Category: KPOP

[Review] Make A Wish (Birthday Song) – NCT U

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , 2 Comments

It has two years since we saw a full group comeback from NCT. And during those two years since that comeback, we have seen NCT’s lineup grow with the debut of WayV (the group’s Chinese subunit) and the addition of Shotaro and Sungchan (who both have been confirmed to debut in a future subunit). Now with 23 members in total, the group have banded together to release their second full group comeback and album, NCT 2020 Resonance Pt. 1. The first promotional track from the album is Make A Wish (Birthday Song), which features Taeyong, Doyoung, Jaehyun, Lucas, Xiaojun, Jaemin and Shotaro.

It has been very clear that NCT’s releases have been more experimental than any other SM group. This gives the group and its subunits a slight edge, as we would never know exactly what we should be expecting with each comeback. Make A Wish (Birthday Song) pretty much confirms this logic. It is unlike any other song put forward by NCT before. It has been described as a dance pop track with a hip hop beat and an addicting whistling sound. And you can hear each part of that description throughout the song in some capacity, as they don’t mess around with any of those components. And yet, Make A Wish manages to still twist and turn in a manner that results in the song coming off as different and at times, quite unexpecting. Personally, it isn’t my personal taste in music. But like the group, I would like to say that my taste for hip-hop centric releases have grown considerably over the years, and I can appreciate Make A Wish‘s sound. The NCT U members for this song manage to show off great vocals and raps. And each infuse a bit of unique style, adding to the appeal of the song. Unfortunately, when I turn my attention to the song’s main hook (i.e. the chorus), the infusion of hip-hop instrumentation and the drawn own style of vocal delivery just doesn’t work for me. It drowns out the energy and momentum that the song had built during the verses. As a result, the chorus feels sluggish. Maybe my taste for hip-hop hasn’t really grown that much. But I felt that something a little more dynamic and punchy would have been a better chorus.

Make A Wish features a Middle Eastern flair in the visual department. While it did add a nice colour pallete to the music video, I didn’t think the Middle Eastern flair was particularly necessary. I personally do not have anything against the Middle Eastern influence. I just felt most of their outfits were more suited for an urban concept and think an urban influence would a nicer choice. SM Entertainment wows me with their post-production, once again. The holograms of the members appearing on the platform in which the hooded figures are dancing around, along with the disappearing members right at the end looked so cool. Set-wise, I really like the chandelier that the members were hanging off from, as well.

The performance suits the music, which was expected. I like how the moves are slower during the more drawn out moments of the song and faster when they aren’t bounded by the music. It also seems like the members are given a chance to be a little more personable and fun towards the end of the performance (based on what I say in the music video). I feel this more carefree style matches up with the song neatly and provides a way for the performance to not be purely serious.

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

[Review] COOL – Weki Meki

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 1 Comment

Sorry for the many days late review.

Making their comeback this past Thursday was Weki Meki, with their fourth mini-album, New Rules. Leading Weki Meki’s attempt to write some ‘New Rules’ in the KPOP industry is COOL. This is also Weki Meki’s third comeback of the year, following Dazzle Dazzle released back in February and Oopsy, which was released back in June.

Their 2020 tracks have been a mix bag thus far. Dazzle Dazzle was probably my pick for one of their best title tracks ever, while Oopsy stepped away with a more generic release that ended up being quite forgettable post-review. COOL steps back into the area which Dazzle Dazzle lies on the spectrum of Weki Meki releases, which is definitely some good news for this group. The song has this edgy club beat opening that is quite promising. It is a very strong part as it left a strong impression on me. I really like the rap-singing that occurs during the first verse. It gives COOL a unique spin. The song takes a bit of a melodic detour for the pre-chorus, before going back to the club beat for the first part of the chorus. The chanty style of their delivery workers really well with the chorus. The vocals that follow the chant sequence of the chorus really pop out and show off some vocal flair from Suyeon (‘Keep It Coming Baby~’) before we proceed to some settled down vocals from other members. The second verse was more vocally centric, allowing it to become different to the first verse. Many songs these days have pretty repetitive verses, which dulls out the song. Suyeon, once again, shines for her vocals. For the bridge, the members returning to rapping with a stripped instrumental backing before we are launched back to the final chorus, which just pops even more. Overall, COOL lives up to its name and can be accurately described as one of their coolest songs yet!

The music video comes off fierce, which it fitting for the song. I really enjoyed it. I really like their white jumpsuits on the black/dark background. The minimalist vibes from those choreography shots were so strong and powerful. I really like the other ‘dark’ scene, when the members are dancing on individual platforms. That looked really cool and took the video to a whole new edgy level. Their individual shots looked awesome and I liked how the shadows on the wall behind them (earlier on, in the video) were not of them, but of the object they were holding. That probably has symbolism. But that imagery alone looked cool.

I like this performance. Not only do we see some attitude, but it seems like Weki Meki fully embraces their mature side, which is 100% fitting for the song. I really like the powerful direction of their moves, which really made the performance captivating to watch. I also liked the energy, which also fits in with the club vibes of the performance.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.9/10

[Album Review] Never Gonna Dance Again: Act 1 (3rd Studio Album) – Taemin (SHINee)

Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged , Leave a comment

The next album on the reviewing list for this weekend is Taemin’s latest and third Korean studio album release, Never Gonna Dance Again: Act 1. The album was also released a month ago and Taemin has since ended promotions for the new album, which include the release and promotion of Criminal as the title track, and 2 KIDS as the pre-release single. Taemin has also been quite busy with promotions as part of SuperM, as the group has just released their first studio album as well. Some have said that SuperM’s album release cut short promotions for Never Gonna Dance Again: Act 1, but that isn’t something we are here to discuss. Rather, we are going to have a deep dive into the side tracks on the album.

Never Gonna Dance Again: Act 1 Album Cover

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

2. Black Rose (일식) (ft. Kid Milli) – Black Rose isn’t as intense as Criminal, but it has this subtle epic factor to the song that makes it very worth listening to. The subtle epicness of the song comes from both the main artists of the song (Taemin) and the featuring artist (Kid Milli). Kid Milli adds what I like to think as ‘hype’ to the song, similar to what we used to hear in R&B and rap songs from the Western industry back in the 00s. It isn’t an energetic sequence, but he keeps it rather subtle. You can feel that it is there and that it was the intended direction of Kid Milli’s featuring. Taemin adds a velvety smoothness to the song that makes Black Rose that more captivating to listen to. And pulling the two parts together is this dark, theatrical and almost gothic sounding instrumental, which is stunning to listen to. Criminal may have started off the album strong, but Black Rose following the title track makes the album’s start even better! (10/10)

3. Strangers – Taemin does aesthetics like no other artist. Strangers is testament to that. Strangers is another captivating song. The instrumental for this track is just on another level. Haunting, clever and engrossing are three different terms to describe one item, but three very suitable terms for this song. The simplicity makes it haunting. The use of footsteps to match with the lyrics is clever. And everything comes together to engross you. I really like how the song builds up. It never reaches a climax, but its this lack of climax that makes the song’s momentum to be aesthetic. Taemin once again is smooth with his vocals and the melodies are super catchy. (10/10)

4. Waiting For (해몽) – Not only is Taemin known for aesthetics, but his solo releases always have a flair to them that makes it hard for any other artist or group to pull off. For Waiting For, the instrumental has tango-influenced instrumentation. It is a unique flair, sexy and just another captivating drawing point to another song on the album. And this is a song that I would love to see a live performance for. It is perfectly crafted to remind us that this is a KPOP song once we get to the chorus, but still has the ability to pull us back to the tango instrumentation. Unfortunately, the song lacks strong hooks to really make that KPOP-aligned chorus memorable and catchy. But that is the only flaw of Waiting For. (9/10)

5. Famous (Korean Version) – I have previously reviewed the Japanese version of Famous. Click here to read that review of Famous. (8.5/10)

6. Clockwork – Clockwork is the type of song that takes you places when you close your eyes whilst listening to the song. It is a ballad that really shows off Taemin’s vocals (those high notes at the end were unbelievable). And like any good ballad, you can hear Taemin’s emotions as he sings about missing someone all the time. The instrumental is haunting, but it isn’t posed as dark like the previous songs on the album, which makes it stands out. The use of the ticking clock as part of the instrumental was, once again, clever. And so were those barely noticeable synths used to bring the song to its climatic point. (9/10)

7. Just Me And You – Just Me And You opens the album to an upbeat final chapter. Aside from changing the album up, Just Me And You attempts to be impactful with its slow paced thumping and pop sound overall. Unfortunately, I don’t think the song hit that mark perfectly. It gets to that level, but the slowness causes any momentum created to fizzle out. The song’s pop genre alignment is also nothing that special, it makes the song more typical. The trap elements make the song slightly messy, stealing the attention away from Taemin’s vocals. And top it off, the song lacks any strong hooks to really help bolden the song. I feel that Just Me And You is the weakest song on the album. One that I would frankly skip over. (6/10)

8. Nemo (네모) – Nemo features the R&B genre. Taemin has done R&B before but has done so in a fashionable manner. Nemo comes off more as more of your typical R&B release from any other artist. There are a number of elements in this song that bump it ahead of Just Me And You. The first has to be Taemin’s vocals, who sounds effortlessly amazing. I feel that there was some smoothness to his voice that wins me over. The 90s vibe of the instrumental was also quite nice. I also really like the start to the choruses in Nemo, which adds a bit of excitement to the song and feels like an end-goal that I would definitely sit through the song for. (7.5/10)

9. 2 KIDS (Pre-Release Track) – Click here to read the full review for 2 KIDS. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.7/10

Never Gonna Dance Again: Act 1 Teaser Image

[Album Review] Bon Voyage (1st Mini Album) – YooA (Oh My Girl)

Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged , Leave a comment

Sorry for the absence from the blog for the past few days. I have been a bit tired and had some personal stuff to deal with. But I am hoping to get back on track with one album review, one Weekly KPOP Chart post and one review tomorrow. In the meanwhile, here is an album review which I should have written one month ago when it was first released. I am talking about YooA’s debut mini-album, Bon Voyage. The album features the title track of the same name, which has wowed me for its uniqueness and refreshness. And while the feeling still remains for her title track, the rest of the songs on the album are as promising as the title track. So, without any further ado (and before I fall asleep again), here is my deep dive into Bon Voyage (the album).

Bon Voyage Album Cover

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

2. Far – Far instantly stands out for me for YooA’s crisp vocals. And that is a very strong selling point. Far features a bouncy tropical EDM instrumental. For me, I find it relatively nice and light for an EDM track. There is some intensity when it comes to the chorus, which I really liked (though I wouldn’t be surprised if some people mistook it for just plain old simple ‘noise’). I like the inclusion of the metallic xylophone in the verses, helping pose the song (with the tropical EDM) as refreshing and suitable as a Summer heat (and also to follow Bon Voyage). To me, it isn’t the strongest song on the album, but it isn’t too far from that title. (8/10)

3. Diver – YooA adds both funky pop and some attitude to the album through Diver. It might not be an intended infusion of attitude, but her vocal style in Diver comes off like so and this is more of the YooA that I am used to when it comes to performances. I really like the energy that comes from the song, instantly picking up from the more subdued energy from the previous two songs. The chorus stands out for its catchiness and the instrumental is quite colourful in its own way. Overall, Diver is a fun and strong song for YooA and her album. (9/10)

4. Abracadabra – You will be kidding yourself if you don’t agree that Abracadabra’s chorus is its main drawing point (or the weakest point in the song, depending on how you perceive the song). YooA literally is the driving force in the chorus, with the instrumental more so just a background piece and doesn’t amplify the melody (which isn’t present in the first half of the chorus – as the song’s main hook is more spoken than sung). It is definitely an intriguing yet risky style that draws me in and ends up working out perfectly. The second half of the chorus is more vocally driven, with a melody brought in to ensure that the song is balanced. We also get a bit of YooA as a rapper in this song, which pushes her boundaries effortlessly. (10/10)

5. End of Story – Ahh… the mandatory ballad on any KPOP album. For YooA, it comes in the form of a beautiful piano piece. Her vocals are husky and very innocent sounding. I would say it is almost child-like. I really like her harmonies with the backing vocals, which adds an extra level of depth to the song. I do feel like her vocals in End of Story might be overpowering, covering up the beautiful piano which I think should have had more moments to stand out. But still, a very nice song to end the album with. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.9/10

Bon Voyage Teaser Image

[Review] Pump It Up – Golden Child

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Leave a comment

The next group making their comeback this week is Golden Child, with Pump It Up! This is the male group’s third comeback this year, following the likes of Without You and One (Lucid Dream) this year. Golden Child also participated in Road To Kingdom, but was unfortunately the first group to be eliminated from the show. They also held an online concert (due to the ongoing pandemic) and also participated with their labelmates as With Woolim for a special single, Relay. Phew! That is quite a lot of work for Golden Child, who continues to push themselves with each activity. Let’s see what Golden Child has in store for this comeback.

Pump It Up is an upbeat pop track and return to Golden Child’s more youthful sounds and roots. If you weren’t a fan of their more mature and serious change up over their last three comebacks, then I am sure you will be glad with Pump It Up‘s sound. Coming from those mature sounds, however, does make this new song feel more powerful. And this additional oomph to their song pretty much works in their favour. The instrumental is quite lively and energetic, with the guitar riffs and slight retro touch (there is a bit of the song that reminds me of Jackson 5’s ABC 123) definitely helping to bring the song to life. There are fantastic vocals during this song. The chorus and bridge were very solid sequences, while the final moments of the pre-chorus contained harmonies that I thought were a fantastic addition to the song. The rapping had the right amount of energy to them and felt fitting for their lively sound. I would have liked more rapping, but I am fine with the serving they have provided to us. Aside from that, I wonder why Pump It Up was released in Autumn/Fall. It feels more aligned for the Summer season, given its energy and refreshing change back to their original sound. I also reckon that Pump It Up would have been a hit if it was released this past Summer. I am not sure how the song would play out in Autumn/Fall, but I am definitely on the side of it being another Golden Child hit nonetheless!

The members of Golden Child break up into smaller groups for this comeback for majority of the video. And there was quite a bit going on that made me laugh. Some members were watching a horror movie at the cinema, others were filming the movie. There were some getting ready for a upcoming live broadcast over the radio waves, while others were eagerly awaiting a meal, just to be disappointed with a mini meal (this reaction made me laugh). Video games and scratchy lotteries were also played. The members reconvened as a group to work hilariously in an office and also were pilots for brief moments throughout the video. It was a fun and exciting video worth watching. I love the splash of colour that the video had, with the red in one of the choreography shots and the yellow on vibrant blue shopping containers in another set of choreography shots.

The choreography looks as vibrant and fun as the music video did. The opening looked fun. As I also mentioned the song section of this review, I noticed how much more powerful this lively sound was and how this would be advantageous for the group. And that perceived powerfulness was definitely apparent when it came to the chorus of the song. Their mature concepts/sound has refined their synchronisation and made their performance look more polished. I also really like the cascading effect they did with their formations when it came to the harmonies just prior to the choruses.

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

[Review] Hmph! – WJSN CHOCOME

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , 2 Comments

I somehow missed the announcement that WJSN would be making a comeback as a quartet subunit and the subsequent releases of the teaser images for this following unit debut, so their comeback pretty much came out of the blue. I only caught on once I saw the first music video teaser over the weekend. But nonetheless, I am glad to see WJSN back, even though it is just Soobin, Luda, Yeoreum, and Dayoung. The unit is named WJSN CHOCOME and their debut single is titled Hmph!.

As soon as I heard the Hmph! today, the disco pop that is heavily featured in Hmph! reminded me of Orange Caramel’s infectious singles. And I am loving it. It has been a while since we had an Orange Caramel comeback (their last release was in 2014 with My Copycat and I personally doubt that the unit will ever return with both Rania and Lizzy now signed to different companies), so this release definitely tickles my fancy – one could say!. Hmph! has a similar infectious appeal and the song is definitely quite addictive. The verses had a healthy amount of autotune to their voices. Usually I am against the use of autotune and have only liked it certain cases. Humph! seems to be one of those ‘certain cases’ as each of the four members actually sound quite nice throughout the song and it was (mostly) unnoticeable. The chorus brings the cutesy repetition of the title at the start, before the saxophones are brought into play, bringing more of that Orange Caramel appeal to the song. By far the best part of the song, in my point of view. I will be completely honest that the bridge did dull out the song for me, as I think they could have continued the song’s momentum with a more dynamic touch for the bridge. But I am glad that we ended up returning to the catchy chorus once again before Hmph! concluded, repumping the energy and infectious appeal back one last time.

The opening of Secret (one of their best songs ever!) started off the music video for Hmph!, so the video intrigued me from the very start. The music video can be described as a blast of colour. This isn’t an issue, as that is expected with a cutesy sound like this. And boy, WJSN CHOCOME doesn’t mess around with this cutesy concept. It is as if they have been holding back whilst promoting as WJSN! It felt natural to these members, unlike some other cutesy concepts where the members are just horrible at acting cute or overly exaggerating to the point where it just becomes cringy. To be critical, I would like to have them tone down the outrageousness. For example, I would not recommend waking anyone up with three trumpets and an iron. That blow up the person’s ear drums and give them significant burns.

For the choreography, I thought the cutesy twist on the Hmph! was really nice. The entire chorus routine seems fun. There isn’t much else from what I saw in the music video. But basing on what I saw, I think the performance would be suitable and fitting for the song.

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

[Review] Twilight – WEi

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 2 Comments

Also kicking off the week alongside SF9 (and a few other releases) is a newcomer. Making their debut today with Twilight and the mini-album Identity: First Sight is WEi. This is a six-member male group under OUI Entertainment. The lineup is quite remarkable as most member have previously debuted already in some capacity. The six members are: Jang Dae Hyun (current soloist and former member of Rainz), Kim Dong Han (current soloist and former member of JBJ), Kim Yo Han (current soloist and former member of X1), Yoo Yong Ha (former member of 1THE9), Kang Seok Hwa and Kim Jun Seo (former member of 1THE9). Each member also hails from either Produce 101 series, YG’s MIXNINE and MBC’s Under Nineteen. Quite an extensive resume and definitely something worth getting excited for.

Not sure about you but I had expected something with more heft or load for their debut track. I just feel that the song underwhelms at first impression, when it should of had a greater impact as you would want for the debut track. I am a little hesitant to say that the song is lackluster overall at this stage, considering that I do have a feeling that the song might end up catching on down the road (more on that in a second). Aside from first impressions, Twilight does manage to showcase potential behind this new group. I did think the vocals were solid (the ‘tu dududu‘ are probably my favourite parts) and the rapping provided some much needed oomph to the song. However, I do think the vocals could have been enhanced with some punchier lines and much stronger melodies. For the playful pop instrumental, the lightness of the song is both a flaw and a strength. I have already mentioned the flaw caused by the lightness (i.e. my opening sentiment of the song). However, the lightness does make the song feel comfortable and pleasant on the ears. That inkling of Twilight potentially growing on me presents itself through the whistles that form part of the instrumentation. I am unsure why they would have such an effect, but it is something that I personally have been going back for. The heavy thumping is also a strong point, providing some of that heft I wanted more of. The acoustic guitars in the bridge were quite nice and helped clear the board to make the final chorus a little more dramatic. Overall, Twilight is a decent debut track. There are some concerns that I have, but who knows if they will even be a thing after more replays of Twilight.

Aside from adopting the typical choreography and closeup formula, the music video features pretty cool set designs that really lifts up the quality of the video. But other than adding a level of coolness to the video, there really isn’t much else to the music video. To say that they help make the music video more captivating will be a reach. There was one standout setting for me. It went to that one particular setting they used twice – a twilight style of lighting and a night-time style of lighting. The difference between them is night and day (pun intended) and each brings a different dynamic. However, I am not sure if it is a rooftop of a building or a stage within a studio.

I noticed during their showcase that some members were holding onto their belts/hand their hands in their pockets, whilst others didn’t. I don’t think that was due to any injuries, as all arms were used in some capacity throughout the performance. It might just have been a consistency issue, which should be rectified to make the performance look slightly more polished. But other than that, it was a good routine. It went intense at the right moments, but quickly reverted back to something that feels more fitting for the rest of the song. I particularly like how much energy they put into their final chorus, which was the best part for me.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.2/10

[Review] Shine Together – SF9

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 3 Comments

The week before and the week after Chuseok (a national holiday in South Korea) are extremely loaded with comebacks. We have already bid farewell to the week before, with many comebacks and debuts that I am still trying to catch up on. But KPOP isn’t going to wait around for that. Kicking off the week after is SF9 with the release of Shine Together. It is the title track of the group’s second special single album, Special History Book, which was released today to celebrate their fourth anniversary together as a group and with their fans, FANTASY. This is also the group’s latest comeback after Summer Breeze.

Shine Together is a touching song, where the members express their gratitude to their fans who have been with them for the past four years. If you are expecting a dance track of some kind (and that is what SF9’s title tracks have mainly been) or striking in some manner, Shine Together won’t be fulfilling as the song is more of a mid-tempo ballad. Though, I would think they might get away with a slow paced routine. But if you are looking for a song that showcases their vocal abilities, then Shine Together is the right song for you. They express their emotions quite well, making the song feel warm and inviting to the listener. To fit in, the rappers go with a somewhat soft approach. There was some heft when it comes to Zuho’s rap sequence in the bridge, but this helps build a climax to the song. But I like that they managed to retain some speed, which helps pushes the song along. For the instrumental, it is very atmospheric. It doesn’t feel like your typical pop ballad approach. Instead, the piano and other instrumentation come together to cohesive work with the vocals and rapping to be a warm track that I am sure fans and listeners will find lovely and warm. It is your optimal instrumental for a song of gratitude and happy memories. If I were to be harsh for SF9 and their fans regarding this song (and I don’t want to, given the touching context behind it), I do find that Shine Together is lacking a strong melody. It is a bit wishy-washy during the chorus and I would have liked something with a little more catchiness to make the song more memorable. That being said, I don’t think that is the purpose of the song and Shine Together is fine as it is.

There are a lot of references to SF9 prior today including posters of a few of their previous comebacks, snippets of their concert (which features their fans), their debut mini-album, fan letters, amongst other items. Other than that, we see the members record Shine Together in their makeshift studio and reflect as a group by watching their concert video. It is very endearing and I am sure fans will really like the video. I particularly like how Zuho and Rowoon remade their symbol with polaroids, sticky notes of messages and their fan letters. Definitely meaningful and fitting for their anniversary celebration. I also like how the music video feels fitting for the fall season, which Korea is currently in. At the very end, we see the credits roll by. But instead of credits, I believe we see the names of each member of their fanclub, making it extra special as the music video does mention that it was made in conjunction with the fans.

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

[Double Review] Refresh + I Believe – Zico & Kang Daniel / Bae Jin Young & Kim Yo Han

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , , , , , 1 Comment

For the first time ever, I am putting together two songs by two different sets of artists into a double review format. For today’s double review, I will be focusing on Zico and Kang Daniel’s collaboration, Refresh, and Bae Jin Young and Kim Yo Han’s collaboration, I Believe. The reason why I am group these two songs together is because they form part of the 2020 Pepsi and Starship collaboration, which has been occurring lately. Refresh was released back in April of this year for the For The Love of Korea part of the collaboration, while I Believe was released two weeks ago as part of the Heritage Project part of the collaboration. The four artists join a long list of other popular KPOP artists who have participated in the Pepsi and Starship collaboration, including Eunha and Ravi, Ong Seong Woo, and Hongbin and Hyungwon.

Not only does Refresh features the likes of both Zico and Kang Daniel, the song is also co-produced by Steve Aoki. That in itself means that this is a pretty star-studded lineup for a two and half minute song. Both Kang Daniel and Zico sings during the verses, with Zico adding some raps to the song later on in the second verse. These parts were decent, but they don’t really scream out Zico or Kang Daniel in any way. The pre-chorus hook was pretty decent as it gives the song some life and memorability, before dropping a half squeaky and half screechy type of synth in the chorus. Not really the most likeable synth out there, but it has its charm. The saving grace of Refresh is the heavy thumping bass. It probably shows how easily you can satisfy me, but the thumping really added momentum to Refresh for me and accented the right parts at the right times for me.

I Believe is actually a remake of a ballad OST by Shin Seung Hoon, which was released for My Sassy Girl (who remembers this movie?). Bae Jin Young and Kim Yo Han’s version gives it a trendy and fun retro spin, featuring a heavy amount of 80s synthesizer in its instrumental. I have no issues with this style as the instrumental brought a smile to me. They keep the melody from the original and also incorporate some raps, which genuinely surprised me. The song ended up being quite memorable and catchy for me, thanks to the collaborative nature of all the song’s elements. Aside from all the positivity that I am writing about the song (and the positivity that the song brings), I have nothing else to say about the song (and this is a good thing).

For Refresh, the theme was loving Korea (i.e. it was the ‘For The Love of Korea’ project) and there was a lot of traditional influence in the music video. The production value for Refresh was extremely high based on the visual effects that were utilised. I think it was a very suitable music video for Refresh, given the concept of the project and the appearance of both Zico and Kang Daniel in the video. I also liked their outfits and the product placement of Pepsi felt light and suitable. Kang Daniel makes a second appearance in the Pepsi and Starship collaboration project at the start and end of the I Believe music video. While we hear a bit of the Refresh instrumental, Kang Daniel starts a game on an old arcade that segueways into the main body of the music video that features the actual artists of the song. As for Bae Jin Young and Kim Yo Han, the video depicts them having fun whilst alone. I like how they incorporated the 90s filter of a circular frame and the white-washed lighting that many might remember from 90s KPOP music videos. Even their fashion looks like it could have been from that era (though some of it has been modernise to fit the current 20s). I also noticed that both videos acknowledged current events, with a little nod to face masks and elbowing in place of a hug or high-five.

Both songs are quite danceable. However, only I Believe has a proper choreography routine. Based on the music video, it looks pretty good but isn’t anything impressive. The pair do put in a lot of effort for an one off performance and that really lifts the look of the choreography by a lot.

Refresh – Zico & Kang Daniel
Song – 8/10
Music Video – 10/10
Overall Rating – 8.8/10

I Believe – Bae Jin Young (CIX) & Kim Yo Han (WEi)
Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10

[Double Review] Plant + Whale – Sejeong (Gugudan)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , 2 Comments

While I am catching up on more recent reviews (barely even scratched the surface of that list), I am also keeping in mind some of the older releases which I haven’t reviewed yet. One song that falls into this ‘older’ category and has been continually emerging on my playlist at the moment is Kim Sejeong’s latest single, Whale. It was released mid-August and follows the release of Plant. That one was released 2 months prior in July of this year. Both songs haven’t been reviewed yet, so I am going to do it one go in this double review format.

Plant is a ballad, an expected starting point for the solo career of the main vocalist of any group, not just Gugudan. It is a features a pleasant orchestral instrumental, which can be broken down into nice strings and soothing piano. It is extremely slow paced, so it isn’t my preferred type of ballad. But it was still a good one, nonetheless. An interesting observation is that it never climaxes, despite it does do some building to reach that orchestral touch. Another interesting observation is that the song feels relatively short despite doing for almost four minutes. But all of that is okay as Sejeong captivates us with her vocals. They are beautiful and really helps elevate the ballad into an elegant piece.

Whale opts for a little more upbeatness but remains very light for the entirety of the track. But it incorporates a more pop aligned instrumental, which features some nice acoustic guitar and mid-tempo percussion. It reminds me of a number of songs, such as Jeong Eunji’s recent solo comeback, AWay, and AKMU’s Dinosaur. As a result, it feels typical. One good thing about the track is nice Kim Sejeong sounds in the song. I really like the entire bridge of the song, which features a short yet sweet high flutey note at the very end (and the entire sequence is in English). Unfortunately, the song doesn’t earn a 10/10 from me though. When it was first released, it was easily forgettable due to its lightness and typical nature. That bars the song from getting the highest ranking as that thought does linger to this day (and I quite like/recognise it now everytime it pops up on my phone/playlist).

The slow pace of the music video for Plant compliments the slowness of the song. I quite liked that. As for the meaning of the video, I pinched the following interpretation from a YouTube comment (courtesy of kyu). Essentially, Sejeong is lonely in this world. The plastic bags she encounters throughout the video (i.e. the plastic bags in her mobile home, the plastic bags that are floating about while she was in the car and the plastic bag art display in the abandoned warehouse that she dances around) represents the negative thoughts, perceptions and words that she has to deal with. The plant that she grows in her mobile home is essentially the only thing not in a plastic bag and represents positivity in her life, hence why she is smiling at the end. For Whale, there isn’t really a music video. Instead there is a ‘live clip’ that acts as a music video. It is an okay video, focusing on Sejeong and her singing. I would have liked if her company put a bit of money towards a music video, as Whale deserves something with a little more substance. The live clip was pretty unfocused and had this yellow hue hazy filter which dulled the experience for me.

Plant
Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10

Whale
Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 6/10
Overall Rating – 7.5/10

[Album Review] Love Synonym #1: Right For Me (1st Mini Album) – Wonho

Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged 1 Comment

As per the Sunday schedule, it is time for another album review. And the focus on today’s album review is Love Synonym #1: Right For Me a.k.a. Wonho’s debut mini-album. Featured on this album are both the Korean and English versions of the title track, Open Mind, and the pre-release single, Losing You. To avoid duplication, I will only be including the reviews of those respective songs once and only consider one version of them each for the overall album rating score that I give at the end of the album review. But for the other songs on the mini-album, continue reading onwards!

Love Synonym #1: Right For Me Album Cover

1. Open Mind (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Open Mind. (9/10)

2. I Just – Blissful is how I would describe I Just. It is a very stunning song that demands your attention. It is a rather simple song, as the instrumental doesn’t go further than its pop ballad direction. Nor does the song incorporate any complex melodies or vocals, opting to repeat the same smooth sailing melody that is brought to your ear’s courtesy of Wonho’s oozing vocals. Its simplicity and repetitiveness shouldn’t be seen as a flaw though. It is still a wholesome track that I couldn’t stop replaying. I particularly loved the ‘Oh I’ hook, which made the song very memorable for me. (10/10)

3. Lost In Paradise – I found Lost In Paradise to be a generic track. I do admit that the preceding track did set the bar high and those expectations just wasn’t not met. There were some good moments, such as his solid vocals, catchy lyrics and falsetto approach leading into the chorus. But the instrumental really dragged down the track for me. It was one of those ‘heard before’ instrumental that didn’t excite me. For some uniqueness points, there was the repetitive high pitch squeaky synths that felt ‘one of a kind’. But they were an odd touch to the song. (6/10)

4. Losing You (Pre-release Track) – Click here to read the review for Losing You. (10/10)

5. Interlude: Runaway – The interlude steers the album in a completely different direction. It is largely an instrumental piece, thus I won’t be including it in my final review score. Following three tracks, Runaway steps into a more intense and upbeat domain of music, similar to how Wonho set up the album with the title track and what I expected more of on the album. However, I question its purpose. There is only one new track following this one (the English version of the title track and Losing You features right). But it is a good introduction and segue way into the next track.

6. With You – With You steps back into the upbeat domain of music, as suggested by the preceding interlude. There were moments in With You that reminded me of the level of aesthetic usually reserved for Taemin. And these were really strong moments that I really enjoyed. However, the song manages to stray away from the Taemin mindset when the beat drops, opting for something a little harder than what I associate with Taemin and more so with Wonho. His vocals are extremely nice and follow the same pattern as suggested by the music. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come off as iconic as the title track or I Just. But it still a good song, nonetheless. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.6/10

Love Synonym #1: Right For Me Teaser Image

[Review] Lovesick Girls – BLACKPINK

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 3 Comments

Kicking off the intense month of October is BLACKPINK, who makes their third return of the year with their long-awaited first album! With the group’s success since the start of their career, fans have been actively pursuing a studio album for the group for the past four years they have been active. Prayers and requests were answered earlier this year when YG Entertainment confirmed confirmed the album for September (though I personally was in a ‘see it before I believe it’ mindset), but it was later pushed to October. Lovesick Girls headlines the album, which was been titled as The Album, and features alongside BLACKPINK’s How You Like That (released back in July) and Ice Cream featuring Selena Gomez (released in August).

Lovesick Girls is a great changeup to the group’s (and YG Entertainment’s) usual style of music. More recently, the company’s artists have been exploring new sounds and genres, though most of these releases do opt for some of the usual YG tactics. Lovesick Girls seems to be the biggest step away from the usual style, by opting for a dance pop profile rather than the hip-hop roots associated with BLACKPINK and their company. It also doesn’t include the usual chant-like chorus and drop chorus, nor does it build up to an anthem-like final chorus (in an attempt to changeup the song in its final moments). No doubt, all of this is quite refreshing. To me, Lovesick Girls is an impressive display of BLACKPINK’s vocals and rapping. The pre-chorus is the prime example of the great vocals, before the group joins forces with an all-in approach and catchy hummable melody. I do have some minor complaint about the chorus vocals though. I didn’t like how the slight echoey nature of the chorus. I felt that the producers had a strong opportunity to make this part dynamic, but opted for a much weaker approach. It didn’t ruin the song for me, but it did strip away the energy that was building towards to the chorus. The rapping that features briefly in the first verse and more prominently in the second verse gives the song more heft and depth, with Lisa and Jennie incorporating a brief hip-hop touch to their delivery. What really made the rapping better was how well it complimented the instrumentation. If the instrumentation was the cake, then Jennie and Lisa’s rapping would be the icing. In addition to that sequence, I really liked what the acoustic guitars brought to the verses, further complimenting that dance pop styled-chorus. Overall, Lovesick Girls is definitely a great song!

What a stunning music video. For once, BLACKPINK is not in a built set. I think we have seen BLACKPINK out in the open air before, but it has been a while if I remember correctly. The music video shows the members in a happy relationship one second and the next second are in an argument or in tears over their relationship. It works well with the lyrics, which is all about them wanting to love someone forever but only knowing the pain of heartbreak. The most captivating part of the music video belongs to Rose during the bridge of the song. The way she throws black paint across the pink wall (subtle BLACKPINK reference?) and is later seen covered in black paint and crying in the bathtub is such an impactful sequence for me. Her acting was superb. I had to rewatch that sequence a few times to properly take it all in.

The choreography looks good. The chorus starts off simple but it slowly builds in complexity as the routine involves moving about. The way they got into formation for some parts (as shown in the music video) looks quite clever as well. Other than that, I don’t have much else to say.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.8/10

[Album Review] HJZM: The Butterfly Phantasy (3rd Mini Album) – A.C.E

Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged Leave a comment

The next album on the reviewing list is A.C.E’s third mini-album, HJZM: The Butterfly Phantasy, which was released early September (exactly one month ago, to be precise). It is also my first album review for the group, so I am excited to dive into A.C.E’s side tracks. Featured on this album is the title track, Goblin (Favorite Guy), and the pre-release track, Stand By You (which was released back in the middle of this year). Alongside those two tracks that I have previously reviewed, there are three additional tracks to dive into. Let’s get going!

HZJM The Butterfly Phantasy Album Cover

1. Golden Goose – Whilst Golden Goose sounds different to what A.C.E usually releases, Golden Goose aligns with the intensity that we know and love from A.C.E’s title tracks. However, the members manages to infuse a little more character into the song through the hip-hop delivery of their vocals and rapping, similar to how A.C.E’s latest title track differed from the usual highly intense EDM we get. Likewise, Golden Goose opts for strong trap beats and instrumentation. It was undeniably powerful, promising and kicks off the album with a highly energetic track. The track did remind me of SEVENTEEN’s Getting Closer (a song which I really enjoyed) at certain parts. And if it manages to encapsulate that song, then Golden Goose is doing something right. (9/10)

2. Goblin (Favorite Guy) (도깨비) – Click here to read the full review for (Goblin) Favorite Guy. (10/10)

3. Baby Tonight (황홀경) – Baby Tonight opts for a R&B track. I really like their vocal direction, with raspy and husky vocals being employed by all members. Altogether the song comes off as wholesome and quite warming. It felt like a decent song for the Autumn season. The main chorus hook was catchy and helped make the song quite appealing. It doesn’t stand out as much as the other songs on the album given that it was a more typical sound that we hear often in KPOP. But it was a good showcase of the member’s talents away from the EDM genre of music. (8/10)

4. Stand By You (편지를 써) – Click here to read the full review for Stand By You. (8/10)

5. Clover – For the first 20 seconds, the opening instrumental was totally my style. It felt so calming with the acoustic guitar. It felt refreshing and very appropriate for the Summer season that Korea was coming out of. I liked how Clover‘s instrumental became mixed with modern EDM synths. Typical, but still worth listening to it. The pop ballad is enhanced when the members start singing. Their vocals are nicely displayed. Jun’s hoarse voice was just amazing. The rapping was nicely tweaked to fit into the pop ballad genre and didn’t stray away from the main backbone to be its own thing (which tends to be the case with some songs nowadays). The melodies were nice and catchy. Overall, Clover was just a nice to ride out on. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.8/10

HZJM The Butterfly Phantasy Teaser Image

[Review] Think of Dawn – GHOST9

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , 2 Comments

Another review in the same day? Who am I?

The second debut of last week that I want to cover today is GHOST9’s. The group hails from MAROO Entertainment, which is also the home to Park Ji Hoon. GHOST9 contains nine members (Junhyung, Dongjun, Shin, Kangsung, Junseong, Prince, Woojin, Taesung and Jinwoo), with the latter three also part of the TEEN TEEN project group lineup that made their debut last year with It’s On You. Other members of the group come from MIXNINE and Produce X 101 backgrounds as well. The group made their debut last Thursday with Think of Dawn as the title track.

When I checked out Think of Dawn last week, I didn’t think much of it. And unfortunately, it seems like that statement still stands true a week after it was released. It takes on the noisy side form EDM, with some of the instrumental becoming slightly overwhelming when the focus should have purely been on the member’s vocals and rapping. There are a few examples of noisy EDM that I liked this year and I felt that I would have enjoyed Think of Dawn if the producers mixed the song a bit better, so that the members would have been more of the focus rather than the instrumental. But aside from that, it features a strong instrumentation that is extremely powerful to see on stage (more on that later). And their vocals and rapping were of a good standard. I did like how smooth the falsetto vocals in the pre-chorus and chorus felt, contrasting nicely with the intense and almost-erratic nature of the EDM instrumentation. I feel that the song could have been enhanced with some individual flair. To me, Think of Dawn could have been released by a number of other male groups active this year. It was pretty much a ‘heard before’ sound throughout majority of the track. The instrumental dance breakdown was a pleasant surprise. I liked the inclusion of it and its overall intensity, but this would have been a great opportunity to have gone down a unique route. Overall, a decent debut track.

It seemed like the music video didn’t have much to it other than that choreography and closeup formula (I really need to decide which order the two C’s should be in and stick with it). However, at the very end, we see one of the members flip a switch, revealing the massive cyclops robot that follows the members at the very of the music video. The presence of this robot raises questions, some of which are answered in the prequel video ‘Cinematic World‘. However, how did the members get stuck in the set of this music video? And what did the ending of the prequel video mean? I guess we will find out in their next music video/comeback. Story aside, I find such a robot to be very eerie (how fitting for the month of October) and the suspense at the end really sets the bar for the next comeback. I wished they included some of that suspense throughout the earlier parts of the MV. That would have made the video a little more captivating to watch.

As mentioned earlier, the song enables the performance to be very powerful. And that is exactly what we get. I quite like that. But they could have gone for something a little more impressive at the start. It looked cool but compared to other stunts that we have seen this year, it falls short. The performance climaxes during the instrumental dance break, which looked awesome.

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

[Review] DRUM – CHECKMATE

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Leave a comment

Two reviews tonight. Coming your way now.

Today, I want to focus on the debuts last week. First is the debut of an extremely rare CO-ED group. It is a very small niche within the KPOP community, with only two active groups (KARD and Tiger-K ZERO from the top of my head), so there is definitely more room for CO-ED groups in the industry. Coming from GRACE COMPANY Entertainment, CHECKMATE is a five-member group consisting of Sieun, Suri, Nason, Yongseok, and Noah. They debuted last week on the 21st with DRUM.

Unlike what the song’s title suggest, DRUM lacks dynamism from the get-go. To me, drums (the instrument) symbolisms power and depth in music. We don’t really get much of either in the song, which is a pity as I feel like DRUM was going in all the right directions. It did have some catchy energy and flair through the moombahton influence embedded in the instrumental. Both of these could have been enhanced to the next level by somehow incorporating power and depth within the music. Aside from the instrumental, the members attempt to put their best foot forward through their vocals and rapping. There was some catchy vocal melodies that the female members brought in the pre-chorus sequence and the chorus. As much as these melodies were catchy and easy to get into, I found all their vocals to have this certain dullness to them. They just weren’t interesting and didn’t have much individual colour. (On the flipside, it is quite refreshing to see the male members take on a vocalist role as well). Likewise, the rapping just didn’t have momentum to grab my attention. It should of as the song had some flair that would have enabled for the rap sequence to gain some edge, which occurs in some groups (i.e. in such songs, the rappers manage to outshine the rest of the group). It seems like whatever CHECKMATE is doing, it is definitely in the right direction. It just wasn’t executed as well. If the song proved anything, there is some potential behind this group, which makes me hopeful for their next release.

Apart from taking on that close-up and choreography setup, the music video doesn’t elicit much from me. The sets were pretty ordinary and they had some good closeups that captured their visuals well. I am a little surprised that there was no images of drums flashing throughout the music video. I think some coloured dusts bouncing off the drums would have worked in this video and added an additional element of fun. The producers may have thought this was a cliche idea, but I reckon it would have been fine.

To me, the performance was a highlight for this debut package. I liked the drum imagery they had incorporated during the chorus and the body rolls. Their movements helped made the song seem a lot more lively than what it really felt without seeing the performance, so good on them for that!

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 6.7/10

[Review] MADE FOR TWO – VAV

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Leave a comment

Let’s begin the influx review with just one review, two tomorrow and a few more each coming day! Might be ambitious for me, but a challenge I am willing to take.

After a break from the industry, VAV is back as a six-member group dropping their new release earlier, MADE FOR TWO, this week. Baron enlisted just last week prior to the official release of MADE FOR TWO. He features in the music video, but is unable to participate in the promotions for this comeback for the obvious reason. MADE FOR TWO is the group’s first comeback in 11 months after Poison dropped in October last year.

MADE FOR TWO is a very unique song. It is a new type of minimalist song in my point of view, opting for very little instrumentation. I say ‘new type’ because I don’t think I have ever used the saying ‘less is more’ to describe a song in general, let alone a minimalist song. MADE FOR TWO is a testament to this saying. It strikes a fine balance by going down this very aesthetic minimal route, but not spilling into the area of music that underwhelms. There were moments that I found the song to have an epic vibe, such as the orchestral final moments that the song takes. What really drove the dynamic nature of the song are the vocals and rapping. They pretty much helped give the song that extra kick. I really like the backing vocals which added some depth to the vocal front of the song, whilst the main vocals by the members really helped propelled the song forward. When it came to the harmonisation of both the backing and forefront vocals, I was pretty much blow away how silky and smooth they felt. But it is the rapping that really gave the song some impact and helped give the song a bit of zing. The faster nature of the rapping (relative to the vocals) were really a highlight and memorable moments of the song for me. The instrumental complimented, but it maintained that minimalist vibe. Overall, MADE FOR TWO is pretty much up there as one of the best VAV songs I have heard (Gorgeous still takes the title for best VAV song). And with that statement, it is safe to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this comeback track.

The music video shows each member hanging out with a lady, before we see them alone reminiscing about those times, complimenting the lyrics. What makes the music video a little bit more captivating (as the idea can become quite dull) are drone shots that make the video look quite epic. It is a little flair to add some more appealing points to the music video. Those scenes when the members are on the rocks, and the drone captures the waves crashing into the rocks and also zooming by the members are probably strong examples of how appealing and aesthetic they made this video.

Unfortunately, the comeback suffers in the performance domain. I had expected this when I heard the song. It would have been extremely hard to pull off a captivating performance with a song of this style, when there isn’t much of the music to build the performance from. They do a good job, but it just doesn’t impress as I wished it had.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 6/10
Overall Rating – 8.1/10