Returning last week was Zico with the mini-album Random Box. It has taken a while, but as promised, here is the review for the title track from that mini-album, Summer Hate. This is Zico’s first release since the chart-topping and Tik-Tok trendy Any Song hit. Joining Zico is Rain, who many may know is a popular soloist for his many KPOP hits during the 00s. More recently, Rain has been attracting attention with his 2017 GANG comeback (though it has been trending for all the wrong reasons). It is interesting to see two very different trends in the industry and it does make you think about what song these two will put out, given their more recent viral history.
As the next instalment in Zico’s discography, Summer Hate comes off as a pretty weak track. Summer Hate is all about the annoying Summer heat that people have been and will always go through during Summer. It is a unique topic and concept, but I feel that the potential ended up being wasted due to poor execution. As it is a Zico self-produced song, the song is of the hip-hop genre and has a sing-song delivery that I believe is ill-suiting for what Zico was trying to get at. Everything comes off as very emotionless. I don’t get any of that annoyance of the Summer heat that the lyrics are trying to convey from his delivery or the overall feel of the song. When I think of annoying Summer heat, I think of unbearably hot concrete that will burn the sole of your feet if weren’t careful. Or the urgent need for a cool drink after a five-minute walk to the shops. There is a bit of energy to each of these scenarios and I feel that is the missing piece to this song. His intention was probably to make the song sound lazy, as one would feel during the hottest time of the day. But I don’t think it ever hits that mark. I do admit there were a good beat and melodies in this song enough to make the song bearable. I like the saxophone in the instrumental. But this all wasn’t enough. Finally, the other issue with the track was Rain’s featuring. Did he even feature in the song, as it sounded like Zico throughout the entire track? I was waiting for some of Rain’s distinct vocals, but they never appeared!
Unlike the song, the video was well executed. It showed the concept of heat quite well, though quite exaggerated for most of the video. Some examples in the music video included cooking of food on the concrete floor (my personal favourite in the video), the melting of metal and the clothes catching on fire. My main issue is with their attire during some of the scenes. One of my personal pet peeves is when people complain it is too hot and they are wearing inappropriate clothing, such as Zico and Rain’s long sleeves at the end of the video as they melt away. If they melted away in shorts and a t-shirt, then I wouldn’t be making such comments as the video would make more sense. It may make them look good, but honestly, who looks good on a boiling hot day where everything is melting away?
There is a bit of choreography during the chorus, which seems to be choreographed to be suitable for TikTok. After all, Zico has restarted the TikTok trend with this comeback, following its success with Any Song. It is suitable and reflects the lyrics well.
Song – 5/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 6/10
SEVENTEEN achieved the title of ‘million seller’ with the release of their seventh mini-album, Heng:garæ, which features the title track, Left & Right. Congratulations to the group! For those who may not know what ‘million seller’ refers to, it is the title given to a group who sells over a million copies of their album within the first week of its release. The only other group to achieve this feat is BTS, who has done so with three of their most recent album releases including Map of the Soul: 7 which was released earlier this year (which makes SEVENTEEN the second group to achieve this feat this year!). It is definitely exciting for the group and for the fans who support SEVENTEEN! And this makes diving into this album more thrilling, so let’s get listening!
Heng:garæ Album Cover
1. Fearless– Kicking off the album is Fearless and it makes sure the album starts off with a strong one. Fearless is quite heavy, unlike other songs that start off an album in a lighter manner. But a strong song can result in a bold entrance, which is the case we have here. When I listened Fearless for the first time, the song felt like it was swinging at you, as if the members were fearless of whatever was holding them back. It had nice momentum, vocals and raps. It also felt very clean and organized, which was quite appealing to me. There was potential for it to be a title track. Fearless also incorporated some of Fear (their previous title track) melodies during the bridge, but they change the lyrics to show the difference between the Fear and the Fearless. It caught me off guard at first. And now I consider it to be the killing part of the song. (9/10)
3.I Wish (좋겠다) – I Wish reminds me of those KPOP ballads we used to get on albums in the past. It was all about a one-sided crush, how they yearn to confess to their crush and how lonely they feel as the days past. Pretty much a cliché topic to sing about. Aside from the sprinkling of nostalgia that I Wish does give off, I don’t find the pop ballad to be that special and I haven’t fallen for it. I find everything (melodies, vocals, raps) in the song to be good, but that is the extent that I would give it. There were two parts that did perk my interest, but it didn’t do enough. First was the layering of Wonwoo’s rapping and everyone singing and second is the synthesizer (I think it was synthesizer) used in the instrumental break towards the end of the song. (7/10)
5. Kidult (어른 아이) – Kidult has more of a kick to it, thanks to the use of the band instrumentation, which gives off pop-rock ballad vibe. It feels and sounds a lot more captivating than I Wish. It is a lot more suitable and refreshing for the Summer season. The song is all about being a kid and adult, or at times, a mixture of both (hence the title). And it seems like their lover has the same issue and the members are telling them to embrace it. Their vocals were very fitting for this style and that is definitely apparent throughout the song. DK’s ad-libs and high pitch vocals were on point. The rap-singing was a good choice, giving the rappers a chance to fit into the song. The melodies were great, and I had the swaying effect come to me while listening to the song (which is a positive determinator in my level of enjoyment of the song). (9/10)
6. Together (같이가요) – Together is all about being together no matter what. And like how it feels like a more upbeat version of Kidult and has an OST type of vibe to it. I like the classical instrumentation that is mixed into the upbeat band instrumentation. This entire track is very foot-tapping worthy (another positive determinator in my level of enjoyment). I find their vocal work in this song to be the best on this album (DK is definitely shaping to be my new favourite main vocalist), with my favourite parts was when all the members would sing together at the end of the chorus. I liked the inclusive atmosphere that comes about in those sections and from this song, overall. The inspirational feel was also a plus, thanks to the members’ delivery of the lyrics. What a positive way to end the song. (10/10)
Making their subunit debut on Tuesday was DONGKIZ I:KAN. I personally wasn’t aware that DONGKIZ was debuting a subunit (I thought it was a group comeback when I say it on the list), so this was a surprise for me. The subunit consists of Jae Chan and Mun Ik and this follows the group’s Lupin comeback earlier in the year (a comeback that I really enjoyed). Subunits usually offer listeners a different sound to what their main group usually offers, so it will be interesting to see what DONGKIZ I:KAN will delve into, given that DONGKIZ doesn’t really have a strong association to any genre.
The one thing I do remember as a common theme in DONGKIZ’s track is its funky and retro vibes. And in a sense, Y.O.U (the title of the subunit’s title track) conforms to that common string in their main group’s release. At the same time, the subunit brings forward the new jack swing genre from the early 90s. And this music direction is great! It is full of energy and there are some fun vibes to it. There is also a refreshing appeal to the song, given that I don’t think the group has ever delved into this particular genre yet. The most exciting part of the song was the dance break that brought me a strong sense of nostalgia. While I do like the sound they had gone with, the main flaw of Y.O.U was how lacking their vocals and rapping were. I wanted more oomph to their delivery of both elements to add some depth to the song. What we got was good, but it is another situation where I wanted them to go further. If they had somehow defined their vocals and raps, this would help make the hooks more catchy and addictive.
The duo is singing about a girl they see passing by and that is exactly what the music video is showing. The two members are competing against each other to get her attention. I liked that it showed the two’s facial expression while they are on a mission to get her attention. That is a little different from similar music videos. However, it was revealed at the end that the girl already had an interest in a guy named Kirin, which shocks the guys. I thought that was a fun little twist, despite it being a card played multiple times in the past. Aside from the generic storyline, I really liked how simple the video was, yet how retro the video ended looking. From the outfits to the post-production editing of the dance break, everything looked like it would have fitted into the 90s.
The bright atmosphere which they show on stage is very fitting for both the members and the song. I do like the twisty moves they pull off. It looked weird at first, but it soon became interesting as I tried to work out what they were doing. The dance break was fun, though it wasn’t as intense as I hoped it would be.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.3/10
The second SM Entertainment release came unexpected last night. EXO-SC has been confirmed to making a comeback and will be releasing an album on the 13th of July (that’s just under a week!). And while fans are preparing for that release, EXO-SC released a pre-release track that no one saw coming titled Telephone, which features 10CM. This is the unit’s first comeback since their debut with What A Life last year (another review which I haven’t gone back to update once the live performance came out).
What A Life came off as dull and lackluster. That is essentially all I remember about their debut song. And it is looking like Telephone is shaping to be the exact same. It delves back into the hip-hop genre, with the duo going with a rap-sing delivery of the lyrics. More specifically, Telephone delves into the chilled side of hip-hop, with the entire track going with a laid-back vibe, similar to their debut track. Though, I felt the song might have gone many steps too far into the chilled spectrum, that both Chanyeol and Sehun’s vocals were pretty expressionless and this really dulled out the song. Same comment can be made with the instrumental. It is pretty much straightforward, with the repetitive and simple tapping of a piano key. Not really the most exciting piece of music. It was pretty much empty and sparse of sounds, besides some phone sounds and the duo echoing the lyrics and providing some ‘few words’ in the background. And even they didn’t do a good job of filling up the song. The most exciting bit of the song is when 10CM joins in, providing smooth vocals and this leads to Chanyeol and Sehun doing a little more with their own vocals to close off the song. But by then, I had already tuned out and became distracted. It sucks that I have to echo the disappointment I gave in their debut review, but that is the reality. Hopefully on Monday, the pair will give us something a little more exciting to breakdown.
I felt that the music video had a lot more substance than the song. The lyrics is all about their reservation to the phone, which everyone (including their crush and themselves) to communicate to other people. Chanyeol and Sehun are trying to get their crush’s attention. When they are together, their crush to too busy looking at their own phone. When they are not and Chanyeol/Sehun are trying to communicate with them, they blame their phone and use phone-related excuses for not being able to answer (i.e. the phone was charging, I was driving so I couldn’t pick my phone etc.). This leads to Chanyeol and Sehun entering the phone and destroying the attention stealing stuff on the phone, leading their crush to have nothing to do, other than message the two guys back. At least that is my take on the lyrics and the visuals from the music video. I also think there is some sort of hidden message at the start of the video, that we would be too busy doing one thing (i.e. reading the messages that popped up on the screen) to notice some of the stuff the pair were doing, such as applying wood filler to a toothbrush, overfilling a bowl, wearing odd socks and oversalting food.
Song – 4/10 Music Video – 8/10 Overall Rating – 5.6/10
It has been a while since we heard from Red Velvet, which I assume is due to Wendy’s recovery from the stage accident that grounded their Psycho promotions to a halt at the very of last year. But now Red Velvet has returned to the stage in the form of a duo subunit, Red Velvet – Irene & Seulgi, which is up of (you guessed it!) Irene and Seulgi. The official release of their debut title track Monster occurred on Monday, but the music video was not released until Tuesday. And I accidentally napped unexpectedly, resulting in a further delay in the review. And before I nap again today, here is my review for Monster.
If you go into this song thinking we will be getting something Red Velvet usually puts out (as that is what you might think given the name Red Velvet is retained in the unit’s name), be prepared to be surprised. Monster has a very distinctive sound. It is like Monster took Red Velvet’s darkest and edgiest sound and amping it up to the next level. It starts with a high pitch and slightly distorted ‘Na Na Na‘, which undoubtedly sets the tone of the song. We then enter a very sinister and suspenseful verse, before launching it a more energised chorus made up of trap elements and dubstep. The song’s vibes and sound essentially repeat itself once that ‘Na Na Na‘ distorted vocals return at the end of the chorus. But while the song does have that unique distinctive sound for current times, I do find the repetition to dull the song’s appeal. It could have been intriguing and interesting, provided they change up the song’s textures a bit as it progressed to give it some variety and freshness. I do commendable Irene and Seulgi’s vocals, which were superb in this song. They added character to the song and helped Monster achieve those sinister and suspenseful vibes that I mentioned earlier. I particularly liked the entire second verse, as there was some interesting colours and vocal profiles there. The chorus had nice melodic hooks, but like the repetition flaw, it soon became dry and dull. There ‘I’m A Little Monster‘ was impactful and came off strong in a subtle manner. Overall, Monster was a fair effort. Just not as mind-blowing as I hoped it to be.
The dark and edgy sound that the song opted for was reflected in the visuals of the music video through the horror influence. While it was quite good to watch, this horror concept came off as rather tame. I wanted to see them go that extra mile as they could have explored a lot of imagery and stories, conceptually. We see the members dressed in white doll-like dresses that resemble the clothing that we see young girls wear in horror movies as they die or haunt the living. Seulgi creepily crawling in one scene towards herself and then walking confidently in the next, similar to how I remember some demonic ghosts would haunt the living in some movies. We see Irene playing with dolls in a creepy manner and in one of the choreography shots, we see a devil’s face edited over Irene’s face. It didn’t scare me, but it had me jumping up and down excitedly as that was the type of scare that I wanted to see. I did like the sets, as they gave off a haunting without going explicitly into cliche haunted house land.
I really liked the outfits they wore and the makeup they donned in the music video. It really suited the music video. And I can’t wait to see them on stage with those exact same outfits and makeup. For the choreography, it looks like a stunning routine. Best parts include their starting formation, (which looks like a creepy creature) and Seulgi twisting Irene to include the ghost face (simple yet effective in terms of coolness).
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.5/10
Over the last few months, Chungha has been leaving breadcrumbs for her upcoming solo comeback which yet to be announced. The first breadcrumb was the release of the pre-release single, Stay Tonight (a track that I want to revisit when I revise my ratings for some songs in a new segment). The second breadcrumb is Play, which was released today and features Changmo. Since Stay Tonight, Chungha has also collaborated with the popular rapper pH-1 on the track My Friend, which I have yet to review. But we are here for thoughts on Play, so let’s get to that first.
By the time I had finished listening to Play for the first time, I knew that this was going to the be the 2020 Summer song to beat. The energy and atmosphere she creates for herself in this song is so epic and grand, it really helps to overlook the song’s flaw, the Latin pop genre. While that has been a typical sound throughout the Summer seasons over the last few years and Play itself incorporates with brass elements and synths that we have heard many many times before, Chungha manages to somehow reform it to make it come off refreshing and exciting in Play. That is already a strong cause for an applause. I really like her vocals in this song. The instrumental could have easily overwhelmed and masked all of Chungha’s vocals. But Chungha’s vocals soar high enough to be in the forefront of the song. And that is saying a lot, considering how blastful and bombast this instrumental got, especially as we approached the end. Also featuring on this song is Changmo, who’s rap sequence added a cool dynamic to the song. It somehow balances out the upbeat energy of the chorus and gives us some relief after the first chorus. Same thing can be said about the bridge, which slows the song down (but allows for the return in the final chorus to be super impactful). The melodies and hooks were catchy and may become super addictive if I give the song any more listens (which will happen!). Overall, I am in awe and loving Play.
Once again, the music video takes on that closeup and choreography approach, which I have (many times) stated was a bore. But the music video for Play is captivating enough to override that statement. There were some epic moments, aside from her beautiful visuals (which alone were enough to steal my attention away from the formula), that really wowed me. Chungha becoming a bullfighter with the red sports car was definitely one of those. Actually, any moment in that particular setting was amazing. I also really liked the birdcage choreography scenes, as that set looked really cool.
It is unknown whether Chungha would be promoting this time around. It soon became apparent that Stay Tonight would be extremely difficult to perform on stage due to various formations formed. But I don’t see any of that in this choreography, which may present hope that we will be seeing a stage performance of Play soon. I really like how the atmosphere from the song came through in the performance and how charismatic Chungha looked throughout the performance. I also liked the energy that came from the chorus routine alone, as that looked cool.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9.5/10
Six months ago, SF9 kicked off 2020 with their Good Guy comeback. It proved to be SF9’s most popular and best-performing comeback ever, with the group earning their first-ever weekly show music win during the promotions of Good Guy. And exactly six months from that comeback, the group is back, now helping to kick off the second half of 2020 with SummerBreeze. Their new title track features on the group’s eighth mini-album, 9loryUS.
SF9 begins the song with an intriguing synth sequence that reminds one of those Western movie themes, before reverting to a foot tap worthy house beat for the verses. The pre-chorus creates suspense with a typical but workable buildup. The chorus combines that Western movie theme synth sequence with those house beats to create a really pleasant and enjoyable combination that takes the positives aspects of those two sounds to form a wholesome feel. The bridge brings forward refreshing acoustic guitars that stayed hidden between the Western theme synths and house beats during the chorus. Overall, it is safe to say that the Summer Breeze‘s instrumental earns a big tick from me. It is just so suitable yet so refined for Summer. And it is this refined sound that makes it suitable to be a follow up after Good Guy. Some of the other aspects of the song are good to great, but they just don’t feel as amazing as the instrumental. The vocal work and rapping were strong efforts. Zuho’s rap sequence just before the final chorus had a nice punch to it and was a highlight in my opinion. There are some good hooks in this song and the melody is pretty easy to follow. But each of these components (the vocal/rapping, hooks and melodies) have a hand in creating a generic atmosphere. I wanted something more exciting and addictive, which would easily help lifted this song to be one of their best. What we have is good and I feel like it will be enjoyable at the very least if the subsequent listens don’t help it grow on me. But per usual, I wanted more from the members in Summer Breeze.
It is a bit unclear what the concept of the music video really is. I thought they were part of different gangs with the mission to eliminate each other at first. Though, it doesn’t explain the part when one of the bullets broke the mirror to reveal the sunshine, which then caused the members to redirect their gunfire. One source says the music video was similar to a James Bond movie and that the members are playing a dangerous game. Though, that also doesn’t explain the sunshine scene. Apart from the confusing plot line, I liked how the music video set gave me the same feels as their Good Guy music video. I also liked how classy the video felt, especially in the hotel scenes where the gunfight occurs.
Best part the choreography is during the ‘Bang Bang Bang‘ parts. I also found Jaeyoon to be the most captivating member, with his body rolls during his solo parts. As for the rest of the performance, there isn’t much else to comment on. It may not have been captivating, but it felt refined and classy, which is definitely the direction that SF9 was aiming for with this comeback.
Song – 7.5/10 Music Video – 6.5/10 Performance – 7.5/10 Overall Rating – 7.2/10
Stray Kids made their comeback a few weeks back with their very first studio album, GO生 (or Go Live). The main title track was God’s Menu, which has proven to be a great song in my books. It has gone on to top the Weekly KPOP Charts thanks to its powerful energy, catchy hooks and dynamism. So it was natural for me to investigate the album which it is featured on. Alongside God’s Menu, you will find familiar tracks such as Top and Slump (which were both previously released Japanese tracks), along with Gone Days and On Track (which were earlier mixtape releases that were released after their Levanter promotions). Links to the reviews for these tracks, along with my thoughts on the other sidetracks can be found below.
Go Live Album Cover
1. Go Live (GO生) – Stray Kids is known for their powerful tracks, as their entire career so far has been predominately made up of powerful sounds. Go Live, as an introductory track, aligns the album with that association and really kicks off the album in a very suspenseful fashion. A lot of hip-hop influences in this short track. It kicks off with strong rapping from the rappers and the vocalists come in with their vocals autotuned to fit the atmosphere. I.N’s deep voice is probably the most shocking of all (did not know we had another Felix in the group) and Lee Know’s ‘I Know, You Know, We Know, Lee Know’ line has to be the most memorable of all. (7/10)
3. Easy – Easy, without doubt, continue the momentum that God’s Menu ends off with. The rapping in this song is also rapid and powerful. The vocals are autotuned. I am a little torn about this, as I am not a fan of overly autotuned vocals usually. However, as mentioned in the introductory track’s paragraph, this was the obvious direction for the vocals to fit the powerful and fast tempo nature of the song. Regarding the instrumental, it feels fairly plain in comparison to the title track, though I did like the start which added dramatic suspense to the song. I also enjoyed the dance break, which added some energy to the song. The one thing that weighs down the song is the lack of dynamic hooks, which is why I give it a slightly lower rating to their title track. (8/10)
4. Pacemaker – The fast pace instrumental of Pacemaker blasts you at the very start of the song before the members assault you (in a good sense) with their rapping and vocals. It might be overwhelming for some, but that is one of the aspects of the song that I thoroughly enjoyed. The instrumental itself takes a half step back for some of the verses, before returning to that blast of energy for the chorus. I liked how the lyrics liken their lover to a pacemaker by saying things like ‘your end is my end’. It is a captivating track full of energy and one that I recommend if you don’t mind the members and music coming at you. (9/10)
5. Airplane (비행기) – We take a step back from the intensity for something with a pop sound. There does seem to be some hip-hop influences mixed into the song, but I would categorize it more as a pop track by the song stops playing. Airplane is fun-sounding but it is nothing more than a pleasant track. There is an enjoyable level of brightness and energy in this song. And even though it may not conform to Stray Kid’s powerful sound, Airplane has a decent beat and the vocal melodies shine. I am kind of glad that the vocalists (namely Seungmin and I.N) get an opportunity to shine somewhere on this album. Their voices may have had to compete with instrumental, though they did well with what they had to work with. (8/10)
6. Another Day (일상) – Another Day is another chance for the Stray Kid’s vocalists to shine. Wait, let me backtrack that statement. All members actually shine throughout this song. Joining Seungmin and I.N as vocalists in this song is Lee Know, Bang Chan and Han. And if this song needs to prove anything, those members can definitely sing. Felix, Changbin and Hyunjin took on their usual roles as rappers. Even though their parts were very constricted, their deep and raspy rap-singing lines were very pleasant and extremely fitting alongside the vocals. This is all over an instrumental predominately consisting of a mellow sounding acoustic guitar. Fitting the atmosphere of the song are the members reflecting on ‘Another Day’ in the lyrics. (8/10)
7. Phobia– Overtaking the other songs that have been branded with a 9/10 rating, in terms of quality, is Phobia. I really like how this track sound. This is a synth pop-dance track. I really like soothing the energy is for this song. While it is upbeat (which might not be a term you would associate with ‘soothing’), I find the melodies and vocals to be glide effortlessly over the instrumental and everything just balances out nicely. Their vocals and rapping in this sound, alongside with the melodies are very dynamic and catchy, which are undoubtedly strong appealing points. The song’s hooks were quite addictive and I really liked how cool the English sound in this song. Jisung handling the high note was a pleasant surprise and another drawing point to the song. (10/10)
8. Blueprint (청사진) – Blueprint is the type of song that you want to have playing a theme song as you stroll down a busy suburban street on a sunny day and you interact with the other pedestrians in perfect looking montage. It is also fitting for the current Summery season. Great upbeat energy coming from this song. I like how the synth heavy the song is, but I also enjoy all the actual instrumentations poking through along the way. The members add a dynamic atmosphere to the song, which I find to be very appealing. The melody that their voices carry, especially when it came to the chorus was quite memorable. Seungmin is my pick for standout member in this song. I also like how all the members sing parts of each line at the end of the song, which adds a very happy and joyful tinge of colour to the song. I found it very hard to fault this song, hence a perfect rating. (10/10)
9. Ta (타) – Two 10/10 tracks in a row? Well, I might as well spoil it now and say that this is another 10/10 track. Ta is probably the most straightforward song on this album. The start of the song reminds me of how Miroh started with jungle sounds. But what sets Ta apart from their previous dynamic sounding title track is that it just continually builds on top of those jungle sounds, creating a party-like sound that I can’t stop gravitating to. I would gladly put this one at a party to just get it started. The melodies are addictive. Their voices are amazing. The hooks are catchy. And the atmosphere is exciting and fun. What more can you ask for? (10/10)
10. Haven – Like the previous song, Haven has this addictive and memorable party-like vibe that I am digging. It is great that the two tracks are paired next to one another, as I can play both songs without needing to skip anything in between. Haven has more of a club beat during its more upbeat moments, whilst having more of a pop sound when we are in the verses. The chorus also has this nostalgic sound it, reminding me of a few party-like sounds we have heard in KPOP. I have to admit that the rap/trap sequence in the second verse cut the flow is a slightly undesirable manner and hence I can’t give it that 10/10 rating. But everything else is worthy of a listen. (9/10)
12. Slump (Korean Version) – The Japanese version of Slump was also released alongside Top to be part of the official soundtrack of the anime, Tower of God. I really like the pop-rock path they took with this song, which is unique and different for Stray Kids. I don’t like how the vocals were autotuned during the chorus to match the autotune that the rappers had. I felt that was unnecessary and robbed the members of a chance to show off their vocals during a powerful chorus. But it is still a good song. (8/10)
I am going to take a breather today after an intense week of comebacks and post just an album review today. The chosen album of the day is IZ*ONE’s Oneiric Diary, the group’s 3rd mini-album. The album itself features the title track, Secret Story of the Swan. Also featuring on it are the Japanese version of the title track and sidetrack Merry Go Round. This release occurs after the group returned after a rocky end of 2019 with Fiesta and BLOOM*IZ, their first studio album. Given their active return to the industry in 2020, we will definitely be seeing more releases from this popular female group. But until then, let’s have a close look at Oneiric Diary.
Oneiric Diary Album Cover
1. Welcome (Intro Track) – IZ*ONE kicks things with an introductory track. The best way I can describe the instrumental is that is similar to a music box. Just a lot slower and more boring than how I remember music boxes. The introductory track also contains vocals (hence why there is a review for it) and I am amazed that they are able to fit all 12 members into a minute and a half. The vocals give the introductory song a sweet and cutesy vibe, but it doesn’t really help make the introductory track any better than slow and boring. In the lyrics, they welcome us to the album and the IZ*Land. (6/10)
3. Pretty– Pretty is a fun pop tune, with an addictive melody that is well suited for the Summery season. While the instrumental is pretty standard pop, I really enjoyed the whistling sound in the background. It adds a touch of vibrancy to the already bright and upbeat sounding song. I also really enjoyed their vocals in this song. The song brought out their vocals in a strong manner. We aren’t talking powerhouse vocals, but rather a vocal style that feels perfect for IZ*ONE. I am completely fine with the rapping, though I wonder how the song would have turned out if they infused some edge into the song via the rap sequence. I think it would have been epic. But all together as it is, pretty is probably the one word I would use to describe the song in a nutshell. Overall, Pretty brings a smile to my face and I really enjoyed it. (10/10)
4. Merry Go Round (회전목마) – We go retro with Merry Go Round. I really like the funky disco-like instrumental that opens up the song. While the instrumental remains upbeat and fun-sounding, the funky and retro disco-like instrumentation just isn’t as prevalent anymore as the song progressed, which was mildly disappointing. Covering up this flaw are the vocals. They were very clear and crisp. I really enjoyed the melodies that bring out their voices in this song. The melodies were memorable and catchy. I would have liked a bit of rapping in this song. I felt like that element was really needed and I think a really cool funky sequence would have added more substance to this song. (8/10)
5. Rococo – The main issue that I have with Rocco is that the vocals felt like it was in the foreground of the song too much. It just didn’t feel like it was mixed well into the instrumental and they felt disconnected at times. Standalone, the two elements were okay. The instrumental is more of your typical pop sound from recent times. It just has no character. I also got the impression that it was rather empty and needed more to be filled up. The vocal work was also a little typical and they too felt like could have used some backing or definition to give it some oomph. They weren’t bad in any sense, just needed more. Maybe that is why they felt too disconnected. (6/10)
6. With*One – We end the album with the mandatory ballad. Unlike the preceding song, With*One felt a lot more cohesive and sounded quite nice. I couldn’t help but think some of their higher pitches were a tad too high for my liking and so some of the vocals came off a little screechy for my liking. Despite that, there were some good melodies, especially in the chorus. I like the pop feel of the instrumental, which prevented an eye roll once I had realized it was that mandatory ballad. I also like the way they ended the song, with all the members harmonizing. (8/10)
It is time for another Monday release review. Rather than a comeback, it is a debut. WEEEKLY’s debut, to be more specific. WEEEKLY is a female group, with an average age of 17 and comes from PlayM Entertainment, which is also the home-base of APINK and VICTON. There are seven members to this group and they are Soojin, Jiyoon, Monday, Soeun, Jaehee, Jihan, and Zoa. Their debut single is Tag Me or @Me and it features on their debut mini-album, We Are. (For this review, I will be using the plain English title).
Tag Me may not seem like your strong debut song at first. But it gets better and better with every listen! There are parts of the song that I still don’t enjoy. And frankly, I don’t see myself falling for those parts any time soon given how they are relative to the rest of the song. But there are sections and elements that I am really digging. And I will quickly run through those. The first section has to be the chanting starter/pre-chorus of the song. It starts the song off in a bold manner and the guitars that accompany this section (and features throughout the verse) adds a little cool flair to the song. The second section has to the chorus. The catchy melodies, the great vocals and the refreshing energy that comes the instrumental are all just so likeable. I will gladly put the song on replay just for the chorus alone. The third is the second half of the bridge, which is where the vocals come into play. The good thing is that the positive aspects outweigh the bad ones. It is mainly the trap sequence for the rap sequence that follows the first chorus. It just did not fit and felt very unnecessary. Likewise, the first half of the bridge with the instrumental break was not needed in this song. It just didn’t fit in with the bubbly sound that Tag Me presents us.
It is a cute music video, featuring the members as part-time school students and part-time social media addicts. The entire song’s lyrics are all about being individualistic and showing this to their crush on their timeline, which explains the social media references in the lyrics. Aside from the choreography and closeup formula, the music video also shoots a bit outside, which I like. It doesn’t feel like the members are cramped up on a boxed set.
While I thought they were just there for stylistic purposes, the group does perform on stage with the desks. This is pretty unique and suits the school concept. The way they move the desks about doesn’t distract you from the actual choreography. As much as I dislike the instrumental break in the first half of the bridge, the dance that accompanies was actually quite good.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 7.5/10 Overall Rating – 7.9/10
Crashing in as the first release of the second half of 2020 is VERIVERY’s Thunder. VERIVERY recently just participated in the Road To Kingdom competition and placed 5th overall. Whilst on the show, the group performed and covered Photo, Mansae, On and gogbebe. And as part of the finale episode, VERIVERY released Beautiful-X, which is featured as a sidetrack alongside Thunder, on their fourth mini-album. Prior to all of this, we last saw VERIVERY promote Lay Back at the start of the year. But that was pre-Road To Kingdom. Let’s see what VERIVERY has to offer us post-Road To Kingdom.
Thunder rivals Lay Back as the group’s edgiest and darkest comeback to date. What makes Thunder just a step more edgy and dark than their previous comeback are those eerie background sounds you can hear in the instrumental, along with the deep autotuned whispering at the start of the song (courtesy of Donghyun). The instrumental consist of a strong synth base and 808 bass. And all of this helps deliver a very captivating instrumental in my opinion, as there was a lot of textures to really dig into and enjoy. In addition to the instrumental, I find the vocal work to be quite powerful. This really helps make the song sound even more epic and fitting for the energy that the instrumental really aims for in the chorus. The rapping also adds a dynamic layer to the song and adds further intensity to the song that makes it sound even better. While a dark and edgy sound might not be the most original thing in the industry right now, what VERIVERY has managed to do with it is quite impressive and feels like they are evolving.
If you cast your mind back to their gogobebe stage of Road To Kingdom, VERIVERY had incorporated a missing poster for Kangmin, which is from this music video. And that poster is the basis of Thunder‘s music video. Kangmin is missing and the members go searching for him (Stranger Things vibes). They manage to track him down towards the end. But thunder starts striking Kangmin. And it starts coming out of him, as well. Determined to save their friend, the other members run up and grab him. Our screen goes black, and during the credits, we see all the members huddling in a group. But they aren’t celebrating the success of their mission. Instead, they are very still. I was lowkey expecting a jump scare or some sot of a post-credit scene for us to see what happened to the members. In addition to the ‘what happened to the members’ question, we need to ask whether Kangmin was possessed, as his facial expressions and body language hints towards that. However, it wouldn’t explain why he was running away from the members for most of the video (did he know he was possessed or dangerous?). I also wonder how (or if) this video relates to Lay Back, as they are part of a series. Many questions to be answered. But a really intriguing storyline and close up shots in this video.
What a performance. I really enjoyed how in sync they were with one another. It made the performance really powerful and worth watching. And I really liked how this powerful nature extended for the dance/instrumental break just before the final chorus. The ending of the performance was super eerie, carrying that feeling over from the music video. My favourite part of the performance, however, has to be that segment right after the first chorus where they are yelling ‘Keep Going On‘. Them yelling and dancing at the same time looked pretty cool and showcases a different level of edgy.
Song – 9/10 Music Video 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
I now take a bit of a breather from the Monday releases to review 2 more recent comebacks. The first is the major comeback that Lee Jin Hyuk made yesterday with Bedlam. This is the UP10TION member’s first solo comeback after he made his solo debut earlier in the year with I Like That. Fellow member Kim Woo Seok who participated in Produce X 101 alongside with Lee Jin Hyuk also made his solo debut in May. Yet, we have not seen these two members return to their UP10TION lineup and capitalise on their newfound popularity. It is a bit of a mystery to why this has yet to occur. But we can only hope that a comeback will happen soon with all 10 members soon. In the meantime, here is Lee Jin Hyuk to hopefully appease those UP10TION cravings.
As boring as I felt I Like Thatwas, I can’t help but think it is a lot more refined than what we have here. Actually, no. The word to use instead of ‘refined’ in that initial statement is ‘better’. From what I could get, Bedlam has a really nice fun-sounding instrumental, suitable for the upbeat hip-hop style that Lee Jin Hyuk’s solo release was aiming for. And from what I can hear, it had a decent level of brightness to make it well suited for the Summer season. However, it is all masked with Lee Jin Hyuk’s vocals, which I did not think was fun or Summery. You might want to give a song a listen first before seeing how I judged his delivery, in case this song might be your style. The last thing I want to do is turn you away from a track that you would have enjoyed. For me personally, I felt Lee Jin Hyuk was shouting the entire time. It felt overwhelming and it felt too much, to the point where I fund it hard to register the instrumental. In his defense, the song matches the title, as Bedlam can be defined as a scene of uproar of confusion. Though this doesn’t explaing the overwhelming nature of his delivery. The only part of the song that I enjoyed (coincidentally, it does not have any of Lee Jin Hyuk’s shouting in it) was the dance instrumental sequence at the ending. I liked the premature ending to the song before it threw us into that intense sequence, as this made it more impactful. It felt fitting for what had preceded it, mainly because it was also just a bunch of noise. But it gave the song some edge and something more appealing than his vocals. I hate to be brutally honest, but I just couldn’t sugar coat things this time around.
If the music video was indicative of what Bedlam was meant to sound like, it was definitely meant to be upbeat, bright, hip-hop and fun-sounding. It is quite disappointing that the visuals had to tell you what type of song it was meant to be. But for the music video specifically, it wasn’t that bad. Lee Jin Hyuk starts off as an office worker, who seemed to have a really tough day. So once the day was literally over, he let loose in the office. He definitely makes a mess in the office and in life (based on the breaking news story segment). He also goes wild at a Chinese buffet restaurant and on the computer screen. But it nice to know that Lee Jin Hyuk knows when to tone it down once the day restarts, returning to a professional office manner (and a mask!). Apart from making a mess, I really enjoyed the different choreography shots, as they looked quite flashy thanks to the lighting and post-production.
The best part of the performance has to be the dance sequence at the end of the song. Not because it was my most favourite part of the song, but it showed off a really intense choreography that allowed Lee Jin Hyuk to flex some of his dancing skills. The rest of the performance was quite chaotic, even during the routine moments. And I must admit, they do fit in well with the song.
Song – 4/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 6/10
The next Monday comeback that I want to review is 3YE’s YESSIR, the title track off their 1st mini-album, Triangle. For me, 3YE was basically a 2020 underrated discovery, with both their first (OOMM) and second comeback song (Queen) attracting a great deal of my attention. So when I heard they were making their comeback, I had to schedule the review to be much closer to their actual comeback date (or else this review would have been scheduled many weeks later, which wouldn’t be ideal). It is still a few days late, but it better than a month later! And before it turns into a month late review, let’s get into it.
Powerful would be the word that I would describe YESSIR. The music and aura that the trio of members gives off in this song are just so powerful, that I find it well-aligned with their previous releases that I have reviewed. The song’s instrumental consist of a marching band line and brass elements, which is a pretty solid base. I really like how the brass goes from a deep tone in the verses to more vibrant in the chorus. It keeps the song from becoming overloaded by playing with what is already there. The synths in this song go with an electro dance-pop sound and the melodies go into a strong hip-hop domain. It may sound quite messy and loaded, but that is actually how the YouTube description describes the song. And everything comes together quite well. I liked the way they came at you during the verses and that is thanks to their rapping and vocal work. The chorus was a bit of a miss for me. While I did like how the instrumental felt more defined and that it continued the momentum and energy that the members built up in the verses, it noticeably lacked a strong hook to help bring the song into the ‘memorable’ category. The melodies were fine, but they didn’t seem enough. The post-chorus instrumental (which also played at the start of the song, kicking the song off in a bold manner) was powerful, but I wanted more out the members than the shouty ‘Yessir‘ and ‘A-Ha‘ lines they keep throwing at us. But overall, it is still a powerful song that continually proves my point about their underrated status.
The song is about attracting attention once they had undergone a dramatic transformation. The lyrics question why people have become surprised at what they have become after the change and how those people feel now that they had underestimated the members. And to match that, we see guns being pointed at the members, masked people all turning their heads towards the members and the members just becoming intimidating in this music video. I liked the cinematography in this music video which really helps capture some epic and impactful moments. What also helped the epicness of the music video was the sheer amount of dancers they had in it. It felt like an army and it felt like the members had a following to intimidate us with.
Unfortunately, the stage doesn’t share that same epic feeling as the group has to downgrade to only a few dancers. But they don’t tone down their dance moves, keeping with that powerful concept that you could feel in the music and video. I also really liked their charisma in the performance, which helps to make the performance more powerful.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8.5/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.2/10
The fourth release from Monday that I will be reviewing is Love Me Harder, which is the solo comeback by soloist WOODZ, who may be more familiar now as Cho Seung Youn. Fans started to know of Cho Seung Youn through his participation in Produce X 101, where he placed 5th and debuted as part of the now-defunct X1. But the solo artist has quite an extensive connection to the KPOP industry including being a former member of UNIQ (a South Korean and Chinese idol group), participated in Show Me The Money 5 and went on to debut as a solo artist under the name Luizy and WOODZ, with the latter being his currently used name in the industry at the moment. So with a history like that, it seems like WOODZ is an act to look out for. Let’s have a listen to his return to mainstream KPOP through his new single.
Kicking off Love Me Harder is this addictive whistling melody in the instrumental. It is short at first, but its repetition really drives it into your memory. It also adds a classy yet fun element to the song. The rest of the instrumental is made of a deep bass beat, which really drives the song along. When the two would merge together for the final chorus, you would have a very strong and exciting instrumental combination. And all these elements seem to quite trendy, which helps the song fit in neatly with the current era. WOODZ, for a sub-vocalist and main-rapper during his time in UNIQ, has a very strong and versatile set of vocals which he shows off really nicely in this song. There is a breathy nature to the vocals that adds colour to the song. I really liked the bridge of the song, where it sounds like he far away. Interesting texture there. He has a strong rap in the second verse and I would definitely like to hear more of it in the future. In addition to all of this, Love Me Harder has great rhythm, catchy hooks and appealing energy that will have me returning for many more listens. For someone who was practically unknown to me, WOODZ has proven to be worthy of my radar and I will definitely be checking in with his future releases. And you can attribute Love Me Harder to this.
We see two alter egos of WOODZ in the music video. Let’s say one of them is the Edgy one (i.e. leather jacket) and the other is the ‘Boy Next Door’ type of guy. The video starts off with WOODZ’s ‘Boy Next Door’ version getting into an argument with his girlfriend, who leaves him. Edgy WOODZ gets on top of the car that they were in and this forced ‘Boy next door’ WOODZ to get out and exit a crime scene (i.e. his car). We presume that the girlfriend is dead. Confused, ‘Boy Next Door’ WOODZ searches for Edgy WOODZ thinking that Edgy WOODZ had something to do with the crime. This leads ‘Boy Next Door’ WOODZ to a hideout full of illegitimate bills. Edgy WOODZ sends the ‘Boy Next Door’ WOODZ back to the car and we see the start play out all over again. ‘Boy Next Door’ WOODZ gets angry and has a go at Edgy WOODZ, but then it dawns on him. WOODZ’s girlfriend had shot him and stole the money that ‘Boy Next Door’ WOODZ had printed. The crime scene that he stepped out of was his own (which allowed him to leave the scene unnoticed, as he is dead) and Edgy WOODZ was basically taunting ‘Boy Next Door’ WOODZ the entire time for his naivety and stupidity. It is a bit confusing in words, but I thought this was a great music video with an awesome storyline.
Not only do the dancers help fill up the stage, but they also give WOODZ an opportunity to focus on the live element of the performance. During the verses, they do all of the choreography while WOODZ sings and rap. A prime example of this is the entire second verse when they form a circle on the floor around him. When WOODZ does participate in the choreography, those moves actually looked quite good. WOODZ puts a lot of effort in to make up for the lack of choreography on his part during the verse for those sections and I liked the hand gun action. I would like to see a version where he does more dancing, but overall a good stage.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 10/10 Performance – 7.5/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
It is time to catch up on those Monday reviews from yesterday. The first for today (and the third from yesterday overall) is AB6IX with THE ANSWER, which is featured on the group’s second mini-album, Vivid. This is also the group’s first comeback with a four member lineup, after Lim Youngmin departed the group after a DUI incident at the end of the last month. This resulted in the postponement of the comeback, which was originally scheduled for the start of June, so that the remaining members could rework their comeback to fit the altered lineup. Let’s see how the group fairs as a quartet.
AB6IX’s previous two songs, Breathe and Blind for Love, both had a very distinctive house sound to it, which really helped form the group’s solid first steps into the industry. But it seems they step away from that and enter more trendy areas of music with THE ANSWER, which conforms to the trendy mashup of a funky style and trap. While I would have liked them to keep to their original sound in some capacity, THE ANSWER is definitely a great segue into a different area of music. The song is quite upbeat and colourful, which brings a completely different atmosphere to the group. It is definitely less moody and more lighthearted, which helps makes the song more enjoyable especially for the Summer season. There seem to be hip-hop vibes in the song, thanks to the various melodies that the group employs throughout the song. I personally don’t mind the bulk of these and thought they blended well with the new sound. The only hook that I wasn’t completely satisfied with was the pre-chorus. It should have had the strongest and punchiest hook of the song, but it ended up bringing a sluggish feel. Something a little bolder or powerful would have really helped give the song some of that much-needed impact. The same thing could have said about the backing of the Woojin’s rap sequences. His delivery was quite good, but I just wished the backbone was a little more captivating. Overall, it is a good song to reintroduce us to AB6IX. While this might be a step into other genres of music, I wish that their company will allow them to revisit their original sound in the future.
You may notice that the music video for features all five members. That is because the company decided it would be too difficult to re-shoot the music video and hence Lim Youngmin would be edited out instead, whilst the songs and album would be re-recorded. To me, I find this a bit cruel for both Lim Youngmin and his personal fans. I personally would have preferred to wait a little longer for a music video with just the remaining four members. Aside from that topic, the music video was quite colourful to match the upbeat atmosphere of the song and the Summery season. It did capture a playful and youthful side of the group. But overall, it was rather boring for me. There just wasn’t much else going on in the video aside from choreography and closeups (its that formula again).
I am unsure of the situation, though it seems like Woojin is still injured. During the more intensive sections of the performance, he would walk off stage instead of joining in. When he is present for the final chorus, his moves seem a little stiff. I am not complaining about his lack of participation, though. I am actually more impressed that they still found room for him in this performance, rather than making him sit in a chair on the side (which is the case for most injuries). I also like the playfulness of the performance, especially the human swings formed by the backup dancers and members for Daehwi and Woong.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 6/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.2/10
Welcome back to the Past Album Review segment, where I look at an album from an earlier year. Today, I will be focusing on fromis_9’s second mini-album, To. Day, which features the title track, DKDK. The album was released back in June 2018 and did not feature Jang Gyuri as she was participating in Produce 48 at the time. The reason that I chose fromis_9 for an album review this time as it has been some time since we last heard from them (their most recent single was FUN!, which was released back in Summer of last year). Hopefully, we will hear news of a fromis_9 comeback soon. But in the meanwhile, here is an album review to suffice that fromis_9 desire.
To. Day Album Cover
1. Close To You (다가가고 싶어) – The album opens up with a short track. Not short as like an introductory track like on other albums, but it might be able to pass as one. As there are lyrics (the narration), instrumentals and the song goes for a much longer period than standard introductory tracks, I will be treating it as one. The members narrate some words about falling in love over extremely light and soft instrumentation. Their narration is actually quite sweet-sounding and works well with the soft instrumentation. I did have a read through the English translations, and everything came off as innocent and wholesome, suitable for the cutesy image that the group started off with. My only problem is that the start and end made it feel like a full-fledged song, so I was a little disappointed when there weren’t those usual elements standard to a song (i.e. vocals, melodies, hooks etc.). (5/10)
2. Think Of You (너를 따라, 너에게) – While I do like the pop sound of Think Of You, I find the vocals to not fit as snuggly into the song as I had hoped. Take the first pre-chorus, as an example. They tried to infuse some rapping into the song through a rap-sing delivery. They might have done this for a cute effect, but it just felt uncomfortable in my opinion. The same thing can be said about the bridge. The vocals felt confined or very narrow-minded with that cutesy concept. I felt that they could have thrown in some good high notes then to begin the wrap-up procedures. What I did like were the melodies during the chorus, which felt very Fromis_9-like to me (see their debut track and DKDK, below). I also thought the instrumentation was quite bright and nice, which really helped make the song appealing to me. I just wish the vocals were more refined and polished. (7/10)
3. DKDK (두근두근) (Title Track) – I originally gave this song a 7/10 ranking. Upon reconsideration and the amount of time has passed, I had decided to bump the song up by one ranking. Click here to read the original review for DKDK.(8/10)
4. 22Century Girl (22세기 소녀) – 22Century Girl feels like your typical KPOP track from a female group, but it leans somewhat away from that label. Firstly, I like the Summery vibes. It is very refreshing and fun listen. The instrumental has a lot of textures going on, thanks to the various sound effects that the producers had inserted. It makes the song interesting and less mundane than other tracks. The chorus surprisingly has fewer effects in comparison to the verses (or they were a lot more subtle to notice), making it sound relatively normal. This helps makes the song feel less noisy, which could have been the descriptor I used if they maintained the use of random textures throughout the chorus. I also like how their vocals help ground the song, yet they sound very bubbly and bright. And such, it makes the song appealing to listen to. (8/10)
5. Clover – Clover puts the group’s vocals into the limelight. All the members sounded really nice in this song. In particular, I really like the raspy nature of Jisun’s voice at the start of the song. Jisun alone caught my attention (good job Jisun!) and had me listening to the rest of the song. It is a sweet song, with a nice pop instrumental. There is a bit of guitar in the instrumental, alongside the synths that form a fair portion of the instrumental. I like the melodies. While they help create the feel of your typical KPOP track, they also give off a nostalgic feel, reminding me of some songs from earlier in the 2010 decade. And because of this, I will be revisiting the song often as it is now on my playlists. (10/10)
6. First Love – It seems like the song following DKDK on this album are superior, in my point of view, then the songs preceding the title track. First Love has the same effect. It is a strong upbeat number to end the album on a much more positive note than how the album started. Like in the previous song, First Love brings out some nostalgic vibes. I personally feel that this song could have been a dynamic number from APINK. I like how the instrumental has a bit of texture to it, thanks to the guitars. I also like the energy that the group brings to the song, thanks to their vocals and melodies. The hooks were catchy and fun. (8.5/10)
KPOPREVIEWED 