Album Reviews – Page 47

[Album Review] 7°CN (7th Mini Album) – CNBLUE

March 31, 2017March 31, 2017Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged CN BLUE, Jung Yong Hwa (CN Blue), Lee Jonghyun5 Comments

7°CN is CNBLUE’s latest release and their 7th mini album since debut. So many releases over the years and I only just remember getting hooked onto their debut single. I wasn’t going to do an album review for this mini album, but I thought, ‘why not?‘. It is also a sign of thanks for your endless retweets, likes on Twitter and the huge amount of views for my review of CNBLUE’s latest track. To date, you guys made the 24th of March the most viewed day in the history of my blog and made the review the highest review of the year so far (865 views in just one day). The force of the Boices!

Image result for CNBlue between us — 7CN Album Cover

1..Between Us (title track) – Click to see the full review of Between Us (9.5/10)

2. It’s You – It took me a few listens to like this song, but I am now a big fan of it. Usually, I prefer the rock and powerful sounds that the band is commonly known for, such as their title track. But this feels different and most importantly, it sounds fresh. It a lot more fluffy than what I am used to but that doesn’t affect the track in any way. The instrumental pulls the song together, which gives it a bright and sweet feel. Yonghwa’s voice fits this song perfectly. Whether he is singing or rapping, it doesn’t matter. Those “Woah” and “It’s You” are catchy and make the song addictive. (9/10)

3. Calling You – When I write every single review, I take my time so I can listen to the song multiple times to ensure what I am writing is what I feel and I could pick on a few more things that I may have missed out. But I can’t write this review while listening to the song. Don’t take it the wrong way, though. It just shows how good the track. Yonghwa’s vocals don’t stand out here, but Jonghyun’s vocals do instead. That part where they sing at a higher pitch (post-chorus) catches your attention. To me, the instrumental sounds very typical, but there is a happy vibe coming off it, which is something that is hard to miss. (9/10)

4. When I Was Young – It sounds like your typical KPOP song, but it’s jammed with more modern influences that one could imagine. The band’s influence is softer in this. It uses more electronic sounds, similar to the title track. And it makes the song stand out a mile away. To be honest, it sounds like a track that a dance group would have released as a B-side. But here, CNBLUE seems to effortless make this song work for them. I like this song because, like the title, it takes different genres that I grew up thinking wouldn’t work and make it work. (9.5/10)

5. Manito – This is the compulsory ballad that all album releases KPOP must have on their albums. Is there some law that enforces this? This song is probably the weakest track out of the lot. But that being said, it is still pretty good. The track does make you sway along, and their vocals make the song sound amazing. It does give you a chance to relax and take a step back from the epicness of the album. However, it just sounds quite typical and ordinary., which does make it disappointing. (8/10)

6. Royal Rumble – Besides the title track, when I first listened to this song, I was blown away by it. It’s not your typical track, and it isn’t something that I have heard from CNBLUE before. It adds an almost Latin or Spanish feel to the song, which does stand out a lot. I love the strumming guitar, which is addictive now that I come to the think of it. More importantly, is the buildup before the chorus. It may not be much, but it impressed me a lot. Also, the “Royal Rumble” which Yonghwa sings, sounds amazing. If he had a huskier voice, then the song would have been perfect. (9.5/10)

Overall Album Rating – 9/10

[Album Review] Can You Feel It? (9th Mini Album) – HIGHLIGHT

March 27, 2017May 5, 2017Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged HIGHLIGHT1 Comment

HIGHLIGHT, formerly known as Beast, have rebranded themselves and returned to the stage with their latest mini album. The group, unfortunately, could not carry over their original group name after leaving the company, as Cube Entertainment had owned the name. Hence, why a new name was needed. And now the group has returned with a smashing new mini album, titled as Can You Feel It?.

1..Plz Don’t Be Sad (얼굴 찌푸리지 말아요) (title track) – Click here to view the full review for Plz Don’t Be Sad. (8/10)

2. It’s Still Beautiful (아름답다) (pre-release track) – While I probably will not get around to writing a full review for it, I will go on about how nice this track is. Beast tends to ‘pre-release’ a ballad track before dropping their album, which is what they have done here. And what they have given us is quite beautiful. The soft instrumental doesn’t steal the show. Instead, their vocals that give the song that striking sound, which made me fall in love. Each member sings in this song, further proving the extent of their talents. My only complaint is as the song approaches the end, you expect it to ease out. But instead, it ends quite suddenly, which does catch me off guard. But “It’s Still (a) Beautiful” song. (9/10)

3. The Beginning (시작) – This is the second ballad off the tracklist. It has a more subtle cafe and elevator music vibe to it. Out of all the tracks, I don’t really find it appealing. But that is just my personal preference. Like the other tracks, this is a really good track by itself. The little “twinkle” sounds from the piano does give it a nice touch and of course, the members show off their vocals here as well, but not as much their other tracks on the rest of the album. (7.5/10)

4. Dangerous (위험해) – This is the third ballad-like song on the album. And out of the three, it is probably the best. I freaking love it. The chorus is really damn catchy. It is a beautiful song to just sit down, sway along and lipsync along with it. The chorus, alongside the verses, give the song a very dramatic and serious feel. Junhyung’s raps top the song off very nicely, as well. It doesn’t seem to fit, but it works wonderfully with the rest of the song. This song does show off their vocals as well, but in its own way. (10/10)

5. Can You Feel It? – Given the trend, you expect them to finish off with another ballad. But instead, a dance track closes the mini album. As soon as I heard the song, it felt just right. It has everything you expect in a party-themed song. It’s catchy and addictive. And it has a sick beat that is bound to get you in the mood for a little bouncing or dancing. I revisit the entire mini-album just for this one track. Likewise, I feel like their vocals and raps are shown off, but in a more appropriate way that suits this song. (10/10)

Overall Album Rating – 9/10

[Album Review] Flight Log: Arrival (6th Mini Album) – GOT7

March 16, 2017March 17, 2017Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged GOT7Leave a comment

GOT7 has returned with the final album in their Flight Log series. The group first released Flight Log: Flight and the title track Fly back in early 2016. They later made their comeback with Hard Carry, as part of Flight Log: Turbulence in September 2016. Now, they are back with Flight Log: Arrival and their latest title track, Never Ever, which is linked below.

1..Never Ever (title track) – Click here to see my review for Never Ever (7.25/10)

2. Shopping Mall – Song titles tend to confuse me. This one may be the most random one, but yet it somehow manages to get tied to a standard song theme. Shopping Mall is a bland track that didn’t capture my attention. The opening of the song is pretty good (it was the only memorable part of the song or the only thing that I remembered about the song) but the rest of the song seemed lackluster. The track itself is a typical pop track. The vocals and raps seem okay. But as I said, there isn’t much in the song. (4/10)

3. Paradise – Paradise’s instrumental caught my attention, something the previous song didn’t do. It is another instrumental that is right up my alley. At first, when I heard the song, I thought it sounded pretty generic, especially the vocals. However, after multiple listens, I think I can say that the song is growing on me. The vocals do sound quite good, and the raps seem quite smooth. The chorus was quite catchy, with the repetition of “Paradise” and the instrumental in the background. It isn’t flashy and is more on the simple side, but that won’t mean it would be a weaker song. (6/10)

4. Sign – It is one of the slower songs on the mini album. From the outside, you may think that I would find this song on more of the dull side. And I probably would have thought the same thing. But I actually like this song. It is an interesting mix that works pretty well. It reminds me of RnB almost. The instrumental uses synths and electronic sounds, but it a much slower manner. The vocals worked wonderfully and do show off their vocal abilities. Youngjae’s extra loud vocals during the bridge gave the song an extra push forward, which was much appreciated because if it weren’t there, then the song would have fallen into the generic category as well. (7/10)

5. Go Higher – Go Higher is the party anthem of the mini album. The song reminded me of DJ Got Us Falling In Love (I know, quite random). But then it clicked because I associate DJ Got Us Falling In Love with parties. (Yep, I have a social life. Also, it is a song that is played at a majority of the parties that I go to). And it is one of the few songs that I know the lyrics off by heart). To get the full effect of the song, you need to have the volume up high and throw in a little more bass! It sounds amazing. The vocals/raps are not hidden by the instrumental. But I would have liked the instrumental track to have more of an intense and powerful punch to get everything going. Talking about the instrumental, it is an odd mash between different EDM sounds, but they all manage to work altogether. (7.5/10)

6. Q – This is probably the fluffiest track of all from GOT7. It has a cute sound to it, which isn’t something that GOT7 would often do. And surprisingly, I like it. Maybe it is because it compliments the vocals of some members. That harmony for the “I just want a cue” with all the vocalists (JB, Jinyoung, Youngjae and Yugeom) was probably the highlight of the song. Mark’s rap was also quite good here. I also have a confession to make, but as I was listening to the song on the bus today, I was trying to decipher what Q meant. For a while, I thought it was a cute sounding song, but the guys were singing “I just was to kill.” Thank God, I did some research once I got home. Or else things would have been a little embarrassing. (8/10)

7. Don’t Care (양심없이) – Annoying instrumental, if I have to be honest. But the vocals and the raps sound pretty good. The way they sing just seem to roll along and make everything feel so smooth. Surprisingly, that effect fitted well with the song and work well with the instrumental. The RnB sound was quite prominent, and on top of that, it does sound quite sensual as well. I like what they were doing, just not enjoying the instrumental that much (yet). Who knows if this track will grow on me? (I have a feeling it might) (6/10)

8. Out – This is the one track that I looked forward to. It has that B-side track feel, which was a little disappointing, but it is was the one track that had the right level of impact. I love the different tempos in the song. Some parts were slow, while others were much more upbeat. Likewise, the vocals and raps gave the song a lot of variety. Great instrumental, as well. The catchiness (and Jackson’s voice) of “Wait a minute, I’m out” made it sound and feel much cooler. I also wonder what the inspiration for the song was. Was it inspired by their ongoing antics and the fact they end things by saying “I’m 1 Out, I’m 2 Out”? (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7/10

[Album Review] Rose (6th Single Album) – B.A.P

March 12, 2017Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged B.A.PLeave a comment

Thank you for all the views for the review for B.A.P’s Wake Me Up. Also, thanks for the many retweets and likes on Twitter for the review. They just keep coming. In total, a whopping 131 retweets and 129 favourites for just one review is something completely unexpected. But it goes to show the power of BABYs and B.A.P fans around the world. So, I present to you all the full single review for B.A.P’s Rose.

1..Dystopia – This song is probably one of the few songs that satisfy my yearning for intense songs. It sounds like the type of song to keep you on the edge of your seats. The rock-based song sounds amazing. Sure, the instrumental may feel a little overpowering compared to the vocals, but in this song’s case, it works. Out of all the members, I think Bang Yong Guk’s vocals were highlighted the best. His short line at the start gave the song the kick it needed and his parts scattered throughout (even though some of them consisted of one word) still kept the song kicking. That being said, each member did a fantastic job in the song as well. It is one track that is worthy of all the head bangs you can fit in for the length of the song. (9/10)

2. Wake Me Up (Title Track) – Click to check out the full review for Wake Me Up (8.5/10)

3. Diamond 4 Ya – Moving away from the rock, Diamond 4 Ya is a completely different sounding song. However, that typical B.A.P feel is still there. It’s powerful in its own way, despite the sound being a lot more delicate and softer, compared to their more intense or tough sounds. I love the instrumental here, especially that squeaky sound after each chorus. I am also captivated by Himchan’s Your Love, Your Way. While I don’t find much interesting with Himchan’s vocals, this song does seem to have stomped on my opinions. The rest of the vocals sounded very nice. While I praised Bang Yong Guk’s parts in Dystopia, I feel like his part (and the entire rap sequences with Zelo) a little bland. While I spent my time head-banging in Dystopia, I toned it down to just a consistent and continuous nod. Don’t get the wrong idea, I am just making my actions more appropriate to the song. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.5/10

Image result for rose bap teaser image — Rose Teaser Image

(This album review was originally scheduled to be posted on Wednesday the 15th, but since I have completed the review earlier than intended, I decided to post it on Sunday the 12th, to allow for other reviews to be published a day earlier and as another sign of gratitude).

[Album Review] Feel’eM (10th Mini Album) – BTOB

March 11, 2017Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged BTOBLeave a comment

A few days ago, I posted my personal review for BTOB’s newest title track, Movie. I also mentioned in the review that I had plans to do an album review for their 10th mini album. And I am trying extremely hard to keep my promises. But needlessly to say, here I am with the album review!

Image result for BTOB someday — Feel’eM (1oth Mini Album) Cover

1..Just Say It (말만 해) – The mini starts off with a jazzy number. It actually sounds quite good. I know this may be only me, but it sounds similar to their title track. The only difference is that Just Say It sounds better. Everything fitted perfectly into the song. From the easily transformed vocals to the (harder to fit in) rap sequences. You really do not expect raps sequences to fit in with a jazz number, but here it works. The vocals are superb, especially those higher notes sung during the chorus. While there was a more defined and ‘louder’ beat in the title track, everything about the instrumental in this song is perfect. The snaps to the guitar dominated instrumental, everything felt right. (9/10)

2. Movie (Title Track) – click here to see the full review for BTOB’s title track (6.5/10)

3. About Time – The ballad track sounded good. The sudden silence acted like a drop, before launching back into the chorus. It should have worked, but I felt it was an unnecessary feature of the song. Once again, the raps sequences are quite nice. The vocals are held back to fit the nature of the song. And while it does compliment the song, it makes the song feel extremely weak sounding. (6/10)

4. Rock N Hiphop (빨리 뛰어) – The song seems like your standard B-side track. It doesn’t sound like a track that would stand out but still fits in with the rest of the album, hence it is included in the tracklist. Listening to the song, I wasn’t that fond of it. The vocals and raps sounded standard. It wasn’t until the end of the track did I start to take notice but by then, I thought it was a little too late. Given the title, I thought this would be a more upbeat and funky track but sadly it wasn’t. (5/10)

5. Someday (Pre-release Track) – The mini album ends with probably the strongest song on the entire release. It is a pity that there is no music video because I would have jumped at the chance to review the song. While it is a slower ballad track, everything (vocals and raps) sounded quite nice. But I feel like the vocals stole the show here. The instrumental was traditional in the sense that is how most slow ballads end up sounding like, but it gave the song a much grander feel. Everything complimented each other and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the track on repeat. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7/10

[Album Review] My Voice (1st Solo Album) – Taeyeon (SNSD)

March 4, 2017March 4, 2017Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged SNSD, Taeyeon (SNSD)Leave a comment

I promised last night and I have delivered! This is my second album review to date. This is also Taeyeon’s first solo full album, with a total of 12 songs. I have reviewed 2 of songs from the album and have linked them in the post below. I am just going to let you know that a lot of the focus will be in the vocal work because they just blow you away in every song. While the gaps between album reviews seem to be quite large, I am hoping that I will be push through next month with 4 different album reviews. I am still open to making changes to the layout of these album reviews, so feel free to leave any feedback in the comments. On we go!

1. Fine (title track) – check out my review for the title track (10/10)

2. Cover Up – Compared to the title track, this song is much more upbeat. Actually, this song would be perfect at any of my friend’s parties this year because this is an example of the song that we would jam to (and they don’t even listen to KPOP). It’s really catchy and Taeyeon shines brightly with the more electronic based instrumental. (9/10)

3. Feel So Fine – It may not be the best song out of the bunch but it is one damn good track. Her vocals just take this song to a whole new level. The track does sound a little generic and doesn’t showcase any new sounds. But it sounds a lot like some of her tracks with but a more heavy instrumental and more bass. (7/10)

4. I Got Love (pre-release track) – check out my review for the pre-release track (10/10)

5. I’m Okay – The song is a very jazzy and soulful number (at least to me). But what stands out about this song is the chorus. The chorus is literally perfection to me. It’s melody and rhythm is amazing. The track is very consistent (which here is a good thing) from start to end. I love the instrumental bridge of the song and her vocals are wonderful here. (9/10)

6. Time Lapse – Probably one of the best songs on the list, apart from the title and pre-release track. It doesn’t pack a punch directly through an explosion of the instrumental or her vocals. The track is kept very neutral and that is what makes it so great. Instead, its impact was after the song finished playing. I literally took a few moments to reflect on the blessing that just graced my ears. That exponential sounding high note at the end was spectacular, which put the cherry on top for me. (10/10)

7. Sweet Love – This particular song had its moments for me. The verses felt bland and I didn’t pay attention to it. But once again, the chorus caught my attention. The way she went higher and higher in the chorus made it sound amazing. Like the title of the song, the instrumental did have a sweet feel to it. The verses did leave me feeling disappointed, though. (7/10)

8. When I Was Young – Probably there is a law out there in South Korea that specifies all albums must contain at least one ballad-like song. In this album, this is the ballad-like track. While it does sound good, it doesn’t really do it for me. Taeyeon has amazing vocals and this is the one track of just a few where her vocals felt underwhelming and bland. The chorus of the song was a little better but it didn’t amaze me as much as the other tracks. (6/10)

9. Lonely Night – I am a little on the fence for the song. I love the instrumental. It sounds like a song that you would listen to when during the night while looking at the stars. The instrumental is very easy going and has a nice jazz inspired feel. The vocals just made the song fall a little flat. It doesn’t utilise her powerful vocals, which I get. We can’t have her blowing us away in every song. But here, it made this track feel boring. (5/10)

10. Love in Colour – Another ballad on the tracklist. This is a perfect track that holds her vocals back. There are no impressive ad-libs or high notes that blow us away. But her vocals deliver the song quite nicely and the balance between instrumental and vocals was ideal. You can hear the emotions sprinkled throughout the song through her voice. (8/10)

11. Fire – Fire launches us back to her powerful vocals. The song delves into the RnB genre, something that I have yet to hear on this album. I love her launch into the choruses here. It was not as impressive as her other launches in the choruses, but it still sounds amazing. (7/10)

12. Eraser – Taeyeon ends the album with a head banger. It was unexpected but I am in love with this song. I started nodding along to the song but as soon as the chorus hits, the instrumental and her vocals are just head banging worthiness. She also raps a little bit the song but it masked by a lot of autotune, so I couldn’t really make out any words (sounded like a blur). And I had to backtrack for a moment because I thought someone else rapped and featured in the song, but nope, it was the queen herself! (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8/10

So what songs do you like from Taeyeon’s latest release? Comment below!

[Album Review] Rookie (4th Mini Album) – Red Velvet

February 2, 2017Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged Red Velvet1 Comment

Welcome to the first ever album review. I asked many of you to complete a survey at the end of 2016. Guess what was most voted for! Album Reviews! Honestly, I wanted to do the first album review for another group, who releases their newest album later this month. But after listening to Red Velvet’s latest album, I couldn’t pass the chance of reviewing it!

Rookie (title track) – check out the review published for the song yesterday. (6/10)

Little Little – The track is a really nice and slow RnB track. The track shows off the group’s vocals quite nicely, with that being the main point of the whole song. From the member’s individual parts to their amazing harmony during the chorus, the girls do stand out with this song. The entire song has a nice rhythm that is easy to the ears and is a nice track to listen to when you want to relax. (10/10)

Happily Ever After – I think this track could have been the title track. It has that fun and vibrant sound that I liked with Red Velvet’s past title tracks. It suits the group a lot. I love the wacky sounds here, from the use of xylophones to the “beep beep” sound that your car makes when you lock it. Once again, their vocals are great here. I just feel the chorus could have been a little catchier and less traditional. It would have made the track wackier, suiting the girls even more. (8/10)

Talk To Me – While I don’t think this track would have been successful if it was the title track, I would love to see a performance of this song. The instrumental sounds very interesting and promising for a good choreography routine. While Little Little was slow and Rookie/Happily Ever After was more colourful in terms of sound, Talk To Me is a mixture of both. It is a lot slower, but there are sounds that make it colourful, as well. (9/10)

Body Talk – Hands down everyone because this has to be the best track on the whole mini album. It blew me away when I first heard the song. It may be slow, but it packs a punch, especially when you reach the chorus (especially the last one). The song has a more serious tone than any other track on the album. While it is a lot different, this track does remind me a lot of Heartbreak Hotel by Tiffany from SNSD (ft. SanE). (10/10)

Last Love – This track is actually not by Red Velvet but Wendy’s solo. It’s a ballad and it is honestly a nice way to finish off the album. It sounds very nice, with some people agreeing that this could possibly be in a Disney movie. And I agree with that comment. She has a very nice voice. The song makes you sway along with it. What more do you want from a ballad? (9/10)

Overall Rating of Album – 8.5/10