As mentioned previously, I am (extremely) slowly catching up on reviews from last week. Due to another week of a high workload, I predict that catching up on reviews for the past two weeks may lead onto the next week. But that is an issue to be dealt with then. Today, I have picked Yeri’s first solo single to be the main focus. Dear Diary was released last week on Thursday and is also part of the SM Station series. The track is quite special as it is self-composed by Yeri herself. that it was self-composed by herself. We also last saw Yeri as a solo artist in her collaboration, Hair In The Air, with members of NCT Dream for the Trolls show.
Dear Diary is an acoustic ballad that I find fitting for a nice day. But it isn’t a ballad that I am falling for. I find it a bit plain for my liking and hence why I haven’t been enjoying it as much. The song has a nice piano and guitar combination, keeping true to its acoustic description throughout the entire track. I also do think the song did a nice job of showing off her vocals. We don’t see much opportunity for her to do so in the Red Velvet title tracks. so it is quite nice to hear a Yeri solo track. I did like the airy sound she brought to the background vocals, which I thought was both nice and gave a flowy feel to the song. To me, the song is very straight forward and doesn’t have much to really create a cause for me to stay. I would be happy to listen to the song if it appeared on my playlist, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to really find and play it.
The music video is slightly better. I really like the simplicity of the music video and how this flowed to even the effects of the video. For example, I liked the snapshots of her footage appearing throughout the video. But rather than flashbacks or some fancy transition, they are just layered on top of the main scene as rectangles. There was no editing of colours or borders. Just straight forward footage on one another. I also enjoyed the lighting of the video. Really gave the song a homely feel. There was some dryness to the video which may have stemmed from the song. But overall, I thought it was a nice video to still watch.
Song – 5/10 Music Video – 7/10 Overall Rating – 5.8/10
Following a very successful 2018, Momoland has returned with a brand new title track, I’m So Hot. It is featured on the group’s 5th mini-album, Show Me. And as already mentioned, the track follows one of the biggest hits of 2018, Boom Boom, and a favourite of mine, Baam. So there are very big shoes to fill. But these shoes will not be filled by Taeha or Daisy, as they will be sitting out of promotions this time around due to health and personal reasons. It has already been promised that they will return in the next comeback.
I’m So Hot takes a retro spin to their existing formula adapted from their successful hits. The song opens up with saxophones that also doubles as the song’s instrumental hook, as it is played throughout the song and thus becoming extremely addictive as a result. I liked how it was combined with relatively simple electronic, reminding us that this is, in fact, a pop song. I have to admit that despite the blaring saxophone, I felt the instrumental was rather weak and didn’t have a bass component to really give it some definition. And I felt the chorus was rather messy with a lot going on at once. There are also other things that I enjoyed about the track. Firstly, the vocals are really good on this track. In particular, I enjoyed the vocals during the pre-chorus and that bridge-like part just before the final round of saxophone. If they can pull it off in the live performances, I think this will be a killer stage to watch out for. I also liked the rapping this time around. Yes, it clearly delved into the hip-hop genre once again. But it didn’t feel as overloaded as Baam’s rap sequence was and actually, it felt kind of fitting for the song. Overall, I’m So Hot was nice in some parts but it didn’t feel like a complete packaged.
The ladies of Momoland are showing off how they are ‘So Hot‘ as they prepare for their performance. And that was essentially the entire music video in a sentence. They did seem to have some fun along the way, though. There are some other things that I noticed that I just want to comment on. I know 1THEK now sponsors some of the music videos, especially for release on their channel, but their brand is becoming very noticeable. Like obnoxiously noticeable. I felt like the massive 1THEK brand just took away the appeal of the music video. I also don’t like their outfits as much. It seemed mediocre and didn’t feel as fitting as I hoped to the music video sets or sound of the song.
Like the song, this performance is very weak. After Baam, I expected something with a little more flair and attitude, especially since they will be explaining that they are ‘So Hot‘.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 6/10 Overall Rating – 7.3/10
It is time to also start catching up with reviews for songs released this week! So there is a lot to do! And we start with VAV, who made their comeback yesterday with Thrilla Killa. This is the group’s first comeback since Senorita, which was released late last year. This comeback also features a 6-member lineup, as Jacob has other schedules that prevent him from participating.
Thrilla Killa continues the group’s highly satisfying list of songs that they have been releasing since last year. The song draws from funk and retro, combining it a modern pop take of electronic music. I found the track to be very energetic and upbeat, as you would want with most dance tracks. At the same time, I thought the song was very polished and definitely had a classy vibe, which managed to come through via their vocal and instrumental combination. While we are talking about their vocals, I thought it was rather nice. I also like that autotune ad-lib or shout that they used a hook. Definitely addictive but also a very interesting textural component in the song. I also like their melody, which was another reason why the song was polished for me. I also liked how their rap didn’t go onto the ‘hype route’. Instead, it stayed within the boundaries of the song and remained classy like how I mentioned before. There was also an auotuned section in the bridge, which I think counts as a rap sequence. That, once again, gave the song nice texture and felt perfect for the rest of the song.
The music video features DIA’s Chaeyeon (who also made her comeback yesterday with her group. Check out the review here!). She only appears at the start, where she seems like she is looking for something. One of the members is behind her and shines a light at her, which she blocks out. So what purpose does she serve in the video? As you can tell, I am not too sure about the plotline of the music video. The lyrics suggest that they are falling for her and I guess they become hot and bothered in the process. That’s my take on the video though and that is probably not right. Anyway, the music video was very stylish. From the sets (especially the golden hallway with the rapper) and outfits, I think everything was well-aligned to the song.
Another good performance from the group. It wasn’t as spectacular as I had hoped it to be, given the instrumental of the track, however. But there were some good moments, namely the chorus as a whole and the mini dance break, where the autotuned rap sequence was present (this, in particular, looked cool).
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.8/10
Today’s ‘Past Album’ Review is ASTRO’s 2017 comeback, Baby and Dream Part 01 mini-album. This review was actually intended to be released earlier in the year. But since ASTRO returned with All Night and their All Light studio album, I decided to postpone it to avoid any clashes between the two albums (I am worried that it might cause confusion for some fans to why I reviewed a previous album and not their latest one). But fast forward 2 months, I think it is time to release this album review to read! So let’s get going!
Dream Part 01 Album Cover
1..Dreams Come True – Dreams Come True begins with a quirky bubble sound in an 8-bit format, which really starts off the album on a unique touch. It progresses into a standard pop dance track for the chorus which I think was nice, but I am a little disappointed that it lost some of that uniqueness. I did like the violins in the background, which I thought was a nice small detail to add to the song. The vocals were nice, especially with that falsetto high note towards the end. The overlapping with the rapping did make the ending a tad messy for my liking but it was still a good ending overall. (8/10)
3. You Smile (니가 웃잖아) – You Smile has that Summertime band instrumental feel but ASTRO manages to transform it into a dance track. Come to the think of it, this reminds of their previous comeback at the time of release (Breathless). It is slightly different with the chorus sung individually and the track isn’t overly pop. I enjoyed the vocals in the song. But I think I liked the rapping more, as it felt more suited. The deep voices of the rappers go really well with the fresh feel of the song, hence why they stood for me. (8/10)
4. Because It’s You (너라서) – Because It’s You is a ballad that thanks their lover for being there for them and the joy for being by their side. It is a really nice ballad at the start that gradually builds up to a very melodic chorus. It showcases their vocals in a light that I personally have not really seen too much from ASTRO, especially in their earlier days. I would love to hear the rappers sing in the song alongside the rest of the members, especially since they only got a very small portion of the song. I felt like that could have really been nice as it could have doubled up as a song for fans, given the message of the song. (8.5/10)
5. Dream Night – Dream Night takes on an upbeat pop instrumental. I did enjoy the energy and bright atmosphere they had within the song. I also thought that the song did well with their vocals. It just didn’t have that excitement to really make it… well… pop. It is another one of those songs that have an instrumental that felt too typical and consistent over the entire length of the track. Furthermore, I wanted a little more to the raps. They could have been more interesting and defined to really stand out. (6.5/10)
6. I’ll Be There – I’ll Be There is another ballad-like song. But instead of relying on a beautiful melody like in Because It’s You (see track 4), the song relies more on their youthful side. It seems light-hearted and more carefree. Once again, the vocals are on full show but not to the extent as the previously mentioned ballad. The rapping seems to be more reminiscent of their title tracks hence why I can’t really describe the song as ‘beautiful’. I would have liked a more memorable instrumental and less abrupt ending. Personally, the song in passing would be overlooked as it was forgettable for the most part. (7/10)
7. Lie (다 거짓말) – We have another ballad-like track and this one features a very nice orchestral-like instrumental, which really makes the track feel so much more heartbreaking. Lie seems to hint at a broken relationship caused by the lies of their lover. A lot of the lyrics seems to show the members alone due to their lover not being there anymore and that they have to lie as a result to keep up the impression that they are okay (That’s my personal take on the lyrics. The translations that I found don’t really make sense). I thought the song was also a nice presentation of vocals and I really liked how they integrated the rapping into the sad song. (9/10)
8. Every Minute – The album ends with Every Minute, which is a return to their bright and youthful style that ASTRO presented for this comeback. The song features a slight retro and funk touch within its electro-pop instrumental. As a result, it felt like a fun song. I liked their change up for the bridge and the rebound-like transition between this part. I do have to admit the ‘Every Minute’ repetition feels like it would get really annoying with repeated listens but for the time being, it is keyed into my mind as a good hook. (8/10)
The second comeback of the day that I wanted to discuss is Jeong Sewoon’s Feeling, which is featured on his fourth mini-album, Plus Minus Zero (also dropped today). The song features Penomeco, an R&B singer and rapper. This is Sewoon’s first comeback since 20 Something, which was released back in July of last year. Since his last comeback, we haven’t much from Sewoon (from what I remember). But I did come across news that he was debuting as a musical actor in a Grease production earlier this year (and I think there are some videos of him performing on a stage somewhere on the internet). Congratulations to Sewoon for his debut once again!
Sewoon brings back the guitar from his debut single, Just U and plays it very passionately throughout the song. The guitar flourishes within the pop instrumental and it works extremely well with the rest of the instrumentation to create an energetic and upbeat atmosphere. There isn’t a dance performance for this comeback so I will mention it here. Sewoon looks like he is having a lot of fun with the guitar on stage and his interaction with the band surrounding him shows his commitment and willingness for the song. Once again, his vocals are so good in the track. It is extremely hard to really point out anything wrong with his voice. The winning part of the song was when she speaks ‘I Like You‘, right after the first chorus and before launching into an instrumental break. It is so deep and contrasts so well with the rest of the song. Penomeco’s rapping sequence (and vocals) was very cool. It gives a smooth feel to the song and I really liked how his delivery went along with the guitar. I think this is one of the few times that I do agree with the abrupt ending, giving the song that climax it needed at the very end.
At this stage in time, I cannot find the lyrics of the song in English. But I think I have an idea regarding the music video. Essentially, the video shows Sewoon singing about the feeling of love. It seems like he hasn’t confessed to his lover just yet, as we see him sitting from afar and smiling just by being in the presence of his crush. He also gets nervous when he dreams about her. In the end, it seems like he confesses to her and I think we infer that she accepts the confession. I have to admit that Sewoon was rather cute during the music video. His smiles are just so loveable. I also like the band scenes, where Sewoon is seen strumming it out on the guitar. I also like the ‘film’ border that surrounds the music video, kind of like showing his time in the video as a memory to reflect upon in the future.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 8/10 Overall Rating – 9.2/10
I know that I promised reviews for songs last week but I just finished scheduling them and they will be spaced out this week! But there are two exciting comebacks that I wanted to write about tonight so I will be prioritising them first. The first comeback is by DIA, who has returned with Woowa. This is the group’s first comeback since WooWoo, released 7 months ago. WooWoo also earned the group’s first weekly show win ever! Hopefully, they can win again this time around with Woowa. Unfortunately, the group will have to do it without Jenny, who is not participating in this round of promotions.
Woowa starts off with a power rush of energy that really gets you excited for what is to come. The instrumental, particularly the main instrumental hook of the song, delves into a techno-funk sound. There is a very powerful retro vibe to the song which I am loving. This combination results in a very groovy and upbeat track that I just want to dance to. I really like the tiny bit of brass you get during the start of the bridge and I actually want more of it in the song. The vocals were pretty nice. At first, I did feel that they were relatively plain, especially towards the end. But I guess the song is growing more on me as I don’t seem to feel that way anymore. The rapping is what I disagree with. They go with an ethnic sound which I don’t think suits the song’s groovy vibes. It does feel distant to the chorus and it does cut the flow of the song. But aside from that, I think Woowa is a really good track. It is getting pretty addictive.
The group goes to the roller skating rink in their music video. Besides that, the video is rather typical. It goes between choreography shots to close-ups of each member posing in areas associated with the rink. So there isn’t really anything to really comment on. However, I did like the set for the choreography scenes. The flashing lights are quite suitable for the song and I think the slight push of purple throughout the video really goes well with the dark lighting at the rink.
The choreography was quite nice as well. I really like the intro part, which was extremely fitting for that section and its tempo. It seems like the choreography went with a flaunting touch as the girls do a lot of that in the performance. I felt that they could have gone with something a little more relaxing or fun as the song seems to really go in that direction.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
Making his solo comeback today is Lee Gikwang! He returns with his brand new single, Don’t Close Your Eyes, which is expected to be his last single before he enlists into the military next month. This is his first solo release since his solo debut last year with What You Like. I am glad that Gikwang went ahead with his comeback, especially since one of his fellow members (Junhyung) withdrew from HIGHLIGHT due to the ongoing chatroom scandal. I know that Gikwang had nothing to do with it but I thought the withdrawal would somehow affect the other members. But I guess not, thankfully.
Don’t Close Your Eyes should really be renamed Don’t Block Your Ears. D.C.Y.E is a very addictive song to listen to. Even though it has been out for several hours, I am already falling for its groovy nature and upbeat instrumentation. It is an R&B dance track that gives out major Michael Jackson vibes through the use of the small vocal details. I also really like the seductive chat-like style of vocals he went for during the chorus. It doesn’t necessarily go with the instrumentation in my opinion. But it somehow works well. The song also features Kid Milli, who does an extended rap sequence in the song. I am not familiar with Kid Milli in any way but his section gives the song a very urban and refreshing feel, which makes it stand out. Together, Gikwang gives us one memorable track to savour for the next 2 years or so.
The music video seems to also be a treat for fans. Abs and shirtless scenes galore for fans to really enjoy. I found the video to be very nice and sleek. I did like the emphasis on black and the darkness, which I personally find to be a very modern way of presentation. It is a lot harder to see things but the light really makes things pop and standout this way. When I also mentioned Michael Jackson vibes, you get some in the visuals of the video. The backup dancers were wearing suits and hats, similar to the outfit that the King of Pop donned during his Smooth Criminal days (but their outfits is fitting for the music video). Most notable influence has to be through the sparkly gloves, something that Michael Jackson is known for.
I think given the quality of the song and the fact that Gikwang is widely known for his dancing, you probably have a winning combination. And that is what I saw in the music video. While it may have been made fancier through the use of the darkness and lighting in the video, I thought the moves were very cool and fitting for a sleek performance.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
As mentioned yesterday, I will be slowly catching up on reviews from last week that I have yet to write. As a result, reviews for some songs this week may be delayed a day or two. I will try to keep the impact as low as possible. One of the releases that I missed last week is 100%’s latest comeback, Still Loving You, which is featured on their 6th mini-album, RE:tro. This is the group’s first comeback since their Heart comeback last year in Korea and 28℃in Japan.
Still Loving You is described as a pop-dance track with retro influences. And pretty much, we get just that. And, I think ‘standard’ is pretty much the right word to describe this song The song opens up this whistling sound, which I thought was rather ear-catching. The retro influences were heard throughout the song but were most prevalent during the chorus, mainly through the keyboard that they used. But the song lacked definition, leaving us with a very bland atmosphere. Sure, the whistling does help but it isn’t anywhere near enough to give it a bold or defining element. Unfortunately, this also passed onto other elements. Though I like their singing and rapping in the song, their melody was just not profound or memorable. So, we ended up getting a very passable song. The most interesting part has to be the low-tone rapping at finishes off the song, which gave the song something interesting. But as it is positioned at the end of the song, it is far too late to compensate for the song’s blandness. Sorry, this is the way I feel about the song but these are the thoughts I continually have while listening to the song.
My exact same thoughts above can be said for the music video. I thought the video was rather boring and didn’t have anything interesting to really hold my attention for long. Actually, there isn’t anything to really set it apart from the rest of the competition. Through their acting, you can tell they went for an emotional route, where they still seem to miss their former lovers. This is matching to the song’s lyrics. But apart from that, I can’t find anything positive to say.
The choreography has to be my favourite bit of this comeback. It is far more captivating than the song and music video. I really liked how they started off the performance (I can’t think of a name suitable to point this part out but it is the one with the shoulder movements) and how their moves during the chorus seemed to allow their vocals to flourish in the live performances.
Song – 5/10 Music Video – 5/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 5.4/10
Park Yuchan made his solo comeback a few weeks back with his very first solo album. Both the album and title track are titled Slow Dance. If you missed the review, you can find a link to it in the review section below. I was contemplating whether to review this album when it was released (like I do for most albums). Though, I needed very little persuasion after seeing a number of people requesting me to have a look at the album, along with the number of retweets and likes that I received on Twitter for the review. And I am glad you all directed my attention to the album as I have found some really memorable songs. So without any more delay, I present to you my thoughts and opinions regarding Yuchan’s album.
2. Strong – Strong is that sleek type of song that you just want to continually replay. Like Slow Dance, the song doesn’t have that ‘KPOP feel’. The instrumental for the most part is acoustic and has this Western feel to it which I really enjoy listening to. I am loving that guitar that features towards the end of the song (the highlight of the song!!). But there is that odd electronic record scratch in the instrumental (at the start and after the first chorus). If you thought the song was getting boring in any way, the scratches attempt to regain your attention (as it is louder than the rest of the instrumentation). And boy, did they surprise me (I had the volume up). Like the instrumental, Yoochun’s vocals aren’t KPOP-like. I really like his husky tone and the melody just makes it so better. (10/10)
3. We Met Again (재회) – We Met Again is a ballad fitting for an OST to a romantic drama. For those who don’t know, one of the criteria I have with ballads is a ‘swaying effect’. I know, it sounds very elementary. But you know those songs where the crowd puts their hands up and sways along to the flowy instrumental? That is what I look for. And this has that exact swaying effect. The melody was very beautiful. Once again, the guitar was nice in this song. The title alludes to a very emotionally driven song. But I found that his vocals didn’t feel that emotional. Instead, I think the best way to describe the song is that it takes you on a journey. Once the song ends and he sings the final line ‘I’m standing in front of you’, you also feel like you have walked the same path as Yoochun and arrive at the same place as he did. I can imagine a music video of him walking along a breezy road as this is where I want to be listening to this song. This was my interpretation of the song and the exact feelings I had while listening to the song for the first time. (9/10)
4. Thorn (가시덤불) – Thorn is another ballad and it starts off with Yoochun’s deep vocals. I really like the raspy sounds he produces when he goes quite low. It gives a nice texture and immediately separates this song from the previous ballad. And I liked how he maintained the same voice from start to end. I found this to be very impactful and made this song stand out in its own way. The instrumental was your typical classical instrumented ballad, but it sounds so beautiful. When done right, I fall for the song and this is one of those cases. Like the previous track, the title hints towards a heartbreaking song. The lyrics that I can find seem to reflect upon pain and suffering one have experienced. He vocals just make it sound so real and painful. The song brought me to a standstill for both meaning and execution. (10/10)
5. Magic – Following two ballads, Magic changes up the mix with a more upbeat song. I like his vocals in this song. Instead of going for what he has already presented with us in this album, his vocals are rather nasally. I also enjoyed the falsettos he gives us. Both of these aspects combine to become a very nice vocal combo. The instrumental features this groovy beat that I think it rather infectious. You could feel the happiness coming off the song. Overall, I thought it was a smooth song. Not the most outstanding song on the album in my opinion. But because this song is surrounded by ballads, I am glad that there was some good energy coming from a song off the album. (8/10)
6. Everything Is Memorable (뒤돌면 모든 길이 추억이라) – This song is another ballad and I think he goes slightly deeper than in Thorn (Please note I don’t study music – nor have a musical bone in my body. So, this whole blog is based on what I feel and what I think of when it comes to a song). He vocals don’t remain too deep however for the length of the song. For the second verse onwards, he pushes his vocals out and it showcases his ability and variety. Instead of a ballad like we have gotten thus far, there seems to be a soft jazz influence to the instrumental, giving it a different feel to Thorn or We Met Again. It is another good song from Yoochun but I don’t necessarily connect with the song and hence I don’t enjoy it as much as his previous ballads. (7.5/10)
7. Graduation (졸업) – ‘Completing’ the album is Graduation, seems to be another ballad. But rather focusing on heartbreak or emotions, Graduation is rather uplifting and bright. I genuinely like the melody from start to end. The verses were very refreshing and the way he sings the chorus gives me the impression that he is rather proud. Given a song titled ‘Graduation’, this makes quite a lot of sense. I thought the ending was rather odd. It seemed like he pushed a lot of lyrics into a small section of the song and it felt somewhat rushed. But he manages to pull it off without a hitch and hey, it is another happy song to just kick back to and enjoy. I honestly have nothing else to say about the song, which is not a bad thing in this case. (8/10)
GWSN is back with their very first comeback! The female group made their debut last year with Puzzle Moon and it featured a very puzzling music video. Now, they return with Pinky Star (RUN), which is the title track off their second mini-album, The Park In The Night (Part 2). They also seem to continue with their puzzling concept with this title track (but more on that later). While it has been fairly quiet from the group since their debut, they did participate in the rookie dominated MAMA Stage held in Korea last year.
Pinky Star is a very interesting song, as there seem to be many separate bits trying to reel you in. The good thing is that it all works in harmony and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the track. It features house-based instrumentation, which was littered with a number of effects to really draw your attention. The wooden xylophone that was layered on top of the house instrumentation during the first verse was very nice. I thought it was rather intriguing how the xylophone came back for the second verse but it was metal instead. It then progressed back to the wooden ones for the dance break (also need to mention the tempo during the dance break. So fast paced). The scratches give the song various textures, which kept the song from becoming too overwhelming. The other interesting bit was the vocals. I love the chorus to this track. The conjunction of those cutesy vocals during the first half of the chorus and the more general delivery of the second half was rather dynamic. The rapping was also commendable, as it felt just right for this track.
As mentioned previously, the video has this puzzling theme attached to it, similar to Puzzle Moon. Unfortunately, my literature isn’t as great and I have no idea what is going on in the video. The video opens up with a line that says ‘ We may be someone greater than we think we are‘ and ends with the quote ‘If you possess unique strength, it must be used for good‘ from The Doors of Perception (There is a good chance that the video may just be based on this book, as I can see some similarities between the video and what I briefly read on Wikipedia. It feels like a reach in my head, however, unless it is a very loose adaptation). But based on a comment regarding superpowers (see below), it seems like the members are awakening and using their members throughout the video (i.e. they become greater through their unique powers and we don’t see them use it for any bad purposes). But the interpretation of the video is still up in the air. Aesthetics though are amazing and I really like the rooftop scenes with the members doing their own thing, along with the performance occurring at the same time.
I am amazed by this performance. It is really good! I really liked the short movements during the first half of the chorus. I thought it was very fitting for the music. I liked how they gave that section a somewhat cutesy vibe to really match what I said about that section above. The dance break was very intense and worked well with the fast tempo of that section.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 7.5/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.6/10
Unfortunately, I was a little busy this week (particularly last night) to write up multiple reviews (on top of the scheduled album review), so I had to push back the reviews to today. Hopefully, I hope to catch up on them today and tomorrow. But today, we are here for Mamamoo, who returned with their new single, gogobebe, just yesterday. The song is featured on their 9th mini-album, White Wind, which also happens to be the final instalment in their 4 Seasons 4 Colours series. gogobebe joinsStarry Night, Egotistic and Wind Flower in that lineup.
Each of the songs we have seen in the series thus far compliments the season in which it was intended to be released. gogobebe doesn’t fit this trend at all, opting for a very upbeat and somewhat fun sounding track, atypical if we were going to consider just the season. Note how I say ‘somewhat fun-sounding’. I felt that it was borderline but there were times where the song (without the aid of the music video) didn’t necessary gave the right colours to be ‘fun sounding’. The track has this slight hip-hop influence, which was rather nice. It is slightly different from what we have seen so far. Another aspect I liked about the song was the chorus. It switches between a’ singing to chanting and back to singing’ chorus and it managed to flow effortlessly. I also liked the post-chorus hook (the ‘illuwa illuwa‘, which was rather catchy to my ears. I also thought that they didn’t use their powerhouse vocals, which I think gives the song a light feel. And this choice allows the song to really flourish more. Personally, I don’t think it is their best song ever but it is still a nice song.
If you are are a MooMoo (Mamamoo’s fanclub name), you will probably have a great insight into their playful and wild personality off the stage. And I feel like the music video does a good job of drawing on that aspect. We see the members have a boring and tiring week and it finishes off with a party invite to house number 99. The members frantically prepare themselves to attend this party (with Moonbyul’s head getting stuck in the pavement in that mess – say what?) and have a little bit of fun in the meanwhile. When they rock up to the ‘house 99’, they crash a book club meeting (which is all very peaceful), whilst a party was very obviously occurring at house no. 66 (right next door). But knowing Mamamoo, they literally started the party in house no. 99, causing everyone to have a great time. It urns out that the girls at the start of the video (featured in Wheein’s solo scene) decided to have some fun themselves and switch the house numbers. It is a very fun and colourful video, fitting with the song.
Like the video, the performance features a fun performance. There was a lot of nice moments to enjoy (sorry I don’t know the names of any of these moves, so I am just going to list the song parts) including the start of the bridge, the chanting part of the chorus and the ‘illuwa’ illuwa‘ parts of the performance. I liked their energy and their smiles make everything better.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.3/10
It is time for another album review and today, we will be looking at GOT7’s latest subunit, Jus2. The duo is made up of JB and Yugyeom, and based on what I know of them, R&B is highly anticipated on this album. They made their debut last week with Focus On Me, the title track off their mini-album, Focus. Interesting fact, Yugyeom is the leader of the unit, as I recently found out. This is particularly unusual since Yugyom is the youngest member of GOT7, which JB is one of the oldest. But facts aside, we are here to see what I thought of their album, so let’s get going!
2. Drunk On You – Drunk On You is a typical instrumented R&B track that goes towards a sensual nature, something that I associated with R&B as I was growing up. Body waves for days. The song talks about the scent of their lover and the effect the said scent has on them. And based on the title, the scent is intoxicating. And I think the song does a good job of showcasing that through the final moments where the song becomes drowned out and slowly fades away into the background. Both the vocals from JB and Yugyeom are quite nice in the song, fitting well into the genre and direction. (8/10)
3. Touch – While Drunk On You follows a typical R&B setup, Touch takes on board the sensual sound with more dramatic instrumentation. In a way, it makes the song very powerful (just not in a bombastic way). The instrumental contains various synths to create a dramatic feel. I also thought the slow-paced drum beats were helpful to get this effect. The vocals were nice. It, at times (such as when they went into falsetto), did feel like it was going to be drowned out by the instrumentation. But the duo managed to keep it borderline balance and prevented the ‘drowning out’ from happening. (7.5/10)
4. Senses – Apart from the title track, Senses is the other song on this tracklist that caught my attention. The instrumental goes with this funky deep-house genre, which I think was the main reason to why I grabbed onto this song in my mind. I thought the vocals were rather interesting. Complimenting the deepness of the instrumentation, their vocals don’t really go too far up, staying relatively close to the deep tone of the music. I think this just makes the track even more impactful. My main issue with the song is that it felt too quick and obviously, I wanted more by the time it was over. (9/10)
5. Love Talk – Love Talk takes upon the house genre that Jus2 presented us in the previous song. But this feels more upbeat as it doesn’t feel as deep-toned as the previous track. I also liked how they added more of that funkiness to the track through the electronic/synth-based additions to the instrumentation, which instantly drags my attention over. However, as they had their vocals filtered to give off that electronic effect, their vocals were drowned out. While I think this is the typical consequence of the style they chose, I just don’t find it that appealing and hence, I am a little disappointed by the result. (7/10)
6. Long Black – Long Black refers to the caffeinated drink. But rather a warm drink, they liken their lover to the drink that keeps them awake and gives them energy. I think this was a nice song to listen to. Their vocals do shine throughout the track and I think that is because the R&B based instrumentation gives them the opportunity to do so. It also seems to be their brightest song out of the bunch, so it was nice to end the album without being serious or sensual, which has been the case for the songs on this album. (8/10)
We haven’t heard too much from the members of 2NE1 since their disbandment in 2017. But today, we are extremely likely to witness two members in one music release. Park Bom makes her solo comeback for the very first time since 2NE1’s disbandment, her departure from YG Entertainment (she is now signed to a company named D-Nation Entertainment) and the release of Don’t Cry back in 2011. (That means this is her first solo release in 8 years). The track is titled Spring and features fellow member Park Sandara, who I believe is more active on variety shows recently.
Spring is an R&B track made up of standard instrumentation that gives off a remarkably grand feel. I find this fitting with her previous two singles as they didn’t have a mind-blowing instrumental but the song managed to be very appealing at the time of its release. There were a few things within the instrumentation (or background) that stood out for me. The first is the piano, which I thought gave the song a delicate touch. The second would have been the ‘Bom Bom Bom‘ part and how it was accented/emphasised by the instrumental at the very end of the chorus. The third has to be the most appealing aspect of all, the use of background vocals. The way managed to compliment her vocals really boosts the song up a fair bit. Talking about her vocals, I found that her distinctive nasal toned voice wasn’t as present here. And because of that, we got to hear more of her in a way that we really haven’t before. Along with Park Bom, Sandara does an amazing job showcasing her both vocals and rap in her section. I thought her features were rather nice as it serves as a mini-2NE1 reunion but also gives the song something ‘more’ (and hence preventing the song from becoming too linear/consistently plain).
One thing that is clearly absent in this video is YG’s quality. Her past videos have been of a similar typical nature. But with YG’s quality, a typical video could look a lot better. This lacks that and it is just a typical music video for me. I do have to admit though, her presence in the garden scenes and the lighting in this video does make it seem intriguing at first glance. I also thought her outfits were nice and contrasted nicely with the sets that we saw.
To fit the electronic side of the song, there is choreography. However, Park Bom doesn’t really participate much in the choreography department. I guess it is for her to focus on her singing. But I think another factor is her dress. I watched her showcase just now and I was honestly scared for her. I thought she was going to trip on her train/tail. And because of her outfit, her moves come off quite weak. The rest of the choreography was okay. But I am not particularly drawn to it.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 6/10 Performance – 6/10 Overall Rating – 7.5/10
After a year and 5 months, the iconic Epik High has returned with a brand new mini-album, Sleepless in __________, and the title track Love Drunk. Though, their absence seems to be for a much longer time period as their last stage promotion occurred back in 2014 (approximately 5 years ago). For this title track, they joined hands with Crush as a featuring artist, while IU and actress Jin Seo Yeon featured in the music video.
Love Drunk is a ballad that starts off with Crush’s delicate vocals over a simple piano instrumental. We also get a bit of Tablo towards the end of the start, just before the song picks up and adds extra elements to the instrumentation to give it a mid-tempo feel while still maintaining the stillness/peacefulness from the start. I find the piano start was very profound for something so little and it works well with Crush and Tablo. But the song kicks up to allow for the rapping of Tablo and Mithra Jin to come into play and they leave us with impactful sequences. While this is usually the case when it comes to Epik High’s ballads, I liked how they didn’t disturb the peaceful atmosphere with their deep tones. My personal favourite part of the song has to be Tablo’s bridge, which I think sets the tone of the song. If you don’t understand Korean in any way, the bridge is a clear taste to the emotional side of the song (The song is all about the first hard breakup and the feelings you may have). It isn’t in a heart-wrenching way, however. The stillness I mentioned previously makes this ballad more powerful and heartbreaking.
The music video, as mentioned previously features IU (who plays the student) and Jin Seo Yeon (the teacher). Seo Yeon seems to be the type of person who is cold and doesn’t want to teach anyone due to her strict standards. IU, on the other hand, wants to be trained by her. At the start of the video, IU is caught spying on Seo Yeon and they have a fight. No one is victorious in this fight as most likely Seo Yeon fought to scare IU away and IU was not able to overpower her. This causes IU to become upset and she screams, attracting the attention of Seo Yeon and breaking a few barrels of water. Intrigued, Seo Yeon starts teaching IU. And during one of these teaching moments (I assume – or maybe it was an actual fight), IU landed a punch which assumingly kills Seo Yeon. This plagues IU’s mind and leaves her devastated, as seen at the end. Rather than playing with a romantic relationship, the director chose a role model based relationship, as this would be the first relationships we, as people, would have. And the loss of this role model would be extremely devastating to us. Overall, I thought it was a well thought out video. The martial arts does throw you off a bit but the underlying plotline makes sense with the lyrics.
Song – 8/10 Music Video 10/10 Overall Rating – 8.8/10
For this week’s ‘Past Album’ Review, I have decided to go with another disbanded group. Sistar, who used to be a part of Starship Entertainment, made their debut back in 2010 and disbanded after 7 years in 2017. One of their most iconic tracks ever is Alone and it is also the name of the mini-album that I wish to review today. It was released back in 2012 and was quickly followed up with their Loving U promotions From memory, Sistar caused a stir for their very sexy comeback, outfit and dance back in 2012. Do expect a lot more Sistar album reviews coming your way in the future, as I have a lot of albums from the group to review (a gold mine, if you ask me!). So let’s start things off today! (As per previous reviews, I have omitted the intro track, Come Closer, from my review).
Alone Album Cover
2. Alone (나 혼자) (Title Track) – Since its release in 2012, the track has definitely grown on me. Hence, I have decided to bump the review score up to 8/10 (from 7.6/10). A lot of my thoughts regarding the song was very elementary. I find the song very enjoyable now and am very impressed with the many elements within the song. I just don’t think it is as great as their more recent Summer releases before disbandment. Click here to read the 2012 review for Alone.(8/10)
3. No Mercy – When you look back at Sistar’s discography, No Mercy is a pretty good taste to it. It is a normal pop song that uses electronic-based instrumentation. We hear something similar later but what sets this song part is that there is less autotune. Yeah, Dasom and Bora still have autotune but Soyou manages to flourish in this song alongside Hyorin, which was very nice. I enjoyed Bora’s rap-chant section in the bridge, so clearly not all autotune is bad. I thought it brought a dynamic feel to the song. I also thought the chorus, while it was standard, did a good job of throwing more energy into the song and gives it a memorable melody. (8/10)
4. Lead Me – To me, I think this was the first Sistar side-track that I basically fell in love with at the time of its release. I think it was because we got to hear more of the other members (despite Hyolyn still getting the majority of the song). But also I felt that it was very well-polished and easy on the ears. Actually, I think the more correct word is calming. Not only that but the vocals from each member were on point. I thought Bora’s rap was equally as good and I like the intensity she gave the song through her rap section. I also like Hyolyn’s ad-libs throughout the end of the song, which really added a nice level of appeal for me. (9/10)
5. Girls On Top (널 사랑하겠어) – Girls On Top has a funky electronic sound, giving it a somewhat retro vibe to it. Other than that, it is a typical pop song, so it similar to No Mercy. And they keep the electronic theme going by autotuning the vocals. It is fitting, so I didn’t mind too much of it. But my issue is that all the members were heavily autotuned, giving off the impression that they cannot sing. Obviously, Hyolyn is an exception and she was only autotuned (but still not to the degree of the other members) at the start of the song. Her vocals during the chorus were pretty much ‘untouched’. I did like the chorus as she managed to bring a level of fierceness to the song. But since the album is very Hyolyn dominant, I wanted more of the other members to shine. (7.5/10)
6. I Choose To Love You (Hyolyn Solo) – When I say that the album is Hyolyn dominant, I meant it. The album features her solo single, I Choose To Love You, which is an OST track for How To Love Smart 2 (according to Wikipedia). The song is a ballad and it has a nice flowy melody. Actually, if I remember correctly, this is the very song that introduced me to Hyolyn and her group. Her vocals bring a sense of warmness and feel fitting for a cold day. As much as I want the other members to stand out, this song does an excellent job of showcasing Hyolyn’s vocals for the audience. (8/10)
Kicking off the week is a new unit collaboration between two artists at Cube Entertainment. We are all familiar with Wooseok from Pentagon and KuanLin (formerly a part of Wanna One). And they have come together to form the third special unit from Cube Entertainment. Named WooseokXKuanLin, they follow the success of the now-defunct Trouble Maker and Triple H. Their track is titled I’m A Star. This is also KuanLin’s first release since Wanna One’s disbandment and Wooseok’s first release since Pentagon’s Naughty Boy comeback in Korea.
As previously stated numerous times on the blog, I am not a major fan of these hip-hop infused tracks that rappers tend to release every now and then as a collaboration or solo release. Recently, this has begun to change and I can confidently say I have a new appreciation for these tracks when it is done in a very enjoyable manner. I’m A Star is a prime example of this. To me, it is a fun song. Not too serious in any manner. I found the instrumental to be extremely groovy and I personally think the medium tempo made it quite appealing. Despite Wooseok and KuanLin’s voices being rough and deep-toned, the melody of the song gives it a smooth and flowy feel. I thought their vocals, particularly during the chorus and bridge was also quite good. Their rapping, is obviously top notch, as that is what they are known based on their positions in their individual groups. I particularly like it when they come together and rap/sing together. The ‘I’m A Star‘ line in the chorus is ridiculously addictive and, once again, fun. Overall, I quite liked the song.
The music video shows the two members enjoying their time as a star. Essentially what the song is all about. It is a little extra at moments, such as KuanLin as a renowned astronaut floating in space after a successful space mission and actor Wooseok stabbing animals (not real animals but rather people dressed in animal outfits) in his next big role. The scenes give off that fun vibe that I mentioned previously, which is an instantly appealing component. The editing is also quite amazing in this video, especially the window on the floor during the first chorus.
The performance was nice. For everything up to the second verse, it felt very typical for the song. But from the bridge onwards, things get a little more exciting. More footwork is observed and they get into actual choreography. The piggyback ending seemed a little anticlimactic, however.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 6.5/10 Overall Rating – 7.7/10
KPOPREVIEWED 