VIXX has made their return to Japan with a new song, which coincides with the release of their first Japanese album. The album includes the Japanese versions of some of their past Korean hits, such as Chained Up and Error. The album has includes some Korean songs that VIXX has released as extra tracks. But even better, the album includes some Japanese tracks: Can’t Say, which was their first official original Japanese release and Depend On You, their second official original Japanese release and the whole reason of today’s review.
VIXX’s song is good but I keep on asking myself is it good enough? Depend On Me has this very dramatic orchestra sound, mixed with elements of electronic, which gives it a good sound which I like. The chorus beat drops and it sounds more like a pop song than anything else. It flows with the rest of the song, but to me, it just seems like it misses the cake. It was so dramatic sounding at the start, but then that same dramatic feel just disappears. Sure, I listen to the song if it comes on, but I don’t think it is something that I would get caught on. The bridge is okay, but it feels mis-matched with the rest of the song. The vocal work is pretty well damn good in this song. All the members sound great and Ravi’s rap is always sounding hardcore and bad-ass. I don’t know, I feel like I am let down with the chorus in this song. It is great to see such a powerful song from the band in Japan (thought they would stay with their Can’t Stay sound).
The music video is simple. Put the guys in an overused room to dance in and shoot majority of the dance scenes. Throw in some solo shots up close in the dark room and then more solo shots in a white room with red strings everywhere. And that is your video. There were some shots in the video of N just talking to a girl. N notices she becomes disinterested in what is going on, and then this flash forward (or back) of the red strings come along. And then at the very end, we see him whisper something to the girl, and that room flashes back with N whispering the same thing to the camera. So what is going on? Am I meant to look at the lyrics or something because I am a little confused. The strings make sense, since the lyrics talk about cutting strings that join the two together, but what about that N scenes? A little too simple for my liking, but still pretty nice to watch.
But here is what we do actually watch in that video, and that is the dance. While the video below does not capture the whole video for us (still waiting patient for the official upload though), the dance is pretty cool. The highlight of the dance though, the violin introduction where Ravi imaginary plays the violin. It looks so cool. The rest of the dance fitted in with the electronic components of the instrumental. A lot of powerful and strong moves.
Overall, little iffy on the song, video is good and VIXX never lets us down with the dance. 7/10
2PM is back with a brand new song. But you haven’t heard of any comebacks from 2PM? Well, that is because this is a Japanese song for a Japanese comeback. Well, more technically it serves as a goodbye single, from what I heard, as 2PM will be enlisting this year and this would mean that this could be the last song we see from 2PM for a long time (two years or so). Given that fact, it shapes our perception of the song. But more on that below!
Yeah, this is a very sad song. I am quite sure it was not written to be like that, but given the circumstances. But anyway, when I say “sad”, I actually do not mean literally. The reasoning makes the song sad, but the song can be described as touching and quite nice. 2PM has gone for a ballad this time around with all members singing in it. I repeat. All members sing in the song, even Taecyeon, who is the rapper of the band. And damn, do they do a good job at it. The song itself has this warm feeling when you listen to it and you can honestly feel the emotion that band tries to rely across to us. During the time I was listening to the song Beside that, I don’t have much more to say about the song. It is a great song that has a nice warm feeling to it. A song that I would listen to remember good memories and enjoy those times.
The music video that came with the song shows the guys having fun and enjoying each others company. For all we know, this could be their final time together as a group. And to the person who pointed it out when Nichkhun looked at the picture that he took of the others when he was sitting on the stairs alone, it is kind of sad to see something like this, since Nichkhun will be the only member who will not be enlisting and hence would have more of those moments in the future. Way to dampen my viewing experience, but honestly, I can’t say much. The video’s slowness complimented the slow tempo of the song and fitted in with the happy feels. What more can you ask for?
So you can tell I am very impressed with this Japanese comeback. Hopefully, 2PM will return one more time to South Korea before enlisting. 10/10
One of my goals for this is to review more Japanese songs. And it has been a goal that I have been trying to achieve for the past few years. While I spent some time reviewing only a limited amount of Japanese songs during the first six months of last year, I barely did any reviews in the second half of the year. But I did take some time to discover new artists from Japan and hopefully, when they release something this year, I will jump onto it and review it. SHINee made their comeback to Japan after promoting in Korea last year with a brand new album. D.D.D was the title track for the album, which had the same name.
The song is like a rock and dance mash up which sounds pretty good. There is a lot of auto-tune to start off the song and that was a major turn off for me. But I stayed around and the rest of the track is great. Just that auto-tuned was too excessive in my opinion. When I first heard the chorus, I was a little torn. The genre of the chorus seemed to be a little different compared to the rest of the song. I personally like the chorus now, just sometimes when I listen to the song over and over again, it just feels a little disjointed and does not match well with the rest of the song. Vocals were not that strong in this song, but it suited the instrumental. Minho’s rapping was bomb as hell in the song. Personally, this sound goes well with SHINee in my opinion. If they went with this sound in Korea, I think it would be a worthwhile move for them. Come to the think of it, a Korean version would be nice. Overall, I think this is a great song, but it took a few listen to take everything in and consolidate different aspects of the song.
The music video had a more edgier feel to it. More than what we are used to. The video is quite dark and suits that rock theme that the song had going for. I feel like the solo shots of the members where they were standing in the corridors or in tight places were the best part of the video. The dance set seemed generic and boring. Not exactly fond of the holograms of the members that appeared in the video. It just looked like their souls were leaving their own bodies. And of course, everyone in the comments on the video is enjoyed the SHINee times 2. Why ahve one SHINee when you get the option of two. I also like it how they have them positioned as if they were having some duel or dance off. The ending was somewhat dramatic. Fire setting the alarm off, chair is being smashed, TV is being smashed, Minho ripping this shirt (per usual) and Onew with his gas…. I had to. Could not resist.
The dancing was not that impressive. There was a lot of bouncing and all, but beside that, there was not much to comment on.
First Japanese review of the year and I promise you: more will be coming. For D×D×D, 7/10.
2015 is at its end, and with days away from the new year, we must reflect on 2015. And per usual: excellent songs, videos and dances have gracefully entered our lives and probably have not yet left us. From comebacks from big name acts to debuts of new rookie bands, 2015 has been a splendid year in my opinion. This year I decided to do the BOBs differently. Usually, I post a list of nominees and categories, but I don’t get you guys to vote for them (nor do I have the capabilities and time to allow you guys to vote for them, but maybe in the future), so I thought I should change it up this year, but posting both nominees and winners in the same post. This is part 1 of the BOBs and part 2 will be released tomorrow with the rest of the categories. Also, the traditional End of Year Charts will be released on the 31st of December, at 11:55 pm, so please wait around for that. Let’s get the post on the road!!!
These awards do not reflect any review score that I gave out this year. My personal preferences will always change (i.e. an 8 review score can currently be a 10 OR a 10 review score can currently by an 8).
RED FONT – Winners, BLUE FONT – Honourable Mention
RISING STAR
Each year, artists see a rise in popularity. May that be due to great songs or great publicity (after all: any publicity is good publicity), this year was no difference. Each of these artists, I have personally seen, some sort of boost in popularity this year. And I get to choose two winners (one male and one female) for this certain category. For this year, I have nominated:
My pick is: EXID and BTOB. Both teams saw a rise in popularity due to one particular member, and slowly each member in each group is become well known in the industry. Keep up the good work, EXID and BTOB!!!
WINNER
WINNER
BEST INSTRUMENTAL
A song is not a song without an instrumental. And in KPOP, the instrumental plays a massive part in hooking us in and getting us addicted to the music. Especially for foreign and international fans who don’t understand the Korean language 100%. So many great instrumentals this year, here are the nominees:
Out of all the nominees, there can be only one winner: Wonder Girls – I Feel You. The girls returned to the stage with a brand new band concept, which totally wowed me. This instrumental has its own retro vibe and I personally enjoyed it a lot. From the drums to the keyboard and guitars, the girls totally deserve this. By far one of the most underrated songs, that definitely deserve an award! Honourable Mentions: F(x) – 4Walls
WINNER
HONOURABLE MENTION
BEST JAPANESE SONG
I also do some Japanese songs on this site. Hahaha… Yeah, I review some Japanese songs from time to time. The variety of singers that I listen to for Japanese songs is usually limited to only the Japanese songs released by Korean artists. This year, the category has been dominated by Korean artists and I hope next year, I can start to review more Japanese artists! Here are the nominees:
I think, I was most addicted to Beast – Can’t Wait To Love You. And that was my pick for Best Japanese Song. It was song that I felt did not fall into the typical Korean Pop or Japanese Pop genres and was pretty unique on its own. As for honourable mentions: BTS – For You.
WINNER
HONOURABLE MENTION
BEST COMEBACK
Big name comebacks this occurred and they all managed to rock our socks off. Hahaha… I take into account: song, concept, promotions, looks, impact and a few more categories and suprisngly, the biggest artists that emerge from the Golden Age of KPOP were nominated:
Out of all the comebacks nominated, the one that fitted the criteria the most would have been Big Bang. 2015 was one big year for the band, and they had such an unique concept in terms of promotion. SNSD takes away honourable mention for this category.
WINNER
HONOURABLE MENTION
BEST SUBUNIT
Unfortunately, 2015 did not continue the 2014 trend of subunits. However, some new subunits formed from popular bands and some old favourite returned. Here is who I think should be nominated as best subunit:
This one was a little close for me. But I am going to say Donghae and Eunhyuk, which is a subunit belonging to Super Junior. Their song was by far an amazing and left a more long lasting impact on me than the others. The other subunit that gets honourable mention is VIXX LR, which is a duo made up of Leo and Ravi.
WINNER
HONOURABLE MENTION
BEST RAPPER
2015 saw a new wave of contestant based TV shows around rapping and hence many artists have seen a boost in popularity after appearing on these shows. Other rappers also remained on stage as part of their groups and amazed the audience continuously during each comeback. Here are the nominees:
Out of all the rappers on the light, I picked Mad Clown as a winner. His song was a hit, it was a great song (now) and while he is not part of some group, he still managed to be placed ahead of everyone this year. Zico (Block B) took out Honourable Mention for his active year. Interestingly enough, both selected artists had someone featuring in their song.
WINNER
HONOURABLE MENTION
BEST VOCALIST
When there are rappers, there are also singers. 2015 also saw new programs (and our old favourites) made specifically for the vocalists of all groups. Some vocalists we know have always amazed us, but others have just emerged and became trends for 2015. Based purely on what they sound like, here are the nominees:
I think this category has the most obvious winner, Taeyeon (SNSD). Yeah, she was quite active as an artist, but her debut for I blew everyone away. As for honourable mention, it goes to Solji (EXID). Her performance of Maria still replays in my head. Her powerful vocals in EXID’s performance are also quite amazing.
WINNER
HONOURABLE MENTION
BEST MALE SOLOIST
While the above category looked like at vocal performance, the Best Male Soloist looks at their vocal performance, song, impact and dance (if applicable) – i.e. their comeback or debut as a collective. To be nominated, the artists must have been active as a solo artist this year (while the above also included group vocalists). The nominees are:
There is only one artist on this list that managed to wow me the very moment I listened to the song and that artist is Kim Sung Gyu (Infinite). His whole album did wonders and is an album that I am continuously going back to. As for honourable mentions, Lee Hong Ki (FT Island) wins that. His solo debut song was well received and I reviewed it as an amazing ballad.
WINNER
HONOURABLE MENTION
BEST FEMALE SOLOIST
While the above category(Best Vocalist) looked like at vocal performance, the Best Female Soloist looks at their vocal performance, song, impact and dance (if applicable) – i.e. their comeback or debut as a collective. To be nominated, the artists must have been active as a solo artist this year (while the above also included group vocalists). The nominees are:
Once again, I am going to give it to Taeyeon (SNSD). Vocally, stunning. It was memorable and lovely to listen to. Honourable Mention was a close call, but Amber (F(x)) stole it from Gain (Brown Eyed Girls). So catchy and bright.
WINNER
HONOURABLE MENTION
And that is it for Part 1 of the BOBs. Check back tomorrow, where I will post the second part of the BOBs, with Best Song, Best Male and Female Rookie; and Best Male and Female groups (plus a few more categories).
*All images and gifs belong to their owners/creators. Only those tables are mine.
Junho from 2PM has returned to the stage as a soloist in South Korea this month, with Fire and made his solo comeback with a brand new album. The male singer has been achieve great lengths in Japan in the past few years with a lot of solo work. He made his official debut in Korea as a solo singer last year and this is his first comeback. This is also the first time I am reviewing a song from the artist, even though it has been some time since he debuted. 2PM has had a relatively quiet year, with the main comeback of My House just a few months ago. Junho shows off a different side of himself to the audience in this comeback, but damn, why is the promotions for him so short?
I definitely enjoyed both songs. Fire appealed to me more as the better track, but So Good was pretty catchy. So Fire is your rnb infused love song that I think is really cool. Junho killed it with this vocals and I was amazed at the high pitch he was singing at for most of the song. His English lyrics for this song sound a lot like he is asking for sex, but I think he is not technically aiming for that message. Honestly, the lead up towards the chorus was amazing and the instrumental was very calming. The song flowed very well and has me jaws dropping the whole way. So Good is like you Summer party track. Both songs were released in Japan before and I feel like this song was more targeted to the Japanese audience. But either way, the beat was addictive and the way he sings the song makes him stand out. I absolutely loved his mini rap section after the chorus. It added more depth to the song. I know Junho is capable of these things, but like what JYP is doing to him, I forget about Junho’s talents. Both song was equally amazing and showcased his talents extremely well.
I watched the Japanese version of Fire and realized it was the wrong music video. While the exact same music video was used, the Japanese version was a lot darker for some reason, while the Korean version was much brighter. I don’t know why. There is just a short video for Junho’s Fire music video that was released for the Korean audience and there really is not much to say about it. I think the girl was very pretty. But I always think that filming would have been awkward due to their language barrier. But hey, the music video did not have any of that awkwardness, so I am quite amazed. So Good has a lot of eye candy and I think aims more for the female (and male) demographic. I am going to be honest, he looks handsome and his abs are probably to die for, for most guys. It seems like he is enjoying his time and I think him interacting with the camera for this music video made it a much better video, than just clips of him partying his summer away.
I haven’t seen much of the dance for So Good. But what I see from the music video, there really is not much to talk about. As for Fire, this live stages are phenomenal. Though I do get cringe worthy when I see artists interact with their microphone stand as if it was a girl. I honestly think it would be better if there was a pretty girl on this live stages. But then again, she might have been cursed at by certain fans…
It is such a pity that JYP is not promoting Junho. Junho deserves a whole promotional run, not just a week and a bunch of music videos. Refer to my rant at DAY6’s review. But overall, this was a superb comeback that got me in the summer feel. And I am sick with a cold at a moment.
Probably if you are hardcore followers of BTS, you probably would know that BTS made two comebacks just in the last month. What??? Am I crazy??? No. The truth if BTS finished their promotions for I Need U, which was released back in April. They recently announced that they would be following up with Dope (Sick), which was released as a part of the new album. However, BTS also made a comeback in Japan with For You. So essentially I am reviewing a Japanese and Korean song. And both songs show two different sides of the group. BTS is getting really popular, scoring a whole week full of music show wins and topping album charts with their new songs.
Both songs to me were equally amazing. As I said above, both songs managed to bring out two sides. Dope brings out the side that we know BTS best for. This song is very upbeat and sounds very grand. I don’t know how to describe it exactly, but the song is a very strong. Especially the introduction to the song made it seemed like a song that a group would debut with. The move from rapping into vocals and back was pretty good for this song. I just don’t see anything to complain with in this song. Honestly, I felt like Jin and V should have gotten more lines. And here I go again with this line distribution topic again. I don’t know. I just like Jin’s voice. Jin has a nice voice. -fan boys-
However for For You, the line distribution for this song was more equal. And this where my proof to why Jin should get more lines. He carries the chorus for end of the song and manages to chuck in some ad-libs in it as well. And he pulls it off very well. This song brings out more of a softer and mellow-er side of the group, something that is not seen whatsoever in the fun and happy Dope track. You can feel the emotion quite well in this song as well. Not only that, but the piano instrumental was pretty nice in this video. Jimin’s part in this song was pretty nice as well, even though he kind of forgotten in this song. For the instrumental, I can imagine some standing there hitting the same note repetitively for some reason.
Both music videos were okay. I preferred the Japanese music video more. If there is one thing I hated about the Dope music video was that the focus on the face made it stand out more and kind of left everything else out. I don’t know, it reminded me of cartoons a lot, but when I look elsewhere, it isn’t and I guess that disappointed me. But I totally love the concept and how it matches the lyrics. And the one shot video thing, which has died down a bit in the industry, made the video quite pleasant to watch. As For You, the acting was pretty good, but not award winning. I have a feeling like For You occurred during the weekdays, but when it came to the weekend, Dope was where the party was at.
Dope’s dance was amazing. I have no complaints whatsoever with both dances, but Dope dance has more of the style I like. Both dances managed to fit the beat and kept up to the speed of their respective songs. I did like For You’s “rewind ending”. That looked so awesome. Dope had that in-sync feeling that I assoictae with Infinite and I guess BTS is another group wanting to challenge the “in-sync” title.
Don’t make me choose between the two. Too hard for me. Both songs were equally amazing and both totally rocked in terms of everything else.
It has been a while since I have reviewed a Japanese song. And with Kara’s recent return to the Japanese Pop music scene, I guess it is only right if I review their song. I also believe this is the first Japanese song from Kara that I am reviewing. There will always be a first time. Let’s not hope it is the last. Kara, as well know, is a widely popular Korean group that have cemented and is quite well known in Japan for their songs.
I like this song quite a lot. It is a summery and fresh song. It also feels like a genuine JPOP song that really does not exaggerate cuteness or sexiness. I feel like Youngji is finally fitting into the songs more and more, with more lines (not the one or two odd lines, like in Mamma Mia). Actually, all the girls sound amazing in this song and I am not disappointed at all. Even Hara, who I consider to not be a strong vocalist, actually has managed to do a really good job with this song. The instrumental was bubbly and fitting for the current season (up there in the Northern Hemisphere at least). I love the “du du du” parts of the song and thought it was very cute. And besides that, there really is not much to say about this song.
The music video was like a typical Japanese Pop music video. It is very weird to see them act cute, mainly because Mamma Mia was more on the sexy side. The bunny was cool and all, but the video made little sense to me. The bunny was one of the girl’s boyfriend, but originally the bunny was an actually living bunny. So magic trick gone wrong I guess? And then she proceeds to show off with to the girls that she has a lover and wouldn’t that evoke jealousy and sad feelings, rather than happy and (what was Gyuri doing?). Plot wise, not 100% sure. But the video was shot really well and I enjoyed it. It was bright and fresh. It matched the song quite a lot.
The dance fitted well with the song. At first I thought it was lazy, but then I thought back and actually liked it. The “du du du” parts were cool and also that beat dropper sound and its accompanying dance (1:56 of the video). Very technical terms here.
Sorry for the really crappy review. Writing this at an awful time and really busy this weekend (I’ll try to get more reviews out though). But one review is better than none. Once again, I feel like Kara has conquered Japan with their new song. 9/10
It has been over a year since we heard anything Korean from this band. SNSD has had a rough year, with Jessica, now a former member, announcing that she got kicked out of the band. It is a long story, one I don’t want to type out. So essentially, SNSD is down one member, making them an 8 member group. This is the first major release from the band since the shocking news came to light. And some fans have noticed that Jessica was probably meant to be a part of this new song, with footage of her singing the same notes and words from this song. Anyway, it is such a pity she had to leave.
But a review is a review. And this song is freaking awesome. I totally love this song. From start to end, I just love this EDM track. It is pretty full on from the start to the end. Honestly thought that SNSD would have a little problem with this genre, but now, they seemed to do just fine. A new thing that this song attempts is the changing of tempo or the speed of the song. The song is quite fast paced, but it slows down to those part just before the chorus. Vocally and instrumentally, those were most favourite parts. The vocals of each girl was spot on. Even Hyoyeon got more lines this time. I thought this was a song that did a pretty damn good job of distracting me from the lack of Jessica’s vocals. I think she has her place in the song somewhere, but the 8 girls pulled it off very well this time around.
As for the music video, glad they moved out of the box. Now, I think it time to move out of that square. I honestly have no clue what is going on with the video. Yes, the song fits the scenery and all that quite well. BUT, why on earth are the girls dancing in a the middle of a mining area or an industrial area? It makes little to no sense. I honestly expected a lot more from the video, considering the latest changes that SM has been making to their artist’s music videos. For a song titled as “Catch Me If You Can” and given the fast pace nature of the song, I thought of running away from something, like EXO Baekhyun’s teaser for Call Me Baby. And those orange jackets… They were more like a hit and miss. Sometimes they do it, sometimes they don’t.
The dance for this song was pretty good. I was very impressed. It matched the speed of the song and also the modern nature of the song. I love the different angles of the choreography. The music video had pretty good camera work, which emphasised a lot of the dance moves.
This song and dance was perfect. I would not change it for the world. That is not the case, however, for the music video. Great sometimes, but didn’t do well the rest. 8.5/10
My question is: Which 2015 Girl’s Generation song that has been released was your favourite? You have 4 options. Choose wisely.
Interesting Note: This song was released in both Korean and Japanese. Promotions would only be focussed on the Japanese version though.
2PM is back in Japan with a brand new single, Guilty Love. For a while now, 2PM has been focusing more on the Japanese industry with more regular releases of albums and songs than compared to the Korean market. With both Jun.K and Junho starting their solo careers in Japan in 2014, 2015 will see 2PM’s Wooyoung make his official debut later this month (according to insiders). On top of that, their newest Japanese single is receiving a lot of love with the song peaking at number 1 in the Japanese charts.
The title of the song sounded a lot like a ballad, so I was quite surprised when I first heard this song. But instead we get this Las Vegas sounding songs with a lot of trumpet work and with a grand feel to it. It really does not have that 2PM feel to it. Instead there is more of a popish feel to it, rather than a manly feel to the song that we usually get from 2PM. The song is actually pretty good, and I feel that Jun.K’s (well the chorus) parts hook me to the song. The 5 grunts were totally unnecessary after Taecyeon’s rap. But his rap is pretty good still. I feel that 2Pm really needs one of their Japanese songs to be one of their Korean songs. 2PM put out good music while in Japan, and sadly, they haven’t been as successful for their last two comebacks in Korea.
Prepare for me to review 1 minute and 32 seconds of basically the first part of the song. They carried the Las Vegas feel of the song to video. The background looks like the Las Vegas lights we see and think of when we hear about Las Vegas. The combination of the band and black and white filter gives off this really retro feel to the song. Even their hairstyles remind us of the retro times. I’d be a little creeped out my jukebox has a bunch of dudes just waving at you. And really beside that, I can’t say much about the music video. Seriously, Japan really needs to start releasing the full version of their videos, like when the song is released. Makes my life 10x easier.
As for the dance, it looks pretty solid. Not as memorable or catchy as their previous dances, but still pretty good.
Nice comeback for Japan. I think we need a comeback in Korea. Comeback to Korea after Wooyoung’s solo okay? 8/10
It has been so long since I have written a Japanese song review hasn’t it?Well, that drought hopefully will be over today. I am hoping to increase the amount of JPOP or Japanese songs this year that I will actually review. And least break the drought with Infinite’s newest Japanese song: Dilemma.
The song was a collaboration between the famous producer Tomoyasu Hotei and the famous Korean band Infinite. The song has its really cool rock and roll roots, but also includes dance themes and also a really cool modern feel to the song. The song literally hits you as soon as it starts. It is a very powerful song and really oozes out the energy that the boys have. The chorus is really catches my eye, because it seems different from the rest of the song. That is a good thing though, so don’t be mentioned. I am not really a fan of the rapping in the song. They did a good job, just it slows down the song. That really long instrumental part in the song really sounds cool as well and actually picks up from the rapping pretty well. There is just one little complaint. And this complaint kind of goes with many Korean artists. But if the title of the song is an actual lyric in the song than learn how to say the word properly, especially if it is in a different language. Beside that, the song was really good to listen to.
The music video was pretty dark. I don’t know why but the music video gave off the same feel as Last Romeo did for me. Just there was less colour and a lot more close up shots of the member. There is also a mysterious band playing in the music video. Most of the time we only see their silhouette. The music video also had that violent side to it. Hahaha. Yes, glass breaking was a little repetitive in the music video. I am sure one member would have been fine. I really don’t know what to say about this video now. Okay I guess.
There is a dance in this music video, however we don’t get to see much of the dance in this video. Though from what I have seen, the dance fits Infinite’s style of dancing. Pretty good.
8.7/10 – A really cool release in Japan. Hopefully, they might be able to bring this song to Korea (or at least this style for their future comeback?
Finally, another Japanese reviewed finish. If there are any other Japanese artists that you think I should be reviewing, please comment the name of the artist or group and also a song that they have sang. Will do my life wonders, as I have no idea who is who in Japan (though at the moment I am looking at another artist in AVEX).
Kara is finally back after a round a year absence from the Korean stage. This time, they made their comeback with only 4 members with a drastic line-up change. Former members Nicole and Jiyoung both decided to move on and after their respective contacts ended, the two parted ways with Kara. Nicole is said to be gearing up for her own solo debut, after flying back to the States to enhance her skills at being a performer. Jiyoung went back to studying for the time being. After both members left the group, the company, DSP decided to add a new member to the band. In the end it turned out to be Youngji, chosen by the public from 7 trainees altogether, to be a part of the new line-up for Kara, joining Gyuri, Hara and Seungyeon. As you can also see, this review has been put down as KPOP and JPOP. Their title track Mamma Mia, was released in both Japan and Korea and hence both shall be reviewed today.
I find this song to be more of a JPOP song rather than a KPOP song firstly. It just has the JPOP feeling that JPOP fans are more used to. The lyrics seem to flow better in the Japanese version as well. The start of the song has a fresh summer feel to it, which is explainable due to the Summer season in the Northern Hemisphere (sorry, brb after freezing myself in Winter down here). But the start also has a vogue type of feel to it. There is that Madonna influence that you can hear at the start. I like the part where the singers are singing at that really fast paced, that seems like rapping. Pretty cool. As for the rest of the song, I have to say that I was very disappointed. The chorus is okay to listen to overall, however it really is not that great. It sounds really pop-ish and as I said before, really does not sound like a KPOP song. Also, the line distribution is really weird. Sorry, is Kara a 4 member group? Oh, I nearly mistaken the group to be a 3 member vocal group with one back up dancer. Like seriously, the company is not keen on showing Youngji off to the public, what was the big deal of the group needing a fourth member? Not fair for Kara and not fair for Youngji as well. So overall, Kara could have done loads better with this song.
The music video looks tens time better for the Japanese one rather than the Korean one. I feel that this music video lives on the colour theme changes throughout the whole video, because beside that, there really is nothing to talk about. It seems so artificial that it looks really boring to watch. Oh green theme and then a white theme, and scenes in between abut them lounging around. Great. That or they changed the lighting to make it seem more different. Wow. It seems like the company has little idea what direction the band is going now. They were once one of the biggest group in Korea, but now they have reached a slump. The colour contrast with the blue background and the red and block clothing, like the picture above, was pretty cool. That was the Japanese version of the music video. On the other hand, black and green really do not go hand in hand that well, in my point of view. And beside that, there really isn’t anything else to continue reviewing.
As for the dance, it was quite average. Not exactly the best but not that bad either. But this group really needs another eye catching dance to somehow get pushed back into the limelight.
5/10. An average comeback, that would have been better overall. Where as for the Japanese one, I give it a 5.5/10. Honestly, their company really needs to step up their game and give Kara a really good song or help them promote. It is already hard to recover from a slump, so it is just going to get harder everytime you put it off. I also apologise, I was meant to post this on Monday, but that failed. So here we are, Wednesday review up!!!
I would like to take this moment to express my condolences with the recent events that occurred in Ukraine in regards to flight MH17. What happened there was definitely tragic and the whole world will come together to give our support. My thoughts and prayers go out to those who have been affected by the crash and hope that they will all recover in the way they have been affected.
So today, I decided to review a song with some warmth within it. On top of that, it has been quite a while since I have reviewed a Japanese song and also a song from AAA. Months, I think it has been. AAA is back with a brand new single with the most accurate summery feel that I think everyone needs to hear. To me, this song makes me feel happy inside. Though I don’t understand any Japanese at all, I still have this really nice feeling evolve within me an turn into a smile, and I guess many people really need this now during such times like this.
As mentioned above, this song has a really cool summery feel to it that makes it ideal for a season like this. If you are in the Northern Hemisphere that is. I am too busy freezing down here in Australia, that lonely island at the bottom of the world. Anyway, I really like this song. I think this is the first song ever that the girls actually get the bulk of it and the group has put it up as a promotional single. Usually, the guys would dominate the song leaving the girls with very limited parts, but it seems this time they decided to change it around. I think the change is pretty nice, since when you think of Summer, you associate it with girls more than guys. The vocals in the song are really good. Not sure about the rapping in the song. I get that maybe the rapper can only rap in songs, but it just really does not feel like a song that necessary needs the rapping in it. The chorus is pretty catchy and sounds pretty nice. I have dying to find an instrumental to the song but can’t really. It sounds freaking amazing. To be precise, the whole song sounds freaking amazing.
The music video is a little awkward. Let’s get on with the plot first. It opens with a girl in a kimono in the night scenery that is actually quite beautiful. I love how the lanterns are positioned to give the music video more depth and colour. The girl, at the very start, looks like she is an ex girlfriend or current girlfriend and spots this guy (who in the whole video, we actually don’t get a full look on his face, further indicating that this song is actually based around the girl) and a younger girl. And it looks like jealousy has taken over. Well, it hasn’t. Turns out that the first girl is some kind of guardian angel and looks out for the girl. When the younger girl wants to hold hands with her lover, the angel decides to help and actually scares the younger girl, who turns around and searches for the mysterious person who helped them. However, that poor thing got so petrified that the guy carrying a bucket full f multi colour balls fall over and basically a really beautiful arrangement (or maybe a lot of cgi work) of bouncing colour balls formed. Honestly, this video is quite beautiful shot and fits the feel of the song. HOWEVER. If you watch the solo shots of the members lip-syncing, you will notice that they lip-sing horribly. The rapper and another male member was no where near the right lyrics and it looks like they were singing a totally different song. That or the editor got their parts mixed around with other parts and just managed to stuff up the video. But overall, a beautifully shot video.
I think it is fair enough to give it a 9/10. However I think I might be a little too generous especially with the solo shots in the video, but I totally think the song and the rest of the music video makes up for the painful scenes. I kid, but they definitely make up for the hole in the video.
UKISS has been quite active overseas in Japan. They recently released a new single in Japan, titled as Fall In Love. It has been a while since I last reviewed a Japanese song from UKISS, the last one being Alone, early last year. This song is much more different from any of their previous songs released in Japan or Korea, where they have opted out for a much slower song. But it must be noted, that the song is not as slow as a ballad. Beside that, I think it is time to end the intro and go on with the review.
The song is pretty upbeat song in my point of view. But nothing about the song is upbeat except for the instrumental. The lyrics of the song speak about falling in love at first sight, but every time I read the lyrics I get a feeling that the song is not as positive. The way the guys sing the song seems like they want the girl back and the whole song is about unrequited love. Though, this time around, the boys have gone for a more vocally sounded song. The whole song has this powerful vocals in it and the raps seem to fit into the feel of the song. The rap is not the big deal this time around, which I am glad because their previous songs tend to focus more on the rapping rather than the lyrics, while this time around the raps bit only take up around 25% of the song. Honestly, I am satisfied with this song. It probably be on the best Japanese songs of the year, too bad I did not see it before making those awards thing.
The music video okay. Japanese music videos have these really cool sets and all, but the music video itself is not as great. Walking around an abandoned warehouse is not what I would think would be great for reflecting on your love. Rather, I see the guys as a coward in expressing the feelings. Also, the place looks rather rundown and creepy. Wait a minute, wasn’t Neverland, Tick Tack, Alone, Standing Still, Believe, Inside Of Me all shot in an abandoned place???? OMG, I should cut down on my KPOP knowledge and save some room for my Chemistry information. It seems like the company who manages UKISS in Japan really does not care much about the quality for the music video there. But I am not one to say that much. And did that bubble represent the girl that they love? Cause if it isn’t the bubble was kind of random.
There is dance to this song. But from first listening to the song, there was not going to be a dance. But I was pretty surprised. The dance is not as powerful in this song, if you imagine a dance similar to Tick Tack in a song like this and still thinks it works, well….
7.5/10. A good release, but not as great as I expected it though. But it still works. I heard that they are going on a World Tour currently. Can’t wait to see what these guys have in stored next in both Japan and Korea. Maybe an award this year?
FINALLY, my first Perfume review. It has been quite some time since I wanted to do a review for this trio, but sadly the songs they released recently were not to my liking, and I rather not talk about how bad their song is during their first review. I was planning to opt to an older song, but then Sweet Refrain came out in November and took me by surprised. These girls keep on churning songs and songs for the public to listen to. There are many good JPOP bands out there, but I tend to forget names quite easily. But Perfume and AAA for some reason gets stuck in my head. I don’t know if I should review AKB48 newest song just for laughs. You know, the one with the extra long name. The one with 39 words. Also, its the band with 89 members. But onto Perfume.
This song is really cool. It brings me back to the Spring Of Life and Spending All My Time, but instead this song is much more lively. Though I will never get why Japanese female groups always end up with this really annoying high pitch voice, the group’s vocals really suit the song. The more modern instrumental sounds really good. It gives this fresh feel to the song. I was not much of a fan when it came to 1mm and Magic Of Love, but this song sounds amazing. Perfume had always had really addictive songs and this probably has to be one of my favourites joining the ranks of Spring Of Life and Spending All My Time. I am literally wanting more from this band!
The music video is shot in this one shot format that has recently taken KPOP by storm. But JPOP music videos have always remained on the quirky side, and this video tones it s little bit down, but still seem quite quirky. If you have no idea what i am talking about, just talk to Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. LOL. But I love the music video. I just wonder how many shots for each frame were needed for this comeback. I love the fact that they use one set only and add little things to it to make it look big. I also love it when the girls dance. They always have this really fun dance to accompany their songs. On top of that, they stand out in this video a lot. The whole music video is white, but they are dressed in black dresses, which makes them stand out. Amazing music video.
9/10. Maybe I will return to review those other songs that I am not happy with, but still this song is a major pick up from where they left off in 2012. Cannot wait for future releases from the band.
Ailee recently made her debut in Japan last month, with the very song which she made her debut in Korea. Heaven, was literally reproduced into a new song with a new instrumental and lyrics in a totally different language. On top of that, a different music video was produced. It must’ve been hard on Ailee particularly recently, where she was hurt. I think everyone knows what I am talking about. I have to say, Ailee has one of the best fan bases ever. If any artist got into a similar situation or anything milder, they would have been criticised However, Ailee was supported by fans and strangers a like. It is great to know that there are humans still on this earth and faith can be restored. She made her Japanese debut early last month.
The song has a new instrumental. This one has more of an orchestral feel to it which I actually like, though I do prefer the Korean version of the song more. This version basically got updated and sounds amazing As per usual, Ailee’s vocals are superb and really she sounds amazing. If this instrumental was with the Korean lyrics, this song would have been a chart topper from the very beginning. There is this epic feel that the Korean version lacked, while this version lacks emotion and feelings. Do you understand? It is hard to explain properly, but beside that, the song is amazing.
The music video was recreated for the Japanese song. I like the floating clouds, but the setting seems to constricted to watch. The Korean version looked bright and suited the tone of the song. This version however, the lighting sucked and the music video looked like a video shot for a more creepy concept. There is no focus on “heaven” but instead only on the darkness of the video and the only thing that stands out is her white dress. It seems like not enough was invested into this debut music video. I don’t know Japan’s opinion towards Ailee or if she is even popular in Japan, but seriously, a lot more could’ve been done.
I don’t believe that there has been a live performance of this song yet. The music video did not really focus on a dance at all. So, I really “judge” the dance. I could copy and paste my dance review for the Korean version, but I have a feeling maybe the dance also changed?
7/10. Still pretty good and amazing. But the Korean version is much better. I was planning to do a poll, but I won’t be around to post anything that much, since it is the end of the year. However I did post a poll last week for “Which Nine Muses song did you like from the year?”. The most popular song of the year from Nine Muses is Wild with 63% of the votes. Congrats Wild!!!
This version of the song was nominated for Best Japanese Song, while Ailee herself was nominated for Best Soloist! Did she win both? Check it out HERE!!!
AAA is back with a new song. It has been some time since I last reviewed on of their songs, Party It Up being the last one. Since then, they have released their eighth album and another single called Love Is In The Air. Koi Oto to Amazora is their 38th single to date, which peaked on the charts at 3rd place. The band has been around for like 8 years now and still ranking very high, being one of the many successive bands in Japan at the moment. I know I have been lacking in my JPOP reviews recently and wanted to review other JPOP artists, like Perfume and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, but was quite unsure how to even start writing about them. Thankfully, Perfume recently just released a new single, so who knows, maybe a Perfume review is coming really soon.
The song is a different style that AAA has hardly attempted before. It is a ballad, but it sounds really amazing. Party It Up was a pop song that had me dancing, but this song, you can feel right down to the emotion of it. It is basically like a 180 degree change for the band. Miss You, another previously released song, that was also a ballad has a more sadder feel to it, whereas this song carries a more happy feel that makes the song sound great. The word “Koi Oto to Amazora” I think translate to wishes to the skies or something like that. I just took that from an English translation website. The vocals sound amazing in this song, particularly the rapping, where it was incorporated really well into the song. Usually, I would say things about the rap being in the wrong place, but it seems they fitted the rap perfectly into the song, a rap that was not too powerful or too soft.
The music video fits the feel of the song. It is dark and mysterious, which emphasis the same emotions found in the song. Honestly, I think it is an awesome video and love the close up shots of the members. Pretty amazing. I am, however, not sure about them walking about the abandoned circus. Though it looks cool, the plot line for that is really confusing and came out of nowhere. Disappointed? No not really. I was actually surprised they decided to upload the full version of the music video. Probably made a mistake, because for some reason, the shot videos are released onto YouTube, not the actual full ones. I love the brown colour that was emphasised in the whole video making it look pretty cool and amazing.
It would only make sense for me to give it a 9.5/10 right? Not a 10/10 for the plot of the video, but still 9.5 is pretty high and I think it is the highest a JPOP song has ever gotten on my scale.
Out of all the comebacks nominated, the one that fitted the criteria the most would have been 
KPOPREVIEWED 