Category: KPOP

[Review] _WORLD – SEVENTEEN

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SEVENTEEN is one of the artist kickstarting this week with their latest comeback, _WORLD, the title track off the group’s fourth album repackaged, SECTOR17. Previously, the group made their comeback with HOT and their fourth studio album, Face The Sun (which I have yet to review) at the end of May this year. As part of their return yesterday, the leaders of SEVENTEEN have regrouped as a subunit for CHEERS (which I have also yet to review, and will do so later this week). As for now, here is my review for _WORLD.

Compared to their past tracks, _WORLD is is probably one the group’s most pleasant title tracks ever. Described as a urban R&B track, _WORLD just glides through and I enjoyed that. I liked that _WORLD steps away from the world of electronic music that has been a consistent presence in KPOP since forever, but also SEVENTEEN’s usual energetic style as well. Instead, the group maintains an upbeat nature to _WORLD without feeling heavy or loaded. Light, flowy and very gratifying comes to mind when I think of ways to describe _WORLD. In addition to the urban R&B background, there also seems to be some a subtle touch of funk and brass added to the mix, which helps add some liveliness to the song. Such a pleasant song that takes the focus on a heavy beat allows the song to focus more on the vocals delivery. Even the rapping in _WORLD was limited to just two members (Vernon and S.Coups, in the second verse). Everyone else sounded really neat throughout the song, with a sweet melody adding a warming glow to _WORLD. The slightly stripped back bridge (most of the instrumental disappeared briefly for this apart, aside from some atmospheric presence and a simple beat) keeps the song from falling into an overly consistent state, allowing the song to briefly and subtly reset to give the final chorus a soft explosive feel. I also liked how Joshua got his chance at handling the peak of the song at the end of the bridge. Overall, _WORLD was pleasant listen that I quite enjoyed. Not exactly a smash hit, but it is definitely a good track nonetheless.

I am not entirely sure about the sandstorm start to this video. My guess that this was a way for the producers to connect both HOT and this video together, but I felt it was unnecessary. I think this video had enough to stand alone and didn’t need to be connected with another videos. But who knows, maybe I am overlooking some deep meaning. Aside from that, this was one fine video. The day time scenes throughout this video looked so fitting for the sweet melodies and pleasant nature of the song. The night time scenes felt light and breezy, evoking the feelings of a midsummer’s night. The smiles the members had on throughout this video made me smile as I watched the video.

My exact same thoughts can be carried through to the performance aspect, as I can see from the music video. It isn’t a mind blowing routine, but it is one that appears to fit splendidly well with the song. I really liked the smooth nature of some of the moves, which complements the idea that the song glides along. But yet, the group strikes the right balance with sharp movements and sychronised approach. I also really like the second post-chorus hook sequence. It is an innovative formation and adds a different performance “look”.

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

[Review] Arson – j-hope (BTS)

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As mentioned in the other day’s review for MORE, I will be posting my review for Arson, j-hope’s title track from his debut studio album, Jack In The Box. And here it is! Just to recap, the other review was for MORE, the pre-release for j-hope’s latest album and was released two weeks ago. Arson (the focal point of this review) was officially released the Friday that just passed, along with the rest of the album.

If I had to sum up Arson in very simple terms, it is a straight forward hip-hop track. So if you are looking for something a bit more innovative or different, Arson won’t be the title track you seek. But if you are for a straight forward hip-hop song, then Arson is the song for you. For me, I find the straight forward and no nonsense nature of Arson to be its drawing point. Arson‘s instrumental exudes a captivating flow, a moody rhythm and a strong beat, all of which had me head nodding along to the song. A small part of me does feel that more could have been done to develop the instrumental even further, but I pretty much enjoy how the instrumental is (and this pretty much could have ruined that no nonsense comment I made before). Adding to the moody nature of Arson is j-hope’s delivery. I liked the subtle aggression that comes from j-hope during some parts where he brings a small growl into play or pushes out a raspy tone in his delivery. The layering at the end with the filtered vocals that make the sequence beginning with the ‘If anyone asks me…’ and the paced delivery of the ‘Done, Done‘ was quite cool. Talking about the ‘Done, Done‘ parts of the song, it was so simple, but made Arson so catchy for me. Overall, Arson is a strong showing of j-hope’s skills that we all know he has over an uncomplicated backing.

The world is on fire in Arson‘s music video, which makes complete sense for a song titled Arson. The lyrics of the song expresses a dilemma for j-hope, whether to continue burning brightly or to put out the fire. A bit cryptic, but it appears that fans believe they have cracked the code and that this is a song based on j-hope’s journey as an artist. The flame represents the power and energy that j-hope has developed over the years (thanks to his success as part one of the biggest male groups of all time), showing that he is unstoppable and that only he can put out his own flame. He can harness the energy for his fans, being that bright light to guide them through, and/or burn his haters (as depicted by the people running around on fire in the video). I liked the dark atmosphere of the video, which compliments the hip-hop style of the song, and j-hope’s aggressive and powerful delivery in the song. The visual effects in the video, especially the glowing exposed wounds on his face at the end, were top notch!

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

[Review] MORE – j-hope (BTS)

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Following BTS’s long awaited Korean comeback with Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment) and the announcement that the group would be focusing more on their solo careers than group activities moving forward (though HYBE quickly clarified that promotions as a group would continue), j-hope is the first member to begin working on his solo career with the release of a studio album, Jack In The Box, which features the pre-release track MORE and the title track Arson (a review for Arson will be published tomorrow, as this review is just for MORE). It follows j-hope’s 2018 mixtape Hope World and 2019’s Chicken Noodle Soup.

I frankly should have reviewed MORE when it was first released two weeks ago. MORE features a dark atmosphere that really grabs your attention. This is thanks to the grungy direction in which the song went, which isn’t unheard of in KPOP. But it fair to say quite its a rare sight. I really like the escalation of the instrumental – boldness, energy and all – during the chorus. The filtered and shouty vocals from j-hope fits right in. However, I do wish there was more body to MORE‘s chorus, just so there is a substantial melody and hook to the song, which I felt was lacking. As for the verses, I did like j-hope’s simmered rapping and some of his drawn out delivery. It does feel constricted and limited, however. But it was obvious after the fact that the verses were designed to set up the chorus that I already touched upon. I did like how the second verse as a bit more bolstered and not a repeat of the first verse. This adds a bit more variety to MORE and doesn’t make it too consistent (which otherwise would have made MORE a bit dry). As per the stylistic choices that MORE follows, the track is a strong one that caught my attention. It just needed a bit more meat to the song, however, in my opinion.

Just like the teaser images for this release, I could not recognise j-hope. I personally attribute this to the makeup, which gives off a different character to the j-hope that I know of from BTS’ promotions. My comments might be taken to be negative, but I do enjoy it when artists show different sides of themselves, and j-hope obviously hit that brief. His look also fits in well with the grungy style of MORE. Anyhow, the video starts off with a package being delivered (which at the end is shown to be a package of all the rooms we see j-hope feature in this video). j-hope clarifies that each room has a concept and meaning, but he doesn’t go into detail what they are. Based on the lyrics, it appears these rooms relate to him somehow and his journey as an artist thus far – with his lyrics depicting his ambition from when he was starting out to the present as a BTS member. I would like to know what each room represented, just to give more meaning to the video. He did talk about the hallway, which he says shows that there are more spaces, fitting for a song titled MORE.

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

[Review] SNEAKERS – ITZY

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It has been over a month since it was announced that ITZY would be making a comeback in July and embark on a world tour that will run throughout the second half of the year. Fast-forwarding to today, ITZY made their long awaited comeback with their new single SNEAKERS and their fifth mini-album, CHECKMATE. It follows the release of LOCO, which was released in September (almost 10 months ago!) last year. It also follows their first Japanese original single, Voltage, which I have yet to review.

I didn’t necessarily follow their one month long tease towards their comeback (that is just too much), so I had no expectations going into this comeback. As a result, I am genuinely surprised about how much I enjoyed SNEAKERS. It is such a bright and giddy track. Sure, their past tracks have been youthful and energetic. But SNEAKERS brings a whole new level of brightness to their portfolio, in a similar fashion to the likes of ICY but with a cutesy tinge. The bright pop (which seems to have a hint of hip-hop as well) instrumental was quite playful and comes off as refreshing. I do think the backing could have been filled in more and heftier, just to give SNEAKERS some more body and oomph. But overall, I enjoyed the fun nature of the song. Adding to the fun nature are the melodies and hooks. At first, they do feel quite elementary and childish. But repeat listens to the song have helped these melodies and hooks grow on me considerably. ITZY also does a strong showing throughout the song, with the vocals in the first round of pre-chorus being my favourite moment of SNEAKERS. As for the rapping, I enjoyed all rapping sequences including the verses and bridges. But overall, SNEAKERS stands out to me for its fun nature and addictive hooks.

Music video was fine. I like how the video really encompassed the energy that the song exuded. In addition to that, it also emphasised the fun vibe of the song, by story telling how the sneaker travelled through time. It was first introduced to royalty in the first sequence, before a Spread Sneaker Worldwide mission told everyone about sneakers in the second sequence. The bridge seems to show the members opening a shop, with the ending showing them in the future. I really liked the green screen usage in the video, and the members looked great throughout.

I was only recently informed of this, but ITZY finishes all their main title track choreography with a crown. I don’t know how I missed that, especially since I have taken note of these endings before. It made me pay attention to their other hand formations, and I noticed the ‘W’ in this pre-choruses. As for the chorus, I liked how they incorporated the leg movements so the members can show off their sneakers. It is quite clever. Aside from that, I enjoyed the energy and brightness that the members brought to the stage for this comeback, as well.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.8/10

[Review] SCREAM – SF9

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I skip forward to yesterday, when SF9 made their latest comeback with the title track SCREAM and the mini-album The Wave OF9. This is their first comeback since the release of TRAUMA at the end of last year. You might notice that the group is currently promoting as a six member group, as members Inseong and Youngbin are sitting out as they are currently carrying out military enlistment, and Rowoon could not participate due to his drama filming schedules.

Another comeback in which the artist steps outside of their comfort zone. For SF9, SCREAM moves away from the usual darker, sensual edgier tone that their recent and past comebacks have featured (see the likes of Tear Drop and TRAUMA, but also previous comebacks such as RPM, Good Guy etc.) and steps into a relatively more vibrant and upbeat dance territory. I will be honest, this newer sound style is quite foreign and unfamiliar for a group like SF9. I am not 100% sold on this changeup, but I am not against in in any way. SCREAM has a neat instrumental that feels robust, with some nice layering to give the song some interesting and great textures. I do think there was opportunity, especially during the chorus, for the instrumental to be more bolstered, just so there is some more oomph to the song. As for the members, they showcase solid vocals and rapping throughout SCREAM. While skills also contributes to this, I do think the hooks and melodies that come as part of SCREAM plays a big part of shining the spotlight on their vocals and raps. The first time around, I did feel these hooks and melodies were a little lacking. But they have grown on me considerably over the last day. Overall, SCREAM seems to be a solid comeback for the group, although I think I do prefer their usual style over this particular Summer comeback.

As pre-empted in the line above, this is a Summer comeback. And so, the concept for this comeback follows through quite logically. It is a bit disappointing that the music video was shot in only a studio setting, while there was definitely justification for the group to potentially shoot the video pool or even beach-side. But the studio does have some perks, allowing the group to shoot their choreography shots in a more controlled manner. Seeing smiles that are not sensual from the members did feel a bit weird at first to me, but not so much anymore. I did (and do still) think the second verse scenes to be quite cheesy, and I wished they left that out.

Yoo Taeyang gets his time to shine in this comeback with a solo dance sequence at the end of the performance. I liked that energy and power he channeled through his solo moment, going for a fierce look. I also like the use of the X-formation with the dancers and members to complete the performance, as it tied everything together neatly. The rest of the performance looks cool and touch base with the group’s sensual and edgy style in a fitting manner for this comeback.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 7.8/10

[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