music video, it still had an outside component which I liked. That being said, the sets are really cool in this music video, particularly the white light dance set with the word LALISA forming part of the wall . That looked really cool and modern. I also like how the music video paid homage to LISA’s background with a bit of Thai influence in a segment of the music video through a set and some outfits. That was pretty cool element and LISA pulled it off effortlessly, just like every other look in this music video.

We got to see a fair bit of the choreography of the performance. And I think it is one that fits in with LISA really well. I liked the chorus in particular, which shows off two sides of her. There is a bit of cute bounce to the first half of the chorus, followed by the sassy and attitude-filled stomping in the second half of the chorus’ choreography. I also like the ‘L’ and ‘A’ that LISA and the dancers form with their hands to represent LISA’s name in the choreography.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.3/10

[Review] PING PONG – HyunA & DAWN

September 10, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Dawn, Hyuna, HyunA & DAWN2 Comments

Based on the current activities of the artists of P Nation, it has to be one of the most progressive entertainment companies in the industry at the moment. The company started off with Psy (who is also the founder of the company) and have signed on some of the industry’s biggest solo acts including JESSI, HyunA and DAWN (the latter being a idol couple and was unfairly kicked out of their previous company once news of the two dating surfaced. More recently, the company has been signing rap artists to their company’s lineup. But it is this particular collaboration between HyunA and DAWN, PING PONG, that really sells the idea of a progressive company for me, particuarly that this type of collaboration is one that many of the biggest KPOP companies at the moment would ever do.

But as groundbreaking as this collaboration sounds in theory, I don’t think PING PONG was the right song for it to be the vehicle. It is a song that overwhelms your senses, with a lot of the elements clashing with one another. PING PONG is described as ‘a moombahton dance track’. However, the brass and international influences we get throughout the song makes it more than ‘a moombahton dance track’. There is also a lot of literal clashing that makes this song heavy-handed. Usually, I would be enjoying these various elements. But when you consider the bigger picture of PING PONG (i.e. the entire song) and HyunA and DAWN’s attempt of being bold, it is a bit much. I will say the clickity-clack during the chorus was one of the better elements within the instrumentation, which I suppose is intended to mimic a bouncing ping pong ball. Though, I wish it wasn’t masked amongst the rest of the instrumentation. Aside from the backing, there are other bold forces attempting to come together in this song. I think the pair handled their solo parts pretty well. The pairing of their solo parts do come together decently and you can get a sense of the chemistry. Though, it isn’t as strong as their side tracks on their mini-album (titled 1+1=1). I am not too sure about their duet moments though, given that there was a lot to get through in order to focus on the pair. Overall, PING PONG just feels a bit much for me and it doesn’t seem like the song is one that I would be going out of my way to go back to.

PING PONG‘s music video takes a page out of the instruction manual that is usually reserved for putting together Hyuna’s most recent music video. ‘Bold’, ‘crazy’ and ‘outrageous’ are all words I would use to describe this particular music video, on top of the usual ‘colourful’ and ‘individual’ descriptors that I would use. Their outfits are quite questionable, as they seem to be the most outrageous element of the video. But hey, somehow everything suits their individual images and aligns with what they usually put out.

Given that they are a couple and knowing how daring Hyuna can be with her performances, I expected this choreography to go into unexplored territory. But we didn’t really get that far. A kiss at the end and on the hand from DAWN are probably what is most controversial about this comeback. That being said, the performance was still cool. And their chemistry is definitely strong.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 6.7/10

[Review] Zombie – PURPLE KISS

September 8, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged PURPLE KISS3 Comments

After a number of pre-release songs (to which I have not yet reviewed) and their official debut with Ponzona in March of this year, PURPLEKISS has made their first comeback today with Zombie. This new song is featured on the group’s second mini-album, Hide and Seek, which also dropped today.

Those pre-debut tracks and Ponzona were portrayed with dark concepts and mature sounds. So when I clicked on Zombie earlier today, I was completely taken surprised by the sound of Zombie (I don’t watch music video teasers nowadays, so I was going in without any knowledge of what the song could potentially have sounded like). It is a bit of a curveball in terms of sound, especially since I did not expect anything this funky and bright sounding from the group. But did this put me off Zombie? Of course not. In a matter of fact, I am digging Zombie completely, as I find the instrumentation and hooks to be quite infectious. The bass really uplifted the song and the funky guitars was just a fun element to the song. The rest of the synths really helped heightened the funkiness of the song and worked cohesively together to create a fun atmosphere with the guitars and bass. My favourite bit of the instrumentation has to be the launch into the final chorus. That was a great peak for me, fitting well into the funky and groovy direction of the song! The chorus was nicely done, with it adding a nice additional layer of perkiness to the song. The ‘Zombie, B, B, B‘ hook was a refreshing one and definitely quite addictive. It was also one that grew on me very fast I had to hold myself back from replaying the song for the umpteenth time, so that I could review the song (though I was tempted to just have it on a loop for the rest of the night and do nothing – lazy me strikes again). What also was quite impressive about Zombie was the vocals and rapping. All was superb throughout the song, with their strong vocals and powerful rapping on full display. Overall, an unexpected release but definitely a high calibre and quality track nonetheless.

I guess the other curve ball for this comeback was the colourfulness of the music video. Obviously fitting for the bright and upbeat side of the song. It is just odd, given the dark and mature image I had engrained into my mind thanks to their pre-debut/debut imagery/concepts. But like the song, this did not deter me from enjoying the music video. It was fun and creative (and at time humourous) take on zombies. Usually we see the members away from the zombies in other videos featuring an undead concept. But PURPLE KISS went to the next level by hanging out with the zombies. I suspect they are ones themselves, given how one of their eyes popped out and the other zombies didn’t eat them. But I guess they are not as affected, given that they could still function like humans. One little detail did distract me, however. In the lineup of ‘B’ words that was present on screen during the song’s hook, one of them was spelt wrong. Wonder if you can figure out which word?

Personally, I felt the choreography for this comeback to be the weakest aspect. I wished the moves were sharper, as this would have made the performance look even better. I also feel that the song’s main hook should have had a more defined and memorable dance move associated to it, just to give the choreography bit more of a wow factor to it.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 8.6/10

[Album Review] Stop Girl (7th Mini Album) – U-KISS

September 8, 2021Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged U-KISS, UKISS3 Comments

It is time for another album review for an album from the past. I have been wanting to review another album from U-KISS, so I thought to review the album that contains one of my favourite songs from the group, Stop Girl. The mini-album itself is also titled Stop Girl and this was the group’s 7th mini-album. It terms of its age, it was released way back on 10 September 2012 (which makes this album 9 years old in 2 days!). The mini-album featured six members (Soohyun, Hoon, Kiseop, Eli, Kevin and Dongho), with AJ (who was an active member of U-KISS in earlier promotions) taking leave for studies. The mini-album also features the English version of the title track, which I opted to not include in the album review. I did write a bit about the album’s intro, but also opted to not include the track in the final album rating.

1. IMMA NEW THANG (Intro) – I know I don’t usually focus on introductory tracks. But IMMA NEW THANG is one of those intro tracks that really grabs your attention with its edgy feel and intensity. It was definitely a new vibe from the UKISS that I knew at the time and I liked how they had the ‘Yeah’ from Stop Girl in the background.

2. Stop Girl (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of Stop Girl. However, excuse the cringe me from back then. (9/10)

3. Time To Go – Time To Go continues mature vibes from Stop Girl in quite a dynamic track. The instrumentation is predominately made up of heavy thumping, piano that gives off R&B vibes and a subtle underlay of synths to keep the song moving along. The vocal works from the members was quite impressive. I also like the rapping and the marching band drums that was the backing for the rappers. Altogether, Time To Go came together quite nicely and had a great sense of nostalgia for me. (9/10)

4. Remember (Acoustic Version) – As far as I remember, I don’t think I have reviewed the original version of Remember before (it might be due to the fact that the original version was a OST for a Korean drama). It was a nice ballad that showcases the vocal abilities of Soohyun and Kevin, who were the only members to be featured on this album. The piano and classical instrumentation was quite pleasant and soothing. My only gripe about the song is its placement on this album. It just doesn’t fit and felt misplaced between two dance tracks. (8/10)

5. Sexy Baby – I personally have no more memory of Sexy Baby. For this album review, I am writing my thoughts as if I had never heard the song before. Sexy Baby was nothing how I expected it. I expected a more sensual vibe that is smooth and alluring. But we didn’t get any of that. Instead, Sexy Baby was extremely synth heavy club vibe song. Its instrumental was just a heavy dosage of everything for me, which isn’t a common thought for me to have. In terms of vocals and rapping, I didn’t feel like there was anything interesting on that side as well. A passable song for me. (5/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.8/10

Dongho Teaser Image for Stop Girl
Hoon’s Teaser Image for Stop Girl
Kevin’s Teaser Image for Stop Girl
Soohyun’s Teaser Image for Stop Girl
Eli’s Teaser Image for Stop Girl
Kiseop’s Teaser Image for Stop Girl

[Review] STEREOTYPE – STAYC

September 7, 2021September 7, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged STAYC3 Comments

There is a lot riding on STAYC’s comeback, following the delayed but welcomed success of ASAP a few months back. Now, the six-member female group from High Up Entertainment is looking to extend their success with their first mini-album and title track, STEREOTYPE. While it is a bit early to decide whether this mini-album and comeback as a whole will be another successful release for the group, it isn’t too early to review STEREOTYPE.

One of the factors that helped ASAP (and probably every other song that I didn’t enjoy at first) grow on me is time. STEREOTYPE doesn’t have luxury, and so my review for STAYC’s new song will be based on my thoughts a day after its release. I will say that STEREOTYPE is quite a pleasant sounding song. To a certain degree, I think the song can be describe as minimalistic, as it goes without any hard-hitting or loud synths. I feel like this is a play on ASAP‘s killer hook, which was also minimalistic in its own way. Furthermore, in a world of music that is heavily dominated by synths and electronic instrumentation, a song like STEREOTYPE is very appreciable. But this is also STEREOTYPE‘s limiting factor. I like the minimal and light nature of the instrumentation, but I also find the song is be quite stagnant. It felt the same from start to end, and I don’t feel like the song developed much in its 3 minute run. Sure, STEREOTYPE had some decent vocals and the chorus did give off a ASAP type of vibe that reminded me of ASAP‘s killer hook. But I think the song could have been a bit more dynamic. Similarly, I don’t think the song had strong hooks. There were some melodies that felt like they had potential, but I didn’t think it was enough. Other than that, I don’t have much else to say about the song. STEREOTYPE has its merits, but also its flaws. But who knows what time might do to my thoughts on STEREOTYPE.

I wasn’t a fan of their last music video. But for STEREOTYPE, I feel that their company really pulled through and definitely improved the quality of the video. I guess the newfound success of their previous comeback has allowed their company to invest more in music video department, opting for CGI. I feel these additions made the music video more fun, colourful and modern. They worked well with the pleasant nature of the song and didn’t feel over the top at all. The massive bunny was my favourite (mildly terrifying, but also quite cute). I also liked how bright the video looks and how the members look like they are genuinely enjoying their time.

The performance was actually cool. I didn’t have much expectation going into the performance for some reason, but I quite enjoyed it. I particularly like the pre-chorus domino effect they going on. That was the best part of the choreography!

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.4/10

[Review] Guard You – Young K (DAY6)

September 7, 2021September 7, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Young K4 Comments

One of the comebacks kick starting this week is Young K’s solo debut! Yesterday, DAY6’s bassist, vocalist and rapper made his first solo release with the single, Guard You, and the mini-album, Ethereal. This will become the last major release from the new solo act, as he is confirmed to be enlisting in the Korean military next month. Prior this this solo debut, we saw Young K participate in DAY6’s recent mini-album release, The Book of Us: Negentropy and in Even of Day’s (DAY6’s subunit) mini-album release, Right Through Me

Guard You takes on a rock sound, with a prevalent blend of synths to give off a sense of individuality from Young K’s usual releases as part of DAY6. But while I thought it was a decent track instrumentally, I personally wished Guard You had a much heavier and more intense instrumental. I felt everything that I will speak positively about in this song review will be enhanced to a whole new level had this been the case. That extra bit musically would have done wonders to this song. But nonetheless, what we got was still quite satisfying to listen to. I felt that Guard You was a song to get lost in. This effect would have been easier to slip into had the song been heftier in the instrumental department. But the effect was still there and I still liked Guard You for that factor, regardless. A memorable component of Guard You was the emotional and heartfelt energy, which derived mainly from the Young K’s strong vocals. This energy also did a good job of complimenting the lyrics, as well. His vocals also did a lot of captivating and he sounded really good throughout. The high note he delivered at the end was superb and well-executed. Overall, Guard You was a good song to listen to. It just could have gone further and this would have potentially made it into a better song.

It appears that Young K is a doomsday prepper in this video. But he is stuck in a hard spot when the actual threat comes. We seem him struggle in a moral dilemma for a second in the music video. He could either tend to his plants (I presume this would be related to survival and this would mean getting more food), activate survival mode so he can survive the incoming asteroids, or warn people of the looming threat. Well, to make sense with the lyrics, Young K decides to survive by activating his bunker’s survival mode. While it does sound pretty selfish, I am under the assumption that if he continues living, he can continue to ‘guard you’. That, or the ‘you’ he refers to are the plants and he wants to protect them no matter what (but that won’t really make sense with the decision he had to face mid way into the video). I thought Young K’s acting was really good in this video and this definitely helped made the video even better. The ending was a bit of a cliffhanger, with Young K surviving (but it appears that he might be the only one left on the planet).

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

[Album Review] Summer Queen / After ‘We Ride’ (5th Mini Album / 5th Mini Album Repackaged) – Brave Girls

September 5, 2021Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged Brave Girls2 Comments

As promised the week before, I would be fast-tracking the album review for Brave Girls’ latest mini-albums after the release of the repackaged version, After ‘We Ride’. Well, that was dropped two weeks ago, which enables me to finally prepare a review for the Summer Queen mini-album as well. What I didn’t expect is for the repackaged album to only feature one new song (i.e. the title track that shares the same name as the mini-album, After ‘We Ride’) and new versions of some of the songs on the Summer Queen mini-album. However, I still went ahead and combined the two mini-albums to form one album review. Included in the album rating for this album review is the tracklist of Summer Queen (excluding the English version of Chi Mat Ba Ram) and the title track of the repackaged album. The new versions of the Summer Queen tracks (present on the repackaged mini-album) and the English version of Chi Mat Ba Ram are linked in the review below, but do not contribute to the overall album rating I give at the end of all album reviews. Hopefully, it makes more sense as you read through the album review!

Summer Queen mini album

1. Chi Mat Ba Ram (치맛바람) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of Chi Mat Ba Ram. (9/10)

2. Pool Party (ft. E-Chan of DKB) – I had plans to review Pool Party when a music video was released for the side track. But unfortunately it slipped and time got away from me. I liked this side track for a number of reasons. It was a stylish extension of Chi Mat Ba Ram, suitable for both the summer season which the comeback is clearly catered for and also a party environment (thanks to its synth pop instrumentation). The melodies and hooks were quite minimal in terms of effort, but they definitely went a long way. And E-Chan’s featuring was satisfying. Overall, Pool Party was a fun and upbeat addition to the album. (9/10)

3. Summer By Myself (나 혼자 여름) – Summer By Myself reminds me of a blend of 90s old school hip-hop. There is just that nostalgic feel with the song and the vocals that give off vibes from that era. That being said, however, I felt some of the vocals could have been better. Some of it steered into a high pitch mode which came off as whiny for me. But apart from that, I enjoyed Summer By Myself. I liked the brass in the instrumentation, the beat of the song and how it wrapped up in a satisfying manner. (8/10)

4. Fever (토요일 밤의 열기) – Brave Girls continue to bring us back further into history with this retro disco number. But what makes Fever so good is the mature vibes that the members effortlessly pull off. It is another strong song from the group off this album. The vocals are very well done. The rapping was enjoyable. But the harmonised bridge was probably the members’ strongest asset in this song, flowing so smoothly to my ears. If I have to criticize the song for any reason, it would be the wobbly metallic synth we get in the background. I think Fever could have done without it. (9/10)

5. Chi Mat Ba Ram (English Version) – Click here for the English version of Chi Mat Ba Ram.

After ‘We Ride’ Repackaged Mini Album

1. After ‘We Ride’ (술버릇 (운전만해 그후)) – Click here to read the full review of After ‘We Ride’. (8/10)

For the rest of the repackaged album, click the hyperlinks next to the songs:

2. Chi Mat Ba Ram (치맛바람) (Acoustic Version) – Click here for the audio of the acoustic version of Chi Mat Ba Ram.

3. Fever (토요일 밤의 열기) (Remix) – Click here for the remixed audio of Fever.

4. Summer By Myself (나 혼자 여름) (Piano Version) – Click here for the piano version of Summer By Myself.

Overall Album Rating – 8.6/10

Summer Queen Teaser Image
After ‘We Ride’ Teaser Image

[Weekly Chart] 1st Week of September 2021

September 5, 2021Posted in Weekly Charts3 Comments

And we begin September! It has felt like time has been going by so quickly lately, even though I am stuck at home (still in lockdown 😟). With my move officially completed (and I have a proper desk!), I will use my free time I have stuck at home to focus on the blog. I started this officially yesterday, with three reviews crossed off. And I will try my best to keep up with the constant releases and also the bouncing around to ‘old releases’. But before I can proceed forward, here are the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 1st Week of September 2021.

Please note I realized I had stuffed up the rankings changes (i.e. the status column) of last week’s Weekly KPOP Charts. The songs were in the right positions, just the numbers of spots that they dropped or increased by were incorrect. If you would like to look over the new information, please check out the post for the 4th Week of August 2021.

New releases of the week

I have only managed to get around to reviewing BTOB’s Outsider, fromis_9’s Talk & Talk and A.C.E’s Changer this week. But these aren’t the only three releases that were dropped during the week. Many other songs were released alongside those three (listed below). These songs are also eligible for placement on the charts and some will be reviewed some time in the future.

Hate That… – Key (SHINee) ft. Taeyeon (SNSD)
life vest – Kim Jeong Uk
Movin’ – MCND
Lemonade – Lee Eun Sang
MI CASA SU CASA – Heo Young Saeng (SS501)
Alive – ASTRO
Life Is Beautiful – ONEUS
LOOP – I.M (MONSTA X)
Not Friends – Ryan Jhyun & Heejin, Kim Lip, Jinsoul, Yves (LOONA)
Dizzy – W.A.O
Savior – Lee Hi ft. B.I.

Throwback Corner

I was in a Pentagon mood this past week. And Daisy was the most listened to song of the week on this Pentagon binge. Unfortunately, their recent release (Cerberus) just didn’t make it into this week’s binge session.

The Charts

Congratulations to BTOB, who recently released single, Outsider, had managed to clinch the top spot for this past week. For more of the charts, check out below.

	1st Week of September 2021	29th Aug – 4th Sep 2021
Pos.	Title	Artist	Status
1	Outsider	BTOB	(NEW)
2	Thunderous	Stray Kids	(▼ 1)
3	THRILL-RIDE	The Boyz	(▲ 1)
4	Gas Pedal	CRAVITY	(▲ 1)
5	Wave	CIX	(▲ 36)
6	Because	Dream Catcher	(▲ 21)
7	TRIGGER	VERIVERY	(▲ 44)
8	MOON WALKER	BDC	(▼ 6)
9	After Midnight	ASTRO	(▼ 1)
10	irrelevant answer	LUCY	(▲ 53)
11	FLY UP HIGH	SKYLE	(▲ 29)
12	LO$ER=LO♡ER	TXT	(▲ 27)
13	Queendom	Red Velvet	(▲ 3)
14	Holiday Party	Weeekly	(▲ 28)
15	Changer	A.C.E	(NEW)
16	Talk & Talk	fromis_9	(NEW)
17	Gallery	Park Ji Hoon	(▲ 61)
18	After We Ride	Brave Girls	(▼ 15)
19	Tear Drop	SF9	(▲ 40)
20	Ra Pam Pam	Golden Child	(▲ 16)
21	Weekend	Taeyeon (SNSD)	(▲ 37)
22	Close Your Eyes	Bz-Boys	(▲ 56)
23	SPLASH	MIRAE	(▲ 38)
24	Hey Kid, Close Your Eyes	AKMU with Lee Sun Hee	(▲ 41)
25	B.T.W	JAY B (GOT7) ft. Jay Park	(▲ 49)
26	DIVE	Jinyoung (GOT7)	(▼ 12)
27	Door	Kwon Eunbi	(▲ 46)
28	DUMB DUMB	Jeon Somi	(▲ 10)
29	Shut Up 받고 Crazy Hot!	ONEUS	(▲ 24)
30	AuRoRa	ONEWE	(▼ 20)