Category: KPOP

[Review] I’m Home – Minho (SHINee)

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Another very late review is coming your way! Out of all the SHINee members, Minho has yet to release any solo songs in this career. Instead, he is the most successful member in acting. And as many of the members were nearing the military enlistment age, we have seen an influx of releases of from member. Minho joins this influx and made his solo debut on the 28th of March, through the release of I’m Home. The single is released as part of the SM Station Season 3 project, which has seemed to be focusing on solo tracks more this time around.

I’m Home is a mid-tempo ballad. SInce Minho isn’t known for this vocals, I wondered how a song of this nature would play out. Rather than being anything negative, I’m Home manages to be quite pleasant and easy on the ears. The song opens with some whistling, something that you would associate with a breezy type of song. The instrumental is predominately acoustic guitar, with the incorporation of percussion for the vocals. His vocals are quite impressive. They were rather clear and it basically throws out on whether Minho could handle the ballad genre. His high note was very nice, as an example of his style. Nicely incorporated into the song is a rap sequence. To me, the song plays towards Minho’s strength. It isn’t the most memorable song out there. But for longtime fans of Minho and SHINee, I think this would be a very nice and well-deserved treat.

We start off with Minho walking up to the sound of both his alarm clock and the phone ringing. His character in the video is a businessman, who is basically working 24/7. However, based on his expressions and posture, it seems like Minho is longing to be with his partner, who is not in the picture at the moment. This goes nicely with the song. Every time he takes a rest, the alarm clock or phone (or another person) is waking him up. This just constantly reminds him of his loneliness and forces him to live with that feeling. I think this forces to him a move at the end, where is running to probably propose to his partner. I really like how he is singing in the midst of everything, which I think was a creative thing to do. I also like the golden appearance of the video and that slightly hazy effect.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10

[Album Review] Newtro (5th Mini Album) – DIA

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DIA returned two weeks ago with Woowa and their latest mini-album, Newtro. Unofrtotuately, the group’s latest comeback hasn’t got much attention from what I have noticed. And from what I understand, the physical albums were delayed and hence this impacted their chart performances. Very disappointing. But that is why today’s album review is here! I enjoyed all the songs on the album and I want to let you guys know about these songs as well!

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Newtro Album Cover

1..Woowa (우와) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Woowa. (8.5/10)

2. No (안할래) – Following right after the addictive Woowa is No, which is another favourite track of mine. I find the song to be very dynamic with its vibrant use of that squeaky synth during the instrumental. Usually, I would find such a thing annoying, but it really popped well in this song. The lead up to the chorus was probably my absolute favourite part of the song as it gave the song a little flair in a memorable way. I also liked the keyboard that featured during the bridge of the track, which I think flowed really well with the rest of the song. The vocals were also extremely nice, another highlight to No. (9/10)

3. 5 More Minutes (5분만) – 5 More Minutes begin with a sing-rap sequence which was rather nice. Based on this, you can tell that this was going to a typical pop song. The chorus practically confirms this with no unexpected changes in the music. It is a sweet song that managed to bring about a smile, which I think the main aims of the lyrics were to do. The song focuses squarely on the vocals of each of the members. I personally won’t say DIA is known for their vocals but this was a fair effort and I really liked how innocent they sounded in this song. I also like how they didn’t go down the sad ballad route, which was a nice change up to normal expectations. (8/10)

4. Crescendo (손톱달) – While I liked most of the song, Crescendo started off with this really odd synth that really sounded like it was off-tune. Apart from that, everything else about the song was rather likeable. It sounded like it started off with a sweet sound, like what we were presented in 5 More Minutes. However, the second verses bring a bit of trap into the song. Interesting and not entirely misplaced. Once again, the vocals were at the forefront of the song, with the members singing at a higher pitch and in falsetto. I also think this song showcased the best harmonies from the members than any other song on this album. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.4/10

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Newtro Teaser Image

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[Review] Kill This Love – BLACKPINK

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The biggest comeback of this week has to go to BLACKPINK, who returned today with Kill This Love. But when it comes to BLACKPINK’s comebacks, do you know what makes this one better? The fact that we also get three new songs (so an album review is coming your way!). We last saw BLACKPINK through the extremely popular DDU-DU DDU-DU. We also got to see Jennie through her solo promotions of SOLO at the end of 2018, along with promises from YG for future solo promotions for the other members (hopefully!).

Kill This Love starts with blaring horns, which really encapsulates the group’s fierce style within the first few seconds of the song. It also hints towards a military-style concept, which will become apparent quite soon.  Following this, the group launches itself into a hip-hop infused verse, before settling on a vocally-centred pre-chorus. The blaring horns return for the chorus, which definitely had an added dramatic flair. At the end of the song, we get this military-like rolling drum beat that pretty brings the song back full circle to the same feeling that we got from the start (and it is probably my favourite bit) However, there are a few aspects that leave me rather disappointed with the song. The chorus was underwhelming, with a very mediocre approach for its catchiness. I also think the song was rather muddled with its many sounds. The presence of the extended pre-chorus right after the fierceness of the hip-hop verse really lost the flow of the track and it failed to make the chorus drop in a satisfying manner. Overall, I am not really feeling the song this time.

As usual, the music video is amazing. I say this with any YG Entertainment music video and will probably say it countless more times in the future. Each set looked amazing, especially the massive bear trap set. Though, I am never sure about the meaning behind every scene and how this relates to the lyrics or the rest of the video (sometimes, they feel quite random). I did find this video that did a good job of describing the scenes so I will post this here if you want to hear about a possible theory. I really like how edgy the members look with their outfits and on the sets. The military concept also carried over, with pretty much the ending being a massive military march.

The performance was really good. Fierceness seems to be the big word of the day, with it being an adjective throughout all the aspects of this comeback. The chorus looked amazing but my favourite choreography moment has to be the end with the marching/rolling drum beats. I enjoyed the rush of energy during this part.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.8/10

[Review] Universe – Minhyun (NU’EST)

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Out of all the members of the now-disbanded Wanna One, I think many people are excited for Minhyun. His group went onto Produce 101 as a final attempt to get themselves recognition. And it paid off. NU’EST returned as NU’EST W and continually topped charts with their new releases. Minhyun went on to be part of the popular Wanna One. And now that chapter has closed, it will be interesting to see what direction NU’EST will now take. And we will slowly find out from today, as Minhyun’s solo release (in preparation for a full comeback in the near future) was revealed.

Universe is the Minhyun’s solo track’s name. It is an R&B track but it diverts from that traditional slow tempo to a more upbeat pop and dance influence. And it is this diversion that really gets me into the song. A solo release will also get the member to shine and Minhyun does it effortlessly in this song. So altogether, the song does stand out for me. I find this particular route is very foreign for NU’EST, so it is quite refreshing when I reflect upon the song at the end. I really like the melody, which I thought was calming in a way, despite the upbeatness. Maybe it was the clearness in his voice or its rather easy-on-the-ears instrumentation. Talking about his voice, I really like the falsettos that he attempts at towards the end of the song. It did feel like it was missing something. It didn’t feel complete to me. I think I wanted a rap sequence somewhere to give a little more variety. But that would completely shake up the track, so I guess I understand why that didn’t occur. But overall, Universe is a really good track to kick start Minhyun’s return to the group.

The music video was shot in Budapest and is connected to NU’EST’s previous music videos (Overcome and Love Paint). It is a little confusing, but here is my attempt at the storyline. Minhyun used to be in a relationship but it ended badly (i.e. she leaves him). I think this break-up was a bit harsh on Minhyun, who becomes ‘soulless’ as we saw at the start of the video. However, there is an old man living in the apartment across from his and he comes by daily with a crystal (the same crystals shown in Overcome), that when connected to a machine, relays the good memories of a person. In this case, Minhyun relives the relationship, as we see the days repeat themselves. And this old man is always nearby to control the dosage (I guess) of the crystal. But on one particular day, he isn’t there and Minhyun uses more of the crystals, which unlocks the white Queen (the same Queen from the Overcome music video who went missing). It seems like Minhyun was still on his quest to find the Queen all along, as he bows down to her at the end of the video. Though we don’t know what happens after he reunited with the Queen. My guess is that this ending leads us straight into the forthcoming videos from NU’EST because the storyline doesn’t seem to be completed just yet. I am also unsure how Love Paint play into this (maybe another music video theory post idea?).

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9/10

[Double Review] Bom + Stars Over Me – BOL4

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It is time for another double review. However, this one features two songs from the very popular duo, BOL4 or Bolbbalgan4, which were released yesterday. The way they got popular made me think that they were going to be a one-hit wonder. But they managed to enter the limelight every single time they return, which goes to show that influence that BOL4 has over the Korean public. The two songs, Bom and Stars Over Me, are featured on the group’s latest mini album and are currently on top of the charts in South Korea. This is also their first comeback since Travel and Starlight.

And there is a reason to why Bom is currently on the top of the charts. Bom is a love song and its sound is very typical of this season. And if you don’t know, Korea really loves love songs during the Spring months, given the fact many love songs have trend during this time of the year. I found the song to be very sweet. But not overly sweet that gets me cringing, which is obviously a good thing. I like its instrumental. And the vocals were quite nice, which is expected from BOL4. The combination of two, however, makes we smile a lot and I can’t but think of spending time with the person I like while listening to the song, which is another reason to why I think it is successful.

To me, Stars Over Me is like Travel but more suited for the Spring season in which the release is in. But rather like a love song, the song focuses more on friendship (but it could still go either way). I like how more acoustic this song is, which I find it more in line with their previous releases. I also enjoyed the English in the track. It wasn’t 100% correct but it was still a fair effort on their behalf. It also seems like Jiyoon also had the opportunity to harmonize with Joyoung in the song, which I thought was also nice. Once again, there wasn’t anything that special about the song but it was still nice to listen to.

Bom’s music video is very twisted. While the storyline of Jiyoung (Cupid) using her arrows to make her crush love her is very fitting for the song, the way he comes back to her is essentially a case of Stockholm Syndrome (i.e. he remembered of those fond memories that she forced upon him by forcing him to love her). I did like the very start of the storyline where she missed two arrows and it ended up hitting Jiyoon instead. Stars Over Me is also like the song. It focuses on the friendship between the two members and showing them have fun at various places. I liked how the lyrics popped up on the screen every now and then, giving it more of that fun nature.

Bom 
Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8/10

Stars Over Me
Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8/10

[Album Review] The Secret (2nd Mini Album – WJSN (Cosmic Girls)

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Unfortunately, I have run out of my ‘stockpiled’ past album reviews, so I had to write a fresh one up today. And I couldn’t decide which artist to pick from since there are so many. I have done two male groups in a row, so I thought I refocus on the female groups. And so, I picked WJSN’s second mini-album, The Secret, which was released back in September 2016. This was the very first era that WJSN  caught my attention with and since then Secret has been a longtime favourite of mine. So it only makes sense to see what else the mini-album, which Secret comes from, has to offer. So let’s get onto it!

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The Secret Album Cover

1..Secret (비밀이야) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Secret. (10/10)

2. BeBe – BeBe is a very memorable track. Unfortunately, it was more about the fact that it was the song that followed Secret. But listening to it now, the track has a very bright pop feel that I don’t mind. It does follow a youthful approach without going overboard in the cutesy domain, which I am glad did not occur. It is quite enjoyable, with nice vocals and the single rap sequence was nice. The track was relatively fast pace and it could have slowed down a tad bit to be a little more favourable. But overall, BeBe is a nice track. (8/10)

3. Would You Kiss Me? (우주키스미) – Would You Kiss Me? is a nice sweet pop track. Well, it started off with that thought. And it carried that idea for the majority of the track. But like many listeners, I find that trap breakdown very mismatching and ill-fitting for the tone of the track. I guess it was something formulated to fit the experimental trend. But other songs work because they come together well, which is not the case for this track. If I were to talk about the sweeter moments alone than I would have enjoyed it. (6/10)

4. Prince (짠!) – Prince sounds like a standard sidetrack. It is a good track, heavy-handed on the synths in the instrumentation. There are trap-like breaks in the song, which I thought was fitting for the heavy use of synths. But the song does feel weighed down and hence it doesn’t have that necessary pop to be considered as a title track. The vocals are good, but they felt overshadowed by the instrumental. On the other hand, the rap sequence really shined and was my personal favourite part of the song. (7.5/10)

5. Robot – Robot is probably my pick for most memorable sidetrack on this mini-album. I liked how they departed from their pop sound and went with something a little more electronic. I think the instrumental was very catching, even though it was quite repetitive. It reminds me of those retro sounds you often got in games. There are some squeaky effects towards the end, which I thought kept the song interesting. The vocals were nice in the song and the rapping was quite cool. I actually liked the high-pitch echo that followed Exy for the rap sequence. It may not be the sound I drift towards, but they pulled it off well enough for me to do so. (8.5/10)

6. Good Night (이층침대) – It is time for that mandatory ballad on most mini-albums. And while sometimes the mandatory ballads are pretty good, other times they are a miss. Unfortunately, Good Night falls under the latter. Like the title, Good Night makes me drift away from the album. I forget about it and hence the ending is also forgotten. The vocals were nice but because it was so light, I didn’t feel a connection with it. (6/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.7/10

 

[Double Review] Help Me + From Seoul – Block B BASTARZ

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Last week, Block B BASTARZ (comprised of U-Kwon, B-Bomb and P.O) made their comeback with their third mini-album, I’m A Mess, since their subunit debut. Apologies that it took this long to review a song from this new release. Within the album, Help Me is the title track. But as the pre-release track From Seoul also has a music video, I will be reviewing both today. This is Block B’s first release since the departure of Zico last year from the group.

I am not a major fan of BASTARZ’s releases (I honestly do not remember their last one), so I wasn’t expecting too much the first listen in. However, Help Me takes a sleek approach with a jazz influence on the hip-hop based foundation that the song is supported on. And it is safe to say that I am loving it. I really like how focused the song was on the vocals, which was all fantastic. The most striking part of the song has to be P.O’s first half of the chorus and it is the very thing that got me hooked to this song. It is very unique, so it ended up being very memorable (and extremely addictive).

From Seoul continues the jazzy influence, but this time the foundation is an R&B track. The song isn’t as heavy as the previous. In fact, it is lighthearted and talks about having a good time with friends. I like how the jazzy influence was more profound and the vocals were lower in tone, which made the song quite smooth as well. Unfortunately, there isn’t anything that striking about the song so it isn’t really a memorable piece for my personal taste. It is still quite good but unfortunately, Help Me outranks From Seoul.

Help Me is a more emotionally driven song but the video is quite twisted in a way. Kicking off the music video, it is landed a 19+ rating, which gives us a foreshadowing of blood and cigarettes. Tame to what I am used to, but remember this is stuff that Korea doesn’t have much of. The video shows the members disoriented (for whatever reason) but it clearly caused by the breakup with their partner. They find themselves in sticky situations like a car crash, a murder scene (I presume) and in the middle of a forest, so they have to beg for help (hence, the title). They also seem to be dressed for a wedding, given the flower on their lapels. Maybe they got stood up? From Seoul departs from the darkness in the other video and matches it lighthearted sound with a video consists of the trio having fun around Seoul. And it too was a nice video as it goes well with the song.

Help Me
Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9/10

From Seoul
Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8/10

[Review] Violeta – IZ*ONE

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It is time we turn our attention to one of the biggest groups to debut last year. IZ*ONE, for those who may not remember or no, was formed through Produce 48 and debuted with La Vie en Rose. And while the industry is in full swing for the next season of Produce 101, IZ*ONE makes their long-awaited Korean comeback with Violeta. The new track features on the group’s second mini-album, HEART*IZ. In other related news, IZ*ONE made their official Japanese debut earlier this year with Suki to Iwasetai (or I Want To Say I Love You).

It has taken me a few listens for me to warm up to the song. And while I am still warming up to Violeta, I am liking the song. One of the reasons why I haven’t really warmed up to the song yet is due to the first verse. It didn’t feel as captivating. But from the pre-chorus onwards, I am quite into it. Talking about the pre-chorus, I like the dramatic flair. I also enjoyed the rush of energy that the chorus gave off. It makes the pop and tropical mix very intriguing. The vocals were nice, especially during the chorus. The rappers, however, were amazing. I know they didn’t have enough definition to their part but the fact that it stepped back from the high energy filled chorus was ideal. I also like that dubstep effect at the end of the song, which really gave the song a little interesting effect to end on (and not be too repetitive). Maybe a few more listens will do it for me. But so far, it is looking (or sounding, in this case) good.

The entirety of the video has this pale colour tone to it, with some emphasis on the violet colour due to it being part of the title. While I do think anything pale is a little old fashion, there is a swing towards this at the moment in the industry, judging by the pale colour tones in music videos over the last few years. The video, from what I have read, is based on the ‘The Happy Prince‘ book. I know of the book, but it isn’t my first pick when it comes to literature. So since I haven’t read it, I don’t feel confident making connections. But this may be something to look into for a future Music Vidoe Theory post. I did like the choreography sets and the scene with the solo member dancing in the water looked really cool and trendy.

The choreography was quite nice. I enjoyed the majority of it. The first and last chorus (when there is that rush of energy) was probably my favourite parts. Unfortunately, the butterfly effect that started off the second chorus was not that great and I felt like that was a mismatch to the fast paced section.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

[Review] Beautiful Goodbye – Chen (EXO)

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As groups progress with their careers, we see a lot of the members branch out into solo careers. EXO is a fine example, with many of the members excelling at their solo careers, such as acting, collaborations and OSTs. What we have not yet seen from the members in Korea is actually a solo album! Lay took the honours as the first member to have a solo album, but that was released in China. But today, Chen will be the first Korean member to release a solo mini-album, April, and a flower, today. The title track from this mini-album is Beautiful Goodbye.

Given Chen’s amazing OSTs in the past, it was highly expected that Chen would go down the ballad route. And Beautiful Goodbye is a breathtaking ballad. A few reviews ago, I mentioned that there are the types of songs that you have to stop what you are doing and listen to it that way in order to fully appreciate the song. This is another perfect example of this. Beautiful Goodbye features only piano in the instrumental. As it is the only instrument in the song, it is extremely striking especially during the moments when the song ‘builds up’or peaks. Chen’s vocals compliment the piano. It doesn’t push himself in this domain nor does he reach ‘powerhouse’ mode. Instead, I find his voice to be very moving and also well-balanced.  This combination works in harmony and it leaves us with a fantastic song to listen to.

I also like how aesthetic the music video is. It isn’t artsy in any way but rather it is simplistic. It is all shot outside, with a very large tree-trunk like structure in the centre of the video. Within the centre, we find Chen and a piano player, whose piano is embedded into the structure. Surrounding them is are many female dancers, all dressed in a pale pink-ish colour that really works well with the setting. That is pretty much it to the video. I came across a news article today that stated that the video took 6 hours of filming and that Chen was concerned about whether he conveyed the right emotions. Well, those 6 hours paid off and Chen did wonders in the video.

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.6/10

[Album Review] Spring (1st Single Album) – Park Bom

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It is time for another album review! Today, I wanted to review someone who deserved an album a very long time ago. After waiting for 9 years, Park Bom has released an album for the very first time. Unfortunately, it is only a single album made up of 3 songs. But it still better than nothing! The lead title track is Spring, which features fellow 2NE1 member, Sandara Park. Despite her hiatus for a while now, Park Bom has proven to still be extremely popular with both her album and single soaring towards the top of the charts. So it definitely makes sense for us to check this album out!

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Spring Album Cover

1..Spring (봄) (ft. Sandara Park) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Spring. (9/10)

2. My Lover (내연인) – My Lover is a little brighter than Spring in its sound. I would say that the song has a ‘Spring’ in its step. It is also a mellow sound, which I think is quite nice. And because of this, the song falls towards the pop spectrum. I really like the piano but thought it could have been more prevalent over the rest of the instrumentation (which drowned out the piano). It is one of those songs that get you swaying along, despite it being a tad upbeat. And if you know me, swaying earns you ticks! I think Park Bom vocals are quite nice in this song, especially around the bridge of the song. Sometimes I felt like she was pushing a little too hard. (8/10)

3. Shameful (창피해) – Shameful is a dance track that takes upon the more typical trend of music currently (i.e. tropical). It was a little unexpecting, but it gives us a little more variety. And this is quite effective, given how she hasn’t released music for 8 years now. Though, I don’t think we will see any dance performances any time soon based on her Spring performance. While it is typical sounding for today’s standard, it was a fair song. The instrumentals popped, and I thoroughly enjoyed her vocals in the song. More impressively was her attempt at rapping. It isn’t exactly the best execution that I have heard from a vocalist, but it wasn’t terrible. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.3/10

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Spring Teaser Image

[Review] Suffering For Love – EDEN

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It is time for another ‘catch up review’, which is what I am now calling these reviews that I should have completed earlier on. Eden is the next artist to have a review done weeks after his release. His single, Suffering For Love, was released on the 15th of March, alongside his 2nd mini-album, EXHALANT. However, you probably have never heard of Eden (I didn’t until the day of release!). He is actually a music producer who has composed tracks for GFriend, BTOB and ATEEZ! So he already boasts big hits under his name. And maybe his single might just join this list!

Eden doesn’t fit the profile of artists who I write reviews for. Firstly, he is a solo act. Unless they come from a group, a well-known company or have a particular history in KPOP, I would gloss over them. Secondly, he is a producer. Not that I have anything against his profession, but I don’t review songs from many producers (unless it is a collaboration with another artist). But his song is very good. I’d say it is a modern R&B ballad. I feel like the R&B side is very prevalent but the modern side is through the use of the synths to create a very emotional driven atmosphere. The chorus is by the far the most memorable bit, with his verses coming a close second. I really like the blast of energy that the song delivers through the chorus, creating a seemingly fitting chaotic atmosphere that is probably an accurate representation of his mind.  Just the English lines ‘I just want to love you, touch you, be with you…‘ and ‘I just want to leave you, hate you, erase you…‘ really summarises how torn he is in the song and why he is suffering. The verses were quite nice because it was like the ‘calm before a storm’. Overall, Suffering In Love is a very tragic but great song to listen to!

The music video shows two sides of the world and the only thing connecting them is a mirror. One side, which is full of light and brightness is the calm zone. We see this often during the verses (i.e. the calm before the storm). The darker scenes feature his partner and more hurtful emotions. It is seen predominately during the chorus. He goes out of his way to keep the mirror covered but at times takes off the covering. This shows that while part of him wants to keep the hurtful side of his life behind him, another part wants to revisit due to his love for his partner. I think this is a very smart and well-present concept and goes extremely well with the song.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9/10

[Album Review] Plus Minus Zero (4th Mini Album) – Jeong Sewoon

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Just before the clock ticks over to the next day, I come running with Friday’s album review! Jeong Sewoon made his comeback last week with the upbeat Feeling, which featured Penomeco. And that title track was featured on his 4th mini-album, Plus Minus Zero, since his debut! Jeong Sewoon is one of the artists that I keep coming back to because his songs are so good and this album is just further undeniable proof of this fact. Let’s see what I had to say about his new album below!

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Plus Minus Zero Album Cover

1..Feeling (ft. Penomeco) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Feeling. (10/10)

2. My Ocean (나의 바다) – My Ocean is a ballad. A beautiful sounding ballad. It is one of those songs which you have to stop whatever you are doing and listen to it in stillness, in order to get a complete sense of the song. The song features a piano-only instrumental. Simply, that is it. There are not strings or percussion. Just straight up piano. And it was a very beautiful backdrop to Sewoon’s voice. It isn’t a song to show off vocal techniques or high notes. Instead, the song remained very consistent and his voice painted the picture of the ocean in which he continually referred to as part of his lover. And for that, I think this is the best song on the album. (10/10)

3. Your Favourite Song (니가 좋아한 노래) – This is also another ballad but it seems to delve into the R&B side of music. It seems like the song talks about the regrets after a breakup but it is too late to fix anything. The song is also quite nice, with a slight huskiness identifiable in his voice. It features guitars in the instrumental. But it seemed to have been filtered as it sounded distant and hollow. Not saying it was bad because it was a rather nice touch to the song, which I would have otherwise said was plain. (8.5/10)

4. Distance – Distance is a mid-tempo R&B track. The song starts off with some whistling and felt like it was going to be a slow song at first. But the song starts incorporating other instruments and this continues throughout the song, creating a very satisfying build-up. I thought the melody in this song was rather nice. The combination of the build-up and the melody make this song a little bit catchy. I find his sing-speaking second verses to be an interesting spin and was a fair attempt of keeping the song interesting. There does seem to be a barrier of some kind that prevents me from 100% liking the song but I am not exactly sure of what is holding me back. (8/10)

5. Going Home – We return to a ballad with Going Home. It is another good ballad but lacked the boldness that My Ocean thrived upon. The instrumental for this track is a more typical style, with the inclusion of piano, strings and a slight touch of drums in the background. Once again, Sewoon’s voice shines brightly. The raspiness in his vocals was defining in this song. For his young age, it is always surprising to hear such a mature sound from him and that makes this track stand out a little bit more. (8/10)

6. White – Listening to the start, you could tell that the song was going to pick up. The song started off like those live performances where the vocals are being presented over simple guitar instrumentation. And I couldn’t see the song remaining that way for its 3:45 length. So, when the song did pick up, I was extremely glad. And it was a nice pickup, as well. A well-presented melody and the nice soothing instrumental went well with each other. What I didn’t expect was that second pick up where the song becomes even brighter and infused with even more instrumentation. And I love this second rush of energy, which keeps the song interesting in the best way possible. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.9/10

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Plus Minus Zero Teaser Image

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[Review] Sha La La – Pentagon

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Also making their comeback is Pentagon, who has returned with SHA LA LA. This is their first Korean comeback since Naughty Boy was released in September last year. This comeback also sees the return of Yanan, who sat out of the last comeback. However, it is a gain-a-member and lose-a-member scenario with Pentagon, as Kino would not be able to participate in the stage performances due to an existing injury. In other news, Pentagon made a comeback in Japan earlier in the year with Cosmos, while Wooseok also formed a unit with KuanLin and released I’m A Star two weeks ago.

When I considered my thoughts for Sha La La, it felt like I was rather satisfied with the components of the song. But it is one of the songs that when you look at it as a whole, it doesn’t shine as much. It is a weird perception of things but I don’t know how else to really describe it. I really liked the house instrumental, especially with the groovy first half of the chorus. The second half was also quite interesting, providing the song with an infusion of energy which also contrasts well with the first half. The vocals were also quite nice, especially Hui’s falsettos. They were very clear and crisp. I also liked their trap-influenced raps, which I thought gave some extra punch to the song. But when you put these elements together, I felt like the song was rather typical and didn’t shine as much as the individual components. I might just be confused about my feelings but this is how they are at this very stage.

The music video is what I really like about the comeback. The bird-eye view perception we saw at the very start of the video was really intriguing. When they followed with a retro computer feel as the different images and footage was shown in the olden style windows, which I thought was really cool.  I thought the dance sets were really cool as well, matching with the dance vibes the song had. I also enjoyed how Kino was given a small frame in the middle choreography scene, which he couldn’t perform in due to his injury. It was rather nice that he was still incorporated and wasn’t left out.

I really liked how they picked Jinho up at the start. It too gives the performance an intriguing start. The best part of the choreography goes to the chorus. I liked how some of the moves were rather simplistic. But when you put them all together, it looked very complex and this matches the way the chorus came together.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10

[Review] Bomb Bomb – KARD

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Now let’s get back on track with the new releases of the day. KARD makes their long-awaited comeback with Bomb Bomb. It is their first since Ride On The Wind, which was released back in July of last year. Like JBJ95, I have also been out of the loop for KARD and not exactly sure what they have been doing since Ride On The Wind. But I have been going back to their previous tracks every now and then, which is definitely a great thing given the number of artists that I need to keep up with for this site.

Based on the visuals of the teasers, you know that Bomb Bomb will be edgy and very intense. And KARD delivers with the song being very well described by those two words. The song does have a foreign element to it, which does make it very unique. I attribute this to the slightly scratched and sketchy moombahton beats that are displayed dominantly throughout the choruses of the song. I really like the explosive energy that the song manages to give off during the chorus. It makes the song very appealing and memorable. I really liked BM’s part during the drop, which gave a hint of suspense. His rappings during the second verse was also a drawing point to the song. The instrumental was dropped from the song for his part, which was very different from the rest of the song. But he manages to stay in line and continue the song’s momentum using his deep tone. The other members didn’t feel like they were given that shining moment they deserve. They had good moments but not good enough.

Bomb Bomb also brings some visual heat to the comeback through the music video. Every member was rather sexy in their own way, which I think is amazing. Usually, they give that role to one person but everyone here managed to flourish. It seems like that ending was done to really provide an extra minute or so of the sexy appeal that the members had. Personally not sure if it was necessary but it did feel a void that otherwise would have made the video feel incomplete (I think its due to the fast nature of the song, it ended too quickly and hence the video would have shared that same feeling). I also like the Middle Eastern concept they had going on during the video. It seems to be a trend in KPOP now, given how the concept has emerged in many videos over the past year.

Watching the choreography scenes from the music video has me excited for their comeback stages. Small things like matching tempos and how they split off during the verses really make it look captivating. And the use of backup dancers seems to hype up the performance a little more, which makes it even more captivating.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10

[Review] Awake – JBJ95

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Yesterday, JBJ95 made their very first comeback since their debut back in October last year with Home. Now, they are Awake with their second mini-album, which shares the same name as their title track. As far as I am concerned, I haven’t heard much of the duo since their debut, which I thoroughly enjoyed even after its release. Let’s hope Awake manages to leave the exact same impression on me.

The very first thing that hits me in regards to the song is how similar it is to SHINee’s more recent releases. The song is of a house genre, which may be the reason why it felt so similar to SHINee’s tracks. But JBJ95 still manages to put their own spin on it. The song seems like it is more suited for a warmer climate but I think that is how the genre is set up. The song features a very nice drop into an upbeat instrumental. I also found that the instrumental was not overpowering in any way, which I think was rather nice and benefits the song greatly. The chorus was also quite catchy, which makes the song very memorable and appealing. Paired with a nice set of vocals from the duo, the song manages to feel refreshing for my standards. I also liked the trap-influenced rapping, which I think gave a nice kick to the song. It also kept the song from becoming too repetitive, which was much appreciated as the song could have easily gone into that mode. Overall, Awake is quite good and definitely catchy enough to get me listening to it some more.

I thought the music video was really good. Interestingly, we don’t see any choreography scenes, which is a little different to what we see typically. Usually, songs of this nature will have choreography shots but that was noticeably absent. Instead, they compensated with a fair amount of closeups for each member. Not only that, but the video included some abstract explosions created by some modelling software. I am a major fan of this in my life (based on the amount of Instagram accounts that I follow who post these really modern yet sleek videos of art). So, I thought they were a really cool addition to the video. I also like the pale colour palette that they went for and how they paired it with the music drops, which makes the viewing and listening experience a lot better.

Unfortunately, there is no live performance for Awake yet. A little disappointed but I guess we just have to wit for their comeback stages, which I think starts tomorrow. I will update soon during the weekend (and after my many reports are submitted).

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – TBA
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

[Album Review] The Clan Part 2. Guilty (4th Mini Album) – Monsta X

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It is time for another ‘Past Album’ review. This time, we turn back to Monsta X, who returned with the fierce Alligator earlier this year. Actually, this album review was written and scheduled to be published around the same time as Alligator’s release. But to avoid clashing, I decided to wait a bit before releasing. And here it is, after a month and a bit! The Clan Part 2. Guilty was released in October of 2016 and it was their second release in The Clan series (which I previously made a music video theory post, as well).

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The Clan Part 2. Guilty Album Cover

1..Fighter (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of Fighter. (9/10)

2. Be Quiet – Unlike the title for the song, Be Quiet isn’t quiet in any sense. Instead, it offers loudness and energy with its hip-hop centred sound. The song reminds me of their debut track for its synth-based instrumental. I really like the ‘Be Quiet’ whisper, which still manages to stand out amid all of the loudness that surrounds it. I felt like this could have been the song that allowed the rappers to shine. Instead, they didn’t get much of the song, which I felt was a little disappointing. But despite that, I still thought the raps (and the vocals) were still good elements to the song. (8/10)

3. Blind – Blind the blandest dance track on the album for me. I just don’t find it as interesting or exciting as the other dance tracks on the album. Blind seems to have some R&B mixed into it and it resulted in an okay track. But I felt like they could have done more to really make it appealing. The vocals and raps were good but it felt like it could have been stronger. Same could have been said regarding the hook of the track, which I thought was rather weak, resulting in its bland nature. (5/10)

4. Queen – Queen seems like it could be an elegant track, but it stands out more for its rough textures. It is also a good hip-hop hype track that really grabs your attention. The rappers are the winners for this track, with the song being built for just them. The vocalists of the group weren’t let down as they had parts that were quite melodic, especially after that brief pause in the bridge. I also liked the ending of the song (or rather, that part of the song as it appears in the track beforehand). Very catchy and a great way to get the hype up. (8/10)

5. White Girl (하얀소녀) – The song tones down the tough and dance-heavy side of the album by opting for an acoustic sound. And this Is much appreciated since the album is quite on the heavy side thus far. Vocals were the focus, with all the members (including Jooheon and I.M) singing in the song. And they give the song a nice delicate touch on top of the acoustic instruments. I thought the harmonies in the song gave the song a beautiful feel. While it is distinctively different from any of the other songs on the album, it is a hidden gem in the midst of the other dance tracks. (9/10)

6. Roller Coaster – Roller Coaster returns to the dance side of the album. And like what the name suggests, the song is like a roller coaster. There is a lot going on and there is many twists and turns that are not anticipated. So, repetitiveness is not an issue with this track. And while a correct term to describe the song would be ‘messy’, the song actually comes together nicely, and it is quite pleasant sounding. The song doesn’t showcase their best vocals or rapping but both elements are still good. Overall, I thought it was a nice upbeat song to end the album on. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.8/10

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The Clan Part 2. Guilty Teaser Image