As mentioned previously, EXO is currently focusing on solo and unit promotions due to the impending military enlistment of the members (with Xiumin and D.O already in the army). We have seen solo tracks from Chen, Xiumin, D.O and Chanyeol so far this year and will be seeing the debut of EXO-SC (a unit consisting of Chanyeol and Sehun) in less than one fortnight. But today, we turn to a different member. Making his grand (official) solo debut today is Baekhyun with UN Village and his first ever mini-album, City Lights.
One thing I am glad that Baekhyun didn’t pick is a ballad title track. So many main vocalists go down this route, it quite often becomes a very large cliche in the industry. Instead, UN Village is an R&B track. And even then, it isn’t necessarily your typical R&B track as well. What is great about this track is that it shows off the individuality and personality of Baekhyun quite well. This is a common goal for solo promotions (especially for idols coming from groups). But is often not achieved due to urge to follow trends and cliches. What I quite like about UN Village is that it shows off his vocal colours. It’s smooth and almost teasing, which I think begs us to replay the song. The chorus was very well done and its melody is quite memorable. The instrumental gave off an aesthetic atmosphere, which further compliments his vocals. And also, this one of the times where consistency works as an advantage, which maintained the aesthetics. Overall, it is one damn good debut track.
Complimenting the song’s aesthetic atmosphere is an equally aesthetically pleasing music video. The video puts Baekhyun’s visuals on full display. It showcases him singing in different lightings, often quite dark and with very little colour (except for the one dominant colour). Apart from the subtle visual display of the singer, I found the sets to be very interesting. The song sings about taking a special someone to a hill behind UN Village to show them the night sky (taken from Soompi). But the way the video was shot, it looked like Baekhyun was showing us the very appealing sides of hidden laneways and alleyways within a city, which I guess is quite similar to showing us a hill behind UN Village. The ending with him laying on a table (and a woman, presumably his lover) walking by him is very confusing as I am not exactly sure how it contributes the video. Maybe I missed a few details here and there, so please let me know how this scene adds to the story.
Song – 9.5/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9.3/10
Interestingly, the season which we all associate upbeat and energetic tracks with has been fairly quiet, especially in the last few weeks. But based on the dates that I have recorded down, it seems like things are going to get busy in the coming weeks and I think today’s date kicks things off. The first release that I will be looking at today is NATURE’s latest track, I’m So Pretty. This is the group’s first comeback Dream About U, which was released at the start of the year.
I’m So Pretty attempts to push itself into our playlists with a very typical girl group sound and flair. But it doesn’t get them far. I just think after the craziness of SOME (You’ll Be Mine), Nature has some bold shoes to fill. They ended up with a very tone down release at the start of the year that just felt inferior to SOME. So, it is nice to hear them pump some definition and boldness to this comeback track. But it falls short. I’m So Pretty takes that same sound that SOME had but puts it through an ordinary filter, resulting in an underwhelming pop track. I also thought the track was underwhelming due to the lack of catchy hooks. The hooks that the song opted for just didn’t really appeal to my personal tastes. Don’t worry, there were some good moments in this track as well. The display of vocals during the pre-chorus, the accents we heard at the end of each line in the post-chorus hook and the bridge as a whole overall were aspects that stood out at me. But sadly, they weren’t enough to dispel my initial comments.
This music video proves once again that Summer is the season of colour. It is a very colourful video, using a combination of bold and pastel colours to really showcase the group’s youthful and fun sides. There might be a small plotline, with the girls growing foxtails in the video. A quick Google search shows that a fox (which I assume the foxtails are a hint for) represents a number of characteristics, which I am assuming relate to the title of the song (Note that I have yet to find any English translation for the track yet and this is merely just an assumption for now).
The choreography for this comeback is quite nice. Once again, it doesn’t have much uniqueness to it. But there were moments that looked good and fun. I particularly like the ending of the bridge. I thought that looked cool.
Song – 6/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 6.5/10
Due to the number of songs on the album, the album review will be quite long.
F(x) is probably one of the groups that KPOP fans want to see return to the stage. Their last release was with All Night back in 2016, so a comeback is definitely long overdue. To mildly fulfil my hunger for another F(x) comeback,, I have decided to write an album review for F(x) as part of the Past Album Review (PARs) segment. Pink Tape is the group’s 2nd studio album and was released in 2013. It features Rum Pum Pum Pum as its title track, which I absolutely hated back in 2013. Have my thoughts changed? You will see below!
Pink Tape Album Cover
1..Rum Pum Pum Pum (첫 사랑니) (Title Track) – Rum Pum Pum Pum is an example of a track that I started to enjoy way after reviewing it. I think it took a few years for it officially warm up to me. It ended up being addictive for a while and I really like the cute sound that came off it. Now, to me, it is just a showing of another side of the extremely versatile F(x). However, it is definitely no Electric Shock or Red Light. So, I decided to up my review score for the title track from the low 3 to a 7. Click here to read my original thoughts of Rum Pum Pum Pum. (7/10)
2. Shadow (미행 (그림자)) – Probably the biggest miss opportunity of the entire industry is not promoting this track in any way. Shadow has to be one of the most unique tracks in KPOP. I have to admit; the song was rather weird at first. But once you get past that hurdle, Shadow is just a creepy yet cutesy track. How so? Well, the lyrics revolve around them being their lover’s shadow (i.e. being with them all the time). However, the song is presented to us with a cutesy tone (i.e. the higher pitch vocals, delicate voices and the music box based instrumental. Sure, it isn’t 100% terrifying. But the song makes you imagine flowers and smiles but the lyrics manage to make those imaginary objects very twisted. (10/10)
3. Pretty Girl – Pretty Girl isn’t the prettiest track that I have come across. Once again, F(x) strays away from expectation, going for the least pretty genre of music out there, rock. Besides that, I felt that Pretty Girl wasn’t pretty in the ‘neat sense’, as well. I found the rock elements in the instrumental to be too overpowering, as the members during the chorus were being drowned out and they had to push themselves to be heard. I did like the vocal work (minus that last point), the rapping and the melody, so it wasn’t a terrible track. Maybe it could have been a little more polished to be more appealing. (7/10)
4. Kick – I think Kick falls under the same trap that Pretty Girl did. While it doesn’t overpower the vocals, Kick’s jerky instrumentation just felt like it was too much. And this makes the song feel quite uncomfortable. It does manage to pack a punch, which I guess is an advantage of a loaded track like this. I did like the effects the way the song infused a bit of choppiness to the track during the bridge, as it complements the style choices from the rest of the song. I just think Kick should have found a way to pack a punch but in a manner that was a little more toned down, so we could enjoy it more. (6.5/10)
5. Signal – The instrumental for Signal has the potential to be a pop diva-like song. There is that Kylie Minogue or Madonna type vibe that comes from the verses. But it doesn’t stay for long, as the chorus seems to opt for a typical pop approach and loses this diva feel, which I am disappointed with. However, there is a little disco groove to the track, which I think the chorus ends up turning to. So, it isn’t all bad news for the track. I just still think the track would have been more appealing if they kept with the diva-like sound, as I think this would potentially be an undiscovered territory for the group. I was lowkey expecting a rap sequence within the track, which could have lifted this song to another level. But overall, it is still a good song. (7.5/10)
6. Step – Step is a groovy track. I find it to be quite fun and has a nice club vibe to it. It just a few steps away from falling into the infectious category. To me, most colour came from the instrumentation. It is repetitive but done in a way that reminds me of any trendy ‘one hit wonders’ that we have come across in the KPOP industry. I am glad that it didn’t become of those tracks as I would think the song would get annoying with multiple listens. Currently, it is catchy to an extent. Vocally, I felt the song was on the weaker side. Only Luna shined for me and that only occurred towards the end of the track. But Step does a good job of continuing the upbeat vibes on this album. (7/10)
7. Goodbye Summer (Amber, Luna & Krystal ft. D.O (EXO)) – Sadly, I didn’t get into the song until after I heard the English version sung by Amber and Eric Nam. Now, it is one of my favourite summery pop ballads ever. The vocals are probably one of the selling points of the track. Firstly, the song features D.O from EXO, whom at the time was part of the leading boy group of the industry. So, the track got a lot of fanfare. Secondly, his vocals blend extremely well with Luna and Krystal, which upped the fanfare even more. You would think rapping wouldn’t necessarily fit into the breezy track but it somehow effortlessly did, making Amber’s rap memorable. Thirdly, the track was rather pleasant and refreshing, so it eased well into my playlist. (10/10)
8. Airplane – Somewhere on this blog, I am 100% sure I have reviewed Airplane (twice). But it won’t be a complete album review if I simply just bypassed the track. Especially since it is one of my favourite songs off this album. In hindsight, the track nowadays would be considered very straightforward, simply because it doesn’t deviate much from its starting sound. Back then, I thought the track was ingenious. The choppy start of the chorus (‘Come With Me. Airplane, Love’) was quite dynamic and ended up being on the catchiest hooks of the song. There is also a subtle fun tone to the track that I find very appealing. Despite it using an electronic instrumental, the song is rather light as well, meaning it was quite pleasant. The vocals and were simple and easy to follow, making this a catchy tune to hum along to. (10/10)
9. Toy – Toy isn’t as playful as you expect. Instead, it managed to be very intense and straight forward, matching the lyrics of the track (the members liken their lives to toys, which have a set appearance, always belong to and assumingly miss their owner). I think a better way to describe the track is that it is similar to a stereotypical rock track. Just without the rock elements. Another cool aspect is the classical and EDM mashed up instrumental break. I felt it just went a little longer than what I had anticipated and this didn’t allow the ‘return to the chorus’ to be as dynamic as it should have been. (8/10)
10. No More (여우 같은 내 친구) – The song’s music profile isn’t as interesting and felt more like a typical pop track. So, I won’t discuss it. Instead, I found the lyrics to be the most interesting aspect of the track. The girls sing about their female friend, someone who changes her personality depending on the guy who she is dating (e.g. she is an atheist but ‘becomes religious’ to be with her church oppa). Hence, she is described to be similar to a sly fox. For the most part, it makes fun of their friend. But the members do feel a little sympathy for her when they find her crying over her breakup. My favourite part has to be when they ask her ‘Have you found another guy yet?’, which makes for a perfect transition lyrics-wise to their original lyrics that dominated the earlier parts of the song. (7/10)
11. Snapshot – This had to be the poshest introduction to a song, courtesy of Amber herself. I thought the song a weird mix after that (a common trend back when the album was released). The verses felt like it was a song from a musical. However, the choruses felt like it was taking a hip-hop infused pop sequence instead, losing that unique musical-like sound. They managed to integrate the two sounds together well as the transition points didn’t sound awkward or too apparent. But when you consider the entire track as a whole, it just doesn’t sound right, if you understand what I mean. (7/10)
12. Ending Page – Surprisingly, I think Ending Page is their most neutral track on the album. The rock ballad doesn’t really develop as it progresses, which is a little disappointing. It isn’t overloaded with too much of one element, striking a very fine balance in any aspect that you can think of. The rock instrumental isn’t overpowering or overwhelming. This, along with the lack of development, allows for the focus to be squarely on the vocals. It doesn’t rely on powerful vocals to be track’s main driver. Instead, the song’s melody is extremely nice, and I find this to be a pleasant ending for the entire album. (9/10)
One of the biggest success stories of 2019 has to be the individual paths that each of the former Wanna One members have taken since their disbandment. It has given us amazing debuts and returns to their original groups. And while we are awaiting the last of them to debut as a solo artist, we are now entering the wave of comebacks from these solo members. Back in May, we saw the return of Yoon Ji Sung with I’ll Be There. We will be seeing the return of Bae Jin Young as part of CIX later this month. And today, we saw the return of Ha Sung Woon with Blue.
To me, Blue already sounds so much more appealing than Bird. Though I did review Birdfavourably, I did find that the solo debut track ended up being very forgettable. Blue conforms to the more typical trends of music that we hear all too often nowadays. But this isn’t a flaw, like in other tracks. I find Blue to be very dynamic, thanks to both the vocals and instrumentation. Ha Sung Woon’s vocals shine once again in this track. I like the way he drags his words out during the pre-chorus, making the drop we get during the chorus to be a little more impactful. The way he incorporated an airy tone during the bridge was quite memorable. I found his vocals in the chorus to be quite striking, complimenting the bounciness of the instrumental. The rest of his singing in the track was very clear and crisp. Likewise, I found the mid-tempo pop instrumental to be very fresh. I like the moody tone of the song, especially with the piano at the start. The chorus ended up being unexpected upbeat and bouncy (as mentioned) but it somehow worked well with the rest of the song’s tone.
With a track titled Blue, it does make sense to have the music video featuring a lot of blue. And that is what this video does. Interestingly, it deviates from the use of vibrant blues, as you would expect with upbeat tracks in the Summer season. Instead, the music video uses a lot of grey-blue and features a darker tone, matching the music’s heavy and emotional tone. Another good aspect, even though it has been done a fair bit over the years, is the choreography shots on the water. Though, I think this is the first time that a music video taking it a step further by showcasing Ha Sung Woon with a wet shirt while dancing, which I don’t remember anyone else doing before. (Don’t quote me on that, my memory isn’t that great).
Something that I have yet to mention is the 180-degree turn that Blue takes in comparison to Bird. The sound is a lot mature, the visuals are a lot gloomier. But it is the performance that really strikes me hard. The choreography takes on a more mature and artistic tone, which I think draws my attention more to the stage. It also shows off his dancer side. His stylist choice to dress him in satin or silky looking suits really work well with this concept.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
The second solo artist that I will be reviewing in a series is Chungha (as you can tell by the title of this post). We all know Chungha for her many addictive title tracks, with Snapping being the latest to join the ranks as well. But this is the first time I am going to have a closer look at one of her albums. Flourishing is the solo artist’s fourth mini-album to date. For those who do not know, I have used this weekend and will be using next weekend to look at albums from a few solo artists. But before we get to next weekend, we must dive deeper into Chungha’s album!
Flourishing Album Cover
1..Chica – The first song of the album is Chica, a song all about empowerment. Matching the strengthening power of the lyrics is the song’s very powerful island instrumental. While it is a style done before, Chungha’s take on it is quite refreshing and feels almost new. There are many aspects of the track that I thoroughly enjoyed. The first is the song’s upbeat energy. I find the track fitting for the Summer season and I can really imagine a really good dance routine in my mind. The second aspect must be its catchiness. The song may not be intended for a guy like me. But I really like its tone and melody, making it a good start to the album. The third aspect is Chungha’s vocals. As I have mentioned it before, she keeps building her abilities with every release. And this is true for this track. (9/10)
2. Young In Love (우리가 즐거워) – Young in Love, also titled as We Have Fun, is less intense than its preceding track. And like Chungha’s personality, the track is very easy-going and pleasant. I am not too into the track because I do like Chungha’s more edgy and impactful side, which she constantly shows throughout her title track releases. But Young In Love manages to encapsulate Chungha’s more delicate and softer side in a well-presented track. I really like the dance break we got during the bridge of the track, bring the pleasant sound a little more energy at the end. Her vocals were also nice and I like how she harmonised with the backing vocals towards the end of the track. (7/10)
3. Call It Love – While I understand that artists can be versatile with the music they release, I never took Chungha to be the ballad type. Call It Love doesn’t persuade me otherwise, unfortunately. She has made her name using dance tracks, so this is unfamiliar territory for me as a listener. I will admit that Chungha has a nice voice, as showcased elsewhere in the album. I just think the very traditionally instrumented ballad of a slow nature just doesn’t really showcase Chungha’s vocals all that well. It wasn’t awkward or terrible. The track just came off as bland and boring, to me. Maybe next time she can convince me otherwise. (6/10)
4. Flourishing – Flourishing is the surprising track on the album. Not that it goes a certain route or that it contains a unique element. But rather, the song is fully in English. This has been done before by other artists, but no artist has never been positioned a full English track ahead of the title track before. I am not sure what the intention of the position is meant to be. But I thought it was wise as it felt like a tame version of Snapping. It contains a hip-hop vibe that felt like it was carried over to the title track. Her vocals are nice and they are the element that keeps the song from being repetitive. The instrumental, however, felt very dry, repetitive and bland, which was a disappointment. I expected it to pick up and really flourish. But it didn’t do that whatsoever. (7/10)
Yesterday and today, I have covered debuts that I have missed back in May and onwards. I am determined to get out as many reviews for newly debut groups as possible before the weekend. So, we will continue the release of reviews for these new groups. This one is a little more recent as it occurred early last week (24th of June). PURPLEBECK is a 5-member female group consisting of Yeowool, Mini, La Yeon, Yerim and Seyeon. They are currently under Majesty Entertainment and made their debut with Crystal Ball.
I have noticed that the majority of releases from new girl groups from smaller companies always end up falling into two categories if they choose the upbeat route: Cutesy or generic. Listening to the song, Crystal Ball doesn’t fit any of the two categories. So there is a level of uniqueness with their vocally driven debut track. The instrumental is rather typical, with a bright sound. But managing to get the song to shine so brightly are the vocals of the group. I was blown away the first time I listened to the track. While that feeling has simmered down, the vocals managed to deliver energy and intensities, which I think makes this track memorable. While I really like the harmonies and catchiness that comes from the chorus, the pre-chorus is probably my favourite bit. If I were to criticise the track in any way, I think the rapping could have been a little more interesting. If they managed to go a little harder during the rap section (which would better utilise the rapper’s voice), the song could have been perfect to me.
I have to admit, I did not expect such a bright song for a group were very edgy clothing. I was expecting something a lot darker and serious tone with their outfits, so things were surprising as they progressed. The start of the music video showed a very interesting sequence. A table set up in the middle of nowhere and 5 girls are sitting around the table. A strange clock starts ringing on the table and they all run away in different directions. While acting all bright and happy, the members end up finding red crystal balls, which they bring back to the table (which is now situated within a set). I find the concept to be very intriguing but it also seems to be an odd pairing. I think the concept would have been better suited with a more serious dance track that allows the mysterious vibes to be harnessed to their full potential.
There is a playful vibe to the choreography, which I quite liked. This compliments the fun vibes the song had. Overall, I thought it wasn’t too bad. The first chorus contained a little bit of Michael Jackson, which looked good.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
I think I am going to continue on with the catch up by focusing on the rookie groups that just made their debut. I do have a short list of them to cover and there aren’t any major comebacks that take precedence today, giving me time to actually do the catching up. Today’s review is focusing on the double title tracks (savanna & Time Leap) that OnlyOneOf made their debut with back at the end of May. The group consist of seven members (Nine, Love, Yoojung, KB, Mill, Rie and Junji) and are currently under RSVP.
To me, no matter how much I listen to savanna, I cannot find anything interesting within the track that keeps me attracted to it or reels me in for further replays, similar to the comments I made in yesterday’s review. Despite that, there are a number of elements that do manage to stand out. The R&B instrumental made the song quite smooth textured. While it seems like the instrumental is the root of why I think the song was plain and bland, the smoothness allowed the melody to be quite pleasant. And this resulted in the showcase of nice vocals and decent rapping from the group.
Time Leap is another melodic song. But it is completely different from savanna as it delves into a pop route and I thought it was a little more captivating. To me, the instrumental felt like a blank canvas, as it once again didn’t have anything interesting within it. With that analogy, the vocals and rapping ended up being the paint strokes. They actually sound quite good with the rap sequences having a little more intensity and the harmonies allowed the vocals to be showed off with more definition. With its consistent nature, I felt like the only image that the group could have amounted to in Time Leap was a black and white image. But it is a start and I like the song.
For a smooth and decently paced track, savanna’s music video had a lot going on. The various visual effects and overlays could have been reduced as I think the music video showed a more than necessary edgy tone. But I really liked the aesthetics of the video that was formed thanks to the visual effects. I think if they managed to strike a balance to the dark lighted music video, I think savanna, as a whole package, could have been a little more likeable. As for the Time Leap, the music video is less aesthetic. However, the cinematography during the more professional shots was really cool. They also included some ‘home video’ style shots, which was nice. But I felt like that stripped away the aesthetics. Nothing really happened in this video, which did leave it on the boring side of the spectrum. But still visually looked good.
While I have been praising Time Leap so far, their performance is a bore. As much as I understand that they had a slow song to start with, the performance ended up making things a lot slower. savanna, however, had the more captivating performance. Sure, the more intense moves didn’t fit as well with the song. But it looked more intriguing and fits the type of performance I like to see from male groups.
savanna Song – 6/10 Music Video – 6.5/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 6.4/10
Time Leap Song – 7/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 5/10 Overall Rating – 6.6/10
The next artist to review as part of the catch-up is a new rookie group who made their debut back on the 27th of May of this year. We In The Zone (also known as WITZ) is a 5 member male group under Choon Entertainment. The group consist of Eson, Jooan, Min, Kyeongheon and Shihyun. The group’s debut title track is Let’s Get Loud, which is featured on their first mini-album which shares the same name as the group themselves.
I am not going to lie just because of this their first song. But I hate to be harsh for the exact same reason. A crucial element lacking in Let’s Get Loud is boldness. The presence of boldness will flow onto other areas of the track that I commonly think of when I write these reviews. And without boldness, you will get left with a plain and unmemorable track. That is the song in a nutshell. And after one month of its release, I think it is fair to say that this is a lacklustre debut. Not many tracks get time to grow on me before I write its review but Let’s Get Loud just didn’t have anything for me to warm up to. Many elements fell short of expectations set just by the title alone. For example, I had expected the instrumental to have a rush of energy and ignite the need to shout or party. But the instrumental we ended up hearing was conventional and didn’t excite me. The vocals and rapping were good, showcasing some potential. But some parts (such as the ‘Let’s Get Loud‘ in the chorus) felt unenergetic and unexciting. The ‘Better Po-Po-Pose‘ in the chorus (which came off more as a ‘Pum-Pum-Pum-ma‘) was drowned out by the instrumental (which wasn’t even that loud). There were no strong hooks to reel me in. I think there is enough for you to understand my overall thoughts.
One thing I did remember about the lead up to their debut was that it was announced very early on. I remember very well putting the date into my calendar. But apart from that, I don’t recall teasers or images in the lead up to their debut. Not really the best foot forward if you ask me for a newly debuting group. But despite the lack of pre-debut momentum, the music video actually turned out quite nice. I really like the small drawings that appear on the screen, which highlights their moves and details during their close-ups. The video had nice cinematography, as well. The peak of the track has to be the breaking of the sunglasses (that loud crack). I liked how it was handled in the video, as I thought it was passed over too quickly in the actual audio.
Like the song, I didn’t see too much in the performance to really make any comments on. I did like how they brought the cracking of the sunglasses onto the stage for some of the performances, while others didn’t have that element. So the song ended up incorporating a camera shutter sound. Though, breaking the sunglasses to add a hint of boldness to the comeback, which I guess makes up for some of the flaws of the song.
Song – 4/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 5.5/10
If you have only become a KPOP fan in the last year, chances are you haven’t heard of Ailee. Known for amazingly powerful vocals, Ailee has proven herself to be an artist to keep an eye out for. Tracks like I Will Show You, U&I, If You and many others are just solid proof of that. Today, she returned for the first time in 2 years with Room Shaker, the title track from her second studio album, Butterfly. This is her first comeback since her 2017 single (Reminiscing) and her very popular OST hit, I Will Go to You Like the First Snow.
I think the majority of her tracks that made her popular prior to 2017 either delved into the pop genre or were a ballad to showcase her vocals. But with a long absence from the music scene standing in her way, Ailee could only return with either a sound that makes people remember her more successful tracks or a sound that is completely different but extremely memorable. Room Shaker chooses the latter option, with Ailee redefining her usual sound. It focuses on a powerful hip–hop sound that does not hold back. I think one of the star attractions has to be the instrumentation. It is energetic and acts as a memorable hook, especially the brass-heavy post-chorus section. She raps in the track, which is something new from the solo artist if I am not mistaken. One of my favourite parts has to be the ‘Go Merry Go Round‘ whisper in the second verse. And while it is a hip-hop track, her vocals do manage to be another star attraction. Her high note brought back fond memories of her high notes from the past. Overall, I thought this was a successful return music-wise for Ailee, who definitely reminded me why I missed her.
With an edgy sound like in Room Shaker, you expect something equally as edgy in the video. Otherwise, the video would have completely missed the plot. However, Room Shaker hits the bullseye. It is definitely edgy and there is a lot of the attitude visually in this video, perfect for the track. And there is a literal shakeup in the classroom for this comeback, which goes hand-in-hand with both the lyrics (having a good time) and the title. Ailee looks amazing in the video as well, with all her close-ups leaving a stunning image of her in your mind.
And with an energy-filled song, the choreography is something to look out for. I really liked how the moves got her going low just for the first chorus. The second and final choruses didn’t have her repeating the same moves, as this will keep the first chorus looking impactful each time we see it. I think the moves during her post-chorus dance breaks were awesome and her back-up dancer seat lift was an awesome way to present the high note.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8.5/10 Overall Rating – 8.6/10
Today, we restart the Past Album Review (PARs) segment. I know I said I would restart it in June. But my assignments got extended, exams were demanding and the catch-up reviews was quite intensive (which is still ongoing). Starting off this re-launch of B1A4. There is no particular reason to why I am starting off with B1A4, other than they were the next group to complete a PARs for before I dropped the segment. I did pick Sweet Girl (released in August of 2015), as it contained 2 of their b-side tracks that I most familiar with. So before I somehow end up delaying it a third time, this is my review of B1A4’s Sweet Girl mini-album.
2. You Are A Girl I Am A Boy – ‘Girls and Boys cannot be friends’. While my opinion doesn’t matter regarding this statement, B1A4 made a whole song about how the validity of this statement. With the meaning of the lyrics out of the way, let’s turn to the actual music. It earns a big tick from me. It takes a pop-rock form and I thought the energy they put into it (and what we got out) made it memorable. It is definitely a Summer tune, with a very upbeat instrumental and B1A4’s well-known youthful charms making it into the track. I think the vocal and rapping work in this track is pretty good. It isn’t the strongest display of technique. But the balance they managed to strike to compliment the upbeat nature of the song was spot on. (8/10)
3. After 10 Years (10년 후) – Somewhere on this site, within the many posts from the last 8 years or so that I have been writing on this blog, I have stated my praises for After 10 Years. And it is definitely worth revisiting as it is my most favourite b-side track from B1A4. Firstly, it is the vocals and rapping. Each member brings a very different dynamic to the track but they managed to fuse together so nicely. The harmonies make this track sound so heartbreaking. The way Jinyoung started off the track was amazing. Baro’s rapping was so striking. Secondly, the melody stayed in my mind and helped make it memorable. And finally, I found the instrumental to be just perfect. It leant more to the ballad side but there were some rock elements in there, which I fondly enjoyed. And after all these years, as soon as this track finishes, I wanted to press replay to listen to it all over again. (10/10)
4. Wait – We don’t often get to hear Baro sing, as far as I know. So, to hear him open up Wait was a genuine surprise back then (and it still does). But it makes absolute sense, given the song is a ballad. The entire track is quite slow and paced nicely. So, there isn’t really any room for any rap tempo. And with such a ballad, we get to hear the purest form of their vocals (without listening to them live in concert). The other four members each sounded spectacular alongside a beautiful melody, showing off their vocal talents once again. It is another heartbreaking song, with a harmonica centrepiece. This time around, however, they are waiting for their lover to appear once again. (8/10)
5. Love Is Magic – Love Is Magic is a jazzy R&B number that sounds quite pleasant. Once again, it is a nice display of vocals and rapping, which I think might be a recurring theme in this album. And while the vocals do sound amazing, with the members managing to go an extra step with falsettos, harmonies and other techniques, I must point out that the song contains a fair amount of rapping. I am not complaining as I found the rapping to fit in nicely with the jazzy side of the track. An odd combination but it manages to work. But while the elements were good, it didn’t necessarily make the track memorable. It isn’t my style, so I think I glossed over the track back when it was released, and I still want to gloss over it now. (7/10)
To me, a missed opportunity with EXO is the lack of solo promotions for the Korean members. It wasn’t until this year, 7 years after their debut, are they finally focusing on solo promotion, given that it will be the main driver for EXO’s immediate future. This is because of impending military enlistment. Xiumin enlisted earlier this year and the next member to follow him (shockingly) is D.O. For those who don’t know, today is actually D.O’s enlistment date. And to coincide with his departure from the public eye for the next 2 years, D.O also released a special single as part of SM Station.
That’s Okay is the title of this special single. And being a solo single, That’s Okay puts D.O’s slightly raspy voice on full display. I like it how the song isn’t sung in a straight forward manner. There are some textural aspects present thanks to the melody and the way he ended some lines, allowing him to showcase some techniques that he never got a chance to show off within EXO releases. The way he harmonises with himself is also beautiful, a very obvious sign of a good ballad. Knowing that is he is one of the main vocalists of the group, it is expected that the single would be a ballad. But it is a good ballad. It is mainly acoustic, with guitars being the only instrument in the instrumental. And I like it this way because it doesn’t sound overly emotional, which could have been a cliche thing to do. The lyrics also don’t go into an emotional overdrive, with D.O telling you that time will heal all wounds, regardless of how deep they are.
The music video for this release is animation. I am not sure if there are any laws that prevent D.O from appearing in the music video (as Xiumin did for his single), given the complexity of military enlistment, as it would have been nice to see him one last time (before he goes away for two years). But the animation was quite nice. A guy finds a sad looking cactus and brings it home. His nurture over time helped heal its limp nature and it regained some flowers. On the flipside, it was revealed that the guy lost his dog and this caused him to stay indoors. And I am certain the flowering cactus ended up nurturing him over time, showing him that no matter what state you are in, there is always a way to get back up. You just got to let time do its thing.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
Over the last few years, a group that we cannot forget about in the season of Summer is GFriend. The group has had countless hits in Summer including Me Gusta Tu, Navillera, Love Whisper, Summer Rain and Sunny Summer. 2019 will be no exception for the group, with today’s release of Fever as their next Summer track. We previously saw the group through their promotions of Sunrise at the start of the year and their Flower promotions in Japan.
My review for Fever is going to be harsh but honest. Fever is not like any other GFriend title track. It actually takes a more conventional route, forgoing any sound had we have grown to incorporate with GFriend. But as disappointing as that might sound, it might be time GFriend tried to reinvent their Summer, given the not-so-successful releases of Summer Rainand Sunny Summer over the last two years. Personally, I found this track to be quite lacklustre. Fever takes on moombahton sound, which is still quite new territory for KPOP. And while we heard a few good tracks with this sound, GFriend’s approach didn’t have the energy to make it memorable. In fact, the energy felt quite weighted, preventing it from sparking like how other Summer releases do. While the vocal work was fine, there wasn’t any catchy hooks or melodies to draw my attention in. They placed a fair amount of emphasis on the chorus drop. But with the mentioned weighted nature from the energy, I don’t think they got anywhere. There are some benefits that did arise due to the music but I don’t think their discography was one of them.
I personally want to know what is going on in the video. There seems to be something to the use of the cactus, the way Yerin walked into the set at the start of the video, the girl’s gaze etc. Moving past the potential plotline, I did fail to mention one detail regarding the song that I was impressed with. The group went with a mature sound (which might be the reason why the song ended feeling weighed down) that ended being edgy in a very subtle manner. This isn’t entirely new with the group. But it looks like the girl’s concept and outfit managed to blend in well with the extra matureness you could hear while listening to the song.
One clear benefit from the bland music that I observed was the dancing. I thought the choreography was quite good, given the music that they had to use. While the energy wasn’t there musically, they did well executing the various dance moves. I thought the chorus looked cool and GFriend got to show off more of their dance side through this release.
Song – 6/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 6.7/10
Making her grand return to the industry is Sulli. The former member of F(x) has been missing in action from the music industry since her departure from the popular group back in 2015. I will be honest, I don’t keep up with her (other than through news outlets, where it was reported she had a few social media posts that didn’t get rave reviews). But finally, after 4 years, Sulli has finally dropped her solo debut single titled Goblin. This occurred yesterday (Saturday), which is an uncommon day for the release of a new song.
I don’t want to give too much away regarding the concept of this release before I get to the music video. But this is definitely a direction that I did not expect, given that they were going for a creepy concept with this release. I find Goblin to be similar to how an innocent nursery rhyme can be so scary in the right surroundings. It is very bright and almost cheerful in a way, which I found to be very nice. I also found the track to be soothing. But there are a number of elements that did allow it to stray away from a flowery song. Firstly, the ambiguous nature of the lyrics is an interesting topic. Some people say it is about accepting oneself as they are. Other people are putting into the context of mental health. I do prefer the first meaning, as it puts some lines into context, such as ‘don’t be afraid of the cat without fur‘. Secondly, the instrumental has some creepy moments such as the extremely soft chatting just before the choruses, the wind chimes at the start and the very airy harmonies throughout the track. But the most memorable part of the track has to be Sulli’s vocals. I really like her airy approach. And her voice gives so much tension in a lightly instrumented track.
Mentioned above, the video plays the creepy concept card. We start off with a commentary by Sulli (or her character, I cannot tell) at the start, which introduces us to the idea of a dissociative disorder, where she mentioned she had 3 different personalities (not including the one we saw in the commentary). The first is more a quiet and introverted personality. We see three girls entering the house and despite being there, Sulli doesn’t interact with them. The second is a more extroverted and flamboyant, where she is dressed in huge colourful dresses and interacts with the people around her. The third is the evil side, which I think aims to kill people. While the music video does have some creepy vibes going on, it didn’t feel that creepy up until the end, when she ends her commentary. She says ‘I think they all disappeared. Would not it be better for everyone to disappear?‘. I found this closing statement to really amp up the creepy factor.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
This will be the last weekend completely full of album reviews, which has been occurring for the past two weeks or so. I will be reverting to the usual timetable for album reviews (publishing every Sunday and Friday for new albums, and Tuesday for older albums starting this week). And to end this album review rush is SF9’s 7th mini-album, which features the title track RPM. Bound to give you a rush of energy and intensity, let’s see how the rest of the mini-album faired.
2. Round and Round (돌고 돌아) – If I was to follow how I have always written my review, Round and Round is a ‘standard’ pop track. And truthfully, there isn’t anything mind-blowing or new regarding the track that sets it apart from the rest of the other pop tracks we listen to daily. But I dislike the use of the term ‘standard’, as that can give off the impression that the song is boring. It isn’t. Despite its typical approach, I found the track to have some good energy, smooth vocals, neat rap sequences and catchy melodies. Furthermore, the instrumental was quite soothing and calming in moments, despite it still being a heavy dance track. Combining it all together and you get a standout combination. (9/10)
3. Dreamer – I have described many songs as dramatic in the past. But I think we have a new leader in the dramatic song category. The song starts off like an adventure film’s soundtrack. Knowing it is SF9, however, the instrumental will turn towards synths and dance-based sounds. But they do maintain that dramatic nature, which makes this song sound very epic and grand. I thought the vocals were nice, but the rapping comes out on top as the most likeable element. Mainly because the instrumental and the rapping combined together forms an intensity powerhouse. And I enjoyed the continuous build-up that the song featured, allowing the ending to be very powerful. (8.5/10)
4. Liar – Note that this song was the final song I wrote about, as I didn’t have much to say initially when I was writing the review in order. By seeing how dramatic Dreamer and epic See U Tomorrow surrounds this track, I find Liar to be a suitable middle-man that bridges the two together. The song starts off slow and you can sense the rough EDM creeping into the track. But I like despite it transforming into a dance track, it maintains its pace and doesn’t become saturated with synths that just fly through. Once again, the rapping stands out, adding intensity and texture. But also adding a smooth texture of the song are the vocals, which I think were nice. The bridge is my favourite vocal section of the track, along with the ‘Beautiful Liar’ repetition during the chorus. Overall, another nice track. (9/10)
5. See U Tomorrow – If I described Dreamer as dramatic, then See U Tomorrow is epic. This is thanks to the instrumental, which is a mixture of electronic and classical. Several artists have successfully pulled off this combination in the past, but I think SF9 played it smart by matching up this mixed instrumental to their vocals and rapping. Kicking off the song are polished harmonies that put the track in the pop genre. They revisit the harmonies during the chorus, which I think allows the track to become a full circle. The rapping in this track is amazing, giving the song more of those epic vibes and intensity. But the best part, overall, has to be the energy-intensive EDM dance break, as they were the most epic sounding sections of the entire song (and definitely going to be scene-stealing moments when performed in concert). (9/10)
6. Echo – Echo manages to mash up SF9’s electronic dance side and an acoustic sound. But unlike See U Tomorrow (where the two different genres are incorporated together), Echo manages to keep the two sounds separate and don’t really have much fusion going on. And I think it sounds amazing this way, as well. You can hear the two genres without interference and get a sense of how they would handle them separately. I find that the acoustics allowed them to focus more on their natural voices before the chorus kicks up the energy with the intense EDM sound. And I find this song to be a great closer to another amazing album from the group. (8.5/10)
If anyone knows how to remove catchy song lyrics from a person’s mind, could you please let me know. It has been one week and I still cannot get it out of my head. While I work on that, let’s focus on their new mini-album, titled The ReVe Festival: Day 1 (which is also the start of a new trilogy). Eagle-eyed fans have noticed that the album cover for this release (shown below) features the concepts from all Red Velvet’s past title tracks, such as a conveyor belt from Dumb Dumb; the colourful landscape, wardrobe and creature from Rookie; a fruity Ferris wheel representing Red Flavour; the wolf’s head from RBB (just to name a few), leading fans to speculate that this new trilogy may be a blend of their Red and Velvet concepts.
2. Sunny Side Up – One of my original comments that I ended up scrapping from the Zimzalabim review is that the vocal bridge was like a throwback to their Velvet side. But listening to Sunny Side Up, it feels like this R&B styled track could be the actual throwback to the Velvet side. While the title does resemble something we expect from the Red side of the group, the track engages smooth vocals and melodies, which make it extremely pleasant to listen to. I also think there is a reggae-influence in the track, though I am not entirely sure. It is extremely subtle and not as explicit as other Summer tracks. I also believe more rapping could have transformed the track, as I did want something more towards the end to accompany the cool rap sequence we got in the first verse. (8/10)
3. Milkshake – The way Milkshake started almost felt like the song was going to be a retro explosion. But instead, the track remained on the R&B side. I found the track to be groovy and upbeat (but with a sense of style and class). An applause must be given to the vocals for this track, which really made the song stand out for me. It isn’t their most impressive work. But accompanied alongside the instrumental, the vocals do hold up the track a fair bit. I am on the fence regarding the rapping, however. It felt like it went in a cutesy direction, which I wasn’t that fond about. The intro was revisited a number of times as a post-chorus hook and they actually fitted in quite well, given the boundaries of the track had now been provided. (9/10)
4. Bing Bing (친구가 아냐) – My pick for best track on this album is Bing Bing. We get a little more energy with this track, departing from the previous R&B theme. Repetition is the major technique used that keeps me (and other listeners) hooked onto this song. However, I can see the repetition technique being a barrier, preventing some people from enjoying the track, as it could result in blandness and uneventful sound. But I find their vocals bring in colour and personality to the track. The vocals are outstanding, particularly as we get to the end of the song. And the repetition makes the track so much catchier and more memorable, in an aesthetic way. I also like the continuous build-up that is enabled in this track, bringing the track to a climatic ending. (9/10)
5. Parade (안녕, 여름) – Parade has this fun sound to it and contains a fair bit of colour that makes it fit in with Red Velvet’s sound. And the energy does provide a youthful touch to it, which I enjoyed. But I can’t really pinpoint the parade in Parade. It sounds more like a playful playground tune, which results in the song going down a more childish route as it progressed. The dings featured in the background reminds me of bicycle bells, for example. I think the best moments of the track is when the members come and sing together. It hides some of that childish sound. The vocals were nice. It is just disappointing that the song didn’t fit my expectations, as it felt like it had a lot of potential. (7/10)
6. LP – LP kicks off with some elevator music (and I think the tune is maintained throughout the track). But the overall song featured a slightly faster tempo, making the elevator music less elevator music (and draining). So overall, I think it is a solid track. I did like other sections of the song as well, such as the saxophone solo for the bridge and use of brass to give the track some character. I thought the vocals were good. Once again, not as impressive. But given how it seemed like they were working with elevator music as its backbone, I can’t blame for not bringing out the vocal guns. But despite that, the vocals manage to bring some hooks to the space and definitely making this track stand out a little more. (8/10)
Today’s album review will be focusing on Stray Kids’ latest release. As you can tell by the title of the post, this isn’t the traditional album release from Stray Kids, like in past comebacks. Apart from three new songs (which includes their latest title track, Side Effects), the album also compiles their 4 past mixtape tracks, which were previously only found on the physical version of each of their 4 past mini-albums. Usually, I do not review these mixtape tracks. But as this is a special album, I have decided to make an exception.
Clé 2: Yellow Wood Album Cover
1..Road Not Taken (밟힌 적 없는 길) – Kickstarting Yellow Wood is an introductory track that throws you into the deep end, with the song featuring a very energetic and robust electronic dance instrumental. Interestingly, we do not get that same level of energy that comes from the vocals or raps. But the seriousness in their voices reminds us that they are not here to mess around with. And I think this contrast is spectacular, matching the inspirational nature of the lyrics. I really like the drop, foreshadowing the exact same glitchy effect in the title track. It is rather disappointing that it was a short one, as I would love to hear a full track out of it. (9/10)
3. TMT (별생각) – The third new track on this mini-album is TMT. The first thing I noticed about the track is that it takes a more ordinary approach, compared to the previous two tracks. It relies less on theatrics and a dramatic instrumental, refocusing on the vocals and rapping techniques of the group (which I did enjoy). With this more ordinary and less intense approach, the track feels like a potential GOT7 title track, especially after the release of Eclipse. I really like whiney synth in the background of the chorus, giving the song a memorable sound. It is not necessarily a stand out track from the group but it still contains a kick that I enjoyed. (8/10)
4. Mixtape #1 –Mixtape #1 (originally from their first mini-album, I Am Not) is a standard track, structure wise. It is surprising to hear such a pleasant sound from the group, which is very different from what we are used from Stray Kids. It showcases the vocals of the group, which I think was very nice, especially in an album that features District 9 (which was loaded with raps and intensity from memory) as its title track. Mixtape #1 talks about self-deception into thinking that you got everything under control to achieve what you want later. Overall, a nice track. (8/10)
5. Mixtape #2 – Mixtape #2 featured on the group’s second mini-album, I Am Who. The track features acoustic guitars, miles away from the dance tracks that Stray Kids have presented us. It focuses purely on vocals, with the rappers even opting for a more melodic form of rapping for the track. The lyrics focus on the bonds created between the members of the group and the bond formed between Stray Kids and Stays (their fan club), along with how they will not give up. I find them all singing at the end to be a very impactful moment, given the message of the track. Soothing and peaceful, a stand out track that I can’t believe I opted to miss out on when I reviewed I Am Who. (9/10)
6. Mixtape #3 – I know these songs are probably not connected in any way. But Mixtape #3 takes the acoustic nature from Mixtape #2 and redefines it into an upbeat sound. Once again, it is vocally driven. But I find the rapping in this track to be impactful and attention-grabbing, emerging as a strong component. But ruling the track has to be the beautiful sounding melodies. I also like how it doesn’t necessarily feature the members singing together but you can feel their presence as a group at the end of the track. (8/10)
7. Mixtape #4 – Featured on the group’s fourth mini-album (Clé 1: Miroh), this is the style I had expected more when it comes to the term ‘mixtape’. The track is more intense than any of the other mixtapes on this album and it feels more aligned with the title tracks we have heard thus far. The track talks about pushing forward regardless of any troubles. The rapping is more dominant, which is a nice change up to line-up. The vocals were good, but I felt like they were a little weaker, especially around the chorus. But still good, overall. (8.5/10)
KPOPREVIEWED 