Category: KPOP

[Review] Sparkling – CHUNG HA

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CHUNG HA kicked started the week off with her comeback Sparkling and the first part of her second studio album, Bare & Rare. This comeback is the first time we have seen CHUNG HA on stage in over a year and a half following the release of her first studio album Querencia and the title track Bicycle at the start of 2021. CHUNG HA has released some music since that comeback, but has not been actively promoting her releases. Some music include My Lips Like Warm Coffee (a collaboration with Colde), WHY DON’T WE (another collaboration, but with RAIN) and the special single Killing Me at the end of last year.

CHUNG HA’s Sparkling, since the very beginning, has been a very bright, refreshing and upbeat track that fits perfectly into the Summer season. Since its release on Monday, I find each listen to be a great experience that just makes me happy and that it is a vivid listen. It was a mostly consistent pop synth sound, which for Sparkling is a great sound profile to have. The only part that doesn’t necessarily fit well for me was the trap styled start to the second verse, particularly the presence of those metallic clang and twangs. It was passable when I consider the overall sound of Sparkling, but it still does stuck out like a sore thumb. On the other hand, I enjoyed the addition of guitars in the final chorus to give Sparkling some extra oomph at the end. It adds a rock like influence to the end that just did wonders to the song and help prevent Sparkling from falling into the trap of being too consistent, if you know what I mean. I also enjoyed the small details in the instrumental, such as the whistle and that pop in the midst of the Sparkling‘s main hook, which just added nice character. Talking about character, CHUNG HA did an amazing job with solid vocals throughout Sparkling. There were also strong hooks and melodies throughout that helped made Sparkling memorable in my books.

For the music video aspect of this comeback, it was a good one. It fits in with the upbeat and bright sound of Sparkling nicely with an underwater concept, the second one this year (the first one was WJSN’s Last Sequence). Throughout the video, CHUNG HA looks pretty and I like the smiles she brings to the video. The video itself experiments with some different camera angles flying over CHUNG HA, and has a nice vivid colour palette as well. However, I do want to note that this isn’t her best music video of all time. Sparkling‘s video takes on that typical formula of closeups and choreography shots, and doesn’t really do anything within those boundaries to set it apart from other music videos that manage to make me go wow with one or both components.

Her past few comebacks have shown off a sexier side, which is completely fine. But for Sparkling‘s choreography, I quite enjoyed that she departed from showcasing that sexier side, even though it wasn’t a knockout routine. It felt quite refreshing and gives CHUNG HA to show off a different dynamic and side as a performer. There are still some sensual moments in the choreography (it just isn’t upfront!), but for the most time, the choreography is lighter and brighter (as with her smiles).

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

[Album Review] Love Pt. 1: First Love (4th Mini Album) – WEi

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As promised, the next album review here. And it is for WEi’s fourth mini-album Love Pt.1: First Love, which was released back in March of this year. The mini-album consists of 6 tracks, including the title track Too Bad, which also dropped on the same day of release of the mini-album.

I find Love Pt.1: First Love to be a fair mini-album. No knockout tracks, but there are a few gems on the release that I think should get recognition. I had the idea of bumping up the rating of title track for this album review, simply because Too Bad caught on and I enjoy it even more than when I first reviewed it. But I stopped myself, given that this isn’t the time and place to do it. I will consider it later on, to see if my thoughts on the song actually have changed and put it into a whole different segment on this blog. But more on that in the future. In the meanwhile, check out my thoughts on the tracks below.

Love Pt. 1: First Love Album Cover

1. BLOSSOM (피어나) – From the start of BLOSSOM, I thought the song was going to be more of an ethereal and atmospheric track. But it ultimately ended up being a soft pop rock track. Not the development I had in mind, but it was still a great track nonetheless. I enjoyed the softer tones of BLOSSOM, while the melodies and hooks were very satisfying. My favourite bit of the song were the pre-choruses, where that soft pop rock influence just creeps in to be more profound. Overall, BLOSSOM kicks off the album in a very pleasant fashion. (8/10)

2. Too Bad (Title Track) – Click here for the full review of Too Bad. (8/10)

3. Super Bumpy – Super Bumpy is a bit of an oddball, in my opinion. But I mean that in a good way. I didn’t expect such a smooth and delicate pre-chorus in the midst of such a cool and bumpy synth line. The same comment can be applied to some of the harmonisation we get in the song. I do think the members could have been a bit more dynamic and bolstered with their delivery, just to give Super Bumpy a bit more of a oomph factor and to make it more exciting, on par with the instrumental. (7.5/10)

4. Know Ya – The sleek but subtly dynamic house-based chorus to Know Ya steals the show for me. I also enjoyed the sleekness and sensual vibe that comes from the member’s R&B centric vocals, especially in the chorus. The breathiness and harmonies were really on point. All of these components came together to create a low-key song. But in terms of execution and delivery, Know Ya spoke volumes to me. (9/10)

5. Bad Night – Bad Night tones down the mini-album, but it does so in a strong fashion. Bad Night turns to acoustics at the start, before a slightly softer pop approach takes over. I like the touch of brass added to the song. It is kept soft and light, fitting in with the overall sound of Bad Night. The vocal line really shown in Bad Night with their higher pitched parts in the chorus and harmonies (once again). (8/10)

6. Bouquet (꽃다발) – Bouquet is this album’s ballad. It is classically instrumented and is a beautiful piece. All the members do a great job with their vocals, and the melodies make me sway along – just how I like it. I did think the melodies could have been a bit more memorable, however, just so the ballad can have more of a drawing point than beautifully executed vocals and instrumental. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.1/10

Love Pt.1: First Love Teaser Image

[Review] Girls – aespa

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I skip forward to Friday (a.k.a. yesterday) to review aespa’s latest comeback, Girls, the title of both the group’s second mini-album and latest title track. This is the group’s first release since their promotions for the remake of S.E.S’ Dreams Come True at the end of last year. Since then, members Karina and Winter debuted as part of the super female group, Got The Beat, who promoted Step Back earlier this year (a release I will make sure to review some time in the future), performed as the 2022 Coachella, and released two pre-release singles for the mini-album Girls (Illusion and Life’s Too Short).

Girls is a lot more palatable compared to Next Level or Savage for me. Those past aespa tracks had a lot within in them, the result of stringing and jamming so many styles into one song. Girls does the exact same, but there is a sense of cohesiveness that makes it feel tighter and flow a lot better in my opinion. Each style that I heard within Girls had a bombastic flair that ties everything together. My favourite is the rock influence we get midway in the verses. There was so much power and kick to it that it woke me up when I was writing this review. Similarly, the dance break that we get in Girls features these super crunchy synths that I find are so satisfying to listen to. They brought so much energy and intensity to the already intense track. Girls also showcases aespa’s vocal and rapping is a very strong light. They brought more power to the song, and I find it remarkable that somehow aespa always emerges on top of the ‘noisy’ instrumental backing in their synth dance tracks. aespa has consistently showed off their vocals, but I feel Girls has done it the best way possible. The high notes are (as always) impressive. When it comes to the flaws of the song, I feel the chorus was probably the weakest aspect of Girls. There isn’t a memorable hook to it, and what we did get as a hook was somewhat flat. I also feel like the chorus took it down a notch and didn’t really match up with the energy, intensity and power that the other parts of Girls was loaded up with.

As with the other aespa’s music videos, this one is clearly connected to Kwangya somehow given that it is set in that alternative reality setting. I haven’t really been following the developments of this SM cinematic universe, so I really don’t know how it fits in with the bigger picture. I just know that it does. But as someone without context, I see that the members (both the human members and the ae members) have found a hideout and have gone into it to destroy a rock like heart object. Obviously, the members had to fight their way through to destroy the rock like heart. Interestingly, from somewhere, a mysterious figure who has a snake as a pet (maybe a black mamba?) was watching the events unfold (and controlling those who were defending the rock like heart object. That figure ended up dying as the result of the rock being destroyed. I liked the action scenes and found the rest of the video to follow a similar cool flair.

As for the choreography for this comeback, I thought it was rather weak and didn’t have enough oomph to match the music. It also didn’t seem to top the iconic Next Level choreography, which I kind of expected with this comeback. Even the dance break didn’t really live up to expectations, and that usual does for other comebacks.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 5/10
Overall Rating – 7.4/10

[Review] LOVEADE – VIVIZ

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Making their comeback on Wednesday of this week was VIVIZ, their official first comeback since their debut as a trio earlier this year with BOP BOP!. Leading the group’s second mini-album, Summer Vibe, is the title track LOVEADE. This comeback also follows the group’s participation on the show Queendom 2, to which they placed third. Fun fact – VIVIZ is the fourth competitor from the show to comeback following the show’s end in May of this year.

Let me start by affirming that LOVEADE is genuinely a decent song. It has all the elements it needed to be a fantastic summer track. LOVEADE had an upbeat and energetic funky retro pop instrumental with a fun beat. There was an undeniable refreshing and bright atmosphere that is brought to life by both the instrumental and higher pitched vocals. Though the description is most accurate for the latter during the chorus’ and the more powerful moments such as the bridge (which was a showstopping section of LOVEADE). And there were light melodies that I find to be a catchy aspect of the song. All of this ticks the many boxes for a great song. But unfortunately, a part of me also feels that LOVEADE was constricted, confined and limited. I wanted the song and the members to go the extra mile with LOVEADE. One of the prime examples of this desire to go the extra mile can be applied to the main hook, the repetitive ‘I love it … love it, ice loveade‘. Admittedly, it has caught on thanks to multiple replays of the song, but it did feel flat to me at first. The same feeling emerges when the main hook is repeated at the end of the song every time I play it. Had there been a bit of a different backing other than the stripped instrumental, or they approached in a slightly different manner (all of which I would consider to fall under the ‘going the extra mile’), I think the main hook would have faired better. Similarly, the vocals in the verses were just dry and plain. They don’t really offer much to the song, and this is quite disappointing. I wished more was done in regards to this, just to give LOVEADE an overall equal level of flair and colour to make the song more exciting and enjoyable.

The accompanying music video for this comeback was quite pretty. It felt summery and bright. The song likens a couple’s love to a refreshing ade beverage (taken from SOOMPI), but I got more of a ‘make the best out of a situation’ with a side of a crush from the music video. But that’s fine, as it is still refreshing and enjoyable. I found the idea of a guy pierced with the arrows that Umji shot (and subsequently missed) to be quite funny. I really like the dance set with the mirrored walls. The different ways of styling made it feel different every time, and this would help cut down on costs. Quite a clever tactic.

The small heart shapes and motions they make with their hands was quite cute and a memorable aspect of the performance. I also really like the triangle formation just before the final chorus, where the members just did small swings while standing in one spot but the camera did the moving, so it felt like there was a fair bit of movement. Adds another clever tactic to the performance side of this comeback.

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

[Review] I LOVE U – WINNER

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Also making their comeback on Tuesday this week was WINNER, who returns with their fourth mini-album Holiday and their latest single, I LOVE U. This comeback follows a two hiatus for the group, where members Yoon and Mino focused on solo activities while JINU and Hoony enlisted into the military. Their last comeback as a group occurred in 2020 with Hold and Remember.

I LOVE U is a fun song that I did not expect to like as much as I did. Not too sure why I didn’t have much expectation for this comeback, as I tend to dive into the news of a comeback and check out teasers to help build an expectation, especially for a group of WINNER’s calibre. But I guess being busy the last few weeks have gotten in the way of that. What is great about I LOVE U is that it is a great distraction from all of that. The vibrant energy that is exuded from I LOVE U‘s pop like background was very much straight forward in a no nonsense way, infectious and enjoyable. This mixture of retro, funky, pop and brightness made the entire 3 minute run of the song very appealing. I like how the vocals of Yoon and JINU are also quite vibrant throughout, matching the energy of the song and adding more vibrant layers to the song. The melodies in the chorus were memorable. At first, the exclamatory ‘I LOVE U Ooh‘ felt off putting and shrilly. But the power of multiple listens has helped it catch on, and they are now my favourite part of I LOVE U. As for the rappers, they add quite a playful and fun dynamic through their rapping. My favourite in particular is when they alternated during their rap verse. I LOVE U follows the now standard rule that YG releases need an anthem or chanty like sequence. For I LOVE U, I liked the wholesome feel of this sequence in the final chorus, and how it was backed up by one more round of the actual chorus. Slightly different to what we usually get in a YG song, but still in that same frame of mind.

Matching with the song, the music video is also quite fun. Everything felt like a show, from the start with the intro introducing us to the return of the WINNER show, to the behind the scenes shots of show’s studio, to the retro performance set up we get at the start. We also get a glimpse of their change rooms and make up rooms, and also some of the shows being shot (i.e. the crime and romance shows). It is a lighthearted concept that makes me smile and goes a long way.

Choreography-wise, I quite liked it. It matches the fun and playful vibes of the song. The chorus bit looks great and I liked how they mimicked hugs during that part. The final chorus, with the swinging heads which I am sure was at one point a TikTok trend, and the change up with the arms was a really fun way to finish the performance.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.9/10

[Review] Last Sequence – WJSN

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Following their massive win on Queendom 2 at the end of May with the single AURA, WJSN makes a speedy return this week with Last Sequence, their latest single since the release of UNNATURAL in over a year (March 2021). But WJSN hasn’t exactly disappeared following their last comeback. In addition to Queendom 2, Last Sequence also follows the debut of WJSN’s second subunit WJSN The Black with Easy, the return of WJSN Chocome with Super Yuppers! (which I have yet to review), their 2022 concerts and some other music releases and solo ventures.

Last Sequence is another solid track from WJSN. One of the things I really enjoyed about the song is the consistency of Last Sequence. Again, I have made some comments in the past about how consistency is an issue with some songs, boring me because the song just feels same all throughout. Last Sequence is consistent, but the energy that comes from the dance based instrumental keeps the song exciting and enjoyable. I also like how it feels refined. Many songs would blast us with synths and details – sometimes it is great and other times it is quite overwhelming. But while Last Sequence is also synth-based as well, it doesn’t blast or overwhelm me. The instrumental keeps to itself in the background of the song, in a manner that is still noticeable and not subtle. What I am trying to get at is that the instrumental doesn’t dominate the song, which helps makes Last Sequence more enjoyable. There are additional perks to this, such as showcase of vocals that we get in Last Sequence. I liked how vibrant everyone was in the song. Yeonjung was probably a tad too loud and upfront in the chorus, overshadowing the vocalists who preceded or succeeded her. I wished her vocals were toned down by a notch, just so the other members have a better glow to their parts. Exy’s rapping felt too constricted as usual, and I felt the upbeat nature of Last Sequence enables Exy to have a more substantial part in the song. As for the hooks and melodies, I thought they were great and meaty, allowing Last Sequence to be catchy and addictive.

The music video has an underwater concept which I personally felt looked refreshing and cooling for the Summer season we find the release currently in. I believe that a mermaid concept would be more accurate, given that some scenes, their comeback showcase and teaser images allude to that. However, I do think the scenes in the video were a bit weak and didn’t show that mermaid concept as strongly as it could have been. I quite enjoy the idea of having a fashion show mixed within the underwater/mermaid concept, which is a fantastic and different idea. Not as innovative as it can be, but still adds a more interesting element to the music video. The members looked stunning throughout the video and the colours were so light but vibrant and showstopping.

I quite liked the two sides to the performance. On one hand, you have graceful set of moves that feels elegant and smooth. On the other hand, there is a intensity and charismatic vibe that feels like a different extreme. But somehow WJSN (and their choreographer) moulds the two sides together to create a cohesive and worthwhile piece.

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

[Review] Future Perfect (Pass the MIC) – ENHYPEN

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Kick starting this week is ENHYPEN, who makes their return with with their new single Future Perfect (Pass the MIC) and their third mini-album MANIFESTO: DAY 1. This follows Blessed-Cursed (their Korean comeback from earlier this year) and the release of Always (their first Japanese single, which was also released early this year).

Moving on from their last series of title tracks, it appears that ENHYPEN has gone with a tougher and powerful sound with this comeback. While it was executed successfully, I do think Future Perfect was mundane. There were parts this in hip-hop based track that I wished went a bit harder and should have had more bite too it. For example, the hype parts of the song, such as the final round of the chorus, didn’t really add much energy to the song. This would have been the perfect opportunity to finish off Future Perfect in an energy tense manner that really drives the song home, but this was not the case. In addition, the ending just kind of came along, and to me Future Perfect didn’t finish in a satisfying enough manner. Other parts of Future Perfect felt quite satisfying, such as the vocals in the pre-chorus, which gave us a nice breather from the rapping before it and following it in the chorus. I also liked how they fit into the bigger picture. The brass elements in the chorus of Future Perfect gave the song a subtle yet effective fanfare element which made the chorus interesting for me. I also didn’t mind the shouty nature of the chorus, though I wished their delivery a tad more dynamic and possibly had catchier hooks somewhere. Overall, Future Perfect is a fair song, but it is a step (once again) into more typical territory for me. And I wished ENHYPEN (and the producers of Future Perfect) did more with the song.

Based the ending title card, it appears that this music video is connected to ENHYPEN’s fictional webtoon, Dark Moon: The Blood Altar. It sounds cool in theory. But as someone who has not seen the webtoon, I can’t tell what is going on. Cloaked figures are being burned alive, while other cloak figures are watching the members. There is some time travel involving a stop watch. And a private jet as well. All of this was done in an urban setting. If there was context, maybe the darker themes of the video would make more sense. But to me, this video features random scenes with a very thin string to bind it all together.

The performance definitely shows off a tough and powerful exterior to the members/group, fitting for the song that went down that path in terms of sound. Nothing really stood out at me for the choreography, though I did like how aggressive and serious their facial expressions and how captivating it was to watch them perform this track, as a result.

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

[Review] POP! – NAYEON (TWICE)

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After seven years, the first member from TWICE is finally making her solo debut. The honour goes to TWICE’s NAYEON, who debuted as a solo artist last Friday with the single POP! and the mini-album Im Nayeon. I personally wonder if this solo debut is a backup plan in case TWICE’s contract negotiation falls through (which I hope is not the case). I just find it suspicious that the group is only a few months out of the standard seven year contract, and suddenly one member (so far – I hope there is more solo debuts on the way) make her solo debut. But I guess time will tell. Until then, this is my review for POP!. This is also the first TWICE related release of the year, as well, following the release of Doughnut in Japan and SCIENTIST in Korea.

POP! is an okay track. Since its release, I have listened to it a few times. And while it nice and decent, I am not exactly head over heels for this solo release. As mentioned yesterday, maybe time will help make the song grow on me. But as for now, I am pretty neutral over POP!. I liked the instrumental’s percussive and upbeat underlay, which was a pleasantly consistent element in the instrumental. It brought on a refreshing vibe to the song, undoubtedly fitting for the Summer season that this comeback falls in. The brass in the verse and the electric guitar in the chorus were nice additions to add extra life and colour to the instrumental. Together, they create a relatively simple pop instrumental for the likes of POP!. As for NAYEON’s vocals in POP!, they sound good. But I am not overly excited by her vocals. They felt somewhat plain. Similar comments can be said about the song’s melodies. I just expected something more jumpy or vibrant. We get part of the way there, but it just isn’t enough. Her spoken hook (i.e. the pops) were probably the most exciting part of the song. Though, I do think POP! would have benefited from something more punchy and colourful. The rapping felt unnecessary and adds an overly cute sequence into the song that felt too sugary and saccharine for my taste. Overall, I feel the strong and weak points of POP! cancel each other out, leaving me without much feelings for the song. I neither hate nor like POP!. I am just somewhere in the middle.

The music video fairs better than the song. It is everything you can ask for in a Summer concept music video. Bright, colourful, vibrant. The sets look amazing and fun, as well. I quite like the look of the post-production treatment, as it help adds so much more life visually to the video. On top of that, Nayeon is stunning and looks amazing throughout the video. Her smiles also make the a whole lot of difference to the video, adding more to those bright and vibrant descriptors I have mentioned.

I thought the choreography was great. The small pops that come via the hips and body movements looked fantastic and adds a vibrant and fun element to the routine. I also like how the dancers made the popping come to life following the second chorus when they stand behind Nayeon (and then fan out).

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

[Review] SUGAR – Youngjae (GOT7)

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Making this solo comeback last week was Youngjae with his second mini-album and title track, both of which are titled SUGAR. This is his second comeback following his solo debut with Vibin’ in October of last year (his first was via the winter single Walk With Me, which I didn’t review). Youngjae’s solo comeback also follows GOT7’s recent long awaited return to the industry, to which Youngjae and all his fellow members participated in, after almost 1.5 years absence from the industry.

SUGAR has yet to really catch on like how Vibin’ did. But more time could change that. And based on what I am going to be saying in this review, I expect that it will. Nonetheless, SUGAR has proven to be an extremely enjoyable track. The funky pop instrumental made up of pronounced guitars was quite consistent throughout the song. While consistency has been an issue in the past for some songs, the consistency issue is not really a thing here in SUGAR. This is thanks to the guitar work, which is so vibrant and punchy that it offsets any consistency concerns. That being said, there is also a bit of trap thrown into the mix for the second verse and finger clicks in the bridge that gives some variety to the background. SUGAR features strong vocals from Youngjae, whose tone matches the vibrancy of the guitar in the instrumental. It really allows him to pop out in the song. He also adds a bit of sweetness to the song, which works really well with the title of the song. His ad-libs at the end channels a fair bit of energy, as well, creating a dynamic end. Youngjae also tries his hand at rapping for the second verse. It was a fair effort. I do think maybe a featuring rapper could have made it more dynamic and enticing, but Youngjae did well on his own. I quite like how he handled the ‘That’s how you do it‘ line midway through the second verse. The melodies of SUGAR were also quite catchy and enjoyable. Overall, SUGAR is a nice follow-up single to his debut track.

The video starts off a bit dark, with Youngjae awakening from a slumber at the dinner table, just in time to see a female presence leave the room. He has a flashback of the nights event, and runs after the female. We are then shown what happened. The day started very bright and outside. He seeks the attention of the female character from the beginning of the video, trying his best to look cool (which I personally think he achieved, but that might be my bias for him talking now). He then throws a classy dinner party. He is so infatuated by the female character (as expressed in the lyrics). and continues his cool streak that he fails to catch on her efforts of putting him to sleep. The motive is unclear, but I guess she and her friends want to have a good time at the expense of Youngjae (who in the credits is shown asleep, while everyone else has fun at his party). I quite enjoyed the chemistry that Youngjae had with the camera throughout the video, looking quite confident and cheeky. The settings were also really nice.

Like in the music video, I quite like how charismatic he is on stage. It creates a strong atmosphere for the performance. Aside from that, I liked the energy he and the dancers channel throughout the performance. Nothing really stood out, until the end, where he pushes through the dancer dramatically. That I felt was a cool moment.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.1/10

[Review] Heart Burn – Sunmi

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It has felt like it has been a while since we have heard new music from Sunmi, even though we have heard the odd single or two from her since her last official promotions of You Can’t Sit With Us from August of last year. Since then, she has released two special singles (Go or Stop? and Oh Sorry Ya). But as already mentioned, neither were promoted (and hence no review was written for them). Today, Sunmi returned with the new single Heart Burn.

Described as the day version of her pporappippam (a song that depicts a Summer night’s atmosphere), Sunmi describes Heart Burn as the heat of a Summer’s day. I quite enjoyed the likes of Heart Burn, simply for the pleasant nature of the song. Yes, it joins a string of pleasant songs that we have gotten thus far this year. But with a heavy presence of EDM still dominating the likes of the industry, pleasant songs like Heart Burn are much appreciated by yours truly. I quite like the easy going atmosphere that the song has, making it quite ‘easy on the ears’, as I always say. The melodies and instrumental were relatively simple, but they were still quite appealing and catchy nonetheless. The guitar and percussion creates a low-key pop instrumental, which came off as refreshing to me. I quite liked the sparing use and intriguing nature of the high pitch squeaky synth that fills up the non-vocal sections of the song. It was a simple use of the synth, but I thought it was clever to confine it to just those moments so avoid overuse, which in turn made it quite attractive. I also like Sunmi’s vocals throughout Heart Burn. They blended very nicely into the song, keeping true to the pleasant and easy going nature of the song. Her vocals were quite consistent throughout Heart Burn, never really breaking free from a standard motif. But somehow it works and makes Heart Burn more appealing. When compared to her other works, however, Heart Burn doesn’t really stick out for me. But it is still a really neat song.

The music video starts off quite innocent and almost cutesy in a way, with Sunmi playing about in the garden and playing with a dog. But it was soon revealed that Sunmi is an immortal femme fatale, who has caused the death of multiple men throughout history. She strikes in 1856, 1926, 1966, 1969 in the scenes, causing at least four deaths (that we know of). Sunmi’s portray is very fitting, given her sensual style we have seen in past music videos. I did wish the change of emotions of sorrow and guilt to happiness that we do see in the video was a bit more snappy and sudden, just to make the story a bit more apparent. And maybe a modern day shot of her going for her next victim would have been a nice closer to the video. But I guess that might lead into cheesy territory.

Usually, you see idols put a bit of energy into their performance to come off sensual. But what I saw in Sunmi’s performance was very little energy, but it somehow manages to come off as effortlessly sensual. I am amazed at her skills. I also liked the fans throughout the performance. They are aesthetic and artsy. They also added a fair bit of oomph to the stage.

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

[Review] BOOM – HUTA (Lee Minhyuk (BTOB))

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Also making his comeback today is HUTA (a.k.a Lee Minhyuk from BTOB) who returns as a solo artist after three years with the title track and his second studio length album, both titled BOOM. HUTA did make a small comeback in 2021 with the single, Good Night, but that flew under most people’s radar and wasn’t reviewable due to a lack of promotive material. So I won’t consider that a full fledged comeback, and so BOOM follows HUTA’s 2019 solo debut release, YA, and his first studio length album, HUTAZONE. HUTA also recently promoted as part of BTOB, who made their grand return earlier this year with The Song.

BOOM lives up to its name, as it is explosive and packs a punch. This is thanks to two elements – the instrumental and HUTA himself. BOOM is described to be a ‘hybrid wonk trap style song with an elaborate bass line’ (taken from SOOMPI). The percussive and trap elements combined with the bass brought a dramatic flair to the song that gets your blood flowing. The wonky sub-genre, which I personally have not heard of before today (or I may have, but never had it described to me as ‘wonk’) or experience in KPOP before, doesn’t really help bring out the explosive side of the song. But it comes through the most during the choruses, and adds a background centrepiece to BOOM‘s centrepiece. Combining the two, you have a pretty powerfully unique track that doesn’t hold back. HUTA himself brings aggression into the song, with his iron solid rapping extremely bolstered and passionate at the same time. This aligns with the instrumental strongly, creating a dynamic piece. But interestingly, it isn’t the instrumental or rapping that takes the cake for me in BOOM. It is HUTA’s vocals that somehow managed to steal the show, especially the ‘aight‘, ‘high‘ or ‘hi‘ we get in the lyrics. He goes high pitch with these words, which contrasts really well with the deeper and harder sounds. The rest of his vocals are smooth, yet maintains a raspiness to them. The chorus was catchy and memorable, thanks to the ‘Boom Shaka Laka‘ line. Overall, HUTA kills it with BOOM and impresses me with his versatility, once again.

Three music videos into HUTA’s solo career (YA, Tonight (With Melody) and now BOOM), and HUTA shown his abs once again. I sense a theme and a connection with fellow soloist WONHO. Anyhow, the music video for BOOM is dark and edgy, as one would expect. The video also uses a lot of red or orangey-red lighting, which I persume is to highlight and emphasise the aggression that HUTA brings to the song. All of this feels very appropriate for BOOM. I liked the forest background for some of the shots, as it felt a bit more freeing than the closed sets we got and managed to still work in tandem with the rest of the shots. I also liked it when he punched the camera. And of course, HUTA looks great throughout the video (abs or clothed)!

BOOM also shows off HUTA’s performance skills with a cool choreography. Based on what I saw in the video, it isn’t exactly groundbreaking. But it had aggression, it had smoothness, it had sensual moves. It practically had everything! What does freak me out are the masked dancers. It takes the idea of masks to a whole new level, as there are no eyes holes on the mask. Instead, the front of the mask is decorated with shiny stones that reflect the light. Sounds cool in theory, but very dark in practicality. The floating throne (made up of the dancers) at the start was a pretty cool idea.

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

[Review] Stay This Way – fromis_9

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Making their comeback today is fromis_9, who returns with their new single Stay This Way and fifth mini-album, From Our Memento Box. This follows the group’s last comeback, DM, which occurred earlier this year and really stole my attention for many many weeks. The group was originally going to kick off promotions with a comeback showcase, but some members were unfortunately injured over the weekend in a car crash and the decision was made to cancel the showcase. It is currently said that the affected members do not have serious injuries, but it is currently unsure whether promotions can go ahead this week.

Stay This Way continues the pleasant nature that fromis_9 visited in DM. Majority of the song felt similar, and so Stay This Way thrives on the familiarity front – fitting for a song titled Stay This Way. Their vocals were super nice, and the melodies still had a bounce to them that made them enjoyable. I could also easily carry over DM’s description for the instrumental ‘a pop track with no frills, and is quite light, soft and pleasant (in a positive sense) as well‘, though I felt Stay This Way had a minute difference (more on that in a second). I am just glad that the producers have allowed fromis_9 to explore more of this pleasant style, since its suits them so well and DM proved to be a very successful for them. But there are differences between the song that makes Stay This Way its own song. One obvious difference is the presence of rapping, which I thought added a different dynamic to the pleasantries. But it is delivery in a way that is kept in line with the pleasant nature of the song. Is it the best rap performance? Not really. But it does the job and adds something else to Stay This Way, as already mentioned. Less apparent is the instrumental which I already mentioned to be similar. But I also felt that Stay This Way which had a slight kick to it thanks to what felt like a faster tempo to bring up the energy since it is a Summer release. The repetition of the song’s title was also a neat change and hook to the song, though unimaginative. Overall, Stay This Way carries on what I really enjoyed from their previous comeback but does what it needs to to be its own song.

Most of the video looks super fitting and logical given the current season the song is released in. I believe it also fits in with the lyrics of the song, as well. The members appear to having fun in the outdoors surroundings. When the members are smiling and look like they are enjoying the outdoors, the video felt natural. I believe the pale filter helps heighten this. However, there were moments when the members felt a bit forced, especially when they looking serious and throwing model looks at us during solo and unit shots. Not really the natural vibe there, to be honest.

Based on what I can see in the music video, the choreography for this comeback looks good. It seems like the chorus would be the most attractive point, as the chorus’ choreography parts drew my attention the most. I might return to this review and update it once a live performance happens.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.3/10

[Album Review] REFUGE (2nd Mini Album) – Moonbin & Sanha (ASTRO)

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The next album to be reviewed is Moonbin & Sanha’s second mini-album, RFFUGE, which dropped mid-March this year. It features the title track WHO, and four additional singles including Ghost Town, which served as the mini-album’s pre-release single. Moonbin & Sanha’s comeback follows the debut of ASTRO’s second subunit, JinJin & Rocky, who made their debut with the single Just Breath and mini-album Restore. Their comeback precedes ASTRO’s Candy Sugar Pop comeback and the group’s third studio album, Drive to the Starry Road (which I will be reviewing at a later date).

I can’t remember the exact reason why I chose to review REFUGE, as it has been a while since its release. I just have it down as ‘TO REVIEW’ in my notes. It has been bumped up slightly, however, as I don’t think I can handle another full length album review this weekend, but thought it would be nice to still put out an album review. And REFUGE was the first mini-album on my list to review. Overall, REFUGE was a decent album with some good and weaker songs. It is still worth a listen, as you may find something you like, as I did.

REFUGE Album Cover

1. WHO (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of WHO. (6.5/10)

2. BOO – BOO takes on the R&B genre. I personally like the beat, the brighter tone, the clear vocals and the intriguing nature of the twangs we get in the instrumental. But beyond that, I find BOO to be just a decent track. Unfortunately, the melodies or hooks weren’t as memorable as they could be. And compared to the other tracks on the album, BOO easily becomes the forgotten single. (7/10)

3. DIA – DIA is more of my jam. The disco influences in the crunchy instrumental brought a more dynamic profile to the song (which I find to be extremely memorable), and I find myself having a boogie in my chair every time this song comes on. I really liked their vocals throughout DIA, with this song showing off their vocals in the best on this album. There is no standout hook in this song, as the instrumental really dominated the track for me. But I feel there is enough in terms of melodies to help boost the song’s memorability factor. (8/10)

4. Distance – Distance brings forth balladry energy. Distance starts off with an acoustic centric instrumental which I thought was really soothing and nice, before developing into a more bolstered instrumental that somehow maintains the acoustic roots it began with. I find myself swaying along to the song, as the pair delivers very captivating vocals and melodies. I am not entirely keen on the siren-like synths, but they do help fill up the background of the song, creating a heftier number. (8.5/10)

5. Ghost Town (Pre-Release Track) – Click here to read the full review of Ghost Town. (7/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.4/10

Moonbin’s Teaser Image for WHO / REFUGE
Sanha’s Teaser Image for WHO / REFUGE

[Album Review] Pilmography (1st Studio Album) – WONPIL (DAY6)

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At the start of February this year, Wonpil made his solo debut with Pilmography, two months prior to his military enlistment. This release comes in the form of a studio album (which is a rare form of a debut, though it has been done before), which is lead by the single Voiceless. In addition to Voiceless, there are nine other addition tracks on the album – some of which have been performed live by Wonpil in some form following the album’s release. Today, I will finally be reviewing the album (almost five months after its release).

Going into the album, I thought we would be getting ballad after ballad for some reason. I guess Wonpil looks like a ballad type of guy. But I was genuinely surprised that ballads only make up a small portion of the album. Instead, we got different song styles coming through. It is all in the realm of music that can be performed by a band, but it isn’t all rock (as one might think when it comes to band music) or ballads. I highly recommend you check out this album, as some of the songs are stunning. Others are surprising or just plain old pleasant. But all are very good songs.

Pilmography Album Cover

1. Voiceless (안녕, 잘 가) – Click here for the full review of Voiceless. (9/10)

2. Sincerity (지우게) – At first, I thought Sincerity was a straight forward ballad with striking piano, which I totally enjoyed. But as the song continues, it unexpectedly changes momentum via the insertion of synths during the choruses. It isn’t a complete shakeup though, as the beat is maintained and the song reverts between the two as its progresses along. I also found it to be quite cohesive, as a result. I enjoyed the way Wonpil’s vocals climbed to match the intensity that the synths bring and how he brought an airiness of the verses to give it some colour. (9/10)

3. A Writer in a Love Story (소설 속의 작가가 되어) – You can tell that A Writer in a Love Story is a lot more cheerful compared to some of the other song, thanks to its upbeat and jazzy tone. I feel that this brought a warm feel to the album as a result. And since it is cold where I am, I was really feeling it. I also like how Wonpil’s vocals compliments different genres, with his vocals sounding splendid in this enjoyable and pleasant song. (8/10)

4. Walk With Me (우리 더 걸을까) – The acoustic nature of Walk With Me feels very fitting for the Springtime in which the album was released in. It felt like a song that easily could have risen in the charts had it been standalone and well promoted, just like how some other Spring songs tend to rise out of nowhere during the Spring season on the Korean charts. Wonpil sounds sweet and warm touch to the song, complimenting the lyrics and overall feel of the song, which highlights the loving nature of the song. (8/10)

5. Stranded (외딴섬의 외톨이) – One of my picks for best song on Pilmography is Stranded, simply because I don’t mind having this song on repeat. It brings back synths, bringing forth a jazzy city pop vibe, and an upbeat tempo. Both are appealing aspects on a vocal centric album like this. I find Wonpil’s voice to be the best in Stranded, as he pulled out a few different techniques to make the song more interesting on his part. I particularly enjoyed his interaction with the backing vocals in the pre-chorus for this song. (10/10)

6. Someday, Spring Will Come (언젠가 봄은 찾아올 거야) – If you are looking for a softer and an ‘easy on the ear’ song, Someday, Spring Will Come is the song for you. It is, however, a more bittersweet song, reminding us that there is always good news down the track or ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ (for this song, the good news or light is likened to be Spring). The instrumental is interesting, bringing in horns and flutes into the mix. Not unheard of, but it a bit different set of instruments commonly heard. I enjoyed the percussion in this song, which made the song extremely pleasant. Wonpil’s vocals are good, but they felt a bit flat in this song. (7/10)

7. Pieces (휴지조각) – Another favourite of mine from this album. Pieces takes on a pop profile and explores Wonpil’s lower registers, both of which hasn’t really been touched upon on this album in great detail yet. I really like the pulsing melody in the verses and throughout instrumental. It creates an intriguing and different dynamic that is quite cool. I also enjoyed the building momentum towards the lyric-less chorus. It’s a bit abstract, but that makes the track unique and individualistic, which I am always for. (10/10)

8. Last Goodbye (늦은 끝) – We re-enter ballad territory with Last Goodbye, with features a piano only instrumental that is quite beautiful. It actually didn’t occur to me at first (only as I was typing this review) that the instrumental was just piano, as the piano compensated for what usual is present (i.e. some form of percussion, strings etc.). With such an instrumental, the focus is squarely on Wonpil. And as indicated throughout this album, he shows off his vocals in a manner that is extremely pure and untouched. (9/10)

9. Unpainted Canvas (그리다 보면) – Unpainted Canvas is an uplifting pop rock song that is so captivating to listen to. While I try hard not to think of DAY6 whilst writing this album review since this is Wonpil’s own work, I felt that Unpainted Canvas is the most DAY6-like track thanks to the rock band feel that the instrumental brings. I also enjoyed the lyrics, conveying one’s journey from young to present via the idea of painting or drawing a future. I also liked Wonpil’s vocals throughout this track, as well. (8.5/10)

10. A Journey (행운을 빌어 줘) – Final song on this stunning album is A Journey. Wonpil saves one of the best to the very end. It closes out with the message that he will be back as a better person and to wish him luck for what is to come next in his journey. It is also the most surprising track on the album thanks to its synth/band instrumental that drives the song forward. The chorus is just so vibrant and cheerful, and I like how Wonpil matches this energy with his vocals. (10/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.9/10

Pilmography Teaser Image

[Review] Flip That – LOONA

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As mentioned in my last song review, two Queendom 2 participants made their comeback this week. Now it is time for the second group and runner up of the competition to get their review. LOONA has made a comeback with a special Summer mini-album, Flip That, which features the title track of the same name. Aside from Queendom 2, this is the first time we are seeing the group following their PTT (Paint The Town) Korean comeback and their Japanese debut Hula Hoop.

Compared to their last few releases (which have been more powerful and intense releases), Flip That brings a very different colour to the group’s discography. Flip That is described as a house based track. But instead of the usual likes of house EDM, Flip That is more subdued, light and airy. That being said, there is still heft and bass to the instrumental. This creates an interesting and almost aesthetic atmosphere that feels unique and different. Their vocals take on a sweeter and brighter tone profile, which I find to pair extremely well with the instrumentation and its subdued nature. Keeping the song is check and balance are the rappers, who too brought a smidge of heft to the song. But while this sound combination sounds successful so far, I don’t find Flip That to be LOONA’s most riveting piece to date. This determination came down to the melodies and hooks. A small part of me felt Flip That‘s melodies and hooks were memorable to a degree. But a much larger part of me a feels that the melodies and hooks were underwhelming, underdeveloped and underplayed. It didn’t feel enough, if you understand what I mean. I wished it was teased out a bit more and brought a more dynamic touch to the song. Overall, Flip That does have its pros and cons. At this stage, I like it for its uniqueness and thinks that this compensates for the rest of the track.

To match the song’s subdued sound, Flip That‘s accompanying music video takes on a more lighthearted and innocent look compared to their recent music videos. Its bright and airy. There is a lot of colour (though not bold or heavy handed, which I find it be quite nice and easy on the eyes). I really love the forest background that was selected for one of the choreography shots in music video. Its so vivid, and the producers put a lot of thought in ensuring that the video remained balanced with the 12 members and bright white outfits. Not entirely sure if the video is trying to tell a story of some kind, but it can easily be summed up as the members enjoying their time outdoors (or towards their next location/comeback).

Just like the song and music video, the choreography takes on a lighter, cuter and more delicate feel. I like what they did with the formation of the second chorus, and the chorus routine in general. And also, I like that they kept their signature synchronisation. But as a whole piece, I didn’t feel like it was as captivating as the performance could have be.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Performance – 6.5/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10

[Review] Up! – Kep1er

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This week started off with two Queendom 2 acts making their comeback. First up on the reviewing block is Kep1er, who makes their grand return with Up!. This is featured on the group’s second mini-album, Doublast. This comes after the group’s debut back in January 2022 with WA DA DA, and more recently, their participation on Queendom 2 (as already mentioned).

Up! comes out at the right time, capitalising on the current Summer season in which Korea (and Northern Hemisphere) is in. This is the time we want to hear bright and vibrant songs, and I feel that Up! hits that part of the brief with no doubts. The track also capitalises on the group’s youthfulness, and brings about a fun and upbeat energy to a mix (which is synonymous with the Summer season). Both goes hand in hand in setting up Up!. There are a few aspects in the song that I quite like. The synths used in this song are felt refreshing and didn’t feel like a repeat of what we have heard thus far this year in terms of Summer songs. Up! features some really cool rapping that adds some deepness to the song and keeps the song grounded. The chorus was brought a trendy pop sound to the table and was pleasantly catchy. I do think a stronger melodic hook would have been more satisfying overall, but what we got in Up! is perfectly fine already. On the other hand, the post-chorus felt weak and didn’t feel concentrated enough. In addition to that, I also felt that Up!‘s reliance on cuteness is a hit or miss I wished it was toned down as it is a bit too cliché. A summer track can be youthful, without the need to steer into the cute domain. The vocals were plain in comparison to the rapping. Even with the autotune, it didn’t do much for me. And finally, the second half of the instrumental break in the bridge felt forced. The brighter first half was fine and fits in with the rest of the track, but the more intense second half (taking on a dubstep like approach), was unnecessary and creates an imbalance with the rest of the song. But overall, Up! is a decent Summer track.

A very colourful and vibrant video accompanies the release. No surprises there. For the most part, the video was decent, alongside the music. I did see them trying to push a cutesy agenda, which I am not entirely a fan of. But at the same time, it wasn’t a terrible concept for this video. There were some scenes that I could have done without, such as the awkward laptop POV scene and the lemon charging scene. They felt very random and didn’t make much sense to me.

I quite liked what they did with the chorus in this routine, with the arm wave at the start and the two lines of members. As for the dance break, I liked how bouncy the first half felt. And as much as I disagree with the second half of the dance break, the routine was pretty good. The rest of the choreography otherwise felt standard for me.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.2/10