Category: KPOP

[Review] Now (Orig.: Fin.K.L) – ONEUS

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ONEUS makes their return this week with a remake of an old KPOP classic originally by Fin.K.L, who was a female group active back in the late 90s and early 00s. The song in question is titled Now, which was released back in 2000. We last saw ONEUS through their album release La Dolce Vita and promotions of Baila Conmigo. The group has also been on their 2nd world tour, visiting countries in Europe, Japan and the USA.

ONEUS’s take on Now feels pretty expected. And I am not entirely sure if that is a good thing or not. Part of me wants ONEUS to have gone outside of the box. But the risk of that, especially with such an iconic song like Now, is that you do it an injustice. Hence, keeping to the familiar melodies, hooks and arrangement of the original version of Now makes sense. That being said, ONEUS does manage to give Now some it their own flair. This newer version of Now is lot more loaded thanks to 90s pop influence, the presence of EDM elements, as well as the group’s rougher vocals. I also enjoyed the addition of the funky guitar in the interlude following the first chorus, as well as the trap based instrumental break. I do wish the brassy element in the background of the chorus was more prominent and prevalent. That could have really given this version of Now more individuality had it been done right. Overall, it is a good remake of the original song. It keeps it true to the song’s roots, but ONEUS does give it a modern flair. If you thought the remake was a little plain, I don’t blame you. But I hope you managed to hear what the first generation of KPOP had to offer.

ONEUS pulls of a heist, with a bit of a comedic flair to it. Leedo assembles a team to conduct the heist, with himself being the mastermind, Hwanwoong being the gadgets guy, Keonhee being the outfit/costume/disguise guy, Seoho being the decoy and Xion being the tech guy. The comedy comes through various means such as Xion taking a selfie of the group whilst they are planning the heist, Hwanwoong having a little much fun, Seoho actually think he makes for a good janitor and Keonhee with his fake moustache. Leedo manages to break through the security systems to get into the vault with the help of Xion. They pick up a small metallic box. But as they open it to see what is inside, the alarm goes off. They rush out to escape, but can’t see to get past the door in the hallway. But Xion had planned for this earlier and blows up the building… with them still inside…. Somehow, it looks like they managed to escape (or are they in the afterlife?). And the box they were looking for was empty the whole time. The video closes out with two ants bopping away on one of the members’ shoulders. A comment on YouTube explains the significance as the English lyrics “Came into my life” sounds like ‘2 ants’ in Korean. Overall, the video seems to be intended as lighthearted and funny, and it does so quite well.

Just like how the song keeps some of the original, the choreography does the same. The original performance’s key move for the post-chorus sequence is retained. But again, ONEUS manages to bring their own style to the performance. I am particularly impressed with the dance break, with Hwanwoong, Leedo and Xion doing a body twist mid-air. It looked very cool and intense.

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

[Review] Cheese – SUHO (EXO) ft. WENDY (Red Velvet)

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I somehow missed the news that SUHO (from EXO) will be making his solo comeback at the end of this month with his third mini-album, 1 to 3. But luckily, he pre-released the single Cheese this week in preparation, so I am now caught up with the news of the comeback. This comeback is SUHO’s first in since 2022’s Grey Suit (which also doubled as the title for his second mini-album) and Hurdle. Cheese features WENDY from Red Velvet, who made her solo comeback earlier this year with Wish You Hell.

Cheese goes down a soft rock instrumental. I like the funky bass and the piano that leads the background. It feels striking, but melds well with the soft rock side of the instrumentation. I do like the retro 70s groovy energy that comes off the instrumental, which makes Cheese feel so good. The instrumental break with was dominated by the electric guitar solo was a nice concentration of the soft rock energy that forms around it. I also like the little bit of intensity it gives off, which adds a little something different to Cheese, compared to the rest of the song. The way the song likens a relationship to cheese was intriguing – if both become warm, the cheese becomes stretchy and a relationship can become longer, and if the cheese is cold, the cheese and relationship will fall apart. As for the vocals. I like how well-built SUHO’s vocals are for a soft rock song like Cheese. I also liked how light his vocals are throughout the song, particularly in the choruses and the ad-libs we get from the EXO leader at the end of the song. WENDY’s usual stunning and clear vocals comes into play during the second verse and is quickly joined by SUHO, who are both a formidable force in Cheese. Their pairing in the second chorus gave some nice oomph to the song and allowed to build the song up without much else to it. The melodies of Cheese were comforting to listen to. But in the long run, I am not entirely sure if they (or the rest of Cheese) would keep me coming back for more.

It should come as no surprise that the music video is full of cheese. Literally. I really liked the montage of cheese related art in the video, as well as the cheese visuals. We also see SUHO steal a big hunk of cheese that is on display at an art gallery. Little did he know that WENDY was watching him as he prepared to steal for the cheese. She goes after him and catches him in the act. There is a bit of a chase, which I assume represents the blossoming of their love (i.e., their relationship became stretchy). In the end, they decide to steal the cheese together (as seen in the 8-bit shot that finished off the video). But during their heist, the security came in (probably heard all of the ruckus of the two chasing each other and throwing cheese at one another) and they pretended to be an art installation, fooling the security guard and allowing them to get away with their heist. Overall, it is a cute and fun video, complementing the funky and groovy vibes of Cheese.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10

[Album Review] Fe3O4: Break (2nd Mini Album) – NMIXX

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Before I launch into reviews this week (which I am hoping to do so tomorrow), here is another album review. The album in question is NMIXX’s 2nd mini-album, Fe3O4: Break, which was released in January of this year. It features the title track DASH, the pre-release single Soñar (Breaker) and 5 additional side tracks. Links and thoughts on each song below! And as you read through my thoughts on the song, you will find that I am quite impressed with this mini-album release. Three out of 7 songs on the mini-album are very good, highlighting NMIXX’s growth and variety within and outside the realm of MIXX Pop that they have embodied in their previous works. Fe3O4: Break follows on from NMIXX’s Summer 2023 comeback with A Midsummer NMIXX’s Dream, which featured Party O’Clock and Roller Coaster (which I have yet to review).

Fe3O4: Break Album Cover

1. DASH (Title Track) – Click here for the full review for DASH. (8/10)

2. Soñar (Breaker) (Pre-Release Track) – Multiple listens since the release of Soñar (Breaker) in December last year has helped grow on me, and I am satisfied enough with the track now to bump it up an additional point in the song department. The biggest part that grew on me is the second half of the bridge, which I had mentioned in my original review as being cringy. That is not what I think of that sequence anymore. Click here for my original review for Soñar (Breaker). (7/10)

3. Run For Roses – It appears JYP Entertainment recognises the potential behind Run For Roses, selecting it for a performance video (see below). Run For Roses is undoubtedly a song that stands out, thanks to the country twang that the instrumental has. If you want a unique rock song in KPOP, Run For Roses is definitely one to check out. I also enjoyed the shouty delivery that pairs with the country twang in the pre-choruses. In addition to the unique musical influence, the choruses of Run For Roses also stand out for its melodies and hooks. They make the song quite catchy and memorable. And of course, the vocals that deliver these, particularly Lily’s, aid in making Run For Roses a very strong side track. (10/10)  

4. Boom – Boom is an industrial hip-hop dance track that hits hard. NMIXX does not mess around in Boom, delivering some of the most memorable hooks on this mini-album (i.e., the ‘Tick Tick Tick Boom’). I also really like the intensity that the song builds within it, making Boom into a thrilling track. Despite being such a punchy track already, this doesn’t excuse it from NMIXX’s MIXX pop fusion style. We get some pop influences in the chorus, and the ending turns it into a hyper pop dance track but hastening the tempo. No complaints from me, however, as changed trajectory of Boom complements the intensity and thrills of the track. (10/10)

5. Passionfruit – In an interesting direction, NMIXX goes down a cutesy direction with Passionfruit. But they execute the track in a manner that suits them, and I just like how they keep true to themselves in that sense. The track is a Jersey Club pop dance track, with a bouncy instrumental that brings out a very bright energy to the song. The vocals and melodies in the choruses were extremely comforting and light to listen to. But the winning delivery was surprisingly the rapping, which I thought NMIXX nailed perfectly in Passionfruit. (9/10)

6. XOXO – Taking on a more laidback vibe is XOXO. It does so with a groovy R&B instrumentation, with softer vocals that again sound very comforting to me. I also like how the melodies and hooks are very simple and easy on the ears. The biggest issue I have with XOXO is the processing on the vocals. Some of it complements XOXO quite well, but other parts had it too thick. (8/10)

7. Break The Wall – Closing out the mini-album is Break The Wall. It is a pop anthem that had me lip-syncing along in an embarrassing short period of time. I really like the energy that Break The Wall features, thanks to the fast-pace synths and chanty chorus. The synth work in the verses feels very nostalgic, and the vocals elsewhere in the song holds a lot of promises. The rapping was the only weak point. If it had been more robust, we would have a perfect track. (9.5/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.8/10

Fe3O4: Break Teaser Image

[Album Review] Things I Can’t Say LOve (6th Mini Album) – OnlyOneOf

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OnlyOneOf’s 6th mini-album, Things I Can’t Say LOve, is the next mini-album to be reviewed on this blog. This was released way back in January of this year alongside the title track dOpamine. Said title track earned a high rating from me in the song department, so it become the primary reason as to why I have picked up this mini-album for review. Things I Can’t Say LOve also follows from 2023’s seOul cOllectiOn mini-album.

things i can’t say lOve Album Cover

1. things i can’t say lOve (Instrumental) – While things i can’t say lOve is labelled as an instrumental track (implying that it the instrumental version of another track on this mini-album), it actually serves more as an intro track for this mini-album. And this intro track deserves to be a full-length track. The EDM and atmospheric vibe that comes from the presence of the piano feels very fulfilling. But like all instrumental tracks I have reviewed in the past on my blog, I can’t give it a rating.

2. dOpamine (Title Track) – Click here for the full review for dOpamine. (9/10)

3. give me the lOve, bitxx – give me the lOve, bitxx falls into the R&B genre. The track full embodies R&B with a smooth yet typical instrumental and breathy vocals from the members to elicit a more sensual direction. I do question the need for the final part of the song’s title (i.e., ‘bitxx’). I am presuming it is the non-explicit representation of the curse word. But I don’t get that energy or tone from the song, nor am I sure if it was ever reflected in the Korean lyrics – it wasn’t reflected in the English translations that I could find. Disappointed with the track from that aspect, as the title does appear to promise some aggression, but that was not delivered whatsoever. (7/10)

4. O – The fourth track of the mini-album, O, brings a darker tone to the mini-album. While the instrumental felt very consistent and relatively minimalistic for the length of the track, I found the piece to be quite rhythmic. And with the relative minimalistic nature of the background makes the beat to be quite prolific. With such an arrangement, the focus would be squarely on vocals. And I feel the members nailed this aspect of the song, with the passion and emotions behind their delivery felt quite profoundly. Less autotune and more raw vocals would have been appreciated, but what they delivered was still on brand for the group. (9/10)

5. gravity – The final song on the mini-album is gravity. Like the third song on the mini-album, gravity is another take on R&B. At least this time, the song doesn’t promise anything in its title. While gravity contains the usual R&B smooth and dreamy suspects, what also separates this track with the third track on the mini-album is its relative upbeat nature. This upbeat nature, combined with the members’ breathy vocals, helps smooth out the song further. And this combination makes for a really nice track that I enjoyed. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.3/10

things i can’t say lOve Teaser Image

[Review] Accendio – IVE

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IVE’s latest mini-album, IVE SWITCH (which was released at the very end of April), features two title tracks – HEYA and Accendio. I have already reviewed HEYA on the day of its release, while Accendio only became eligible for a review once IVE unveiled the music video for the song earlier this week.

I quite like Accendio, as it shows off a more mature sound for IVE. There is also this mysteriousness to the song that attracts my attention. This can be attributed to the paced beat of Accendio, which actively contributes to that mystique that I just mentioned and helps build some intensity in the song. But it also feels like a double-edged sword. It sets Accendio up to be somewhat neutral, which is never a good observation to make in an exciting music genre like KPOP. I kind of wished Accendio really picked up along the way and there was some infusion of oomph to the song. I do hear an addition of energy to the song via the pre-choruses and choruses of Accendio, which I am grateful for. But while this addition of energy was good in the first instance, it didn’t have the same effect when the song revisited the same motif again. Similarly, the instrumental break could have used some added zing (perhaps something more electrifying) to add further excitement to the song. While the backing of Accendio lacked in some regards, I am extremely happy with the choruses. I personally felt the central piece of Accendio had a killer start through a really simple yet addictive “Watch me, Don’t touch me, Love me, Don’t hurt me” chant and some attitude-laced catwalk-like backing. This made the chorus stand out and feel very catchy to me. So much so, I find myself humming along with the song and after the song ends. That particular line in the chorus was nailed thanks to the members’ rap-speak delivery, which we do hear at other times in Accendio. To me, this delivery felt more prolific and interesting than the other vocals we get in the song. Overall, I quite liked Accendio. It is far from perfect, but it allowed IVE to explore something slightly different.

I personally felt the music video for this comeback also had an air of mystery to it, which made it intriguing to watch. The plot of this video also adds to the intriguingness. Gaeul stars as the main character of the video. While the rest of IVE were underwater, Gaeul disappears, causing alarm amongst the other members. Turns out Gaeul had run away and came across a ritualistic group (another version of IVE – henceforth calling them evil IVE) and a magic wand. Gaeul steals the wand and brings it back to her members. Unknowingly to Gaeul, evil IVE were watching Gaeul make her way back to her members. The magic wand gives Sailor Moon-like magic powers to good IVE, who are provided a mission to protect the magic wand to keep their powers permanently. Evil IVE tracks down the wand and have a dance battle with good IVE for the wand. While it isn’t an action packed set of scenes like Mission Impossible, the subsequent battle scene (not the dance battle scene) was nicely choreographed to showcase a fight between the two versions of IVE played out to gain or protect the wand. During the battle, Gaeul had hid the wand in the fridge. Once the evil IVE were defeated, good IVE went to retrieve the wand from the fridge but found it empty. Turns out, the wand somehow found its way to a beach and picked up a young girl. And good IVE were watching this happen, implying they have become the new evil IVE, who were going to fight a young girl for the wand. Personally, I felt the ending a little awkward and wondered why a different version of IVE (or perhaps even an older girl) picked up the wand. Setting up the next battle between IVE and a young girl is a bit harsh for the latter.

The choreography looks good. I liked the chorus routine, particularly the moves they did with that chanty line identified above. I just cannot help but think that this isn’t their strongest routine. It was cohesive as a whole piece, but nothing really stood out in my opinion.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 8.1/10

[Review] Feel The POP – ZEROBASEONE

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Returning at the start of the week was ZEROBASEONE. And covering their latest comeback song, Feel The POP, at the end of the week is me! The new song is featured on the group’s 3rd mini-album You Had Me At Hello and Feel The POP follows the pre-release SWEAT (which I reviewed a couple of weeks back). The entire comeback follows on from their late 2023’s CRUSH.

I did check out Feel The POP when it was first released on Monday, but I didn’t get much from the track. I thought I give it a few days to see if it would grow on me slightly. But it only grew by a little and I am not sure if it can continue to grow on me anymore. Instead, my initial thoughts on the song stand. Feel The POP is indeed pleasant and enjoyable, but it feels very safe and ‘inside the box’. This hinders its appeal. Yes, I have described Feel The POP as pleasant and enjoyable (which are usually good positive terms to describe things by), but it is also neither fresh or different. The instrumental can be described in a similar manner. It feels subtly upbeat to be a summery track and I do like the hap-like synths in the background as it does bring some colour to the song. But at the exact same time, the background stayed rather neutral from start to end, and it didn’t develop into something exciting or with zing. I will say Feel The POP is focused on melodies and the singing was decent, but those same melodies felt thin and failed to make the song stand out. Same for the hooks. I thought the rapping could have been a good avenue to bring something different to Feel The POP, but said rapping was so limited and barely made a scratch into the song. I think it is safe to say that Feel The POP is very underbaked and doesn’t feel as fulfilling as their debut track (which is still their best effort, in my opinion).

As for the music video, there seems to be a few concepts going on visually, such as the modern Western cowboy theme, office workers, rich persons’ tennis playing and a more typical casual affair to close out the video. But they don’t seem to go together whatsoever. What does (loosely) joins the concept up is the supposedly cutesy apocalyptic event that causes alarm to others, but ZEROBASEONE handles quite coolly by smashing a tennis ball into a giant cactus and shooting down the giant bomb cloud. The world is saved and ZEROBASEONE proceeds to celebrate at the end of the video. I guess the intent of the video is supposed to be light-heart and summery, which the tennis scenes do give off. The rest of the video, now that I have summarised it on a page, does feel a bit wild, which is on brand for KPOP in some regards.

I feel like the choreography was the strongest aspect of the comeback. I really like the chorus routine, which brought some popping into the mix. Same goes for the bridge. And they were quite strong pops. Other than that, I liked the smoother feeling of the choreography for Feel The POP, which complements that pleasant tone that comes from the song.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 6.7/10

[Review] Supernova – aespa

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Kicking off promotions for their first studio album is aespa (their first since their debut in 2020), with their new single Supernova. It is one of two title tracks to their 1st studio length album Armageddon, which will be fully released on May 27. The other title track has already been confirmed to share the same name as the new album! Both Supernova and Armageddon follows on from aespa’s Drama hit from the end of last year.

From the very first listen, I could tell that that Supernova is a total blast. Personally, it might actually be aespa’s best thus far, in my opinion. Supernova‘s cyber-like instrumental is definitely the song’s winning element. The instrumental alone felt like it borrowed some of the memorable elements from some aespa’s more recent songs. For example, I could hear charisma from Drama and the energetic motif from Spicy. That being said, Supernova still has a unique profile to it, which continues aespa’s strong run of great songs. I liked how forward driven everything felt and the overall smoothness that the song somehow embodies despite being full of crunchy and powerful synths. I also enjoyed the various detailings in the background of Supernova, which helped add a little something different and extra to each sequence. This variety definitely made Supernova more fun and appealing in my books. The choruses were very addictive, thanks to the fact they were paired with catchy hooks and ear-wormy delivery from the members. Even the bridge change up in the bridge, where Supernova stripped away the electronic synths a for a more funky hip-hop sound, was interesting and charming. Whilst it feels miles away, it wasn’t and was worked decently into the song. There is just two aspects of Supernova that I not 100% keen on. The first is how disjointed Supernova feels and the way the song just abruptly launches between sequences makes me feel a little uneasy. The second is the lack of a vocal sequence to blow me away like in their earlier days. Nothing in Supernova feels challenging enough on the vocal front and the ad-libs felt weak relative to those earlier releases. I guess that just means Supernova isn’t without some flaws, but the stronger aspects of the song definitely outweighs those concerns.

Supernova is defined as a powerful and luminous explosion of a star (from Wikipedia). And the members liken themselves to be a supernova in the lyrics of the song. In the video, it looks like 3 of the 4 members (Karina, Winter and Ningning) come down from outer space to Earth to wake up Giselle, who seems to have become ordinary and mundane. Giselle is the only member to not be shown showing off her power in the first verse sequence of the video, whilst the other 3 members have strutting around and showing the world their unearthly powers – Karina has super strength, Winter can control wind and Ningning can control fire. Furthermore, Giselle is seen trying to prove that she isn’t a robot/is a human via those CAPTCHA tests where you have to select certain tiles containing traffic lights or motorcycles. She has to pick which picture is not an AI and she doesn’t get far into it – it is as if she doesn’t know how to be human. She also celebrates with a not-so-hot cake that says “I’m hot” (which goes against the idea of being a supernova). Ningning gate crashes the celebration and sets Giselle’s apartment alight. This interaction causes Giselle to wake up and use her time controlling power to reverse the events. Giselle rejoins the rest of the members for the final parts of the video before the quartet is swept away in the wind storm created by Winter. I found it to be a playful video, with a cool concept. Combined with the editing, post-production and visuals, I think this places the music video into list of contenders for Best Music Video of the year.

While there is no official performance video for this release just yet, the choreography bits that we got in the music video definitely looks good. I don’t think I saw any key points. But I do hope there is some in the routine, as I think this song can definitely go far in the ongoing trend of short-form videos we get via TikTok. YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels. Knowing aespa’s potential and the fact we don’t see majority of the routine in the video, I may return to re-review the performance once there is an official performance.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 9.1/10

[Review] Girls Never Die – tripleS

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When I reviewed Rising by tripleS last year, the group only had 16 members out of the confirmed 24-member lineup. Earlier this week, tripleS made their comeback with their full lineup of 24 members. Along with the additional 8 members, tripleS returned with the title track Girls Never Die, which is featured on their first studio album titled Assemble24.

I find Girls Never Die to be a pleasant dance-pop track. As initial thoughts to the song, Girls Never Die feels well-polished and seamless as a whole piece. The beat in the background felt very rhythmic and groovy. But at the same time, the background is also quite paced, which creates an easygoing and interesting aesthetic. But I have explained in the past that some ‘pleasant’ tracks do have a flip-side. At the moment, Girls Never Die does come off positively to me. But I fear that through repeat listens to Girls Never Die, that aesthetic might fizzle out and the underlying plainness in the song’s instrumentation would take over. Girls Never Die lacks excitement and a powerful eventuating peak, hence why I worry the plainness will prevail. Rather than being stuck in the same gear for the entirety of the track, Girls Never Die should have shifted a bit in momentum, tone or energy. The electric guitars was a nice addition to the song that could have impact in this area, but they were only added to the end, so too late to actually have an effect. As for tripleS themselves, there was some really nice vocals/rapping in the song from the members. Those ad-libs from Dahyun were very impressive. The song itself had a decent chorus, though the main “La La La” feels plain and unimaginative. Overall, Girls Never Die is a good song and starts off their next chapter of their careers as a full group strong. I just wished, like with most songs nowadays, there is more to Girls Never Die.

The music video was quite aesthetic. But that shouldn’t come as a surprise, given how MODHAUS is co-founded by the creative director (Jaden Jeong) who was behind LOONA’s aesthetic solo, unit and initial group music videos. Girls Never Die is a song about girls being resilient and stronger together. And that is what we see in the video. Different members of the group hanged out with one another and supporting each other. I think the following lines in the bridge sums up the music video and lyrics quite well: “If we ever stay together during fear and more, Nothing will scare us now“. When one of the members looked like they were going to give up (i.e., the bathtub scene), we see another member join them later to help them rise back up against their difficult circumstance. The funeral scenes look to be a bit counter intuitive to the messaging/intent. But I think the members surrounding the grave site weren’t lowering a member down (even though it was alluded), given one of the members was kneeling by the grave. Now that last bit is me speculating. The rest of the group could just be there to support one another to the very last moment, but that didn’t feel as fitting to the broader meaning of the video.

24 members on the stage for a performance sounds like a big mess waiting to happen. But tripleS handled it well. They started off on stage and ended the routine as a whole group, but broke into smaller group for the body of the performance to make everything more manageable and less overwhelming. They also performed classy moves that wouldn’t create a mess should a member miss a beat. However, better sychronisation could have enabled an even more refined performance to wow me even more.

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

[Review] Come Back To Me – RM (BTS)

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Gearing up for a comeback very soon (i.e., end of this month) is RM (from BTS). But ahead of the release of his second studio album Right Place, Wrong Person, RM has pre-released the all-English single Come Back To Me, which will be the focus of this post. RM is currently undertaking his mandatory military service and won’t complete it until 2025. But he joins V and j-hope who have been also been busy preparing new music pre-enlistment for us to enjoy despite their absence from the stage.

RM takes us down an indie pop route with Come Back To Me, with a slight jazzy influence coming into play down the line. This track is unlike anything that RM has released before. It is extremely paced and purposely dragged out to make the entire piece quite thought provoking. Despite not enjoying tracks that take their time to build, I find Come Back To Me quite welcoming for some reason. I think I put it down to beautiful execution by co-producers RM and HYUKOH’s Oh Hyuk (who is quite well known in the Korean indie scene and you can hear of his influence in Come Back To Me). That purposefulness is also deliberate in other fronts in Come Back To Me. Instrumentally, the acoustic guitar sets the thought-provoking tone to the song, while the slight jazzy influence amps up Come Back To Me to make it more engaging and changes the tone to be a little more uplifting. Even RM’s various vocal styles that he employs throughout the track felt carefully selected to ensure that it captivates and steals the audience’s attention. The melodies were so easy to get lost in, and the “Your are my pain, Divine, Divine” was quite an artistic hook. Overall, I quite enjoyed Come Back To Me and I am excited to hear the rest of the Right Place, Wrong Person album when it is released on 24 May 2024.

Come Back To Me‘s lyrics explores the idea of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, which is also the central theme for the upcoming album from what I am reading. In the music video, we see RM appear in multiple potential lives – from being a person who constantly hang out with his friends, to being a dad, to being in a relationship where he is constantly fighting with his partner, to being a son of parents who have high expectations for him. Part way through the video, he crosses path with another lady who makes him encounter a happier and smiling version from himself. From this encounter, he becomes more him appreciative of all of the potential lives he could have been in – going from the idea of exploring those potential lives that are wrong for/to him to exploring potential lives that could be right for him. Ultimately, he re-meets the same lady who made him happier and change his outlook, and follows her to be with her. His unlocks the door that has been constantly locked throughout the entire video, opening a new life outside the many lives we have seen him apart of already. It is definitely a thought-provoking video and the paced nature of the song really emphasises this. I also enjoyed RM’s acting in the video, as well as the other actors who helped make the video engaging.

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

[Review] BE SOMEBODY – YOOK SUNGJAE (BTOB)

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Sorry again for the radio silence since Tuesday. Work has been busy again. But I am back for the weekend and that means more reviews for you! Restarting the roll is YOOK SUNGJAE’s solo comeback with his same name single album and latest single BE SOMEBODY. This follows his 2020 solo debut with Come with the Wind and Yook O’Clock.

Like his solo debut back in 2020 with Come With The Wind, I had expected YOOK SUNGJAE’s solo return to be of a balladry kind. So hearing the pop rock behind BE SOMEBODY actually felt quite refreshing. Now, the pop rock style that BE SOMEBODY opted for isn’t anything new or innovative. But it was still good. The climb towards the choruses created some good momentum towards the chorus. The eventuating intensity in the chorus from the instrumentation was quite remarkable and help give the song a well-rounded punch. To complement that, SUNGJAE employed some gusto behind his vocals, which helps makes BE SOMEBODY even more more impactful. While this shows me his vocals, BE SOMEBODY could have used some variety in the same department. I noticed that once he enters high territory (about 40 seconds into the song), SUNGJAE remains in that territory for the remainder of the song. I would have loved it if he explored more of that deeper tone that he kicks off BE SOMEBODY with throughout the track. It could have grounded the song a bit better and not feel too neutrally high from that 40 second mark and onwards. There are some examples in the song (i.e., the rap-speak lines between the pre-chorus and choruses) where there are attempts to ground BE SOMEBODY, but they were rather brief and limited in number to really make a mark. But overall, I still find BE SOMEBODY to be a great song. Just more could have made it stronger.

The song conveys the message of breaking free to become somebody, rather than being someone they are not. This, along with the music video, feels linked to the fact that he has more freedom to be himself now that he has left CUBE Entertainment (but not BTOB – an important distinction there). In the video, we see him as an art exhibit, but people don’t pay much attention to him. It isn’t until he is put out there more via performances and the internet (different mediums) does he gain more attention. With the performances and internet, he isn’t bound to just one particular artform anymore. The art smashing to pieces towards the end of the video is representative of breaking that ‘one artform’ boundary he is expressing through this comeback. A well thought out video, overall, that I hoped I correctly interpreted.

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

[Review] Mars – Doh Kyung Soo (EXO)

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I am a bit late to start the new week. But as the saying goes, better late than never. Doh Kyung Soo (otherwise known as D.O from EXO) made his solo comeback today with a new single titled Mars and his 3rd mini-album Blossom. This follows his pre-release single Popcorn (which I will return to review in the future) last week, and his 2nd mini-album Expectation from last year (led by the single Somebody).

Mars is a song about loving someone so different to you, it is as if you and that someone are from two different planets. From that little reflection on the song, you can imagine how heartfelt and comforting the track is. I felt that Doh Kyung Soo portrays that messaging and tone very well in Mars, through all aspects of the track. I enjoyed the simplicity and straightforwardness of the medium-tempo pop track from the very first listen. The acoustic and band instrumentation was profound, with the guitar work being a big driver towards Mars‘ bright and meaningful outlook. Similarly, I felt the sincerity and affection behind Doh Kyung Soo’s vocals. The melodies were great. And altogether, Mars does bring a smile to my face when I listen to the track. I think a slight challenge to the song are the hooks. And this challenge isn’t necessarily unique to Mars, but more so to all ‘simple and ‘straight forward’ songs. To ensure longevity of a song like Mars, the song itself needs to be memorable and the melodies/hooks play a big part in this. Personally, I find Mars‘ hooks to be okay, but I think this aspect of Mars is also a little lacking. I am not too sure how Mars can hold its ground amongst the stiff competition. But as it stands, the song is still a great listen.

I found the music video to be a very cute watch and works well with the simple nature of the song. We see Doh Kyung Soo in his own little world throughout the video as he attempts to communicate with his special someone who is on a completely different planet to his. We see him get ready for the day ahead and ride his bike to the primary site in which he has set up to communicate with the world beyond his. On his bike are all the flowers he could find, which he later uses to write ‘I Miss You‘ on the ground in a bold colour for the other someone to see. In the end, his attempts to communicate work, with the special someone leaving simple and literally small messages for him. At the very end of the video, we see the different messages left behind for Doh Kyung Soo, that he has kept as little momentos. The outro sees him do it all again the next day (the presence of the rain helps us differentiate it is a new day), excited to extend the communications even further.

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

[Album Review] BORN TO BE (2nd Studio Album) – ITZY

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Moving along with the albums released this year, I am reviewing ITZY’s second studio-album BORN TO BE today. It was released back on 8 January 2024 and follows on from their KILL MY DOUBT mini-album (which features CAKE as the lead single). BORN TO BE features a total of 10 tracks, including the pre-release with the same name as the album, the title track UNTOUCHABLE and five solo tracks from each member of ITZY (including LIA, who has been on a hiatus since September 2023). Regarding the solo tracks, I have not reviewed them separately ahead of time despite them having a short video released to promote them for a few reasons, but I have included each video down below.

Overall, BORN TO BE is strongest in the solo tracks and most of the side tracks. UNTOUCHABLE has grown on me a bit and was definitely a highlight. But there were some other tracks on the album that had more potential and I personally felt had more of an edge over the title track. Continue reading to find out which songs they are.

BORN TO BE Album Cover

1. BORN TO BE (Pre-Release Song) – Click here to read the full review for BORN TO BE. (7/10)

2. UNTOUCHABLE (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for UNTOUCHABLE. (8/10)

3. Mr. Vampire – Click here to read the full review for Mr. Vampire. (6.5/10)

4. Dynamite – Dynamite lifts the song quality on the album back up with a very upbeat and loaded dance track. It is super engaging and I personally felt that was a lot of ITZY energy coming off it. The percussion keeps Dynamite dynamic and bouncy. I did think the members’ vocals were pushed a little too far, but there was some nice control on the members’ part. I am also not a massive fan of the abrupt ending. It didn’t finish Dynamite off satisfyingly. (8/10)

5. Crown on My Head (YEJI Solo) – We now turn to the solo songs and first up is YEJI. Crown On My Head is a rock track. I liked the different ways the electric guitar was employed in the song. In the first verse, the guitar work is exhilarating and electrifying, and I constantly wonder why it wasn’t continued in the more typical synth-based second verse. In the chorus, the guitar work takes on more of a grungy vibe. But the best use of the guitar comes in the instrumental break, where we get a shreddy effect. As for YEJI, her vocals definitely soared throughout and upped the intensity of Crown On My Head. She had full command of the track and delivered it superbly. (9/10)

6. Blossom (LIA Solo) – Despite being on hiatus, LIA does feature in this album through her solo track Blossom. The song takes us down an alternative R&B route, thanks to its more experimental instrumentation. This EDM-based adds a lot of energy and the synth work gives off a dreamy affair. LIA’s vocals fit the R&B style really well, especially with the slight rasp to her vocals. There are a few varying vocal styles in Blossom from LIA, all of which makes it an engaging solo track. (9/10)

7. Run Away (RYUJIN Solo) – Out of all the solo tracks, Run Away was the one that I instantly liked when I first checked out the album back when it was released. I remember it was the chorus that caught my attention, which brings together a passionate delivery from RYUJIN and some amazing guitar work that reminds me of pop-rock from the early 00s. I also like the mellow direction the bridge took, which was a nice yet brief break from the pop-rock energy. If I had to pick, RYUJIN’s Run Away is my top pick from the solo tracks on this album. (9/10)   

8. Mine (CHAERYEONG Solo) – CHAERYEONG has the shortest solo track of the bunch, spanning less than 2 minutes. Mine is a synth pop track with a groovy tinge. CHAERYEONG brings a very sensual and sultry vibe to the song, which makes it very alluring. Of the five solo tracks, I think Mine was one that stood out the least. Not on the merits that it was bad song, but rather not reaching its full potential. An easy way to do this in Mine is to give CHAERYEONG’s vocals more definition and boldness. This would have helped oomph up her parts to give them more depth amongst the instrumentation. (8/10)

9. Yet, But (YUNA Solo) – Yet, But is YUNA’s solo contribution to the album. It is a rather straight forward track that feels like a good embodiment of what KPOP is. It brings a fun and playful energy to the album. This pairs with YUNA’s youthful vocals. Personally, I do feel like Yet, But is a little too sweet for my liking. It also stays within the lines and feels rather ‘safe’. But I enjoyed the exploration into the light-hearted territory of pop. (7.5/10)   

10. Escalator – Bringing the members (sans LIA) back together for the final song is Escalator. It is an experimental dance track, that features a fierce demeanour from the members and loud synth work. It was definitely a blast on all fronts. I did like the way the vocals were processed at the start, panning from either side. I also like the shouty motif the members went for the chorus, which felt right for such a loud and strong song. Lastly, I also like the techno synth work at the end, adding a lot more flair and bombast to the song. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.1/10

BORN TO BE Teaser Image

[Review] Relax – LEE JIN HYUK

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Last week, LEE JIN HYUK made his solo comeback with his 6th mini-album, New Quest: Jungle, and the lead single Relax. This comeback serves as LEE JIN HYUK’s first solo comeback since leaving UP10TION (officially) and TOP Media over a year ago. He signed with Bill Entertainment, which is the home of other soloists – Yerin and Minseo. His last comeback was Crack, released back in 2022.

The new single Relax is an urban dance-pop anthem that has charm. It has taken me a few listens to the song to get into it, with the instrumentation growing on me considerably. The tinny-sounding chorus registered as interesting at first. But I find it quite appealing now. It is different and it draws your attention in. LEE JIN HYUK’s really gritty and raspy rap-sing vocals in the chorus felt plain at first. But upon reflection and more listens, I find that his deep vocal delivery actually pulls the chorus together to create a overall trance. While LEE JIN HYUK’s rapping and pre-chorus vocals were engaging and well-delivered, it wasn’t enough to make the rest of Relax memorable, unfortunately. The chorus definitely took centre stage and serves as Relax‘s strongest sequence. I do think Relax could have been punchier is all aspects. This potentially could have taken the rest of Relax to the next level and gave the song a stronger presence amongst its competition.

Unsurprisingly, Relax conveys the simple message of taking some time to take a break in our busy world. The video is set in a Korean bathhouse, which is probably an optimal location to take that break to relax. The video begins with a fight inside the bathhouse. But with LEE JIN HYUK’s presence and message, the fight turns into more of a chill party. We also see him get a massage in later parts of the video and hang around the ladies who are looking very comfortable. The dance break part of the music video sees what looked like the bathhouse set break apart, which is probably a symbolic way of reaching that peak relaxation, as if you are floating away. Overall, a neat music video.

The choreography for Relax strikes a fine balance between being energetic and relaxing. There are some moves that represents the relaxing side of it, while the rest of the choreography focuses on some more energetic moves without feeling too intense or complicated. I really liked the bouncy vibe of the choreography and also the footwork in the routine.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10

[Review] But I – Solar (MAMAMOO)

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Also making her solo comeback on Tuesday this week was Solar from MAMAMOO. We last saw her promote on stage two years ago via her HONEY comeback and her first mini-album, 容 : Face. Tuesday saw her release her second mini-album COLOURS and the title track But I.

Despite the music video teasers released in the lead up to But I hinting at the two very different sound profiles, But I still managed to surprise me upon release. The song starts off soft as a ballad, with beautiful vocals from Solar herself, and a delicate and stilling piano backdrop. But that balladry motif quickly changes once we reach the choruses. The drumming and guitar work morphs But I into a rock track. It blasts us with some strong energy and Solar really kicks it up a few notches with her passionate and intense delivery. The melodies and hooks here are quite easy to get into. I particularly cannot get the “Your body, your money, your face, your vibe” out of my head. Following the first chorus, But I keeps the rock presence in the second verse, but tones it down considerably from the chorus. So, once the chorus returns for the final time, the strong energy still feels like a blast. The outro of But I does returns the song to its balladry beginnings and it drew the song to a wonderful end, as if she is now at peace with the hatred that she sings passionately about in But I. No doubt, But I is surprising. But it does so in a balanced and captivating manner that I personally enjoyed very much.

The lyrics of But I depicts one’s hatred for their a bad ex, which comes off crystal clear in the lyrics. But I (ha!) found it interesting that the pre-chorus for the song includes a line of what people external to the relationship had expected of Solar when she was part of the dead relationship (“Everybody thinks I was happy, happy but I I I I“) vs. when she was supposed to be heartbroken post-relationship (“Everybody thinks I’m not happy, happy but I I I“). I bring these two lines up in question for a particular reason. While not directly linked to what I am saying next, the two lines shows a contrasting expectation on Solar, and the video depicts a different two contrasting sides to Solar related to this post-breakup. On one hand, she is seen to be in mourning and is heartbroken following her failed relationship. And on the other hand, we see how vivid and freeing she truly feels after leaving the bad ex.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.6/10

[Review] Little Things – Xdinary Heroes

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Xdinary Heroes officially returned on Tuesday with their first studio length album Troubleshooting. Leading the charge on this new album is the title track Little Things (어리고 부끄럽고 바보 같은). This release is their first since October 2023’s Livelock (their 4th mini-album) and the single Break The Brake, which earned them a win for Best Band Performance in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards.

Little Things is Xdinary Heroes’ most straight forward rock title track since their debut. And I feel my comments on the song are relatively similar. Xdinary Heroes have promoted some wacky tracks and also some intense ones previously. But nothing feels as ‘simple’ or ‘safe’ as Little Things. There isn’t anything wrong going down this path (but it does come with its own flaws), especially when it invokes an early 2000s pop-punk nostalgia. If you have not yet caught on, this is the era of music that I grew up on. The nostalgia and execution of band’s vocal and instrumental delivery appeals to me. The punchiness of the instrumental is well-liked. I also liked the emotional tinge Little Things features. Xdinary Heroes really made sure that was heard from the get-go with the autotuned intro. I think the downside of going down the ‘simple’ and ‘safe’ road, and I do feel it as part of this release, is that Little Things feels inherently plain. The lack of innovation and excitement does hold it back slightly. But nostalgia and Xdinary Heroes’ ongoing consistent high-quality execution/delivery trumps in Little Things.

Little Things expresses the message to one’s younger self that no matter how lost you become, you will always find a way out of that lost feeling. In the music video, we see the members perform in a side-walk drain, representing their lost mindset. I am presuming the feeling of lost is liken to how we think certain items becomes ‘lost’ once you drop it down a sidewalk drain (as those items become hard to reach and it is difficult to recover them). In other close-up of the members, we see them alone and surrounded by darkness. Mid-way into the video, we see the drain closes in on the members and water/paper falls down, which might represent that pressure of ‘being lost’ on the members. However, in the end of the video, the members do escape the drain, which ultimately emphasises the message of the song.

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

[Review] MAESTRO – SEVENTEEN

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The second Monday comeback that I want to focus on today is SEVENTEEN’s grand return with their 2nd compilation album 17 Is Right Here and the title track MAESTRO. It is SEVENTEEN’s first release since October’s SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN and GOD OF MUSIC.

MAESTRO leans the group back into their darker sound profile, which has always been a positive experience for me. And MAESTRO lives up to that expectation. The title MAESTRO instantly makes you think of classical music, and the song begins with a brief appearance (and sees a recurrence in the choruses) of piano. But we see the song quickly revert into its true form – a R&B dance track. A touch of funky guitar work, fast-paced rapping from S.COUPS and VERNON, and sleek vocals from MINGYU and JOSHUA gets MAESTRO moving along before we hear a stunning WOOZI and DK vocal-focused pre-chorus that builds the anticipation towards the chorus. The chorus that follows, and that we return to throughout MAESTRO, felt logical and charming to an extent. But I was disappointed with the reliance on the ‘La La La‘ as the hook. It definitely has potential to catch on, but it also feels empty and doesn’t really have as strong of a command as did latter parts of MAESTRO had. We do get a second half of the chorus, but that doesn’t ping me as memorable. MAESTRO then changes gears slightly with a techno beat feels unexpecting, yet so charismatic and pummels the song forward. It is paired with WONWOO’s rapping and JUN’s vocals – the former creates a perfect sense of intensity with said beat, while the latter felt a little lost in the beat. We return to another amazing pre-chorus (brought to you by DK and SEUNGKWAN this time around) and another run at the chorus. Then comes the bridge, which I think is one of the best moments of MAESTRO. THE8’s delicate vocals was supreme, as well as the follow-up rapping from S.COUPS and DINO. In the final moments of MAESTRO, the techno beat returns as a mini instrumental break and WONWOO’s deep and gripping vocals closes out the song nicely. Overall, a few minor flaws, but MAESTRO still comes off as an epic song for SEVENTEEN.

MAESTRO‘s music video has officially become the first contender for Best Music Video for 2024. You heard it first here! The editing, the concepts and even just the amazing closeup of the members just captivates me from the get-go and takes my breath away. The video sees SEVENTEEN have total command just like how a maestro would have control of an orchestra, and the intensity that comes off SEVENTEEN’s portrayal of this has me spellbound. More specifically, we see them control the narrative of events in the video, such as the car crashes and WONWOO’s fight scene (which has been engraved into my memory bank). We see them also control the AI bots, who mimic the members. Even the massive metronome building in the end alludes to the idea of commanding the citizens of the city around them.

No surprises here, but the choreography overall showcases the song’s intensity quite well. If I had to name an example moment of that intensity, my vote is for the instrumental break, which translates into a dance break in the performance. The presence of the baton in the performance makes sense and is a great way of bringing the concept of the comeback into the performance, as well. And as usual SEVENTEEN’s synchronisation always has me in awe.

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