Category: KPOP

[Album Review] UNIVERSE (3rd Studio Album) – NCT

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Another album review that has been a long time coming. UNIVERSE is the next instalment in NCT’s career, with 21 of the 23 active members participating in the release of the group’s third studio-length album (Lucas is on hiatus from his controversy, while WinWin had schedule conflicts, preventing both of participating from recording and promotions). UNIVERSE officially dropped mid-December, on the same day that Beautiful was officially released as a promotional track. Another title track, Universe (Let’s Play Ball), dropped four days prior. In addition to these two tracks, there were another 11 tracks on the album (3 of which were based on the group’s standard units – NCT 127, NCT DREAM and WayV, while the other performed by their rotation unit, NCT U).

Overall, I would say this is a very good album. There were some standout tracks mixed throughout the song, and NCT definitely showed themselves off strongly throughout UNIVERSE. But that is just my thoughts on the album. Check out the tracks and my review of each song below to see if you agree!

Universe Album Cover

1. New Axis – Impressively kicking off the third studio album was Taeyong, Mark and YangYang with this short track. New Axis takes on a hip-hop profile. The focus is purely on the three members, with the instrumental opting for a minimalistic approach. The trio definitely opened up the album in spectacular fashion with their dynamic and immensely powerful rapping performance. They don’t hold back in this track! (9/10)

2. Universe (Let’s Play Ball) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of Universe (Let’s Play Ball). (9/10)

3. Earthquake – NCT 127 shakes up the world with their side track Earthquake. If you want a really powerful and intense dance track, Earthquake is the song you are looking for. Such words are usually what you associate with NCT 127 already, so it should not come as a surprise. I really enjoyed the amped up nature of this hip-hop track. It is quite a noisy one (which may be a flaw to some), but this just made Earthquake even more impressive to me. As for the members, they did a great job with their vocals and rapping. I found they fitted right in with the noisy and intense environment that is the instrumental and their delivery made the song even more dynamic. (8/10)

4. OK! – OK! is brought to you by Taeyong, Yuta, Ten, Mark, Hendery, Jeno and Yangyang. With a line up like that, I think it is clear that OK! also encroaches into hip-hop territory as well. OK! is a satisfying listen, with another strong display from all the members who participated in the song. There is also a memorable ring to the ‘OK!’ in the chorus. The bridge was my favourite bit, especially when some of the members bring a faster pace to their delivery. The instrumental was quite minimalistic, with a few added details that I thought gave OK! an intriguing nature to it. The metallic xylophone percussion is a good example of this. The flutes, however, reminded me a bit too much of NCT 127’s Favorite (Vampire) for my liking. (8/10)

5. Birthday Party – Johnny, Yuta, Jungwoo, Hendery, Jaemin, Shotaro, Chenle and Jisung come together to give us Birthday Party. Based on the initial seconds of the song, it appears that Birthday Party takes on a more energetic tone. I liked the rapping in this song, with the members bringing a bit of a playful tone to the mix. The elongated ‘Woooow’ was questionable, but I think it can be overlooked. The vocals were superb when they were in play. For the instrumental, I liked how colourful it felt. I also appreciated the attempts to change up the song towards the end as Birthday Party was borderline repetitive at that point. (8/10)

6. Know Now – Know How features Johnny, Doyoung, Mark, Renjun, Jeno, Jaemin, Yangyang and Sungchan. It starts with (and ends with, completing Know Now as a full circle) some scratchy gospel samples that made for a cool opener. Following that opener was a fun melody and a bright instrumental piece. I like how that melody was a consistent piece in pretty much all the elements (for most of the vocals, rapping – to a degree, and the instrumentation), which cohesively pulled Know Now together. Know Now was such an enjoyable listen for me. (9/10)

7. Dreaming – Dreaming is performed by the members of NCT Dream. I liked its mix of softer tones for the verses vs. the harsher nature of the chorus. The softer moments of the song had this music box-like focus piece, which felt very nice. The harsher chorus features a funky synth EDM piece, which provided a decent rush of energy to the song without taking it too far or making it feel too different. I also liked the layering of vocals and rapping throughout, regardless of the backing piece. (9/10)

8. Round & Round – Taeil, Ten, Jaehyun, Xiaojun, Haechan and Sungchan comes together to bring us Round & Round. It is a decent mid-tempo R&B track. The instrumental had a dynamic touch to it, with the various effects added in to increase the momentum of the song. I quite appreciate that, as it didn’t make Round & Round a typical mid-tempo track. But aside from that, nothing else really stood out at me. (7/10)

9. Miracle – The final NCT fixed unit track on this album belongs to WayV (sans Lucas and WinWin, who I already mentioned didn’t participate in this release). Miracle also opts for a mid-tempo R&B profile. But I felt Miracle was more impressive. The song came off as quite sophisticated, expensive, classy. This was felt most in the instrumental, which was smooth. The guitars were definitely the icing on the cake for me. It also effected the rapping in this song, with the rappers really jumping out at me due to the energy they put into their delivery. The vocals were clear and crisp, and the layering of both vocals/rapping at the end was extremely satisfying. (10/10)

10. Vroom – The album takes a turn from here with its sweeter sound. Kun, Jaehyun, Jungwoo, Hendery, Shotaro, Chenle and Jisung features in Vroom, and it’s a nice melodic track (for the most part). The pre-chorus really stuck out, mainly because it didn’t go with a sweet sound, or can be described as a ‘nice melodic track’. Instead, it intensifies briefly before reverting to a sweet sound in the chorus. It is interesting and different, and unexpectedly work. Still a bit foreign after all this time, but not detrimental to the track. (8/10)

11. Sweet Dream – Wishing the listeners a ‘Sweet Dream’ are Taeil, Kun, Jaehyun, Haechan and Chenle. Extremely velvety vocals are the centrepiece of this song. They are present on top of a warm R&B instrumental. It started off like a piece as you would hear in a coffeehouse, but the instrumental built over the course of the song. I liked the addition of the subtle brass in the background. I do think that coffeehouse impression was still maintained throughout even as the song built. (8/10)

12. Good Night – Taeil, Doyoung, Xiaojun and Renjun sings us a soft and delicate ballad. It starts as a lullaby, with a slow swayable melody – one of the highlights of the song. The instrumental does build over the length of the track, and this does bring it back a soothing ballad territory. Not complaining though, as it helped maintain Good Night as a decent piece. Elsewhere, the vocals from the quartet were also quiet soothing and captivating. The emotional input from them made the song even better! I also loved the way Renjun ended this song. (8.5/10)

13. Beautiful (NCT 2021) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of Beautiful. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.5/10

NCT 2021 Teaser Image for Universe

[Review] EYE ON YOU – WONHO

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Making his comeback today is WONHO, who returns with the single Eye On You and new single album, OBSESSION. This is the first comeback since his September release BLUE. It also follows a few Japanese releases, including On The Way ~ Embrace ~ (Wonho’s Japanese solo debut single – I will be reviewing this a later date in the International Song Reviews segment) and Winter Miracle.

EYE ON YOU is a decent comeback. It is an electro house pop track that has pretty darn good rough textures, but the instrumental maintains a hollow effect. The balance to get this on point is something I quite appreciate, as the song could have leaned too much to one side and it wouldn’t have been pleasing. I also appreciate the subtle groovy vibes of the instrumental, which added a bit of fun to the very serious and mature direction of how EYE ON YOU sounded. The roughed textures also brought out that raspy nature in Wonho’s voice. The autotune helped heighten this as well, making Wonho’s vocals quite blissful sounding in EYE ON YOU. However, the reason why I say EYE ON YOU is ‘decent’ is because I had hopes the song was going places. But EYE ON YOU never really resulted in that. Instead, it stayed pretty stagnant throughout. There were some mini curveballs throughout the song, such as the delayed drop that headed the second chorus, the more atmospheric bridge (that ultimately stayed within the boundaries that were set by the instrumentation), and an extension sequence at the end of the song that felt purely like an extension of the chorus (and didn’t add much to the final moments of the song). As implied, none really cause much difference, and so EYE ON YOU felt pretty much the same throughout. I wished there was some sort of change, maybe a hard-hitting instrumental break or some sort of amped up final chorus to really bring the song home and/or give it a bit more bite.

Tight shirts, abs and clothing that shows off Wonho’s muscles (and in some cases teases us with them) definitely makes it a Wonho music video. Aside from his body (which is pretty much on display), I quite liked the various shots of Wonho and his closeups throughout the video. It looked artistic and cool, as well. I also felt the same way as with the sets. The colours used in this video really made Wonho stand out and that is one of the reason’s why the video really sells. The post-production also made the video cooler (my favourite was the smashed glass around the edges and towards the middles of the video). Even though the choreography and closeup set up was pretty standard, the video is still worth watching for the visuals.

The performance aspect of this comeback was pretty decent, just the like the song. I don’t have anything particularly negative to say about the performance. It just a bit dry and could have done with some more exciting moves. I did like the moments where Wonho was paired with the female dancer. That looked cool, and I feel like there could have been more chemistry had there been no mask on the female dancer (Wonho’s contribution was on point!). I also like picture-sque (at least in the music video) start and end of the performance, with the dancers forming a frame-like formation with their bodies around Wonho.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10

[Review] JIKJIN – TREASURE

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TREASURE kicked things off in 2020 with back to back comebacks, starting off with their debut BOY and comeback singles I LOVE YOU and MMM. The group then kicked off 2021 with their MY TREASURE comeback before subsequently disappearing from the Korean music scene for the rest of the year. They did make their Japanese debut last year and did have a horror (I think) web series on YouTube. But the point is, they haven’t released any new music in over a year, which was disappointing given the momentum they gained. That is until today. TREASURE has made their long awaited comeback with their first mini-album, The Second Step: Chapter One, and new single JIKJIN.

JIKJIN is a hard-hitting hip-hop dance track that really packs a punch when it needs to. I really like how profound some of the beats and percussion (such as in the pre-chorus) were, which really made JIKJIN dynamic and energetic. In addition to that, I enjoyed the pop-like sequence during the verses (the part preceding the pre-choruses). It got me tapping along to the song and it appealed to my personal taste. For the chorus, I felt how the producers took the ‘Ooh‘ and turned it into a engine-like effect to be quite cool and creative. I was unsure of it at first, and it made me laugh. But repeat listens helped me come to realize that it was different and fascinating at the same time. I also felt that the rapping and vocal works were extremely strong and robust in JIKJIN, which also helped me enjoyed the track as well. I raise this because I actually enjoyed the second verse rap sequence, which surprised me given that it isn’t usually my style. Once we hit the bridge and you could hear the club sound emerging in the background underneath the vocals, you get a sense of where JIKJIN is going for its final moments. And so it came as no surprise that they went a shouty final sequence that reminds you of other YG songs. But this one isn’t as typical, given that they managed to incorporate the original chorus into the mix. The shouty nature also made that sequence super energetic, as well. And as mentioned before, the instrumental mix we get at the end was extremely dynamic and intense, ending JIKJIN on a high note for me.

The music video is reported to cost more than $400,000, which is approximately the amount allocated to BLACKPINK’s music videos. While I do find this fact very interesting, I do question where the money was directed. To me, it seems like most of the budget would have gone to renting those spot cars that we see throughout the video. They also erected screens in a very familiar location (we have seen that circular concrete structure in music videos like VIXX’s The Closer, ONEUS’ TO BE OR NOT TO BE, Kim Lip’s Eclipse etc.), which I will admit brought new life to that structure. I am a bit disappointed by this, as they really hyped the video up to be something super cool. But I don’t think it lived up to that hype. On a more positive note, I enjoyed the cinematography throughout the video, which really helped make the video dynamic as well.

The main point of the choreography seems to draw on that car concept that is evidently in the music video and my comments on the chorus sounding ‘engine-like’. Elsewhere, I liked the various parts we saw in the music video. The pop sequence I mentioned for the verse seemed to have nice flow, and the final sequence in the song definitely seems to be the performance’s peak in terms of dynamism and energy. Looking forward to see everything on stage later this week.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10

[Review] INVU – Taeyeon (SNSD)

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Also making her grand comeback is Taeyeon, who returns to the spotlight today via her 3rd studio length album and latest title track, all sharing the name INVU. This comes after she released Can’t Control Myself as a pre-release single ahead of this album release. It is also her first major release since Weekend, which she dropped last year as a digital single and is featured on this latest album, as well, as a side track.

INVU is a pop dance track, with a house based instrumental. While it ultimately is what I would consider to be an atmospheric piece, INVU feels mostly bare and typical on the instrumental front, as well. I was waiting for something to happen in the instrumental, but it never came to. We do get some flute work in the chorus and a funky vibe, but both were subtle or brief and didn’t really add a huge deal to INVU. The benefit of being a fairly empty track is that the focus can be placed elsewhere. And well, the only other thing you could really focus on was Taeyeon’s vocals. And boy, did she come through! INVU definitely showcases Taeyeon in a more mature limelight, and I thought her vocals were quite captivating for the most part. The English in the song really popped out at me, and I thought the INVU title was quite clever (‘I Envy You’). However, I still think INVU could have benefited had something been worked into the background, so that Taeyeon could have reacted alongside it to make INVU more gripping. I guess my takeaway from INVU is that I wanted more in this already decent song.

I think we might already have a contender for the Best Music Video award for the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. The entire set and post-production of the music video was simply stunning. There is no other word that could describe it. The marble set looked impeccable and flawless, and the cloudy background was so fitting. It has to be one of the best high-budget music video productions I have seen in a long time. Taeyeon herself is also stunningly beautiful throughout the video. I am not entirely sure, but I think Taeyeon plays some sort of goddess (my guess is Artemis, based on her bow/arrow and the moon).

Performance-wise, it was good. I think because the song was literally bare for the most part, there wasn’t much to work with on the choreography front. But from what we did get, I really like the INVU move. The poses that Taeyeon were in felt striking. And if they replicate the same aesthetic on stage in the video, the performance would be fine to watch and not as boring.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

[Review] Dilemma – APINK

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Kickstarting this week is APINK’s grand return with the single Dilemma and the special mini-album, Horn. This is the group’s first official comeback since the release of their March 2020 single Dumhdurum, though they did release a single last year (titled Thank You) in celebration of their 10th anniversary. Last year also saw the group undergo contract renewals, and all members besides Naeun re-signed with Plan M Entertainment (now known as IST Entertainment, after a merger with Cre.Kr Entertainment later in the year). Naeun, however, remains as a member of the group, but signed on with YG Entertainment as an actress. Naeun was part of the album preparations (including music video), but will not be promoting this new release with the rest of the group due to scheduling conflicts.

Dilemma continues the APINK’s run of mature sound, a sound profile that they adopted after a reinvention of the group in 2018 through the single I’m So Sick. Dilemma adds a more sophisticated sound this matureness, but in a modern and trendy manner. It features a simple synth beat instrumental for the most part, but on top of this was these synth-like horns that elevates the song in an unique manner. This extends into the chorus with the unique instrumental piece in the background reminding me of a kazoo. In addition this (possible) kazoo, the repetition of the song’s title and the vocals in the second half of the chorus (courtesy of Eunji and Bomi) make the chorus quite memorable, pop out and catchy. Elsewhere, I enjoyed the softness the other members’ vocals brought. It brought on an intriguing dynamic that really helps make Dilemma become quite appealing to me. With the pre-choruses, I liked the striking nature the keyboard had and the build in momentum to the fabulous chorus. Another part of Dilemma that I enjoyed was that instrumental break. It really ‘woke up’ the song and infused a burst of groovy energy into the matured nature of Dilemma. But while it seems like I am just giving praises to Dilemma, there are two aspects of the song that I am not keen on. The first is the rap sequence in the second verse and its trap instrumental sequence. It definitely tries to change up the momentum of Dilemma, but doesn’t really feel like a commitment to a change whatsoever. I am just glad it was brief and we return to the original pre-chorus and chorus. The second aspect has to be the ending. It felt sudden and abrupt (never a fan of those). An extension of some kind would have helped reduce the abruptness for me. But the positives outweighs the negative aspects, and Dilemma is still a fantastic song that I will definitely be be replaying a lot into the future.

This music video is stunning. The featured image I have posted with this post was extremely eye-catching for me. And I felt the rest of the visuals of the video, its concept and the members followed through in a similar manner. The dresses they wore really sold me on that sophisticated and mature concept that I mentioned earlier. I also have to compliment the members on their acting throughout the video. While it was all sadness to convey that dilemma of whether to give up on their relationship or push on, they really nailed their concept and I was captivated from start to end.

It is such a pity that we won’t be seeing Naeun on the stage with the group to perform Dilemma. Hopefully we will see an OT6 stage one day. From what I can see in the music video, the performance looks good. I really liked the dilemma move at the start of the chorus. The members turn their wrist back and forth, which reminds me of being indecisive about something. That dance break we get towards the end looks extremely striking and I am super excited for that the most!

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

[Album Review] DIMENSION: DILEMMA / DIMENSION: ANSWER (1st Studio Album / 1st Studio Album Repackaged) – ENHYPEN

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This is such an long overdue album review. If memory serves me right, I made promises last month that I would write this album review. Well, sorry for the delay. But as they all say, better late then never. ENHYPEN made their comeback in October 2021 and in January 2021 with DIMENSION: DILEMMA (their 1st Studio Album) and DIMENSION: ANSWER (their repackaged version of the 1st Studio Album). Leading the charge on these albums, respectively, are the title tracks Tamed-Dashed and Blessed-Cursed (links below). In addition to these title tracks, six side tracks, an intro, interlude and outro. Before I delay this review any further, let’s get right into it!

Dimension: Dilemma Album Cover
Dimension Answer Album Cover

1. Intro: Whiteout – As usual with all of ENHYPEN’s releases thus far, we are treated to another Jake narrated intro track. This one is quite exciting thanks to the electronic instrumentation that features in the background of this track. It started off as a suspenseful piece, which works extremely with the narration, before developing into a vibrant, bright and poppy piece. (8/10)

2. Tamed-Dashed (Title Track) – Click here to read Tamed-Dashed’s full review. (7.5/10)

3. Upper Side Dreamin’ – I liked the retro hip-hop vibe this song had. It isn’t like Blessed-Cursed on many fronts, however, though I am not entirely sure if this is a good thing or not. Upper Side Dreamin’ is more vibrant and brighter with its energy, and was quite upbeat from the get-go. But the vocals felt disappointing. They brought a one-dimensional tone to the song, thanks to the heavy usage of autotune. It is still bearable, and I feel like the melodies make up some of the autotune. But not exactly enough, which leaves me not enjoying Upper Side Dreamin’ as much. (7/10)

4. Just A Little Bit (몰랐어) – Just A Little Bit takes us a different route, with a dreamy pop track. The acoustic guitar dominates the background and adds a hearty touch to the song. The added details, like the twinkling chimes and the soft pounding beat, to the instrumentation definitely brought out a dreamier tone. Just A Little Bit also stands out thanks to the vocals, which were really nice. They too complimented the dreamy nature of the song and also had a memorable hook to it that I really enjoyed. (9/10)

5. Go Big or Go Home (모 아니면 도) – Go Big or Go Home is one of my picks for favourite side track from this album. The party/club vibes that comes from this song is just on point and definitely makes me feel lively even just by listening to it. Its instrumental feels like it could have been big hit in the ’00s and it for sure would have been a highly requested song at the parties I went to. While the vocals were a bit held back, it doesn’t break Go Big or Go Home. (9.5/10)

6. Blockbuster (액션 영화처럼) (ft. Yeonjun (TXT)) – Blockbuster features the like of Yeonjun from TXT, and kicks off with a dynamic and angsty rap sequence. Blockbuster ends up being a mix of EDM and rock element, which is what I would think a collaboration between TXT and ENHYPEN would be like (based on the sounds of the respective group). I liked how edgy it felt, while the vocals and rapping was very fulfilling. (9/10)

7. Attention, Please! – In a similar manner, Attention, Please! brings on a nostalgic vibe, reminding me of the punk rock we got in the 90s and 00s in the Western music industry. I really like how ‘full-on’ and satisfying the instrumental for Attention, Please! was. Definitely a highlight on this album, and it is a song that I would demand to see a live performance for (think live band, crowd cheering and hyping the group, and the group going all out while performing this track on stage). (10/10)

8. Interlude: Question – Ending the DIMENSION: DILEMMA studio album is the interlude track. It is another narrated track from Jake. But the instrumental here was quite fun and energetic. I also like the changing nature of the instrumental, going from soft and chill to subtly dark and intense, before leading into a retro influenced ending. (8/10)

9. Blessed-Cursed (Title Track) – Click here to read Blessed-Cursed’s full review. (7.5/10)

10. Polaroid Love – The only new side track added to the repackaged album is Polaroid Love. This is slightly different to anything we have heard preceding it. Polaroid Love is a R&B pop track that is easy on the ears and has a certain softness to it that makes it delicate but appealing. Similarly, the vocals also encompass these exact same feelings and vibes, and also adds a tinge of cuteness to the song (which I am sure fans are enjoying). I found the chorus to Polaroid Love to be very catchy and the instrumental to be pleasantly upbeat. (8.5/10)

11. Outro: Day 2  – The outro track (also narrated by Jake) starts off with a pulsing background and atmospheric vibe. It’s good, but it wasn’t the same as the interlude or the intro track for this album package. (7/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.3/10

Dimension: Dilemma & Dimension: Answer Teaser Image

[Review] Ghost Town – Moonbin & Sanha (ASTRO)

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Last month, we saw the debut of ASTRO’s latest subunit, JinJin & Rocky, who partied it up with their Just Breath single. It was later confirmed following JinJin & Rocky’s unit debut that ASTRO’s first subunit, Moonbin & Sanha, would be make their comeback in March, with a pre-release single dropping in February. Well time flew by as we waited, and Moonbin & Sanha’s pre-release single, Ghost Town, officially dropped yesterday. Now, we will be counting down to the day that Moonbin & Sanha returns as a duo, making it their first release since Bad Idea, their debut single from 2020. In the meanwhile, let’s have a deep dive into Ghost Town.

Ghost Town is another stop along the mature path that Moobin and Sanha has sent us on with Bad Idea. It is not a grand stop of any kind, as there isn’t anything big or groundbreaking within Ghost Town that gets me excited or is a ‘must see’ attraction. It is just more so like a rest stop you stop at before going on with the last leg of your trip to the real destination (that is, their March comeback). After all, that is the purpose of a pre-release single. Ghost Town is pretty straight forward track with a pleasant blend with its acoustic instrumentation and trap/hip-hop beats. There was potential at the start, however. I found the acoustic guitar to be quite striking, but it was soon lost to the heavy hip-hop beats that is heavily present throughout the rest of the song. In the end, it does make Ghost Town repetitive. But not to the unbearable extent where it drains out the energy of the song. This is why I still found it pleasant. As for the duo, I don’t have much else to say other than that Moonbin and Sanha sounded quite satisfying throughout Ghost Town. They fitted in nicely with the instrumentation, and complimented the hip-hop vibes. The melodies were quite pleasant as well, but as mentioned at the start, not memorable. Overall, Ghost Town is basically your typical side track/pre-release single that just isn’t title track material. I sure do hope that whatever Moonbin & Sanha unveils in March, it is ‘title track material’.

The music video is pretty basic and isn’t too fancy. This felt right for the song, which was of a similar nature. All of the video was the pair in front of a screen that was showing static, red tinge cloudy backgrounds or was simply off some portions of the video (these parts were extremely dark and it was hard to see the two of them). The pair interacted with the camera in a way that reminded me of 90s R&B music videos. I personally thought the video was a bit dry and isn’t something that I would find myself revisiting. It is a fitting video for the song, but not my cup of tea.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 6/10
Overall Rating – 6.6/10

[Review] Can’t Live Without You – Ha Sung Woon

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Ha Sung Woon also made his comeback on Wednesday with a special mini-album, You. Leading this mini-album is the title track Can’t Live Without You. This is Ha Sung Woon’s first release since he departed Star Crew Entertainment (his company for the past seven years) and his first since the release of Electrified and Electrified: Urban Nostalgia (which dropped late last year). Interestingly, this isn’t his first release under his new company, BPM Entertainment (the home to VIVIZ who also debuted on Wednesday). Not entirely sure why that is the case, but Can’t Live Without You and You are a nice treat nonetheless.

Can’t Live Without You is a light and mellow ballad, suitable when you want to take it easy, with a nice warm beverage in hand. It isn’t the most riveting song out there, nor does it gain points for being innovative. Nor is it the type of song that I usually steer to, as well. But it was extremely pleasant and nice sounding, and there is always time and need for a song like this. I also found Can’t Live Without You to be very warm and inviting, which I am sure was Ha Sung Woon’s intention for the song given that it is a song for his fans. As for Ha Sung Woon himself, he definitely sounds splendid. I like the husky tone he provided the song, which adds a nice texture to Can’t Live Without You. The softness and lightness of his vocals compliment the instrumental, but also at the same time, manages to pop out in a fitting manner. The melodies of this song are relatively simple, but definitely bring forth that swaying measure I look for in ballads and adds to the pleasantries of this song. Altogether, Can’t Live With You is a neat track that just feels perfectly soothing and comforting, for his fans and the casual listener alike.

That warm and comforting feeling was definitely well portrayed in his video. It was the main feeling that I got from the video, despite the surroundings seemed cold and chilly throughout the video. It seems like Ha Sung Woon spends all of the video alone, but it appears that we are by his side for parts of the video. He interacts with the camera at various points to give off the impression that we are with him. This indeed compliments the idea that this is a song for the fans. It is a fine accompaniment to the song.

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

[Review] BOP BOP! – VIVIZ

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I flagged late last month in the review for Yuju’s Play that we will be seeing more of the former GFriend members in the near future, and the day has arrived. Eunha, Sin.B and Umji, who all signed with BPM Entertainment following GFriend’s unexpected disbandment, formed a brand new female trio group and made their re-debut yesterday under the name VIVIZ. For those who are wondering, BPM Entertainment is a relatively new company that is home Soyou, Huh Gak. Ha Sung Woon and Samuel. Back to VIVIZ, they kicked off their new chapter in their careers with the single BOP BOP! and mini-album Beam of Prism.

BOP BOP! is another groovy disco-esque retro track to add to the list of similar songs that we have heard recently. While it is oh so familiar sound to us listeners (and a relatively safe sound as well), this doesn’t really dampen the song’s initial impression – fun, lighthearted and bouncy. The verses (and bridge) in BOP BOP! were very forgettable for me and I personally felt like they left a big gaping hole in the song. Thankfully, BOP BOP! starts gaining momentum thanks to the pre-chorus that changes the direction and builds quite well towards the chorus. For the chorus, we are treated to a concentration of that funky disco-esque retro influence, but initially as an anti-drop-like sequence and then as a more substantial filled out chorus. For the first half of the chorus, I am not exactly a fan of it, but I don’t hate it (I kind of enjoyed it more the second time around it pops up). But I quite liked how satisfying the latter half of the chorus felt, which helped boost the entire chorus and made it more promising and memorable. Following the second chorus, we are treated a super fun and likeable dance break sequence. I just love the background ‘Bop Bop‘ that we get, which adds a dynamic touch to the rush of energy we get in this sequence. We get a different post-chorus sequence at the end, a bit meatier but also more typical. I wished they had kept the first post-chorus hook we got and added a few additional elements to end off the song in a more exciting stance. As for vocals, I think VIVIZ did a decent job. Was it the best effort ever? I don’t think so, but it was a nice reintroduction to the members whom we haven’t heard from in over a year. Overall, BOP BOP! is a decent debut track. I do hope they explore more unique sounds in the future.

Not entirely sure what is going on in this video, but I guess they are preparing for some party in outer space? And they run into some trouble from the command centre? But all is well, as they make it to the party and party it up at the end? That is my best guess and it is pretty boring if that is the case. Apart from the lackluster plotline, the music video had really nice lighting and decent sets. But nothing memorable to get me back to replay the video several more time.

The choreography for this release was quite nice. There is a youthful touch to it, and a cutesy vibe on top. But it isn’t overly saturated in either, which makes it easy to watch and enjoy. I do like the post-chorus sequences and the ‘Bop Bop‘ moves in the chorus.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 6.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.3/10

[Review] Heartbreak – Minho (SHINee)

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Another comeback that occurred in December 2021 that I have not yet reviewed is Minho’s Heartbreak. It is Minho’s SM Station single release, I’m Home, from way back in 2019. Since then, he has enlisted in the military and completed his two year mandatory enlistment. He also participated in SHINee’s Don’t Call Me and Atlantis comebacks last year. But apart from that, it has been fairly quiet from Minho. That was until December 21, when Minho’s dropped his first solo single, Heartbreak.

Dipping into the R&B genre, Heartbreak was a decent release back in December (and remains as is even today). There is a lot to like in Heartbreak, but it didn’t feel enough for me. Maybe it is because Heartbreak is not a full fledged release, with an album to sink into. Or that Minho’s solo career has yet to deliver the same impact as his fellow members have and Heartbreak doesn’t really have momentum to give us said impact. Or that Heartbreak is a relatively simple and straightforward song that doesn’t really offer anything new in the grand scheme of things. Regardless, I am left wanting more. Anyhow, Heartbreak has such a smooth atmosphere to it that really pulls me into the song each time I am listening to it. The bass and synths were pretty simple, but they definitely gave Heartbreak substance and meat to the song. And together, they have a straightforward backing piece. There is nothing wrong with this, but it isn’t the most innovative piece. However, it works splendidly with his vocals. Minho is more well known for his rapping sequences in SHINee’s releases, so to hear an entire song of just Minho’s vocals is very rare. I like how well suited his voice is for the R&B genre, with his husky vocals making Heartbreak so much more alluring and seductive. I wouldn’t mind more of this. His ad-libs were also quite decent as well. Like the atmosphere., the melodies and hooks are very smooth as well. Overall, an overall great return to the solo scene for Minho (though I think more is definitely needed!).

The music video is the most promising aspect of this comeback. In the video, we see two timelines. 2021 and 2049. From what I can tell, 2021’s Minho is manipulating the future to communicate with 2049’s Minho. This leads to 2049’s Minho to travel back in time in his car, to which he is told to torch it. I presume that the original 2049 version of Minho was still heartbroken over a relationship since the year 2021, and the 2021’s version is giving 2049 a chance to go back and move forward with his life. That’s my take on the video. Other than that, I liked the Matrix-like computer coding effect we get and overall futuristic concept. Minho also looks very cool and charismatic throughout this video.

Performance wise, I felt Minho looked a bit tense for the performance. Not too sure why that was the case, but it made the performance look a bit rigid for me. Other than that, it was a decent performance with some good moves. It could have been more, like the song. More seductive, more alluring. But it was nice to see Minho back on stage.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10

[Review] Voiceless – WONPIL (DAY6)

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Over the last year or so, we have gotten solo releases from each of the DAY6 members (aside from Sungjin, who was the first member to enlist into the military and prompted the band to focus on solo promotions for the time being). Jae has collaborated with other artists (but more recently left JYP Entertainment and is currently on a break from DAY6). Young.K made his solo debut with Guard You, and Dowoon also debuted with a collaborative single, Out of the Blue, with Song Heejin, before both enlisted into the military. This leaves Wonpil as the remaining member of DAY6. He has also flagged his intention to enlisting to minimise DAY6’s hiatus. But before that, he made his solo debut (like his fellow members) today with his first solo single, Voiceless, and studio length album, Pilmography.

Voiceless comes in the form of a stunning ballad. It is an interesting ballad, as it is not your typical emotional ballad style that is heavy on the emotions within its music or dramatically orchestrated as we have come across before. Instead, the instrumental behind Voiceless was striking, prance-like, folksy-like and upbeat in an unusual manner but a fitting way. This can be attributed to the waltz element that Soompi has pointed out to be in the song, alongside some bluesy elements. It makes Voiceless dynamic for me and kept me captivated. The instrumental also ticks that swaying motion that I find myself doing while listening to really great ballads. Even though Voiceless has such an instrumental, this does not shortchange the emotion impact of the song, as Wonpil sings about a ‘heartbreaking story of ending a relationship in order to lessen pain for the other person’ (taken from Soompi). And you can tell that Wonpil pours his emotions into the song as he sings. Talking about vocals, I really enjoyed how pronounced his vocals got, building as the ballad progressed. It helps make Voiceless more striking (as already mentioned) and it is hard to tear your attention away from the song. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of his softer moments, mainly because he went with a nasally effect which I wasn’t a personal fan of. I feel that the nasally approach this time around made the lyrics sound a little unclear. But apart from that, Voiceless is a fantastic ballad and title track that definitely makes me want to dive into the rest of the album.

My understanding of the music video is that Wonpil is in love with this mermaid. So in love that he writes a story about her. At the start of the video, he see him read the story he wrote about the mermaid. But over time, we see him pick up another story and another story, suggesting that he is tired of the mermaid story (and hence mermaid). As he does this, the water in the apartment rises. Once the apartment is completely filled with water, the mermaid appears in front of him to deliver the breakup news. The water drains and we can see the events preceding upsets him. We see him slip further into sadness (i.e. the water), whilst reminiscing of the days when they would swim together (I believe this is all in his mind however). We are then treated to a mini reunion on the beach, where she joins him above water (much to his surprise) and they have a nice stroll along the beach before he confess his love. But she lets go, and leaves his life, as the lyrics states. We get a emphasis on the fact that she leaves his life when she turns to sand, whilst Wonpil in on that small golden island. At the end, however, we see Wonpil sitting along the beach in a completely different outfit (something that makes him look more mature and possibly suggests a time jump). From afar the mermaid looks at him, knowing that while the breakup did hurt him, he emerged as a better person from it. A very aesthetic, well executed music video and heartbreaking story.

Song – 9/10
Music Video -10/10
Overall Rating – 9.4/10

[Review] Shutdown – Moonbyul (Mamamoo) ft. Seori

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Like my last post, there is another track that fits the brief (solo artist, song released in the last few months, and should have been covered before I reviewed the main title track) from last year. That track is titled Shutdown, a collaborative single from Mamamoo member Moonbyul and Seori, released at the end of last year as well. Shutdown is one of two pre-release singles (the other being G999) that is featured on Moonbyul’s latest mini-album, 6equence, which is lead by the single LUNATIC.

Shutdown is a smooth mid-tempo R&B track with one of those swayable melodies that I love. One of the things that stuck out at me (and to a lot of listeners as well) were the lyrics, which had two key chrematistics – they promoted inclusivity and were a bit erotic as well. Essentially, Shutdown is a song about a relationship between two women and Moonbyul has been receiving praise for this. Moonbyul has also confirmed the erotic nature behind the lyrics. Good on Moonbyul for breaking boundaries with this song, as it is pretty rare sight in KPOP. Aside from lyrics, we also have the amazing vocals of both Moonbyul and featuring artist Seori in Shutdown. Moonbyul’s natural lower tone is well utilised in Shutdown, keeping the song grounded. As for her rapping, I kind of understand its presence in this song to make the song a bit more interesting and not as repetitive. But I felt it was a bit too heavy, and should have adopted a softer approach to compliment the rest of the song. Seori brings a higher and lighter tone. I really enjoyed the airness that her vocals brought to Shutdown, and helped made the chorus more prominent. This is also why I feel Moonbyul purposely used her lower tone to ensure Shutdown isn’t too light and airy. Both artists balance each other and creates such a good track. The best part of Shutdown definitely has to be when the two vocalists alternate with each other the lines of the pre-chorus. Definitely the most memorable part of Shutdown. I also found the bridge to be stunning. A beautifully pre-release overall.

The music video is pretty nice looking as well, which compliments the song well. The golden hue we get from the lighting and colours is very warming and comforting. The video depicts the relationship between two females as mentioned in lyrics/song portion of the review. But instead of being erotic like in the lyrics, the music video shows a sweeter side of the relationship. At first, it appears like Moonbyul is alone and Seori is like a ghost. But at the end, I liked how they transitioned it so that Moonbyul and Seori are seen interacting with one another (whilst also lip-syncing to the song).

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.8/10

[Review] Who Are You – BamBam (GOT7) ft. Seulgi (Red Velvet)

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As mentioned yesterday, I will be reviewing solo releases over the last few months which I had not reviewed yet. To start, I will be looking at the solo pre-releases that I should have reviewed before I reviewed the official main title tracks. BamBam (member of GOT7) is one of the solo members that come to mind. He recently came back with the single Slow Mo and second mini-album, B. Also off the B mini-album is the single Who Are You, which features Red Velvet member Seulgi, and was first revealed to listeners at the end of 2021. Who Are You is the focus on this review post.

While it has been over a month ago since both news of and the actual release, I could remember thinking that a collaboration between BamBam and Seulgi was unexpected and surprising, but also exciting and refreshing. And both BamBam and Seulgi proved with Who Are You that the latter points were the most correct. Who Are You is a very light and smooth R&B track that felt just right. While I don’t listen to the song every single day, I thoroughly enjoy its presence every time I do come across Who Are You. There is so much to enjoy in this song, despite there being so little to the track. Who Are You has a minimal atmospheric instrumental, kicking off with a low hum, before bringing in the simple strumming of guitar and then the later addition of a slow soft piano melody in the verses. For the chorus, the piano element is relatively heavier, and we also get some simple percussion, to help kick the song up a notch. But everything from start to end can be described as light, simple and minimalistic, as described initially. What also makes Who Are You so good are the vocals from both artists. The set up of them echoing each other is so impactful and added a profound colour to the song. It made the song so interesting. Individually, BamBam really surprised me with his softer and gentle vocals in this song. It suits him so well, and the textures that his raspy vocals brought to the table helped made Who Are You so good. As for Seulgi, her light and higher tone balanced out the song, making the entire track more pleasant and smoother. Overall, Who Are You is an amazing single, and BamBam and Seulgi pairing is perfect.

For the music video, I liked it. I felt the different scenes were aesthetic and artistic. I liked the idea of both set and outdoor scenes. The video didn’t feel confined or restricted in anyway as a result, which gave a lot of breathing space to me as a viewer. I am sure there are meaning behind some of the individual scenes, but I don’t have the intelligence to break it down and decipher it this time around. My main gripe about the music video is some of the scenes appeared too dark and it was hard to see what as going on. It was probably done for an aesthetic or artistic reason, but it distracted me and hindered the process of me trying to take everything in.

The choreography routine, performed by both BamBam and Seulgi, is a contemporary piece that is both smooth and captivating to watch. It definitely highlights both BamBam and Seulgi’s skill set as performers and shows them off in such a mature lighting. They also perform in a very harmonious manner, which boosts up the routine to the next level.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9.1/10

[Review] Child – Mark (NCT)

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I will continue my focus on lesser known acts on Sunday (I was unfortunately ill last night and had to take the night off from the blog). As for today and tomorrow, I will be focusing on a number of solo acts, as I feel they have been neglected over the last few months, as well. There are a few in mind that I really want to cover. But tonight’s review is actually a new release from none other than Mark from NCT. Mark has been a busy artist from the day he debuted as an NCT member, boasting the most extensive resume out of the all the members of his group (i.e. one of the two most recurring members in the various NCT units, had debuted more times than other artists – just to name a few). So it comes with little surprise that he is the first NCT artist to release a single under the new NCT Lab, a new SM Station series that focuses on solo tracks from the NCT members. Mark’s single is titled Child and it officially dropped today.

Child takes on the hip-hop genre, which comes as no surprise, as Mark is a rapper in his group activities. What did come as a surprise was how much I enjoyed the track upon the first listen. I know I sound like a broken record when I say that the hip-hop genre isn’t something that I enjoy. But there are a few elements within Child that really stands out for me. The deepness of Child stood out for me. Even before considering the lyrics, you could feel the heaviness of the song. When you read through the lyrics, you can get a sense of the deep thoughts that were put into Child. And from these lyrics you can feel his struggles as an artist and being lost as a person. Aside from the emotional side of the song. I really enjoyed the instrumental for Child. The song starts off with electric guitar riffs, before completely changing up the dynamic for the chorus with a heavy thumping beat and trap-like synths. This continues into the second verse, before opting for a much more energetic and upbeat tempo for the second half of the verse. Mark then takes Child back to the thumping chorus and the same electric guitar at the start for the bridge. When you think the song had wrapped up, Mark brings back the thumping chorus to close out the song on a more dynamic note (which works well with the conclusive endpoint in the lyrics). Mark himself was quite impressive with his delivery. His rapping was very captivating, while his vocals touches to the song were melodic and soothing. Overall, Child is a solid launching pad into this new NCT Lab series. But it also serves as an insightful view into Mark, his thoughts and experiences thus far as an artist.

Like the song, the music video has a lot of meaning behind it as well. Mark spends a lot of this video running away from hooded figures. My guess is that these people represent the hardships that Mark is experiencing in his life currently (i.e. the people putting pressure on him to be a certain way), as expressed in his lyrics. Honestly, this can be a range of people, including his company, managers, members, family, fans etc. Mark just wants to find himself and express himself freely. And him running away means makes a stand for himself, as he mentions at the end of his song. The ending where he is running in the darkness might suggest that he doesn’t see himself escaping these pressures anytime soon, but he is still making an effort to stand up for himself. Other than my proposed meaning behind the video, I liked the urban look of this video, which matches up with the hip-hop influences behind the song.

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

[Review] Catch The Stars – woo!ah!

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Next up is woo!ah!, who made their comeback with the single Catch The Stars at the start of this year (January 4). This is also my first time reviewing a woo!ah! release. They are currently a five member female group from NV Entertainment who debuted back in 2020, and the group consists of Nana, Wooyeon, Sora, Lucy and Minseo. There was originally a sixth member, Seonghee, but she left the group a few months after they debuted with their self-titled song, woo!ah!. The group then made two comebacks since then – Bad Girl and Purple. But today, I will be focusing on that January 4 release, Catch The Stars.

Personally, I am not familiar with woo!ah!’s singles. I do remember they were on my Weekly KPOP Charts segment, but I didn’t really pay much attention to them. Fortunately, their latest single did not lead to the same outcome. Instead, Catch The Stars really caught my attention due to its vibrant and upbeat funky pop energy. The guitars are just so good in this song! I can’t help but stop whatever I am doing and mouth along to the song (because me singing would be very embarrassing and might even ruin my day). A bit of a dance might also ensue if I am in an especially good mood, which Catch The Stars steers me down as well. It is also a cute and fun track. Cute songs aren’t usually my style, but it is hard to not remember the old days when KPOP was built on these cute tracks, and Catch The Stars reminds me of that era. What also sells Catch The Stars to me even more are the addictive hooks. The ‘Woo lah la la‘ hook in chorus was super catchy and very memorable. Vocally, this is a very strong showing from the members and I really liked how the rapping came naturally to this song (i.e. it didn’t get its own specific instrumental sequence). Overall, Catch The Stars earns woo!ah! two wins – an awesome song that I very much dig and it puts the group on my radar now!

The music video goes down a typical school girl concept, but the members have very vivid imaginations daydreaming about adventures into space. It compliments the lyrics. I found the cuteness of the members and the video to be quite refreshing in this current era. That says a lot, given that cutesy concepts aren’t my thing either! I did like how the video highlighted the hook/some of the English phrases in the song, by having the actual wording appear on our screen.

The choreography for this comeback was pretty good. Nothing that impressive, but it fits the bill for the song. I also found myself smiling whilst watching their performances, which tells me that the members did an amazing job bringing such a fun and energetic vibe to the stage.

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

[Review] BOBBIN – BLITZERS

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Today and tomorrow’s reviews will be focused on groups or artists that are not as well known and had released music throughout December 2021 or January 2022. This is a great opportunity to do so, given the slow week. First up is BLITZERS, a group who I reviewed their debut track but had forgtten about their existence until earlier this year. For those who may still be unfamiliar with this group, BLITZERS is a seven member male group who debuted in 2021 under Wuzo Entertainment with Breathe Again (May 2021), and subsequently made a comeback last year with Will Make a Mistake (October 2021). The group’s lineup consist of members Junhan, Jinhwa, Sya, Lutan, Wooju, Go_U and Chris. This review will focus on their early 2022 / January 3 release, BOBBIN.

BOBBIN continues the rock sound that the group had channeled from their first day. BOBBIN seems to take a more loaded approach, with a bolstering instrumental that really gets the energy pumping. I really enjoyed this song’s rock instrumentation, simply because it was amped up to a very satisfying degree, didn’t hold back, had a great electrifying energy. It was also quite abrasive, rough and grungy, which made it even better! To compliment these stylistic choices, BOBBIN opts for autotuned vocals and rapping. Some of it was very fitting for the rock style, like some of the yelling we get in the verses, chorus and the vocal parts in the bridge, and I have no issue with this. It roughens up their delivery, which works with the broader picture that is BOBBIN. However, some parts were a bit too autotuned. A good example is the final few lines in the pre-chorus. It felt a bit much and stuck out for me for the wrong reasons. As for the hooks for the song, I didn’t think they were as memorable as they could be. They were decent at best. Maybe roughening up the vocals and the abrasive nature of the instrumental took away from this. Despite those elements though, I am sure they could have gone with a bolder and more memorable hook, so that it gives me even more reasons to revisit BOBBIN.

The music video was pretty simple, which allowed the music to do more of the speaking for this release. I liked this approach. In my mind, the music compensates for the simplicity of the video. The setup of the messy wires around the choreography area was pretty cool and fitting for the rock sound as well. It also felt a bit industrial at the same time. I did wish there was more to the video in terms of sets and such to make it a bit more dynamic. I think there was two sets in total for this music video, and the colour palette was a bit one-dimensional and cliché. Additional sets would have worked, or different lighting would have been fine. It isn’t the dynamic type that I am usually after, but it would have made the video worth going back to.

I really appreciate that the group did the performances for this comeback with live vocals. Unfortunately, I feel that the actual choreography was lackluster and didn’t really encapsulate the energy from the song. This makes the performance disappointing to watch, even though live vocals were on display.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Performance – 6/10
Overall Rating – 7.5/10