The mini Wanna One reunion occurred last week and it continues onto this week with the Minhyun’s long-awaited comeback with NU’EST, returning the group to its original 5 members. For those who do not know, 4 members of NU’EST (JR, Baekho, Ren and Minhyun) participated in Produce 101 Season 2, with Minhyun emerging to be part of the project group, Wanna One. JR, Baekho and Ren rejoined Aron to become NU’EST W during the time Minhyun was absent. Unfortunately, this meant that NU’EST has not promoted as a 5 member group since the release of Love Paint, released back in 2016. But that changes today!
Bet Bet is the name of their new title track. The first impression of the track was that it features a very intense sound that manages to do a good job of captivating me. While the foundations seem to very standard and plain, I think the various effects really made it appealing to me. The high pitch wailing effect and the drumbeats that are heard throughout the song really give the song a unique definition, which I really enjoyed. I also enjoyed the rush of energy that the chorus gives us, which is something that I really enjoy in other songs. Vocally, I think the song is really good. Baekho’s vocals that kick off the chorus really does reach out at you, which I think is fantastic as it matches that rush of energy that I am talking about. I also liked the vocals in the pre-chorus, when the song slightly slows down. The rapping (by JR) is also very good. Overall, I think Bet Bet is a fantastic song for the group to return as a whole. I just hope next time around, they go with something a little different or unique like their past releases, as that was what I was yearning for.
The music video, as confirmed by Pledis Entertainment, completes the storyline shared between Overcame, Love Paint and Universe. It starts off with the Queen sitting in her throne. She seems to have all the members trapped in her world and they are trying their best to get out of it (I think this is suggested by the chess board, where Baekho versus her with all the pieces but she only plays with the queen). Minhyun seems to be a little more daring and climbs to her throne and looks closely at her eyes (which has been covered by since the start). This may have flustered and distracted her, allowing Baekho to win against her in the chess game. I am not too sure about the other members, however (I am not familiar with the card game or the casino based game they are playing, so I can’t really tell what’s going on). The second half of the music video is Minhyun’s awakening (presumed from the end of Universe), where he rejoins the others in Utopian world full of colour and plants (and based on this, they escaped the Queen’s grasp). As you can see, my interpretation is a little choppy. So, feel free to throw your thoughts into the comments below! Maybe I am wrong. But whatever it is, it is shaping to be a very interesting music video theory post.
The choreography for this was very cool. Aron was noticeably absent from the choreography shots in the music video, which I presume was due to his injury. But based on the showcase, he is back performing. I liked the fierceness of the chorus, particularly the sliding and kneeling move.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
Making their debut in the past week is NEWKIDD. They may actually be a familiar name with two subunits of the group making their debut in the past, along with NEWKIDD member Ji Hansol making into UNB through the survival reboot show, The UNI+. So, the group has some experience on the stage already. But here is a quick recap before we dive into Tu eres. The group is a seven-member male group (consisting of Jinkwon, Ji Hansol, Choi Jiann, Yunmin, Woochul, Kang Seungchan, and Hwi) currently under J-Flo Entertainment.
To me, Tu eres is a standard house dance track. There really isn’t anything that flashy about the instrumental to really set it apart from the competition. The start was promising, especially with the keyboard or piano. But once the beat became comfortable, I wasn’t really that blown away. What did manage to really reel me into the song were the vocals and the raps. The vocals were quite crisp, clear and showcased proudly over the instrumental. The raps gave the song a dynamic feel and a sense of boldness that I didn’t really register with the rest of the song. Together, I think they did a lot in place of the instrumental which, once again, featured more standard elements than anything else. The song didn’t seem catchy, which is disappointing as you want a debut track to be memorable. But then again, many groups have come back from non-memorable debut tracks in the past, so there is always room to improve, especially when they did demonstrate potential.
The camera quality for this debut music video is on point! I think this already has me biased. The content doesn’t seem to have much, with the video focusing mainly on choreography and close up shots. The video is set in a foreign outdoor marketplace, similar to the concept that the (G)I-DLE’s LATATA and Hann music video. The video was also situated in this classy black backdrop scenery, with the now normalised water dance shot. Together, they may seem like ideas done before but I think it was a nice video regardless of that.
The choreography shares the same fate as the music video. Nothing new but it was still enjoyable to watch. I did like the energy they put into their moves. Apart from that, I don’t have much else to comment on.
Song – 6.5/10 Music Video – 7.5/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 6.9/10
One week ago, TWICE made their comeback with Fancy. It has officially caught on (for me) and it has been a track that I have been replaying over the weekend. So what is stopping me from reviewing their album today? Absolutely nothing! And after listening and writing about each song, I can say I am thoroughly impressed with the quality of the Fancy You mini-album. So with no more delays, I invite you to scroll down below and see for yourself!
2. Stuck In My Head – Stuck In My Head kicks off with its chorus and it is super catchy. So, Stuck In My Head lives up to its name. The song feels very in-your-face, with the chorus being the most prominent part of the song. But they keep it balance enough to not have it be overwhelming. I really like the instrumental, which is heavy and light at the right times. I also enjoyed the vocals of the track, which were all very nice. The rapping, though, was a show stopper in my opinion. It just the right amount of fierceness to fit perfectly in the song. Overall, one song on the album to check out! (9/10)
3. Girls Like Us – This track centres on pop. The instrumental was very vibrant and colourful, especially around the chorus, which I think can be better described as ‘bright’. The consistent piano tapping added to the pop and vibrancy of the track. The song was a little echoey, which I thought also brought on a nice effect and texture to the song. Once again, nice vocals and rap really add to the song, making this a decent track to listen to. (8.5/10)
4. Hot – I think the whole point of this album is for TWICE to return with a re-invented feel. Literally, I don’t think I have heard any song that resembles their previous tracks on this album thus far. Hot really gives off a mature and confident feel that they aimed (and succeeded with Fancy). The dance focused track really captures your attention with its catchiness, good vocals and raps and that deep ‘doom doom’ at the start! I like their build up to the chorus, which when paired with its confidence in the chorus, really feels dynamic. (9/10)
5. Turn It Up – While it was nice to hear some acoustics at the very start of the song. I can guarantee it doesn’t last that much longer. The track delves back into the dance realm as soon as you register some acoustics. I find Turn It Up to be extremely groovy, which I don’t I have mentioned anywhere for this album yet. The song does lack that memorability factor when it comes to the chorus as it doesn’t have that prominent hook. But the rap that followed the first chorus was amazing. The bridge was a little weak in my opinion, but still good enough to not really weigh the song down in any way. (8/10)
6. Strawberry – The album ends with Strawberry. It is their most delicate song on the entire album, due to the lightness of the instrumental and their reliance on the higher pitch. The song has a unique touch and it balances perfectly on the fence of retro and modern. While the vocals are mostly in a higher pitch, I think I was most bored with the vocals in this song, in comparison to any of the other songs. But everything else in this track is very commendable, especially when they take the instrumental out of the track for the bridge/start of the final chorus. Very daring and it pays off. (8/10)
This was meant to be Friday’s album review. But instead of cancelling it, I moved it to today in order to keep up with the continuing influx of albums (for IZ*ONE fans, I will be publishing the album review for their mini-album in May, apologies for the delay). Today’s focus is on 1THE9’s debut, with XIX and Spotlight. For those who don’t know, 1THE9 was formed through the survival show, Under Nineteen, which aired between 2018 and 2019. More details about the group have been dug up recently (by myself) including that they will be together for a period of 1 year and that all members are currently under the age of 19.
XIX Album Cover
1..Domino (ft. Crush) (Pre-Release Track) – Kick-starting their career in the industry is Domino, which was produced the featuring artist, Crush. The song starts off with a strumming acoustic guitar. It was an intriguing start but disappeared once the members started singing. Instead, Domino ended up being an R&B dance track, containing many dubstep effects and synths throughout to make it engage listeners. Adding to this engagement is the tempo of the track. It is slow churning but well paced, and I like how they kept with that throughout the track. Vocals and rapping were quite good. Altogether, the Domino elements come together nicely, making this track a great opener to their album and career. (8/10)
3. The Story (우리들의 이야기) – Judging by the song’s title, I had expected it to be ballad-like. To an extent, the song does have that ballad-like vibe to it. It, however, is combined with another well-paced and slow tempo dance instrumental. Together, it gives The Story a reflective and appreciative tone that shows their commitment to themselves, each other and their fans. The song has a nice melody that is very easy on the ears and isn’t cluttered in any way. Both vocals and rapping were showcased in this song, so I thought it was a well-balanced track. The only problem is that this track is a little cliché, especially with Produce 101 doing this for each of their seasons before sending the participants off to the announcement of the final resulting group. (8/10)
4. R.N.R.H. (Right Now Right Here) – We now return to something a little more intensified. R.N.R.H starts off as a nice standard pop dance track. It felt melodic and almost beautiful. But nothing is what it seems, as demonstrated by many tracks by other KPOP songs. They start infusing some electronic effects and a rolling drum beat into the background. Not too extreme of a change as the track doesn’t make a complete changeup and it was a very nice change. But it is after the rap-spoken line, ‘Right Now, Right Here’ that the track takes an unexpected turn. The chorus goes with a low and tenses up. This was an extreme change but it fascinatingly interesting. They continue the same format of pop and then intense chorus for the rest of the song to maintain that interesting appeal. One final thing but I would have expected an ending with a little for definition. It just felt incomplete, especially after all those changes. (8.5/10)
5. Gravity – Ending the album is Gravity. I am a little torn about the song. I wanted something to lead off nicely from the somewhat flippy R.N.R.H, so to hear a more standard dance track was a little disappointing. But if I were to listen to the song standalone, I think this would be a decent track with a nice melody. I particularly like the post-chorus hook, which was rather catchy. The vocals were nice and the rapping definitely kept the momentum of the track up. I think I would have wanted something a little more catching to really give the song that needed attraction. And maybe this extra element could have been what was needed to allow the song to continue from R.N.R.H.(7.5/10)
Now, there was one earlier arrival to the Wanna One mini reunion today. Yoon Ji Sung made his solo return with I’ll Be There on Thursday. I was a little busy with assignments so I couldn’t write an immediate review, so hence why I decided to have him join the reunion as well. This is Yoon Ji Sung’s second promotional track, with In The Rain (released back in February) being his first. Yoon Ji Sung also recently confirmed that he will be enlisting in the military on the 14th of May, making this (possibly) his final release for the next few years or so.
Once again, I’ll Be There takes on the ballad route, which was expected of Yoon Ji Sung when he made his debut. But it is a lot different to his solo debut track. The guitar at the start made the song sound very beautiful and definitely set the tone. The combination of the guitar with some of the other elements remind me of Park Hyo Shin’s Happy Together, released a few years back. One of these elements has to be the melody of the chorus, which paired with the backing vocals, definitely gave off those vibes. I particularly thought the harmonies that Yoon Ji Sung shared with the backing vocals, in particular during the bridge, really gave the song some definition, alongside the guitar. Happy Together was more of a happier song, whereas this still has an emotional component to it. The song talks about writing memories into a book and that the relationship is going due to the number of pages written in. I thought was a nice concept, making this a promising ballad.
Going back to the lyrics, Yoon Ji Sung ends up reflecting a lot in the video. While the song was about writing memories of a relationship, Yoon Ji Sung spends most of his time alone and with his diary. He writes memories in there. My theory is that since this is a special album, it is farewell (for now) song. And the solo path that Yoon Ji Sung makes is kind of like ‘self-discovery’ time, just before his enlistment. So he writes about this in his diary. There is no sadness, rather it looks likes his mind is wandering and we do see some smiles throughout the video. We do also see a glimpse of a page but I am not too sure about what it said. To me, the video is one of those that is on the dry side but if my theory is right, I think it would a nice video for fans.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 6.5/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
Major alert but today’s Wanna One reunion isn’t over just yet! I just posted my review for AB6IX’s pre-debut single. Now, it is Bae Jin Young’s turn. Since departing from Wanna One, Bae Jin Young returned to his company, C9 Entertainment, and has been taking a break from activities after a years plus worth of promotions. Now, Bae Jin Young returns by making his solo debut with Hard To Say Goodbye, which is featured on his first ever single album.
To me, Bae Jin Young is one of the more ambiguous members of the now disbanded group. He just never got to really shine in the midst of all the other members. So I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect once he returns. Hard To Say Goodbye ventures in the ballad regions of the Korean music industry, something that I personally would not have thought occur. And while I do have doubts, one listen confirms that there is no need for any concerns. Bae Jin Young’s vocals have this slight raspy tone which I have never noticed before that sounds very touching on top of the traditional sounding instrumental. He sounds very nice. Another thing I was concerned about was how would he give the song that peak it needed to really bring the track together. But he does so well with this ‘peak’ in his own way, which I think was definitely my pick for the highlight of the track. Overall, I thought it was a nice ballad. Not exactly the best for reasons I will discuss later on but still nice.
One of the things that set a good ballad singer to another is the ability to convey emotions. I don’t think Bae Jin Young hit the mark with that aspect as I didn’t feel 100% connected with the vocals. But it is the music video, paired with the song that made it feel touching. Throughout the video, you get a sense that he is lonely. But we think this partner left him for another person or broke up with him. He starts off his day by looking over some plans and buying some flowers. He then uses those plans to build a chair, assumingly for his past lover, kind of like he was finding hard to let them go. However, the ending was surprising and it was the small plot twist that got me sad. Bae Jin Young, dressed in a black suit, crying over the chair he built and the flowers he bought are placed on top of it. I suddenly come to the realization that his former partner passed away and it wasn’t because they broke up with him, Instead, they left in the saddest of ways that really made me think that I should have been quick to assume.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 10/10 Overall Rating – 8.2/10
Did anyone know that AB6IX would be releasing their pre-debut track today? I haven’t been paying too much to teasers lately, but I do have an understanding of when certain artists will be making their comeback. Not that I am complaining, though. AB6IX is a brand new male group under Brand New Music. They are one of the highly anticipated debuts of the year as the group consisting of two former Wanna One members (Lee Dae Hwi and Park Woo Jin), the MXM duo (Lim Young Min and Kim Dong Min) and newly revealed Jeon Woong.
Their pre-debut single is title Hollywood. Right off the bat, it throws intensity and edginess right at you. It is overwhelming to an extent but in a good way. Not often do songs leave me shaking and wanting more. It could be the cold climate that I am in at the moment but I like to think that it was the song’s effect on me. The song takes on dance trap elements, something that is a little different from the usual electronic and EDM music get nowadays from other releases. The line ‘Welcome To My Hollywood‘, especially Park Woo Jin’s opener, was very impactful but in a subtle way. To me, the rapping was definitely the other highlight of the song. It went extremely well with the intensity. That being said, the vocals were really good as well but the focus just wasn’t on them, unfortunately. I thought the mad energy rush during the final chorus was ideal, as the song needed a little extra push in that department or else it would have been a tad too consistent. Overall, Hollywood leaves me wanting more, perfect for a pre-debut single.
Unfortunately, this is only a performance video. So, there was mainly choreography shots throughout the video. I think the video started off with just the MXM members watching television and wearing their old outfits. But after a while, they get up and stare at the door, before walking through it to the set of the Hollywood music video (Who else noticed the locks were on the hinged side of the door?). One of the members takes off their jacket and MXM become appropriately clothed alongside the rest of the group. After that, it mainly choreography shots and a very surprise announcement at the end, informing fans that the 22nd of May will be their debut date. Mark your calendars because we will only be counting down days from now.
The choreography was amazing. It was extremely fitting for the intensity and I think pairing the song and choreography together just made everything so much more appealing. My favourite section has to be the entire routine for the final chorus as it makes that rush of energy even better!
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 10/10 Overall Rating – 9.7/10
Intriguing teasers of a yellow car popped onto my news feed last week and it was later revealed that Chanyeol was the driver of the car. The teaser was for Chanyeol’s first solo track, titled as SSWF, which stands for Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter. The single is released as part of SM Station Season 3 and will be released in 3 different languages (Korean. Chinese and Japanese) for many more fans to enjoy the song. This is the first EXO release since Chen’s solo debut earlier this month.
I was not sure what I was expecting when it came to SSFW. But I don’t think I expected to be hearing music that was so light and airy. The song felt fitting for the breezy weather, as I think it would be a nice listen as you have a stroll in the park or along the beach. When it comes to Chanyeol, you can always expect husky and raspy vocals. His rapping tone is already very deep, so the vocals were a given. The song manages to flaunt his extremely attractive voice to the listeners. I did like his voice in the second verse, which brought onboard a slight rapping tone, which I think gave the song slight variety. I thought the instumental was rather pleasant and contrbuted to the song’s light nature alongside the vocals. The song to me is nice at the moment but personally I do not see the longevity of it. I think I would get bored of the song if I was to continually replay it, which has been the fate for all the SM Station releases this year.
The song relates love to the four seasons, which may be similar to Taeyeon’s recent release,Four Seasons. However, Chanyeol relates his love to the more warmer seasons and wants to be together with his lover to “chase the cold away”. That is quite cheesy but it makes sense. The video shows cases, what I think, is all the seasons except for Winter. There are a lot of sunny seasons as that is the main focus, while the ending was overwhelming brown to reflect upon Autumn. Going back to how I thought the song would matchy a breezy day, the video manages to encapsulate that through the car rides with the window rolled down. I think this was a great representation. To me, it was a nice video for the song.
Song – 7.5/10 Music Video – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.7/10
One of the more happier stories of the year thus far has to be N.Flying’s unexpected chart-topping single, Rooftop. When that track was first released, not many people paid attention to it. After a few weeks, however, Rooftop was hitting the top of the charts and the group earned many compliments as a result. So, there is a lot of expectations and pressure placed on the release of their next (now latest) single, Spring Memories, which was released yesterday.
It was smart for N.Flying to follow up with something that suits Spring, the season which South Korea is very much in at the moment. And since Springtime love songs tend to huge hits, why not go after another potential chart-topping hit. I have to admit that while other Springtime songs tend to be more light, Spring Memories is on the heavier side. This is because the instrumental is more loaded than the usual acoustic guitar. It keeps their usual band style of instrumental (i.e drums and guitars). But it also incorporates an orchestral section during the bridge of the track (and I think during the final chorus). Hence, it felt there was a lot going on. However, the instrumental remained very breezy and airy, suitable for this season. I thought the paced guitar strumming and that short whistle was a nice way to open up the track. The vocals were pleasant and I liked how they managed to incorporate a slight rapping tone to the moments leading up to the chorus. I personally do not enjoy these songs as much but I think N.Flying put out a nice song that deserves some attention once again.
With a focus on Spring, the music video showcases the cherry blossoms. Apart from the cherry blossoms, the video focuses on a female who is reminded of her past memories after an old friend took pictures of the flowers and sent it to her. Wanting to escape her dreadful office life, she tracks down the locations that he continually sends her through pictures, along with memories of those places are replayed in her mind (and the male lead’s mind, played by Kwak Dong Yeon). In the end, she finds him, catching him by surprise. It was a nice video that did justice to the spring feel the song had.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
Last night, we saw the return of VERIVERY with From Now. This is the group’s first comeback since their debut earlier this year with Ring Ring Ring. In case you missed their debut, VERIVERY is a 7-member male group from Jellyfish Entertainment. They were also previously active in 2018 with their pre-debut single, Super Special.
From Now is very similar to Ring Ring Ring. It has the same style of retro dance pop that their debut track had. I do think, because of this, the song did feel rather dry to an extent as it didn’t really bring anything new to showcase the members. However, there were some interesting parts of the song that I think it enough to make this track be considered somewhat different to their debut track. I think the rapping scenes had a more hip-hop centred melody, which I think really went well and gave the song a little more substance. While the instrumentation was also similar between song, this one felt a bit more vibrant and in-your-face with it. I also thought the synthesizer dance break right after the first chorus to be very appealing. I thought the vocals are very strong and went well with that ‘in-your-face’ style of instrumentation that I have already identified. I think the group could have gone with a different style to provide variety in their discography, From Now was still pretty good.
I thought the music video was rather appealing for this comeback. I felt the colour was more profound and bold, which really set the tone for the video. It also felt more suiting to the retro sound. This is also the first music video that I saw the ‘In My Feelings‘ challenge appear. Maybe the trend never reached South Korea but I thought it was something unique and fresh in the video.
From what I can see in the music video, the performance looks pretty good. I think the dance break will be the best section but everything else also looked like it was fitting for the vibrant and energetic song.
Song – 8/10 [Updated – See why on VERIVERY’s Album Review] Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.3/10
As mentioned previously on a number of reviews. many male idols have reached the age in which they have to enlist into the military. And since it is common for some members to hold off, it has resulted in entire groups enlisting around the same time. HIGHLIGHT is one of the names that come to mind. Doojoon, Yoseob and Gikwang have all enlisted, while Dongwoon has been confirmed to start early next month. Even former member Junhyung has enlisted. So, while we won’t be getting any highlights for the next two years or so, Dongwoon has left us with a new solo mini-album and the title track, In The Silence.
In The Silence is a classically driven instrumental ballad. And it is a beautiful ballad, despite its emotional lyrics, that is bound to make people cry. Essentially, Dongwoon asks for the end of his relationship because he knows the direction it is going will just be painful for him and his lover. In a sense, it is a very hurtful way to part with someone but logically it makes senses. But it sounds like it isn’t a permanent breakup, so I guess it can be related to him parting ways for the next two years. But as I said, it has a beautifully sounding instrumental and his voices pairs amazingly with it. You can fill the emotions and pain behind his voice, which I think makes this song so much more touching. Never did I expect a high note from him but he does so in a way that gives the song that peak it needed but also adds to that emotion. Overall, it is a nice ballad that I am sure that I will be returning to often in the coming weeks.
The music video is extremely simple but it is definitely one that ‘speaks volumes’. It starts an empty chair and later with Dongwoon sitting alone. Surrounding him is a bunch of empty chairs that the classical instrument players will later fill up. I found that to be extremely impactful, relating back to his need to ‘leave’ and ‘be alone’. I found the scenes with the light swinging across his face (and him sitting in pitch darkness) to be equally as haunting. The black and white filter just makes things so much more aesthetically pleasing.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 10/10 Overall Rating – 10/10
Once again, I am a little late with a few reviews. I am still busy with studies so I will try my best to post when I am free. Monday had a number of releases so I was hoping to get through them today! One of the releases is TARGET’s latest single, Beautiful. This is the group’s first comeback since Is It True?, which was released back in July of last year.
Beautiful is a wonderful mix between a ballad-like track and a mid-tempo dance track. I thought the instrumental was very appealing due to its lightness Majority of the track was very peaceful and calming, thanks to the ballad vibes we got during the verses and that part that follows the post-chorus and before the second verse. I did enjoy the switching of the two styles. I found some moments, especially around the rap sequences, providing a light kick to really add to some texture to the song. The rapping was actually quite fitting overall for this light style for the most part. The only section that ended up being mismatching was that rough rap sequence that kicked off the bridge. But there was a contrast in texture that made me go ‘wow’. And if I were to imagine the song without it, I think it would be lacking that extra element. The vocals were nice, also fitting the light nature of the song. I found the song to be very appealing and it is slowly catching on some more as I listen to more of it.
For a group that doesn’t come from the biggest of companies and haven’t taken off (yet), I thought the video was put together well. I thought their pastel-like colour scheme was fitting for the light nature of the song. I also liked how they managed to give off a pretty aesthetic with the lights and the hologram lights in the background of their solo shots. Though, their lipsyncing in the video seems to be a little weak. At times I felt like they were just mouthing along, particularly the guy who did the extra rough textured rap line. That was rather noticeable in this otherwise appealing music video.
The choreography was fitting at times whilst a little odd at other times. Like the hopping-like moves in the second half of the chorus, I thought it just didn’t feel right for the vibes they were going for. Otherwise, it was a nice dance overall.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.8/10
Due to the number of songs on the album, this album review post is quite lengthy.
Today’s ‘Past’ album review post will be focusing on probably what I consider to be 2PM’s most memorable album (form the top of my head). Grown was released back in 2013, featuring both A.D.T.O.Y and Come Back When You Hear This Song as the title tracks (links to their respective review can be found below). And while this album is almost 6 years old, I still return to it often. They did release a repackaged version, which contained many more songs but I think that is suitable for a follow-up post in the future. But before we get to that, we have to look at the original version!
Grown Album Cover
1..A.D.T.O.Y (하.니.뿐) (Title Track) – Most of my comments in my original review stand. However, I felt that a 7/10 is a little unfair for this album review as I have enjoyed the song countless times since its release. Hence I have bumped up the ranking by 1 point. Click here to read the full review for A.D.T.O.Y. (8/10).
3. Zero Point (원점으로) – This is the style of KPOP that I want an artist to revisit. To me, this song sounds quite like Come Back When You Hear This Song. It utilizes a traditional synth-pop (but more pop centred) instrumental and is very easy on the ears. It shows off their vocals and I really liked the melody of the track. Those ‘violins’ they use in the chorus was so good, despite them feeling synthetic. I also liked the extra few seconds of suspense they add to the song during the pre-chorus, which makes this track so good. There were a few moments just before Taecyeon’s rap sequence that I thought they could have gone down the trap route but that is something common today and not so much back in the day. And this just makes the song feel so much more wholesome feeling. (8.5/10)
4. I’m Sorry – I’m Sorry is an R&B track that has a very smooth feeling, which you can feel straight away from its initial second. There is this sensual vibe going in the song, which I think the smooth R&B sound cannot avoid. But it definitely a mature sound that I personally like from 2PM. Once again, sleek vocals and amazing harmonies are heard in this song. The rapping was well tweaked for the song as well. My favourite line has to be Chansung’s “So I can’t stop stop stop thinking about the time…”, which is constantly replaying in my head. (8/10)
5. The First Date (오늘부터 1일) – Opening up the song is some piano. And from the first second, you can tell this song is going to be lively, changing the album’s flow. While the piano was nice, the brass in the chorus was perfect. It came on just at the right time and managed to add an extra influx of energy that I did not even know was missing from the song. The song is also capped with great vocals and I liked the rapping, which also added to that addition of energy that I have mentioned. (8/10)
6. Dangerous – The song has this jazzy and upbeat vibe to it, which gives it an intriguing feel. And as much as I want to like the song, I think Dangerous is a little weak compared to the other tracks on the album (but that in no means it is bad). It has a nice clean and modern touch, which from memory was something that was extremely big at the time of its release. The vocals were good and I thought the rapping added a little smugness to the song. I just think its placement in a sea of great songs was probably its biggest downfall. (7/10)
7. One More Day (오늘 하루만) – One More Day takes the form of a ballad. It is a nice soothing track to really kick back to. I don’t think it stands out much, like Dangerous and probably for the exact same reasons. I did like the instrumental of the track as it incorporates soft synths into the otherwise classical instrumental. I think it gave the song some character and really differentiated it from other ballads. I am personally not sure if a rap sequence was necessary. Taecyeon’s execution is not the problem but for a ballad, it felt a little too much. (7/10)
8. Game Over – Intensity has been missing from the album thus far. So it is really nice to really get something loaded with it. The powerful instrumental really sets it apart from any other of their songs (and if memory serves me right, any song released at the time). I wonder why they didn’t go with this track as one of the title tracks. It had maturity, an awesome dance break section, amazing vocals and definitely underrated rap sequences. Jun.K’s line ‘This Endless Game’ replays hauntingly in your mind as it was an impactful finisher to the song. (10/10)
9. Coming Down – Based on what I know of music and from movies, this is probably something you hear somewhere that you need to spend a lot of money. Otherwise known as a classy bar or cafe music. Coming Down follows a similar comment pool as per the jazzy songs before. But there is a little more to the song that makes this one a little more likeable. The jazzy vibes are felt but they don’t seem to be as prevalent, which I think is a rather refreshing twist. The vocals and rapping are just so clear and undeniably interesting. Hence, this is why I think this song a little better than the others of the same nature. (7.5/10)
10. Go Back (고백) – Go Back is one of those misleading tracks. The song started off as a ballad for the verses. But out of nowhere, the song builds up to a techno-focused chorus. I am not sure if it was the first of its kind but it is a rather interesting mix. And while the two are very different extremes, the song does merge well together. I also like how Taecyeon’s rapping was kind of the intersection of the two sides, as this isn’t something that occurs that much even in today’s songs where the mashup of two genres occurs often. I also enjoyed the ‘Eh Oh Eh Oh’ hook of the song as well. (9/10)
11. Love Song – An album will always have a weak song. That is how things work. Any fan who says that say each song is perfect on any album is probably lying to themselves. And since I started this section like this, I think you know what I am going to say. Love Song is the weakest track on the album. I think this song was the hardest to connect to. That jazzy sound returns and does show off some maturity. Some vocals also flourished but I simply pass over this track every time I return to the album. (6.5/10)
12. At Times (문득) – This is as ballad-y as you can get with a ballad. At Times is 2PM’s push for a promising ballad and I think they nail the song. Taecyeon started the song off very soft singing and by the time we swing to the chorus, the vocals make it feel like the peak of a ballad. It pushes the song forward and makes it feel very elegant and extravagant at the same time. But what makes this song so good is that it continuously builds, resulting in the final chorus to be truly spectacular (ticking all boxes for my style for a power ballad). I think it is a beautiful ballad and a powerful ending to the album. (9.5/10)
TWICE returns today with a brand new look and ‘Fancy’ title track. If you haven’t noticed from the title of the page and my lame pun, the group has returned with the title track named Fancy. April has been a relatively quiet month but the song war is still ongoing on the digital charts of Korea. From what I noticed the last two months have been filled with comebacks from strong digital performers, which has caused a lot of chaos (good chaos). And Twice is currently the newest contender to gives these other artists some competition.
The way Fancy starts off gives me a retro pop feel, similar to something we could have heard in the 80s. But as the song progresses forward, you can hear a cleaner and modern mix in the synth-pop instrumentation. Interestingly, the track had a more mature feel, despite it still containing that brightness that we have come to know of TWICE releases and I attribute that to the song’s instrumental. Also when it comes to TWICE’s releases, the first thing I always do is search for that addictive hook that would make the song so promising. However, I felt like this song lacked that. There were plentiful hooks but I don’t think they were as addictive as their past predecessors. Vocally, the song was good. But I wanted more variety has the song got towards the end. A high note would probably be ill-fitting but it needed something to signal the end of the track was fast approaching. I also felt that a rapping sequence would have made the song a little more interesting. With this mature sound, I think the rapping sequence could have enhanced the song further. To me, this isn’t TWICE’s strongest release. But it still quite good.
Who loves TWICE’s new look? I do! While the music video does have a more standard format, I found the solo shots of each member to be extremely captivating, which definitely draws my attention to the replay button once the video ends. I also like the edginess that some of the shots featured, which if you know me, is definitely an appealing point. I also really like the black and pink backdrop to their choreography shot that they are all wearing black in. Probably the edgiest the group has been in their career thus far.
I really enjoyed the performance for this track. The introduction was so good and the chorus looks fitting for the energy that we get during this part of the song. I also like the circle formation as the end, which I think was quite progressive.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8.5/10 Overall Rating – 8.4/10
Pentagon made their comeback a few weeks back with Genie:us and the title track, Sha La La. It has been some time since the release as the group has wrapped up their primary promotions already and have gone onto follow-up promotions with another single on the track (see which song in the review below!). This is another high-quality album that demonstrates the group’s potential. It also features a number of fun (a highly repetitive word in this review) sounding tracks, along with two subunit tracks (where the group is split into a hip-hop and ballad unit). Now, let’s have a closer look at the album.
2. Lost Paradise (Hip Hop Unit) – The Hip Hop unit of Pentagon is made up of Kino, Wooseok, Hui and Yuto. To me, Lost Paradise talks about wanting to overcome the lost feeling you get in life but it is done with a harsh and grungy tone., which I think fits the ideal sound that you expect of a hip hop unit. I really like the subtle rock instrumental that really gives the song its identity. At the very forefront of the song is Wooseok, who stands out from the rest of the members by utilizing his husky voice. That being said, the other members did a pretty good job as well. They just didn’t shine as brightly as Wooseok did. Overall, Lost Paradise was remarkably appealing. (9/10)
3. Until That Moment (그 순간 그때까지) (Ballad Unit) – Pentagon’s ballad unit is made up of Yeo One, Yan An, Hongseok, Jinho and Shinwon. It does follow that typical classical ballad route but given Pentagon’s past ballads, I am super excited to hear the track With ballads, the most talked-about aspect of the song would have to be the vocals. It was very breathtaking. If I were to pick one member who shined the most in this unit track (like in the previous track), Jinho comes out on top. But like Lost Paradise, each member was spectacular, established through that amazing peak in the bridge delivered by all the members. Once again, this is the type of song to beat. (10/10)
4. Alien (에일리언) – We return back to tracks that featured the entire track. Listening to Alien, I think this would have followed nicely from Naughty Boy in their previous mini-album. It is a fun track that has random elements that really jump at you for its quirkiness. The first element that I noticed was the complete change up at the start of Wooseok’s rap. It didn’t fit into the track at first, so I was going to say something negative about it. But it wasn’t until I heard Shiwon’s ‘Have a good nice day’ shout and Hui’s follow-up falsetto that it clicked that it was meant to be random. I also thought the lyrics were random as well but fitting for a quirky song titled Alien.(8.5/10)
5. Spring Snow (봄눈) – The way Spring Snow started off reminded me of the music for a 90s sitcom opener. And although it makes me cringe, I can totally imagine Pentagon doing one of those openers. With that in mind, you can tell that the rock based instrumental and song overall was going to be extremely fun sounding and upbeat. What makes it even better is that the song was extremely catchy, with the vocals and rapping extremely vibrant. So it is no wonder that this song was chosen for their follow-up promotions (that they are currently in the midst doing). And while this does set off the cringy thought process, I thoroughly enjoyed and will definitely be returning to the track in the future. (10/10)
6. Round 1 (Bonus Track) – Rounding out the trio of fun songs and also the final song on the album is Round 1. And they playful diss each other in this track. Each person, apart from Wooseok who talks nice about himself, takes a turn in playfully making fun of another member. Not flushing the toilet, staying indoors instead of walking their active dog and being a scaredy cat are just some of the things that pop up in the song. I won’t spoil who those comments relate to, so definitely check out this song. The song is rap driven, which I think makes the song extra fun, especially through the different techniques each member uses. (8/10)
It has been a while since we heard a collaboration. It seems like this isn’t going to be a recurring thing in 2019, based on the number of collaborations thus far in the year. However, we were provided with some relief with the release of Eunha and Ravi’s collaboration for Pepsi last week on the 11th of April. This is also the second year in a row that Pepsi has asked KPOP idols to come together for a collaboration, with YDPP and WJMK releasing two songs last year with Pepsi at the forefront of both videos.
Despite the visuals of the music video, Blossom is not necessarily that cutesy love song that you are looking for that companies have utilised in their campaigns. This style would obviously not suit Ravi, as per his husky vocals and usually hard-hitting rap style. Instead, Blossom is a subtle pop track with a lot of sweetness mixed into it to make it appropriate for Spring. I really like the rolling drum beats in the moments that the song is building up, which gave the song a sharp incline to the chorus. Other than that, the instrumental was rather light and calming. I also liked the whispering at the start of the chorus, which I thought was rather sleek. While we all know that Eunha is a vocalist (I really liked her in the first verse. The melody was also quite nice) but it was surprising to hear Ravi sing for his chorus and some of his verse. I also like how his rapping wasn’t as hard-hitting as based on his solo and VIXX works. Rather, it was well tweaked to fit the light nature of the song. It felt like I jumped around between different aspects for this part but overall, the song was quite nice.
Based on the video, cherry blossom season is in full swing. And the video takes full advantage of the pretty sights. The song ‘cheers on young people to achieve their dreams and also their pursuit for romance’ and we get to see those two sides in the video. Ravi is an aspiring artist, while Eunha is auditioning to be an idol. The two do face some hardships but manage to push through. And in the midst of their slumps, they meet each other and become interested. Some awkward meetups happen and they end up dating one another. And it is incredibly convenient that Pepsi sponsors their entire romance storyline. Hahaha…
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.6/10
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