It is already shaping to be one busy week with the comeback of multiple artists and we are only one the second day. Joining the comeback rush this week is WJSN, who returns with As You Wish and their 7th mini-album (which also shares the same name as the title track). This is their third comeback of 2019 following La La Love and their summer hit, Boogie Up. The comeback is also their fourth comeback to not feature the Chinese members.
It seems like WJSN has moved on from the fantastical sound that they have been associated with. As You Wish instead opt for a more traditional pop sound, which I think the group did elevate using their vocals. It is a very clean song, showcasing vocals and a short rap sequence without any hindrance. This allowed for each of the members to shine throughout the song, as I don’t think I picked up on weak moments in this song. The track was refreshing almost, given that WJSN has developed a sound for themselves. And as much as I am a fan of that certain sound, I do think As You Wish manages to showcase a different side of the group without going a little too far out of the comfort zone of fans. I also found the song to be very catchy, which really help bosts its likeability. Another great thing about this track is that the line distribution seems to be a lot fairer than usual. Exy, who is the rapper of the group, usually gets a small section of the song but this time around, she had 3 parts. Likewise, the members who have gotten fewer lines in the past had slightly more than usual.
Despite the slight change in song sound, the music video is pretty much right up WJSN’s alley. What the ladies depicted in this video is a switchboard or contact centre for wishes. They collect all the wishes that people like us make and they approve of those wishes so that it can become true. Not exactly sure what they were doing while they sitting in a circle, though they would have something to do with granting wishes. Finally, they sit in carriages that move across the night sky, which I assume they are depicting shooting stars. I found this to be a very pretty video, highlighting the member’s visuals throughout the many closeup shots we got of each member.
For those who didn’t notice, Yeonjung didn’t participate in the choreography shots in the music video due to an injury (I too did not notice until I read the comments section). Though it seems like she is okay now as she was featured in the live performance that was uploaded on the 1THEK channel today. As for the choreography, I liked how graceful the moves were in this performance, which I thought matched the song quite well.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.3/10
2019 has been a big year for rookies, particularly the ones formed featuring the members of Wanna One. All of the members have released music in the past year and many have or are gearing up for their second comeback. Joining this list is CIX, which features Bae Jin Young. Alongside BX, Seunghun, Yonghee and Hyunsuk, CIX returns today with Numb, and their second mini-album, Hello Chapter 2: Hello, Strange Place. This follows CIX’s Korean and Japanese debut with Movie Star.
Numb felt like a smooth song at first. The verses give off a nice melodic feel, which made the song feel promising for me and potentially a great followup to Movie Star. But the EDM drop that featured in the song dispelled this quite quickly. It did break that promising feeling and it feels very different to their debut track. But it isn’t all bad news. Instead, it introduces a new level of intensity, which makes the song feel intriguing. It all leads the song into unexpected territory for me (relative to how the song started). I just felt there should have been a transition between the verses and chorus to make the song feel more cohesive. Instead, the chorus is literally detached from the rest of the track. I also felt like the song could have been a little more catchy as I find it hard to identify any strong hooks in the song minus the foreign influence in the chorus. The vocals and rapping are great. The lyrics of the song also seem to add an extra layer of tension, with it looking like the lyrics are taking a stab at modern societal pressures of students in a school setting, around friends, bullies and overall doing well at school.
The music video even goes to that length of depicting a school setting. But in a very dramatic and almost apocalyptic way. I think it shows the members being friends at one point. But I think the way the Korean education system operates is a competition between students to see who is the best, with parents assisting their children in any way possible to place their kids on top of the others. It seems like this drove a stake into the friendship of the members, as seen by the building being torn apart with two students on each half of the building. Using the school logic, if something was to happen to the other then you push ahead to place higher than them. But Bae Jin Young takes a stand in the music video, offering a hand to the friend who would have fallen to their death in the music video, which I think is a subtle way of saying that things should be just that one way. It is a video concept that depicts the problem in an extreme manner. But it effortlessly makes the point clear.
I thought the dance for this was really good. The chorus routine was very powerful, fitting for the EDM that the song opted for in that section. The verses were good but I don’t think they were amazing standout parts like the chorus. I also think the choreographers/company are favouring Bae Jin Younga little too much. He was in the centre of the performance a fair bit, leaving the best of the members with little centre time. Not his fault though, as this would be at the discretion of their company and production team.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 7.5/10 Overall Rating – 7.7/10
Yesterday, I reviewed Blueming, IU’s official comeback to the music industry and stage. And this song, along with every other song on the album has been rising to the top end of the digital charts in Korea, once again proving her power in the industry. In the Blueming review, I mentioned that IU had released another music video for Above The Time, which is observed as the follow-up to the storyline presented to us in You & I (IU’s 2012 hit). Before reviewing today’s comebacks, let’s have a dive into this song and video.
Listening to the start of the Above The Time, you are given the impression that it is going to be a ballad. We get an orchestral instrumental during the first verse and chorus, which really sounds amazing. This style is something we have heard IU do before and it makes her vocals breathtaking. After the first chorus, a drumbeat is incorporated into the song, giving hint that the song might not be as linear as we thought. And it still manages to pair well with her vocals. The biggest twist comes during the bridge of the track. It starts off like an orchestral instrumental break. But it switches it up completely with a folksy piece. It is a complete change-up but it manages to click into place without a hitch, which is rather intriguing. The two styles (folksy and orchestral ballad) end up merging together for a second before we go back to the ballad roots of the song. It is a rollercoaster to listen to. But you will not be disappointed if you listen to it. I particularly liked the ending, as it felt like another mini-rollercoaster in the song. The track slows down and then reincorporates a dramatic piece to give it that epic finish to an awesome ballad-like track.
As mentioned previously, the music video brings back the storyline in You & I (the one with the sleeping guy and the IU travelling through time with a goose to wake him up). Well, the same actor (Lee Hyun Woo) returns to reprise his role as the guy. Since waking up, he has been living in a similar building to which he was asleep. The calendar on the bookshelf points to the 31st of December 2019, which is the same date that IU travelled to the future in order for him to wake up. And so from the moment he woke up, he had been awaiting the arrival of IU. He shows us his wrist, which contains the clock face that IU had drew on his wrist in You & I (which might be a hint to the particular time). In preparation for her return, she drops a goose feather from the frozen goose in You & I, which started to bring Lee Hyun Woo’s memory back of the time before his deep sleep (i.e the bright scenes in which Lee Hyun Woo and IU were dancing), which results in his emotional breakdown. I assume that IU did this to not cause him any pain during the long wait. Not exactly sure how the clock face on his wrist disappeared but it became a picture of a flower on his hand (which IU had drawn in the past), signalling the that his memories were, in fact, true and that it was time for him to find a way to IU. This leads to the ladder and paper boat that I am hoping reunites Lee Hyun Woo and IU after all this time. That is my interpretation of the video but some details can be incorrectly interpreted. But it is amazing that You & I got its sequel, as I had never expected this actually occurs.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 10/10 Overall Rating – 10/10
One of the most popular soloists in KPOP is officially back with a brand new mini-album!!! IU, dubbed as a digital queen and ‘nation’s little sister’, returned today with her 9th mini-album, Love Poem, and the lead title track, Blueming. Other notable releases from IU and this mini-album is the pre-release single which shares the same name as the mini-album; and Above The Time, which is the followup track (and music video) to IU’s 2012 release, You & I (excuse my early days of reviewing). I will be reviewing Above The Time tomorrow, so make sure to check back tomorrow for the review!
I expected something a little softer from IU for this comeback for some unknown reason. Maybe it is her previous comebacks and song releases talking to me. So when I heard Blueming, I was pleasantly surprised by its upbeat atmosphere. The rock electro-pop instrumental had a fun vibe to it, which made me instantly smile while listening to it for the first time. And I could tell from the first listen that this song will be rather addictive to listen to. The addictiveness can be attributed to a number of elements. The instrumental for one, especially when it came to the amped-up chorus, really helped engrave the song into my mind. This section alone was my favourite part of the song. The ‘I Feel Blue/Bloom‘ repetition was a close second. IU, herself, sounds amazing in the song. But this was highly expected. Together, everything went well together and it comes off as a perfect track. And perfection is something that seems to be associated with IU with every one of her albums and songs.
The music video is visually stunning. IU herself was extremely pretty during the video and I loved her acting and expressions throughout the three and a half minutes. My favourite part is the exploding lockers, which was a scene with both good acting and pretty looks from the artist. As for the plotline, I am not too sure about what is going on the video though. It seems like her crush is hitting on her and the feeling is mutual. But when she goes to reciprocate the mutual feelings, her crush takes it the wrong way. I think it is due to the fact that both don’t really talk to one another (i.e. we never see this person and they don’t interact). But once both realize that they need to interact with each other, they do so by ‘exchanging’ balloons (the only words we got from the other party is ‘Read Me’ on the grey balloon), which I am assuming is a metaphor for conversation. That is my interpretation of the video but I would love to read others, so feel free to share below!
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9.6/10
With Infinite on hiatus due to military enlistment, Woolim Entertainment is currently looking at their other male group to help fill the void in their company. The only problem is that Golden Child has been notably absent from the stage for over a year (the group did release Spring Again earlier in the year, but this was not promoted). So after their long hiatus, the company has decided to ‘relaunch’ the group, giving the younger group the ‘dark concept’ baton that Infinite was well-known for with WANNABE. Let’s see how Golden Child fairs with the new song and style.
Sometimes a change in sound is what the group needs to make them big. Take Girl’s Day as an example. Girl’s Day was popular with their cutesy concept but never would have reached their peak if they didn’t move onto a sexier and powerful sound. So by applying the same logic, WANNABE would hopefully be Golden Child’s turning point. And I personally think that this can be achieved. WANNABE is a good track. It isn’t groundbreaking, which I had expected given the use of the term ‘relaunch’. But there is enough to introduce me to a new side of Golden Child that I would like to see return in the future. The group didn’t flat out copy Infinite’s style, which would an obvious mistake. While I did hear some Infinite influence during the pre-chorus (the melody reminded me of The Eye), the group places a lot more emphasis on the instrumental mix. At times it felt smooth, other times you can feel the compressed tension. It felt a lot rougher with the EDM, but surprisingly not as intense as their senior counterpart. The vocal work was pretty good, but the rapping felt a little lacking in this track. I would have expected it to be a lot heavier and impactful. I also find the song to have a really catchy chorus, which helps earn the song ticks.
I do not know why but I found the use of black and gold in the music video to be very satisfying. Like it is an obvious choice with the use of a darker concept and the fact that their group name alludes to the use of gold colour. But it gave the video a fair amount of aesthetics. Some of the gray also came off as silver, which I thought looked really cool as well. I also thought the visual effects made this video look good as well, with black rocks bursting into gold specks as the members run towards the camera.
With the new darker side of the group prevailing, the choreography seems to take a more mature approach. A fair amount of body rolls and thigh dragging was present in the choreography during the slower parts of the song. During the more upbeat sections, the moves are a lot faster and matching with the EDM. I liked the choreography overall but felt the dance breaks could have been a lot more intense.
Song – 7.5/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.6/10
Another very exciting comeback today is by Mamamoo. The female quartet returned with HIP and their second studio-length album, reality in BLACK. This is their first comeback since their gogobebe comeback earlier this year and their participation in the girl group competition show, Queendom. (which the group ended up winning as well). I do have a Queendom-related post coming your way, so keep your eyes peeled for that. In the meantime, let’s have a listen to HIP.
I already think HIP is an excellent addition to Mamamoo’s discography, despite it only being released a few hours ago. The track brings their edgy side in an elegant manner. It doesn’t get too wild but it doesn’t get too soft like some of last year’s releases. There is a hip-hop influence that we have seen from the group through their last comeback. I think that hip-hop style really brings out a different side to the group. We get to hear more of Moonbyul rapping, while the other members got to showcase a softer rap-speak style, which I thought was rather cool. We also can’t really talk about their vocals. HIP doesn’t sound like their strongest vocal performance. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a great vocal performance. The softer vocals that they went for is rather smooth. I also dig the upbeat dance instrumental, with a lot of ear-catching moments including the guitar riff and the brass to just name a few. Overall, I find it a fun and catchy song that might find itself on top of a few charts over the coming weeks.
In preparation for this comeback, the teaser images showed us what Mamamoo would be like in 3 other alternative universes. These alternative versions were also the main star of the video. Moonbyul could potentially be a music video director, choreographer or a CEO of a successful entertainment company. Hwasa either could be a mother, the president or a music actor. Solar’s alter-egos were a rock star, boxer or a princess, while Wheein was either an environmentalist, indie artist or a painter. Though, I think we all prefer Mamamoo in the 1st universe, where they are the performing group. I did like the concept and I thought it made for an interesting video. I liked how each universe didn’t feature the member’s alter-egos alone and showed them interacting with one another. For example, Hwasa and Moonbyul paused to take a picture at Wheein’s rally, while Solar is running away from the palace guards. I think the video also shows off the meaning behind of the lyrics well. No matter the outer gear, they will be rocking it because of their confidence. And so should you!
I really like the choreography for this comeback. The routine for the ‘Closer Closer Closer‘ chorus hook looks super cool and the dance breaks (yep, there are a few) adds an extra level of appeal to the performance. I also really like their portrayal of the edgy concept, which is very cool.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.8/10
Last month, Stray Kids made a start to their upcoming Clé: Levanter comeback with the release of Double Knot. The second pre-release single and official comeback was scheduled for November 9th and 25th, respectively. However, due to the unexpected departure of Woojin from the group, the release of both parts of the comeback was postponed. Their comeback is not been rescheduled for 9th of December, which gives times for the group to replant their new tracks in preparation for an 8-man lineup. Today, we see the release of Astronaut, the second pre-release single expected on their upcoming mini-album.
Astronaut is probably their most generic and standard track yet. That is not a bad thing, though. I still had a kick-ass time listening to the track. There is an infusion of energy in this generic form of EDM that really makes you think of good times. Actually, it makes you want to have a good time. But while the instrumental was typical, their vocal work and rapping delivery had the very important job of not making the track feel that way as a whole. And I think they successfully nailed it. The vocals were quite smooth, adding a nice contrasting to the standard EDM we got. The rapping was rather dynamic. I liked the melody they brought in via the rap sequences. It also brought in character to the song, which made it even more appealing. Overall, I thought Astronaut was a great pre-release single. Though it makes me wonder. With two very different tracks (Double Knot and Astronaut), how will the upcoming album pan out?
Eagle-eyed fans noticed that there were nine members in the music video, which is definitely a treat for fans. Though for the most part, Woojin was edited out of the music video and I wouldn’t be surprised if some scenes were reshot. As part of the Clé series, you know Astronaut is somehow connected to rest of the video. Hyunjin is the main character, as suggested by the ending of Side Effects. We also see a glimpse of the vehicle that the members rode in in Side Effects, which shocked Hyunjin for a moment (it looked like a prequel, but that scene seems to suggest otherwise). Bangchan and I.N are also now seen as important figures in the story, shown in this music video. We also get an additional suggestion that this series is somehow linked to District 9 (which I pointed out in Side Effects) based on their white clothing at the end. Other than that, I am not too sure about the ‘storyline’ of the video. Theories would be nice. And you can expect an upcoming ‘Music Video Theory’ post about this series sometime in the next year once I am a little freer to sit down and analysis every single detail of this confusing series.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 8.5/10 Overall Rating – 8.8/10
NATURE has returned once again with the release of Oopsie (My Bad). The group previously returned with I’m So Pretty in June of this year. Since then, the group has undergone a number of changes to their lineup. Gaga left the group in October to focus on her studies and Kim So Hee (known for being part for C.I.V.A and I.B.I; as) joined the group on the same day. Aurora will also sit out of this comeback due to a conflict of schedules. So through this review, let’s see how the new yet experienced addition to NATURE fairs.
Given NATURE’s past songs, Oopsie (My Bad) might be a fitting title for their discography. But at the same time, it gives off a really childish first impression to the song. But that childish impression doesn’t stay for long. Oopsie is rather bold with its execution, with the verses pretty much shouting right at you. The chorus, which I find to be very addictive now that I have given the song a few runs, follows that same vibe and works incredibly well. NATURE manages to infuse some sort of fun into the mix and they just don’t compromise in any way. I do think their singing and ‘rapping’ isn’t their best. But the bold direction and instrumental really makes this a stand out track. However, I can imagine people being dissatisfied with the song. And I completely understand that. The shouting in the verses is probably obnoxious to many. It was the first time I heard it. But a few more runs of Oopsie showed how much fun the song could be, which is a common thread in NATURE’s songs. What I am trying to get there (besides showing my opinion) is that the song was ‘out there’ but also consistent with their prior work.
A common fairytale story that a number of KPOP music videos have tackled is Alice In Wonderland. And it seems like this music video is another addition to the lineup and I am really getting bored of it. This one doesn’t have a rabbit. Instead, it seems like the girls accidentally drink a potion. But instead of growing small to fit through the small door, the girls are supersized and find themselves stuck in a dollhouse. Other than that, I couldn’t find another mistake for them to go ‘Oopsie’ over. It is also another colourful video, fitting for their known style.
Something I wished the performance did incorporate was some energy into the dance. I think the chorus was begging for it. But they ended going with something over energy and I felt the momentum that the song channelled was drained as a result. Unfortunately, this comment stayed relevant throughout the performance.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 5/10 Overall Rating – 7.1/10
Sorry about the day late release for this album review.
N.Flying started this year off incredibly strong with the release of Rooftop, which rose to the top of the South Korean digital charts. The group then returned with Spring Memories which would be considered a pretty unsuccessful comeback, considering it didn’t get them further exposure or onto the charts. Last month, the band tried again with another mini-album, Yaho, which featured Good Bam. And I consider this to be the better comeback to follow up their incredible climb on the charts. But unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to get enough attention. So to help draw at least one or two of my reader’s attention to the album and title track, here is my album review.
2. Autumn Dream – Autumn Dream feels like a song fitting for the season that the title suggests. But instead of going with a cliché ballad that the band has previously done before, they throw in a slight rock influence, which gives it a unique spin. I find the vocals to be quite nice in this song, with some flair included towards the end with the high note. I did like its pleasantness, which is why I though it was fitting for the season of Fall. Overall, I find it well balanced between N.Flying’s crazy side and their more mellow side. (8/10)
3. Pardon? (ㅈㅅ) – We return to the band’s wild side with Pardon. It is a fun number that feels full of energy. Unfortunately, the song does come off as a mess in my opinion. There is a lot going on despite its light-hearted direction and I felt that everything vocally felt clumped together. The borders around the chorus felt very blurred and this added to the clumped feeling I got from the song. The song also didn’t have much of a breather, which I would have preferred instead of listening to 2:50 minutes of them just throwing lyrics at us. It is still listenable, so don’t take my negative comments the wrong way. (6/10)
4. 4242 – Now this is the fun song that doesn’t feel like it was a clumping mess. Instead, the band opts for a groovy upbeat track for 4242. Vocally, I thought the song was superb and showed off a fair amount of their talents (singing and rapping combined). I love that jazzy swing instrumental break, which I think would have been really fun (especially if there were a few instrumental adlibs thrown into the mix during a special live performance). I thoroughly enjoyed this song and wouldn’t mind listening to it on a loop. (9/10)
5. Sunset – Finishing off the album is Sunset. It is a feel-good song, where the members literally are in awe with every aspect about their crush. It is another nice yet simple track. If I were to be critical about it, it does stay relatively linear and it does come off a little plain, especially as we get towards the end. But it another enjoyable track from the group and it finishes the album on a relatively good note. The vocals were also nice and so was the melody for Sunset. (8/10)
Last Sunday we saw the debut of HINAPIA, a five-member female group under OSR Entertainment. The group has received extra attention as it features four former PRISTIN members: Minkyeong (formerly Roa), Gyeongwon (formerly Yuha), Eunwoo and Yaebin (formerly Rena) and new member, Bada. The group made their debut with Drip. In related news, PRISTIN was confirmed to have disbanded in May of this year after months of speculation from fans due to a lack of group activity.
What I have noticed in 2019 so far is that the female groups that are debuting are not messing around. There hasn’t been many cutesy concepts, which has been the default concept for newly debuting girl groups in the past years. Drip continues the strong female sound that has dominated 2019 so far. It opens with what I consider to be a very addictive ‘Drip Drip Drip‘ hook. I also like how they incorporate the same hook into the chorus. It also feels very seductive and smooth. I like the beat of the song, even though it sounds very typical. It helps contribute to the addictive nature of the song. I do admit there is some monotonal consistency throughout the song but I thought it really helped make the song feel mature and as already pointed out, seductive. I did like the singing and rapping, though they don’t really show off much in this song. I wished they did show off a bit to really give us a taste of what they have to offer the industry. A great debut track.
As part of my research, I found out that there were two versions of the music video. The original was taken down for what I assumed was due to complaints about the portrayal of one of the members (Roa, I believe). A lot of the scenes of her on the bed were removed. But I didn’t see anything too suggestive. Moving away from that, the music video shows the female members to be breaking free of the confines of their sets (which I thought were nicely mature). I am probably interpreting the lyrics incorrectly, but it seems like the guy is imagining the members in each set (the song keeps on referring to a dream). The members want to see a more honest and self-confident guy, rather than one who is using his imagination to be with them. So they break out of their cages and leave their sets, which I assume shows the members becoming fed up with waiting for the honesty to appear. I probably butchered the interpretation section. So if you have any other theories, let me know!
The song doesn’t offer the group much opportunity to really show off anything amazing. Nor does it allow anything of high intensity. But I thought the choreography that we did get was representative of the song. It works with the seductive nature of the song and was quite mature, a change from what PRISTIN is known for. (In hindsight, I realize that this would have followed PRSTIN V’s Get It nicely).
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.8/10
ATEEZ returned in early October with their very first full-length album, Treasure EP.FIN: All To Action. This full-length album brings the Treasure series to a close, which also features 3 mini-albums. Unfortunately, I only got around to reviewing one of them so far (Treasure EP.2: Zero To One) but I am quite sure you might be seeing the other two mini-albums next year in the PARs (Past Album Review) segment. But until then, let’s have a deep listen with the full-length album, which I am extremely satisfied with. The album also contains one intro track, one interlude-like track and one outro, but I have chosen not to include them in this review.
3. Dazzling Light – Dazzling Light starts with a dramatic guitar or piano piece didn’t add really add much to the song. The song then quickly progressed to a synth-based dance track that is more of ATEEZ’s territory. I really liked the EDM drop to this song as it made the entire song very vibrant and intense. I also like the vocal moments in the song, such as the pre-chorus. It gave a beautiful touch to an otherwise robust and very powerful tone. The bridge is a little bit of a mess of rough synths that I didn’t like standalone, but it paired well with the chorus instrumental drop. The rapping was also quite good though I wanted a little more intensity from this aspect. Overall, Dazzling Light was one fantastic song that I really enjoyed from this album. (8/10)
4. MIST (안개) – MIST introduces us to the softer side of ATEEZ. I really liked this song as well, for this one aspect. That being said, the song still manages to incorporate a fair number of synths into the mix, hinting a possible dance for this song. Synth or not, the song does give way to amazing vocals heard from start to end. I was thoroughly impressed by each vocalist in this group from this song alone. I also like how the rappers still manage to keep their intense and rough tone, which I thought contrasted nicely with the smoother aspects of the song (i.e. vocals). The saying ‘stay true to your roots’ applies well to MIST.(9/10)
5. Precious (Overture) – I will not be including this in the final review. But wow, this is one suspenseful and intense piece of music. The rapping was on point and the harmonies in the background really pulled everything together. I find it interesting that it is titled as an overture (which upon searching up its meaning, is an opening for a musical piece) rather than an interlude (a musical piece that pulls sections together to make a cohesive piece).
6. WIN – WIN is a lot more energetic and upbeat than their previous tracks on the album. It is another intense hip-hop dance track that ATEEZ nails. I really liked the fast beat in the second half of the chorus, which really enticed the song for me. That is very closely followed by electronica we got just before launching in the final section of the song. I also liked the keyboard outro, which made the song intriguing. These are small details that I thought transformed the track into such a cool piece. The vocals are good but I think the rapping was the real winner, along with the repeated ‘Rocky’ reference in the chorus (because who doesn’t love a good Rocky reference)! (8/10)
7. If Without You – ATEEZ returns to their softer side through If Without You. It also loses a lot of the synths that we heard from the group through their other tracks. With this sound, it conforms to the typical male group sound. It is a nice temporary change and I quite like it. You get to hear a wholesome side of their vocals and I thought the rapping wasn’t too bad. There are a few things that I didn’t enjoy about the song, namely the ‘Wah’ and ‘Ah’ that they do in the background. It felt really awkward and stole my attention from the vocals and rapping sections. (7.5/10)
8. THANK U (친구) – When I look at the lyrics for this song, it seems like THANK U is a song dedicated to their fans (Tiny). With that, I don’t want to be overly critical as that would just ruin the atmosphere for a meaningful song. The good thing is that ATEEZ does a nice job so I don’t need to be critical in any way. I really liked the slight rock influence we got in the chorus and the chorus was quite catchy in my opinion. I liked that mini outro of harmonies they did, which felt random but worked nicely with the rest of the song. (8/10)
9. Sunrise – I have my pick for the hidden gem on this album. Sunrise is a song of encouragement. It just doesn’t do it in a stereotypical way, which is why I find it so appealing. Firstly, the song starts off in a very peaceful manner. Then they add that ‘No matter what…’ robotic singing filter which was a nice textural change. They then turn the song into a stomping beat, which kind of feels like they were making a statement out of it. It all somehow comes together nicely and ends up taking us on a textural rollercoaster along the way. I also liked how they all sing together at the end, which really takes the track home one last time. (10/10)
10. WITH U (걸어가고 있어) – WITH U is the final song on the album. It is also quite unexpected. I have described a few tracks as being soft due to lessening reliance on the synths that ATEEZ has heavily used. But this one is their softest in terms of style on the album. I think with the laws of albums, you probably have guessed my description so far has alluded to a ballad. Yeah, it is pretty typical, but I find their execution to be on point. Vocals and rapping felt very fitting for the stylistic change. I personally wouldn’t mind having heard a few more of this genre from the group (provided they know how to spruce each one up to make it sound slightly different). (8/10)
We now find ourselves in awards season and it is time to make very important decisions for the 2019 year (no pressure). As I was browsing the nominees for the MAMA awards, BVNDIT stood out to me. Mainly due to the lack of songs in the second half of the year, as their other fellow nominees have released songs in both the first and second half of the year. After all, they can’t make us leave 2019 without another comeback to follow Hocus Pocus and Dramatic. To answer those prayers, the group returned with Dumb and their 1st mini-album, Be!.
Dumb is actually a pretty good song. There is a bit of a generic tone hidden in the midst of the song thanks to the slight Latin and tropical influence that Dumb goes for, which is something that we have heard way too often in the past few years. That being said, the song does increase their maturity from the previous comebacks and I think this works well with the style they have aimed for in their releases. The chorus and pre-chorus had a nice melodic touch to them, which made the song appealing to me. It just felt a little plain and some additional elements could have made it better. I was craving a little something extra in the verses and choruses to add a little vibrancy to the song. This could have made the song a lot more appealing and lessen the generic tone of the song. There was some monotone whoops they added after the choruses for the ‘dance breaks’. But as I described them, they are pretty monotone and don’t give the song that ‘bounce’ it needed. A rap sequence could have been useful to up the intensity and this could have made it appealing. But Dumb, as it is, was a nice follow up to their earlier works.
The music video was pretty aesthetic at the start. But as it progressed along, it lost that charm and ended up falling towards the generic side of the spectrum once again. I liked the emphasis on the colour red, which I think went extremely well with the song’s style. Their visuals were also quite strong in this video and it was alluring. Apart from that, there really isn’t much else to discuss regarding the video.
The choreography also suffers from the same problem as the song and video did. There were good moments throughout the routine. But overall, the performance looked quite bland. I put blame on the song as it didn’t give that dynamic potential to the performance aspect of the comeback. That being said, I did like the circular routine at the start of the performance and the chorus as well.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 7.5/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.2/10
As mentioned yesterday, I will be reviewing Dawn’s (formerly E’Dawn from Pentagon) solo debut track today. He releases his single, titled Money, alongside his girlfriend’s return to the music industry with Flower Shower. For those who missed out on the big news in 2018, both Dawn and Hyuna were essentially kicked out of Cube Entertainment for dating each other. Despite that being over a year ago, the pair have signed with Psy’s new company, P-NATION, which is home to Psy himself, Jessi and Crush.
Unlike his girlfriend’s track, I am not really enjoying Money. It is just very boring and not captivating in many senses. Dawn’s parts in Pentagon alone are a lot more enticing, which I would have preferred if he somehow had incorporated some of that style into his solo debut track. I understand he needs to start afresh. But you would obviously want to do so with something a little more memorable. That being said, I do tend to be a little optimistic and look at the good aspects. If his vocals and rapping were to prove anything, it would definitely show that he has potential. His singing was good and the second verse rap sequence was my favourite part of the song. I feel like if the song was a little more dynamic and potentially not as YG Entertainment-like than I think he would have really made this point more explicit. The chorus does improve the song a bit but the overall impression of the song still does lie on the boring side of the spectrum. I did like the calmness in Money, which I guess does ease us into what we could potentially expect from Dawn in future releases.
Watching this music video, it reminded me of G-Dragon’s more wild side that we saw in Crayon and Crooked. Just Dawn manages to take a notch further with the outfits and his crazed acting in this video. I have to admit I think the fashion choices in this video are not great. Like whoever thought black latex rubber suits looked good might need a long look at themselves in the mirror tonight. The song is all about money and it seems like he has withdrawal symptoms from the lack of money in his life. I really like the lighting of the video, which made the idea of obsessing over money a dark thought.
I thought the choreography was nice. Once again, not the more impressive routine out there. It does seem like he was able to bring more of that wild side that I mentioned in the music video review section to the performance, which I think made the performance very alluring to watch. And based on this routine, his stage presence isn’t something that we should underestimate.
Song – 6/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 6.8/10
One of the most unjust news of 2018 was the termination of Hyuna and Dawn’s (formerly E’Dawn) contracts under Cube Entertainment for dating each other. This caused the start of a long hiatus for both artists. The pair ended up signing with Psy’s new company, P-NATION and returned as solo artists on the same day (yesterday). Today, I will be focusing on Hyuna’s latest solo single, Flower Shower, and I will be reviewing Dawn’s tomorrow. Flower Shower is her first solo track since the release of Lip & Hip in 2017.
Comparing Flower Shower to any of her Cube solo hits and you can clearly see that Hyuna has gone with a completely different sound. And I like this new change in direction. To put it into words, her new solo track has been stripped over any overwhelming synths and allowed to present in a more ‘bare’ form. It is definitely refreshing in an industry now inundated with tracks that rely a lot on synths. There is also a playful vibe in the song, which I have never really gotten from Hyuna’s tracks before. Flower Shower really gives her an opportunity to focus on her vocals and rapping, which I think were nice aspects. The chorus was really catchy, with the scratchy flute keyed into my memory after just a few listens. This trend of an instrumental-only (or lyric minimal) chorus is heavily used by almost every artist, so it is a little tiring. But Hyuna makes it work really well in this song. With a great song like this added to her discography, all I can say is welcome back to Hyuna!
I thought this was a really beautiful video, fitting for someone as beautiful as Hyuna. For once, it doesn’t feel like Hyuna is over-sexualised. I think I have mentioned before in one of her reviews that I am not too troubled about the sexual nature of her videos (and thought it was tame compared to Western media). But not once did that thought come across my mind. Instead, that playful vibe that I mentioned in the song review part was present. That or her beauty was highlighted in an elegant manner. I thought the pale colour palette was particularly nice in this video, along with the obviously artificial sets.
Looking at her dresses in this music video and what she is potentially wearing on the stage (based on the performance videos already released), that sexualising concept has definitely been trashed by Hyuna. As for the choreography, I thought it was nice. Not impressively, like most of the recent routines I have observed in the past few weeks. I did enjoy the chorus and thought it looked really dynamic.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 7.5/10 Overall Rating – 8.7/10
It has been 18 months since we heard from VICTON. Their last comeback was in May of 2018 with Time Of Sorrow. But since their comebacks prior to their 2018 return were not garnering enough attention for the group, their company decided to send two members (Seung-woo and Byung-chan) to Produce X 101. Byungchan pulled out due to health problems, while Seung-woo finished 3rd and a part of the X1 lineup. And on Monday, VICTON return (with Byungchan and without Seung-woo) with Nostalgic Night, their first single post-Produce X 101. It seems like the survival show is paying off but let’s see how their comeback fare.
It is interesting that the group didn’t return with a new sound. Instead, they seemed to incorporate that sentimental sound that they left us with from Time Of Sorrow with a dance beat. Nostalgic Night ended up being a pleasant combination. It is a little typical sounding but I think it has enough to rival a few major male group releases in the past few weeks. I really liked the instrumental for this track, particularly the dance breaks we get after the chorus. It felt like a dull flute was being played (but in a good way) and this made the song feel appealing. I also liked how the instrumentation didn’t feel heavy-handed, which was one of the reasons why I mentioned the pleasant descriptor. Altogether, the instrumental was subtly dynamic, which I thought was cool. Their vocal work was nice and melodic. The rapping boosted the song and gave some intensity that I felt it needed. Once again, I am not too fond of the abrupt ending and this should have ended with a fade-out. Apart from that, a stronger hook would have made the song more memorable. But it was good, overall.
The music video pairs very well with the song. The song expresses their feelings of missing their former lover and whether they would still be together if they waited a little longer. In the music video, however, the exact same thing is expressed but in terms of their friendship group. It seems like some members regret the events of the night. My guess is that a car crash occurred, resulting in some of the members dying (we see some members unconscious around the car). Some members seemed to have taken a pill during the day and this resulted in them disappearing, which was foreshadowing the events to come. That is my interpretation of the video, though I am a little confused with the white pill (not exactly sure of its significance, as the first guy did drop them). I did like the use of colours and lighting of the video, which made the video more appealing.
The choreography was good. But it wasn’t impressive. When the song went into that more energetic and subtly angst-like instrumental break, I felt like they could have had moves that were more amped up than what they had. Don’t get me wrong though, as I did like what they had. I also like how smooth their performance felt, which worked well with the song.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 8.1/10
It is time for another album review! And for this album review, we are going back in time to before October! Laboum made their comeback on the 19th of September with Firework and their first studio album, Two Of Us. This is their first full-length album after being active as a group for five years. Two Of Us also features solo songs from each member, which makes the album sound so exciting to fans, like me. So let’s get this album on the road!
3. You’re The Light (잡아줄게) – Firework, along with their previous two title tracks, has a slight monotone appeal to them. You’re The Light is the first track in a long while from Laboum that has a bit of colour to it. Unfortunately, the track does come across as a standard b-sidetrack on a female group’s album and is slightly bland. Thankfully, once saving the element of You’re The Light is that it gives us an opportunity to listen to the vocals, which was definitely highlighted strongly during the chorus. The instrumental is nice dance-pop style that gives off a pleasant vibe. But once again, plainness is a persistent issue. (7.5/10)
4. Satellite – Satellite is ballad that can be sung for a lover. But it can easily be passed off as a song for their fans. It is rather simple overall, but I can guarantee you, you won’t be disappointed. It showcases explosive vocals from Soyeon, ZN and Yujeong. While Solbin and Haein do appear to be the weaker vocalists of the groups, they do bring their own touch to their own parts. The song has a nice melody that really caught my attention. The English lyrics were presented in a way that made it very catchy and this was another likeable aspect of the song. (9/10)
5. Stay There (이별 앞에서) – Kicking off the solo tracks on the album is Yujeong. She is one of the main vocalists of the group (if you don’t know who she is yet). At first, I thought she was singing a ballad. The song was presented that way. But the song picks it up and reverts a nice pop track. I really like her vocals in this song. I have known her to be a good vocalist but I too did not expect this quality from her. It did feel like her vocals were a tad too loud for the instrumentation and I thought if they were somehow more together, this would have made for a great song. (8/10)
6. Two Of Us – Next up on the solo track series is Soyeon. Despite being the main vocalist, her solo track doesn’t conform to what I have noted in past reviews when it comes to main vocalists and ballads. Two Of Us is quite synth-heavy and feels more like a dance track. The instrumental is very typical of EDM and it doesn’t offer much in that regards. What I thought was very impressive was the vocals, which is expected from her. I liked how piercing the ‘Two Of Us‘ during the chorus was and this made the track very memorable for me. (9/10)
7. Actually, This Is A Secret (사실 이 얘기는 비밀인데) – ZN’s solo track, Actually, This Is A Secret, is an R&B number. This stylistic choice doesn’t necessarily surprise me as she gives off an impression that R&B might be her thing. I have to admit the instrumental to this song is extremely boring and it really drags down the song for me. I did like her vocals. They were balanced. I appreciate that she didn’t go powerhouse, like the two previous members. It gave a slight relief and adds a pleasant tone to the mix. (7.5/10)
8. HUSH – HUSH is Haein’s song. Haein doesn’t come across as a strong vocalist when she sings in the group’s tracks. But her voice is distinctively unique and she sometimes is able to add her own colour. Her solo song was actually quite good. Her vocals were showcased in a nice light for this seductive R&B dance number. I really like the ‘Baby Hush Hush’ line that she sings at the start of the song, reminding me of the many pop divas we had in the early 00s. I was a little perplexed when it came to the pepper cracker during the chorus and thought the chorus itself could have been a little more melodic and smoother. (7.5/10)
9. Diary (일기) – The final member of the group that we have yet to discuss is Solbin. Interestingly, Diary was a ballad number and I had not expected that. I honestly expected a dance number from her, since she also doesn’t come off as a great vocalist compared to some of her fellow members. I find this a nice song but that is the best thing I can say about it. Her vocals are so-so. She does handle her higher notes well. Like ZN’s song, I found the piano instrumental in this track to be rather typical and bland. I wanted there to be a little more to the track. (i.e. more instrumentation to really enhance the song, like other ballads). (7/10)
KPOPREVIEWED 