Category: KPOP

5 Favourite K-Drama OSTs (Part 1)

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Welcome back to the ‘Favourites’ segment of my site, where I share my personal picks regarding different aspects. As you may notice, I have decided to go with ‘Favourites’ as the segment name, because they are my favourites. I have also decided to cut down the list from 10 (as originally planned) to five because it would be easier and quicker to write.

This week, I have decided to focus on OSTs or Official Sound Tracks from K-Dramas. I don’t watch that many and the few that I do watch don’t get that much spotlight. But that doesn’t stop the songs from popping up on my playlists or me investigating the various songs that do get released. So in no particular order, these are 5 of my favourite K-Drama OSTs.

Back in Time – Lyn
The Moon Embraces The Sun

I start off the list with the very first OST that I fell in love with. While it was released back in 2011 for the drama, The Moon Embraces The Sun, it is an OST that I keep on going back to for its epic orchestral sound. While Lyn has a few other massive OST hits under her belt (some which I enjoyed), I still firmly believe that this track tops the rest of them. Her vocals draw you in and hold you there for the entire length of the song, not once letting you go.

Stay With Me – Chanyeol (EXO) & Punch
Goblin

Out of all the songs on this list, I think many of you will agree with this one. It’s a more recent OST release, from the K-Drama Goblin and was released in December of last year. The instrumental of the OST is extremely striking and the combination of both Punch’s and Chanyeol’s husky vocals make this one damn good song to listen to.

Talk Love – K.Will
Descendant of the Sun

It has been a while since we last saw K.Will on the stage. However, he has been active in the OST world, singing tracks for a few dramas. One of them belongs to the hit drama, Descendant of the Sun. It makes the list because it makes you smile. I find it quite catchy and K.Will’s vocals are undeniably amazing in this song.

All For You – Seo In Guk & Jung Eunji (APINK)
Reply 1997

This chart-topping OST from 2012 features both Seo In Guk and Eunji (APINK), who also played the lead roles in the same drama. What makes this a great OST is it was easy to get into. It was a simple song, with a simple sound. The English lyrics made it catchy and appeal to many people, including international fans. The vocals of the two were also sweet and dreamy, making them an amazing duet and on-screen partners.

Rise and Shine – Kyuhyun (Super Junior) & Tiffany (SNSD)
To The Beautiful You

The entire drama To The Beautiful You was produced by SM Entertainment and hence it makes sense that the entire OST album was performed by SM Entertainment artists. The standout song from the mix was Rise and Shine, which is an upbeat track, full of amazing vocals from both the main vocalists of Super Junior and SNSD. It reminds me of a musical and gives off a bright atmosphere.

 

[Review] Only U – Laboum

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Laboum has returned with their second comeback of 2017. They previously released Hwi Hwi back in April and earned their first win on the weekly music shows. Now, they are back with a special Summer album, which shares the same title as their title track, Only U.

The girls join a long list of Summer themed comebacks, which automatically make the expectations of the song quite high. For the most part, I think the song manages to hit that mark. The instrumental just screams Summer from the very start. It has a very nice retro vibe and it definitely makes you smile when you listen to the song. The catchiness of the chorus really does hook you to the song, which I am absolutely loving. I also like how they bring back their cute sound in the song, which I think fits nicely with the style and theme of the rest of the comeback. But honestly, I am a little disappointed. While I did say the song is catchy, I felt like the song didn’t have anything else that was interesting. It felt like it only hit that high standard, rather than overshoot it. Another reason requires me to go back to the vocals in Hwi Hwi. While the vocals here are good, the vocals in this song are not as explosive in the previous song and that does let me down a tiny bit. But regardless, it is definitely a Summer song I am putting onto my playlist.

I don’t mind the video but I think it could have been better. The video shows each girl form a massive crush on the guy, who is waiting for his lover to come (which I am assuming from the two fairy floss sticks he is holding). And that is basically the video summarised in one sentence. Besides the outfits they wear, the video doesn’t feel like it can be associated with the season of Summer. Though, I did think the menu was funny. If you do get a glimpse of the menu, you do notice they sell ‘homemade’ and ‘homemade vegan’. But my favourite: Sno cones.

The choreography is a completely different story. I am totally loving it. While I think they could have gone with a better start to the chorus, the whole thing comes together quite nicely. It does bring back the cute side of the girls that were missed. My most favourite part was the 2:40 mark of the music video. I thought that looked really cool.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.5/10 

 

[Review] Lemonade – Parc Jae Jung & Mark (NCT)

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Friday has just whisked by and as expected, a new SM Station track was dropped. And Mark from NCT has been on a roll with his collaborations. This time, he performs alongside Parc Jae Jung, who is a male solo artist known for winning Superstar K5. Their song, Lemonade, was dropped last Friday.

When it comes to the drink Lemonade, you would associate it with refreshing and cooling. And like the drink, the song comes off in the same way. Lemonade is a nice summer-time RnB track. With Parc Jae Jung’s husky vocals and Mark’s raps, the track becomes a refreshing treat for fans. I personally like the song. It has a nice melody and is relatively simple to get into. It is very easy going and light, in terms of sound. Like in a few of my past reviews, it is always nice to have a step back from the synths and dance tracks that do dominate the KPOP industry. I may not have said much in this review, but it is a good song. Actually, going back to my initial statements, the song is like that refreshing cup of lemonade on a hot Summers day.

The music video features Mark and Parc Jae Jung, who are in turn interested in a girl, who sells lemonade by the beach. Both guys try their best to get her attention, but their attempts end up failing. Mark, on the way to give a flower to her, sees a man (played by Henry) approach her and give her a bouquet, to which she accepts. Parc Jae Jung comforts Mark, but it turns out he saw everything and is hiding his own flower behind his back. The video also features Yoon Jong Shin, who plays the drink truck’s owner (and the girl’s boss). Overall, I thought it was a nice video to watch that had a fun storyline and suited the song’s sweetness.

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

[Album Review] The War (4th Studio Album) – EXO

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A few days ago, EXO made their highly anticipated comeback with Ko Ko Bop. I did make a sneaky post in the comment section, saying I would make an album review for EXO’s 4th studio album, The War. So here it is.

But before we delve into the album review, I just want to take this moment to notify you all that album reviews will be released on a weekly basis every Monday starting on the 31st of July. This is so I can keep track of things and not go overboard with the number of album reviews as I did in the past few weeks! Now, onto the review.

 

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The War Album Cover

 

1..The Eve (전야) – The album opens up with one killer track. As soon as the song plays, you are attacked with amazing vocals from the members. The slowness of the track was also another interesting aspect. While I don’t the track changed much, you could feel the build up through the instrumental, which creates a tense atmosphere, which ended bringing their vocals/raps into the spotlight. (9/10)

2. Ko Ko Bop (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of Ko Ko Bop (6/10)

3. What U Do? – This is my personal favourite of the entire album. Like the first track, the vocals of the members are put into the spotlight. I love the dynamics of the track, which made me want to get up and dance. The chorus was super catchy and has the ‘What U Do‘ (which all the members participate in) ringing in my head after the song finishes up. (9/10)

4. Forever – This track could have received the same comments as What U Do and The Eve. But I wasn’t impressed with the introduction. It was intriguing but it didn’t feel like it leads well into the rest of the track, which turned into one epic song, which could have rivalled the two songs mentioned. Once again, the vocals are on point, but I thought the first half of Chanyeol’s raps could have been better. The raspiness and speed during the second half were felt needed in the first half. (8/10)

5. Diamond (다이아몬드) – A part of me wants to like the track. It has an interesting yet strong beat. The instrumental has a Middle Eastern influence, which you should know, usually ticks the box for me. However, I didn’t like how the rappers kept on adding small parts throughout the song. To me, it gets annoying after a while and just feels likes a ‘remember me’ technique. It also wasn’t a memorable song, compared to the predecessors in this album. (7/10)

6. Touch It (너의 손짓) – And like Diamond, this song wasn’t that memorable. Instead, it seemed to have gotten lost in the mix of good and disappointing songs. Which was a pity because when it is by itself, I got a good sense of its groovy and funk vibes. The vocal work and rapping were pretty good. I love the ‘na na na‘ at the end of each chorus. It was the catchiest part of the entire track and the accompanying female background vocals suited the groovy vibe, so nicely. (7.5/10)

7. Chill (소름) – Chill is a chaotic mess and I say that in a bad way. To me, it felt like all the aspects you could ask for just did not work well together. The instrumental felt like one mess, with all the different elements not coming together well. Furthermore, there was an odd mix of styles, which didn’t sound ear-catching to me. The same could be said about the raps and vocals. Overall, not a song that I would want to revisit. (4/10)

8. Walk On Memories (기억을 걷는 밤) – This is one amazing song. The melodies in this song are definitely one to die for. The vocals in this song are just blissful, where all the members are singing. The harmonies as well. Even the instrumental was beautiful. The aesthetics of the song is on another level and it just leaves me breathless and speechless. (10/10)

9. Going Crazy (내가 미쳐) – Two things caught me by surprise with this track. Firstly, the sudden breakdown. It was unexpected but I felt it went with the rest of the song nicely (unlike in other tracks). It did give the track a more ‘out-there’ feel, which I guess is the ‘crazy’ side of the track. The second thing was that sudden high note at the end of the song. And everything else in between sounded like a really good. It is safe to say that the album ends on a good note. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.7/10

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The War Teaser Image

 

[Review] The Stars of Stars – Snuper

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Snuper is back with the repackaged album of their Back:Hug release, which was dropped in April. Their repackaged album has been retitled as The Stars of Stars, the same title as the promotional song.

The Stars of Stars is a pretty good song. It is extremely refreshing and it can be described as a smooth mix of trance elements. The more happy vibe seems to fit in nicely with the Summer theme that comebacks are aiming to achieve. Their vocals and raps were pretty good. The chorus hooks you in with its melody and catchy lyrics. However, there were disappointing aspects of the song. For example, the instrumental was very consistent. Too consistent. It let the track fall to the more boring side of the spectrum. In agreement with that, the overall instrumental mix was good but not impressive. I was waiting for some more intense or bolder sounds, but that was never seen. Here is where I contradict myself, but I would gladly replay it over and over again, for some reason. But what I said before was what I felt when listened to the song.

It is always hard to find fault in a music video where the idea behind it is to just have some fun. While there were many different scenes in the video, it was all about hanging out and have a good time. And the guys looked like they were having a fun time, while still shooting the music video. The views where they shot the choreography scenes were breathtaking. While I am sure there are people who would disagree about the aesthetics of the wind farms, I think a wide shot of them looks spectacular. The only thing that I felt that the video could have been better at was its colour. It could have been bolder and more vibrant. But that pale filter was applied, which robs the video of that boldness.

I have watched the performance a number of times since yesterday and I can say the introductory segment was amazing.  And while I thought the rest of the choreography suited the song, it just didn’t feel memorable.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 8/10

[Review] Dinosaur – AKMU

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AKMU has made an unexpected return with their Summer single, Dinosaur. AKMU previously made their comeback at the start of the year, with their second album and the title track, Last Goodbye.

For some unknown reason, I had always thought the duo would not go down the EDM route, like how every other group is doing so. To me, AKMU is more about individuality when it comes to their music. But I was wrong in my thoughts. While AKMU did go and conform to the EDM genre for this release, they kept their individuality and made it their own style. Even as an EDM song, they managed to strip the unnecessary synths and kept it very light. It was definitely refreshing and easy on the ears. The song itself is catchy and the build up to the drop was as simple as it needed to be. But what I loved the most was how they kept their well-known vocals pure and allowed it to shine through the instrumental. Many EDM tracks tend to smother the vocals into the background or lace the vocals with autotune to allow it to fit in with the rest of the song. But that didn’t happen here, which makes the song stand out to my ears.

This is another amazing video to watch. From what I can tell Chanhyuk is bullied due to his interests and Suhyun is a loner. The two are siblings and both use the power of their imagination to create a world for themselves, where dinosaurs and various different creatures exist. The dinosaur aspect was what Chanhyuk is obsessed about, while Suhyun’s mind created those fuzzy dust balls. This new world allows them to escape reality and have a little bit of fun without the judgement of others. The love how everything felt genuine when you watched the video. We already know their sibling love was real, so it makes the story behind the video even more real. I also got a little Stranger Things vibe from the music video, through the tent in the basement and the bikes that you see the siblings ride throughout the video. Even Suhyun was rocking a dress with a denim jacket, much like Eleven from the TV series.

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

[Review] Rain – KNK

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Dropping their comeback today is KNK, who returns with Rain. The group previously made their return with Sun, Moon, Star a few weeks back, which was the main track from their second single album, Gravity. Today, the group has dropped the repackaged issue of Gravity, which has been retitled as Gravity, Completed, which also serves as their 3rd mini album to date.

The track follows nicely from Sun, Moon, Star, in terms of style. They honestly could have returned with any style of the song of their choice, but they kept it consistent, which made me very happy. I think it is because you don’t hear this sound often anymore since the music industry has now been overrun with electronic synths and influences. I love the instrumental of the track. The use of the saxophone made the heavy instrumental feel a little lighter and gives it a more dynamic appeal. Like the name, I can see myself listening to this one a rainy day. The vocal work of this track is commendable, where each member shone brightly. Seungjun’s part right after the first chorus was my favourite. The verses could have been more memorable, as it was easily forgotten when it jumped to the chorus or when I watch the performance. What made me laugh (even though it was my fault) was that I misunderstood the English in the song. I honestly thought it said ‘I’ll cancel tonight’, which to me made sense. But when I watched the performance, the lyrics were actually ‘I can’t sleep tonight’. That’s my short story that bares no relevance to the review, but overall, it was one amazing song.

As suggested previously, how else to set this music video but with lots of rain. That’s exactly what happened here. It seems each member got into a breakup and the scenes show how they react to it. Some of them end up sulking, while the others end up running after. It is a pretty self-explanatory video and it does have a few KPOP cliches in it. For example, why is there a piano at the end of a tunnel and why do KPOP idols look so detached from the world when they cut themselves? But what I really liked was how each member had a dramatic contact with water, it was edited so they look like they fell into a large body of water. The editing there was amazing and it looked pretty cool. While it did feel like a cliche, I thought it add to the emotional vibes that were coming off from the song.

There were a few artists that made their comeback today. But what got me to write the review for this particular one first (over the others) was the choreography. I freaking love it. I love their use of the umbrellas to aid their transitions and it just perfectly clicks with the song’s style. The performance (from today) left me speechless and this could possibly take my vote for the best choreography of this year.

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

[Review] Hola Hola – KARD

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After 3 pre-debut singles, KARD has finally made their official debut in South Korea with their first mini album and title track, both titled as Hola Hola. Boasting singles such as Oh Na Na, Don’t Recall and Rumour, fans have been looking forward to the debut of the co-ed group for some time. They are currently under DSP Media and the group consists of BM, J.Seph, Jiwoon and Somin.

And like their pre-debut singles, Hola Hola continues on with the group’s notable tropical house sound. And like the name of the track, it curves their once serious tropical house sound into something that fits wonderfully into the Summer season, making it an ideal release for this time of the year. That complaint about their repetitive sound is out the door, with this fresh Summer sound. Out of all the songs released thus far, the vocal work and the rapping in this song from each member are on point. And their best effort yet. What threw me off guard was Jiwoo’s unexpecting rap, that sounds amazing. I love the incorporation of the ‘Oh Na Na‘ into the song, giving you flashbacks to their first single. But most importantly, my most favourite part was the bridge. It made the already catchy song, even more interesting. You can definitely expect me to continuously hit the replay button in the future.

Fitting that Summer sound was definitely the music video, which shows scenery that they shot while they were on tour overseas. For the most part, it was simply shots of them having fun on a nice sunny day. So there isn’t much to talk about. Their choreography shots look amazing. From the video, I think I can see a huge stage presence because their stares just captivated me, all the way through the video.

From what we can see are the incorporation of their key dance moves from Oh Na Na and Rumour. It is also said that Don’t Recall will also be incorporated but I haven’t seen it yet. That would genuinely make the dance interesting and I am already loving their key point for the Hola Hola dance as well.

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

[Review] That Girl – Jung Yonghwa (CN BLUE) ft. Loco

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After a 2 and a half year wait, Jung Yonghwa has finally made his solo comeback with That Girl. The main vocalist of CN BLUE previously made his solo debut in January 2015 with One Fine Day. That Girl is a track from the mini-album, Do Disturb, and the track itself features Loco, a well-known rapper and hip hop artist.

That Girl attracts similar comments to his solo debut tracks, Mileage and One Fine Day. While it doesn’t appeal to my personal tastes, what I did like about the song was the confidence that Yonghwa exerted via his lyrics and the vocalist’s vocals. The brighter sound compliments the catchy sound of the chorus and the melodies are pretty good. But besides all of that, the track just doesn’t seem to hook you in for long. Instead, the verses, which should have continued the momentum from the chorus ended up lacking that energy. Loco’s raps were a big no-no to my ears. It felt foreign and unexpected, which didn’t work with the rest of the track. Actually, his parts felt like a completely different song entirely. Although I only just listened to the track a few times (which means there is room to grow), I can’t stand his final remarks at the end of the song. It was 100% cringy and awkward to listen to. Overall, I guess you can categorise the song as ‘okay’ based on my comments.

The music video wasn’t too bad. I liked the colour and I thought the colour suited the atmosphere that the song had. The confidence, which I mentioned previously in the song part of this review, was portrayed nicely by Yonghwa throughout the video. It was totally evident once he entered the bar at the start of the video. But the side of Yonghwa that needed a little more confidence was Yonghwa in the choreography segments. Though I am not writing a section for the choreography, I can say that it looks pretty good. I know Yonghwa isn’t a dance idol but you could see it was very awkward for him to dance in the video and it made it awkward for us to watch. He starts off good, but that confidence or energy just disappears, which is disappointing. But overall, it was a good video to watch.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7/10 

[Review] Ko Ko Bop – EXO

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EXO has made their return to the stage with their brand new fourth album, titled as The War. The main title track for the album is Ko Ko Bop. Unfortunately, Lay was unable to participate in the album due to his schedule in China, hence why he is missing from the promotional activities. This album alone has already broken a record, prior to the release of the album, proving to everyone the group’s popularity and fandom’s dedication.

The song was disappointing at first glance. A number of listens later and the same perception still holds. I am not exactly into the reggae style that they went with, but I am not turned off by it, as well. It gave the song its unique side. There were some catchy moments, but I don’t think there was enough to make me fall for the song immediately. While the breakdown did make the track interesting to an extent, it just didn’t work with the rest of the track. Their vocals don’t seem that great this time around, which was a disappointment. I was expecting some sort of intensity from the members, but the energy felt very lacking. I know it was a more chilled song, but that doesn’t mean the energy has to be low. The only member I felt did a good job was Chanyeol, whose rap suited the song. I may not have enjoyed Lotto, but this does make Lotto seem like a decent song.

I feel like the music video would raise a few eyebrows. Not referring to the abs or the chest exposure, though, which I am sure would have fans replaying the video purely for observation purposes. But how the video seems to allude to some ways of ‘having a good time’. I am referring to how some of the members look a little stoned. I honestly hope that I am looking at the video is a completely wrong way, but that is what I am getting from it. I say that because of the perception of drugs in South Korea is extremely looked down upon. Personally, I thought the video was could have been better. The guys displayed a carefree and hippy-like image, which I thought was okay. When I look at other EXO videos, I do see more flashy or intense concepts, so this seemed like a step back, though they may not be a bad thing. It seemed fitting for the song, but I am not sure if it is a concept that suits the members. Not a major fan of some of their outfits or hairstyles, as well.

Although we only saw glimpses of the choreography, I think I can say it is quite good. I will return to this part once a stage performance has been uploaded. And while I did not like the breakdown music wise, the accompanying dance for it looked amazing. It calls for some intensity and I think the parts I saw brought just that.

Song – 5/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 6/10

 

[Album Review] Flight Log: Departure (5th Mini Album) – GOT7

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GOT7 and JYP Entertainment recently announced that their subunit JJ Project will be making their return and over the weekend, it has been confirmed for the 31st of July. While it does make a little more sense to revisit JJ Project’s first release, I decided to go with GOT7’s Flight Log: Departure mini album, which was released in March of 2016. It went on to win the Album of the Year (for the First Quarter) at the GAON Chart Music Awards.

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Flight Log: Departure Album Cover

1..Fly (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of Fly (8/10)

2. Can’t (못하겠어) – This song showcases their vocals quite nicely. All the members sounded crisp and clear as a whistle in the track, applicable to both the vocals and raps, which I liked. The instrumental of this track was easy to the ears. It is relatively quiet with the drum, violins and horns added to give it some character. It was easy to get into but very difficult to get out of your head once you are in. (9/10)

3. See The Light (빛이나) – See The Light has a nice mellow sound, which contrasts nicely with the rest of the tracks. Like the previous song, this one also shows off the abilities of each member. It was the slowest song on the album, but it still had a level of energy to allow it to fit in with the other tracks. If I were to describe the song in my own terms, it is the type where you sway along with its sound, soothing and very calming. (9/10)

4. FISH – Yes, let’s take this small moment to acknowledge the title of the track. How odd. But let’s move back to the content of the song. I personally liked the song. However, there were things that made it awkward. The first verse felt very quiet, in comparison to the rest of the song. JB and Youngjae give it the needed energy through their explosive vocals, which did kick start the experience for the rest of the song. Everything else felt just right, just exclude the chorus. It wasn’t necessarily bad, I just thought a better drop and some sort of melody could have given a more polished feel to the song. (7/10)

5. REWIND – From the get-go, the song blew me away. Parts of the music reminded me of the bands back in the late 90s, such as N.Sync and Back Street Boys. But there was a modern twist, in the form of that epic breakdown. Their vocals and raps were shown off nicely, as well. It was super addictive and catchy, giving me more reasons to return to the track every now and then. (10/10)

6. Beggin On My Knees – Out of all the songs, this one felt like it had the most energy and it did not fail one bit with that aspect.  It had a bright atmosphere, which I thought made it a unique track on this album. What makes it an even more unique track is the lyrics tell a completely different story, which completely contradicts the bright atmosphere. This track provided a knockout with the combination of the instrumental, raps and vocals. (10/10)

7. Something Good – Like the name suggests, the track gives off a feeling that you could describe as ‘Something Good’. That was my bad attempt at making a pun. It has a very smooth sound, which I like. You can imagine yourself in a cafe or bookshop, listening to the song. Their vocals/raps were nice but it wasn’t the standout example on the album. (8/10)

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Home Run Single Cover

8. Home Run – Click here to read the full review for Home Run (8/10)

Overall Album Review – 8.5/10

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Flight Log: Departure Teaser Image

[Review] Jelly – HOTSHOT

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After over two years, HOTSHOT has finally returned with their latest single, Jelly. The group made their debut in 2014 with Take A Shot. They were fairly busy in 2015 with multiple releases but has been absent from the scene since then. The group resurfaced this year with two members participating in Produce 101 Season 2, to which member Sungwoon ranked in 11th place and made it into Wanna One. Hence, the current line-up promoting Jelly is Junhyuk, Timoteo, Kid Monster, Yoonsan and Hojung.

Given the title of the song, I did not expect the song to take the route in which it did. You would associate Jelly with a vibrant and sweeter sound, like the desert itself. However, the song felt quite the opposite. It was definitely a lot more serious and it felt monotone. But this is the one time that the monotone nature did work in the songs favour. The dance instrumental felt very neutral throughout, which brought small bursts of colour to the song, which I thought was a really strong aspect of the song. That small ‘jelly’ break before the chorus starts really gives a moment of suspense, before the chorus starts, which actually does grow on you. After a few listens, I noticed tension in the song, which makes each replay, even more, better than the previous. I would like to say more about the song, but my comments are mainly centred around the instrumental and the overall sound. The member’s vocals and raps felt very neutral. It fitted the instrumental, making it into a good track, but they could have added or done something to the vocals/raps to transform the song into something even better.

I will be honest about the video. It was boring. There were aspects of the video which I liked but I don’t think there was enough to carry the video. The darkness matched the tension which I mentioned earlier. The choreography scenes were quite good. Their close-ups were the boring parts. They did their bit but I am quite sure they could have boosted in some way. The ‘Jelly‘ cut-ins looked good, but for some reason, they make me giggle every time I watch the video.

Like the music video, the choreography could have been better. The dance can already be described as quite good. The sharpness was there, the charisma was also present. The dance just felt sluggish in some parts and lacked energy in other.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 5/10
Performance – 6.5/10
Overall Rating – 7/10

[Review] Kiss Me – WJSN (Cosmic Girls)

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WJSN (Cosmic Girls) has made a surprise to the music scene, just weeks after the end of their promotions for Happy. The new single, titled as Kiss Me, continues on with their Summer sound. The music video itself is also an advertisement for Kiss Me Cosmetics.

I usually do not review songs that come under the advertisement realm. Not that I am against it, but rather I find some of the songs very cheesy. That being said, there are always exceptions and this song is obviously an exception (hence, I am writing this review). Over the entire song, there were many aspects of the song that felt very standard. Their vocals were good, but not amazing. The instrumental gave off a cute and Summery atmosphere, but it wasn’t different in any way from a standard Summer song. But it stands out for different reasons. The cute and sweet sound is a little different from their usual portfolio of songs. Kiss Me felt very warm and lively. The chorus itself felt very catchy. While it was standard in nature, it could have been easily passed as a normal track on their albums. It didn’t necessarily feel like an advertisement. The ‘Kiss Me‘ brand was used in a non-obnoxious way, which I thought was pretty nice.

Once again, there were no obnoxious product placements in the video, which is something that I thoroughly enjoyed. While the cosmetics did get a small section in the video, it felt like a small detail. Hence, I find the music video similar to the song, in a way, it could have been passed a Summer music video. And there was a plot line in the video, which made it more interesting. First of all, the guy in the water park takes notice in one of the members (don’t know the names, my apologies). The girls each take notice in the same guy, but they don’t know that until they share the pictures. Then they start to compete (my assumption) to get his attention. In the end, the guy finds the girl he was after. Okay, maybe it wasn’t an overly interesting plot-line. But when I watched it, it did not feel like a music video centred over a brand. There was some choreography to the video, but I think it would be considered a minor aspect of the video, hence it won’t get its dedicated part. But it looked very simple and feminine, which goes well with the song.

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

[Review] Why, You? – Park Boram

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Park Boram has returned with a brand new single, Why, You? and second mini-album, Orange Moon. The title track also features Samuel Seo, a well-known producer and rapper. Park Boram last release was Dynamic Love, which was released in April of last year.

I am going to be brutally honest. The song was boring. I hate to start off by saying that but it was the most pressing thing that I felt about the song. It doesn’t help that I am writing this review while being extremely tired. I felt the jazzy instrumental contributed to the blandness of the song.  But it as if the producer of the track felt the same thing. That short insert after the chorus to change up the song a bit provided much-needed relief but due to its limited nature, its effect was very limited. That being said, the change up was pretty good. It did make it somewhat interesting for a second. Furthermore, her vocals were pretty good in this song. It was such a pity that it felt slow and sluggish. Once the chorus was reached, the song did get a little better, with the addition of the backing vocals. Samuel Seo’s rap sounded pretty good and suited the song without going over the top. But while I do make small praises here and there, the same initial comments still hold.

Right off the bat, the aesthetics of this music video made it look amazing. It made me so happy. Throw in the magnified sounds of watering the plants, stirring coffee, squeezing the oranges,  and I am thoroughly impressed by the music video’s quality. Not a big fan of the extra effects that are added on, but they did add to the aesthetics. While I was disappointed by the song, I thought the video was excellent.

The performance felt slow and sluggish, much like the song. While there is choreography, it felt like there was not much going on, on the stage. Given the genre, that was given. You can’t have a flashy choreography with a slow song, without going over the top. But with this song, the choreography made the song feel lacking and empty.

Song – 4/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 4/10
Overall Rating – 5.5/10

[Review] Anti – Zico (Block B) ft. G.Soul

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Yesterday, I wrote my review for Zico’s other recent song, Artist. After finishing off my review, I found out that Zico also released Anti‘s music video. I decided to write a separate review for Anti because the music video seemed like something that is worth talking about and it was a little late for me to make it a double review. So, while it is a day late, here is my review for Anti.

Anti, first glance, sounded like a great song and it gets better as you listen to more of it. I personally think the instrumental was pretty good. Firstly, it suited Zico’s rap and G.Soul’s vocals. It did feel a little lacking at times, but for the most part, I thought otherwise. I like it how the instrumental changes up slightly as the song went on, by adding an extra element to the instrumental. It keeps it from getting boring. Zico’s raps felt very dead at the start, but as it progressed you could feel some energy flowing from his lines. If I had felt that energy from the start (or earlier in the song), I think I would have liked the song even more. G.Soul’s vocals were perfect for this song, with the chorus being the main highlight of the song. There were two things that irked me though. The first was the pronunciation of the word ‘Anti‘. It sounded more like ‘Auntie‘, which would have been a completely different song. Secondly, it was the abrupt ending that felt like an edge of the cliff. It doesn’t do it for me. But overall, still a great song!

When I said the video seemed decent, it looked amazing. Definitely got the mysterious and eerie vibes in which the video was presented from the very start. The two ladies standing on the road reminded me of American Horror Story latest season. Zico seemed to be shot in the video and he is shown to travel to hell (hence the burning room) or heaven (which I think was the toilet seat scenes). The video halts before G.Soul comes in to replace Zico. I think, in the end, he was just watching a film on the television, which he ends up turning off. And the ending serves as the start of the Artist video. It is a very confusing video but it has great aesthetics and suited the song quite nicely.

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

[Album Review] The Red Summer (Special Summer Album) – Red Velvet

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The Summer is already in full swing and Red Velvet has emerged with their latest release to help fans cool down and put some Red into the atmosphere. Following their mini-album review at the start of the year, Red Velvet becomes the first artist to get a second album review from me. So before we sweat all the water out of ourselves, let’s move on.

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The Red Summer Album Cover

1..Red Flavour (빨간 맛) (Title Track) – Click here to view the full review of Red Flavour (9.5/10)

2. You Better Know – I love this track. Besides the title track, I felt like this was the best track on the album. You Better Know is an EDM track that has a great instrumental. Sure, it may have sounded typical in the realm of EDM, but it did its job at delivering the Summer feel to the ears of the listener. The chorus was catchy and the beat drop felt like a burst of bright energy. When the girls sang together, they sounded spectacular and when they sang on their own, they sounded amazing. (10/10)

3. Zoo – Following the EDM sound is the tropical house song, Zoo. Like what the name suggests, the song incorporates sounds you would associate with zoos, for example, animal sounds. The chorus is a little awkward with its delivery. It is short and sweet, but the way they end their lines seemed a little out there. I did like the rest of their vocals throughout the song. Just the rap didn’t sound that great and it could have been tied better to the rest of the song (7/10)

4. Mojito (여름빛) – Mojito feels like a song that you would expect to find from an F(x) album. The song is slower, compared to the previous songs, but it still a strong track in its own way. It felt refreshing and very calming. Their chorus here is amazing and it becomes better when they sing together. It may not have the hype factor, which drove me to like their title track and You Know Better. But it definitely has enough to make it a song to listen to after a long day. (9/10)

5. Hear The Sea (바다가 들려) – The track throws you back to their One Of These Nights. Sadly, the same can be said regarding both songs. The style isn’t my cup of tea. But the song is boring and painfully slow at times. Their harmonies during the chorus are the only thing that I like regarding the song, which does make it feel disappointing. (5/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8/10

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The Red Summer Teaser Image (Source: ALLKPOP)

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