Category: KPOP

[Album Review] BORN LIKE THIS (9th Mini Album) – AB6IX

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In September last year, AB6IX made a comeback with their 9th mini-album, BORN LIKE THIS, which was led by the single NVKED. I am finally getting around to reviewing the mini-album. In addition to the lead single, 4 additional tracks feature on the mini-album. As usual, AB6IX released a solid mini-album, with perfect songs marking the start and end of the album. In addition to the title track, I highly recommend you check out these tracks at the very least on BORN LIKE THIS.

In more recent times, AB6IX made a comeback almost a year after the release of BORN LIKE THIS with their 10th mini-album and single of the same name, STUPID. I have yet to review the title track, but I will do so soon.

BORN LIKE THIS Album Cover

1. In My Vein – In My Vein is a powerful hip-hop track that kicks off the mini-album very strongly. The thumping instrumental features a really cool rhythm that appeals to me from the outset. But it is AB6IX’s vocals that stand out the strongest in the song. There is a certain sleekness and classy vibe to the vocals that brings a great deal of character and tone to the song. Similarly, the rapping was also super engaging and extends that hip-hop influence. The “I have it in my vein” hook was also super catchy. Overall, a powerful opener for the mini-album. (10/10)

2. NVKED (Title Track) – Click here for NVKED’s full review. (8/10)

3. Forever Young – Forever Young combines pop-rock with a touch of old-school hip-hop in the second verse and rap portion of the bridge. I have to say that the chorus, which features the pop rock in its purest form, was extremely satisfying. The hip-hop was nicely executed and adds a further appealing dimension to the song. Overall, a decent side track from the group. (8/10)  

4. Hurt Me – Hurt Me brings Latin-pop to the mini-album. Ideally, this influence would have brought a touch of freshness to the mini-album. However, it ultimately gets overshadowed by the percussion and synths in the chorus. Where it does shine through in Hurt Me, it definitely gives the track some life, flair, and energy. Truthfully, AB6IX continues the momentum that the Latin-pop influence brings through the percussion and synths. But the balance is off for me, and I find this to be a barrier to fully appreciating the song. (7.5/10)

5. Butterfly Effect – The mini-album started off strong and ended strongly with Butterfly Effect. I really liked the combination of the synth-pop and classical elements in Butterfly Effect. It makes for a pretty and strong background for AB6IX. The changes in tempo, from upbeat to soothing, thanks to the instrumental combination, make this track super dynamic and engaging. The best part has to be the bridge, with the classical music creating a beautiful instrumental piece. To top off Butterfly Effect, there are also stunning vocals and rapping throughout the track, as well. A great ender to this mini-album. (10/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.7/10

BORN LIKE THIS teaser image

[Review] My First Love Song – KickFlip

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Rookie group KickFlip has been on a roll this year, debuting back in January with Mama Said (yet to be reviewed) and the mini-album Flip It, Kick It! and returned with their first comeback in June with FREEZE and the mini-album Kick Out, Flip Now!. The group recently pre-released the single Band-Aid (review to come) ahead of their September comeback with My First Love Song and the mini-album My First Flip.

My First Love Song is a super energetic pop-rock track that instantly grabs my attention. Opening the song up with the chorus, in this instance, was super effective and had me hooked from the start. What KickFlip does super well throughout My First Love Song was use the energetic dynamism to show off their youthfulness. You can hear it in the instrumentals, their vocals, rapping and tone. And I find it to be quite infectious. While the verses don’t live up to the same momentum, there is a constant upbeatness and presence of the pop-rock influence during the verses that keep the song on track and moving forward. The pre-choruses and (really short) bridge of My First Love Song do slow down that momentum even more. But its placement is clever and makes the subsequent return to the chorus punchy and powerful each time. Putting this altogether, My First Love Song is extremely likeable and definitely grows my attention towards KickFlip even further.

My First Love Song sees the KickFlip members help KEIJU confess to his crush, from planning to executing the very moment he asks his crush out. It goes well with the lyrics of the song, which speaks to doing something they wouldn’t normally would do, but for the sake of love, they will do it. I quite like their energy and vibrant charms that are on full display throughout the video. In addition to the confession playing out, there is also a fair bit of focus on fellow member MINJE, bringing in what I suspect is a bit of a side-plot. MINJE appears to be jealous of KEIJU – perhaps he has the crush on the same person or that he like MINJE. The video does leave this side-plot open-ended, so we might see more of this story evolve in future videos.

Like the song and music video, the energy really makes the performance. The chorus never lets up and shows us a dynamic flow that keeps the performance going. The other parts of the routine are not as intense, but still shows off sharpness and energy. I think some fine-tuning of the synchronisation could have lifted the routine up slightly to make it consistent with the other elements of this comeback.

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

[Review] Doctor! Doctor! – ZEROBASEONE

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A while back, I mentioned I would go back to review ZEROBASEONE’s pre-release single for their BLUE PARADISE mini-album. Well, today is the day. Doctor! Doctor! was released back in January, a month in advance to the release of BLUE PARADISE and the lead single BLUE. Keep your eyes open, as with this song review posted, an album review for BLUE PARADISE will be posted soon.

Since its release, Doctor! Doctor! has always been a pleasantly consistent listen. I use both ‘pleasant’ and ‘consistent’ in a positive way for this the purposes of this review. But I think more can be done to elevate the song further. Doctor! Doctor! is a contemporary R&B track that enables ZEROBASEONE to show off their vocal abilities. Their vocals are nicely executed throughout the song, and this vocal exclamation of the song’s title at the start and during the chorus is something that I instantly think of when the song does pop in my mind. The melodies are also quite nice. Doctor! Doctor! also features some rapping, and I liked the way this cuts through the vocals to give Doctor! Doctor! some much needed contrast and punchiness. The instrumental is where Doctor! Doctor! could have done more, in my opinion. It felt very standard for the most part, but I do appreciate the bass and percussion that do pick up the song.

The lyrics of Doctor! Doctor! likens falling in love to a illness, and asks the doctor for help to cure one of such illness. In the video, we see the members suffer from the symptoms of being in love, seeking the help of a doctor (played by South Korean actor Jung Kyung Ho). I thought the haziness and colour palette of the music video were particularly interesting, in the sense that it makes the video look dreamy, but also blurry like when we are unwell. Overall, a solid music video.

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

[Review] SHOOT (Firecracker) – CHAEYOUNG (TWICE)

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CHAEYOUNG from TWICE made her solo debut last month with the single SHOOT (Firecracker) and her debut studio album, Lil Fantasy Vol. 1. She is the fourth member of her group to embark on a solo career, following NAYEON, JIHYO and TZUYU. In other related news, TWICE made a comeback with THIS IS FOR earlier this year and will be making a comeback in a weeks time to celebrate their 10th anniversary with the album Ten: The Story Goes On and single Me+You.

Personally, I didn’t know what to expect from SHOOT (Firecracker) and CHAEYOUNG in general, so this solo debut was quite an intriguing one to me. Right from the get-go, SHOOT (Firecracker) proved to be a decent track. I admire its softness, thanks to dreamy retro-pop instrumental and CHAEYOUNG’s vocals. While this combination isn’t necessary the style that would enable the track to stand out in a sea of KPOP releases, SHOOT (Firecracker) does enough to get onto my radar. I particularly like how she delivers SHOOT (Firecracker)‘s repetitive hook. It was lightly upbeat, comforting and repeated listens to the song have helped it become earwormy to me. I was also quite surprised with the fact SHOOT (Firecracker) was all in English. I would have liked some sort of development in the song, especially as it progresses. Maybe some more pronounced vocals in the layering of lines towards the end of the song, or some sort of change-up in momentum to steer it away from potential neutrality. SHOOT (Firecracker) was good overall and I do enjoy it. But more could have been done, particularly to offset the softness that consistently recurred in the song.

The music video sees CHAEYOUNG in her own little distinct world that draws upon elements of Alice in Wonderland. CHAEYOUNG was quite cute throughout the video, especially during the scenes where she is ‘outside’ gathering ingredients to bake a cake. She also invited some felt friends over for a tea party. I quite the pastel look of the video, which fits in with that dreamy motif that I mentioned earlier in regards to the song, as well as concept of being one’s world (i.e., a dream). This is backed up with how CHAEYOUNG first appears in the video in between a mattress sandwich, suggesting that she might need to be asleep to enter her own world.

I quite liked the performance aspect of this solo debut. CHAEYOUNG definitely brought a vibrancy to the routine that helped it look engaging, and the moves were pretty solid. There was ‘bow and arrow’ shooting and handgun moves during the chorus that made perfect sense. My only critic about the performance is similar to what I said about TZUYU’s performance for Run Away. There is a certain stiffness that feels apparent in CHAEYOUNG’s initial performances of SHOOT (Firecracker). Fortunately, it did lessen as CHAEYOUNG performed the song more.

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

[Review] 5, 4, 3 (Pretty Woman) – CxM (SEVENTEEN) ft. Lay Bankz

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Earlier this week, SEVENTEEN debuted their latest subunit duo CxM, becoming the fourth subunit of the 13-member group after BSS (HOSHI, DK and SEUNGKWAN), JxW (JEONGHAN & WONWOO) and HxW (HOSHI & WOOZI). Following a similar naming pattern, CxM is made up of SEVENTEEN’s leader S.COUPS and fellow member MINGYU. Their debut single, 5, 3, 4 (Pretty Woman), dropped on Monday, along with the mini-album Hype Vibes.

For me, 5, 3, 4 (Pretty Woman) is a fun debut single. S.COUPS and MINGYU takes the primary hook of Roy Orbison’s Oh, Pretty Woman (lyrics and music), turning it into an energetically funky and groovy hip-hop number. The guitar riffs is a stronghold of the song and its consistency throughout keeps the momentum of 5, 3, 4 (Pretty Woman) going. Said energy of 5, 3, 4 (Pretty Woman) definitely suits summery season. However, I think an earlier release date of 5, 3, 4 (Pretty Woman), say in the middle of Summer, would have allowed the song to hit harder. Interestingly, the entire second verse (a large portion of the song) was handed over to Lay Bankz. There is no question that she is a strong artist – her part in 5, 3, 4 (Pretty Woman) absolutely hits hard. But that does mean we didn’t get to hear as much of either S.COUPS and MINGYU. What we do hear is good (I am loving the pre-choruses), but I don’t think 5, 3, 4 (Pretty Woman) particularly used their talents and abilities as well as it could have. Overall, a well executed and crafted song that builds on a classic’s hook. But I would have loved to hear something more distinct from the pair.

The music video sees S.COUPS and MINGYU hanging out in LA, getting ready, partying it up and turning heads wherever they go. It is honestly rather simple, but it works well in the context of the lyrics and vibes. I liked how each time the chorus come on, the video turns into a little party. The bright sun and settings were also well selected. I also liked that the video featured Lay Bankz, as well, particularly given the large bite of the song she has. Given how short the song is, it did feel a bit odd to have a minute worth of ending credits, but the outtakes make up for it.

The choreography incorporates the groovy and hip-hop vibes of 5, 3, 4 (Pretty Woman) in a manner that is simple, laidback and cool. Their charisma and playfulness also makes sure to emphasise the coolness and easygoing nature of the routine.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.3/10

[Album Review] Air (1st Mini Album) – YEJI (ITZY)

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Earlier this year, YEJI from ITZY made her solo debut with the mini-album Air and the title track of the same name. It is time for the review of the debut mini-album, which features an additional 3 songs along Air (the title track). The title track itself was a powerful debut single. As for the mini-album, it’s a mixed bag in my opinion, but it still offers a good outlook on YEJI as a solo artist. For more on my thoughts on each individual song on Air (the mini-album), keep on reading below.

More recently, YEJI rejoined her fellow members for their June comeback, Girls Will Be Girls, and was confirmed to have renewed her contract (along with the rest of ITZY) at JYP Entertainment.

Air Album Cover

1. Air (Title Track) – Click here for Air’s full review. (9/10)

2. Invasion – The synth-pop instrumental for Invasion was very lovely, as well as the guitar riffs that come into play later on. You could also hear YEJI’s charisma through her vocals. Combined with the instrumental, I felt Invasion had considerable potential. However, the more I listened to Invasion, I wished there was more bite to the song, particularly as it progressed. This would have helped the song from feeling repetitive, which did occur after a while for me. (7.5/10)

3. Can’t Slow Me, No – Groovy bass comes into the mini-album with Can’t Slow Me, No. YEJI also adds some Latin influence to the choruses and the second verse. I quite enjoyed the energy and atmosphere that this created. YEJI does a good job switching between vocals and rapping throughout the song, which adds a dynamic factor to the song. Quite a fun single to have on the mini-album. (8/10)

4. 258 – 258 closes out the mini-album. It is a bright pop song that features a dreamy EDM instrumental. One aspect of 258 that I really liked was how easy it sounded on the ears. Every element, from YEJI’s effortless tone to the autotune, melodies and instrumentation, sounded pure and straightforward. This all contributed towards making 258 an easy listen. There is also something about the prominence of the English lyrics that really spoke to me in 258. (10/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.6/10

YEJI’s teaser image for Air

[Review] I’ll Never Love Again – WOODZ

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It has been a while since we last heard from WOODZ. The last time I reviewed him was for his previous comeback, Amnesia, from 2023, before his military enlistment. More recently, WOODZ unexpectedly resurged on the charts this year with Drowning from his 2023 Oo-Li mini-album (which I never reviewed, but I did review its pre-release and lead singles). This week, WOODZ made his first official comeback since completing his military enlistment, I’ll Never Love Again.

WOODZ really puts himself out there with I’ll Never Love Again. This song begins soothingly, almost like a ballad. The vocals in this moment are soft and delicate. Still in the first verse, WOODZ earns his first wow from me when the song briefly introduces the intense rock guitar riff and his passionate vocals. From then on, I’ll Never Love Again provides a little more to itself to make it richer, before leading into the song’s ultimate form—a powerful rock song. Again, I love WOODZ’s passionate display throughout I’ll Never Love Again. He doesn’t hold back his emotions, and this elevates I’ll Never Love Again to new heights. The raspiness of his vocals, especially during the song’s most intense moments, adds so much texture and colour to the song. The gospel choir and its influence in the background provide the rock song with additional depth and dimension, making it even better. And I love its satisfying end. WOODZ did a fantastic job with this single, and I hope that everyone else can also appreciate it in I’ll Never Love Again.

The lyrics of I’ll Never Love Again speak to the emotions one experiences at the end of a relationship, with WOODZ expressing the idea that someone may choose not to love again if it ends in heartbreak. Within the music video, we see multiple couples experience love and heartbreak, with WOODZ cleaning up after his own heartbreak (the fire and mess represent potential thoughts and emotions he may have had during the moment of his own heartbreak). What I really liked about the video is that it doesn’t just show young love, but also depicts an elderly couple (where the older man is experiencing poor health), love for a pet and even a hobby (which I think is what the photoshoot scenes are about). It shows us love comes in many forms, as well as heartbreak. What makes this more interesting are the comments WOODZ made in relation to the song (as summarised in the SOOMPI article): “The song reflects on the moment of a final breakup or the end of love, and asks: ‘If that moment comes, would you choose that love again—or not?“. This makes the video a lot more thought-provoking than expected.

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.6/10

[Review] Head Shoulders Knees Toes – TWS

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TWS is gearing up for another comeback next month, following on from April’s Try With Us mini-album and Countdown single. But ahead of next month’s mini-album release, TWS has pre-released the single Head Shoulders Knees Toes.

When you just glance over the title of the pre-release single, your mind probably clicks over to the nursery rhyme of a similar name. And that did worry me for a bit. But TWS’s version is far from the nursery rhyme. Instead, Head Shoulders Knees Toes is very much ingrained in the hip-hop genre. We do get the repetition of the song’s title as the main hook and chorus, but it isn’t as bad as I had thought it would be. I appreciate the members delivering ‘Head Shoulders Knees and Toes‘ with a little more heft and punch than how we would have sung the nursery rhyme as younger kids, fitting in with the hip-hop profile that the song is going for. As for the instrumental, I actually like the brass elements in the background as well as the backing’s overall explosiveness. It helps show a more edgy side of the group. However, I wish there were a bit more to the trap-based instrumental. At times, it felt lacking and empty, leaving me wanting more. As for the members, intense rapping and really nice vocals were showcased in Head Shoulders Knees Toes. The pre-chorus and bridge were stunning parts of Head Shoulders Knees Toes.

An edgy urban city is how I would summarise the concept for the music video. To be fair, it does sound like it fits the likes of a KPOP hip-hop song. I will admit the start was rather intriguing, with everyone surrounding the TWS member before launching the members and the song at us. The best aspect has to be the elevator scenes, where we see multiple elevators and the members dancing in them. That looked super cool. I also really liked the bullet scenes, which were a close second for best aspect of the music video. However, while the music video was visually strong, I am unsure how it connects with the lyrics of Head Shoulders Knees Toes.

As for the choreography, it reimagines the dance associated with the nursery rhyme as a cool, hip-hop-based chorus routine. I really liked the bounce and energy that came off the performance’s centrepiece. The dance break we get towards the end allows the members to flex their edgy performance skills, which aren’t typically shown in their title track dance routines.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.3/10

[Album Review] ACT (5th Mini Album) – KANG DANIEL

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A year ago, KANG DANIEL released his 5th mini-album, ACT, led by the single Electric Shock. An additional four songs are featured on the mini-album. Aside from the title track, the mini-album focuses on various EDM styles. This resulted in a very cool mini-album, featuring trendy tracks and a range of songs from KANG DANIEL as a soloist. One of the tracks also features CHUNG HA, further enticing listeners.

More recently this year, KANG DANIEL released his 6th mini-album Glow to Haze, which is led by the single Episode. I have yet to review Episode, but it will definitely get a review in the near future.

ACT Album Cover

1. Losing Myself – The mini-album kicks off with an EDM track with some really cool dubstep drums and guitar riffs, with the latter giving Losing Myself a rock-leaning influence that hits super hard. I felt that KANGDANIEL himself could have provided some more powerful vocals in the track, particularly since the instrumental does drown him out slightly. Additionally, the track is too short and ends abruptly, which disappoints me. But the direction and the energy of the track are amazing. (8.5/10)

2. Get Loose – For me, Get Loose had the potential to be a cool trap dance track. But there was something that just got in the way from Get Loose in the way of reaching its full potential – the distorted vocals featured prominently throughout Get Loose. It was great at first as a textural component, but I just stayed, and I felt this got in the way of KANGDANIEL’s vocals. And with this blocking, what felt like some cool, laid-back vocals from the soloist himself, I found it really hard to get into Get Loose overall. (7/10)    

3. Electric Shock (Title Track) – Click here for the full review for Electric Shock. (6/10)

4. Come Back To Me (ft. CHUNG HA) – This all-English track brings together KANG DANIEL and CHUNG HA for such a beautiful collaboration. The pair of them sound effortless together in this single, and I find that to be a super strong aspect of Come Back To Me. The soft EDM pop instrumental was another strong aspect, with that string-like instrumental piece coming through stunningly. (9/10)

5. 9 Lives – Closing out the mini-album is 9 Lives, an uplifting song about the positive mindset of overcoming challenges. This messaging gives 9 Lives impact from the onset, but more is delivered through the music. The EDM propels the song forward, while KANG DANIEL’s husky vocals just sound so captivating. The line “Like I got 9 lives” that starts and ends the choruses was actually quite catchy and punchy, particularly as the opener to the final chorus. (10/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.1/10

KANG DANIEL’s teaser image for ACT

[Album Review] Pleasure Shop (3rd Mini Album) – KEY (SHINee)

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Yep, I am still in 2024 with some of the album reviews. Up next is KEY’s 3rd mini-album, Pleasure Shop, which was released in September last year. The six-track mini-album is led by a track that shares the same name as the mini-album, alongside five additional tracks. With KEY at the helm of the mini-album, you know it is going to be a strong and good set of tracks, and KEY does not disappoint with Pleasure Shop. It is definitely a recommended listen from me.

More recently (say in the last month), KEY returned with his third studio album, HUNTER, led by the title track of the same name.

Pleasure Shop Album Cover

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

2. Overthink – Overthink is probably the most intriguing single on this mini-album, instrumentally, with its really cool and sharp harp-like synth and the powerful, deep beats. While both initially felt conflicting, they somehow melded with one another to balance each other out. KEY himself manages to slide over the top of the background and join the cohesiveness that is Overthink, a definite pleaser in an aesthetic club. (10/10)  

3. Golden – This dance pop track brings out a relatively more mellow sound, following the previous track. That being said, it is still quite upbeat. Just like the title of the song, Golden has a golden aura to it that makes it feel just right as the soundtrack for a sunset on a summer day. This is amplified by KEY’s vocals, which possess a particularly warm tone. I don’t think Golden stands out as much as some of the other songs on the album, but it is a nice palette cleanser for the mini-album. (8/10)

4. I Know – I love the deep funky vibes that really make I Know’s house instrumental – I wouldn’t mind listening to an instrumental version of the track just for those vibes. KEY’s bright vocals bring a nice accent to the song, as well. However, melodically, I Know feels a bit plain for my liking, especially on this mini-album. I wish there were more to I Know’s melodies to help it stand out more. (8/10)

5. Going Up – Going Up has similar deep funky vibes in its instrumental, but KEY’s vocals are so sensually alluring in this song. The bass is so powerful in this song that my surroundings feel like they are vibrating along when I play it. The synth-pop accents in the instrumental are also so beautiful. The way the ‘Up’ in the lyrics soars upwards briefly, relatively to the rest of the song, is also very unique. (10/10)

6. Novacaine – What gets me about Novacaine is the smooth vocals that KEY delivers. This, over the drum and bass instrumental, just clicks and works perfectly with one another to create such a pleasant closer to the mini-album. (10/10)

Overall Album Rating – 9/10

KEY’s teaser image for Pleasure Shop

[Review] So Good – HYUNJIN (Stray Kids)

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Stray Kids recently made their comeback with their fourth studio album, KARMA, led by the title track CEREMONY. But I still have a backlog of song reviews that I have yet to post relating to Stray Kids, namely the solo tracks from their Hop mixtape and the unit tracks from their Mixtape: Dominate album. I have already made a start on this backlog, with HYUNJIN’s solo single from Hop, So Good, up next. For the other reviews of Stray Kids’ solo songs from the Hop mixtape, see the links below the music video.

So Good is a very percussive hip-hop dance track. There is something very alluring and dynamic about the percussive nature of the instrumental, especially as the track diverges into a more instrumental-focused ending to be more performance-forward. Even when the synths were introduced, particularly towards the end of So Good, it brought a bounty of texture to the song, in line with So Good‘s starting point. To me, this is definitely HYUNJIN’s style. As for the vocals, HYUNJIN does a fine job. The texture of his vocals also adds to the song, while the second verse rapping was very slight and captivating. So Good‘s hooks were a little too straightforward for my liking, but I did enjoy the echo that follows, and I don’t think this should deter you from listening to So Good.

HYUNJIN’s performance style in So Good is very much enchanting and dynamic, well-suited to the song. The way he carries himself in the music video was very captivating to watch each time. To give the music video some complexity, the video uses transitions. I quite enjoyed them, but also liked how clean they all feel. The transitions also felt reminiscent of Stray Kids’ transitions in their music videos from the past.

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

I.N’s HALLUCINATION | SEUNGMIN’s As We Are | FELIX’s Unfair | HAN’s Hold My Hand
HYUNJIN’s So Good | CHANGBIN’s ULTRA | LEE KNOW’s YOUTH | BANG CHAN’s Railway

[Review] PARADISE – TREASURE

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Earlier this month, TREASURE made their comeback with their 4th mini-album, Love Pulse, led by the title track PARADISE. TREASURE’s comeback follows on from their Pleasure special mini-album and single YELLOW from February 2025, as well as news of a leadership change to Junkyu and Asahi and early contract renewals with YG Entertainment.

TREASURE’s PARADISE is a pop track that suits the summer season quite nicely. It’s bright, upbeat from the onset and a lot of fun, particularly thanks to the brassy elements in its instrumental. There is potential for PARADISE to become super-infectious in my life because of these brassy elements, had I put the song on repeat in the last week. I just didn’t have the time to do that in the past week, with me wrapping up some work and reviews to take a break. That being said, the instrumental is probably PARADISE‘s strongest asset. While I do appreciate the vocals and rapping in the track, PARADISE isn’t the most definitive showcase of their abilities. The hooks and melodies are also quite bright and lively, but they also aren’t TREASURE’s best effort to date. But altogether, everything in PARADISE comes together to become a pleasant summer listen with a light pop bop instrumental.

I quite enjoyed the music video. TREASURE does a good job of making me want to dance along to the music when I watch this video. The mood is also extremely bright and smiley throughout, which helps convey the constant desire to dance and makes their music video even more likeable and enjoyable. PARADISE is about escaping to a place of pure happiness with someone special, hence why we see a lot of imagery of the beach, sunset and fireworks throughout the video.

Like the rest of the comeback, the performance for PARADISE is just as energetic and bright. I liked the dance break during the bridge of the song. The “P to the A to the R to the A” move kind of reminds me of the “Woo to the Young to the Woo, Dong to the Geu to the rami” move from the 2022 Extraordinary Attorney Woo K-drama.

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

[Review] Goodbyes & Sad Eyes – MOON BYUL (MAMAMOO)

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With MAMAMOO being inactive as a group, it has felt like it has been a while since we have heard from the group or the members. It probably doesn’t help that I don’t cover their solo comeback as soon as they occur. MOON BYUL recently made her return with her 3rd mini-album, Laundri, and the title track Goodbyes and Sad Eyes. MOON BYUL also pre-released the single ICY BBY (also from the new mini-album, but I yet to review). Her last comeback was last year’s Is This Love?.

Goodbyes & Sad Eyes is MOON BYUL’s answer to the ongoing rock trend in KPOP. There have been some good songs of this style lately, with the potential for Goodbyes & Sad Eyes to join the ranks with its electrifying guitar riffs in the verses. These riffs amps up and intensifies the song greatly. I am totally for exploring this sound further in the song. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, as the rest of Goodbyes & Sad Eyes opts to hold itself back to sit more generically in the pop-rock realm. While I appreciate the cleaner sound and how well it showcases the resultant melodies of Goodbyes & Sad Eyes, I just feel like the chorus missed an opportunity to give us something more powerful, cooler and explosive as the centrepiece. MOON BYUL does sound great throughout the track. But like the instrumentation, her vocals loses the edginess that she builds into the pre-chorus. The pre-choruses and bridge slows down Goodbyes & Sad Eyes into soft territory, but I like how we get to hear MOON BYUL’s familar rapping style before launching into the choruses each time.

Goodbyes & Sad Eyes celebrates an eventual break up, with that being the vibe carried through to the music video. There is no upset or sad MOON BYUL throughout the video. Instead, she is having the time of her life, choosing to look beyond the breakup and enjoy what she has in the moment. She is going out to the club, dancing around while packing her bags, but most importantly, she is genuinely smiling through everything. I do like the little anime sequences that appear at each pre-chorus sequence in the song. Definitely very cool to watch, but I also liked how it shows her at ease with the situation she is in.

I liked the energy that MOON BYUL and her dancers exude during the choreography. For the stage performances, she chooses to focus more on her live vocals, which shows us her immensely growing confidence in her live performances. It does mean that she tones down her participation, but the dance performances I have seen of Goodbyes & Sad Eyes was good to watch overall.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.6/10

[Review] Rendezvous – AHOF

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Once again, there have been several debuts that I have not yet gotten around to reviewing. I am hoping that I will be able to cover more of them in the coming weeks, but to start things off is a review for the AHOF’s debut single. AHOF, which stands for All-time Hall Of Famer, is a nine-member male group formed through the survival show Universe Legend, consisting of Steven (former member of Luminous), Jeongwoo, Woongki (former member of TO1), Shuaibo, Han, JL (former member of Filipino group Pluus), Juwon, Chih En, and Daisuke. They made their debut on 1 July 2025 with the mini-album, Who We Are, and the single Rendezvous.

To be honest, I didn’t pay too much attention to AHOF when they first debuted. I don’t think it was for a particular reason, but rather I had a bit going on work-wise when Rendezvous dropped. It wasn’t until their song kept on appearing on shuffle, and more specifically the punchiness of the “Hold me back, Hold me back, Lost in a dream and falling fast” line in the bridge, that I started to pay more attention to Rendezvous. In addition to being quite punchy, there is also a slight edginess of that particular line, contrasting with the rest of the track’s pop-rock and dreamy atmosphere (which was a powerful and characteristic aspect of Rendezvous), that really put the song on the map for me. Pleasant melodies within Rendezvous, combined with the instrumental, calls back to 2nd generation KPOP, which was the generation I started to listen to KPOP (and have been here ever since!). There was some nice vocals and rapping throughout the track, though I wished there was something to make them a little more pronounced. Altogether, Rendezvous comes together quite well to produce a song that both puts the group and nostalgia out there. I definitely am looking forward to what comes next for AHOF.

Rendezvous is a song that reflects on what it feels like to start from nothing (or from struggle) to reach one’s dream. In the music video, we see the members experience struggles (isolation, feeling lost or tired, stuck in one place etc.) before coming meeting another member feeling a similar struggle and rejoining the rest of the group. The colour palette chosen during the moments of struggle was rather muted and dark. But once the members became united, there was bright tones in the video’s colour. I also liked how their own logo was used to show them being connected and give them a sense of belonging. And as a newly debut group, this also speaks to their identity as a new group.

I quite like how the stage performance for this comeback develops. For the first portion of the routine, the choreography was more aligned with the pleasant melodies of the song. But it changes gears once we get to the bridge, increasing in intensity and energy. It feels very similar to story that they were portraying in their music video.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10

[Review] EXTRA VIRGIN – YOON SAN-HA (ASTRO)

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YOON SAN-HA made his solo comeback back in July with his second mini-album, CHAMELEON, and the single EXTRA VIRGIN. It is his first solo release since his solo debut last year with DUSK (led by the single Dive. He also made his return to acting recently through the Korean drama My Girlfriend Is The Man!. Meanwhile, fellow members MJ and JINJIN have formed a subunit, ZOONZINI (their debut single, Some Things Never Change, dropped last week – review to come), while CHA EUN WOO recently enlisted in the military.

EXTRA VIRGIN is such a snazzy track. Right off the bat, it is hard to avoid the extremely funky and upbeat nature of the song. Amongst this, EXTRA VIRGIN brings us groovy percussion, a tinge of country twang and interesting synth choices that consistently have made me think my phone notifications were going off, when in reality my phone is always on silent mode. YOON SAN-HA is extremely charming throughout EXTRA VIRGIN. His delivery was very bright and energetic, capitalising on his youthful personality. While the chorus did feel inherently strong, particularly with the shouty beginning, I did think stronger melodies would have strengthened the chorus further. But my personal favourite part of EXTRA VIRGIN was the bridge. The instrumental break was enjoyable, while the build-up from YOON SAN-HA that follows was really satisfying. The ad-libs at the end were also great, but I think there was room to be even punchier and not feel as constrained.

EXTRA VIRGIN‘s meaning is funny yet abstract and different, with YOON SAN-HA confirming the song is about being premium and top-tier, similar to how ‘extra virgin’ olive oil is relative to other types of olive oils. In the lyrics, YOON SAN-HA expresses the idea that he can be anything his partner wants him to be, proving himself to be of a premium standard. The music video sees YOON SAN-HA attempt to find a way to get into the city from outside the town. I suppose the country twang in the song and the cowboy hat he wears during the video imply that YOON SAN-HA starts off in the countryside and wants to be a city person, to be with the person he is pursuing. That is only what I got out of the video and lyrics, so I could be totally wrong with my interpretation of it all.

YOON SAN-HA was awesome on stage throughout this comeback. Just like what the song calls for, the choreography is energetic and upbeat. But the main selling point was how YOON SAN-HA really got into the performance. His facial expressions gave off a mischievous vibe (which was what he was going for, as confirmed in an interview that I read for this comeback), which adds to the fun vibe the song had.

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

[Review] Dream Bus – DAY6

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DAY6 celebrates their 10th anniversary through the release of their fourth studio-length album, THE DECADE. Leading the album are the single INSIDE OUT and Dream Bus (focus of this post). The album follows the release of the digital single Maybe Tomorrow from earlier this year and the news that the band has re-signed with JYP Entertainment. Yay to more years with DAY6. But for now, let’s celebrate with my review of Dream Bus.

Dream Bus also tickles the DAY6 nostalgia, just like INSIDE OUT. But where INSIDE OUT felt relatively more mellow and emotionally driven, Dream Bus is more uplifting and positive in both sound and message. The song itself has been described as “a pop punk track with melodic chords”. I enjoyed the upbeat and energetic nature of the chorus, which pairs so nicely with the band’s warm vocals. You don’t need to know Korean to know that Dream Bus speaks to an encouraging and (as mentioned earlier) uplifting message. The instrumental and vocals just give off this exact feeling. I liked how the drumming and keyboard feel so pronounced in Dream Bus. The synths chosen for Dream Bus just give it such a well-rounded feeling. If you have been reading the blog for a while, it is obvious that I prefer more upbeat material. So it should be no surprise that I prefer Dream Bus over INSIDE OUT. But I love that both songs feel nostalgically DAY6.

The lyrics of Dream Bus likens the path to our dreams to a bus ride. Some of the lyrics make reference to holding onto bus handles, with the motions of the bus that causes us to sway on the bus whilst holding onto handles representing our the challenges or hurdles to get us to those dreams. In the music video, the bus is actually a caravan and the DAY6 members plays ordinary people – SUNGJIN as the carefree character, YOUNG K as the office worker, WONPIL as the curious minded and DOWOON as the young kid at heart who believes he has telekinesis superpowers (the dream). They all live and travel together, and we see pretty ordinary day-to-day interactions with one another. In the end, they stop in the midst of a meteor storm (which only WONPIL recognises). Some time after, we see DOWOON back in the caravan, successfully blowing up a pile of trash, showing us that his dreams came true. I really liked his smugness about it at the end, giving us a little comedic touch to the video.

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