Over the last few months now, I have been promising to write multiple reviews for many songs that I have been holding onto for quite some time. One of the notable songs on the list that I keep on pushing back for some reason is ONEWE’s Parting, which was released back in September of this year. However, I am now pushing out the review out alongside ONEWE’s latest song release A Book In Memory in a double song review format. A Book In Memory is also ONEWE’s fourth comeback of the year, following the release of Q, End of Spring and Parting.
Let’s start off with the older song. Parting is a moody but straightforward rock ballad track. I will be honest that I do still find the start of the song to be quite slow and sluggish. But the rest of the song (i.e. from when the energy starts trinkling in as the first verse moved along and then the rush of energy we get in the first verse) was definitely worthwhile listening to. Everything sounded better as Parting progressed along, peaking at the instrumental break where we got rock angst incorporated into the mix, which definitely was what I had hoped for when I first heard the song (I made notes for a few of the song I have been holding back reviews for). ONEWE’s vocal work throughout the song was pretty good, but the scene stealing member had to be Cya with his dynamic rap sequence. It gave Parting a bit of edge and transformed a typical rock ballad track into something a little more unconventional.
A Book In Memories continues the rock ballad style from their previous song. I do find that the song is more balanced between the two styles of music, with the verses being more balladry and the choruses honing into that rock influence. The ‘glue’ that binds the two two sides of the song was quite well done. The rock influences were slowly introduced via the use of drums and then electric guitars. That being said, there was still a moment of a sudden change. But it wasn’t as sudden as you expected, with the slow introduction and ease into the rock influences paying off. And I liked that once we got to that point in the song where the rock was the prevalent style of music, they didn’t hold back. Vocally, the ONEWE members do another really good job. But the group’s main vocalist, Younghoon, definitely shined the most with his husky tone and that stunning long note at the end of the song.
The music video for Parting definitely complimented the song. The darkness that surrounded them definitely gave off moody vibes. The image in the background of their band performance scenes were quite aesthetic and cool looking. I particularly enjoyed the projection during the instrumental break, where different rectangles and squares in the projection came flying out.
For A Book In Memories, the music video also felt fitting and quite clever. They used the same set, outfits and set up between the ‘halves’ of the video to showcase the two different styles of the song. It sounds odd at first, but the only difference was the colour and lighting of the set. And this difference had a strong impact that separates the two halves neatly. The more balladry sections of the song had this Fall vibe to it, while the song’s more intense moments courtesy of the rock had this dark blue tinge to it. I also liked how they weren’t afraid to mix the two ‘halves’ up and this really helped bind the video together, rather than having it look like two different videos. I just wished their close ups were a little more interesting.
Parting Song – 9/10 Music Video – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.6/10
A Book In Memories Song – 10/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9.6/10
GOT7 is nominated for Best Male Group and Jackson is nominated for Best International Song by a KPOP Artist (for both Pretty Please and 100 Ways). To support GOT7 and Jackson, please click here to vote!
Up next on the reviewing block is GOT7’s Breath of Love: Last Piece, the group’s fourth studio album (also fast tracked!). Like many fans, I am pretty disappointed in JYP for such a limited and lacking promotional run. I wished we got to see more of the group on stage with Last Piece, the title track of this album. But I understand that Youngjae has filming schedules and other members have solo work to focus on as well. Hopefully we get to see them all soon through their next album release in the new year! Also featured alongside Last Piece is Breath, the album’s pre-release track that was released a week prior to the actual album release. Both of these tracks I have already reviews for, but the album still contains eight other new tracks that I will be reviewing today. So let’s get going!
3. Born Ready– Born Ready is a very dynamic track, one that is well placed as one of the first tracks into the album. I particularly enjoyed the chorus, where the intensity is amped up thanks to the EDM instrumental. A few of the members stood out in this track. First of all, the song opens up with JB as a rapper, something we don’t really hear often when it comes to GOT7 releases (despite being the rapper half of JJ Project). Secondly, we have Youngjae’s rap-like vocal delivery in the second verse that was so punchy. Jackson’s lines in the bridge were also quite memorable. But the member that stands out the most is Mark, who produced this track. Definitely a recommended listen. (10/10)
4. Special – Special opts for an even more upbeat tempo and synth-heavy instrumental from the very first second. And from the very first second, I was digging the song. The chorus had this catchy and simple melody that was quite easy to get into. My only issue about the chorus (and the entire song) was imbalance between the vocals and instrumentation. I felt the music was overpowering, which lead to the vocalists needing to compete for attention. The rappers faired better and were my selection of standout members because they actually had the ability to stand out. (9/10)
5. Wave – Wave tones down a few elements, which helps make it feel so refined. And I feel that the song successfully shows their path to maturity, which I will admit that they already showed comebacks ago. What makes Wave so good is that it feels atmospheric, emotional and reflective – all bundled into one song. Waves is ideal to listen to as you walk in nature, reflecting upon life and your experiences. (10/10)
6. Waiting For You – Waiting For You shows refinement as well, in the form of a hip-hop styled song. Though, it comes off as similar to a ballad at certain times. The distortion of the instrumentation at the start enables the song to opt for an aesthetic tone and for the member’s vocals to have this echoy effect. And it is an interesting feeling, overall. Bam Bam (who composed and wrote the song) used a lot of autotune, but I feel that its usage was justified based on the aesthetic nature of the song. (9/10)
7. Thank You, Sorry (이젠 내가 할게) – This song diverts the album down the R&B/jazzy fusion route, with an impressive display of vocals from all the members. Even the rappers emerge from Thank You, Sorry as full-fledged vocalists. The second verse is where the song’s main drawing point lies. The members involved goes in and out of this stunning falsetto technique, which felt perfect for the song’s instrumentation. It also gives some colour to the song, making it more interesting than a standard R&B/jazzy styled song. While Yugyeom was the creative mind behind this song, I felt that Jinyoung managed to outshine the rest of the members in this song with his vocals in the second verse alone. (10/10)
8. 1 + 1 – The R&B roots of the preceding track was just a temporary stop, as 1 + 1 brings back the hip-hop influence. It sounds trendy and there is this light tone to it, which I quite enjoyed. It also reminded me of Thursday (one of their previous tracks). Unfortunately, I don’t find 1 + 1 as catchy as their previous release. It is pleasant, but that is the best description I can give the song. (8/10)
9. I Mean It – I Mean It is an impressive song that I instantly enjoyed from the first listen. It is a pop track with such a happy tone (that even the vocals reinforce) and catchy lyrics that helped make the entire song so addictive. I just found the song so simple, yet so effective at making me enjoy the song. The bridge has no lyrics, instead opting for dramatic thumping that without a doubt (when we aren’t in a health pandemic) would make way for an amazing choreography on stage. (10/10)
10. We Are Young – We Are Young is a song for fans, without a doubt. The lyrics thanks for being there with them – even during their toughest moments (this year with no direct fan interaction probably was one of those tough moments). I really like how powerful the chorus was, simply by them amping their vocals and using striking repetition. Definitely a bold end for the album! (9/10)
Kai’s fellow EXO members, Chen and Baekhyun, are nominated for Best Male Soloist in the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. If you haven’t yet supported Baekhyun or Chen (or any of your other favourite artists that were active in 2020), click here immediately to vote for them! Remember, voting closes on 31st December.
It has been long time coming, but Kai officially made his solo debut with his first mini-album, Kai, on the 30th of November. EXO’s main dancer was one of the most anticipated members to make his own solo debut from the beginning. His solo debut comes in the form of the title track, Mmmh, and a six track mini-album. Today, obviously, I will be having a deeper look into his mini-album. I just want to quickly tease that Kai is everything I expected from Kai. Sensuality is a recurring theme in this mini album. And so are upbeat tempos to facilitate dance performances, which we already know that Kai can nail effortlessly. Interestingly, I have a preference for just one of these two styles, so continue reading to find out which one is my preference.
2. Nothing On Me – Nothing On Me starts off in a distorted manner, briefly warping the sensual vibes of the song that slowly become clearer as the song progresses. I am not entirely fond of it, but it has its charm. The song manages to compensate this by sweeping me off my feet with its chorus. It brings a very strong amount of bass to the mix and the resultant energy really oomph up the sensual vibes of Nothing On Me. Kai’s vocals throughout the song were really strong and surprising. He handles all his lines, even the ones at a higher pitch extremely well, as if he was a main vocalist in EXO all along. (9/10)
3. Amnesia (기억상실) – I really liked Amnesia’s flow from the very start of the song, which is what anyone wants from a sensual track. The appeal of the flow peaks during the chorus, help making the song quite memorable and quite hypnotic. Coming along with the memorable flow of the song are Kai’s vocals. All my comments in the preceding track regarding his vocals can be said about this song. What probably might make Amnesia a better piece is that it showcases more to Kai’s vocals, which I am sure fans are digging. (9/10)
4. Reason – Reason taps into the hip-hop scene with a more upbeat track. I think of Reason as if it is a fun change up to the tracklist thanks to that upbeat energy. Other than that, nothing in Reason stands out for me. It just feels like your typical Korean hip-hop meets pop mash that is often heard throughout the industry. (6/10)
5. Ride or Die – Ride or Die fairs slightly better than the preceding track. Only because I felt the instrumental was a bit more interesting, with the electric guitars in the first verse/final moments of the song and the really deep bubbling synth that is carried throughout the song. The second verse also gives it a bit of a retro flair, which really helps make the song more appealing. I personally didn’t like the centric point of the song (i.e. the chorus). It just didn’t feel as interesting as the rest of the song. And I do prefer his vocals in the verses than the chorus. He just sounds meh during what was meant to be the catchiest moments of the song. (7/10)
6. Hello Stranger – Hello Stranger brings back more of the R&B style that started off the album, whilst remaining upbeat like the second half of the album. It was a nice middle ground between the albums two styles, which is accompanied by a trap centric instrumental piece that is accented using electric guitars and piano. I do feel that the R&B nature of the song manages to make the song shine more than the upbeat tempo. And because of that, Kai’s vocals are quite solid. There were also some catchy moments. (8/10)
Taeyeon joined the December comeback lineup on Tuesday with her solo release on Tuesday, What Do I Call You. This, and her fourth mini-album, follows her previous 2020 releases which includes Dear Me (the lead single from her repackaged Purpose album), her Happy single and her #GirlsSpkOut Japanese comeback. So Taeyeon has been quite busy during 2020, which has lead to her nominations for Best Female Soloist and Best Vocals in this year’s KPOPREVIEWED Awards (link above – and apologies for this shameless plug here). On with the review.
What Do I Call You moves away from Taeyeon’s pop ballad or straight ballad sound and opts for a more indie sound, which I thought was slightly different (though definitely something in her willhouse, given that she has released songs of this style before. The song is primarily driven by acoustics and then some mid-tempo beat that is brought into the song via percussion. It is a simple combination, but one that I thought was actually quite nice and pleasant. The only downside is that it doesn’t really give the song an opportunity to peak, with the song’s momentum plateauing once the percussion comes into play. Aside from that, the only element to really left discuss is Taeyeon’s vocals, which is superb. As mentioned above, she is nominated for Best Vocals in the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards and What Do I Call You definitely consolidates all the reasons to why she deserves the nomination (and possibly the category overall – but that is up to you). Her vocals really bring the song’s melodies and add to that pleasantry note of the song. Another splendid song that adds to Taeyeon’s repertoire.
The music video shows us the story of Taeyeon in a post-break up limbo, unsure what to call her ex whom she still has lingering feelings for. In response to this feelings, Taeyeon signs up for this service that erase her memories of this ex (which is the panda wearing mask person). Interestingly after getting her memories wiped, she enters a hallway that brings her back to the first time she interacted with him at a party, where I assume they begin another relationship. To further back this ending up, she plays a toy crane machine and regains the same orange diary that she gave up in the memory wiping service. Likewise the polaroid of her and her ex that was hanging on her wall at the start as found still hanging on the wall at the end of the video after the memory wiping process. It is interesting video and I thought it was a clever twist at the end.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 10/10 Overall Rating – 9.4/10
Next up on the reviewing chopping block is Ha Sung Woon’s latest mini-album, Mirage. This release was dropped (alongside the title track Forbidden Island) on November 9th, which makes this mini-album overdue by a month. Better late than never, as I always say. This is his fourth mini-album since his solo debut back in February 2019 with Bird. This is was also his second comeback of the year, following the release of Get Ready and Twilight Zone in June of this year. Okay, enough of the rundown of Ha Sung Woon’s solo music history, let’s move onto the album review.
2. Candle Light (촛불) – Candle Light is a nice pop track. The pop instrumentation, which is made up of a a mixture of piano/thumping beats and soft EDM, is quite breezy and extremely pleasant. The melodies are quite flowy and enjoyable, helping to strength the appeal of this song. What Candle Light also does well is showcase Ha Sung Woon’s vocals. He sounds quite hearty in this song and I can detect a level of sweetness which helps with the melodic appeal of the song. (9/10)
3. 2000 Miles – How awesome does 2000 Miles sound? The EDM chorus feels well suited for a Summer road trip or as the theme song for when you are exploring something new for the first time. I like the addition of the acoustic guitars. It adds that fresh Summery feeling on top of the bouncy EDM instrumentation. For Ha Sung Woon’s vocals, he does a spectacular job in this song. From the added vocal effects to his falsetto, I genuine enjoyed every aspect of this song. (10/10)
4. Without You (행성) – Without You is another song that combines EDM with the acoustic guitar. But Without You is less energetic and is much softer. Instead, Without You comes off as a pop ballad. Ha Sung Woon is killing it on this album with the sweet nature behind his voice. It is so appealing. The atmospheric vibes of the song makes it even better and well suited for my palette. Overall, Without You is another great song to relax to! (10/10)
5. Talk To Me (말해줘요) – Once again, Ha Sung Woon goes does the pop ballad route for Talk To Me. There is a bit of a slow rock vibe to it, which differentiates it from the rest of the mini-album, which I think it is fantastic change (give that the song all practically stem from the pop genre). While I would love to give this mini-album its third 10/10, I am not going to as I am not sold on the vocals. They were good, but they didn’t feel as grounded as the other vocals we had in this album. I did love the electric guitar solo, which felt like icing on a cake for me. (9/10)
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Kim Sung Kyu has been absent from the KPOP stage for about two years now due to his military enlistment. We last saw him in 2018 promoting his first studio album, 10 Stories, which was headlined by True Love. Like the solo artist, not much has happened with Infinite (the group that he leads) since 2018, aside from a single release at the very start of 2019 that did not feature Kim Sung Kyu has he had already enlisted by then. Now, Kim Sung Kyu is back with new songs, in the form of the single I’m Cold and the mini-album Inside Me. This is his first comeback since completing his mandatory enlistment earlier this year.
If you forgot or did know about me, but I am a big fan of Kim Sung Kyu’s solo work. I enjoyed all of his past singles and album releases. So, I’m Cold has a a lot to live up to. Well, I am happy to report that Kim Sung Kyu manages to still have the ability to stun me with his solo release, even though there was a massive two year gap. I’m Cold is a R&B styled song with a hip-hop influence. Personally, this combination doesn’t excite me unlike his pop rock roots that I know him for. However, it is how the song comes together with his voice that really shines for me. The instrumental for this song is simply an atmospheric piece and can be described as quite minimalistic. It didn’t add much substance to the song, but it was definitely needed to create the feelings of emptiness and loneliness, which goes hand-in-hand with the lyrics of the song. The most substantial part of the song was during the chorus and that was only simply due to the amped by strumming of the acoustic guitar. The main ‘meat’ (as one would describe) would the vocals, of course. Kim Sung Kyu sounds stunning and boy, do I miss his voice. What I really liked is how the producers really emphasised the vocals by applying echo-like effects and (what I think is) an additional layer of his vocals during the chorus to bolden his main vocals. I feel like all of these (if I was correct in identifying the tactics used) really helped emphasised the idea of loneliness and emptiness further. I’m Cold is honestly slightly different to what I am used from the soloist, but it is nailed like any other song Kim Sung Kyu has attempted before.
The music video simply needed to convey two things. Emptiness/ Loneliness (as conveyed in the lyrics) and coldness (as conveyed in the title of the song). Both these aspects were effortlessly shown in this music video. Kim Sung Kyu was very alone in this music video. The ring he possesses is stuck in ice and his memories cause him to cry. There was also a moment of rage towards the end of the video as he searches for something that I felt was a great peak in his acting for this video, showcasing his loneliness a step further. The coldness was cleverly inserted. He sings in a freezer room and in the snow, which all symbolises the coldness. But the best part was when he holds onto the flower and it becomes encased in ice. I felt that was a smart way of showing that he is also cold on the inside. I just wished there was a bit more to the video, like a bit of a back story or flashback to his breakup.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9.6/10
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Park Ji Hoon’s first studio album, Message, is next up on the album review chopping block. I wanted to review this, as I felt his recent promotions didn’t get much attention. I really liked the title track, GOTCHA, which is accompanied by nine other songs on this album. And I have been reviewing all of this albums since his solo debut last year, so it will be odd to miss out on the chance to review his first studio album. Overall, the album was definitely a good one. For my more detailed thoughts, keep on reading below!
Message Album Cover
1. Waterfalls (Intro Track) – Usually I don’t review intro tracks. But Waterfalls is an exception as it contains lyrics and vocals. So, I will be including it as part of the album review. Waterfalls channels hip-hop in a subtle manner within its instrumental and repetitively reminds us to ‘Listen to [his] message’. Aside from that, we are also treated to a bit of rapping, which I am sure will get fans/listeners excited especially if that is the way you were introduced to Park Ji Hoon (which was the case for me). (8/10)
3. Hit It Off (ft. PENOMECO) – Hit It Off brings back the hip-hop sound in a trap style that ends up being a really pleasant song. I do admit that the instrumental does sound very standard and typical in writing, But I thought otherwise, as the song’s paced approach really helped make the song feel more refined and classy. Adding to that is the successful blend of Park Ji Hoon’s vocals and the out-sourced rapping by PENOMECO. The paced nature of the instrumentation really helps draws out the melodies and helped made both the vocals and rapping shine more. (9/10)
4. Rolling – Rolling opts for the R&B genre, with a jazzy touch to really help bring some additional oomph to the song. I wouldn’t mind listening to this song in a classy wine bar, so other place that has that fancy type of vibe. Rolling manages to showcase more of Park Ji Hoon’s vocals really well. Everything was quite melodic and flowy. I really liked that he managed to incorporate some rapping in the song, and how his rapping was well tweaked for this classy style of music. (8/10)
5. 50-50 (ft. EB) – I didn’t register this until today (oh, how reviewing songs makes me put on a more analytical mindset), but I really liked how Park Ji Hoon used a deeper tone in this song. This was offset by EB’s higher pitched rapping tone, which really brought a nice balance to the song. I also really liked the chorus, where they sing together. While I liked the tropical approach in the instrumentation, I do have my hesitations about this aspect as well. Personally, I wished the producers had went with a more dynamic route to give the tropical some more flair. That would have made 50-50 so much better and given it a bit more energy. (8/10)
6. DRESS CODE (ft. punchnello) – DRESS CODE delivers some additional energy to the album, which I felt was needed. It isn’t really dynamic form of energy, but DRESS CODE has this neat upbeat tempo to it which I will take gladly. But unfortunately, that is the only aspect of the song that really grabs my attention. Everything else didn’t fit well with me or was just forgotten. I pretty much forgot about Park Ji Hoon’s vocals once the song ended (though punchnello fared slightly better). In addition to that, I personally do not like the elongated and autotuned ‘DRESS CODE’ in the chorus. The elongation made it feel childish and the autotune just dulled it for me. Similarly, the rest of the song followed suit for me. (5/10)
7. Whisper(귓속말) – Whisper is one of my picks for Park Ji Hoon’s strongest side track on this album. While it did start off a bit slow-ish, the song does pick up during the second verse (which really helped boost its appeal). I enjoyed everything else about this song. His vocals are heavenly and very appealing to listen to. I also really liked the moments where he diverted for deeper vocals, contrasting for his higher pitch approach during other parts. The instrumental was very light, and I enjoyed the use of synthesizer. (9/10)
8. Tomorrow – If you wanted a substantial upbeat piece on this album, then Tomorrow is the track for you. There is a bit of heft to this song, which I felt has been absent from the album thus far. This ‘heft’ is due to the guitars that is strummed away on top of the usual beat. I also like the bit of bass that they manage to infuse into the song during the chorus via the thumping beat. Park Ji Hoon’s vocals were really good here. I like how he goes in and out of his raspy vocals for this song, giving the song some texture. It also felt like multiple people were singing this song, which gives the song a very inclusive feel. (10/10)
9. Scenario (시나리오)(ft. Sweden Laundry) – Scenario is a sweet song that shows us a more loving side to Park Ji Hoon (miles away from his villainous concept for his GOTCHA music video). His vocals work wonderfully in this song, complimenting Sweden Laundry’s sweet vocals. Like his collaboration with EB in track 5, Park Ji Hoon’s use of his deeper tone (in the form of rapping) was actually quite appreciable and gave the song some balance. The layering was also quite nice. The acoustic nature of the instrumental was also quite enjoyable. (8.5/10)
10. MayDay – From the opening instrumentation, MayDay is a playful track. I like this change up, though I think MayDay would have been better suited for a more upbeat album. It is definitely an colourful outlier that feels slightly out of place on this more mature release. That being said, however, MayDay was enjoyable and had a nice ring to it. (7/10)
The Boyz is nominated for Best Male Group, Rising Star and Best Male Group Performance (for The Stealer). Have you supported The Boyz in the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards? Click here to do so now!
With December in full effect, we start humming the many Christmas carols out loud and we start hearing songs like ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You‘ play in the background of our shopping trips (it has already started to chart on the Korean music charts!). On top of that, we also see our favourite KPOP idols Christmas themed songs. The Boyz kicks off the trend with Christmassy! this month, which also commemorates the group’s third debut anniversary. Usually, I reserve these songs for Christmas Day and don’t review them. But this year I don’t plan on posting anything on Christmas Day (I will be on a two-ish week break around that time), I thought I review it now.
Christmassy! is obviously a light-hearted track and is designed to not be taken seriously, which is completely different to their previous tracks this year (i.e. Reveal and The Stealer). The jingle of bells plays throughout the video, reminding us constantly that this is a Christmas-themed track. That is, if you don’t already detect the theme from the Christmas themed title and lyrics that form part of this song. Even though the song isn’t to be taken seriously and is a nice gift to their fans, Christmassy! does have a few nice elements that make the song enjoyable to listen to. I really like the vocal work in this song. There is a lot of smoothness in this song and the vocal work is relatively light to fit in with the light-hearted side of the song. There are really nice harmonies in the pre-chorus that just made the song sound so pleasant. Even the rapping was tweaked to be playful and fitting in with the light tone of the song. The hooks aren’t that strong, but they do have a nice ring to them. And that sometimes is enough to really help make the song more enjoyable. Overall, Christmassy! is quite nice to kick back to this festive month for KPOP fans and it bound to help spread some of that festive cheer!
Do you want to smile more widely or have a bit of a laugh? Then Christmassy!‘s accompanying music video might be just the one for you. As mentioned before, this isn’t a release to be taken seriously. And this is well reflected in the music video. The video seems to be self-filmed or filmed by someone (maybe a member who isn’t on screen) on a mobile phone, capturing what looks like the members trying to compete to be the ‘prom king’ with the viewers. We see the members go above and beyond to ask the viewers to go with them to this Christmas themed prom party. There are also some great references to some memes throughout the video and there were a few moments that made me chuckle.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
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Returning for the first time since their debut is GHOST9, with W.ALL. There are so many new male groups this year, so let me give you a quick recap of their debut. GHOST9, who are under Maroo Entertainment (the home of Park Ji Hoon), made their debut back in September of this year with Think Of Dawn. The group consist of nine members, Jinwoo, Kangsung, Prince, Junseong, Taesung, Woojin, Dongjun, Shin and Junhyung. Their debut track was described as ‘decent’ by me. I wonder if they will remain with ‘decent’ or exceed the description… Read on to find out.
Honestly, I don’t know exactly what to think about W.ALL. It definitely ticks the box for intensity and energy, thanks to the powerful chorus. The chorus was the definite highlight of the song, one that I look forward to after such verses that are so held back (in terms of energy) now that I have listened to the song and know what to expect. There are two things about the chorus that really gets me. The first has to be the epic feeling the first few seconds of the chorus felt, with the producers of W.ALL and members of GHOST9 ‘bringing it down hard’ with both the instrumentation and vocals, respectively. The second is the dynamic kick of energy we get in the second half of the first and last choruses, which really helps liven up the song and give it so much more appeal. The rest of the song is quite meh (standard, at best) and doesn’t do as enough as the chorus to really help the song. Sure, one could argue that the instrumentation for the chorus is overwhelming. That was my initial thought as well, but time really helped change that perspective. Unfortunately, there really wasn’t anything that can really change up perspective of the verses. If the verses were a little more dynamic and lively in some way, which would have better suited the chorus, I would have enjoyed the W.ALL more. With that, it looks like the group slipped a bit from that ‘decent’ descriptor.
I am a little confused about what the purpose of the massive robots in their music videos. As far as I can tell, the robot in the W.ALL music video is different to the one we saw in the Think Of Dawn music video. Are the music videos and stories meant to join up, or are they standalone music videos with just completely different stories? I can’t tell. Even standalone, I am not sure what the storyline of the W.ALL music video. The members are scattered throughout doing their own thing (cut chains to get into a restricted area, being locked up in a diamond shaped cave, getting chase by scary drones etc.). But they all meet up in the end to activate the robot in this video, which shoots a beam up to the sky. And then at the end, there were two beams shooting up at massive ships in the sky. None of this makes sense to me, and frankly this distracts me from the actual video. I will, however, applaud the sets of the music video and all the post production efforts to make this video look quite cool.
Can we just take a moment and admire their comeback showcase performance for this comeback? It occurred on what seems to be the roof of the tallest building in Busan. That is amazingly cool. Aside from that, the choreography seems like it is the most positive aspect of this comeback. It was a good routine, overall. When it came to the chorus, their moves matched the ‘hitting it hard’ vibe that the song had coming off it. The complexity of some of their formations during the verses also were a great aspect of the choreography.
Song – 6.5/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 7.2/10
The album in the reviewing spotlight today is TXT’s Minisode1: Blue Hour, the group’s 3rd mini-album since their debut. This mini-album was released back at the end of the October and has been sitting on my list of albums/songs to review for quite some time now. And I thought I try to clear off the October albums (whilst also balancing some November and December albums) now before the year ends. Minisode1: Blue Hour features the title track Blue Hour and four other new songs. Let’s see what I thought about these four songs, and the album overall.
Minisode1: Blue Hour Album Cover
1. Ghosting– Many side tracks in this half of 2020 are creating really appealing atmosphere to listen to and Ghosting is another addition to this long list. The song brings sleekness, thanks to the upbeat tempo within the indie rock instrumentation. In addition to that, the sleekness and indie rock also really allowed the members to show off some husky and raspy vocals, which definitely compliment the song as a whole. The melodies were super easy to get into and enjoy. (9/10)
3. We Lost the Summer (날 씨를 잃어 버렸어) – I know there is a music video for this release and I have put this music video onto a list of music videos to have a look in a future ‘Missed Review’ segment. In the meanwhile, we proceed with the song review. We Lost the Summer is a tropical house song. It is a rather clean track. When it first started, I registered it as a TXT song, thanks to the familiarity of their vocals. But unfortunately, I thought the song was rather dull and lacked energy or drive. It felt like a song release by any other male group in KPOP, especially with the tropical sound that inundated KPOP a few years back. I was waiting for some sort of dynamic change in the music to really sweep me off my feet. But it never delivered. (6/10)
4. Wishlist – Wishlist captures my attention from the very first second thanks to those very deep and dramatic thumping in the background. But that was just the start of the song. When it came to the chorus, Wishlist throws all of this fast tempo and upbeat energy right at you, resembling the type of energy you would expect for an epic pop rock track. It felt exhilarating for me and reminded me of a few pop tracks I continually dig for in my playlists. Wishlist shows off really strong vocals, which is required in order to be heard on top of the instrumentation. Overall, Wishlist is my pick for best side track from this mini-album. (10/10)
5. Way Home (하굣길) – Way Home is the final song on the album. I was a little hesitant with the song at first. It does overwhelm with its synth/trap instrumental as the background. There is also this off beat aesthetic approach at the start of the verses. But like most songs, Way Home gets better with time. I am not 100% sold on the song yet, but Way Home has its moments. I am impressed with the vocals, and also am glad that the song contains some rap (which has been noticeably absent from the side tracks album thus far). (8/10)
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It has been a while since we heard anything from 2PM due to military enlistment. As far as I can tell, the rest of the members (Junho and Chansung) who are currently enlisting will complete their mandatory military enlistment next year. In the meanwhile, the members who have completed their enlistment (including Nichkhun) have been focusing on solo promotions. Today, Jun.K (who completed his enlistment early on in 2020) dropped his newest single, 30 Minutes Might Be Too Long, which is featured on his fourth mini-album, 20 Minutes. However, this isn’t his first song of the year. His first was This Is Not A Song, 1929, which was released back in June (which I completely missed).
Jun.K’s latest song is really good. But it really isn’t the reason to why I am reviewing the comeback today. Given that this particular comeback has no choreography, the only other reason to why I am writing this review is the music video. But more on that in a minute. I still need to write out my thoughts for the song. 30 Minutes Might Be Too Long is an acoustic mid-tempo R&B song. I did like how strong the acoustic guitar was throughout the song, even during the more upbeat sections of the song. The more upbeat parts of the song, which made the song feel more pop than R&B, definitely infused a lot of energy into the song and definitely gave a kick to an otherwise pretty standard track. Another really great element about 30 Minutes Might Be Too Long are his vocals. While he did get a little shouty during the chorus, it felt intentional to help make the song feel a lot punchier, which compliments the energy. The only thing I am a little confused about the structure of the song. Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems like 30 Minutes Might Be Too Long was extended and the first round of the chorus was quite prolonged, before we went into a bridge and back to the chorus. I personally don’t have any issues with abstract song structures usually, but this one felt particularly odd. Not exactly sure why. But other than that, Jun.K’s newest single has an awesome vibe to, with great vocals and music.
With the song part out the way, I can now focus on the music video. The juicy bit of this comeback. It is a very interesting music video with two plot twists. The first felt very predictable. We open with a very stormy setting and a guy running away from this crazed lady. He tries to run as far away from her as possible, even seeking the security of his own home. But to no avail as she somehow makes it in. After a little teasing from her, she finally captures him, paralyses him (somehow), puts a ring on him to make him hers, and ends up putting a stick of dynamite in his mouth. She has this crazed moment where she does her evil laugh to signify her happiness in succeeding and lights the dynamite. But it slowly turns to regrets, showing us how mentally unstable her character is. We then cut to Jun.K, where it is revealed that he is shooting a music video (the first plot twist). Upon completion, he leaves the set and sends the text message to the actress who was playing the crazed lady to meet up later. They end up meeting up at his place, where he plans a cute date. But from my understanding, it is revealed that he is the crazed one. Firstly, she looks very disinterested in their relationship. Secondly, he does a lot of preparation for this one ‘date’, similar to her character. Thirdly, there is a stick of dynamite under the table (second unexpected plot-twist), which presumably blows up 20 minutes into their date (which matches his request for a final 20 minutes to win her back). Fourthly, I assume he survives and ends up returning to a place that looks exactly like the set of the video that was being shot, telling us the story in the video was his story. While I feel like a few kinks can be smoothed out with this music video, I really enjoyed the dark vibes and and the overall storyline of the video.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.6/10
LOONA is nominated for Best Female Group, Best Music Video (for So What) and Best Female Group Performance (for So What). To support LOONA and your other favourite artists, click here to vote for them!
LOONA made their comeback back in October with Why Not and their third mini-album, 12:00 (read as Midnight). And per my terrible planning skills, I am finally getting around to writing an album review for 12:00 one a half months later. But as they all say – better late than never! Alongside Why Not, 12:00 also features seven new songs. One of these new songs is just an intro track, which I do not review. The final song on the album is titled Star and is the English version of Voice (which is featured on the album). As they are the same song (just in different languages), I will only be reviewing Voice (but I have also included a link to Star if you want to listen to it. So before I delay it further, here is my album review for 12:00.
3. Voice (목소리) – Voice has been selected as LOONA’s follow up promotion song, with the group currently promoting the song on Korean weekly music shows. The English version of the song, Star, also has a music video! Voice is a much lighter song that brings a bit of innocence to LOONA’s song. In comparison to the title track, Voice is a lot smoother and has a very simple melody that is super easy to get into. And because of these factors, Voice is super catchy. The instrumental is pretty synth-heavy and has this slight retro vibe to it that is extremely pleasant and likeable. Voice and Star are definitely highlights of this album. (10/10)
4. Fall Again (기억해) – Fall Again is a super soothing ballad. It takes on a bit of a R&B beat for the most part. I really enjoyed the acoustic guitars that peeked through the instrumentation. It was nice change up to the otherwise straight forward R&B side of the song. I also really liked how the bridge was just the acoustic guitar as the main central piece, as well. The song also features really nice vocals from the members, allowing the soothing vibe of the ballad to be heightened even more. (8/10)
5. Universe – Everything in Universe was so smooth to listen to. This smoothness creates a strong alluring aura that is almost hypnotic for me. I just wanted to keep on listening to the song every time it appears on my playlist. What really makes Universe stand out for me is the way it built up. It started off as a soft song. But as it progressed, the song’s pop instrumentation kept on building up its energy and momentum. Yet they managed to keep the alluring aura consistent throughout the whole song. Once again, the vocals in this song are just so sweet and proves to me that every member of LOONA is capable as a vocalist. (10/10)
6. Hide & Seek (숨바꼭질) – The album returns to a bit of an edgy vibe with Hide & Seek. The bouncy way the song started felt like an extension of the title track’s chorus, just a lot brighter and colourful with its pop sound. I also liked how the chorus ended up becoming bouncy as well, which made the song so much more fun for me. I also really liked the synthesizer in the pre-chorus, which helped infuse some energy into the song. The bridge was also super appealing, with one half being a great segment to show off some strong choreography and the other half helping make the final chorus feel bolder. The only thing I was unsure about was the rapping in the second verse. I wished they didn’t go down the typical route for this element. (8.5/10)
7. OOPS! – The final song I am reviewing today is OOPS! It is definitely something different to everything we have heard above. This also includes the title track, which I felt was more melodic than OOPS! Instead, OOPS! goes for the group’s edgiest sound since So What. Personally, I felt the hip-hop styled song was disjointed at times. While I love texture in my songs, I felt like the overuse of textural elements in the instrumental actually became a flaw. I did like their delivery and the energy that came from the group members/song. I just wished it was a bit more refined and cohesive. (6/10)
8. Star (English Version of Voice) – See above for my thoughts on Star / Voice.
Despite the continuation of the voting manipulation scandal in the Produce 101 shows that brought us some of the biggest project groups in KPOP, IZ*ONE is the one group that has continually pushed through it all. Today, the group made their comeback with their fourth mini-album, One-Reeler, and the title track Panorama. The group did unofficially drop the new song yesterday by performing it at the 2020 MAMA Awards, which I am sure many of you tuned into. Panorama joins IZ*ONE’s 2020 releases, which includes Fiesta, Secret Story of the Swan and Beware.
As mentioned yesterday, my first exposure to Panorama was via the 2020 MAMA Awards. My first impression of the song was definitely quite positive and it peaked my interest. Panorama seems to take the iconic elements of both their previous title tracks and merged it into one. What do I mean by this? Well, Fiesta had all these high pitched synths and sound effects, while Secret Story of the Swan had that really dramatic flair thanks to the bass. It seems like these two elements come together to really form a powerful track for IZ*ONE. But it just wasn’t the merger of these two songs. Panorama does a lot more. There is really strong vocals from the members. This was definitely necessary, given the powerfulness of the synths in Panorama. I honestly thought these synths would have drowned out the members, as IZ*ONE usually sings with a higher pitch. But here, the members pushed themselves to make sure they are heard. The melodies and hooks were pretty catchy, as well. There were some really cool violins in the background and I love the post-chorus instrumental break, where the rush of energy was coming from. I also really liked the final part following the final chorus, which was a wonderful cap to the song. Overall, Panorama impresses. There was just so much energy and intensity that I just cannot get out of my head.
One of the elements of the performance yesterday that caught my attention were their outfits. And this music video amps up that appeal for me. Their outfits are stunning throughout the video. From the dresses/outfits they don in their solo shots to the really simple yet fashionable outfits they wore whilst dancing, everything looked stunning. The sets in this music video were stunning as well. I really liked how much classy flair there was. The music video does take on that closeup and choreography format, but that was not an issue here as all of the above really stood out for me. The cinematography was also as captivating throughout, keeping up with the pace of the song but also making sure the members looked amazing.
The choreography looks really good. It keeps up with the intensity, yet still has a bit of a casual nature and elegance to it. I particularly enjoyed the routine that accompanied the energy rush after the main choruses. It started off with some footwork, before incorporating some arm movements and then whole body moves.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.8/10
As mentioned yesterday, I have a lot of album reviews to get through. While I do have many more October albums to get through, I also need to make a start on the albums that were released in the month of November. I have fast tracked two, but that is not enough given the amount of comebacks that occurred in November. Today, I start off with MONSTA X’s 3rd studio album, Fatal Love, which features the title track Love Killa. Alongside the title track, MONSTA X’s new album also features nine other new songs. Keep on reading if you want to know what I thought about each song.
2. Gasoline (갈증) – Gasoline has the big job of following the title track. It may not be as bold or as powerful as Love Killa, but Gasoline does a pretty good job of following the likes of the title track. Most notably, this song tones down the intensity and opts for some Latin flair. Thankfully, this flair is not explicit and hence, it doesn’t jump on board that trend train that dominated Summer 2020 once again. The subtle Latin flair helps gives the song some rhythm and groove, which makes it really enjoyable. There is also a sleekness to it, which I find very alluring. The vocals and rapping follow this momentum, fitting nicely into the song. (9/10)
3. Thriller – Thriller takes a while to really hits its epic stride in the form of its chorus. But that is only because we have to make it through some of song’s finest moments (i.e. its verses). This includes intense percussions, amazing vocals from the vocalists and a pre-chorus segment that starts off with equally as powerful raps and jaw-dropping theatrical / opera-like violins that really grab your attention. The chorus takes on board all of that dramatic energy and compact it into an amazing chorus that is solidly produce and really shows off the power of MONSTA X. (10/10)
4. Guess Who – If you thought Thriller was the album’s strongest song, you are in for a surprise. Guess Who manages to one-up Thriller. I personally attribute this feat to the song’s instrumental, which I thought was extremely robust. There was this hypnotic effect in the chorus that really reeled me in, which contrasted with Jooheon’s texturally exciting ‘X X X’ repetition. The verses itself was also filled with texture, thanks to that very abrasive buzz. The rest of the members are really dynamic delivery with their vocals and raps, pulling this song together. (10/10)
5. Nobody Else – Nobody Else capitalizes on the vocals of MONSTA X. There is a level of smoothness to the song that enables their vocals to become even more velvety. There is still rapping in the song (of course). The song is very atmospheric, which I really like. If you focus on the instrumental, there are also subtle touches to it, such as the return of dramatic violins and this very deep grumbling synth. Without them, the song wouldn’t be the same. And with the focus on velvety vocals comes a sensual vibe that I am sure fans will enjoy. (9/10)
6. Beastmode – MONSTA X has definitely grown as artists over the years since their debut. And I am sure everyone can agree that MONSTA X is at their best when their songs are powerful. Beastmode is direct proof of that. Beastmode just keeps throwing all this powerful and explosive energy at your from start to end, never really giving us a moment of relief until the song ends. This may be overwhelming for some, but I am totally okay with all of this ‘musical assault’. Once the song ends, I feel like I just emerged successfully from a fight. The song’s main vibe is epic and blastful. What I love best is that the song gives the rappers a chance to really show their all, with Jooheon and I.M’s growling rap sequences being the highlights of the song for me. (10/10)
7. Stand Together (대동단결) – Stand Together gets right to the point with its powerful nature. Not sure if this is a good thing or not, but there are only two elements that I remember when I finishing listening to the song. The first is the rapping. You will have to be quite oblivious to miss what felt like it dominated 90% of the song. The vocals, which felt only got 10% of the song, was blurred out and felt missing in this song. The other element worth remembering was the selection of instruments. Upon research, it seems like MONSTA X used traditional Korean instruments for the chorus, mixed into the powerful hip-hop sound. While I do like the creativity, I have to admit it felt odd. I am slowly warming up to it, though. (8/10)
8. Night View – It comes as no surprise to me that Night View is suitable for a night drive under the starry night. That is the initial hope I had for the song when I first saw the title of the side track. While Night View does opt for EDM in the form of the house genre, the song actually is the album’s airiest song. The song focuses more of the vocals, giving the vocal line of the group more opportunities to shine. That being said, the rapping in this song felt classy and pleasant. What also really stands out is that Night View seems to be MONSTA X’s answer for the groovy trend that has re-emerged in KPOP. (9/10)
9. Last Carnival – The shortest song on the album also has the album’s most haunting start. I honestly don’t really know what the purpose of this introductory sequence, as it didn’t feel fitting for the rest of the song. The rest of the song was absolutely fine, with the members going for a R&B smoothness that I thought had a nice level of aesthetic. The choice of traditional instruments felt fitting for the song, giving Last Carnival an extra bit of oriental flavour. Otherwise, I would have considered it a boring track. (8/10)
10. Sorry I’m Not Sorry– MONSTA X’s final song on the album is the most different of all. It is the only acoustic song on this album and its appearance is much appreciated. Especially after all the EDM and electronic influence we got on this album. I really like the simplicity of the instrumental, made up of a consistent beat and acoustic guitars. There is also some jazzy notes, which were a nice touch. What makes Sorry I’m Not Sorry is that it is truly vocal centric with all members singing in the song. The fade out was also super nice. (10/10)
NCT is nominated for Best Male Group, while NCT 127 is nominated for Best Male Group and Best Subunit in the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED. To support NCT, NCT 127 and your other favourite artists, click here to vote for them below the 31st of December.
NCT has been extremely busy over the last two months, splitting their 23-member lineup into four different units for promotions of Make A Wish (Birthday Song), From Home, 90’s Love and Work It, all of which were title tracks from their second studio album, NCT 2020: Resonance (Click here for Part 1 and Part 2 of the album reviews). To wrap up promotions for this album, NCT have regrouped as a 23-member group for the surprise release of the Resonance single, which officially dropped on Friday this past week. Aside from being a song performed by 23 members, Resonance is also a mix of four songs from their album – Make A Wish (Birthday Song), 90’s Love, Work It and Raise The Roof.
It sounds very ambitious and like many, I have my reservations. A hybrid of four songs in one. But we need to remind ourselves that SM Entertainment are the creative minds behind Sherlock and One, both of which are all combinations of two songs. So SM Entertainment has done this before. Rather than taking bits and pieces of the songs and merging them together into something really tight and cohesive, Resonance delves more down the mashup route, rather than a hybrid song at first glance. It borrows segments of Make A Wish (which had the honour of providing two parts to Resonance), 90’s Love and Work It (one part each). Interestingly, it isn’t the choruses of each of the three title tracks that make it into Resonance, as that would confuse listeners with four different sets of hooks and energies. Instead, the segments are combined with Raise The Roof‘s chorus, which is a clever move. The song does make an attempt to blend the four songs together by applying a new intro, spoken boldly and proudly (?) by Mark himself, amplifying the chorus (compared to the original) and infusing intense EDM into the mix through a standalone dance break. Altogether, Resonance does manage to come off as epic and powerful, which suits their image. Does Resonance work? I would say so. While we are clearly reminded of each song individually, the new additions do a lot of heavy lifting to give Resonance a fresh and individualistic sound that hasn’t been in any of the four songs before. In other words, there is something new in the track. And that I consider a win.
With such an epic and powerful tone to the song, the music video is equally as epic. It too was quite ambitious, but SM Entertainment really pulled out all the stops to make sure the video works. The editing between each part was super cool, especially Ten’s kick in the dubstep dance break. I really liked all the sets of that were used. I liked how they recycled that box set with different coloured lights to use for each of the title tracks and for one Resonance‘s choruses. The stage with the big screen was definitely a bold power move, while the one with the flow silk was so fitting for that bridge. But my favourite has to be the stadium stage. When the high notes hit and we are shown an drone shot of all the lights turning on, my jaw was on the ground. It was so epic and will be a music video scene that I will definitely remember for a long time. Likewise, all the drone shots at the end left me speechless.
The choreography was like the song. It didn’t change up the choreography for each of the three title tracks. And I completely understand that. It would have been too much of the members to relearn a whole new routine for the same song, given that they will be learning new choreographies for award ceremonies and end of year music festivals concurrently. For the new sections, I did like the intensity of the chorus’ routine, which they made look almost animalistic. The dubstep dance break was equally as full-on and even more powerful.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 10/10 Performance – 10/10 Overall Rating – 9.5/10
There are still so many October albums that I am trying to get through and I need to make a start with the November albums (which I will do tomorrow). Today, I will be covering TWICE’s most recent release in Korea, Eyes Wide Open. The group’s second studio album was released back at the end of October and features the title track, I Can’t Stop Me. Alongside this track, TWICE keeps listeners busy with another 12 tracks. As we are talking about a 13 track album, you can already tell it is going to be a long one. So accept my apologies on how late this album review is and let’s just get stuck into it.
2. Hell in Heaven – Right after the title track comes TWICE most aesthetic single to date. It did definitely a bold statement to give the song, but I really do think Hell in Heaven earns the title. The song has this tropical profile that feels almost exotic and jungle-like. The vocal work in this is superb. There were some that were super good. I really liked the almost hushed approach vocals at the start of the chorus (by Jihyo, Mina and Tzuyu for each of the choruses respectively), complimenting the instrumental beat drop delay. I also like the breathy approach some of the other members took. Honestly, a really strong follow-up to the title track. (10/10)
3. Up No More – Up No More has the instrumental of a standard female group KPOP song. There is a hint of retro in it, which was the only thing worth mentioning. Other than that, I didn’t find anything special in the instrumental. What TWICE does extremely well with the song is infuse more of that retro feel through their vocals. I also really liked the fast melodic hook to the song, which has grown exponentially since the album releases. There is something about its fast delivery that feels groovy and catchy. The rapping was quite nice, but on the typical side of the spectrum. (7.5/10)
4. Do What We Like – Mina opening Do What We Like was an excellent move. She doesn’t get a lot of the credit when it comes vocals in the title tracks, so I felt like she had her moment to shine at the very start of this song. Apart from that, Do What We Like takes me back to Western electronic music from the last decade, partly thanks to the pop keyboard and those violin synths. The melodies were very sleek and I really liked the hooks, even though they were not as catchy as I wished they were. Do What We Like sounds wholesome and nostalgic, overall. (9.5/10)
5. Bring It Back– When you think about how TWICE started with their cutesy sound, I don’t think anyone would ever expect Bring It Back to fit in with their discography. It honestly took me a few listens to actually feel comfortable with this song. Bring It Back’s chorus had a deep and heavy tone, opting for trap-based EDM. It was slightly unsettling, given the song’s verses were more paced, airier and lighter in tone. But after these few listens, the song works out well. I liked the kick of upbeat energy that the first half of the bridge brings. It was a nice changeup to the slow pace of the verses. The second half of the bridge, just before the song brings back the trap EDM, was not that great, as it didn’t feel like it blended well with the members’ higher tone voices. (9/10)
6. Believer – After such a heavy song, Believer doesn’t come in to one-up the preceding song. Believer has good energy, but it doesn’t have the zing necessary to really continue the momentum. It starts off as a R&B number, before settling for something a little more upbeat pop sound. I wished they did something more with the instrumentals to give it that memorable factor. Instead, it just felt safe. The vocals was good, with the main and lead vocals standing out the most. Dahyun’s whispering rap was good, but it would have been nice if the producers extended the rapping sequence with a punchier approach following the whispering style. Finally, the song’s ending made it feel incomplete. All of these factors leave the song as one of the weakest on the album. (7/10)
7. Queen – There are a number of elements of Queen that makes it stand out. The first is the bouncy electronic introductory sequence that kicked off the song. The second is the ‘ba-ba-da-ba’ that also opened the song alongside Mina’s English line. (On a side note, I felt the way the producers built this song up felt very typical and failed to capitalize on the uniqueness of the opening electronic sequence). The third has to be the ‘Just a Show’ line that kicks off the chorus (which was keyed into my memory). The fourth is the funky energy we get in the chorus. Everything else just felt typical to me. (8.5/10)
8. Go Hard – While I do feel that Go Hard goes in all the right directions, the one thing it fails to really do is … well … go hard. This song really needs more bass, which would have brought a whole new level of dynamism and depth to the song. But other than that Go Hard gets all the ticks. There is intensity during the chorus that feels appropriate for a song titled ‘Go Hard’. The deep voices that repeats the ‘We just go hard’ line definitely works extremely well. I also liked that some of the members had a bit of a raspier tone for this song, which again works extremely well. The only other complaint is that the elephant-like trumpet samples should have been replaced with a different type of brass – one that doesn’t sound like the animal. (8/10)
9. Shot Clock – Shot Clock thrives on the consistent marching-band style instrumental. It definitely delivered energy and intensity to the song, especially when it came to the final chorus. First impression to the song was the vocal work was really good. But the more I listen to Shot Clock, the more that feeling some reason rubs off. This is a flaw of being too consistent, making everything feel the same all throughout. I was glad when the trap-centric rap sequence, as it cut the consistency and made the song more interesting. Wished they changed up the vocal style early on. (8.5/10)
10. Handle It– Handle It starts off with an R&B sound. I was drawn to it, thanks to the soft thumping of the drum that is pretty much there throughout the song. The chorus was a surprising change, moving the R&B feel to a jazzier sound (though in hindsight, I should have heard it coming as there was a slight jazzy influence in the verse). There was a bit more oomph to it, otherwise I would say the song would be suitable as hotel lobby music. But the oomph makes it more fitting for a modern jazz bar. I want to say there was good vocals in the song, which was the case for the verses. But I felt their approach to the chorus was a bit much, in combination with the instrumental elements of the chorus. (8/10)
11. Depend on You – You know how I tend to make the joke that ballads are mandatory on KPOP albums? Well, Eyes Wide Open doesn’t have a ballad. I know, how shocking! Depend on You is probably the closest song on the tracklist to a ballad. I really like the acoustic feels of the instrumental, and their soft vocals. The chorus is a simple beat drop, infusing some EDM into the song. It is also detailed with autotuned ad-libs. Together, all of the song felt like you listening on a cloud. Definitely a pleasant listen. (9/10)
12. Say Something – Getting me right at the start is the funky and retro vibes of the song, throwing us back to the 70s. There is also a blend of jazz mixed into the song, which made the song more interesting for me. Aside from the instrumental, TWICE really shows off their vocals in this song. To me, it is their best vocal work throughout the entire album. I just really liked how they sounded in the song and how balanced it felt with the instrumental. Neither masked the other and both complimented each other. Interestingly, the best part of the song is the ending with the saxophone solo and the fade it. It just made the Say Something perfect. (10/10)
13. Behind the Mask – Behind The Mask was an excellent song to end off the group’s second album. The trap/pop combination of the instrumental was quite an atmospheric experience, with the song feeling neither light or intense. What I really enjoyed about the song were their vocals. They sound melancholy and very chilling all at the same time over the trap/pop blend. The bridge was a really strong stillness moment and the launch back into the final chorus was spectacular. A strong song to end the album on. (10/10)
KPOPREVIEWED 