As mentioned yesterday, this week is going to be a busy one. And it all begins with Monday’s comebacks. One of these comebacks belongs to IVE, who is returning for the first time since the release of Baddie. Their new single HEYA (해야) is the title track off their 2nd mini-album, Ive Switch.
HEYA continues IVE’s exploration of the hip-hop genre. However, unlike Baddie, I instantly found IVE’s delivery of HEYA to feel a lot more vivid, exciting and colourful. These are all words that I associate with IVE’s earlier releases, so I personally think this is an improvement from Baddie already. HEYA may not be as pop-coded as their earlier releases, but it definitely heads in that direction a bit. So aside from feeling different, what has the group done differently in HEYA? I like that the instrumentation did not feel as weighted, and so HEYA did not feel heavy. Going into Summer, a heavy song doesn’t usually bode well, so the producers were really clever in using flourishes in its percussion to help liven up the backing. Rei, Leeseo and Yujin’s rapping in the verses feels equally as lively and engaging, bringing out a more dynamic tone in HEYA. This pays off in dividends for the group, as it highlights a newfound edginess and powerful delivery. HEYA also features more vocal parts, which makes way for more melodic touches in the song. The bridge was extremely successful in championing this (which is my second best moment within HEYA, following the choruses). I also like how they extended the melodic touch into the opening hook of HEYA, setting up the catchy and chanty chorus quite well. The extra layer in the instrumentation for the final chorus did a really good job of signaling the end, in my mind. Overall, IVE and HEYA‘s producers did a really great job improving upon the previous song, making for IVE’s next hit.
The lyrics and music video of HEYA sees the group reference a traditional Korean folklore known as ‘The Tiger Who Loved the Sun‘, which is a story that speaks to the formation of the sun and the moon. In the video, we see the members appear as the tiger in the story, dancing in front of the sun and moon to enchant us, before leaving their mark on us. Just like how the tiger did so to the mother, just a lot less gruesome in our case. Keeping to the traditional influence, I really like traditional Korean elements in the sets and post-production. The colours and lighting made everything look very pretty and aesthetic. I also really like IVE’s look throughout the music video, as it adds a bit of a modern flair in the midst of all of the traditional Korean elements present in the video.
From what I can see in the music video, the performance for this comeback is going to look great. The start of the chorus already looks like it is going to be a catchy key point of the choreography, and the rest of the routine looks robust and dynamic.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
It has been a while since I reviewed a B1A4 album. The last album review was for their 5th mini-album, Solo Day (released in 2015, but reviewed in 2020). They are a group that is very much still around, but you don’t hear of them as much nowadays compared to in the past. Their last official release (Adore You) was over 2 years ago! Well, that changed in January of this year, when B1A4 made their long awaited comeback with REWIND (the title track – link down below) and CONNECT (the title of their latest mini-album a.k.a. the focus of this post). Overall, I found CONNECT to be a solid 5 track mini-album that is consistent across the board, with one particular track getting a 10/10 for me. Continue reading to find out which song that is).
2. BACK TO YOU (시간을 지나 마주한 너) – BACK TO YOU is a simple yet pleasant pop track, with the ‘pleasant’ descriptor being a positive aspect of the song. The simplicity comes through via how straight forward BACK TO YOU came across. It had good rhythm and a solid upbeatness that kept the song going. The melodies were comforting and made the song flow along nicely. The vocals were good, but I could have done with lesser autotune. The vocal processing made the members sound a little tinny. And if I am being honest, I don’t think B1A4 needed that autotune in the first place. (8/10)
3. PAUSE– For me, the most fun song on the album has to go to PAUSE. The UK-garage and retro influence on the instrumental is very interesting and dynamic, but I also like how the song maintains B1A4’s maturity. Despite that maturity, I always find myself bobbing along to the song. The softer vocal approach felt contrasting with the instrumentation and this makes the PAUSE intriguing. While I felt the autotune was unnecessary in the previous song, I welcome the autotune’s contribution to the fun in this song, especially how those vocals pan from ear to ear to make it feel like you are in the centre of the fun. An easy 10/10 for me. (10/10)
4. WHEN YOU CALL MY NAME (네가내이름을부를때) – Truthfully, WHEN YOU CALL MY NAME is the sound I associate with B1A4 nowadays. They stepped away from the fun and dance style that they released and promoted with as a quintet. But that felt lost when B1A4 was reduced to their current lineup. This is in no way intended to be criticism of the members who left or the current sound of B1A4. WHEN YOU CALL MY NAME definitely proves this, as the trio sounds very lovely throughout the number. The heartwarming band instrumentation and tone of the song is also extremely nice. (8/10)
5. STILL IN MY HEART (이별은없는거야) – Bringing the mini-album to a close is STILL IN MY HEART, which goes down both an acoustic balladry and also fan song route. That usual swaying melody that I like in ballads is very much present in STILL IN MY HEART. I also enjoyed the soulful touch that is present in the background of the track. Once again, the members sound really nice and captivating in the ballad, with the roughness in Sanduel’s vocals at the end being a beautiful moment in the track. (8/10)
If you have not been following my blog lately, I ended finished up my reviews of 2023 albums (for the time being) last weekend. That means that I will be finally making a start on the 2024 albums. While it will be a slow process to catch up four months worth of albums, I do appreciate your patience as I get through them. But I will start from the beginning, meaning SF9’s 13th mini-album Sequence (released on 8 January 2024) is the first one up for review. Sequence features a total of 6 tracks, including the title BIBORA. It also is the first album release by SF9 since ROWOON’s departure from the group to focus on his acting career.
2. Midnight Sun – The rush of energy from the instrumentation, the familiarity of the synths and the solid vocals made Midnight Sun quite likeable. When you dig a little deeper, this pop song is for their fans – FANTASY. While fan songs are usually reserved for the end of an album, the placement of Midnight Sun towards the beginning of the mini-album is rather reassuring, especially since how SF9 doesn’t get regular comebacks anymore (which is a complete farce) and the departure of ROWOON from the group last year. Just by listening to the vocals, anyone can hear the sincerity behind the SF9 members toward their fans. (8/10)
3. DOMINO – I thought the vocal processing in this song made TAEYANG sound a little awkward at the start. But after that, the rest of DOMINO makes it a very strong dance track. The rap sequences made the song feel very dynamic. The same rappers brought us the cool descending and dramatic bridge, which gives off that vivid imagery of falling dominos. Definitely a memorable moment in the song. Pity the vocalists didn’t get much of an opportunity to shine in DOMINO, particularly since INSEONG and DAWON’s small part in the pre-choruses were my second favourite moments in the song. (9/10)
4. Strings – The brighter pop sound, the chanty hooks and the fact you can feel the members are smiling at you as they sing makes Strings another ideal fan song. Strings talks about their unbreakable bond with their fans. I like how after a rap dominant song, SF9 turned their focus to vocals. But ZUHO’s rapping in the second verse was also quite cool. I like how deep he went and the seamless flow he delivered. My only complaint about Strings is that the instrumental could have been lowered slightly so we can hear the members more clearly. At certain parts, the backing was loud that it was drowning out the members. (8/10)
5. Morning Coffee – Continuing the bright motif is the funky tinged Morning Coffee. This subtle energy in the song is bound to get you awake in the morning, just like a morning coffee. I particularly like how the funkiness isn’t in your face, which makes the song an ideal track to start your day off. It doesn’t catch you off guard, but rather eases you into its bright motif. ZUHO’s rapping was good, but I think his part doesn’t suit the rest of Morning Coffee as much. I just feel like his style was a little too harsh for this track. (8/10)
6. Superconductor (DAWON Solo) – The final song on the album a solo song from DAWON. He has a unique set of vocals, so I am glad he gets his own song to shine. However, I would also like to have heard solo songs from the rest of SF9, as well. While Superconductor does a nice job of showing us his vocals and style, the instrumental sounded like it was sped up. Maybe this was deliberate and is meant to be a musical representation of a superconductor or even an aesthetic. But I personally thought it was rather distracting and doesn’t give us much opportunity to appreciate it or DAWON. Had it been slowed down, even by a small bit, there would have been more of a chance of that appreciation happening and that would have boded well for Superconductor. (7/10)
In the midst of the ongoing dispute between Min Hee Jin (the CEO of ADOR – the home of NewJeans) and HYBE Corporation (including Bang Si Hyuk), NewJeans is moving ahead with their May comeback. This comeback will feature two songs – Bubble Gum (which is the focus of this particular review with the music video dropping yesterday) and How Sweet next month. The group is also due to release two new Japanese original singles in June. Bubble Gum also marks their first release since their Get Up (which features Super Shy, Cool With You and ETA) comeback from last year.
Bubble Gum serves as both the soundtrack for a Japanese shampoo commercial and a side track for NewJeans’ upcoming How Sweet release. While I do not review commercial music often, I am interested in the latter. And as a side track, Bubble Gum is a decent release. It definitely is not ‘title track’ material, with the overall airy and breezy profile of the song feeling too delicate for my liking. The song features groovy beat and retro elements that grounds Bubble Gum to a degree, but I find the rest of the song (i.e., vocals, melodies, hooks) to be a bit too feathery. Don’t get me wrong, everything works in harmony with one another and is executed well across the board. I also like the flute-like piece that we hear in the background of the verses. But I am unsure of the song’s longevity given all of the lightness going on within Bubble Gum (and the ongoing dispute is definitely taking attention away from the new release – for me, at least). There were definitely some attempts to ‘ground’ the song further, with some deeper vocals at certain parts and the paced rap-sing vocals (which was the exact ending I was hoping for). But again, I only come out of Bubble Gum remembering the higher pitched (sometimes falsetto) vocals and flowy melodies. Overall, I do like the song, but I am not sure how long I will be replaying Bubble Gum.
The music video sees NewJeans hanging out and having fun with one another. To complement the song’s breezy sound profile, NewJeans takes a trip to the beach. Keeping true to the ‘retro is making a comeback’ concept, some of the video (including the intro and outro shot of Hyein and her bubbles) is shot in a home video style. It is an aesthetic that I didn’t like as much when it first appeared in KPOP, but NewJeans does it well. I also like the call back to old technology that appears throughout the video, such as the VHS tape, the camcorder and that old computer. On the modern side, we see one of the members hold an iPhone and the members carry their official light stick.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
THE NEW SIX smashed it with their last comeback (Kick It 4 Now), so I am excited to see what they are offering in their latest comeback that occurred on 20 March 2024. The new song is titled FUEGO and is the first comeback where THE NEW SIX has a full line-up in over a year, with Junhyeok returning from his hiatus.
THE NEW SIX trades out the retro that made Kick It 4 Now shine and opted for a more bombastic sound in FUEGO. While the former comeback was a hit out of the park, this new release isn’t. FUEGO falls into the more generic side of male group music nowadays. But it is not bad. The instrumental features a bass house sound that feels angsty and intense. The anti-drop actually hits hard in the chorus and makes for a bold central piece. Pity it is something else that weakens the chorus for me – more on that in a moment. The vocals in the verses were good. The melodic charm of the former comeback is definitely gone, but the vocals still manage to hold themselves well in FUEGO. I must give a commendation to Junhyeok and his vocals in the pre-choruses. His vocals delivery adds charisma and power of FUEGO. The rapping also feels brings an edgy dynamic to the song. I found the rappers’ delivery to be very clean and polished in FUEGO. There was a bit of shouty motif at times in FUEGO, but I felt they came in at the right times to drive up the song. Now, I did mention something earlier that weakens the chorus for me, and it is the one element that I haven’t mentioned yet – the hooks. While the instrumental in the chorus had club-banger potential, the hooks cancelled that out that potential. They felt boring, uneventful and dragged the energy that the instrumental was trying to get across to the audience. If I had one wish for FUEGO, it would be the members’ parts in the chorus were expanded (and not limited to 3 lines) and they are given some lively and exciting material to heighten the energy of the chorus and thus FUEGO.
Watching it a few times for the purposes of this review, I can see why I never really returned to the video following its release. There just wasn’t anything in the video that is memorable. Primarily set in a tunnel and on a wooden stage surrounded by doors, nothing really sparks in this video. We do get some additional backgrounds for the members’ closeups in the video. But nothing spectacular. For a song with the Spanish word for ‘fire’, there is also a lack of fires in this video. I am not expecting the place to be burning down (though there is a lot of precedent to that in KPOP music videos). But I expected a bit more flames than the few isolated CGI flames throughout the video.
The routine for FUEGO is one where the members kept on moving with little to no breaks in between each move. This drives up the intensity of the routine and kept the dynamism up high in the choreography. The dance routine also made sure the hooks didn’t get in the way of a good performance. There wasn’t a key moment to remember in this routine, but I liked the members’ style and charisma. Parts looked very sleek, especially the side way movements in the second verse and the forward movement that kicked off the second chorus.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 5/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 7.3/10
As mentioned in my last KISS OF LIFE review for Bad News, this is one of the groups we all got to watch out for. And their latest comeback a couple of weeks back at the start of the month proves just that once again. The new single is titled Midas Touch and is featured on the group’s first single album of the same name.
Taking us back to the late 90’s/early ’00s pop era (think Britney Spears) with Midas Touch, KISS OF LIFE delivers another smashing track. The instrumental is just one of the highlights of the song. They touch on a very nostalgic period of pop and hip-hop music video for me. The combination feels very robust and dynamic, with the swinging beats and squirl synths coming together to make a very flirtatious and rousing backing for Midas Touch. The members makes Midas Touch super engaging with their singing and rapping. The way they deliver the verses and pre-choruses felt very elaborate and classy, which boosts up the song to a higher level. As for the choruses, the members infuse a little bit more of that flirty energy into their vocals to make the sing-talk melodies and hooks super catchy and addictive. The combination of the instrumentation and sing-talk in the chorus in Midas Touch‘s chorus is very hard to get out of my head. The bridge was a very nice switch up that feels effortless and clean, with the ‘Brace Brace‘ and usage of whistles being a direct homage to the 90s hip-hop era. The bridge is then followed up with a really clean high note from Belle. The final chorus also sees a small extension to give Midas Touch to fully conclude in a satisfying manner. All of the above is a lot to achieve in such a short period of time, and I agree with the comments that say Midas Touch is a prime example of how a song that spans less that 3 minutes can still feel fulfilling and complete. I think we can move from ‘KISS OF LIFE is a group to watch out for’ to ‘KISS OF LIFE is permanently on my radar’ thanks to Midas Touch.
Midas Touch is a reference towards the Greek mythology of King Midas and how he turned things he touched into gold. But instead of gold, whatever the members touched in the music video turned into stone. Now, there is a reason for that. Turning people into stone represents the grip and charm the members have on these people. And to further to support the idea of turning people into stone, we we actually see some Medusa (the Greek mythological creature that turned whomever that makes eye contact with her into stone) imagery around the members at around the midpoint of the video. So the concept of the video is a very reimagined version of the story of King Midas and Medusa. I really like the elaborate CGI setting they have going on. I also really enjoyed the stunning looks the members’ had donned in the video.
The choreography for this comeback is great! I really like the swinging motions they have going on in the chorus and the routine is super cool to watch as a whole piece. I also like their chemistry with one another on stage. It really makes the whole routine feel cohesive.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
ZEROBASEONE is due back in a couple of weeks on 13 May 2024 with their second comeback (mini-album titled You Had Me At Hello) since their debut last year. Ahead of the new comeback, ZEROBASEONE pre-released a single yesterday to tease us with. The single is titled SWEAT and marks the beginning of an early Summer. We last saw ZEROBASEONE through CRUSH in Korea and (more recently) through YURA YURA in Japan.
SWEAT is a solid pre-release track, though it does lacks a ZEROBASEONE personality. SWEAT doesn’t feel like it falls on a spectrum with the two extremes being In Bloom or CRUSH. However, I do think it is a bit on a pleasant side of another spectrum, whichisn’t a bad thing. I do think SWEAT could have been more robust in its house-based instrumental to drive up the energy and excitement. Maybe that could have given SWEAT a ZEROBASEONE feel. That being said, SWEAT does still have a beat and kick to it that made it enjoyable and chill. The song displays a good showing of vocals from the members, though nothing mind-blowing to really attract attention. That was delegated to the catchy hook which got my attention at the first pass when I checked out the track yesterday. Interestingly, the producers opted to not include a rap sequence. I think SWEAT could have benefited from a punchy and edgy rap sequence to, once again, drive up the energy and excitement even further. Wrapping up my thoughts on the song, it looks like SWEAT could have been more. But as it is, it is fine track.
While there is a music video for the release, the title of the video categorise it to be more of a ‘SPECIAL SUMMER VIDEO’. They definitely got the Summer bit down, with an overall very sunny music video that sees the group perform on stage at a beach, in the middle of a long road surrounded by breezy long grass and during a shower, and in a field with a sunset background. I also like the easygoing and chill vibes of the video. In addition to all of that, I am sure fans are enjoying the plentiful closeup of the members in the video.
Released a couple of hours after SWEAT, the performance video on the M2 YouTube channel was actually quite engaging thanks to the camera angles and how the members made a connection with the camera at these angles. As for the choreography, there was a slight sensual vibe to it, which interestingly didn’t make it into the music video. Other than that, a solid routine.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
It is a new week. And that comes with new comebacks and debuts. Kicking it off this week is DOYOUNG’s solo debut with the single Little Light and his first studio length album YOUTH. DOYOUNG becomes the fifth member of NCT after TAEYONG, MARK, TEN and JAEHYUN to have some sort of a solo career outside of their NCT works, which spans across NCT, NCT U and NCT 127 discography. If I also read correctly, we will be expecting more NCT solo works this year. We already have TAEYONG’s TAP and TEN’s Nightwalker (which I have yet to review) this year, and JAEHYUN is preparing a solo album himself.
But today’s focus is on DOYOUNG’s Little Light. The track is described as a band song with powerful guitar riffs (according to SOOMPI), which is an accurate description for Little Light. I would have also thrown in a ‘refreshing’, ‘revitalising’ and/or ‘uplifting’ descriptor into the mix when describing Little Light. When I first heard the song, I thought how nice some strings would have been in the background (particularly at the end of Little Light) and that led me to think of LUCY’s work (a South Korean band that I have reviewed before who is known for their use of strings in their band tracks). It turns out that Little Light is co-written by Cho Won Sang from LUCY! As for DOYOUNG, he sounds really nice. Not only does his vocal tone showcases those extra descriptive words I mentioned at the start of this section, I like how he presents himself throughout Little Light. There is a bit of a range with some some powerful notes, high notes and even some falsetto. Each were well used and at the right time, furthering Little Light as a captivating track. I do wish there was a bit more consistency within the melodies in Little Light to make it feel more cohesive. But as it stands, Little Light ticks off many boxes for me, especially the idea of it being a band track with a refreshing vibe.
The lyrics to Little Light talks about how a little light can lead someone to their hopes and dreams . Certain lines of the song speak about how it needs to be lit, is it can be the dimmest light you can ever find, or even be a star in the sky that is miles away etc. It is all quite clever imagery and presents to us the idea that little light can be something different for all of us. In the video, DOYOUNG goes searching for his little light, which he does come across a number of times. He goes chasing after it, but he loses sight of it just as many times as he spots it. But as it is his little light, it does come back to him to lead him forward. DOYOUNG went through windy conditions at one point, and also trips and grazes his face/hand. At one point, he almost gives up on his search. All of this represents the tribulations and journey we all must go on that is life. But in a happy ending, he finds his light and follows it to a hidden area that has even more little lights. While not shown, these lights somehow take him home. But before we think it all a dream, DOYOUNG notices his hands (and we can see his face) are still scraped, which alludes to the fact that journey he went through the previous night (i.e., life) still occurred. I also notice that the little light in the video is green in colour, which is also NCT’s colour. And I have a feeling that all those little lights that become one big light might be reference to the NCT fanclub. I also enjoyed the scenery and the aesthetic of band instruments behind him in the scenes where he is singing into a microphone. What a stunning backdrop.
Song – 9.5/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9.3/10
I present to you my thoughts on ATEEZ’s second studio album THE WORLD EP.FIN: WILL, which dropped back on 1 December 2023. I know I have been mentioning this review for quite a bit as I have been reviewing some side tracks in preparation for this album review over the last few weeks. A total of 12 tracks, including the title track Crazy Form, four unit and solo tracks and 2 interlude/outro tracks, feature on this album. Also in some unexpected news that I just found out whilst writing up this album review, ATEEZ literally announced their next Korean comeback yesterday with GOLDEN HOUR Part. 1 and a May 31 release date. So with this album review out of the way, it is also time to prepare for ATEEZ’s next comeback (if you have already recovered from their 2 epic Coachella performances). But first, my thoughts on THE WORLD EP.FIN: WILL.
Please note that this album review also marks my final album review for a 2023 album for now. Apologies if you were awaiting for another 2023 album to be reviewed. They will form part of the list of albums that I will look to review in my spare time on an ad-hoc basis from previous years.
THE WORLD EP.FIN: WILL Album Cover
1. WE KNOW – WE KNOW builds the intensity for what is to come on this studio album. It feels suspenseful and maintains that vibe for majority of the song, which makes for an interesting opener. There is a fair bit I like in WE KNOW, such as the refrained rapping and the use of the autotune to help further that suspense and intensity. However, I feel WE KNOW’s vocals (excluding JONGHO’s impressive ad-libs) were sub-par and the instrumentation (I expected some sort of peak and not a linear trajectory to this song) was lackluster, and the hooks and melodies felt too underbaked. (7/10)
2. Emergency – Emergency steps the energy up a notch, but it takes a while for me to actually get into the track. I like the infusion of a more “epic vibe” into the instrumentation. The bass and synths definitely make the song bolder, while the members bring a certain hype energy to the table in Emergency. The best part of the song has to be the bridge – from JONGHO’s vocals to slight inclination of the instrumental to the rappers bringing up the energy in a similar manner. While the melodies do sound better in Emergency compared to the previous song, it could have gone further. The hooks were also a weak element. Had both picked up sooner, I think I would have gotten into the track a lot faster and not wait until we got near to the end to realize I like the song. (7.5/10)
4. ARRIBA – I like the exotic tinge to ARRIBA’s instrumental. It instantly attracts attention and appeals to me. In addition to the instrumentation, the energy that the members channel felt promising. The ending was the most exciting sequence of the song, thanks to the layering of ad-libs and chorus. The hooks were catchy and the melodies were almost sleek-like. I did think there was opportunity for the members to go even further and make ARRIBA feel even more of a hype track. But there is already a lot more to enjoy in ARRIBA compared to the other side tracks thus far on the mini-album. (8/10)
5. Silver Light – Silver Light’s electronic and synth-based instrumentation reminds me of Cyberpunk – a very infamous side track of ATEEZ’s. However, instead of being as intense and hard-hitting as Cyberpunk, Silver Light opts for a softer profile. I quite like Silver Light as it feels very ATEEZ, but the delicate sound profile and simmering/held back intensity is very unique and different for the group. The members’ vocals and rapping work extremely well in Silver Light, with the vocal work bringing out a more elegant sound. The rappers hold themselves back to complement the soundscape but I did like the roughness they have to offer in Silver Light. Best part of the song has to be YEOSANG and YUNHO’s English line in the choruses – their deep vocals adds to that simmering intensity that makes Silver Light so entrancing for me. (9/10)
6. Crescent Part.2 – Serving as an unofficial interlude to the album is Crescent Part.2. We heard something quite similar in TREASURE EP.3 : One To All, where Crescent (Part 1) served as an interlude with a similar soundscape of ocean waves crashing and birds in the distance. In Crescent Part.2, the instrumental piece is also quite riveting and stunning. It literally felt like nature all around me when I listen to this track. Extremely atmospheric. But it ends with a foreboding sound of a ship horn going off in the distance.
7. Dreamy Day (꿈날) – Bringing in some light to the album is Dreamy Day. I don’t have much thoughts on the instrumentation, but the brighter tone to the instrumentation did bring a smile to my face. As does the melodies. The vocals are much softer and it really did feel like the vocal line in this song took full advantage of the softer tone of the song to bring out those melodies thoroughly. The rappers are contained to just the second verse and kept to the softer brief that is Dreamy Day. Altogether, it was a very pleasant and enjoyable track. (8/10)
12. FIN : WILL – Closing out this studio album and THE WORLD era is FIN : WILL. There are some really nice narrations to the song. It starts off with questions about having painful memories and moments in the past. After a short focus on those, the questions start to become more hopeful and positive, which felt fitting for the uplifting tone that the music goes for. The backing piece is atmospheric and reflective, reminding me of a walk where you are lost in your own thoughts that are positively influenced by the nice sunny and breezy surroundings.
Over the last few weeks, I have been reviewing the solo and unit tracks from ATEEZ’s The World EP.Fin: Will that had an accompanying music video. Thus far, I have reviewed HONGJOONG & SEONGHWA’s MATZ, YEOSANG, SAN & WOOYOUNG’s IT’s You and YUNHO & MINGI’s Youth. That leaves JONGHO, who was the only member of the group to have a solo track on the studio album. The song is titled Everything. With the review completed, I can finally turn my attention to the album review – which will be posted tomorrow!
Once again, it should come as no surprise that the main vocalist of a group has gone down a balladry route for their solo track. But with JONGHO at the helm of Everything, you can definitely tell that this one is going to be an amazing one. Everything sees JONGHO and the piano start off quite soft, aligning with the lyrics that tells us that he is beginning to remember his former lover again (and on a regular occurrence). Once he approaches the chorus, the lyrics reflects his struggle with his inactions in the past and his soaring vocals in this part signifies the passion he personally feels that he would have done things differently in the past. The instrumental remains fairly neutral here. For the second verse of Everything, we get a bit more to the instrumentation and we hear JONGHO reflect how the unsuccessful relationship has affected him. We get another run at the chorus, before JONGHO really picks it up with some stunning high notes and oomph to his vocals. The lyrics here tells us he really wants to get back with his former lover. The power and emotion behind his vocals in this part tells us that he is very willing to do anything to get what he wants. But the final moments of Everything (and this interpretation also aligns with what we see in the music video – more on that in a moment) brings the story-telling to a semi-sharp ending, probably with the realisation that while his partner was everything to him, it won’t be that way anymore. Everything is definitely quite captivating and I liked how his lyrics told us a story. You can also definitely feel the emotions from his vocals and delivery. My only hesitation about the song is that the melodies aren’t as prevalent. But another great ballad for JONGHO and ATEEZ.
Similar to the song above, the music video shows us how JONGHO wants to do more in the past with his now ex-lover. At the start of the video, we see him alone, remembering about his former lover. He wanders to places where he has fond memories of her and can’t bring himself to go home. We then see his memories of the relationship and the subsequent breakdown of the relationship. The storyline and emotions in the video peaks as the song does with JONGHO’s final chorus of Everything. As mentioned above, the song finishes finishes semi-sharply (i.e., no instrumentation and final word from JONGHO). In the video, we see the partner’s presence disappear into the darkness and JONGHO only remaining at the end. From there, post-music, we see JONGHO sit around by himself and everything that gave him good memories (i.e., the basketball ring and their home) alight, which probably represents the reality that those memories shouldn’t linger but be forgotten (or else he would not be able to move on). It is a good video and I like how it works in tandem with the song and lyrics.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
At the start of the month, RIIZE dropped a comeback schedule that spans for more than 2 months, leading towards their first mini-album release, RIIZING. The first release as part of this schedule was the full-length version of Siren (which they unveiled as part of a pre-debut performance video) on April 3. The second release as part of this schedule comes today (April 18) through the form of the single Impossible. After Impossible. we are getting three side-tracks on April 29, followed by fan-cons in May and early June before the mini-album release on an unspecified date in June. So RIIZE are going to be very busy in the coming months. And I have been busy preparing my thoughts on Impossible for you.
Impossible is a dance pop track that actually comes off as quite pleasant. I don’t have anything negative to say about the song, with ‘pleasant’ being the simple one-word summary for this track. And to avoid any doubt, I mean it in a positive manner. Impossible features cool house beats and rhythm. The backing also features a variety of synth work, which brought some nice detailing to the mix. Throughout Impossible, you can hear some equally-as-cool squeezy-like synthesiser sounds in the background. Not exactly sure how to describe them, but they feel like someone took a synthesiser and squeezed the synth sound out of it. Towards the end, we get a splash of retro synths, which made for a nice ending to Impossible. The RIIZE members themselves comes into the song with a light approach to the song. Their consistent vocal work here definitely made the song enjoyable for me, and works well with the constant flow of bright and dance energy that the instrumental brought to Impossible. The only element I think Impossible is missing is a touch of some heavy. Presently, the overall tone of Impossible feels very light and this could make the song easy to miss. A hint of some something heavy would have helped ground Impossible and create an even more balance energy. Nothing too hefty or utilised too much, as that could throw out the entire balance of Impossible. But overall, Impossible is a really good song from the onset.
Keeping to the lightness of Impossible, the music video sees the members dance about and having some fun hanging out with one another. This just makes everything simpler and works well with the straight-forwardness of the song. The downside of this approach, however, is that there isn’t much else to the video. There were a few serious stares from some of the members throughout the video, so I wonder if this is just the beginning of something more as part of the bigger comeback.
The choreography for this release looks like a work out. The consistency of the song’s rhythm keeps the members constantly moving and there really isn’t much of a place to take a break. What stands out with the routine even more is the impressive footwork and leaps the members take during the chorus. Not only does that reiterate the workout descriptor of the choreography, but it also plays into the recurring lightness that I have mentioned throughout this review.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.7/10
We are now mid-week, but I am finally making a start on the comebacks that occurred at the start of this week. BOYNEXTOOR is one of the artists that did so, and they returned with the single Earth, Wind & Fire. The new single forms part of the group’s second mini-album, How?. An English version of the song also features as part of the new mini-album. This is their first comeback since the release of But Sometimes and WHY… last year.
BOYNEXTDOOR goes down a very playful route for Earth, Wind & Fire. This playful route revisits a dynamic that the group kind of touched on in one of their debut singles, One and Only. A major difference between the two songs is that Earth, Wind & Fire goes even further along in the playful department. This is particularly highlighted to us following the fun yet repetitive chorus (more on this in a second), with the sped-up line post-chorus. The chorus itself is already quite playful via its melodies, and the addition of the post-chorus sped-up line reiterates that even further. I can also see it potentially attracting attention and keeping Earth, Wind & Fire in your mind, even after it wraps. The chorus could have been better had it had more to it. It did end up being quite repetitive and this may have implications on continuous repeats of the song. I would imagine the repetitiveness might dull everything else going in the song or has been set up. To me, the most lacking sequences of Earth, Wind & Fire are the verses. The opening verse was okay with some interesting vocals, but there wasn’t anything that pinged me as interesting or worth mentioning, As for the second verse, the rapping and vocals we got didn’t feel like it fit with the rest of Earth, Wind & Fire. But the pre-chorus lines and trajectory serves as a nice ramp up to the song’s highlight. I also like the retro direction the bridge had. Overall, I appreciate the fun energy and unique elements in Earth, Wind & Fire, which keeps me around.
Backing up the playful song is the music video. And this video is definitely wild and a quirky journey. Earth, Wind & Fire is about the feelings of how the person someone love can be their whole world like the elements of earth, wind, and fire. These are definitely represented in some form in the video. But the song also highlights how love is like nature one can’t control, which we can see represented in the video via the imagery of the wild weather events in the sets. I quite enjoyed the addition of the sped-up choreography scenes to accompany the sped-up sequence of the song, as well as the in-built lyrics to help us (loosely) decipher that they are singing in that sequence. These two elements definitely adds to that playful nature really well.
Keeping the playful vibes alive is the choreography, which I really enjoyed to watch. They really carried the energy through the entire performance – both in the choreography and their chemistry on stage. It was so fun to watch and become engage in. I also found a down-to-earth side to the choreography, which furthers that engagement I just mentioned. I also find it astounding that they are also doing the sped-up sequence live, which adds intensity to the mix. Definitely can’t wait to watch more of this group performing this song on stage!
Song – 7.5/10 Music Video – 8,5/10 Performance – 10/10 Overall Rating – 8.3/10
I had intended to wrap up my reviews of 2023 albums (for now) this week with another album (look over my more recent reviews to figure which album that might be). But then I realized I may have overlooked an important comeback from the past year that I should have picked up earlier to review – TAEMIN’s Guilty. I know, I apologies for missing Guilty. But I have slid in Guilty into the agenda this weekend, and move that other album to next weekend. This is TAEMIN’s first mini-album since completing his military list, his last mini-album with SM Entertainment (TAEMIN left SM earlier this year and has signed on with Big Planet Made (BPM) Entertainment) and his fourth Korean mini-album overall. It features the title track of the same name and 5 additional side tracks.
2. The Rizzness – Despite having a questionable name, many listeners unexpectedly like The Rizzness. I am in that group as well, but not exactly to the extent of others. The Rizzness is a much edgier song than usual for TAEMIN, and this attracts attentions. He is known for more aesthetic works, so The Rizzness is very much different for the soloist. The instrumental adds to that ‘difference’ with a bold trap/hip-hop styled drill sound. His vocals definitely smooth out the roughness of the instrumental backing whilst also creating tension with the rest of the song. But I think there could have been some more interesting delivery from TAEMIN to make The Rizzness even more interesting. It is good as it is, but some flair (one way or another) in the vocal department could have made it even better. ICYMI – TAEMIN also released a performance video for The Rizzness. (8/10)
3. She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not – The trap and guitar riffs make this track interesting from the onset. Then comes TAEMIN’s vocals, which is by far the most captivating element and literally carries you onto the journey of She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not. He relies on a breathier tone in some parts to provide a more sensual yet pensive vibe, and amps up other parts with shoutier vocals in other moments to give us some vigor. This illustrates the dilly dally nature of the song’s lyrics and title (which is about realisation of an ending relationship). Clever. Despite the different delivery tactics used, he manages to also maintain a consistent softness and delicateness to the song, which helps give She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not an emotional ad heartbreaking dimension, as well. (9/10)
4. Not Over You (제자리) – Not Over You speaks to the feeling of not being over someone that you had broken up with and the fact the memories of the relationship still too raw. I found the R&B-esque instrumental for Not Over You gives it a calming presence, yet TAEMIN’s vocals were emotive and engaging throughout. I like how the various elements in Not Over You cohesively worked together. A good example of this is the autotune that blends TAEMIN’s vocals with the instrumental during the choruses. I also really liked how deep his vocals got in the bridge of the song. Definitely a gripping moment in Not Over You. (8/10)
5. Night Away (오늘밤) – Night Away goes for a softer pop track, which features a prominent acoustic guitar presence and some really nice dreamy synth work. The combination of the two makes for a soothing number. TAEMIN’s clear vocals also follows this direction, and does so in a very consistent manner. This consistency isn’t a flaw in the song, as any differentiation in vocals or delivery could have potentially disrupted the flow of the song. (8/10)
6. Blue – My favourite song on this album comes at the end. Blue is just so captivatingly atmospheric. The only way I can fully appreciate Blue is by stopping whatever I am doing and closing my eyes so I can be whisked away. From the synth work to the vintage drums to the guitar work to TAEMIN’s vocals, everything just felt so calming. Refreshing and freeing also comes to my mind when I listen to Blue. I keep on mentioning how good TAEMIN’s vocals are on this album, but I think his delivery here is the best. Just so captivating. (10/10)
I am still wrapping up my list of 2023 album reviews, which I am expecting to have wrapped next weekend. Next on my dwindling list of albums is Xdinary Heroes’ Livelock, which was released in October 2023 alongside the music video for the title track Break The Brake. Following the album release, music videos for PLUTO and AGAIN? AGAIN! also dropped – the former got its own review which I posted last week, while the latter song’s review is located in this post. An additional four songs are featured on the album, rounding the tracklist for Livelock to 7 songs.
If you missed it, the band’s performance for Break The Brake earned them a nomination and win for Best Band Performance of 2023 in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. And that recognition should also be expanded to cover the entire mini-album, as the tracks on the album were all of a very high calibre and explored various rock and punk sounds in a very appealing and enticing manner.
Livelock Album Cover
1. Freddy – Xdinary Heroes begin the album with a very lively song. Freddy actually feels fitting for a fast-paced chase scene in an action-comedy movie – the song’s lyrics are also about a chase. The rhythm in this track was intense, but also fun at the same time. It makes for an interesting and compelling atmosphere. The drumming was definitely the main driver of this. It was also backed up with some animated vocals that kept the momentum of Freddy going. I also really like how they went full head-banging rock as part of the bridge. A very strong start to the album. (10/10)
4. Enemy – Enemy talks about how you are your own biggest enemy. It is an emo-rock song that has a fair bit of tension to it. When the track reaches the chorus, all of that tension is released in a very intense and loaded manner that makes Enemy shine. The electric guitar at the end is a bit skittish, but works well with the rest of the track. The vocal work has a conflicted tone to it, which makes perfect sense to this track. (8/10)
5. Bad Chemical – Bad Chemical bring synths and industrial rock together. I love the head banging potential behind the chorus of this track. It makes the song so much more thrilling. The shoutier motif that the members adopted with their chorus delivery made sure they could be heard over the packed instrumentation, and it added to that thrilling nature I just mentioned. Other parts saw more melodic vocals, which sound quite nice as well. (9/10)
6. Paranoid – With the likes of Good Enough in Xdinary Heroes’ repertoire, I am excited for another rock ballad from the band. Paranoid doesn’t give off that same spark as the former song did, but I find it so interesting that they managed to make a song about being insecure so dreamy. Jungsu’s long note was spectacular, and I like the raspier motif each vocalist brings to the song. I also like how the rock amps up throughout the song. (9/10)
7. AGAIN? AGAIN! – The mini-album ends off with another fast-paced and fun track. AGAIN? AGAIN! is very much a different song to the one that opened that the track thanks to its much brighter pop punk energy. It celebrates the idea of falling in love again. The drumming and guitar work goes hard in this track, which makes this track exhilarating to listen to, particularly in that instrumental break. The combination of such a positive message and energising atmosphere just makes it so profound. ICYMI – Xdinary Heroes did release a self-cam music video for this track. (10/10)
As previously flagged, I am gearing up to review ATEEZ’s The World EP.Fin: Will. But I will be reviewing the unit and solo tracks that has an accompanying music video released in January of this year first. So far I have reviewed HONGJOONG and SEONGHWA’s MATZ and YEOSANG, SAN and WOOYOUNG’s IT’s You. Today, I will be reviewing YUNHO & MINGI’s Youth.
Out of the four side-tracks that I will be reviewing from the The World EP. Fin: Will album, Youth is the most recognisable track of the bunch. There are a few elements within Youth that has made the song stay with me since its release in December. The most profound element is the song’s melodic flow. I find that the melodies in Youth bring out a nostalgia factor that ultimately makes the song so comforting and inviting to listen to. Further to that, the combination of MINGI’s raspy vocals and YUNHO’s crisper tone makes the melody feel so soothing to listen and ring out even louder after the fact. This definitely helps makes the song catchy and memorable. The hooks also help out with this memorable factor of Youth. The second element that stands out to me is the instrumental. It opts for a softer tone that I wished ATEEZ explores a bit more. I feel there is potential for the group to delve into this sound further. The combination of the melancholy piano and subtle sprinkle of brass, alongside the comfortable band instrumentation, just re-emphasise all of the descriptors that I have already mentioned for Youth. Even the rapping from MINGI was well balanced and I liked his presence in the song.
Youth is about the struggles that one experience at a young age and how it was tough yet under-played by adults who think they know better. And in the music video, we see both MINGI and YUNHO come to terms with their struggles. MINGI’s character’s struggles appears to be with other people – the societal struggles, based on how he is always surrounded or is with someone wearing a black mask. In a later scene, we see a shadow of MINGI with arrows in his back, representing the various ‘shots’ people have taken at him. YUNHO, on the other hand, is by himself for majority of the video and I think that represents a more personal and internal struggle. The broken car might represent his attempts to get away from it all. In the end, the video ends with their house (for MINGI’s character) and garage (for YUNHO’s character) burn down and we see them run away with one another, suggesting that their friendship has helped them move forward from the struggles. Aside from the plot, I like the warmer hue of the video, which enhances all of the above that I mentioned about the song.
Again, no formal performance video for this song release. So I am relying on the snippets that are in the music video and a fan-cam of the performance from their concert. The performance actually looks quite nice. Just like the other elements of the comeback, the performance also came had a comforting vibe. The suits the pair donned made the stage look more sophisticated and was probably to highlight the fact they are at a more mature stage of their lives now, and I really liked the jazzy interlude I saw the pair perform as part of their stage. I also think YUNHO shined with this performance, with his cool solo moment in the bridge.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.3/10
Keeping to traditional, CRAVITY has returned to the stage with a follow-up release to February’s Love or Die. Also released as part of the group’s 7th mini-album, EVERSHINE, is the track C’est La Vie, which the group will be promoting as the second single from the mini-album. Yesterday, the group dropped the music video for C’est La Vie, which has prompted today’s review post.
For me, I thought C’est La Vie was one of the more mellow and plainer dance tracks off EVERSHINE (from what I can remember when I checked out the mini-album). So it is interesting to me that it was chosen to be the follow-up single for EVERSHINE. Presently, I don’t have a clear pick for what could have been a better pick (I will need to revisit the album to decide that). But C’est La Vie would not have been my first choice. There are some elements in the song give C’est La Vie some edge, such as the consistently pounding beat and the rougher post-chorus sequence that follows the chorus. The pre-chorus has a blissful vibe to it, and the accompanying rap surprisingly pairs well with said atmosphere. But aside from thaose aspects, the rest of C’est La Vie felt ordinary and doesn’t really speak to me as much. I think the chorus could have been bolder and defined and the verses didn’t have much going aside from that pounding beat I already mentioned. As a whole piece and considering my thoughts on the song above are quite balanced, I find myself indifferent to C’est La Vie.
The music video appears to be influenced by stories such as Peter Pan (via the presence of the kids and CRAVITY, whom I think are a version of the Lost Boys in the video) and Howl’s Moving Castle (via the presence of the older lady in the video, who turns into a Miyazaki anime-styled older lady giant that looks similar to the Witch of the Waste). Both of these stories touch upon the idea of life, which is fitting for a song titled after the French translation of the phrase ‘Such is life’. I like the fun and chaos that is brought around by the little kids and CRAVITY in the music video, especially at the start. At the peak of the video, TAEYONG and one of the young kids come together to take down the anime-style giant lady, and return the giant to her original form – the older lady we see earlier in the video, whom we see again at the end of the video with the kid.
The choreography looks good, based on the snippets that are included in the music video and a fan-cam I found of their performance at their fan-con. Their synchronisation during the first pre-chorus made that sequence looks cool, and I liked the intensity they give off during the post-chorus sequence.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.5/10
KPOPREVIEWED 