Category: KPOP

[Review] Twilight – WEi

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Also kicking off the week alongside SF9 (and a few other releases) is a newcomer. Making their debut today with Twilight and the mini-album Identity: First Sight is WEi. This is a six-member male group under OUI Entertainment. The lineup is quite remarkable as most member have previously debuted already in some capacity. The six members are: Jang Dae Hyun (current soloist and former member of Rainz), Kim Dong Han (current soloist and former member of JBJ), Kim Yo Han (current soloist and former member of X1), Yoo Yong Ha (former member of 1THE9), Kang Seok Hwa and Kim Jun Seo (former member of 1THE9). Each member also hails from either Produce 101 series, YG’s MIXNINE and MBC’s Under Nineteen. Quite an extensive resume and definitely something worth getting excited for.

Not sure about you but I had expected something with more heft or load for their debut track. I just feel that the song underwhelms at first impression, when it should of had a greater impact as you would want for the debut track. I am a little hesitant to say that the song is lackluster overall at this stage, considering that I do have a feeling that the song might end up catching on down the road (more on that in a second). Aside from first impressions, Twilight does manage to showcase potential behind this new group. I did think the vocals were solid (the ‘tu dududu‘ are probably my favourite parts) and the rapping provided some much needed oomph to the song. However, I do think the vocals could have been enhanced with some punchier lines and much stronger melodies. For the playful pop instrumental, the lightness of the song is both a flaw and a strength. I have already mentioned the flaw caused by the lightness (i.e. my opening sentiment of the song). However, the lightness does make the song feel comfortable and pleasant on the ears. That inkling of Twilight potentially growing on me presents itself through the whistles that form part of the instrumentation. I am unsure why they would have such an effect, but it is something that I personally have been going back for. The heavy thumping is also a strong point, providing some of that heft I wanted more of. The acoustic guitars in the bridge were quite nice and helped clear the board to make the final chorus a little more dramatic. Overall, Twilight is a decent debut track. There are some concerns that I have, but who knows if they will even be a thing after more replays of Twilight.

Aside from adopting the typical choreography and closeup formula, the music video features pretty cool set designs that really lifts up the quality of the video. But other than adding a level of coolness to the video, there really isn’t much else to the music video. To say that they help make the music video more captivating will be a reach. There was one standout setting for me. It went to that one particular setting they used twice – a twilight style of lighting and a night-time style of lighting. The difference between them is night and day (pun intended) and each brings a different dynamic. However, I am not sure if it is a rooftop of a building or a stage within a studio.

I noticed during their showcase that some members were holding onto their belts/hand their hands in their pockets, whilst others didn’t. I don’t think that was due to any injuries, as all arms were used in some capacity throughout the performance. It might just have been a consistency issue, which should be rectified to make the performance look slightly more polished. But other than that, it was a good routine. It went intense at the right moments, but quickly reverted back to something that feels more fitting for the rest of the song. I particularly like how much energy they put into their final chorus, which was the best part for me.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.2/10

[Review] Shine Together – SF9

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The week before and the week after Chuseok (a national holiday in South Korea) are extremely loaded with comebacks. We have already bid farewell to the week before, with many comebacks and debuts that I am still trying to catch up on. But KPOP isn’t going to wait around for that. Kicking off the week after is SF9 with the release of Shine Together. It is the title track of the group’s second special single album, Special History Book, which was released today to celebrate their fourth anniversary together as a group and with their fans, FANTASY. This is also the group’s latest comeback after Summer Breeze.

Shine Together is a touching song, where the members express their gratitude to their fans who have been with them for the past four years. If you are expecting a dance track of some kind (and that is what SF9’s title tracks have mainly been) or striking in some manner, Shine Together won’t be fulfilling as the song is more of a mid-tempo ballad. Though, I would think they might get away with a slow paced routine. But if you are looking for a song that showcases their vocal abilities, then Shine Together is the right song for you. They express their emotions quite well, making the song feel warm and inviting to the listener. To fit in, the rappers go with a somewhat soft approach. There was some heft when it comes to Zuho’s rap sequence in the bridge, but this helps build a climax to the song. But I like that they managed to retain some speed, which helps pushes the song along. For the instrumental, it is very atmospheric. It doesn’t feel like your typical pop ballad approach. Instead, the piano and other instrumentation come together to cohesive work with the vocals and rapping to be a warm track that I am sure fans and listeners will find lovely and warm. It is your optimal instrumental for a song of gratitude and happy memories. If I were to be harsh for SF9 and their fans regarding this song (and I don’t want to, given the touching context behind it), I do find that Shine Together is lacking a strong melody. It is a bit wishy-washy during the chorus and I would have liked something with a little more catchiness to make the song more memorable. That being said, I don’t think that is the purpose of the song and Shine Together is fine as it is.

There are a lot of references to SF9 prior today including posters of a few of their previous comebacks, snippets of their concert (which features their fans), their debut mini-album, fan letters, amongst other items. Other than that, we see the members record Shine Together in their makeshift studio and reflect as a group by watching their concert video. It is very endearing and I am sure fans will really like the video. I particularly like how Zuho and Rowoon remade their symbol with polaroids, sticky notes of messages and their fan letters. Definitely meaningful and fitting for their anniversary celebration. I also like how the music video feels fitting for the fall season, which Korea is currently in. At the very end, we see the credits roll by. But instead of credits, I believe we see the names of each member of their fanclub, making it extra special as the music video does mention that it was made in conjunction with the fans.

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

[Double Review] Refresh + I Believe – Zico & Kang Daniel / Bae Jin Young & Kim Yo Han

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For the first time ever, I am putting together two songs by two different sets of artists into a double review format. For today’s double review, I will be focusing on Zico and Kang Daniel’s collaboration, Refresh, and Bae Jin Young and Kim Yo Han’s collaboration, I Believe. The reason why I am group these two songs together is because they form part of the 2020 Pepsi and Starship collaboration, which has been occurring lately. Refresh was released back in April of this year for the For The Love of Korea part of the collaboration, while I Believe was released two weeks ago as part of the Heritage Project part of the collaboration. The four artists join a long list of other popular KPOP artists who have participated in the Pepsi and Starship collaboration, including Eunha and Ravi, Ong Seong Woo, and Hongbin and Hyungwon.

Not only does Refresh features the likes of both Zico and Kang Daniel, the song is also co-produced by Steve Aoki. That in itself means that this is a pretty star-studded lineup for a two and half minute song. Both Kang Daniel and Zico sings during the verses, with Zico adding some raps to the song later on in the second verse. These parts were decent, but they don’t really scream out Zico or Kang Daniel in any way. The pre-chorus hook was pretty decent as it gives the song some life and memorability, before dropping a half squeaky and half screechy type of synth in the chorus. Not really the most likeable synth out there, but it has its charm. The saving grace of Refresh is the heavy thumping bass. It probably shows how easily you can satisfy me, but the thumping really added momentum to Refresh for me and accented the right parts at the right times for me.

I Believe is actually a remake of a ballad OST by Shin Seung Hoon, which was released for My Sassy Girl (who remembers this movie?). Bae Jin Young and Kim Yo Han’s version gives it a trendy and fun retro spin, featuring a heavy amount of 80s synthesizer in its instrumental. I have no issues with this style as the instrumental brought a smile to me. They keep the melody from the original and also incorporate some raps, which genuinely surprised me. The song ended up being quite memorable and catchy for me, thanks to the collaborative nature of all the song’s elements. Aside from all the positivity that I am writing about the song (and the positivity that the song brings), I have nothing else to say about the song (and this is a good thing).

For Refresh, the theme was loving Korea (i.e. it was the ‘For The Love of Korea’ project) and there was a lot of traditional influence in the music video. The production value for Refresh was extremely high based on the visual effects that were utilised. I think it was a very suitable music video for Refresh, given the concept of the project and the appearance of both Zico and Kang Daniel in the video. I also liked their outfits and the product placement of Pepsi felt light and suitable. Kang Daniel makes a second appearance in the Pepsi and Starship collaboration project at the start and end of the I Believe music video. While we hear a bit of the Refresh instrumental, Kang Daniel starts a game on an old arcade that segueways into the main body of the music video that features the actual artists of the song. As for Bae Jin Young and Kim Yo Han, the video depicts them having fun whilst alone. I like how they incorporated the 90s filter of a circular frame and the white-washed lighting that many might remember from 90s KPOP music videos. Even their fashion looks like it could have been from that era (though some of it has been modernise to fit the current 20s). I also noticed that both videos acknowledged current events, with a little nod to face masks and elbowing in place of a hug or high-five.

Both songs are quite danceable. However, only I Believe has a proper choreography routine. Based on the music video, it looks pretty good but isn’t anything impressive. The pair do put in a lot of effort for an one off performance and that really lifts the look of the choreography by a lot.

Refresh – Zico & Kang Daniel
Song – 8/10
Music Video – 10/10
Overall Rating – 8.8/10

I Believe – Bae Jin Young (CIX) & Kim Yo Han (WEi)
Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10

[Double Review] Plant + Whale – Sejeong (Gugudan)

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While I am catching up on more recent reviews (barely even scratched the surface of that list), I am also keeping in mind some of the older releases which I haven’t reviewed yet. One song that falls into this ‘older’ category and has been continually emerging on my playlist at the moment is Kim Sejeong’s latest single, Whale. It was released mid-August and follows the release of Plant. That one was released 2 months prior in July of this year. Both songs haven’t been reviewed yet, so I am going to do it one go in this double review format.

Plant is a ballad, an expected starting point for the solo career of the main vocalist of any group, not just Gugudan. It is a features a pleasant orchestral instrumental, which can be broken down into nice strings and soothing piano. It is extremely slow paced, so it isn’t my preferred type of ballad. But it was still a good one, nonetheless. An interesting observation is that it never climaxes, despite it does do some building to reach that orchestral touch. Another interesting observation is that the song feels relatively short despite doing for almost four minutes. But all of that is okay as Sejeong captivates us with her vocals. They are beautiful and really helps elevate the ballad into an elegant piece.

Whale opts for a little more upbeatness but remains very light for the entirety of the track. But it incorporates a more pop aligned instrumental, which features some nice acoustic guitar and mid-tempo percussion. It reminds me of a number of songs, such as Jeong Eunji’s recent solo comeback, AWay, and AKMU’s Dinosaur. As a result, it feels typical. One good thing about the track is nice Kim Sejeong sounds in the song. I really like the entire bridge of the song, which features a short yet sweet high flutey note at the very end (and the entire sequence is in English). Unfortunately, the song doesn’t earn a 10/10 from me though. When it was first released, it was easily forgettable due to its lightness and typical nature. That bars the song from getting the highest ranking as that thought does linger to this day (and I quite like/recognise it now everytime it pops up on my phone/playlist).

The slow pace of the music video for Plant compliments the slowness of the song. I quite liked that. As for the meaning of the video, I pinched the following interpretation from a YouTube comment (courtesy of kyu). Essentially, Sejeong is lonely in this world. The plastic bags she encounters throughout the video (i.e. the plastic bags in her mobile home, the plastic bags that are floating about while she was in the car and the plastic bag art display in the abandoned warehouse that she dances around) represents the negative thoughts, perceptions and words that she has to deal with. The plant that she grows in her mobile home is essentially the only thing not in a plastic bag and represents positivity in her life, hence why she is smiling at the end. For Whale, there isn’t really a music video. Instead there is a ‘live clip’ that acts as a music video. It is an okay video, focusing on Sejeong and her singing. I would have liked if her company put a bit of money towards a music video, as Whale deserves something with a little more substance. The live clip was pretty unfocused and had this yellow hue hazy filter which dulled the experience for me.

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

Whale
Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 6/10
Overall Rating – 7.5/10

[Album Review] Love Synonym #1: Right For Me (1st Mini Album) – Wonho

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As per the Sunday schedule, it is time for another album review. And the focus on today’s album review is Love Synonym #1: Right For Me a.k.a. Wonho’s debut mini-album. Featured on this album are both the Korean and English versions of the title track, Open Mind, and the pre-release single, Losing You. To avoid duplication, I will only be including the reviews of those respective songs once and only consider one version of them each for the overall album rating score that I give at the end of the album review. But for the other songs on the mini-album, continue reading onwards!

Love Synonym #1: Right For Me Album Cover

1. Open Mind (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Open Mind. (9/10)

2. I Just – Blissful is how I would describe I Just. It is a very stunning song that demands your attention. It is a rather simple song, as the instrumental doesn’t go further than its pop ballad direction. Nor does the song incorporate any complex melodies or vocals, opting to repeat the same smooth sailing melody that is brought to your ear’s courtesy of Wonho’s oozing vocals. Its simplicity and repetitiveness shouldn’t be seen as a flaw though. It is still a wholesome track that I couldn’t stop replaying. I particularly loved the ‘Oh I’ hook, which made the song very memorable for me. (10/10)

3. Lost In Paradise – I found Lost In Paradise to be a generic track. I do admit that the preceding track did set the bar high and those expectations just wasn’t not met. There were some good moments, such as his solid vocals, catchy lyrics and falsetto approach leading into the chorus. But the instrumental really dragged down the track for me. It was one of those ‘heard before’ instrumental that didn’t excite me. For some uniqueness points, there was the repetitive high pitch squeaky synths that felt ‘one of a kind’. But they were an odd touch to the song. (6/10)

4. Losing You (Pre-release Track) – Click here to read the review for Losing You. (10/10)

5. Interlude: Runaway – The interlude steers the album in a completely different direction. It is largely an instrumental piece, thus I won’t be including it in my final review score. Following three tracks, Runaway steps into a more intense and upbeat domain of music, similar to how Wonho set up the album with the title track and what I expected more of on the album. However, I question its purpose. There is only one new track following this one (the English version of the title track and Losing You features right). But it is a good introduction and segue way into the next track.

6. With You – With You steps back into the upbeat domain of music, as suggested by the preceding interlude. There were moments in With You that reminded me of the level of aesthetic usually reserved for Taemin. And these were really strong moments that I really enjoyed. However, the song manages to stray away from the Taemin mindset when the beat drops, opting for something a little harder than what I associate with Taemin and more so with Wonho. His vocals are extremely nice and follow the same pattern as suggested by the music. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come off as iconic as the title track or I Just. But it still a good song, nonetheless. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.6/10

Love Synonym #1: Right For Me Teaser Image

[Review] Lovesick Girls – BLACKPINK

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Kicking off the intense month of October is BLACKPINK, who makes their third return of the year with their long-awaited first album! With the group’s success since the start of their career, fans have been actively pursuing a studio album for the group for the past four years they have been active. Prayers and requests were answered earlier this year when YG Entertainment confirmed confirmed the album for September (though I personally was in a ‘see it before I believe it’ mindset), but it was later pushed to October. Lovesick Girls headlines the album, which was been titled as The Album, and features alongside BLACKPINK’s How You Like That (released back in July) and Ice Cream featuring Selena Gomez (released in August).

Lovesick Girls is a great changeup to the group’s (and YG Entertainment’s) usual style of music. More recently, the company’s artists have been exploring new sounds and genres, though most of these releases do opt for some of the usual YG tactics. Lovesick Girls seems to be the biggest step away from the usual style, by opting for a dance pop profile rather than the hip-hop roots associated with BLACKPINK and their company. It also doesn’t include the usual chant-like chorus and drop chorus, nor does it build up to an anthem-like final chorus (in an attempt to changeup the song in its final moments). No doubt, all of this is quite refreshing. To me, Lovesick Girls is an impressive display of BLACKPINK’s vocals and rapping. The pre-chorus is the prime example of the great vocals, before the group joins forces with an all-in approach and catchy hummable melody. I do have some minor complaint about the chorus vocals though. I didn’t like how the slight echoey nature of the chorus. I felt that the producers had a strong opportunity to make this part dynamic, but opted for a much weaker approach. It didn’t ruin the song for me, but it did strip away the energy that was building towards to the chorus. The rapping that features briefly in the first verse and more prominently in the second verse gives the song more heft and depth, with Lisa and Jennie incorporating a brief hip-hop touch to their delivery. What really made the rapping better was how well it complimented the instrumentation. If the instrumentation was the cake, then Jennie and Lisa’s rapping would be the icing. In addition to that sequence, I really liked what the acoustic guitars brought to the verses, further complimenting that dance pop styled-chorus. Overall, Lovesick Girls is definitely a great song!

What a stunning music video. For once, BLACKPINK is not in a built set. I think we have seen BLACKPINK out in the open air before, but it has been a while if I remember correctly. The music video shows the members in a happy relationship one second and the next second are in an argument or in tears over their relationship. It works well with the lyrics, which is all about them wanting to love someone forever but only knowing the pain of heartbreak. The most captivating part of the music video belongs to Rose during the bridge of the song. The way she throws black paint across the pink wall (subtle BLACKPINK reference?) and is later seen covered in black paint and crying in the bathtub is such an impactful sequence for me. Her acting was superb. I had to rewatch that sequence a few times to properly take it all in.

The choreography looks good. The chorus starts off simple but it slowly builds in complexity as the routine involves moving about. The way they got into formation for some parts (as shown in the music video) looks quite clever as well. Other than that, I don’t have much else to say.

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

[Album Review] HJZM: The Butterfly Phantasy (3rd Mini Album) – A.C.E

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The next album on the reviewing list is A.C.E’s third mini-album, HJZM: The Butterfly Phantasy, which was released early September (exactly one month ago, to be precise). It is also my first album review for the group, so I am excited to dive into A.C.E’s side tracks. Featured on this album is the title track, Goblin (Favorite Guy), and the pre-release track, Stand By You (which was released back in the middle of this year). Alongside those two tracks that I have previously reviewed, there are three additional tracks to dive into. Let’s get going!

HZJM The Butterfly Phantasy Album Cover

1. Golden Goose – Whilst Golden Goose sounds different to what A.C.E usually releases, Golden Goose aligns with the intensity that we know and love from A.C.E’s title tracks. However, the members manages to infuse a little more character into the song through the hip-hop delivery of their vocals and rapping, similar to how A.C.E’s latest title track differed from the usual highly intense EDM we get. Likewise, Golden Goose opts for strong trap beats and instrumentation. It was undeniably powerful, promising and kicks off the album with a highly energetic track. The track did remind me of SEVENTEEN’s Getting Closer (a song which I really enjoyed) at certain parts. And if it manages to encapsulate that song, then Golden Goose is doing something right. (9/10)

2. Goblin (Favorite Guy) (도깨비) – Click here to read the full review for (Goblin) Favorite Guy. (10/10)

3. Baby Tonight (황홀경) – Baby Tonight opts for a R&B track. I really like their vocal direction, with raspy and husky vocals being employed by all members. Altogether the song comes off as wholesome and quite warming. It felt like a decent song for the Autumn season. The main chorus hook was catchy and helped make the song quite appealing. It doesn’t stand out as much as the other songs on the album given that it was a more typical sound that we hear often in KPOP. But it was a good showcase of the member’s talents away from the EDM genre of music. (8/10)

4. Stand By You (편지를 써) – Click here to read the full review for Stand By You. (8/10)

5. Clover – For the first 20 seconds, the opening instrumental was totally my style. It felt so calming with the acoustic guitar. It felt refreshing and very appropriate for the Summer season that Korea was coming out of. I liked how Clover‘s instrumental became mixed with modern EDM synths. Typical, but still worth listening to it. The pop ballad is enhanced when the members start singing. Their vocals are nicely displayed. Jun’s hoarse voice was just amazing. The rapping was nicely tweaked to fit into the pop ballad genre and didn’t stray away from the main backbone to be its own thing (which tends to be the case with some songs nowadays). The melodies were nice and catchy. Overall, Clover was just a nice to ride out on. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.8/10

HZJM The Butterfly Phantasy Teaser Image

[Review] Think of Dawn – GHOST9

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Another review in the same day? Who am I?

The second debut of last week that I want to cover today is GHOST9’s. The group hails from MAROO Entertainment, which is also the home to Park Ji Hoon. GHOST9 contains nine members (Junhyung, Dongjun, Shin, Kangsung, Junseong, Prince, Woojin, Taesung and Jinwoo), with the latter three also part of the TEEN TEEN project group lineup that made their debut last year with It’s On You. Other members of the group come from MIXNINE and Produce X 101 backgrounds as well. The group made their debut last Thursday with Think of Dawn as the title track.

When I checked out Think of Dawn last week, I didn’t think much of it. And unfortunately, it seems like that statement still stands true a week after it was released. It takes on the noisy side form EDM, with some of the instrumental becoming slightly overwhelming when the focus should have purely been on the member’s vocals and rapping. There are a few examples of noisy EDM that I liked this year and I felt that I would have enjoyed Think of Dawn if the producers mixed the song a bit better, so that the members would have been more of the focus rather than the instrumental. But aside from that, it features a strong instrumentation that is extremely powerful to see on stage (more on that later). And their vocals and rapping were of a good standard. I did like how smooth the falsetto vocals in the pre-chorus and chorus felt, contrasting nicely with the intense and almost-erratic nature of the EDM instrumentation. I feel that the song could have been enhanced with some individual flair. To me, Think of Dawn could have been released by a number of other male groups active this year. It was pretty much a ‘heard before’ sound throughout majority of the track. The instrumental dance breakdown was a pleasant surprise. I liked the inclusion of it and its overall intensity, but this would have been a great opportunity to have gone down a unique route. Overall, a decent debut track.

It seemed like the music video didn’t have much to it other than that choreography and closeup formula (I really need to decide which order the two C’s should be in and stick with it). However, at the very end, we see one of the members flip a switch, revealing the massive cyclops robot that follows the members at the very of the music video. The presence of this robot raises questions, some of which are answered in the prequel video ‘Cinematic World‘. However, how did the members get stuck in the set of this music video? And what did the ending of the prequel video mean? I guess we will find out in their next music video/comeback. Story aside, I find such a robot to be very eerie (how fitting for the month of October) and the suspense at the end really sets the bar for the next comeback. I wished they included some of that suspense throughout the earlier parts of the MV. That would have made the video a little more captivating to watch.

As mentioned earlier, the song enables the performance to be very powerful. And that is exactly what we get. I quite like that. But they could have gone for something a little more impressive at the start. It looked cool but compared to other stunts that we have seen this year, it falls short. The performance climaxes during the instrumental dance break, which looked awesome.

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

[Review] DRUM – CHECKMATE

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Two reviews tonight. Coming your way now.

Today, I want to focus on the debuts last week. First is the debut of an extremely rare CO-ED group. It is a very small niche within the KPOP community, with only two active groups (KARD and Tiger-K ZERO from the top of my head), so there is definitely more room for CO-ED groups in the industry. Coming from GRACE COMPANY Entertainment, CHECKMATE is a five-member group consisting of Sieun, Suri, Nason, Yongseok, and Noah. They debuted last week on the 21st with DRUM.

Unlike what the song’s title suggest, DRUM lacks dynamism from the get-go. To me, drums (the instrument) symbolisms power and depth in music. We don’t really get much of either in the song, which is a pity as I feel like DRUM was going in all the right directions. It did have some catchy energy and flair through the moombahton influence embedded in the instrumental. Both of these could have been enhanced to the next level by somehow incorporating power and depth within the music. Aside from the instrumental, the members attempt to put their best foot forward through their vocals and rapping. There was some catchy vocal melodies that the female members brought in the pre-chorus sequence and the chorus. As much as these melodies were catchy and easy to get into, I found all their vocals to have this certain dullness to them. They just weren’t interesting and didn’t have much individual colour. (On the flipside, it is quite refreshing to see the male members take on a vocalist role as well). Likewise, the rapping just didn’t have momentum to grab my attention. It should of as the song had some flair that would have enabled for the rap sequence to gain some edge, which occurs in some groups (i.e. in such songs, the rappers manage to outshine the rest of the group). It seems like whatever CHECKMATE is doing, it is definitely in the right direction. It just wasn’t executed as well. If the song proved anything, there is some potential behind this group, which makes me hopeful for their next release.

Apart from taking on that close-up and choreography setup, the music video doesn’t elicit much from me. The sets were pretty ordinary and they had some good closeups that captured their visuals well. I am a little surprised that there was no images of drums flashing throughout the music video. I think some coloured dusts bouncing off the drums would have worked in this video and added an additional element of fun. The producers may have thought this was a cliche idea, but I reckon it would have been fine.

To me, the performance was a highlight for this debut package. I liked the drum imagery they had incorporated during the chorus and the body rolls. Their movements helped made the song seem a lot more lively than what it really felt without seeing the performance, so good on them for that!

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 6.7/10

[Review] MADE FOR TWO – VAV

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Let’s begin the influx review with just one review, two tomorrow and a few more each coming day! Might be ambitious for me, but a challenge I am willing to take.

After a break from the industry, VAV is back as a six-member group dropping their new release earlier, MADE FOR TWO, this week. Baron enlisted just last week prior to the official release of MADE FOR TWO. He features in the music video, but is unable to participate in the promotions for this comeback for the obvious reason. MADE FOR TWO is the group’s first comeback in 11 months after Poison dropped in October last year.

MADE FOR TWO is a very unique song. It is a new type of minimalist song in my point of view, opting for very little instrumentation. I say ‘new type’ because I don’t think I have ever used the saying ‘less is more’ to describe a song in general, let alone a minimalist song. MADE FOR TWO is a testament to this saying. It strikes a fine balance by going down this very aesthetic minimal route, but not spilling into the area of music that underwhelms. There were moments that I found the song to have an epic vibe, such as the orchestral final moments that the song takes. What really drove the dynamic nature of the song are the vocals and rapping. They pretty much helped give the song that extra kick. I really like the backing vocals which added some depth to the vocal front of the song, whilst the main vocals by the members really helped propelled the song forward. When it came to the harmonisation of both the backing and forefront vocals, I was pretty much blow away how silky and smooth they felt. But it is the rapping that really gave the song some impact and helped give the song a bit of zing. The faster nature of the rapping (relative to the vocals) were really a highlight and memorable moments of the song for me. The instrumental complimented, but it maintained that minimalist vibe. Overall, MADE FOR TWO is pretty much up there as one of the best VAV songs I have heard (Gorgeous still takes the title for best VAV song). And with that statement, it is safe to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this comeback track.

The music video shows each member hanging out with a lady, before we see them alone reminiscing about those times, complimenting the lyrics. What makes the music video a little bit more captivating (as the idea can become quite dull) are drone shots that make the video look quite epic. It is a little flair to add some more appealing points to the music video. Those scenes when the members are on the rocks, and the drone captures the waves crashing into the rocks and also zooming by the members are probably strong examples of how appealing and aesthetic they made this video.

Unfortunately, the comeback suffers in the performance domain. I had expected this when I heard the song. It would have been extremely hard to pull off a captivating performance with a song of this style, when there isn’t much of the music to build the performance from. They do a good job, but it just doesn’t impress as I wished it had.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 6/10
Overall Rating – 8.1/10

[Album Review] Red Light (3rd Studio Album) – F(x)

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Starting from this Past Album Review (PAR), I will be posting these PARs once a fortnight (as opposed to weekly) so that I can focus more on reviews and manage my time better 😊.

The next PAR that I wanted to do was an F(x) album. It took me three weeks to write it up, since there was so many songs! But after many delays, I have finally completed my album review for F(x)’s third studio album, Red Light, which features the title track of the same name. What was quite surprising was the realisation that this album was released 6 years ago in July 2014. Definitely a long time since 2014, but it is scary how quick time has flown by. It is also the last album to feature the late member Sulli, who left the group the year after its release.

Red Light Album Cover

1. Red Light (Title Track) – I do not have a breakdown of 8/10 rating I gave the entire Red Light comeback. Given how much I have enjoyed he song since its release and the original review, I have decided the song was worthy of a 10/10 rating. Click here to read the full review for Red Light. (10/10)

2. MILK – MILK is one of those odd tracks that F(x) is quite well known for. It definitely feels that way if you are listening to the song for the time, as it mixes a Bollywood sound with traditional pop. Personally, I dig this song due to the amount of times I have heard it (as this song was also promoted alongside Red Light). It is less heavy, allowing F(x) to show off some innocent and cutesy charms without the full commitment to the cutesy concept. I also enjoyed the vocals throughout MILK, being one of the song’s charms. (9/10)

3. Butterfly (나비) – To me, Butterfly’s instrumentation has a Britney Spears type of vibe to it. But as we progress away from the start of the song, Butterfly transform into a neat pop track. Typical pop at the very best and it is a whole lot lighter in tone and has less attitude (which is quite synonymous with Britney Spears). That is thanks to F(x)’s beautiful vocals, which brings that lighter tone to the song. As a whole, Butterfly is quite pleasant to listen to and frankly, underrated with the lack of attention it got. (9/10)

4. Rainbow (무지개) – Despite being released for 6 years now, Rainbow is one of the few tracks that I just cannot get used to. And I blame the very start of the song that overwhelmed me. It has been a while since I listened to the song and it actually surprised me (more like scared me as I had my volume on full blast) when I listened to the song to write this review. It attempts to infuse a hip-hop sound, which I personally don’t mind. But I don’t think it is a perfect fit with the pop direction that the vocals ended up opting for throughout the song (though the group does execute the hip-hop/pop sound later on in the album). (6/10)

5. All Night – There are two things that still amazes me even after all these years with the very retro All Night. The first is the pleasant melodies. They were so easy to get into and they just made the song so smooth to listen to. The members do the heavy lifting with the melodies and I commend them on that. The second thing has to be the 80s style instrumental. It is pretty straightforward for the most part, but I love how the synths accented a lot of the instrumentation, giving the song some depth. I also really liked Amber’s raps, which fitted in quite nicely. (10/10)

6. Vacance (바캉스) – Vacance is the group’s attempt of pop rock on this album. While I liked the instrumentation and their vocals separately in this song, I actually did not enjoy them together. It just felt oddly incompatible. The instrumental was slow and weighed down, but it was quite funky. The vocals leaned towards really high falsetto and her effortlessly smooth. However, the pairing of the two just doesn’t blend together as nicely as I had hoped. Maybe if the funky instrumental was a little faster, the vocals would have fitted a little more nicely. (6/10)

7. Spit It Out (뱉어내) – Spit It Out is no doubt one of the group’s wackier tracks. But it is tracks like this that gives F(x)’s discography and singles that unique spark. I can see why some people might not like Spit It Out. Its instrumental is quite obnoxiously chaotic and may overwhelm some listeners. But moving past the crazy and chaotic nature of the synths and instrumental, the intensity is very thick and I find this to be an appealing point of the song. I also enjoyed the feeling of having everything just coming towards you at once, which is how I would describe this song. Their vocal and rapping work was quite solid in Spit It Out. (8.5/10)

8. Boom Bang Boom – Once again, Boom Bang Boom may also overwhelm the listener with its energy, especially when it comes to the explosive chorus, which may be a bit much. But as you can tell from the preceding track, I quite enjoy this technique and it really draws me in. To me, Boom Bang Boom is a lot simpler in terms of instrumentals and hence I don’t find it to be as chaotic and crazy like above. The fast tempo vocals and rapping does seem like a blur, but they compensate with an undoubtedly powerful and memorable chorus. And as per Krystal’s commentary at the end of the track, I love this song. (9/10)

9. Dracula – Dracula is my pick for the hidden gem on the album. It is a cohesive track that I just cannot fault. There is a lot of elements to enjoy in Dracula, so I am going to pick my favourites. I really like the hip-hop vibes that come from the song and the eerie yet soothing vocals that precede the chorus. The chorus was super catchy and addictive. I don’t have much else to say about the song, but it definitely one you all should have a listen to if you want a taste of F(x). (10/10)

10. Summer Lover – I think coming off a number of energetic and upbeat tracks, the thumping beat in Summer Lover comes off rather slow. Maybe Summer Lover could have been more effective as a track if it was placed prior to some of the above tracks. Despite that, Summer Love is a decent pop track. It feels wholesome and a return to normality. I really like how they sing the chorus together and the bright energy that comes off the song, which makes it suitable for … you guessed it… Summer. (7/10)

11. Paper Heart (종이 심장) – F(x) ends the album with a mellow and light acoustic pop track. It is a nice track to end with. It is also one of my favourite side tracks, thanks to its simple melody and catchy chorus. It also features the beautiful vocals of each of the members. But Amber really stands out the most. It is actually the first track that drew my attention to Amber back then and the fact that she could sing. I know I missed out a lot prior this to revelation, but I am glad it did! (10/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.6/10

Red Light Teaser Image

[Album Review] Unforgettable (7th Mini Album) – Lovelyz

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The next album on the reviewing list is Lovelyz’s latest mini-album release, Unforgettable. And the mini-album lives up to its name as it is quite unforgettable, despite the title track being Obliviate (the forgetting charm from the Harry Potter universe). Every song (including said title track) on this album is stunning in their own way and every song is near perfect. Lovelyz has really killed it with this mini-album and it sucks that the group/release is underrated. That is just a very brief overview of this review. For a little more detail and what I really liked about each of the song, continue reading below!

Unforgettable Album Cover

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

3. Dream in a Dream (자각몽) – Maybe it is because I have been on a horror binge lately, but the music box instrumental pieces give me creepy vibes. I wished that the lyrics reflected that somehow as it pretty mundane. In addition to the creepy vibes that the music box instrumental pieces provide the song, I also really enjoyed the contrast it also brings when paired with the synths in the chorus. Furthermore, the melodies and hushed style of the vocals in the chorus was also quite a highlight. But the biggest highlight in Dream In A Dream are the trio of high notes we get from Baby Soul, Sujeong and Kei. That was a genuine surprise that I really enjoyed. (9.5/10)

4. Never, Secret (절대, 비밀) – Never, Secret is beautiful song that is brings about a nostalgic Lovelyz sound that we associate with the group. It took me a while to register the song as a ballad, as the uses of synths alluded towards something different. But once you hear more of the stunning vocals, they don’t really stray away from the ballad genre. I love how the instrumental, while it doesn’t pick up at all, manages to incorporates various guitar pieces to ‘change up’ the song as it progresses. This doesn’t dry out the song and makes it more interesting. Overall, a soothing and calming ballad from the group. (9/10)

5. Memories (이야기꽃) – We move to a more upbeat pop track titled Memories. And it is another captivating track from Lovelyz. It starts off with a reggae influence, before building up to a dance pop sound that features much of the sounds we associate with Lovelyz (beautiful piano work and uplifting synths) for the chorus (with sdome brief rock influence). It is a little odd to describe in words. But once you hear it, it will make a lot more sense. To me, the best part of the song is Kei’s part in the bridge. That got a wow out of me and I had to go back a few times to relive that experience. (9/10)

6. Worry Dolls (걱정 인형) – Ending the album is Worry Dolls. It starts off simple with acoustic guitars and vocal work from the members. The song picks up instantly once it enters the chorus, amping up the sound of this ballad with a band and classical instrumentation. The song retains much of the energy that the chorus infused effortlessly for the second parts of the song, before we are given an electric guitar solo and returning briefly to acoustics. What makes Worry Dolls a really great song are the lyrics and harmonies that really make song wholesome and beautiful for fans and listeners alike. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.9/10

Unforgettable / Obliviate Teaser Image

[Review] SHOOT THE MOON – BDC

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This is a problem with big gaps between releases. Groups can be easily be forgotten. In the chaos that is 2020, BDC has unfortunately become one of the forgotten groups, despite me enjoying their debut track. They made their debut in the later half of 2019 with Remember Me. Since then, we haven’t heard much from the trio that hails from Brand New Music (the home of AB6IX and Lee Eun Sang). That changed this week, however, as the trio returns with SHOOT THE MOON.

SHOOT THE MOON doesn’t play around with its sound this time around, unlike Remember Me. Right from the start, you could tell it was going to be a dance track. I really like the acoustic guitar and flute synth at the start. They make up the main basis of the verse. Nothing too harsh here. There are some solid work in the verses from the members, but it comes off rather plain and generic. The song instantly gets better once the chorus kicks into gear. The acoustic guitar at the start makes sense, as the song segueways into a fitting synthwave piece for the start of the chorus. Smooth and sleek are words I would describe this part of the chorus. The second part of the chorus features a harder drop, bolstering the chorus and giving some oomph to the song (all at the same time). The synthwave and harder drop carries over into the third part of the chorus, creating a heavy yet dynamic instrumental piece that comes off as quite memorable. They pretty much follow the same formula for the second verse and chorus (though it omits the harder synthwave piece). For the final chorus, the song opts for just the harder synthwave piece that I had outlined as the ‘third part of the choruses’/omitted from the second chorus. That was a smart move, as it embeds the climax within the boundaries of the song that they had set previously. It allows the song to come off as clean and simple. The vocal and rapping work in SHOOT THE MOON is solid. They do feel a little simple in hindsight, but I understand the music doesn’t get them much chance to delve into something a little more different. Overall, SHOOT THE MOON is a enjoyable track.

I am not too sure what the music video is trying to tell us. There obviously a storyline about shooting the moon, but I don’t know if they are actual cause of it as the moon blows up earlier on in the video, whereas the members cause the blue light to occur at the end of the video. Also not too sure about the members in those glass cylinders where they are wearing masks. What I do like is the darkness and minimalist vibes of the video. The two techniques work very well together and made the song a lot more elegant and mature sounding.

The performance begins and ends with the members within the ‘moon’ formed by the arms of the dancers. I like how the verses give each member solo moments to show off their dance skills. They come together for the chorus, which ranges from sleek to epic!

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

[Album Review] NOT SHY (3rd Mini Album) – ITZY

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The album review that I had intended to publish yesterday is ITZY’s NOT SHY. It is also the title to their most recent title track as well! It has been over a month since the album was released, so apologies that it has taken me so long to review this mini-album. I decided to review the album during the week it was first released, yet somehow I arranged for the album review to be published this week. Right off the bat, it is a slightly interesting album. NOT SHY (the album) starts off in a familiar domain that is synonymous with the name ITZY. But as we get to the other end of the album, you might hear some different sounds. What are these ‘different sounds’? Well, you gotta find out yourself below!

Not Shy Album Cover

1. Not Shy (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Not Shy. (7/10)

2. Don’t Give A What – In my review for their title track, I noted that Not Shy was missing some energy to really give it a kick. If you were confused about what I meant, just listen to Don’t Give A What. It has that energy that almost rivals Wannabe in my opinion. I love the pop rock sound that forms the basis of the track, which no doubt suits the group’s strong sound. There are super catchy hooks throughout the song that makes it a memorable track. Interestingly, it is Ryujin’s ‘Strike a Pose’ that steals my attention, despite the super powerful hooks surrounding it. The bass helps boldens the song. Overall, I think Don’t Give A What would be have the perfect alternative title track from this EP. (10/10)

3. Louder – Louder is a pretty weak track, especially following Don’t Give A What. And I was expecting great things give the song was title ‘Louder’. And I squarely place the blame on the instrumental of the track. There wasn’t much meat to it, simply a backbone that felt like there were gaps throughout it. Something with a little more heft would have been appropriate, especially if it gets you to turn up the volume higher to enjoy it. And it is a pity, as I thought the vocals throughout Louder do get louder, but it dragged down by the flawed instrumentation. (6/10)

4. iD – iD goes down the mainstream pop route, with the rhythm embedded in the instrumental reminding me of the instrumental breakdown in Wannabe. That part in their past title track has grown to be my favourite, so a reminder of that definitely appeals to me right from the start! I think the reminder is simply due to the combination of their metallic clangs (cowbells?) and their vocal/rapping melodies. Those are some good melodies and I like how they bolster up their power by singing together. I would have liked some stronger hooks to really push the song into the 10/10 range. For now, it sits slightly lower than that. (9/10)

5. SURF – SURF steps away from the heavy reliance of electronic synths and production, opting for something a little more retro. It is a nice change up to their sound on this album and SURF really highlights the group’s vocals (especially when we get into the chorus). There are falsettos and each member brings a slightly different tone to the song. I particularly like the falsetto that carries the title of the song post-chorus. The instrumental is a lot smoother, more easygoing and a lot less harsh (relative to their other songs + their usual sound). Overall, SURF was pleasant but in a definite good way. (8/10)

6. Be In Love – ITZY continues to steer away from their reliance of electronic synths and productions with Be In Love, opting this time for an acoustic pop track and my pick for this album’s hidden gem. It is an interesting sound, as it seems to merge both an upbeat pop sound with a ballad. And I give my tick of approval for the sound. But what initially steals my attention with this song is their breathy vocals at the start. I also like how the song continues to highlight their vocal potential, with that upbeat nature of the instrumental helping to bolster their vocals. The melodies were extremely pleasant, closing out this mini-album in a strong manner (just without the theatrics). (10/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.3/10

Not Shy Teaser Image

[Review] Light – UP10TION

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It is almost two years since UP10TION moved to an eight member lineup, as TOP Entertainment continues to promote Lee Jin Hyuk and Kim Woo Seok as solo artists after their participation in Produce X 101 (and in Kim Woo Seok’s case, the short-lived X1). Since Produce X 101, the rest of UP10TION have not had much promotions aside from their last comeback, Your Gravity, which is quite disappointing (and I solely blame their company for the lack of promotions). However, that changed slightly during the week after the remaining eight members of UP10TION dropped Light (their new song) and Light Up (their new mini-album).

My number one issue with Light is that it still doesn’t offer anything new for UP10TION. The song, as a whole, plays it safe and sounds quite pleasant, which I have mentioned before is not always a good thing. And here I am hoping for UP10TION to have a smashing comeback for once. I want a really dynamic and impactful sound, that would highlight their performance skills and make people go wow (and hopefully garner enough attention to get the other two members back into the group’s lineup – bold ideas, I know). If I were to breakdown the instrumental background of Light, you would have that squeaky synth at the very forefront of the song and funky electric guitars, over a future bass backbone. Not really the most inspiring combination of sounds ever. But I liked the direction of what the first verse was going in. When it came to the chorus, the producers left me uninspired even further with a pretty generic drop. It isn’t exciting and placed an imaginary weight on the song, which ruined the light (pun unintended) vibes from the verse. And from there, the song just doesn’t get back to the level at which it started promisingly. What I do think Light did pretty well at was highlight both the vocals and rapping potential of each member. They were solid and consistently good element of the song. Overall, I clearly wanted more to the song. It is pleasant and I don’t mind it. It just isn’t something I would go out of my way to search for.

Another music video that uses the choreography and closeup formula. This one joins the ranks of the music videos that use said formula but captures the strong visuals of the members. Other than that, the sets are rather plain and I think the sets could have been a little more dynamic, which may have added more energy to the song (and helped added an additional tinge of appeal).

I don’t have much to say about the choreography. It works well with the music, but it isn’t anything new that we haven’t seen before.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 6.5/10
Overall Rating – 6.6/10

[Review] One (Monster & Infinity) – SuperM

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If you are a fan of the SuperM (the ‘Avengers’ of KPOP) members (that is Baekhyun, Kai, Taemin, Taeyong, Mark, Lucas and Ten), then you must be excited for their comebacks that are ongoing or ‘soon-to-be’ occurring. Here is just a quick rundown for these busy members. Taemin made his solo comeback earlier this month with Criminal, whilst NCT is gearing up for NCT 2020 in October (NCT and WayV members combined!). On top of that, Kai has been confirmed for a solo debut some time in the future, while I remember reading somewhere that Baekhyun might be releasing new music. But while we wait for those comebacks, check out SuperM’s latest title track, One, which follows the pre-release of 100 and Tiger Inside.

One is a hybrid track, merging two of the side tracks (Monster & Infinity) from the group’s first studio album. It is similar to how SHINee’s Sherlock, which merged Clue and Note from their Sherlock mini-album back in 2012. So the concept of a hybrid track isn’t new, but it is rather rare in KPOP. This alone already makes the song stand out. However, I wish I could say the same for majority of the song. For the purpose of this review, I wanted to delve into One only. This proves to be a little difficult, however, as I feel like we are constantly reminded of the fact that it is two songs merged into one. I find One to be slightly disjointed, especially around the start of the chorus. It didn’t feel like it was a natural blend. In addition to that, I find One‘s instrumental to be a generic form of EDM. The chorus does bring a grand and adventurous vibe to it, which I liked (it also brought me back to their debut track, Jopping). But everything else wasn’t as adventurous by today’s standard. The vocals and rapping work performed by the members are a lot more captivating than the instrumental and I give them ticks of approval. Unfortunately, I found the melodies were pretty generic and I didn’t really find a hook in the song to help make the song catchy. That being said, there was one part that really stood out to me. This part was the climax of the song (Taemin’s husky vocals, Baekhyun and Ten’s high note, followed by Mark’s rapping), leading into the final chorus. The intensity and epicness of the EDM during this part really help make the climax more fulfilling and the members involved made it pretty dynamic. At least, there was something in the song worth waiting around for.

The music video on YouTube made it pretty clear that there was some paid promotions, which I assume is the mobile phone that we see during and at the very end of the music video. I wonder if there was more to it, as the music video seemed to look like it was based or modelled after a game of some kind. I just got that type of vibe from the teasers they released and the overall setting of the video (even though most of it was literally inside a box). There were some snippets throughout the video, whilst the ending went through a very quick flash of various visuals of the members that I don’t remember seeing anywhere else before (unless my memory has completely failed me). I find them to be captivating, mainly because I had question marks about what was going on in those mysterious and unfamiliar shots. Any one knows?

The performance was good to watch. But I didn’t see anything impressive or ground-breaking, but I liked that they went hard and didn’t hold back in the performance.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.2/10