Category: KPOP

[Album Review] Remember Us: Youth Part 2 (4th Mini Album) – DAY6

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DAY6 is nominated for Best Band in this year’s KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Voting closes in 9 more days, so support DAY6 by clicking this link!

DAY6 made their retro comeback last week with Days Gone By. And once again, I have returned to have a closer look at the album in which Days Gone By is featured on (Remember Us: Youth Part 2). The mini-album is the continuation of their Youth series, which follows from their Shoot Me: Youth Part 1 and Shoot Me single release back in July of this year. Remember Us also features Beautiful Feeling, which was also another single release during the year (and I have provided some more background information when it comes to that song below).

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Remember Us: Youth Part 2 Album Cover

1..Hurt Road (아픈 길) – The album starts off with a ballad. Like any song that starts off an album, it has to be a good ballad as it is the first impression to the entire tracklist. I think the build-up in this song was done in a very nice manner. The vocals are at the forefront of the song and they do sound spectacular. But while Hurt Road does line up with other ballads DAY6 has released in the past, I thought the song was rather dry and forgettable. It just felt like a normal ballad and didn’t really have any outstanding factors that really make it suitable to be the first track on the album. (7/10)

2. Days Gone By (행복했던 날들이었다) – Click here to read the full review for Days Gone By. (9/10)

3. Headache (두통) – Headache is not a headache-inducing track, so don’t you worry. However, it is a more hardcore rock sound that DAY6 hasn’t really gone to yet. And I think, given the quality of this song, I would love to hear more of it. It is energetic and extremely dynamic. I thought their vocals were good in this song. They were slightly filtered to give the song an additional electrifying layer. While they kept the momentum going for most of the song, there was a pause to really amp up the final chorus. But I thought that just cut the flow. But other than that, an amazing song. (9/10)

4. 121U – We return once again to the rock sound. Just this one isn’t as hardcore as the previous song. It is also a style that I am used when I listen to rock music, so there is a sense of familiarity. The song starts off well and it builds up to an explosive and driven chorus, which left like it could have just kept on going. I really liked that edging effect that the instrumental gave us in the chorus. I felt like their vocals could have been slightly louder, as the instrumental did overshadow the vocals for the most part. I think the standout moment (aside from the chorus) was the bridge, where the vocals completely smashed it out of the park. (8/10)

5. So Cool (완전 멋지잖아) – To me, So Cool takes on the punk rock genre, with a lot of the elements and sounds in the song reminding me of the said genre. It isn’t pronounced, however. Instead, it goes for a subtler approach. I thought the vocals were nice, especially the falsetto during the verses. The rapping added a nice touch of edge to the song, which I think was needed as the song felt very linear in nature. I think the song could have been more energetic and gone for some interesting details in the instrumental. It is a satisfying song, but it felt held back for the most part. (8/10)

6. Marathon (마라톤) – Personally, Marathon is one of the weaker songs of the bunch. And it isn’t because it is a terrible song. Marathon has this feel-good vibe to it that makes the song feel bright and carefree. It doesn’t feel like it pushed boundaries and given how the songs so far have been more of the edgy type of something a little more energetic, I felt like this was a weak progression for the track list. The vocals were really nice, especially when everyone is singing together for the first section of the final chorus. I thought the bridge made the song feel a little too disjointed and the sudden ending was a miss for me. (7.5/10)

7. Beautiful Feeling – I think Beautiful Feeling would have been a better song to move onto from So Cool. Beautiful Feeling was released back in September for the fans in celebration of the band’s 3rd anniversary. I really liked the melody of the song. Sure, it didn’t push any boundaries and wasn’t edgy but you could feel their gratitude in the song. The vocal work of the song was amazing, with the featuring of Dowoon in the bridge being the highlight of the song for me, which makes the song more meaningful to fans and DAY6 themselves. (8.5/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.1/10

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[Review] Getting Closer – SEVENTEEN

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SEVENTEEN is nominated for Best Male Group, Best Male Choreography and Best Subunit in this year’s KPOPREVIEWED Awards. There are less than 10 days to go for the voting period, so quickly vote and Support Seventeen by clicking here!

SEVENTEEN is back with a small teaser for their upcoming comeback (which has been tipped to occur early 2019). Getting Closer was unveiled to the public one week ago when SEVENTEEN performed the new song for the first time at the MAMAs in Hong Kong. This release and their upcoming comeback have been linked to their last comeback in South Korea, Oh My! and the mini-album You Make My Day, through the accompanying hashtag – #Prequel_YMMD. What this means will be revealed to us soon. In the meantime, let’s have a closer look at their new single.

I think just by listening to the song, you can get a sense that this is their edgiest comeback yet. I haven’t heard SEVENTEEN do a hip-hop infused dance track that is this angst before. They have gone close to it before but there was always a subtle immature vibe. Hence, I find this to be a great mix of that never-heard-before style and a mature side of the group. And due to the hip-hop side of the song, there is a heavy emphasis on the rappers in the group for this. I think that is great considering how they end up with the least lines in most of their past title tracks. That being said the vocals do a pretty amazing job at adapting to the changes and they fit in well. I thought the bridge was a good example of this. The instrumental was also great, giving a dynamic and powerful canvas for the group to stand on. I did have some issues with the song. The chorus felt underwhelming. The hooks weren’t as memorable as I hoped they would be. I also felt the song was too short and that the track was jammed into the 3 minutes span.

The music video seems to hint towards that connection between their previous comeback. The Rubiks Cube, for example, that Wonwoo plays a part in the choreography for Oh My! was seen on the table in this video, taking on a grey and silver appearance instead. I do question the number of clocks and their respective times in this video. Something is up and I can’t pinpoint what. Though, any question raised about the connections between the two releases will probably be answered in the upcoming comeback. The aesthetics fo the video made it powerful and bold. Also, the use of the shade black throughout the sets, the props and their outfits really give definition to their new concept, which I thought made it quite memorable.

Has SEVENTEEN ever disappointed us with a performance? I don’t think so. The start of the performance with Hoshi reaching out in front reminded me of EXO’s Wolf. But from that point forward, everything definitely takes a turn and SEVENTEEN amazes us with another powerful set of moves. I liked how sharp everything was during the chorus. But the dance break was definitely the highlight of the entire performance (especially when Jun jumps up!).

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 7.9/10

[Album Review] The Only (3rd Mini Album) – The Boyz

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The Boyz is nominated for Best New Male Group in this year’s KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support The Boyz and your favourite groups by clicking here to vote.

A few weeks ago The Boyz made another comeback with No Air, making this the group’s 3rd comeback of the year (excluding the special single they released). No Air is featured on the group’s 3rd mini album, which has been titled as The Only. The Boyz is one of the rookies that stood out for me this year. With their amazing dance tracks and energetic choreography, I just had to jump on board and review another one of their albums. So, without any more waiting, let’s get to it!

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The Only Album Cover

2. No Air (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of No Air. (7/10)

3. Only One – Only One is a pop dance track that utilises bass and a rolling drumming beat that really gives its addictive nature. On top of that, it also creates an energetic atmosphere that makes it appeal. It also doesn’t help that the hooks were also quite catchy, making this a track not to miss. I must admit that the drop for the chorus was typical, but the rest of the instrumental makes up for it. I thought the vocals were nice, but I really like the deep voice of whoever does the rap-speaking in the song. It goes perfectly well with the rest of the song and is my pick for the main highlight for the track. (9/10)

4. Lucid Dream (자각몽) – While I am sure the song can fit some classy choreography, there is a side to the song that makes it fit for a coffee shop or some boutique store where I live. It has an easy-going instrumentation that gives the song a golden feel. I did like the rapping in this song, whereas the vocals felt very standard. They were still good, so don’t take my comments the wrong way. Personally, I prefer their heavier dance tracks. But there is a certain level of appeal that makes me enjoy this one. (8/10)

5. 36.5° (Melting Heart) – Of course, it wouldn’t be a KPOP album without a ballad and Melting Heart is just that. It does zone into their vocals but it is extremely underwhelming, overall. The track is quite slow for my liking, even though I do enjoy a slow ballad from time to time. The instrumentation seems to take a slow jazz type of approach. To me, I think this is their weakest song on the album. It just doesn’t feel up to par with the rest of the song in terms of quality and I personally had a hard time getting into the track. (5/10)

6. 4EVER – 4EVER is what I had expected. Following the previous two songs, I was craving a dance track and The Boyz fulfilled my craving. The song has a thankfulness feeling to it, which I think it goes together with the lyrics which seem to be directed to their fans. The vocals were superb in this song, especially with the well-done harmonies. I liked the rapping, but I thought they could have took to the next level and delivered something that impacts the emotional walls of our minds. The instrumental was, once again, typical but I liked the drop for the chorus. I did think the chirping birds were a little odd but I don’t mind them. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.6/10

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[Review] MILLIONS – WINNER

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Winner is nominated for Best Male Group and Mino is nominated for Best Rapper in this year’s KPOPREVIEWED Awards. To support Winner and Mino, click on the link here to start voting! Voting closes in 11 days!

While their official comeback isn’t until sometime in January of next year, Winner has dropped a new single at the request of many fans. MILLIONS was released yesterday as a special pre-release single ahead of their upcoming comeback. We last saw the group during their Everyday comeback earlier this year. Mino also embarked on his solo career with Fiance, which was released a few weeks back.

I think the first thing that really jumps out at me is the use of that tropical house influence. As much as I enjoy the genre, I agree with many people who say that is way past its trendy days and it is becoming a relatively standard sound. And with the past few Winner comebacks being of the tropical nature, it just feels like they digging too much into this rabbit hole. But besides that, I thoroughly enjoyed the song. I really liked the upbeat nature of the song. It does seem a little ill-fitting for the seasonal trend but they did a really good job at balancing out that upbeat nature for the Winter period. I also liked the drums in the instrumental. I think just by the bright nature of the song and the lyrics that you can make out, the song takes a refined romantic route, which was rather nice, in my opinion. I liked the chorus, which had a simple melody but their vocals made it very catchy and addictive in nature. The rapping was also quite nice. Not too much power, which goes back to that balance.

Once again, YG Entertainment delivers with another extraordinary music video. Fitting the brightness of the song, the music video adopts that bright factor with its colourful and vibrant sets. And the all-smiling Winner members made this video pretty much unforgettable. I think the concept is a lot more typical, given the stereotypical nature of KPOP but since WInner doesn’t focus on this style too much, it becomes memorable. I really liked the final set with the fireworks in the background. I thought was quite cool.

The dance is definitely another highlight of this comeback. I like what they are doing with their fingers during the chorus. Not exactly sure what it is meant to represent but it definitely fits the song extremely well. The rest of the performance looks like it is going to be extremely fun and energetic, which are factors that I personally like.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9.5/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9.4/10

[Review] First Sight – Heize

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Vote in the 2018 KPOPREVIEWED Awards by clicking here if you have yet to do so!

It is sometimes amazing to see how far I manage to get by without reviewing an artist’s song. And in the past few years, I tried to reduce the number of artists whom I missed by including a broader spectrum of artists into the reviewing mix. Well, one artist still managed to slip through the gaps. Heize is a renowned female R&B soloist who has multiple top hits under her belt. She has also been recognised for her songs and vocals at multiple award ceremonies. Yet, I am only getting around to reviewing her for the first time.

First Sight is the title for her more recent release, which was revealed to the public last Friday. She also had the opportunity to perform it for the first time at the MAMA Awards held on Friday. And like her other comebacks in the past, Heize brings her unique vocals to the song, creating a very dreamy sound for the song. I thought the melody was quite nice and definitely a really powerful tool to really appeal to the listeners. I liked how the song changed to a mid-tempo track during the chorus rather staying ballad-like. The electronic details in the instrumental gave off a nice effect. I did think the thumping bass was a little too strong, often covering up Heize’s vocals when she goes into falsetto. I also liked the jazzy piano during the bridge. It is a real pity that I took so long to review a song from the soloist because given the way this song sound, I would have easily enjoyed the others.

Heize goes with a fairytale concept for her video. She acts as the Red Riding Hood at the start of the video, who wants to attract the attention of the male in white. She longs for that attention as she is very much in love with him but he gives no interest towards her. And this essentially the lyrics in a nutshell. She even goes to extreme lengths, where she eats a poison apple, causing her to fall asleep for eternity until she receives true love kiss, which probably won’t happen because the male in white has no interest in her. There is a second male character, the male in black. He brings her in after the male in white rejects her and he is also peering into her eternal bed at the end of the video. My guess is that he love’s Heize’s character, but like the primary storyline, she has no interest in him. I thought that was an interesting twist to the story.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10

[Review] Whatcha Doin’ – Yesung (Super Junior) & Kim Chungha

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Kim Chungha is nominated for Best Female Solo Artist and Best Collaboration in this year’s KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Click here to support Kim Chungha and your other favourite artists.

We have a new duet release, which brings together Yesung from Super Junior and Kim Chungha. Their new single is titled Whatcha Doin’. Interesting fact, if you guys don’t know, is that this isn’t the first time Chungha has collaborated with an SM artist. Earlier this year, the solo artist joined forces with Seulgi (Red Velvet), SinB (GFriend) and Kim Soyeon (GI-DLE) for Wow Thing!, which was released as part of the Station X 0 project. Yesung has also been busy with the Super Junior comebacks that fans were treated to this year.

Whatcha Doin’ is a pop track that brings out the vocals of Yesung and Chungha. Yesung has established himself as one of the main vocals of Super Junior, while Chungha has been showing off her singing capabilities this year through her solo releases and collaborations. Together, they compliment each other extremely well. Both their vocals aren’t heavy, which goes perfectly well with the light pop instrumental of this song. All of this results in a pleasant track to listen to. Throw in a simple yet catchy hook to open up the chorus, I thought this was a very nice collaboration. I did like the soft ‘awoo awoo‘ in the background during the chorus, which added an extra depth to the song. They could have gone for something a little more unique but nonetheless, it was a good song.

I thought the concept for this video was rather cute. At the start, they were both nervous to make that first move. The way they interacted with each other was really well thought out, pushing the phone to each other despite each of them in their own halves. The Boomerang feature was also a cool addition to the video. Overall, I liked the video’s appeal and its fitting nature to the song.

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

[Album Review] Love Shot (5th Repackaged Album) – EXO

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The 2018 KPOPREVIEWED Awards are in full swing and voting is still opened. Did you know that EXO is nominated for Best Subunit, Best Male Group, Best Male Choreography, Best Japanese Song by a Korean Artist and Best Album? Click here to vote for EXO!

EXO returned during the week with their 5th repackaged album and the title track, both titled Love Shot. This comes after EXO released their 5th studio album, Don’t Mess Up With My Tempo, which featured the unique Tempo title track.  Unlike previous years, Love Shot was released in place of EXO’s yearly release of a Winter album and single but keeping in the tradition of their yearly studio and repackaged album. The new album consists of 3 new tracks, which I reviewed below, along with the Chinese version of Love Shot (which I have not included in the review).

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Love Shot Album Cover

Love Shot features all the songs from the Don’t Mess Up My Tempo album, which I have previously reviewed. If you wish to check out the song reviews from the Don’t Mess Up My Tempo album, please click here.

1..Love Shot (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of Love Shot. (7.5/10)

3. Trauma – I personally like how classy Trauma sounds. The intro to the track (the ‘La La La’) really sets the rest of the song in place. I liked how upbeat the instrumental felt despite how soft the actual music was. It was rather interesting. I also liked how their vocals were very compatible with the song, which was also a softer tone than usual. When I write these reviews, I listen to the track several times to really be sure about what I am writing. And every time I listened to Trauma, Chen’s mini falsetto in the chorus stands out for me. Also, like the vocals, the raps were very well suited for the song. They do bring an edgy vibe to the song, which breaks the classiness of the song for a slight section. And I quite like that too. (9/10)

4. Wait – Wait is an acoustic ballad that goes straight to showcasing EXO’s vocals from the very first second. And it is a very beautiful sounding song, with the acoustic guitar being the only instrument in the song. The rest of the song relies on the said vocals and the nice harmonies that you can hear throughout the song. The chorus features harmonies with all the members, while the verses feature harmonies between the singer and background vocals. Looking back at the song, I find it extremely hard to really pinpoint anything I dislike about it. (10/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.6/10 (This incorporates the scores of all 13 songs on the albums)

Xiumin’s Love Shot Teaser
Suho’s Love Shot Teaser
Baekhyun’s Love Shot Teaser
Chen’s Love Shot Teaser
Chanyeol’s Love Shot Teaser
D.O’s Love Shot Teaser
Kai’s Love Shot Teaser
Sehun’s Love Shot Teaser

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[Review] Hair In The Air – Yeri (Red Velvet), Renjun, Jeno & Jaemin (NCT)

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Both Red Velvet and NCT are nominated in this year’s KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Voting is underway and if you haven’t voted yet, click here to do so now!

For this week’s SM Station release, Yeri (from Red Velvet) and Renjun, Jeno and Jaemin (from NCT) join hands together for the special release of Hair In The Air, which is the main theme song for the new television series – Trolls: The Beat Goes On. The song features on a special OST album for the show and the album also contains a second track, Best Day Ever, featuring Haechan, Chenle and Jisung (from NCT as well). But we are here for Hair In The Air, so let’s get going.

Hair In The Air goes for a fun-filled and vibrant sound, suiting the animated show it will represent in South Korea. It has this positivity atmosphere that makes you want to smile and dance to. The pop instrumental for the song was consistent (in a good way) and gave the song that fun factor which I have already mentioned. It is super addictive so I can see it being used as a children’s show theme song. Yeri and Renjun take cares of the vocals in the song, while Jeno and Jaemin rap in the song. And I personally enjoyed both the vocals and raps in the song as they both add some flavour and textures to the song. It may just be a standard song to some but I thoroughly enjoyed its lightheartedness.

Like the song, the video is pretty much a lighthearted video. Not really meant to be taken seriously. Since it was for Trolls, I had expected some sort of Trolls animation throughout it. But instead, we have a party themed video with Yeri and the 3 featuring members from NCT. But it seems that this party is all in the book that Yeri is reading. There is a small bit of choreography for the video to compliment the fun style of the video. Rather simple but I enjoyed it.

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

[Album Review] Present: You & Me (2nd Repackaged Album) – GOT7

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OT7 is nominated for Best Male Group and Best Male Choreography in the 2018 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. If you have yet to vote for GOT7 and your other favourite groups, click on the link here to do so!

GOT7 returned last week with their repackaged album, Present: You & Me. This album features the title track, Miracle and Lullaby. It is a different repackaged album, however, as normal repackaged albums are renamed but have only one to three new tracks. You & Me has a total of 12 new tracks on the album, which is basically a second album. The unit and solo tracks were all previously performed at GOT7’s concerts and this is the first time we have seen a studio version of these songs. I also want to clear up another detail. This isn’t the group’s first repackaged, as Mad was repackaged into a Christmas album back in 2014. But we are here to focus on Present: You & Me. Note that this is a very long review.

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Present: You & Me Album Cover

1..Miracle (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Miracle. (7.5/10)

2. Take Me To You – Take Me To You has the potential to be a contender for title track status. It combines the artistic style that I felt from each of their individual songs in their Present: Me album, combined with their usual dance style of music, allowing for some choreography to easily be performed for this track. I like the soft nature of the song, as every element in the song felt refined and soothing. Even the rapping reduced its energy and power. For the most part, I liked their execution of the song. I just felt that Mark’s “Taking Me, Taking Me’ could have been a little louder as it could have been easily missed. (9.5/10)

3. Come On (안 보여) – Come On is a mix between a pop dance and hip-hop. And thus, it is an ideal song that fits in nicely into GOT7’s portfolio. I think it is a pleasant song to listen to. Nothing is heavy in this song, which is a plus in an industry filled with dance-heavy tracks. I also liked the melodies in this song and each member sings in one form or another for this song. Jackson stands out as he takes the lead for the chorus, singing rather than rapping for a change. His voice in this song is memorable and gives the song an interesting texture. (9/10)

4. 1:31 AM (잘 지내야해) (JB & Youngjae) – 1:31AM is one of the three songs on this album which was first performed in 2017. 1:31 AM is a ballad that highlights the vocals of both JB and Youngjae in a fashion that we don’t hear often in their group songs or solo tracks. It is a little slow for my liking, but it has a very nice melody and the lyrics to the song are just very touching. The one thing I wanted with this song is harmonies, which was lacking as the two vocalists do not sing together at all (which is slightly interesting). (8/10)

JB’s Miracle Teaser Image
Youngjae’s Miracle Teaser Image

5. Higher (Jinyoung & Mark) – Jinyoung and Mark’s collaboration starts off as a typical pop song. Jinyoung’s signature vocals and Mark’s deep rapping voice dominates the start of the song as well. The chorus goes electronic with an explosion of colour and sounds that create an upbeat and unmissable energetic atmosphere that is bound to get you dancing. There is also a fun element to the song which makes it perfect for a concert. (8/10)

6. I Love It (Jackson, BamBam & Yugyeom) – I Love It is the shortest track on the album, with Jackson, BamBam and Yugyeom only singing on this track for around 1 minute (and they all sing!).  I think their vocals on this song shine the brightest (sorry to the other members) on the album. It literally took my breath away. The instrumentation was lovely and the melody was beautiful. The biggest sin this track has associated to itself is its shortness. (9.5/10)

7. WOLO (Jackson, BamBam & Yugyeom) – WOLO is the third song on the album that was first performed at their concerts last year. WOLO stands for ‘We Only Like Once’ and we can categorise the song as part of the hip-hop genre. They do most of their rapping and singing during the verses, leaving the electronic dubstep to do most of the talking in the chorus. And it is the type of drop to really excite me for a performance. I liked the alternating lines to the chorus and each member of the trio shined in this song. (7/10)

8. King (Jinyoung & BamBam) –It was interesting to see where this unit would take us since both Jinyoung and BamBam’s personality is very different. This would be a hyped-up party track that would fit right into BamBam’s alley. Jinyoung’s presence was definitely a shocker (in a good way). I am not a fan of autotune usually, especially when it is overused. However, I find its use in this song well balanced, despite the entire track being in that electronic filter. It builds up the tension and not once did it feel obnoxious. I like both member’s tone, with Jinyoung bringing fierceness and BamBam bring energy to the song, It is one stand-out yet surprising track. (9/10)

BamBam’s Miracle Teaser Image
Jinyoung’s Miracle Teaser Image

9. Think About It (JB, Mark, Youngjae) – Think About It is another R&B song for the album. And it brings together JB and Youngjae’s vocals and Mark’s rapping. Together, you can tell the powerful direction that this track is going to take. And while the song does go in that direction, it is the most underwhelming song on the album. The song has a drifty melody with only the vocals and raps to keep it grounded. The instrumental is very minute compared to the vocals, which seem to overpower the instrumentation several times. I think if the instrumental had some sort of extra definition, the track would have been a lot more cohesive. (6/10)

10. From Now (이젠) (Yugyeom Solo) – Yugyeom doesn’t get much of a chance to really show off his vocal capabilities in GOT7 songs. From Now does just that. His solo track, From Now, is an R&B track, which is familiar territory for the dancer. And not only does he bring smooth vocals, but he also packs a punch with the delivery of his lines. There were parts in the chorus that felt powerful and they left me shocked. I really like his harmonies with the background vocals in the bridge. The instrumental was honestly a bore but his vocals did an amazing job at saving the song. (7/10)

11. Hunger (Jackson Solo) – This is one epic song. It makes me hungry for more. It is another short track (with another 20 seconds compared to I Love It). But it is extremely feisty and delivers all the energy you think Jackson has into one powerful track. Unlike the other songs which he focused on vocals, Hunger takes us back to raps that we know Jackson best for. I also liked his lyrics, which were all in English. (8/10)

12. Phoenix (Jackson & Yugyeom) – The final unit track follows neatly from Jackson’s Hunger. It is another feisty track, just with less power and impact. Jackson’s rap was once again in English, while Yugyeom handles the Korean in his vocal parts. There was a pause in the song, which I think acted as a suspense mechanism for the stage. Not sure why it was included in the studio version as it cuts the flow of the song and made the song feel awkward. But other than that, it was another nice track. (7.5/10)

Jackson’s Miracle Teaser Image
Yugeyom’s Miracle Teaser Image

Overall Album Rating – 8/10

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Mark’s Miracle Teaser Image

[Review] Love Shot – EXO

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The 2018 KPOPREVIEWED Awards are in full swing and voting is still opened. Did you know that EXO is nominated for Best Subunit, Best Male Group, Best Male Choreography, Best Japanese Song by a Korean Artist and Best Album? Click here to vote for EXO!

EXO has returned with their 5th repackaged album and their latest title track, both titled Love Shot. Last month, EXO returned with their 5th studio album, Don’t Mess Up My Tempo. Promotions for Tempo were quite short, causing anger to be directed towards SM Entertainment for their lack of promotions this year as a group. It does seem like EXO will be promoting their repackaged album and title track for slightly longer as their album promotions will crossover with the End of Year music festivals and award ceremonies that start 2019 off.

Love Shot is a pop dance track filled with a balanced level of thumping bass and it feels a lot more comfortable than what Tempo felt like. It flows a lot more nicely, with smoothness being a keyword used to describe the song.  I think what I like about the song is its addictive chorus. It may be a simple hook but it is keyed into your memory by the time the song ends, so you just want to replay the song to relive the chorus. The vocals in this track were also a strong point, adding to the track’s appeal. I really liked D.O’s ‘People come and people go‘ start to the bridge, which I think was more memorable than the already addictive chorus.  Once again, I also liked the rapping. It is perfect for this sensual sounding song but I have to admit that it doesn’t top the energy and intensity we got from Tempo. And that basically applies to the entire song. But nonetheless, EXO’s Love Shot was a great song to mark their second return to 2018.

EXO has their guns drawn for their music video. There is a plotline somewhere in the video, with the way Suho walks away with a SWAT team by his side and everyone is confronted by the SWAT team when they came to rob the bank (of flowers). While it does feel cryptic and confusing, the plotline does seem fairly interesting. Also, when I thought of ‘Love Shot‘, I thought of drinking rather than guns. But I liked the way they incorporated alcohol into their guns, which is pretty aesthetic. But at the same time, not too effective when it comes to robbing a bank. I also thought the closeup shots throughout the video showed off great visuals of the members.

But I think we cannot pass the choreography for this comeback. Like the song, the choreography seems to take a sensual approach, reminding me of the moves they pulled for The Eve. I liked the incorporation of the small “handgun” in their body rolls for the choruses. As for the verses, we just have to wait and see. But it looks good from the music video end.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8/10

[Review] The Best Thing I Ever Did – TWICE

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TWICE is nominated for Best Female Group, Best Female Choreography, Best Music Video, & Best Japanese Song by a Korean Artist. Help support TWICE in this year’s KPOPREVIEWED Awards by clicking the link here to vote. 

If there is one girl group that kept busy in 2018, that girl group would be TWICE. Onces (TWICE’s fandom) were treated to 3 Korean comebacks, What Is Love?, Dance The Night Away and Yes Or Yes throughout 2018. On top of that, multiple Japanese releases such as BDZ and Candy Pop. Now, the female group has returned for one last time in 2018 with a reissued version of their Yes or Yes mini-album, The Years of Yes. The lead title from this new mini-album is The Best Thing I Ever Did, which is the focus of today’s album review.

The Best Thing I Ever Did is a sweet sounding ballad that suits the youthful style of TWICE’s releases and the upcoming Christmas holiday. It isn’t that emotionally driven style of a ballad, which I think would honestly a little awkward for me as that isn’t the mature style of music that I am used to when it comes to TWICE. I think what stands out for me is the vocals of the group. TWICE has been subjected to some criticism for their weak vocals but this song proves otherwise. I thought the rap-talking in the song was also quite nice. The instrumentation is also another positive for the track, as it gives off a warm feeling and some of the details in the instrumental were added for a cute effect. It isn’t your typical TWICE song as the song is miles away from what they usually do. But it is a nice ballad for their fans.

The music video for this song is more of a fan service. But rather showing us that typical behind the scene fan video, the producers of this music video were smart with the way they presented it. It was shown as a movie and the members of TWICE were watching the movie in the cinema. It was a great way to show the members reminiscing about their career so far and it was fitting for the lyrics of the song. The music video also shows the members having a little fun at the dinner table and in the snow.

Correct me if I am wrong but I remember reading somewhere that there will be no promotions for this new release so we won’t be able to see a live performance for it. If there is a performance, my prediction will be that there won’t be any accompanying choreography due to the nature of the song.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.6/10

[Review] Gone – Lee Changsub (BTOB)

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BTOB is nominated for Best Male Group and Best Vocals in this year’s KPOPREVIEWED Awards. If you haven’t voted for BTOB yet (or any of your favourite artists), click here to vote right away!

With the impending military enlistment of Changsub confirmed for next year, he is saying farewell (for the next two years) through a solo debut mini-album titled Mark and the title track, Gone. This isn’t the first time I reviewed Changsub’s solo work, as Changsub released another solo single as part of Piece of BTOB, At The End. BTOB also returned a few weeks back with Hour Moment and the single, Beautiful Pain as a parting gift to their fans before the military enlistment of each member.

Given Changsub’s vocals, it was expected he would go with a song that would show off his vocals. Gone does just that. It is a ballad that has a standard ballad instrumentation but manages to incorporate some flair into the song. The buildup instantly comes out of nowhere, which was a great way of offsetting the slow start to the song, which I felt made the song feel too standard. So, this buildup was definitely needed. His vocals start off really nice, matching that slow, soothing sound. But it built up at the same rate as the instrumentation’s buildup, remaining as the main focus of the song. And I liked how powerful his vocals got, which really gave the song a needed kick. Despite that, I like his soft touch to the ending, which made the song feel like it ended as a complete circle. Overall, a pretty cool solo debut ballad.

The music video features APINK’s Chorong, who I found out are friends in real life, based on what I am reading. I not 100% sure on what the video is about and I have yet to find English lyrics to really give me hints. But here is my take on it. Changsub is a top celebrity, who is tired of his work. He decides for a night out at a small bar, where he meets Chorong, who is a singer at the bar. Chorong is verbally abused for probably being a poor singer and she is about to attack her abuser when Changsub stops her and drags her away. She thanks him by inviting him back to her part-time work to have a soft jam session. He writes a song with her in mind and he performs it at the same bar. He is slightly nervous, but Chorong is present to support him, which leads to a successful performance. It was a nice video to watch, overall.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.6/10

[Review] Days Gone By – DAY6

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Before we get into the review, I just want to let you know that DAY6 is nominated for Best Band for their Shoot Me comeback earlier this year. Click here to vote for DAY6 and your other favourite artists. 

DAY6 has returned with the part 2 of their Youth series, Remember Us. The title track for this album release is Days Gone By. This is the band’s second comeback of the year, after their Shoot Me comeback in June. Since then, the band has been busy in Japan with their first album and comebacks. 2018 also seems to be a very big year for the band, as they won the Best Band award at the MMA and are nominated for the same award at the MAMA’s (with the winner will be announced later this week). Let’s hope they have the same success for this comeback and 2019.

From the very first second, Days Gone By screams out retro. The first few seconds reminded me of the style of song that I would associate with Michael Jackson, especially from the 70s and 80s era. I think we can attribute this to their rocking instrumental, which used that retro synthesizer on the keyboard. Kind of the go-to instrument/sound if you want something very retro. And I liked how they stayed with the sound and did not stray away from it, which is the more common thing to do in today’s music industry. I liked how their vocals blended well with the instrumentation. Neither felt overpowering but both were equally strong. Jae’s husky vocals, in particular, were my favourite. I think want makes me a major fan of the band is their versatility. We have seen a range of sounds, especially through their monthly releases. And now that they have ticked retro off that list, I am excited to see what is next.

Following the retro concept, the music video was very retro as well. The use of green screen through this, giving off a kaleidoscope effect of each member’s shots was definitely something very big from that era. For once the lower quality footage was intentional and fitted in well with the concept. I also liked the instrumental section, where they played their instruments and had a little fun, while all we could see was the silhouettes of each member. It isn’t technically the most amazing music video ever. But you can tell that they thought through this concept logically and managed to incorporate many ideas into the video.

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

[Album Review] RBB (5th Mini Album) – Red Velvet

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Red Velvet is nominated for multiple categories in this year’s KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Click here to vote and support your favourite artists.

Red Velvet returned at the end of last week with another new track, RBB (Really Bad Boy), which is the same title as their fifth mini-album. This is the group’s 3rd Korean comeback this year, where each was marked with an album review (The Perfect Red Velvet and Summer Magic). RBB features 6 tracks, with the final song being an English version of Really Bad Boy (and per usual, I did not include that in the album review). So without any further delay, here are my thoughts on the album.

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RBB Album Cover

1..RBB (Really Bad Boy) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of RBB (Really Bad Boy). (9/10)

2. Butterflies – Butterflies is a light pop track that really appealed to my taste within the first few seconds of listening to it. To me, this is a typical yet perfected Red Velvet b-side track and I liked it that they chose this as the second promotional track to promote during their comeback week. The vocals were on point. While they weren’t as grabbing as RBB, the vocals here were soothing and very delicate, matching the atmosphere that the song had created. The soft rap-talking during the bridge was also quite nice. Overall, it is an amazing track that I think the word ‘beautiful’ sums it up perfectly. (9/10)

3. So Good – I think this would be a nice mix of their Red and Velvet side. It is an R&B track that offers smoothness. So Good has a nice melody and this makes this song quite catchy. I personally like the vocals in the song, despite it being quite plain, if I was to choose a word to describe that element of the song. I did like the ad-libs that threw throughout the choruses, giving the illusion it was rather busy and textured. So Good also offers a few twists, such as the vocals starting off the second verse and the ending, which brought different colours to the song without stray too far from its original sound. (8/10)

4. Sassy Me (멋있게) – Sassy Me throws uniqueness at you in any form. The vocals during the verses have that slight groaning ending to each line. I can see how this would turn people off, but I thought this was a very interesting effect to grab your attention straight away. I really like the instrumentation of the song. The brass in the song was extremely short, sharp and repetitive. However, not in an annoying way. As usual, their vocals were amazing, but I loved how they progressed to that amazing high note at the end of the song. Sassy Me is probably my most favourite track on this album. (9/10)

5. Taste – Taste’s sound isn’t my cup of tea. So I am having a hard time getting into the song. The song is best described as a hip-hop centred sound. But I found it to be quite slow and the instrumentation was rather bland, compared to the rest of the songs on the album. However, props must be given for Yeri, Irene and Wendy’s rap sequence, which caught me off guard and made me backtrack a number of times to be sure I was listening to the song correctly. It isn’t the best rapping but it gives the final track on the album something unlike any of their previous tracks. (6/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.2/10

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[Album Review] Regulate (1st Repackaged Album) – NCT 127

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NCT is nominated for Best Male Group, while NCT Dream and NCT 127 are nominated for Best Subunit. If you haven’t voted for NCT or your favourite artists yet, then click here to vote!

NCT 127 made their comeback with the repackaged version of their first studio album, which has been retitled Regulate. Leading the repackaged promotions is Simon Says. I debated whether to create a separate album review for this as I would only be reviewing one new song. I decided to do it anyway in order to help support NCT in the KPORPEVIEWED Awards (see above). Initially, it was meant for publishing on a later date but due to some scheduling changes, I have decided to publish today. I hope you don’t mind this really short album review.

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Regulate Album Cover

Regulate features all the songs from their Regular-Irregular album, which I have previously reviewed. If you wish to check out the song reviews from the Regular-Irregular album, please click here.

4. Welcome To My Playground – The song, compared to the songs on the Regular-Irregular, has a more bright and playful tone. It is a different side of NCT 127 that we saw briefly in Touch but incorporates that hip-hop genre that NCT has been marketed towards. The verses were half Korean and English, which I think was a smart way of interacting with both their Korean and international fans. The song was quite soft and I actually liked the prolonged build up in the verses. It made the chorus a lot more dynamic. I also liked the jump and fast-paced nature of Mark and Taeyong’s rap sequence, which gave the song a profound kick of energy towards the end, ending the song on a very energetic note. (9/10)

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

12. Chain (Korean Version) – I previously reviewed the Japanese version of Chain. I did feel like the song was a lot slower when it is in the Korean language. It might just be me, however. Click here to read the full review of Chain. (7.5/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.3/10 (This incorporates the scores of all 12 songs on the albums)

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[Review] I Dream – Elkie (CLC)

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CLC is nominated for Best Female Group and Most Underrated Artist in the 2018 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Click here to vote for CLC! 

One of the many groups that I have grown concerned for is CLC. One of the many problems they face is their lack of promotions, with Cube Entertainment pushing their more popular acts onto the stage. Notice how each of Cube’s artists have two releases in 2018 and CLC has only one (Black Dress). Now, their main vocalist, Elkie, has made her solo debut. But once again, no promotions. Actually, I don’t think many people caught wind of her solo debut due to the lack of promotional material in the lead up to her solo debut. As upsetting as it is, I hope my review isn’t too late and will hopefully introduce Elkie and CLC to a wider audience.

Elkie’s solo debut song is titled I Dream and it is a ballad. I find this ballad very typical but in a good way. It has all the aspects that I think makes it a good ballad. That swayable effect that I mention often as a criterion for my personal taste is ticked off here. And going hand-in-hand with that effect is the soothing nature of the instrumentation, which is made up of piano and soft violins (which, once again, is rather typical). Her vocals are really nice. I know of her capabilities given her work in CLC songs but this shifts a new focus towards her for me, which I think makes this a pretty decent solo debut. I also think there is a slight hook in the chorus of the song when she sings I Dream. I find it somewhat memorable. Altogether, everything is coming together well. Maybe she could have gone for something much more memorable, but I Dream was very nicely done.

There were many shots throughout the video that showed off her beauty. I thought the video showcased nice scenery, regardless if it was just a simple walk in the park or those nightlife images. I haven’t looked into the lyrics but based on the video, it shows Elkie trying to find herself and determine what her dreams are. It is a nice video that matches the song really nicely.

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