Category: KPOP

[Album Review] Can You Feel It? (9th Mini Album) – HIGHLIGHT

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HIGHLIGHT, formerly known as Beast, have rebranded themselves and returned to the stage with their latest mini album. The group, unfortunately, could not carry over their original group name after leaving the company, as Cube Entertainment had owned the name. Hence, why a new name was needed. And now the group has returned with a smashing new mini album, titled as Can You Feel It?.

 

Can You Feel It? Album Cover

 

1..Plz Don’t Be Sad (얼굴 찌푸리지 말아요) (title track) – Click here to view the full review for Plz Don’t Be Sad. (8/10)

2. It’s Still Beautiful (아름답다) (pre-release track) – While I probably will not get around to writing a full review for it, I will go on about how nice this track is. Beast tends to ‘pre-release’ a ballad track before dropping their album, which is what they have done here. And what they have given us is quite beautiful. The soft instrumental doesn’t steal the show. Instead, their vocals that give the song that striking sound, which made me fall in love. Each member sings in this song, further proving the extent of their talents. My only complaint is as the song approaches the end, you expect it to ease out. But instead, it ends quite suddenly, which does catch me off guard. But “It’s Still (a) Beautiful” song. (9/10)

3. The Beginning (시작) – This is the second ballad off the tracklist. It has a more subtle cafe and elevator music vibe to it. Out of all the tracks, I don’t really find it appealing. But that is just my personal preference. Like the other tracks, this is a really good track by itself. The little “twinkle” sounds from the piano does give it a nice touch and of course, the members show off their vocals here as well, but not as much their other tracks on the rest of the album. (7.5/10)

4. Dangerous (위험해) – This is the third ballad-like song on the album. And out of the three, it is probably the best. I freaking love it. The chorus is really damn catchy. It is a beautiful song to just sit down, sway along and lipsync along with it. The chorus, alongside the verses, give the song a very dramatic and serious feel. Junhyung’s raps top the song off very nicely, as well. It doesn’t seem to fit, but it works wonderfully with the rest of the song. This song does show off their vocals as well, but in its own way.  (10/10)

5. Can You Feel It? –  Given the trend, you expect them to finish off with another ballad. But instead, a dance track closes the mini album. As soon as I heard the song, it felt just right. It has everything you expect in a party-themed song. It’s catchy and addictive. And it has a sick beat that is bound to get you in the mood for a little bouncing or dancing. I revisit the entire mini-album just for this one track. Likewise, I feel like their vocals and raps are shown off, but in a more appropriate way that suits this song. (10/10)

Overall Album Rating – 9/10

 

Can You Feel It? Group Teaser Image

 

[Review] Wee Woo – PRISTIN

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PRISTIN is the newest addition to the industry. The 10-member girl group comes from Pledis Entertainment, which currently houses After School, NU’EST and Seventeen. They were formed last year under the name of Pledis Girlz and have only just officially debuted this year. Some of the girls participated in Produce 101, with Nayoung and Kyulkyung performing as part of I.O.I until their disbandment earlier this year. The other members includes Roa, Yuha, Eunwoo, Rena, Yehana, Sungyeon, Xiyeon and Kyla.

Wee Woo is a very relaxed track, and the girls bring a different energy to it.  It definitely has a unique sound. The song starts off pretty bland, but that buildup when a rap sequence randomly appeared, followed by some pretty good vocals, was actually pretty impressive. The chorus was probably the best part of the song, but it needed a better drop. The buildup was so good, but the chorus just left the buildup hanging there. The chorus had a nice catchy vibe to it, giving the song more energy. The brass in the disco influenced instrumental also stood out for me. The song was overall quite cool and chilled. Usually, girl groups go all out with their cute sounds, but PRISTIN did an excellent job at holding it back and at the same time, gave themselves a sound rarely heard of (if not unique) in KPOP. And I personally think the track sounds good because of it. But there is the other side of the song, where I am just disappointed by it.  The verses could have been a lot better. While I could describe the rest of the song with ‘having colour’, the verses seemed to be very grey and dull. Same could be said about the bridge as well. Some of the members sounded quite good, while some of the members just didn’t sound good enough. Overall, I am torn about the song. There is potential for the song, but it needs some sort of improvement. It is a solid song for a debut. It does put them on the map, but it needs to be followed up with a really addictive song.

The music video goes for a bright and fun concept. The girls are students at a school, and they have random encounters with a force (assumed to be the guy they are singing about). While the individual scenes look cool, I don’t really see a storyline within them. Nor is there a connection between the song and the video. But it is still interesting to watch. Water and soft drink explosions; flying cards; levitating hair etc. are just some of the weird and wacky experiences. But what I like more are some of the group scenes. I love the “Wee Woo” part after the first chorus, where a few members at a time, slide into the frame and pose for the camera. It actually looked cool and probably was the most memorable part of the video. Overall, great video.

The dance routine for this song didn’t receive that much attention from me. When I did watch the performance, I just simply stared at them. They are all very pretty. But the dancing just didn’t appeal to me. Probably the most memorable part was the ending of the song, where they look like they are about to pass out or avoid some sort of glare (assumed to be the guy they are singing about). (I know, my descriptions are sometimes shocking. I have no other way to explain the dance move above).

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 5/10
Overall Rating – 6.5/10

 

 

[Review] Beautiful – Monsta X

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Monsta X has returned with their third part of their trilogy. For those who don’t remember, the group made their comeback with the first part of the trilogy, All In, in May 2016. Fast forwarding to October 2016, they released the second part of the trilogy, Fighter. Now, they are officially back with Beautiful, the title track off their latest and first studio album, The Clan Pt. 2.5: The Final Chapter.

Another great song released this week. Monsta X follows their consistent sound and delves back into the world of EDM. It’s a fierce track that doesn’t hold back in anyway. The distorted introduction sounds very catching, and it then throws the listener into a more stable yet powerful rap sequence. The song slows down for a brief second and then builds up (in a matter of seconds) to the really addictive chorus. An instrumental break follows the chorus, giving us a break from the insanity that they just made us go through. What makes this song stand out is that chorus. I loved Jooheon and I.M’s rap, which provided the intensity needed but I personally loved the chorus more. As I said, it’s really addictive and catchy. You expect it to be overlaced with the EDM sounds (given the start and the verses). But instead, the vocals shine quite nicely throughout, and they weren’t overshadowed by a ‘loud’ and obnoxious chorus. Thr bridge is also quite interesting. Not their best part of the song, mainly because it did feel a little empty without the rappers and their own added intensity. But it is the first bridge of a dance song that I have noticed is made up of only vocals in a very long time. It isn’t unheard of, but the bridge is usually the safe-haven for producers to slide in a misplaced or (sometimes) unneeded rap sequence. Here, they swapped things around and made it sound more grabbing, which is amazing. As mentioned, everything in the song sounded fantastic. I did post in my review yesterday that I would recommend CN Blue’s latest song to any new listeners. And I will gladly do the same with Monsta X’s newest song.

When it comes to the music videos of this particular trilogy, I am a little confused. Personally, I see very little connection between this video and their previous two videos. I am absolutely certain that with each video, they are all somehow connected with each other, but I am really bad at picking out those connections. The only thing that I see as a running theme is the blue flowers used throughout the trilogy.  Besides that, I don’t have anything (Please help and explain on is happening in the videos for other readers and myself in the comment section below). But the video is quite nice to watch. It is quite aesthetic with each member’s individual scenes. The lighting shines on the members in a different way that I have never seen before in music videos. It makes them almost shine, which looks quite cool. What is more impressive is the choreography scenes. I really like the zoomed out perspective, where it made the platform and the members on it look small. As we zoom in, it looks massive and entirely different. A significant portion of the music video is dedicated to the choreography, so it only makes sense to move onto that aspect of the comeback. Overall, the video is worth watching, but connections aren’t that apparent to me (yet).

Guess who is a mega fan of the dance? I liked everything about the dance. But I want to skip to the end of the song. My favourite part has to be the one in the gif below. I don’t know why, but it made my jaw drop. It looked cool and tough (but in a subtle way). It impressed me and will forever be engraved into my mind. And it is the one part that I will keep on (and have been) going back to in every performance.

Song – 9.5/10
Music Video – 8/10 
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9/10

[Review] Between Us – CN BLUE

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CNBLUE has returned with their 7th mini album, 7°CN. This is their first comeback to the Korean stage since You’re So Fine, back in April of last year. Since then, the group had another (5th to date) concert tour and released more songs in Japan.

This song is amazing. Am I too straightforward? At first, it sounded a little awkward to me. CNBLUE is a band and for the longest time focused on more traditional instrumentals when it comes to bands (such as guitars, drums, keyboards, pianos and vocals). But the chorus this time is dominated by synths and electronic sounds. This isn’t the first time the band has gone for this style, but it is done wonderfully in this song. It keeps true to the band’s roots and the rock sound that I yearn to hear from CN Blue each time they come back, something that was missing from their last comeback. The chorus is made to headbang along with, something that I have been doing when the song pops up on my playlists or as the next automatically played video on YouTube. Per usual, the song is dominated by Yonghwa’s vocals, with a small distribution going to Jonghyun. I am a little disappointed because it has been a while since we have heard Minhyuk or Jungshin in their title tracks. But this song suits Yonghwa and Jonghyun’s vocals very much. There is a big difference between their singing abilities, but in this song, both voices worked well with each other. Everything was really catchy and addictive. And I mean everything (vocals, beat, instrumental). It’s a really good track and is a track that I would be willing to recommend to new listeners of KPOP.

The music video was interestingly shot. I personally thought it was a cool video to watch. There isn’t much to it. For the most part, especially, the chorus focused on the band. The camera circled the band, who were playing the instruments. It complimented the more upbeat and faster tempo of the song at that point. The verses slowed down a bit and showed more of the individual members. They spoke on the phone to their lovers. They used a flip phone and a brick (for those who do not get the term ‘brick’, it refers to the old mobile phones that resembled the shape and weight of a brick) for those scenes and Jonghyun was featured in a phone booth. Next, you would tell me this video was shot 10 years ago. There was a lack of colour, but that didn’t ruin the video. Instead, it had other effects on the video. Either the scenes were presented using a black and white filter; or while filming, they directed quite a bit of light to focus only on one area. It looked stylish and focused the attention of the viewer at one spot, where the member(s) were in the scene. I just was not into the overlaps of scenes and images (see feature image above). It made it look too messy. The idea behind them was nice, but it just looked messy. Overall, the video fits the song perfectly and vice versa.

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

 

[Review] Plz Don’t Be Sad – HIGHLIGHT

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A new boy group is here to grace the stage. Well, they aren’t that new. Highlight is actually Beast. But since Beast did not resign their contract with their former company, Cube Entertainment (who also trademarked the name Beast or B2ST), the guys had to find a new company and a new name for themselves. Hence, the guys went on to form About Us Entertainment and named themselves Highlight, after one of their previous songs. This is the team’s first comeback since last year’s Ribbon.

The song is actually quite good. I think of the main concerns was what direction would the group go in, since they have essentially been given a new chance to restart. I personally would have loved to see them continue with their previous styles. But given this song, fans don’t need to worry too much. It is a song that sounds fun. It was a bit foreign, but it puts smiles on my face (since the song is about turning the frown upside down). The vocals are quite good and Junhyung’s rap is up to par with any other work he has done so far. The introduction (woooaaahh, woooaaahh) and chorus sounded spectacular. The instrumental is a little more on the traditional side of KPOP but in combination with their vocals/raps, it felt fresh and new. I don’t think there is anything that pulls the song down. It just a side to their musical side that I am trying to get used to. Given their current success on the charts, this song is bound to stay relevant for quite a while and if that is the case, I’ll probably fall in love with the song (like any other Beast song) very quickly.

Judging the song, we can kind of assume that they went with a more bright concept. A concept that isn’t really done by Beast. And while they nail channelling the sound into the video, I don’t really find the video impressive. To be honest, what they have done suits the song quite nicely. I cannot think of another way to produce a video to match the song, an important aspect of all videos that I consider. I don’t expect much usually, but when you have watched a video numerous times (because it is Highlight) and don’t really remember much from it, it sends a message. Sure, they have a few comedic moments. But they did have enough to make me laugh or even chuckle. You can just tell they were there to given the video a more lightened up feel. Furthermore, the video seems like a step back. It does have a rookie feel to it as if the members are rebuilding their presence from the very bottom. I would have liked it if they went with a vibrant concept that manages to carry over the same Beast feel.

The dance is actually quite enjoyable. While it is quite simple and not as impressive as their past choreographies, it manages to work well with the song. I really liked the chorus and the different hand movements they do, especially when they are singing about the sad faces. There is no actual live stage (from what I see) yet, but I have a feeling I am going to like the performances even more when those stages are released (starting tonight).

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8/10

[Review] Yeah – BLANC7

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BLANC7 are the new kids on the block. They recently made their debut (3rd of March) and are under Jackpot Entertainment. The group is made up of Shinwoo, JeanPaul, Teno, D.L, SPAX, K-KID and Taichi. The group’s debut mini album, titled as Prism features their title track, Yeah. Interestingly, JeanPaul is actually a former member of BTL (which was a group that debut back in 2014 and disbanded when their company closed down in 2016).

BLANC7 went for an EDM-based song for their debut track. And that seems to be the direction the entire industry moving towards the electronic genre. The song starts off quite nicely with a classy vibe (which ended fitting their concept and music video). They then launched into the trap based instrumental. The heavy repeating beat gives off the impression that the song doesn’t have a proper backing. There are softer electronic sounds that sound like they float on top of everything, but the heavy beat gives the song some depth. The chorus adds more elements to the existing beat and with the combination of the “I’m just wanna yeah, yeah, yeah” vocals, it sounds quite nice. The post-chorus keeps the song interesting by adding a different instrumental track. For the bridge, they mix the post-chorus with the rap. And while it manages to do the job, there wasn’t really balanced, and it sounded messy. More me personally, I didn’t like the post-chorus instrumentals. I preferred the clean and much smoother sound the rest of the song. Another thing is that I do find the song lacking. Their vocals seem to just float on top of the music, rather than work with the music. The song lacks the connection between the music and the singing. It doesn’t make the song sound bad or terrible, though. It is still a solid song for a debut.

The music video could have done without the slow motion scenes. They felt highly unnecessary and dulled the already dull looking video. The filter really drained the energy from the song. Combined the two together and you get at pretty boring video. Let’s move along to some positives of the video. It is made up of choreography scenes, which did look pretty good (more on that later). The moving lights and fixed light fixtures as their background looked pretty cool. This is another prime example of a lower budget music video made to look more expensive than what it costed to make. And it looked successful, in my point of view. The overall simplicity of the video made the guys (in their suits) stand out more. 

The dance looked quite cool. While their moves are not groundbreaking, what they have presented in their routine is impressive. Probably the best part was the second pre-chorus section. That made me go wow, for a moment. Judging from this, the guys have great potential in the future. 

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 7.5/10

[Weekly Chart] 3rd Week of March 2017

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Those assignments I said I was going to do at the end of the last weekly chart. They are just sitting there. But I am not gonna sit and stare at them. I just have a few tests in the upcoming weeks, so I am busy preparing for those. Don’t fret, because I will still put out reviews and weekly charts (like this one). I have just planned my way around the dates. Certain days where I don’t post anything (minus Tuesdays) will mean that I have a test the next day!! Hopefully, this won’t affect my scheduling for reviews. But we will see!!

The top 3 this week is made up GFriend and Brave Girls (who we all remember from last week!!) at 3rd and 2nd place, respectively. However, this week, we saw GOT7 make their debut on the charts with their latest song, Never Ever, taking out the number one spot while they were at it. Rounding out the top 5 are DAY6 with their latest monthly release and K.A.R.D (they dropped down to #13, but have risen again).

Next week is going to be an extremely busy week. I have a lot of work to do, and it seems like KPOP will be having a lot of releases next week. Highlight, CN Blue, Monsta X, IU and Pristin. And that is just Monday and Tuesday. Looking forward to the music (and dreading the university workload).

Here is a legend to help you understand the chart’s status column below:
Green (↑)  – Song has gone up in ranking
Red (↓) – Song has gone down in ranking
Blue (=) – Song has remained in the same position as the previous week
Orange (new) – Song debuts on the chart
Grey (Final Week) – Song appears on the chart for its final week.

12th Mar – 18th Mar 2017
Title Artist Status
1 Never Ever GOT7 (new)
2 Rollin Brave Girls (↑ 1)
3 Fingertips Gfriend (↓ 2)
4 How Can I Say DAY6 (↑ 5)
5 Don’t Recall K.A.R.D (↑ 8)
6 A Girl Like Me Gugudan (↓ 1)
7 Movie BTOB (↓ 5)
8 Wake Me Up B.A.P (↓ 4)
9 WoW! Lovelyz (↓ 2)
10 Knock Knock Twice (↓ 4)
11 Not Today BTS (=)
12 Without U Romeo (↑ 30)
13 You Were Beautiful DAY6 (↑ 2)
14 Spring Day BTS (↑ 2)
15 I Got Love Taeyeon (SNSD) (↓ 3)
16 Eyez Eyez VICTON (↓ 8)
17 Chase Me Dream Catcher (↑ 3) (Final Week)
18 Pick Me Produce 101 Season 2 (new)
19 Roar SF9 (↑ 2)
20 Yeah BLANC7 (new)
21 Fine Taeyeon (SNSD) (↓ 4)
22 Strange MASC (↑ 4)
23 Rookie Red Velvet (↓ 13)
24 My First & Last NCT Dream (↓ 6)
25 Kiss On The Lips MelodyDay (↓ 1)
26 Someday BTOB (↓ 3)
27 Circle’s Nest Subin (Dal Shabet) (↑ 21)
28 Sketch U 100% (↓ 6)
29 Hobglobin CLC (↓ 15) (Final Week)
30 1.2.3 B.I.G (↑ 1)

Songs leaving the chart this week (and will not appear starting next week):

Title Artist Peak Position No. Of weeks in Top 30 Final Week’s Position
Chase Me Dream Catcher 2 9 17
Love Affair Niel (Teen Top) 4 5 39
Hobglobin CLC 1 (x2) 8 29
Don’t Say No Seohyun (SNSD) 1 7 43
Pretend Suzy (Miss A) 20 2 46
Downpour I.O.I 6 5 44
The Best Present Rain 22 2 N/A

N/A – the song did not chart during its final week

Hopefully, I will start on my assignments this week. “Hopefully”. But nonetheless, I wish you all have an amazing week, of course! Come back next week for next week’s chart. In the mean time, scroll down a little further and check out the top reviews (click on those pictures) or the links for the latest reviews!

[Review] Without U – Romeo

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“Romeo is back ~” (if you guys don’t get it, it is the opening for this song).  Totally the right line to use to open this review. This is Romeo’s 4th mini album to date, which is titled as Without U, as well. While Romeo is a lesser known KPOP group,  it usually takes one song to thrust them into the spotlight and Miro is just that song. Miro was released back in June last year (I only reviewed them in December). However, it was not their latest release (before this comeback), as they later returned in August with Treasure.

If you want your pure KPOP fix, this song probably has it all. The first time I ever listened to this song, it reminded me of the bright and vibrant times for boy groups. It has the exact same feel. While I do prefer boy groups with a more tough and dark sound/concepts, it is always nice to have some music that is lighter in sound. It captures the similar song style that the boys have done before. That being said, the song doesn’t necessary show a new side to them, music wise. The instrumental was quite good (love the whistles)  during the chorus)and the chorus was probably the best part of the song. The verses felt a little dry and typical. While the vocals suit the song quite nicely, the rapper felt more suited for that tougher and darker sound. But while I do find some flaws in the song (here comes my hypocritical moment), I actually enjoyed listening to the song. Why? Well, my exact reasons were written at the start of this paragraph. It is a familiar sound that sounds, which is nice once in a while. Actually no, it is much needed, especially after listening and reviewing to all the songs recently released.

The music video is your typical KPOP video. While there is a plot this time around (well, a more understandable one), it is pretty generic. The main couple has a little awkward tension between them. I am a little confused on how they manage to get back together, though. Like he participates in a dance battle and she liked his dancing… So, now what? That ending scene where they just stand there and awkwardly look at each other doesn’t help. Anyway, let’s talk more about the video. The acting of the people in the background looked out of it and they made me cringe a bit. The black and white filter was used to make things look a little edgier and while it did have that effect, the song just didn’t suit it as much. Overall, the video felt generic and bland. I don’t think there is any other way to put it.

I think the video would have been better with just choreography scenes. It is honestly a pretty cool dance, but quite forgettable. Every time I watch the performances, I don’t really remember much at the end. The start (where there are whistles) looks pretty intense, but it does show off their skills and potential. It may not be memorable, but the dance does the job and suits the song quite nicely.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 4/10
Performance – 6/10
Overall Rating  – 6/10 

[Album Review] Flight Log: Arrival (6th Mini Album) – GOT7

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GOT7 has returned with the final album in their Flight Log series. The group first released Flight Log: Flight and the title track Fly back in early 2016. They later made their comeback with Hard Carry, as part of Flight Log: Turbulence in September 2016. Now, they are back with Flight Log: Arrival and their latest title track, Never Ever, which is linked below.

Flight Log: Arrival – Album Cover

1..Never Ever (title track) – Click here to see my review for Never Ever (7.25/10)

2. Shopping Mall – Song titles tend to confuse me. This one may be the most random one, but yet it somehow manages to get tied to a standard song theme. Shopping Mall is a bland track that didn’t capture my attention. The opening of the song is pretty good (it was the only memorable part of the song or the only thing that I remembered about the song) but the rest of the song seemed lackluster. The track itself is a typical pop track. The vocals and raps seem okay. But as I said, there isn’t much in the song. (4/10)

3. Paradise – Paradise’s instrumental caught my attention, something the previous song didn’t do. It is another instrumental that is right up my alley. At first, when I heard the song, I thought it sounded pretty generic, especially the vocals. However, after multiple listens, I think I can say that the song is growing on me. The vocals do sound quite good, and the raps seem quite smooth. The chorus was quite catchy, with the repetition of “Paradise” and the instrumental in the background. It isn’t flashy and is more on the simple side, but that won’t mean it would be a weaker song. (6/10)

4. Sign – It is one of the slower songs on the mini album. From the outside, you may think that I would find this song on more of the dull side. And I probably would have thought the same thing.  But I actually like this song. It is an interesting mix that works pretty well. It reminds me of RnB almost. The instrumental uses synths and electronic sounds, but it a much slower manner. The vocals worked wonderfully and do show off their vocal abilities. Youngjae’s extra loud vocals during the bridge gave the song an extra push forward, which was much appreciated because if it weren’t there,  then the song would have fallen into the generic category as well. (7/10)

5. Go Higher – Go Higher is the party anthem of the mini album. The song reminded me of DJ Got Us Falling In Love (I know, quite random). But then it clicked because I associate DJ Got Us Falling In Love with parties. (Yep, I have a social life. Also, it is a song that is played at a majority of the parties that I go to). And it is one of the few songs that I know the lyrics off by heart). To get the full effect of the song, you need to have the volume up high and throw in a little more bass! It sounds amazing. The vocals/raps are not hidden by the instrumental. But I would have liked the instrumental track to have more of an intense and powerful punch to get everything going. Talking about the instrumental, it is an odd mash between different EDM sounds, but they all manage to work altogether. (7.5/10)

6. Q – This is probably the fluffiest track of all from GOT7. It has a cute sound to it, which isn’t something that GOT7 would often do. And surprisingly, I like it. Maybe it is because it compliments the vocals of some members. That harmony for the “I just want a cue” with all the vocalists (JB, Jinyoung, Youngjae and Yugeom) was probably the highlight of the song. Mark’s rap was also quite good here. I also have a confession to make, but as I was listening to the song on the bus today, I was trying to decipher what Q meant. For a while, I thought it was a cute sounding song, but the guys were singing “I just was to kill.” Thank God, I did some research once I got home. Or else things would have been a little embarrassing. (8/10)

7. Don’t Care (양심없이) – Annoying instrumental, if I have to be honest. But the vocals and the raps sound pretty good. The way they sing just seem to roll along and make everything feel so smooth. Surprisingly, that effect fitted well with the song and work well with the instrumental. The RnB sound was quite prominent, and on top of that, it does sound quite sensual as well. I like what they were doing, just not enjoying the instrumental that much (yet). Who knows if this track will grow on me? (I have a feeling it might) (6/10)

8. Out – This is the one track that I looked forward to. It has that B-side track feel, which was a little disappointing, but it is was the one track that had the right level of impact. I love the different tempos in the song. Some parts were slow, while others were much more upbeat. Likewise, the vocals and raps gave the song a lot of variety. Great instrumental, as well. The catchiness (and Jackson’s voice) of “Wait a minute, I’m out” made it sound and feel much cooler. I also wonder what the inspiration for the song was. Was it inspired by their ongoing antics and the fact they end things by saying “I’m 1 Out, I’m 2 Out”? (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7/10

Flight Log: Arrival – Teaser Image

 

[Review] Never Ever – GOT7

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GOT7 has finally returned with the third part of their Flight Log era. Their comeback is highly anticipated and everyone has high expectations for the comeback, due to the success of Hard Carry and Fly. Their mini album, Flight Log: Arrival, features the title track, Never Ever. Sadly, Jackson ran into a little health scare during the week, causing him to now miss out on the first week of promotions. Hopefully, he will recover soon and rejoin the promotions. (I was going to pull off “they landed safely” pun here in the introduction, but that seems to conflict with what the 3 music videos are telling us.)

Never Ever, to me, falls in between Fly and Hard Carry. Both contains EDM elements, as does this song. But what separates them is the intensity. Fly seems to be more of a chill track, while Hard Carry is quite intense. Never Ever isn’t as chill as Fly or isn’t as intense as Hard Carry. Hence why I think it lies quite nicely in between both songs. The song is interesting. I love everything about the song, minus one vital part. The vocals, the raps, the instrumental, the beat. Everything sounds really amazing. Yugyeom’s intro was jaw-dropping and the way some of the members dragged out the words in the song sounded nice. Just the chorus lets me down so much. The songs instrumental builds up quite nicely to the first chorus and you expect the beat to drop. And it did drop. Just in an anticlimactic way. It was choppy and it felt very empty. As if there was more to the chorus and they just left it out. I liked the vocals but not the instrumental for the chorus (nor the background “ooooaaaahhhhh”s). The song was produced by JYP. And I am not putting the blame on him because he has produced some amazing songs out there. But there might have been a reason why he stopped producing songs for JYP artists and why they went elsewhere to get songs (or write songs themselves). But honestly, everything in the track, besides the chorus, was fantastic and I will be replaying the song constantly (too late, already started) with or without the chorus, just to hear the rest of the song.

From what I observed in all the music videos released by GOT7, the HD quality just keeps on getting better and better. Maybe the lighting was better in this video. But never have I seen the colours so bold or striking. Check out the leaves in the glass cube or the white hospital hallway. Also observed were the connections between the Fly and Hard Carry videos. Fly was connected to Hard Carry via the scene where Jinyoung body would fly up, while he was lying down. Never Ever brought a lot of elements that made Hard Carry, such as the glass cube, Youngjae smashing the glass cube and the underwater scenes. Fly told us that Jinyoung’s friends had died. Hard Carry seemed to have told us how they died. And Never Ever seemed to tell us how Jinyoung was brought to life. The scenes in Never Ever was a little confusing but I think I got the connections between the other videos down pat (do comment if I am wrong. I tend to be wrong 99% of the time when it comes to deciphering what music videos are showing us). It is still a great video to watch, though. The visuals of the video and the group looked really nice. To me, GOT7 just continues to get more handsome with each video.

From what I see, the choreography fits the song. Some of the moves looked pretty cool. But as a whole, it seemed to lack something. Both Hard Carry and Fly had the right level of impact for the respective song. Here, it doesn’t seem to be as impressive and impactful as their past dances.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 4/10
Overall Rating – 7.25/10

[Review] Rollin’ – Brave Girls

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Brave Girls have returned with a brand new track. Rollin’ is their first song of the year, and it also marks another lineup change, with Yoojin leaving the group and Hyeran on hiatus. Currently, the girls are promoting as a 5 member girl group. They returned to the scene last year after a 3-year absence from the stage, with Deepened and High Heels.

If I were to pick a word that I use so many times, it would be ‘amazing’. Oh, that is also what this song is. Amazing. When I first heard the song, I dug it. I fell for it. I loved it. And now, after so many replays, I think I am obsessed. It has a simple club beat, but it also throws some tropical house sounds in the instrumental break. While the music suits more of Summer, it manages to work for me. Maybe it is because we (Australians) just escaped the Summer, so the feels are still there. Given their more recent songs, I didn’t count on hearing such a great song for them and I glad I didn’t avoid the song. The vocals were clear as day and all the other elements go well with each other. But there is something that puts the cherry on top of the song. That is the really catchy and addictive “rollin’ rollin’“. It brings a smile to my face and it makes me sing along to it. Like the word, the instrumental, at that moment, gives off that rolling effect. It may sound simple, but it goes a long way. Hence why I totally dig this track.

The official music video is rated 19+. Brave Entertainment also released a “clean version” of the music video. I only glance over of the clean version but the only difference between the rated version and clean version are scenes scattered throughout where all members are sitting with each other and they were filmed wearing revealing clothing. I personally don’t see anything graphic (or worth labelling as 19+) about them, like many Korean music videos that have a rated warning, such as Nine Muses’ Wild. The video was made using a green screen, which makes them looking like they are dancing in a room, outside in a storm. While that does sound cool to an extent, it also seems very odd. However, the darkness seems to fit well with the song. There is just something about it that clicks right into place. The majority of the video consist of choreography scenes and a few more closeups sprinkled throughout. Yeah, it isn’t anything impressive, but overall, it is an okay video to watch.

I would say I love half the choreography and dislike the other half. The “rollin’ rollin'” part where the girls are on the stools looked amazing and matched the song’s vibes at that part. The verses looked bland, but it too fit with the song. The part I dislike is the instrumental breaks. The dance at that part was far too slow for the beat, and it made the performance feel too slow.

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

[Album Review] Rose (6th Single Album) – B.A.P

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Thank you for all the views for the review for B.A.P’s  Wake Me Up. Also, thanks for the many retweets and likes on Twitter for the review. They just keep coming. In total, a whopping 131 retweets and 129 favourites for just one review is something completely unexpected. But it goes to show the power of BABYs and B.A.P fans around the world. So, I present to you all the full single review for B.A.P’s Rose.

Rose (6th Single) Album Cover

 

1..Dystopia – This song is probably one of the few songs that satisfy my yearning for intense songs. It sounds like the type of song to keep you on the edge of your seats. The rock-based song sounds amazing. Sure, the instrumental may feel a little overpowering compared to the vocals, but in this song’s case, it works. Out of all the members, I think Bang Yong Guk’s vocals were highlighted the best. His short line at the start gave the song the kick it needed and his parts scattered throughout (even though some of them consisted of one word) still kept the song kicking. That being said, each member did a fantastic job in the song as well. It is one track that is worthy of all the head bangs you can fit in for the length of the song. (9/10)

2. Wake Me Up (Title Track) – Click to check out the full review for Wake Me Up (8.5/10)

3. Diamond 4 Ya – Moving away from the rock, Diamond 4 Ya is a completely different sounding song. However, that typical B.A.P feel is still there. It’s powerful in its own way, despite the sound being a lot more delicate and softer, compared to their more intense or tough sounds. I love the instrumental here, especially that squeaky sound after each chorus. I am also captivated by Himchan’s Your Love, Your Way. While I don’t find much interesting with Himchan’s vocals, this song does seem to have stomped on my opinions. The rest of the vocals sounded very nice. While I praised Bang Yong Guk’s parts in Dystopia, I feel like his part (and the entire rap sequences with Zelo) a little bland. While I spent my time head-banging in Dystopia, I toned it down to just a consistent and continuous nod. Don’t get the wrong idea, I am just making my actions more appropriate to the song. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.5/10

Image result for rose bap teaser image
Rose Teaser Image

(This album review was originally scheduled to be posted on Wednesday the 15th, but since I have completed the review earlier than intended, I decided to post it on Sunday the 12th, to allow for other reviews to be published a day earlier and as another sign of gratitude).

 

[Album Review] Feel’eM (10th Mini Album) – BTOB

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A few days ago, I posted my personal review for BTOB’s newest title track, Movie. I also mentioned in the review that I had plans to do an album review for their 10th mini album. And I am trying extremely hard to keep my promises. But needlessly to say, here I am with the album review!

Image result for BTOB someday
Feel’eM (1oth Mini Album)  Cover

 

1..Just Say It (말만 해) – The mini starts off with a jazzy number. It actually sounds quite good. I know this may be only me, but it sounds similar to their title track. The only difference is that Just Say It sounds better. Everything fitted perfectly into the song. From the easily transformed vocals to the (harder to fit in) rap sequences. You really do not expect raps sequences to fit in with a jazz number, but here it works. The vocals are superb, especially those higher notes sung during the chorus. While there was a more defined and ‘louder’ beat in the title track, everything about the instrumental in this song is perfect. The snaps to the guitar dominated instrumental, everything felt right. (9/10)

2. Movie (Title Track) – click here to see the full review for BTOB’s title track (6.5/10)

3. About Time – The ballad track sounded good. The sudden silence acted like a drop, before launching back into the chorus. It should have worked, but I felt it was an unnecessary feature of the song. Once again, the raps sequences are quite nice. The vocals are held back to fit the nature of the song. And while it does compliment the song, it makes the song feel extremely weak sounding. (6/10)

4. Rock N Hiphop (빨리 뛰어) – The song seems like your standard B-side track. It doesn’t sound like a track that would stand out but still fits in with the rest of the album, hence it is included in the tracklist. Listening to the song, I wasn’t that fond of it. The vocals and raps sounded standard. It wasn’t until the end of the track did I start to take notice but by then, I thought it was a little too late. Given the title, I thought this would be a more upbeat and funky track but sadly it wasn’t. (5/10)

Image result for BTOB someday
Someday Pre-Release Album Cover

5. Someday (Pre-release Track) – The mini album ends with probably the strongest song on the entire release. It is a pity that there is no music video because I would have jumped at the chance to review the song. While it is a slower ballad track, everything (vocals and raps) sounded quite nice. But I feel like the vocals stole the show here. The instrumental was traditional in the sense that is how most slow ballads end up sounding like, but it gave the song a much grander feel. Everything complimented each other and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the track on repeat. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7/10

Teaser Image for BTOB’s 10th Mini Album

 

 

[Review] Wake Me Up – B.A.P

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B.A.P has returned with a brand new single, Wake Me Up. Following their active promotions of Feel So Good, That’s My Jam and Skydive; this is the group’s first release for 2017. This comeback also marks the return for Bang Yong Guk, who for the Skydive promotions, took some time off due to mental health concerns. And like BTOB’s recent release, I will be doing a review for the entire single (all three songs) and that should be up sometime next week.

The track takes me back to their Young, Wild and Free days. It returned to their days of rock based instrumentals, with electronic synths and hip-hop vibes. The song itself oozes with darkness, another aspect that you would always expect from a B.A.P song. But the difference between this song and (for example) Young, Wild and Free is the intensity. Everything in the track is held back. This ranges from the vocals to the raps. It isn’t as intense as their previous tracks, but by holding back, I feel like it delivers a stronger impact with the message. While I did say they hold back in a few aspects, their vocals and raps are still top notch and have been manipulated to work wonderfully in the song. I did enjoy the build up to each chorus. It isn’t as powerful in other electronic based songs but the same effect can still be felt. The song does open with an interesting sound, that also echoes throughout the song.  In my opinion, Wake Me Up is a great song but it isn’t their best song yet. B.A.P is the best at making explosions in music that leave you gasping for more. If the track was delivered as a more intense and aggressive track, I think I would have enjoyed it even more.

Now, I mentioned the message of the song in the previous paragraph. The lyrics talk about wanting to wake up as a new person in a world that is full of judgement and pain. This is shown beautifully in the video. Body image, mental illness, paranoia, anger and (not exactly sure but) violence of some sort. Each of these people feels like that if they woke up a different person every day, their problems would be forgotten. However, with the help of B.A.P on TV, everyone in society decides to fight these judgements and be who they are. Like what everyone else is saying, they are starting a revolution.  I hope I didn’t butcher the meaning the video, but that is what I got, with the help of comments and research. And even if I am wrong, I can agree it is a very dark and profound video to watch. For what the song lacks in intensity, I think the videos makes it up quite nicely. The car smashing scene was probably the peak of the video, which matched the small instrumental part that was in the video. The acting in the video is incredible. I really liked how B.A.P have taken a step back and only participated in the vocals/close ups, not any acting scenes. Though that does happen time and time again, it also reminded us that anyone can suffer from the problems above and the ending of the video showed that there will always be people out there that share the same concern with you.

The choreography was also intriguing. Not in a bad way, though. I actually quite liked it. Per usual, everything was fitting to the song, which is by far the most important aspect of the dance. What makes it interesting is the chorus. I don’t know what they are doing but it looks like they are holding onto someone and trying to wake them up. Or they are slowly crouching down into their hands. I am a little unsure but it looks superb. The way they incorporated Bang Yong Guk without making it hard for him deserves praise as well.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.5/10

 

[Review] Movie – BTOB

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BTOB has made their return to the stage with their 10th mini album, Feel’Em and the title track Movie. They last promoted I’ll Be Your Man in November of last year and Remember That in March of last year. The group was also active in Japan during 2016 with multiple releases. And if you are looking for an album review for their 10th mini album, which will also include their pre-release track, Someday, expect it this weekend, if time permits.

Movie brings the guys back to their fun and lighthearted days in music. While you may argue that is probably every other day in their lives, I am referring to the period where they released songs like You’re So Fly or Beep Beep. Unlike though songs, the group utilises a more funky instrumental, which uses more standard instrumental rather than synths or any electronic sounds. That alone brings out the lightheartedness and brighter vibe. While BTOB has shown off their vocals through their past releases of ballads and subunit releases, the group’s vocals for the song are quite underwhelming. The same goes for their raps. While both fit the song quite nicely, I personally wasn’t blown away or impressed with what I heard. However, the vocals and raps do show how much they have improved and grown since debut. There was, however, parts of the song that I enjoyed quite a bit. The small sequences that Ilhoon and Minhyuk have after each chorus, for example, do seem like they mismatch with the overall sound of the song. But for some reason, it fits in quite nicely and gives off a much-needed ‘palate cleanser’. In other words, the parts do keep the song interesting and make the song, along with its catchy chorus, quite memorable. For how long though, I don’t know. It all depends on their promotional cycle now (and my randomising playlist for 2017).

Like the song, the music video also goes for a more fun and lighthearted concept. The video itself is about the guys having fun by filming themselves. However, in their minds, their acting is Oscar award worthy. Oh, how imagination can take you a long way. The video is quite heavy on the comedy and it actually makes the video worth watching. While the sets and individual scenes plain and boring, their comedic acting (or is it really acting? These guys are already like this in the real life – or at least when they are off stage) save the video from boredom. But as I just said, there isn’t anything else that is flashy or impressive in the video.

Likewise, the choreography didn’t stand out. It isn’t as memorable or catchy as some of their previous dances. The song doesn’t really have any parts that could lead to a more eye-catching choreography, but what we see is something that fits the feel and sound of the song. I do think they also inserted a bit of their previous choreography for I’ll Be Your Man. Not sure if it was just a coincidence or intentional.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 5/10
Overall Rating – 6.5/10

 

[Review] How Can I Say – DAY6

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DAY6 had been going at 2017 with monthly releases. Now that March is here, it means that DAY6 has a brand new song out for all of us to hear. How Can I Say follows the success that I Wait (January’s release) and You Were Beautiful (February’s release) have created and passed on.

I like the song a lot. It gave the group a chance to return to their rock side, which you could also hear in I Wait (the group’s January release). Actually no, it gave us a little something more than what we got in I Wait. The instrumental here is a lot more impactful, compared to their last two monthly releases. It also gives me an excuse to headbang along to the song. The sound and genre itself isn’t something that is attempted regularly enough in KPOP and it has been a while since something along the lines of this has been released (the main KPOP bands have not been around lately). Hence, there is a somewhat fresh vibe, which is something that the group continually delivers with their releases. The vocals are quite smooth and they sound very nice. Sadly, the track isn’t as memorable as you would have expected. While the headbanging does a lot, listening to the song made me come to realise that something was missing from the track. Even if the track isn’t your cup of tea, it is another track that DAY6 can use to prove their versatility and expanding music domain.

The music video accompanying the release of How Can I Say is pretty good. There is a reason why I don’t see the video as fantastic or as excellent, but let’s start off with what I like in regards to the video. I did like the visual effects that were used. They made the transitions between different scenes look quite nice and more appealing. I liked it when we hit the chorus, the video became a little more chaotic with its imagery and visual effects, which definitely suits the song at that point. The only problem is the simplicity of the video. While a nice simple video can go a long way, I am starting to be somewhat concerned for DAY6’s videos. Sure, the director and producer may have thought the simplicity of the video would have been a more artistic approach. But a part of me feels like it was done due to a lack of ideas. Who knows, I might be wrong. But since they are coming back each month, their music video budgets won’t really be incredible. And there is only so much one can do with a limited amount of money. I personally hope that the videos don’t become too repetitive and similar to the rest because that could become the downfall of this monthly release plan.

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