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[Review] LO$ER=LO♡ER – TXT

August 20, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged TXT3 Comments

TXT is officially back with a brand new single, LO$ER=LO♡ER, which comes three months after 0X1=Lovesong (I Know I Love You). This new song is featured on the group’s repackaged version of their second studio album, The Chaos Chapter: Fight or Escape. Once again, I held back on writing a review for their second studio album, The Chaos Chapter: Freeze, upon hearing news of a repackaged version – so I will be fast-tracking an album review this weekend for TXT. In the meanwhile, here is my review of TXT’s latest track.

LO$ER=LO♡ER continues the rock influences from 0X1=Lovesong (I Know I Love You). For those who missed my comments of their previous title track, I was full of praise for the song, given that the rock influences felt just right. While LO$ER=LO♡ER has that rock influence and feels like an appropriate follow up to 0X1=Lovesong (I Know I Love You), it wasn’t as satisfying. The lack of satisfaction stems to a number of issues throughout the song, but majority of it was due to the fact that the influences in the chorus were quite flat. Given that the chorus is usually the centrepiece of any song, this is a massive blow towards the appeal of the song, especially since the verses had enough oomph to them. The buildup towards the chorus in the pre-chorus alluded for something with more intensity, and that just didn’t like it was delivered for me. Mellow and melodic are words that I would describe the chorus of LO$ER=LO♡ER. However, I just wanted more bite to the song, so that it could have been more show-stopping. The hooks in the song were quite decent, however I could have done without the whole ‘I’m a loser, I’m a loser, Lover with a dollar sign is a LO$ER‘. It is a step towards the cringy side of KPOP. I guess this shouldn’t have come as a surprise, given that it was foreshadowed in the title of the song. What stood out the most for me in LO$ER=LO♡ER are the members themselves. Their vocals were really good and well-presented throughout the song. Taehyun, in particular, had the right level of hoarseness in his voice to really give the song some punk edge. The rapping also had a nice kick to it and felt appropriate for this song. Overall, LO$ER=LO♡ER has a bit of a way to become a standout track. However, it still had a nice showcase of TXT’s skills.

I am not too sure if I understand the video correctly, but I think I have a solid theory to what is going on. Throughout the video, we see the events unfold in a first person point of view. In these scenes, we see the members as they are in love (i.e. the ‘lover’ side of the song). But my guess is that all these scenes are Yeonjun’s memories. At the start of the video, we see that Yeonjun is alone once again, similar to what we saw in 0X1=Lovesong (I Know I Love You). The most important ‘memory’ in this video is the livestream (which was Beomgyu’s solo scene). We see him being abused by his father and this occurred live to the world. I presume his lover was watching. It is a vulnerable side that he didn’t expect people to see, especially his lover, which started a shame-spiral. Throughout the video, we continually saw confident versions of the members, but this was not the case during the livestream. And as teenagers, you tend to overthink. So I guess Yeonjun overthinks that because he was kicked around by his dad, he is no longer confident and cannot impress his lover (i.e. he is a loser). The video ends up with all members in the same car as in 0X1=Lovesong (I Know I Love You) with Yeonjun at the wheel and driving off the cliff. Aside from my choppy interpretation of the plotline, I really like the choreography scenes on the back of the truck. It looked cool, and I liked the attention to detail in these parts. Outfit-wise, I feel something along the lines of their previous set of outfits would have been better.

I really like the use of the microphone stands in this performance. It is pretty unoriginal idea, but I like the fact that it emphasised the emotional aspects of the song and the rock vibes. I like how they incorporated the ‘L’ sign into the choreography. It felt like an obvious choice, so I am glad they did.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.8/10

[Review] Queendom – Red Velvet

August 17, 2021August 17, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Red Velvet1 Comment

After a year and seven months since Psycho, Red Velvet have made their grand and elegant return to the KPOP scene with Queendom. It had definitely been while since a full group’s comeback. Wendy spent most of 2020 recovering from her horrible accident at the end of 2019 and Irene had an unprofessionalism scandal last year. However, it all wasn’t bad news during this hiatus. Irene and Seulgi formed a subunit and promoted both Monster and Naughty last year, while Wendy and Joy made their respective solo debuts with Like Water and Hello earlier this year. Yeri also debuted as an actress. But it is really great that we can finally see the five members regroup and promote together again!

Queendom falls more on their Velvet side/concept of releases. For those who don’t know (do they even still use this method to describe their releases anymore?), Red Velvet’s releases can be either of their ‘Red’ concept (vibrant and bold concepts) or ‘Velvet’ (classy and toned down concepts). If you are a fan of Red Velvet, you can hear the ‘Velvet’ profile from a mile away. The new song is a pop track, but it quite subdued in comparison to their other works. It still has an upbeat instrumental, which I think makes Queendom still relevant for the current Summer season. There is a nice ‘pop’ to the instrumentation. It also features similar melodies in the chorus, which reminds me of some of their earlier works (that are more on the ‘Red’ side, though). However, the major flaw I found with Queendom is that there was a really standard vibe coming from the song. Pleasant at best, if I were to give this observation a tagline. That being said, I am appreciative of the group’s delivery of the song. The vocal work in Queendom felt refined and elegant, like the rest of the song, its concept alignment and the lyrics of the song (which were all about being ‘kings’ and ‘queens’ of our own lives and that we shine brighter when we come together – adapted from SOOMPI). I also found the vocals to be quite vibrant, which I thought was much needed breath of life to the song (i.e. saving it from the standard nature of the instrumental). I particularly love how Wendy pushes herself in the chorus, her high note and her ad-libs at the end of the song. They were definitely well-placed and helped give the song a bit of zing. The rapping from both Irene and Yeri were also really nicely done and in such a cleanly fashion. The rap-speak delivery felt just right for this song. The ‘Ladida-do Ba-badida‘ is also quite catchy. Overall, a pretty decent track from the song. What they lacked in one area, they made up in another area. And it is enough for me to enjoy Queendom.

The music video gives me Harry Potter vibes thanks to all the magic that is going on in the video. But rather than Hogwarts, the music video’s premise is an underground mailing centre, with all the members being a critical member of the postal service. I could feel the elegance from the video and how well it matched the song. But other than that, I feel the ‘pleasant, at best’ tagline would be applicable to this video as well.

Like the song and music video, the choreography (from what I can see in the music video) has that really elegant and flowy nature to it. And because of this, I find it fitting with the song. But it isn’t the most mind-blowing piece from the group. The ‘Ladida-do Ba-badida‘ post-chorus hook looks like it will be the most interesting part of the choreography, since the members each do something different from the looks of it in the first iteration of the hook.

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

[Special] K-Pop Songs of the Summer Review: Hot Summer – f(x)

August 16, 2021August 20, 2021Posted in KPOP, Reviews, SpecialTagged F(x)17 Comments

Over time, the K-Pop Review community has grown from a few individuals into a full subset of the internet. Now, TheBiasList, Kbopped, 10/10 – Music, Hallyureviews, Jei’s Kulture Notes, Deforested Music, A Floating Realm in the Corner, 8.5 Music, and Kpopreviewed are working together, to create a series, where we review our favorite K-Pop summer song.

Be sure to check out everyone’s posts in the links below!

10/10 – Music (Blog / Hi Ya Ya – TVXQ Review)
Blueraspberrysyrup (Blog / Summer 127 – NCT 127 Review)
Kbopped (Blog / The Star of Stars – SNUPER)
Jei’s Kulture Notes (Blog / Boogie Up – WJSN Review)
Hallyureviews (Blog – / Power – EXO Review)
8.5 Music (Blog / View – SHINee Review)
Kpopreviewed (This Blog!! / Hot Summer – f(x))
Deforested Music (Blog / Wave – ATEEZ)
The Bias List (Blog / Loving U – Sistar)

There are so many artists and songs that are synonymous with Summer released over the years. But since I have been around for a while now (I won’t put a number on it – that can be the subject for a later post), I have reviewed a large bulk of them already. So, when I found a song that I haven’t reviewed yet that also suited the theme of this collaboration, I actually felt like the stars align. My chosen song is F(x)’s Hot Summer, which was released way back in June 2011. This particular decade young track was released as the title track for the repackaged version of their first studio album, Pinocchio, and was a massive hit in Summer of that year.

I vaguely remember not enjoying Hot Summer when it was first released for some reason (don’t remember what exactly – it has been 10 years). But like many songs that I have expressed dislike for or criticised, Hot Summer has become an iconic track to have on my Summer playlist. But how so? Well, Hot Summer continually repeats its title throughout the song, especially in the chorus. It is pretty much in your face and there is no escaping it. A bit of an extreme tactic, but it got keyed into my memory. Now, there isn’t summer where my mind don’t gravitate towards the song, especially when the temperatures are unbearable (a bit of song and dance may ensue). Throw that over an synth-heavy (pretty much the norm for back then) and bright instrumentation that comes off as refreshing, and you pretty much have a strong catchy track. What I also liked about Hot Summer now is how it just keeps on going. There was virtually no breaks throughout the song, so the energy is very consistent and just continually pumps. But I think the textures that come from the synths and the vocals do a good job of distracting you from that consistency, and hence I don’t see it as a problem. We do get a bit of reprieve following in the chorus, with the whispery-like delivery of the song’s title (repetition, once again), which was really cool and a nice change in momentum. I would have liked to hear transitional effects between various parts of the song, just so the various sections could be more easily identified and defined. When it comes to the vocals and rapping, Hot Summer is a solid number. The vocals, which bring an undeniable pop influence to the song, stood out over an already loud and texturally heavy instrumentation. I also really liked how edgy they sounded in the first verse. Amber’s rap, although brief, was a nice intense moment that worked well with the rest of the song and allowed Amber to show her style off more. The interesting part is the high-pitch whiny ‘Hot Summer‘ we get in the last iteration of the chorus that blends into the instrumentation. It feels pretty much ahead of its time. Hot Summer is a song that I keep going back to, especially when the temperatures start heating up where I live, and it is one of my many recommended KPOP Songs of the Summer.

Not too sure what the premise for this music video is. A pink tank rolls down the street doesn’t seem that summery to me. But it was an epic entrance for the group and definitely feels like a F(x) thing to do. Aside from the questionable background, I thought the music video was pretty decent and rather simple (which you know I like). The brightness reminds you of a really hot summers day. They outfits provided that pop of colour (alongside the pink tank) in such a barren city landscape. Even the red outfits in their studio sets managed to show Summer in a simple dual colour fashion.

The iconic choreography for this comeback was pretty much self explanatory. Too hot, fan yourself. It is also simple, so people like me who have two left feet and look really awkward dancing (like those dancers we see in the background at the end of the video) can pull it off reasonably well. That being said, there is a bit of complexity with the rest of the performance (i.e. formations and other parts of the routines) that results in the choreography for this release being quite balanced and looking good.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

[Weekly Chart] 2nd Week of August 2021

August 15, 2021Posted in KPOP1 Comment

Another Sunday is upon us and another Weekly KPOP Chart post is here. This is the second week of the month of August. It is a bit of a crazy week. I am back in lockdown for the first time since the first initial lockdown in my country. I am looking for a new place to live. And it was another crazy week of comebacks in the KPOP industry. A lot going on.

Also, the KPOP Songs of the Summer collaboration is currently ongoing. For those who don’t know, a bunch of KPOP reviewers are coming together to review our favourite summer KPOP songs. It has been going on for a week now, and there are a few more coming your way! I am posting my review tomorrow, so keep your eyes out for that. Check out the link above to see who is participating and the reviews published so far!

New Releases of the Week

As flagged above, a lot of new releases this week. I have already reviewed The Boyz’s THRILL-RIDE, Ha Sung Woon’s Strawberry Gum, ONF’s Popping and Park Ji Hoon’s Gallery. In addition to those releases, the following songs/artists join the charts as of this week:

PRESENTE – 777
MOON WALKER – BDC
Summer or Summer – Hyolyn & Dasom
Paint Me Naked – Ten (NCT)
Walking In The Rain – AB6IX
Close Your Eyes – Bz-Boys
MANIAC – Ryan Jhun, NCT U (Haechan & Doyoung)
GET OUT – N.CUS

The Charts

Congratulations to ONF and their latest song, Popping, for topping the charts this week! For more of the charts, keep on scrolling below.

	2nd Week of August 2021	8th Aug – 14th Aug 2021
Pos.	Title	Artist	Status
1	Popping	ONF	(NEW)
2	You Can’t Sit With Us	Sunmi	(▲ 19)
3	THRILL-RIDE	The Boyz	(NEW)
4	Still Dream	Kim Woojin	(▲ 30)
5	Strawberry Gum	Ha Sung Woon ft. Don Mills	(NEW)
6	To Find A Reason	Hyolyn ft. Mad Clown & Kim Seungmin	(▲ 39)
7	Gallery	Park Ji Hoon	(NEW)
8	FLY UP HIGH	SKYLE	(▲ 62)
9	Hello Future	NCT DREAM	(▲ 21)
10	See You Again	Han Seung Woo (VICTON)	(▲ 1)
11	Ready Now	Kim Woojin	(▲ 55)
12	AuRoRa	ONEWE	(▲ 58)
13	Ra Pam Pam	Golden Child	(▼ 11)
14	Karma	KINGDOM	(▲ 26)
15	Ready To Love	SEVENTEEN	(▼ 3)
16	Tear Drop	SF9	(▼ 13)
17	Higher	A.C.E	(▲ 33)
18	Right Through Me	Even of Day (DAY6)	(▲ 35)
19	Rose	D.O (EXO)	(▲ 51)
20	PTT (Paint The Town)	LOONA	(▲ 31)
21	After Midnight	ASTRO	(▼ 20)
22	DUMB DUMB	Jeon Somi	(▼ 2)
23	Moonlight	BDC	(▼ 1)
24	East End	2Z	(▲ 46)
25	riBBon	BamBam (GOT7)	(▲ 4)
26	Veronica	ONEWE	(▼ 9)
27	DIVE	Jinyoung (GOT7)	(▲ 20)
28	Holiday Party	Weeekly	(▼ 18)
29	Tesseract	CIX	(▲ 30)
30	Chi Mat Ba Ram	Brave Girls	(▼ 24)

Songs leaving the charts

The following songs have finished up their nine week run and have left the charts as of this week:

Blue Moon (Cinema Version) – BTOB
SPIN OFF – UP10TION
riBBon – BamBam (GOT7)
I GOT U – LUCY
Rain To Be – ONEWE
Chi Mat Ba Ram – Brave Girls
All Your Fault – Yugyeom (GOT7) ft. Gray
Ready To Love – SEVENTEEN

[Album Review] Sneakers / Select Shop (5th Mini Album / 5th Mini Album Repackaged) – Ha Sung Woon

August 15, 2021Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged Ha Sung WoonLeave a comment

As flagged earlier in the week, I am fast-tracking a recent album release for review this weekend as it is the repackaged version of an album I have yet to review (and this is something I might be doing more often, given my lag on this front). The album in question is Ha Sung Woon’s fifth mini-album, Sneakers, and the repackaged version, Select Shop. In total, we pretty much have a studio length album with the addition of five new songs on the repackaged album, on top of the seven songs on the original mini-album (numbers include the title tracks, Sneakers and Strawberry Gum). Because of that, this album review will be a lengthy one and there is no other reason to why I should delay launching into the review.

1. Cake – To me, Cake sounds quite pleasant and eases you into the album quite well. Despite the sweet-sounding title, the song isn’t that sweet. Rather it feels quite fresh and it is the type of song you want to listen to on a pleasant day out in Spring. The cheerful energy thanks to the brass and Ha Sung Woon’s tone was appreciable. But while I would say all the elements across the board in Cake were all pleasant, Cake wasn’t the most memorable number on this album. (8/10)

2. Strawberry Gum (ft. Don Mills) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Strawberry Gum. (8/10)

3. Let’s Sing – Let’s Sing has that retro pop rock style that could easily have slid into Hairspray or similar musicals. Ha Sung Woon’s vocals were really strong, especially his high note. It is a fun number that definitely makes me want to sing and dance, fulfilling its lyrics. My only criticism about Let’s Sing is regarding the chorus. It should have been punchier and more defined. The chorus we got did a good job, but I was expecting something more dynamic. If that was the case and Let’s Sing had a bulkier hook and a more colorful instrumental, I think this would have been a standout track. (8.5/10)

4. Galaxy Dust – Galaxy Dust has this atmospheric and aesthetic aura to it. This does a good job of pulling me in, almost hypnotic in a way. The synths and instrumentation was quite light and airy, which helped make the song a nice listen. The same can be said with Ha Sung Woon’s vocals. They were extremely pleasant and smooth throughout. It was such an amazing listen. Before I knew it, Galaxy Dust was over, and I was reaching for the replay button. (10/10)

5. Magic Word – Magic Word is one of the songs that I thought the album could have done without. It isn’t a terrible song. I just wasn’t memorable and was forgettable. The instrumental was definitely unique, but in an obnoxious sense. It was a bit too abstract for my liking, and I do like abstract. It was also quite distracting, blocking me from enjoying Ha Sung Woon’s nice vocals. I kept on mistaking the vibrations to be notifications on my phone, and the water drop synths and co. just felt a bit much. (6/10)

6. Sneakers (스니커즈) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Sneakers. (9/10)

7. On & On – On & On start off the Sneakers mini-album, but has been moved to the seventh song on the tracklist of the repackaged album. On & On is another pleasant mid-tempo pop ballad track, that brings forth very retro roots via its synthesizer-based instrumentation and percussion. Ha Sung Woon also sounds heavenly throughout the song, smooth and delicate being words I would use to describe the soloist in On & On. Definitely a great and somewhat unique take on the retro style. (8/10)

8. Why Don’t You See A Movie? (영화 한 편 볼까 하는데) – The Sneakers mini-album diverts to a more subdued and laidback sound. This is another song that I felt the album could have done without. Once again, Why Don’t You See A Movie? isn’t a terrible song. It just made me sleepy and didn’t have much going on to be as appealing as other songs on the album. The acoustic R&B instrumental paired with Ha Sung Woon’s falsetto vocals felt like something I would listen to while you venture into dreamland. (6/10)

9. Eeny Meeny Miny Moe – Similar to the preceding song, Eeny Meeny Miny Moe isn’t something I am head over heels for. It is still a nice listen (once again, Ha Sung Woon’s vocals are in very pleasant territory), and I feel that the song’s melodies and jazzy instrumentation does a good job of keeping the song churning along (and so doesn’t tire you out this time around). But it, compared to other songs on the album, just wasn’t up there. (7/10)

10. Don’t Leave Me Alone (겨우살이) – It seems like the album is stuck in a bit of a rut. Don’t Leave Me Alone is the third song that I am not that into. Don’t Leave Me Alone is a R&B track that does a good job of bringing forth breathy vocals. I do feel like Don’t Leave Me Alone gets better as it progresses, but it was quite a consistent number from start to end, which resulted in it feeling like a blur when I listen to the album in the background. (6.5/10)

11. Bus – We are definitely stuck in a rut at the back end of this album. Bus is the fourth song that is on the slower side of music. But I think Bus is more captivating than the rest, which makes it stand out amongst the five songs (including the next song) of this section of the album. Ha Sung Woon’s airy and husky tone in Bus helped made the song feel different. And the whispering delivery of some of the lines were quite unique. The slow but pleasant instrumentation may not have been memorable, but it did a good job of carrying the vocals without smothering or overpowering them. It is definitely a song that I wouldn’t mind listening to again, thanks to its individualistic style. (8/10)

12. Starlight (야광별) – The album finishes with another slow song. This time, a straight forward ballad. Starlight is another good song to listen to if you want something to fall asleep to, thanks to Ha Sung Woon’s delicate and paced vocals, and the traditional piano style instrumental. On a more positive note, however, Starlight has this warm feel and had a nice finish as both a song and an ender to the album. (7/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.7/10

[Double Review] Ready Now + Still Dream – Kim Woojin

August 14, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged KIM WOOJIN2 Comments

A bit more time travelling for me, with the next review focusing on Kim Woojin’s solo debut as a solo artist. For those who don’t know Kim Woojin, he debuted as part of Stray Kids in 2018 and left the group suddenly in 2019 for unknown reasons. Last year, rumours started to circulate on the Internet about the artist, but those rumours were later dispelled. And now in 2021, he officially returns to the music scene with his solo debut and first solo mini-album, The moment : 未成年, a minor. The mini-album features two songs – Ready Now, his official title track released last week, and Still Dream, a pre-release single released early last month.

I will begin with Ready Now, the debut single. In this song, his vocals flourishes and is shown off in an impeccable manner. It was quite consistent display of vocals throughout, with it soaring and amplifying at the right moments to stand out over the instrumentation. The ad-libs we get at the end further enhances the quality of the element within Ready Now, making it an ideal showcase of skills for a debut track. His rapping in the song was decent, at best. I personally felt that it was the weakest part of the song, and thought the rap sequence should have been more bolstered and impactful, especially since it was coming off from the first chorus. There wasn’t enough bite or traction to the section, which made it feel rather weak. The chorus had this subtle level of intensity, which felt refined and mature to me. And given that the first chorus was the initial showing of this subtle intensity, the succeeding parts should have had more to continue that momentum. The instrumentation was a dramatic synth backing, and felt punchy at the right moments. But other than that, I didn’t hear anything that special with the instrumental. Overall, Ready Now was a great start (on the music front) for a solo career.

Still Dream was a teaser for what was to come, prior to the release of Ready Now. In retrospect, Still Dream is a lot more straightforward as a song, compared to his debut single. Still Dream takes on alternative rock, with pulsing and heavily emphasised percussion throughout the song. The rock elements give the song some flair and further intensity. For his vocals, this pre-release single shows off Kim Woojin, once again. In particular, Still Dream manages to show off his hoarse vocals, which felt very appropriate and fitting for the alternative rock sound. I also like the moments in which he pushes himself in this song, which made it satisfying to listen to. Altogether, there was an epic and powerful vibe behind the song that made it riveting to listen to. I wouldn’t mind listening to a live version of this song, complete with a rock band in the background. I do wish we got a bit of a changeup towards the end of the song. I think that would have made the song a tad more appealing and less repetitive as it ended up coming off as. But still, a strong pre-release for Kim Woojin.

Kim Woojin has quite a story and it seems like some of it is featured in the music video for Ready Now. He is being confined and restricted in a glass box, crushed by a lowering platform and running in a dark corridor with no light at the end. Essentially, he is showing his struggles with starting out throughout the video. But towards the end, there is light and hope, to which he sings that he is ‘ready now’. Not exactly sure what the sand depicts, but it was a recurring element in those scenes. I liked the matureness and the darkness of the video, which looked aesthetic from my point of view. As for Still Dream, simplicity seems to be the concept. Shot in grassy fields, Kim Woojin essentially performs for the entirety of the video with his dancers. This concept definitely worked in his favour and complimented the song really well. However, there are elements that I do not like in this video. Firstly, I felt the intensity provided by the camerawork was poor. It was shaky, hard to focus and should have been turned down a notch. Secondly, I didn’t like his light blue outfit (and the dancers brown pieces). It looked boring and didn’t feel like it reflected the song well.

Performance-wise, I think he could have toned himself down for Ready Now. I felt there was too much energy from Kim Woojin. This isn’t necessary a bad thing. But when it is too fast and quick, in comparison to the dancers, it looks over the top and unsettling. You can see the passion and feel the intensity being channeled from song to dance. But to be more refined, he should have held back a bit. I think similar comments can describe the performance for Still Dream, but it wasn’t off-putting as the final result of Ready Now.

Ready Now
Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.9/10

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

[Review] You Can’t Sit With Us – Sunmi

August 14, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Sunmi1 Comment

As mentioned in my last song review, I am going to do a bit of time travelling to last week (and the past few weeks) over the weekend to review some releases which I should have reviewed, but they just managed to slip by me due to my poor time management over the last few months (and this essentially been snowballing ever since). This post focuses on Sunmi’s latest comeback, You Can’t Sit With Us, which was released last Friday. This new song is the title track off the soloist’s 3rd mini-album, 1/6. It is also the first comeback from Sunmi since the release of Tail earlier this year.

Sunmi has a pretty good track record when it comes to her discography, and You Can’t Sit With Us continues that exact trend. To clarify, You Can’t Sit With Us isn’t as iconic as her more popular releases, but it heads in that direction. The song is consistently instrumented with 80s retro synth that fits perfectly into the current KPOP climate. There isn’t anything more to the background of You Can’t Sit With Us, making this a ‘pure’ release, in terms of synths and retro influences. And for the most part, Sunmi delivers the song is her usual fashion. Sleek and elegant vocals, as per all her past comebacks. The melodies in the chorus and the hooks in You Can’t Sit With Us are okay at first. But per usual, listening to the song repetitively since its release last week has definitely helped transform the song into a catchy number. I would have liked the hooks to be a bit bolder and hence more memorable, as it felt like those elements could have gone further. But nonetheless, it is still substantial effort that puts the song in the same direction with the rest of her tracks. The only part of the song which I didn’t like was the rap sequence we got in the second verse. It was unnecessary, forced and didn’t feel fitting for the retro synth-pop song that You Can’t Sit With Us is. To be honest, I did like an idea of the rap sequence, as it does keep the song from falling into a repetitive trance. So, I think it is more execution and style that was the issue, rather than the overall presence of a rap sequence. Now I am not trying to say that Sunmi isn’t a good rapper. But I felt this was something that someone else could have handled. That or, the section in question could have been tweaked to be less drawn out and more fulfilling. Overall, You Can’t Sit With Us is another great release from the soloist.

Oh Korea. You do love yourself some zombies. This music video joins the growing appearances of the undead in a lot of their pop culture works. In this music video, one of the zombies is her recently former boyfriend. At the start of the video, it appears that Sunmi and her boyfriend were in a heated argument. He begs for forgiveness, but Sunmi was not having any of it. After a few hang ups and harsh replies via email, Sunmi throws a flowerpot out of her window, which hits her boyfriend in the head and presumably kills him. There seemed to be a tinge of regret, but she simply turns away cold-heartedly. We later see her in a video store with her friends, who are later surrounded by zombies. Sunmi and her friends launch an attack on the zombies to save themselves (after a bit of song and dance, of course, since Sunmi’s primary occupation is a KPOP idol and not zombie eradicator). After killing the final zombie, we see her ‘dead’ boyfriend appear with the flowerpot coming out of his head. He gets down on one knee and proposed to her, to which she accepts. A plot twist comes at the end of the video, with her hugging her boyfriend (who is notably uninjured – i.e. no flowerpots in his head), surrounded by police officers who had their guns drawn and directed at them. So it looks like Sunmi was really a psychopath (based on the way she turned away from her injured boyfriend and how she shot up a video store). Not too sure what to make of the video, based on that revelation. But overall, the video was a pretty decent watch, with a bit of a drama, bit of laughter, bit of action and bit of horror rolled into one.

The choreography for this comeback was decent and had that Sunmi flair. But it wasn’t as memorable as her previous comebacks. That being said, I really enjoyed the performance to watch that male dancer at the very end, who dances some of Sunmi’s more iconic moves. So far, we have seen LALALAY, Gashina and Siren. Great way of keeping me there until the end of the performance to see what he will dance to next.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 7.9/10

[Review] Gallery – Park Ji Hoon

August 13, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Park Ji Hoon3 Comments

Do note that I will be jumping around a lot of the reviews over the coming days. I skip ‘forward’ briefly to last night (before I go back in time for the next review) to focus on yesterday’s new release – Park Ji Hoon’s comeback with Gallery and the mini-album, My Collection. This comeback comes after a nine month absence from the music scene, with his last comeback being GOTCHA (the title track) and Message (Park Ji Hoon’s first studio album). Since the release of his last comeback, Park Ji Hoon has been focusing on his acting, as he was casted in the lead role of At a Distance, Spring Is Green.

Described as an EDM-based pop track, Gallery taps into the funky side of the KPOP with a dynamically driven and upbeat dance track. I personally thought Gallery‘s instrumental was quite an asset in making the song extremely appealing and satisfying to listen to. It had a nice level of bass that contributed to great deal of depth and sleekness, at the same time. The synths kept the song going, driving it forward and adding momentum Gallery. I also like the additional brass that the song brought in at the very end in the background. It was subtle difference, but definitely went a long way to help add a bit more flair at the very end to round out the song. Consistency within the instrumentation was also a really nice factor in terms of appeal in Gallery. If you follow my blog for a while now, this usually not what I prefer when it comes to music. Overly consistent songs tend to be quite repetitive, dull and ‘the safe option’. But in Gallery, I think Park Ji Hoon manages to shake things up every so slightly with the way he sings and raps (both of which were really well done, if I have not made myself clear about this yet), and this keeps the song from becoming boring and repetitive. This is a very strong asset to have as an artist, as proven in this song. Personally, I would have like a stronger hook, to really make the song that bit more memorable and enhance the post-chorus (which was already so strong with the cascading effect of synths) even further. Overall, I think Gallery was a very strong release thanks to its underlying instrumentation, and was quite clever in highlighting Park Ji Hoon skills.

Appropriately set in a art gallery, Park Ji Hoon is the artwork for that that special someone to look at. Those parts of the music video were just fine and pleasant to watch. Also Park Ji Hoon looks quite good throughout those scenes. but for me, the best bits of the video were the ones where the green screen was used. Thanks to the green screen, a massive keyhole sits in the background and the visual effects they used to change up the background involving the key hole actually made the video look really cool. Such effects gave the video a bit of a wow factor, which undoubtedly drives up the video’s appeal after the fact.

I really liked the choreography for this comeback. There was a lot going on, especially during those post-chorus sequences where the synths are cascading. There was a bit of a popping and locking type feel in those segments, but it felt more subtle than usual popping and locking choreographies. I liked the intensity we did get from those sections, and how they were all a bunch of small movements strung together to create an epic routine. I also felt that park Ji Hoon was slightly flirty with his expressions on stage, which looked good.

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

[Review] Strawberry Gum – Ha Sung Woon ft. Don Mills

August 12, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Ha Sung Woon2 Comments

Apologies for another impromptu break once again. But I am back and will try to get through as many reviews over the coming few days. Today, I will be focusing on a release from Monday. Alongside ONF and The Boyz, Ha Sung Woon made his solo comeback with the repackaged version of his fifth mini-album. Originally titled Sneakers (which was also the title of the title track), Ha Sung Woon has re-titled the mini-album to Select Shop. Leading Select Shop is Strawberry Gum, which features Don Mills. Later this upcoming weekend, I will be fast tracking the album review for Sneakers/Select Shop as it has been on my radar for a couple of weeks for review already. But until then, here is my review for Strawberry Gum.

Personally, I feel Ha Sung Woon has an impossible task of upping the likes of Sneakers. It has become my favourite title track from the soloist, and its energy and vibrancy has managed to develop it into an addictive track. As expected, Strawberry Gum just doesn’t hit that same mark for me (let alone, surpass it). To me, I thought the new song lacked that vibrancy and energy that made his previous title track stand out and catapult it to the top. However, that doesn’t mean that Strawberry Gum is a bad song in anyway, nor did it lack such elements. It had all of that. But it just didn’t hit home for me. Strawberry Gum taps into the retro funk style of music that seems to elicit the need to get up and dance. The chorus was the peak of the effect. But the pull for this to happen just wasn’t the same as the previous comeback. Part of this was simply because I didn’t find the song to be that innovative. And the vibrancy just wasn’t as high as Sneakers. The song definitely played to his strengths, but it felt safe and was more of a ‘traditional’ take on the retro/funk genres. Don Mills featured in the second verse, rapping his way through the song. I liked how Don Mills didn’t distract you from the song. Rather, he blended in really well into Strawberry Gum, keeping the song consistent and helping drive the song forward. I think there was a bit of a sacrifice by keeping the raps close to the song’s profile, but I thought it was clever for reasons already mentioned. Throughout Strawberry Gum, I felt Ha Sung Woon’s vocals were very consistent and showed off some nice restraint. The most impressive display of such skills was during the bridge of the song. His delivery added some much needed oomph to the song, the high note we got added some smoothness to the song and the slight addition of autotune at the start of the section to accompany his vocals gave off some nice texture. Overall, Strawberry Gum is pleasant and nice. But if I were to pick, Sneakers is more up my alley.

Ha Sung Woon changes from a janitor to the centre of the party in the music video for this release. For the most part, the video is reflective of the song. Pleasant and nice. But it isn’t something that I find myself replaying because I thought it was gripping or captivating. Just pleasant and nice, for me. What I did like in the video was the different hairstyles that Ha Sung Woon had. I felt the hair stylists really outdone themselves with the four hairstyles that showed off different sides of the artist. I also enjoyed Don Mill’s appearance in the video. Always nice to have the featuring artist appear in the video.

But unfortunately, he doesn’t appear on stage. Instead, the rap sequence was delivered by Ha Sung Woon’s friend, Ravi (from VIXX). I liked how energetic the performance was and how bouncy the moves were. The moonwalk and the ‘Be-Be-Be-Baby Love Me‘ part in the hook were my favourite parts of the performance. I also liked the tinge of cuteness Ha Sung Woon gives the performance via his facial expressions, which I am sure fans enjoy.

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

[Review] Popping – ONF

August 10, 2021August 10, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged ONF6 Comments

Also making their comeback today is ONF, with the release of a new single and special mini-album, both sharing the same name, Popping. This is their third comeback of the year, following Beautiful Beautiful in March and Ugly Dance in May. I am super pumped for this comeback, especially since it follows what I consider to be some of ONF’s best work since their debut in 2017. So without further ado, I am going to get stuck into the new release and see if Popping lives up to the standards set by the group!

Spoiler alert – they do! Popping brings forth a very familiar atmosphere. I find it reminiscent of most of their comebacks. The instrumental reminds me of the really addictive Beautiful Beautiful, while the vocals brings me back to ONF’s earlier works, such as ON/OFF and Complete. It is quite an interesting feeling, as it has been a while since I have heard a song bring me down memory lane like this one. To further add to that already very appealing factor is a catchy melody and hook that just makes me reach for my mouse and take my cursor to the replay button every time the song finishes. I really like how chirpy and strong the vocals in this song are. They bring a very cheerful tone to the video, one that cannot make me stop smiling. I also really like the moments they chant along with each other in the chorus, bolding and defining the vocals already there to make them even more impactful. I do wish the song had a more substantial rap sequence, as I feel like this would have given the song a bit more dynamism. But what we got was still amazing nonetheless. Back to the instrumentals, instead of the brass we heard in Beautiful Beautiful, the producers of Popping changes up the song with flutes of some kind. I quite like this. It keeps the song in the realm of one of their most successful releases this far, but also maintains individuality. Overall, Popping is an awesome song that I think rivals the likes of ONF’s boldest and my personal favourite hits from the group.

But wait. Despite the song being so cheerful, the music video leads us on a different direction. The message I got from the song was that no matter what bad things happen, you can return to the happy memories. In this video, the bad event is everyone dies. The start where they are watching past videos felt like they were preparing for this mission. I am not too sure what the mission is, but there are a lot of elements throughout the video that are from their past videos. But I would need to go back through the videos to link them back to this one (no time for that). Instead I will focus on what happened in this video. The members venture off into space with MK and J-Us being astronauts, and the rest of the members staying behind at command centre. The misson goes array, though J-Us was the sole survivor but is alone on the cold winter planet. One of the spaceships they were on (there two ships) was infiltrated by the robots from the Beautiful Beautiful video. U sacrfices himself to distract the robots, while E-Tion was the one to ensure that no robots could get through the doors (i.e. he had to seal it with U out in the open). Despite that, bombs were hurled at the spaceships and blew up the spaceships, killing everyone on board (MK included). At the end of the video, we see Hyojin come in dressed in black and reaches out to end the video. I believe he killed his alterego, who somehow survived the explosion and was reaching out to Wyatt. I guess this means evil Hyojin (from Sukhumvit Swimming) was behind this attack and was the antagonist of this story. Also regarding J-Us at the end, I am not sure what he discovered. Aside from the plotline, the grand scale of this video (budget, quality, sets, production) is just another reason to watch this video.

To top off the already amazing nature of this comeback is the performance. It is energetic and super fun, reflective of the song’s tone and colour. I also really liked the swing of the various moves and the wholesome feel that comes from the performance. It make this aspect more appealing to watch and enjoy.

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.5/10

[Special] K-Pop Songs of the Summer

August 10, 2021August 20, 2021Posted in KPOP4 Comments

Be sure to check out everyone’s posts in the links below!

[Review] THRILL RIDE – The Boyz

August 9, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged THE BOYZ4 Comments

A new week bring new releases. And the one of the many comebacks that start off this week belongs to The Boyz, who dropped THRILL RIDE earlier today. This new track is featured on the group’s sixth mini-album, THRILL-ING. We last saw The Boyz through their The Stealer comeback in September of last year. More recently, we saw the group participate in Kingdom: Legendary War, after receiving a one-way ticket to the show after winning Road To Kingdom. The group has also released a number of singles including Christmassy, Breaking Dawn and Drink It since their last comeback as well. But today, we are hear for a deeper listen to THRILL RIDE.

From the get-go, THRILL RIDE blasts us it with relentless energy. While many groups have done this before, THRILL RIDE has this fun and playful tone within the song which helps makes The Boyz’s delivery in this song actually quite unique. This uniqueness is also prominent when we consider the genre of the song – hip hop. I don’t think I have heard such a fun and playful sounding side of hip-hop in KPOP before (or for a while now, at the very least). That being said, THRILL RIDE had its intense and edgy moments, which are synonymous with most hip-hop releases. But let’s start from the start. The song begins with a very colourful and vibrant instrumentation that features deep autotune repetitions of the song’s title. The members continue the same vibrancy in the verses, with the hip-hop influences coming through quite strongly. THRILL RIDE‘s intensity comes in the form of the song’s pre-chorus, with Juyeon in the first verse and Ju Hakyeon in the second bringing us a concentrated burst of intensity. It is a bit of a curveball, but it is one that allows The Boyz to kick a home run with this song. The chorus opts for a pop melody, but this works really well with the material that The Boyz has created thus far. The second verse and chorus repeats the same techniques, but also maintains the appeal and energy from the first section of the song. The bridge opts for smoother vocals from New and Hyunjae, and a high note courtesy of Sangyeon. Then, Sunwoo and Eric launches us back into the final chorus with a brief whisper-rap sequence. I wished the producers opted for a changeup in the final chorus. I liked the consistency that the final chorus gives to the song in this case, but I think THRILL RIDE could have been more dynamic in its final moments to really bring the song home. But overall, THRILL RIDE is an exceptional Summer track that is vibrant and energetic but also taps into The Boyz’s skills.

I liked that the music video was all about having fun. Set in a hotel resort environment, the members both playing parts of patrons and staff at the resort (lifeguards, receptionist bellboys, waiters, bartenders etc.). I liked how on one end the members seemed professional and friendly. But on the other hand, the members can also be quite wild. The latter was particularly well captured in the scenes where they are in their bathrobes and wearing sunglasses. I feel those scenes really sums up the video is a very succinct manner. There are some edgy scenes, as well. And they did their job fine. Overall, it is a well produced video that works really well with the song.

I really like the energy that the members put into this choreography. It looks like the performance was just continuous and never really stops. In addition to a tiring routine, the members did a really good job of keep me captivated with their facial expressions, which were all smiles and a whole lot of vibrancy. I particularly enjoyed the post-chorus moments, where they repeat the title of the song. The formations were cool and super fun!

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9.2/10

[Album Review] Your Choice (8th Mini Album) – SEVENTEEN

August 8, 2021Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged SEVENTEENLeave a comment

SEVENTEEN made their returned in mid-June as well. This comeback was titled Ready To Love, which is the title track of their 8th mini-album, Your Choice. This promotional run for the new song and album was a bit of a whirlwind. COVID-19 brought upon a pause in their promotions of the comeback, with the group going into quarantine for two weeks. The group then returned to promotions without S.Coups who was recovering from an injury. But the group still managed to clinch four weekly music show wins and they also sold more than 1.3 million copies of their album. So I would say Ready To Love is a successful comeback, despite the hiccups along the way. Anyhow, that was a brief recap of what has happened since the comeback dropped. Now, it is time for my review for the album!

1. Heaven’s Cloud – Kicking off the album is Heaven’s Cloud. It is definitely is a song of no commitment, with such a light and airy vibe. It eases you into the album. Everything just rolled along and felt breezy in this song. Heaven’s Cloud also does a good job of showcasing the members in a more pleasant light. The vocals and rapping were just that, while the melodies had the right level of catchiness to make this song memorable. The “Gimme your Gimme your Love’ part in the bridge was my favourite bit. Overall, a nice listen and a great start to the group’s eighth mini-album. (8/10)

2. Ready to Love (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Ready to Love. (8/10)

3. Anyone – The promotions may have biased me with this, but Anyone is my favourite side track on this album. Anyone has the edgy and intense vibe that I enjoy and prefer when it comes to music in the KPOP industry. Many groups have edgy songs, but I like how Anyone doesn’t necessarily go down the ‘dark route’’. Rather, Anyone focuses more on maturity. I like the stompy nature of the instrumentation (which is emphasized in the performance of the track) and the tinge of electro-rock that gives the song a subtle electrifying feel, which keeps you on your toes for the full duration of the song. The vocals and rapping packed a punch, making Anyone that more alluring. (10/10)

4. GAM3 BO1 (Hip-Hop Unit) – The chipmunk and synth-heavy instrumentation reminds me of old video games. It has this really bright and cheerful feel to it, which I quite like. And it is a very dynamic track. Unfortunately, the autotune in this song gets to me. It helps blend the quartet unit into the song and creates a more cohesive track. But it is quite obnoxious at the same time. When it comes to the song’s main hook (a consistent repetitive string of just the word ‘Game’), I am a bit torn. It is memorable and I definitely have it stuck in my head. But I find it a bit bland, at the same time. Overall, Gam3 Bo1 is a massive mix bag of likes and dislikes for me. (7/10)

5. Wave (Performance Unit) – Out of three unit tracks on this album, Wave is my favourite. In comparison to the Hip-Hop Unit’s track, Wave is a lot smoother and more hypnotic in a way. Compared to the Vocal Unit’s song, Wave is a lot dreamier. Wave taps into the house genre of EDM and creates a very fulfilling song. It is moodier and definitely more something up my alley. I really like the punchiness of the chorus and the satisfying nature of the drop in the same sequence. The Performance Unit does an impressive job of showcasing an aesthetic delivery in terms of vocals (and I am sure, the same for their performance), which ups the appeal of Wave. (9/10)

6. Same Dream, Same Mind, Same Night (같은 꿈, 같은 맘, 같은 밤) (Vocal Unit) – The final song on the album belongs to the Vocal Unit. Same Dream, Same Mind, Same Night is another impressive display of vocals, which is expected from the quintet. The instrumentation reminds me of a soft 90s R&B ballad, which is great if you are looking for something soothing to listen to. Even the vocal processing has that tinge from the 90s era. I do think they had too much going on towards the end as it felt slightly overwhelming for me. But overall, still a nice song overall. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.3/10

[Album Review] Taste of Love (10th Mini Album) – TWICE

August 7, 2021Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged TWICE2 Comments

Next up on the album reviewing block is TWICE’s Taste of Love, the group’s 10th mini-album since debut. This album release features the title track Alcohol-Free, both of which released mid-June of this year. The physical version of the mini-album also features the English version of Cry For Me, a single which TWICE had released at the end of last year and performed for the first time at the 2020 MAMA Awards. I have opted to leave out Cry For Me from this review as I only have access to the digital version. But aside from that, the album still offers 5 new tracks for us to review. And given that this is a Summer release, there are high expectations based on their past Summer releases. So without anymore delays, here is the review for TWICE’s Taste of Love.

1. Alcohol-Free (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Alcohol-Free. (6/10)

2. First Time – I liked how spacious the pop instrumental was and how it wasn’t hefty, despite it still being a substantial piece of music. What I am a bit torn about are the vocals. I really liked the idea of a falsetto delivery for the chorus. I am no vocalist, but it sounds well executed for the most part. But when it came to the ad-libs towards the end of the song, it felt like it was a bit too much falsetto work. While I felt First Time was balanced thanks to the deeper toned members who kept the song grounded, the addition of ad-libs that went further than the falsettos threw the song off balance for me. This is might just be me nitpicking once again, but that was my genuine thoughts on the song. Overall, First Time was decent, but could have been refined more to be even better. (8/10)

3. Scandal – For me, Scandal was the summer track that I didn’t know I needed. I love the boldness of the song, which was alluring and fun. The song starts off with the whispered line ‘Baby we are a scandal. Too hot to handle’, which pretty much sets the tone and theme of the lyrics of the song. It is repeated throughout the song and this repetition no doubts make it the song’s addictive hook. The synth-pop instrumentation with the added bass and the keyboard is so groovy and funky. I also feel that the keyboard sequence was familiar, but I cannot pinpoint where from. My only complaint is Dahyun’s repeat of the line just prior to the final chorus was so hush hush, it was barely audible. But only a minor complaint that barely makes a dent on the song’s appeal. (10/10)

4. Conversation – The funkiness continues on in Conversation. It isn’t as apparent at first, but the chorus definitely concentrates the funkiness into something you can definitely feel. Unfortunately, I don’t hear much else in Conversation to be that appealing other than that funkiness. The melodies were not as profound like the instrumentation or the other songs on the album. And I thought their vocal work was pretty standard. (6/10)

5. Baby Blue Love – Once again, Baby Blue Love continues the groovy theme of this mini-album. But Baby Blue Love features of a disco influence, which is a different form of the energy we got in the previous songs. I like how the album isn’t necessarily putting out the same style and keeping the tracks on the album fresh and unique to one another. Anyhow, back to Baby Blue Love. I feel the vocal work is nailed really well here. It isn’t complicated nor does it add extra technique that feels risky. Simple seems to be what TWICE thrives on. The song also had some good hooks that made it a catchy number to enjoy. I would have liked to hear more rapping and for the song to change it up towards the end to keep it from getting repetitive. (8/10)

6. SOS – Ending the album is SOS. It reminds me of pop queen diva styled synth tracks, like the ones put out by Madonna or Kylie Minogue. It has that elegance and hint of sensuality that TWICE has touched on before in the past. Unfortunately, I do think SOS is less dynamic and energetic as per the previous side tracks. It lacks that drive forward and feels somewhat stagnant. The vocals and rapping was substantial and a fair effort from the group. (7/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.5/10

[Review] Shut Up 받고 Crazy Hot! – ONEUS

August 6, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged ONEUS1 Comment

For me, the next release came out of the blue. I was not aware of that ONEUS would be returning to us with a new series, ONEUS Theatre. From what I can gather, this isn’t a formal comeback. Rather ONEUS will be release some old songs that the group that the group have not formally released yet, and will be seeking influences from famous movies for the music video. The first song in the ONEUS Theatre series is Shut Up 받고 Crazy Hot!. This new release comes after two comebacks from the group, No Diggity and BLACK MIRROR from earlier in the year.

Shut Up 받고 Crazy Hot! is quite a robust and hefty release. And it is releases like this that feels quite satisfying to listen to. Compared to the original (performed at their debut concert in 2019), this newer version of the song is more amplified and I find that it uplifts the song to be more energetic and aligned with ONEUS’ recent comebacks. It starts off with a playful vibe brought to us via some piano, which is over the top of some intense underlay. The piano is maintained in chorus, which showcases both intensity and that same playful vibe. The chorus is also chanty, and the combination of instrumentation and chanty style chorus produced a really fun and addictive centre piece for the song. I really liked how the blended in the chorus outro into the actual body of the chorus. It was an awkward segment in the original version, for me at least. For the verses, Shut Up 받고 Crazy Hot! diverts into two directions. The rappers maintain that intensity I mentioned before, allowing them to showcase a tough and edgy vibe via their deeper tones. The vocalists bring more of that lightheartedness to the song, via the pop tunes that form the background of their segments. It is interesting because I never find the two segments of the song too conflicting. And as the chorus of Shut Up 받고 Crazy Hot! shows, the two directions can be merged together very well. I also like how the bridge goes from being slowed down into a very bold and theatrical instrumental piece that concentrates the entirety of Shut Up 받고 Crazy Hot! with a few seconds. Overall, Shut Up 받고 Crazy Hot! is a great release in addition to their main title tracks.

The music video for this release is actually a performance video, rather than your standard music video. So the choreography would be the main focus. But I will talk about that in the next paragraph. As mentioned at the start of this review, ONEUS Theatre video’s will be based on famous movies. Shut Up 받고 Crazy Hot!‘s video is based on the Mad Max series. The video’s location (sandy desert) was great choice and I liked how the props and outfit did give off the Mad Max vibes. I also felt that it also really highlighted an edgy vibe for the group. I do wish they didn’t use the tan coloured add-ons. It doesn’t look good and felt tacky. I also wished the male dancers were not in such ripped shirts. It looked terrible and felt out of placed in this video, considering ONEUS and the female dancers wore outfits that were not ripped to shreds to the extent of male dancers. I also don’t like the use of the drones in this music video. Those shots were too fast and extreme for my liking. This might just be me nitpicking, but these were thoughts that I had while watching the video for the first time last night.

Choreography-wise, I think Shut Up 받고 Crazy Hot! had a great routine. It is a completely different routine to what they previously performed with. And I find this new version of the choreography does a good job of matching the energy of the song. The previous version felt dulled and lacked energy.

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

[Review] Holiday Party – Weeekly

August 5, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged WEEEKLY3 Comments

Making their return yesterday is Weeekly, who returns with their fourth mini-album, Play Game: Holiday, and the title track, Holiday Party. This is the group’s first comeback since After School earlier this year. The biggest difference between the two comebacks is the lack of a member. Shin Jiyoon is sitting out of promotions for Holiday Party and for the next while due to stress and anxiety, but did participate in the recording of the album and the music video (as seen down below). Weeekly will continue as a six-member group for the time being while Shin Jiyoon recuperates.

I have listened to Holiday Party twice since its release yesterday. One clear indication I really enjoy a song (and I am assuming that this is the same for most people) is that it has me coming back for more – either immediately or quite soon after. But based on my confessed listening frequency thus far, it appears that Holiday Party just doesn’t reel me in. I thought the song just didn’t bring anything new to the table or redo anything previously done in a refreshing manner. For the most part, the song was largely forgettable for me. The vocals were good, but it was almost borderline sugary territory for me, which I am not much of a fan of. The rapping felt much better, particularly Jiyoon’s section at the end. I felt her sequence, though brief, gave the song a bit of substance, and was a nice cut through the high pitched vocals of the chorus. Wished there was more of this! The instrumental took on this choppy style which I thought was good, but it wasn’t exactly amazing at the same time. The melodies and chanty style that made the chorus were okay, though they didn’t ping me for being something memorable. I did like the contrast between the instrumentation and vocals though. That is probably one of the few things that make the song somewhat interesting for me. Overall, I would say that that Holiday Party comes off as bubbly and pleasant (as a whole). But it simply stops at that. Personally, I don’t know what I want with Weeekly. While I do like how they are staying ‘original’ by keeping true to their roots and keeping their discography quite consistent, I don’t know if they can continue and succeed with such formula if they cannot find a catchy and memorable song like Tag Me or Zig Zag again.

I feel similar comments could be applied to the music video for Holiday Party. It was an okay video to watch. Nothing too memorable to get me to return to the music video for further repeats. The members go on a fun trip and have some fun. That is the extent of this music video. Great concept for a Summer song, though I feel the sets and music video felt too artificial as a result and this dulled any appeal of the concept. I wished they ventured outside and had some real fun in the sun. I think that would have been more impactful than a spewing washing machine or golf on a pink planet.

Again, the performance isn’t memorable. But I think it did a good job of channeling the bubbliness and pleasantry of the song. It did have a bounce to it, which I guess works with the choppiness of the song. But overall, I feel that this was a forgettable comeback for the group.

Song – 5.5/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 6/10
Overall Rating – 5.5/10