Dream Catcher has become the girl group to go to for an OST for mobile games. This week, the group released R.o.S.E BLUE for the mobile game Girl Cafe Gun. This releases comes after the group released the single Deja Vu, which was the OST for the mobile game King’s Raid last year. The group also previously returned with Scream and their first studio album, Dystopia: The Tree of Language earlier this year. If you haven’t check those out yet, I highly recommend you do after reading this review.
To me, I find R.o.S.E BLUE to be pretty plain for Dream Catcher’s standards. They have released very dynamic songs in the past. This one, in comparison, just doesn’t have same level of dynamism or excitement that really captures my attention from the get-go. It lacks a strong hook that would have transformed the song without a doubt. I would say that my perspective towards the song would have changed if they had released this earlier in their career. I would have said this to be a nice follow up to Chase Me. But given how Dream Catcher has matured and developed over the years, plain is the best descriptor I can give. Despite that, however, the song does fit snugly into Dream Catcher’s discography thanks for the intense rock influence we get in the chorus. I also like the how the producer featured a section of strings into the song. It adds a little something different to the song that helps freshen it to an extent. Their vocals were pretty good. I like how elegant their ‘Rose Blue‘ was the end, in particular. I tend to look forward to Dami’s rapping in Dream Catcher’s songs. But unfortunately, the rapping in this song shared the same description that the overall song got. Plain.
I think the video would make a little more sense if I knew what the game was about. It seems that all the members were once friends. But they started playing this game and ended up losing themselves in it. Jiu thinks she can get them back and goes on a mission by entering the game. She finds each of the members who I assume has taken on a character in the game. She shoots them to wake them up, which successfully does. But the catch was she only had five shots, one for each member. In a later scene, she rejoins them like is the opening shots. But as she has killed them and they left the game, they disappeared leaving her all by herself. She turns the gun on herself but is unable to do so as she has no more shots. The other members wake up and see Jiu stuck on the pink crystal that she touched to enter the game. At the end of the video we see five dream catchers on the floor, representing the five members who had woken up and the pink butterfly, representing Jiu in the crystal. Overall, an interesting plot line for mobile games.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 7.8/10
The one thing I don’t understand when it comes to project groups are their lack of comebacks. These groups have only a limited time to make a mark in the industry. But often, their companies schedule in massive gaps between comebacks. Take 1THE9 for example. Formed in 2018 through the survival show Under 19, they debuted in April 2019 with Spotlight. Within 6 months, the group returned with Blah. But it took them eight months to finally return with their third release and it seems it is going to be their last comeback ever as their contracts wrap up ‘soon’. I don’t blame the members, as I am assuming this is a management decision (I think the members would be eager to get back onto the stage since they are just newly debut). But rant over. I am excited that 1THE9 is back with Bad Guy, which is featured on the group’s third mini-album, Turn Over.
I will admit that I have forgotten about 1THE9 and their two previous singles. Looking back on their reviews, I can’t blame myself as their songs were not as memorable or impactful as I had hoped when they first released them. Bad Guy might have a bit more luck in this department. What I have listened to while writing this review is actually not bad. It does lack uniqueness as it does have a certain level of standardness to it. The instrumental feels a little too consistent and I feel that it is missing a spark, particularly around the rap sequence. The rapping is is fine. I just expected something a little more exciting rather than a mild instrumental strip back. But apart from that missing spark, the instrumental felt quite solid and had a nice level of intensity. I like the buildup in the pre-chorus, using that ‘pew pew’ electronic dubstep synth we hear often (there is probably a proper name for it, but I love calling it that). I also like how the chorus felt like it ‘leveled up’ from the verse, by loading it with the synths we hear. Their vocals and raps were also a strong aspect. I liked how their vocals stayed on top of the instrumental. The instrumental during the chorus felt like it could easily have overpowered the vocals due to the intensity. But upon multiple re-listens, it seems that the vocals take the edge. I also really like the song’s melody when it comes to the chorus. All the positives aspects occur in the chorus and this really helps make the Bad Guy chorus bold and memorable, hence why I said Bad Guy might be able to perform better in that area earlier.
I found the music video to be on that typical side. Once again, it follows the closeup and choreography mashup. The lyrics was about choosing to be the bad guy for their partner and I feel that this could have been interpreted into an interesting plot line. This would obviously make the video boring and I did not need to put this video on the typical side of the spectrum. Some of the closeup shots shared between members were a little interesting. I sensed some hostility and I wished they had expanded on this a little more to be more interesting. I also liked the different patterns they had projected on the walls, though I think these were more artistic choices rather than contributing to those hostility vibes I got.
The performance was also a bore. It didn’t seem impressive and this feels disappointing. I felt that the members could have gone with slightly edgier moves that could have highlighted more of their skills. The choreography that I saw was quite safe and bland.
Song – 7.5/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 5/10 Overall Rating – 6.9/10
Making their comeback today is TOO, returning with their first release since making their debut earlier in the year with Magnolia. Since debuting, the group participated on the TV show, Road To Kingdom, where they competed against six other group to earn a place on future season of Kingdom. They didn’t win, but did prove viewers that they shouldn’t be underestimated despite being the new kid on the block. Today, the group return with the title track Count 1, 2, which featured on their second mini-album, Running TOOgether.
I just posted another review for a comeback with a feel good vibe, so it is definitely nice to continue with this vibe in a subsequent release. Count 1, 2 is such a stunning song. There is a funky and groovy instrumental to the song that I cannot get out of my head. The guitars, brass and percussion all blend together neatly and cleanly in Count 1, 2. The music is just vibrant and colourful, making the entire three and a half minute song so enjoyable. I am literally smiling from those feel good vibes and cannot help but groove along to the pop song as I write this review. Interestingly, the song purely relies on this instrumental and doesn’t employ much synths. It gives off some old school vibes, as well. This comment nicely segue-ways into my thoughts for the rap sequence. I like how its hip-hop direction fits so well with the rest of the song and doesn’t go down the trendy breakdown path. The hip-hop feel is quite natural and well planned. Alongside the rapping are the vocals, which I really drew me into the song. I made comments on how typical they sounded in their debut track. And Count 1, 2 proves otherwise, as they sound so showcase a lot of potential throughout this song. The falsettos and the melodies were extremely pleasant. The only other equivalent to this song that I can think of from the top of my mind if A.C.E’s Take Me Higher, which shared a similar set up and also showed off a nice feel good vibe as well. And that is saying a lot, as it grew to be a perfect song to my ears!
The music video shows the members having fun with one another. And for the most part, the music video for Count 1, 2 was quite fitting for the song. And I personally would have been fine if they kept to the lighthearted visuals and fun that the members had. Unfortunately, there was a segment in which the members appeared to be fighting and weren’t having fun. Thankfully, this was just a dream. Though, my KPOP theory mind is buzzing and is convinced that it is intentionally in this music video for a reason. Maybe foreshadowing for a future release? Who knows? I know am always asking for something more to music video such as a plot line. However, there is always a time or place for this. Unless there was an intentional reason for it to be in this video (i.e. to set up a future release), it felt unnecessary here.
I like the fun vibes that feature in this choreography. It doesn’t show off that potential they had built up on Road To Kingdom, but it was a solid routine that matched the upbeat song quite well. I do feel like it was cheesy at times, but obviously that was done to work with the song.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
Jeong Sewoon began his solo career in 2017 off with dance-centric tracks (Just U, Baby It’s You, Feeling) and has progressed to more vocal-centric ballads (Something 20, When It Rains) with his more recent releases. And yesterday, the solo artist made his comeback with Say Yes, which leans back into that dance territory that he started off with. The new single is part of Part 1 of his first studio-album, Part. 1 24.
Say Yes comes well timed for the season of sun and energy. Like many of his solo tracks, I find it quite charming and likable from the first listen. While I do admit that there is a small amount of standardness in the new song, the song’s better moments dominates and overlooks the song’s weaker moments. Let’s start off with the standardness. The verses felt dull and grey. They weren’t the most memorable sections of the song. While they do feature a nice presentation of his vocals, the verses just felt incredibly plain, in comparison of the song’s more undeniably stronger sections. With that out of the way, we can move onto the song’s better moments (i.e. the chorus). There was a nice explosion of sounds during the chorus. Not so much that it overwhelms or creates an imbalance with the rest of the song. It just felt right. There was a punchy nature to the synth that the producers put into the play. The second and final chorus is followed up with a sharp synthesizer sound that adds colour to the song. His vocals during these parts is quite powerful. Not powerhouse powerful, but on par with the energy and colour that comes from the chorus. I also liked how his vocals continued the momentum of the upbeat sequences throughout the bridge. Usually, I would have suspected a slow down, but what we had was a good continuation of the energy. In comparison to his ballads, this dance material is more memorable and I believe that is the case with Say Yes as well.
I really like the music video. There is a feel good vibe that comes off that puts the song into context and makes it more explosive and energetic. I really like how Jeong Sewoon grooves along to the song during the chorus. That’s where that feel good vibe comes from. And that is essentially the point of the song. The lyrics is all about being individualistic with life’s journey. He complains about people telling him to do things one specific way. But he wants to be himself and do what pleases him. He asks people to convince him that he is wrong (Pull me close so my heart sway) or to just join him (If not, you can just sway with me).
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
It seems like reviews will again be a little late this week. I will only be reviewing one song today and it belongs to the group who returned yesterday! If you have missed it yesterday, GFriend made their return to the music scene with the release of Apple and the Song of the Sirens mini-album. This is the group’s first release since their earlier comeback in the year, Crossroads and the mini-album,Labyrinth.
It seems like someone has answered my prayers. I made a comment in my Crossroads review that I was slowly getting tired of the sound they had repeated with in Time For The Moon Night, Sunrise and Crossroads. At the time of their earlier comeback, I thought that they would change up their sound, given that their label was acquired by the new powerhouse company, Big Hit Entertainment (who recently also acquired Pledis Entertainment). But it seems that desired changed has actually occurred through Apple. The song is a mid-tempo pop track, opening up with a riveting guitar piece. The verse was pretty standard, but I liked the direction of the music. It seemed like something was brewing in the midst of the guitar that played throughout the verse. The song gets a little more interesting once we enter the pre-chorus, which had a very memorable Callin’ me melody. The chorus kicked the energy up a notch and sounded like a very dazzling explosion had happened. The song stays quite cohesive and doesn’t change up its sound as often as other songs. That is always a recurring aspect of all GFriend’s song. Everything blends together quite nicely. For their vocals, there was a nice smooth feel. The most powerful vocal moment was when all the members are singing the post-chorus together. Another strong melody there, but the definition that all the members contribute to is the most memorable. I also enjoy the spoken words in the background during the post-chorus, which added an intriguing yet mysterious texture to Apple. The one thing that the song was missing, in my opinion, was an element or the reformation of the verses, to give it that holding power. What we got in those two sections just didn’t as well as the rest of the song did.
It seems like there is a theme of losing one’s innocence in the video’s story line. The video opens with Eunha taking a bite out of a red apple, before falling to the ground. The red apple serves as the Forbidden Fruit in this video and taking a bite out of it will mean that Eunha has been tempted. The other members also want to be tempted throughout video (i.e. they are dressed in white) and drag Eunha along to the tree that bears the Forbidden Fruit. Eunha, knowing what is on the other side, seems to not want to expose the others but they were too curious. Once they arrive to the tree, they find it on fire. But knowing that Eunha has already been tempted, placing a fallen apple into her hand will be enough to turn the apple. Off screen, I assume each member takes a bite of an apple that Eunha has turned, resulting in them all losing their innocence (they now wear black). Yerin gets locked outside, based on the footage of her finding the way out of the maze. It seems like someone has traded places with Yerin. During the innocent choreography scenes, Yerin has the number 6 circled on both arms. Triple 6 indicates the devil, so I assume that the events in this video were all Yerin’s plans. It also seems like she releases the butterflies at the end. I think we see Eunha releasing, but I have to question why both Yerin and Eunha have blonde hair and the same coloured lips. It seems like Yerin (the devil) is using Eunha. The only mysterious left over is the blue butterflies. Given that the blue butterflies recur in both Crossroads and this video, it seems like there is more to the story. I really like both their innocent and ‘tempted’ looks. Both very powerful in their own way.
I really like the mature take they have on the choreography. It looks stunning. I personally thought the start of the choreography was amazing, especially the rapid drum beats and the members extending their arms from behind SinB. I also really like the second chorus, where the members are doing their walk. It is a very strong routine and I personally like this new side of the group.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
I can’t believe that I have yet to do an album review for UKISS! They haven’t released anything recently due to their focus on solo activities and military enlistment. So, in order to write an album review for UKISS, I need to turn to their past releases. There was just so much to choose from, so I essentially did a lucky dip to see which one I would review first. And lucky number one is DORADORA. Cast your mind back to April 2012, when the group released their 6th mini album and title track of the same name. It was their first release of 2012, following a long hiatus they took from the Korean music scene to focus on their Japanese debut. Featuring on DORADORA was the pre-release track, Amazing, which will also be reviewed today!
DoraDora Album Cover
1.DORADORA (돌아돌아) – I gave the DORADORA comeback a calculated score back in the day but have lost the calculation a while back. Unfortunately, my memory has also failed me in this regard (though I remember listening to every track on this album quite vividly). Given how much I have enjoyed the song now, I have decided to give DORADORA an 8/10. Click here to read the 2012 DORADORA’s review, featuring young and terrible me. (8/10)
2. 4You (For You) – 4You is a song for the fans. There is a whole music video of them while on tour and it focuses on their bond as a group and with their fans. As for the song, it is super catchy. I mean their repetition of the 4You hook is quite pleasant and is not overwhelming in any way. The instrumental is quite upbeat and features an electronic-based instrumental that felt appropriate for the 2012. The instrumental sequence for the rapping segment on the bridge had a nice kick to it, leveling it up to give the song something different before the song ended. I also like the thumping beat. It may be a small detail in this song, but it helped hype of the song. Overall, a nice fan service song. (8/10)
3. When Love Stops (사랑이 멈출 때) – When Love Stops is one of my favourite KPOP ballads of all time. Why is this the case? The song features really strong melodies, which helped bring a new light to their vocals. We got to hear the vocals from all members, including the rappers. And the harmonies made the song even more stunning. Overall, it brought a lot of their past songs to my attention, got me more interested in their side tracks and contributed to me enjoying their future releases, since I now knew what potential they had. That is the power of the song! Apart from the vocals, the melodies during the chorus felt very grand and were quite memorable as a result. The instrumental is another highlight, bringing that grand nature to life alongside the melodies. (10/10)
4. Amazing (Pre-release Track) – If I remember correctly, Amazing was the pre-release track for this album. It features a club beat for its instrumental and features pretty simple hooks that make the song quite catchy. As the chorus came into play, the song reformed into more of a pop track. But the club instrumentation remained throughout as the main backing. Looking back now, the lyrics and hooks are a little tacky for this current era. Though, I vividly remember putting this song on repeat back in the day. The vocals and rapping are okay, based on today’s standards. In addition to that, it really isn’t their best work on this album as well. But back then, I would have enjoyed it. (8/10)
5. TICK TOCK (OUT OF TIME) (Korean Version) – I have previously reviewed the Japanese version of TICK TOCK (otherwise known as TICK TACK in Japan). Once again, I lost the review calculations for TICK TOCK/TICK TACK. Upon reconsidering my past review for the song, I have decided to increase the ‘song review’ score to a perfect 10/10, which is probably what I gave it back in the day. Click here to read the 2012 Tick Tock review. (10/10)
Finally making their official comeback today is EXO-SC with 1 Billion Views. This new track is part of the EXO unit’s first studio length album, which also shares the same name as the song. The release of the music video and album today comes after EXO-SC teased us with the pre-release single, Telephone. Both Chanyeol and Sehun also had solo music videos (Nothin‘ and On Me, respectively) at the end of the week. I have yet to review them and hope to get to them soon. But we are hear to listen to 1 Billion Views, so let’s get to that first.
Right from the very start, I can already say that 1 Billion Views fairs better than EXO-SC’s pre-release Telephone. Though, it still does suffer some of the issues I had previously noted in the Telephone interview. Let’s start on the positive that 1 Billion Views had. The chill R&B instrumental had a more of a beat to it, which was quite nice. With this kick in the instrumental, the song is more likable. I would gladly listen to the song given that there is more colour to the song. Their vocal work, in this instance, was quite good. The chorus featured really smooth melodies and I really liked how the vocals and rap segue-way into each other. Their harmonies during the verses was definitely one of the stronger moments of the song. I also enjoyed Moon’s featuring towards the end of the song, as her vocals do compliment the style that EXO-SC went for. However, as mentioned at the start, there are some issues that EXO-SC just haven’t fixed up. First, the song suffers from that ‘more’ concept (i.e. I wanted more). I think we all know of the potential that Chanyeol and Sehun have. 1 Billion Views (nor any of their unit releases so far) just doesn’t seem to capitalise on this, which results in the song coming off dull-ish. Even though I praise the instrumental earlier, I also wanted more from this element. I wanted it to be rougher and a lot meaner, that way the song could get to that style that I wished for the duo to go with. I get it that EXO-SC’s style is more chilled than your average Korean release, but I find that this song also lacks character. Thirdly, I find the song to lack memorable hooks and lines. They were heading in the right direction, just it didn’t feel like there was enough. The lack of character and hooks in 1 Billion Views do contribute to a dullness. But it isn’t as bad as previous tracks, given the instrumental and its more positive aspects that I mentioned above.
The music video is set at an arcade that would be best described as a hole in the wall. It also incorporates a few modern elements including virtual reality and Instagram live broadcasts. I also noticed that there were a few viral trends hinted throughout the video, such as the In My Feelings trend. All of these elements seemed to make sense, as the duo sings and raps about thinking of their lover for the billionth time. It was a nice video to watch overall. I found the editing to be suitable for the song, smooth and sleek. No choppiness, which I am thankful for. I also note that some of the post-production effects that were added to the video should have made the video feel choppy (such as the coloured static in the background). But it ended up being quite smooth, overall.
What we saw in the music video choreography-wise seems to be quite good. Unfortunately, we don’t see much of the choreography (i.e. the verses), so I am intrigued to know what the duo have up their sleeves. But if the chorus of the music video was to be the basis of my thought, I think this will be a pleasant routine suitable for the music.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.7/10
Last month, Golden Child made their comeback with a pretty captivating track, ONE (Lucid Dream). This song is the title track off their fourth mini-album, Take A Leap and is the focus on today’s album review. What I did not know about this comeback is that it was connected with their two earlier releases. So if you haven’t checked out my review for Wannabe and Without You, along with my album review for their first studio album, Re-Boot, then you can do so by clicking on the hyperlinks. But if you want to find out what my thoughts were for Take A Leap, then you can do so by continue reading!
3. OMG(훅 들어와) – To me, OMG is the merging of Golden Child’s upbeat and fun-sounding debut roots and their current mature sound. The song is definitely quite bright and energetic, but it is more subdued and refrained from going too youthful. It is a nice combination. There was a funky nature to the instrumental and it had a much-appreciated casual feel. The vocals and rapping were pretty clear and nice. If I had to pick a favourite moment in this song, it would be Tag and Jangjun’s rap sequence at the start of the bridge, layered on top of that really funky bounce-like synth. It was a pity that their melodies were a bit standard and I had wished OMG had more punchy hooks. But overall, a pleasant song to listen to. (7.5/10)
4. Moment – For a brief sequence, Moment began like a straightforward ballad. But as the song progressed soon after, we had more of a pop melody come through, and so the song ended up developing into a pop ballad. I really like this track as it reminds me of one of my favourite Golden Child sidetracks, Lady. It may not have had that same defined instrumental, but it was still on par as that 2018 era. I like how warm their vocals and rapping felt and how it really made the song blissful. Particularly the pre-chorus sequence, which had the best of both worlds. I really like the vocal melodies, which had a really nice flowy nature to them. I also liked it when their vocals got a little breathy during some parts, which added a nice colour to this song. (9/10)
5. Make Me Love – The song kicks off with a distorted ‘Stardust’, which really throws off you off. As the song went on, I just kept on thinking how random that distorted voice was and pretty much couldn’t get over it. But apart from that, Make Me Love is a good track. I really like the moody atmosphere. It is really intriguing. By while it was captivating (to an extent), I wanted more from it. The instrumental was pretty standard, and it also felt fairly spaced out. There wasn’t anything necessary special about it and I wished that it was a tad stronger. This would have lent a hand to help bolster up their vocals. The rappers faired better with this song. Their parts had a slight oomph, which really made their parts stand out more, compared to the vocalists. Tag’s rapping in this song was pretty memorable and suited that moody atmosphere that I enjoyed. (7/10)
6. H.E.R(그녀에게) – H.E.R has this very airy nature, which would help make this song a suitable one to listen to while taking a nice stroll somewhere where there is a nice breeze. The use of synths and the piano in the background is a classic combination in this current KPOP era. But there is something refreshing about this song that makes it quite addictive. It might be that these two sides of the instrumental felt pretty light (relative to the other songs on the album). And I appreciate that quite a bit. This just makes the song sound so calming and pleasant. In addition to that, the light nature of the instrumental really helps highlight their vocals and rapping, which once again, is superb in this song. Their vocals and rapping felt like a perfect match to the lightness of the instrumentation, so it was a very well put together track. (9/10)
7. Pass Me By – It seems like Golden Child has saved the best song for last. Pass Me By is a ballad, though I can imagine a dance routine to pair alongside this song when it is performed on stage. The classical instrumental was truly beautiful and stunning. I really enjoyed the deep bass thumping we get throughout the instrumental. The strings really keep the song true to its ballad roots, while the percussion gives it a strong beat. And the piano was just riveting. Aside from the instrumental, I need to praise the vocals in this song. Pass Me By has Golden Child’s best vocal work ever. Not just on this album, but every song that I can think off from the top of my head. The vocal melodies were really captivating. But as much as I want to give the song a 10/10 rating, I can’t. There is no indication that it was a vocal line song, so I have to assume that this was a whole Golden Child song. And yet Tag and Jangjun had no lines. Such a bummer. I am sure they could have had one vocal line somewhere in this song. (9.5/10)
Returning last week was Zico with the mini-album Random Box. It has taken a while, but as promised, here is the review for the title track from that mini-album, Summer Hate. This is Zico’s first release since the chart-topping and Tik-Tok trendy Any Song hit. Joining Zico is Rain, who many may know is a popular soloist for his many KPOP hits during the 00s. More recently, Rain has been attracting attention with his 2017 GANG comeback (though it has been trending for all the wrong reasons). It is interesting to see two very different trends in the industry and it does make you think about what song these two will put out, given their more recent viral history.
As the next instalment in Zico’s discography, Summer Hate comes off as a pretty weak track. Summer Hate is all about the annoying Summer heat that people have been and will always go through during Summer. It is a unique topic and concept, but I feel that the potential ended up being wasted due to poor execution. As it is a Zico self-produced song, the song is of the hip-hop genre and has a sing-song delivery that I believe is ill-suiting for what Zico was trying to get at. Everything comes off as very emotionless. I don’t get any of that annoyance of the Summer heat that the lyrics are trying to convey from his delivery or the overall feel of the song. When I think of annoying Summer heat, I think of unbearably hot concrete that will burn the sole of your feet if weren’t careful. Or the urgent need for a cool drink after a five-minute walk to the shops. There is a bit of energy to each of these scenarios and I feel that is the missing piece to this song. His intention was probably to make the song sound lazy, as one would feel during the hottest time of the day. But I don’t think it ever hits that mark. I do admit there were a good beat and melodies in this song enough to make the song bearable. I like the saxophone in the instrumental. But this all wasn’t enough. Finally, the other issue with the track was Rain’s featuring. Did he even feature in the song, as it sounded like Zico throughout the entire track? I was waiting for some of Rain’s distinct vocals, but they never appeared!
Unlike the song, the video was well executed. It showed the concept of heat quite well, though quite exaggerated for most of the video. Some examples in the music video included cooking of food on the concrete floor (my personal favourite in the video), the melting of metal and the clothes catching on fire. My main issue is with their attire during some of the scenes. One of my personal pet peeves is when people complain it is too hot and they are wearing inappropriate clothing, such as Zico and Rain’s long sleeves at the end of the video as they melt away. If they melted away in shorts and a t-shirt, then I wouldn’t be making such comments as the video would make more sense. It may make them look good, but honestly, who looks good on a boiling hot day where everything is melting away?
There is a bit of choreography during the chorus, which seems to be choreographed to be suitable for TikTok. After all, Zico has restarted the TikTok trend with this comeback, following its success with Any Song. It is suitable and reflects the lyrics well.
Song – 5/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 6/10
SEVENTEEN achieved the title of ‘million seller’ with the release of their seventh mini-album, Heng:garæ, which features the title track, Left & Right. Congratulations to the group! For those who may not know what ‘million seller’ refers to, it is the title given to a group who sells over a million copies of their album within the first week of its release. The only other group to achieve this feat is BTS, who has done so with three of their most recent album releases including Map of the Soul: 7 which was released earlier this year (which makes SEVENTEEN the second group to achieve this feat this year!). It is definitely exciting for the group and for the fans who support SEVENTEEN! And this makes diving into this album more thrilling, so let’s get listening!
Heng:garæ Album Cover
1. Fearless– Kicking off the album is Fearless and it makes sure the album starts off with a strong one. Fearless is quite heavy, unlike other songs that start off an album in a lighter manner. But a strong song can result in a bold entrance, which is the case we have here. When I listened Fearless for the first time, the song felt like it was swinging at you, as if the members were fearless of whatever was holding them back. It had nice momentum, vocals and raps. It also felt very clean and organized, which was quite appealing to me. There was potential for it to be a title track. Fearless also incorporated some of Fear (their previous title track) melodies during the bridge, but they change the lyrics to show the difference between the Fear and the Fearless. It caught me off guard at first. And now I consider it to be the killing part of the song. (9/10)
3.I Wish (좋겠다) – I Wish reminds me of those KPOP ballads we used to get on albums in the past. It was all about a one-sided crush, how they yearn to confess to their crush and how lonely they feel as the days past. Pretty much a cliché topic to sing about. Aside from the sprinkling of nostalgia that I Wish does give off, I don’t find the pop ballad to be that special and I haven’t fallen for it. I find everything (melodies, vocals, raps) in the song to be good, but that is the extent that I would give it. There were two parts that did perk my interest, but it didn’t do enough. First was the layering of Wonwoo’s rapping and everyone singing and second is the synthesizer (I think it was synthesizer) used in the instrumental break towards the end of the song. (7/10)
5. Kidult (어른 아이) – Kidult has more of a kick to it, thanks to the use of the band instrumentation, which gives off pop-rock ballad vibe. It feels and sounds a lot more captivating than I Wish. It is a lot more suitable and refreshing for the Summer season. The song is all about being a kid and adult, or at times, a mixture of both (hence the title). And it seems like their lover has the same issue and the members are telling them to embrace it. Their vocals were very fitting for this style and that is definitely apparent throughout the song. DK’s ad-libs and high pitch vocals were on point. The rap-singing was a good choice, giving the rappers a chance to fit into the song. The melodies were great, and I had the swaying effect come to me while listening to the song (which is a positive determinator in my level of enjoyment of the song). (9/10)
6. Together (같이가요) – Together is all about being together no matter what. And like how it feels like a more upbeat version of Kidult and has an OST type of vibe to it. I like the classical instrumentation that is mixed into the upbeat band instrumentation. This entire track is very foot-tapping worthy (another positive determinator in my level of enjoyment). I find their vocal work in this song to be the best on this album (DK is definitely shaping to be my new favourite main vocalist), with my favourite parts was when all the members would sing together at the end of the chorus. I liked the inclusive atmosphere that comes about in those sections and from this song, overall. The inspirational feel was also a plus, thanks to the members’ delivery of the lyrics. What a positive way to end the song. (10/10)
Making their subunit debut on Tuesday was DONGKIZ I:KAN. I personally wasn’t aware that DONGKIZ was debuting a subunit (I thought it was a group comeback when I say it on the list), so this was a surprise for me. The subunit consists of Jae Chan and Mun Ik and this follows the group’s Lupin comeback earlier in the year (a comeback that I really enjoyed). Subunits usually offer listeners a different sound to what their main group usually offers, so it will be interesting to see what DONGKIZ I:KAN will delve into, given that DONGKIZ doesn’t really have a strong association to any genre.
The one thing I do remember as a common theme in DONGKIZ’s track is its funky and retro vibes. And in a sense, Y.O.U (the title of the subunit’s title track) conforms to that common string in their main group’s release. At the same time, the subunit brings forward the new jack swing genre from the early 90s. And this music direction is great! It is full of energy and there are some fun vibes to it. There is also a refreshing appeal to the song, given that I don’t think the group has ever delved into this particular genre yet. The most exciting part of the song was the dance break that brought me a strong sense of nostalgia. While I do like the sound they had gone with, the main flaw of Y.O.U was how lacking their vocals and rapping were. I wanted more oomph to their delivery of both elements to add some depth to the song. What we got was good, but it is another situation where I wanted them to go further. If they had somehow defined their vocals and raps, this would help make the hooks more catchy and addictive.
The duo is singing about a girl they see passing by and that is exactly what the music video is showing. The two members are competing against each other to get her attention. I liked that it showed the two’s facial expression while they are on a mission to get her attention. That is a little different from similar music videos. However, it was revealed at the end that the girl already had an interest in a guy named Kirin, which shocks the guys. I thought that was a fun little twist, despite it being a card played multiple times in the past. Aside from the generic storyline, I really liked how simple the video was, yet how retro the video ended looking. From the outfits to the post-production editing of the dance break, everything looked like it would have fitted into the 90s.
The bright atmosphere which they show on stage is very fitting for both the members and the song. I do like the twisty moves they pull off. It looked weird at first, but it soon became interesting as I tried to work out what they were doing. The dance break was fun, though it wasn’t as intense as I hoped it would be.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.3/10
The second SM Entertainment release came unexpected last night. EXO-SC has been confirmed to making a comeback and will be releasing an album on the 13th of July (that’s just under a week!). And while fans are preparing for that release, EXO-SC released a pre-release track that no one saw coming titled Telephone, which features 10CM. This is the unit’s first comeback since their debut with What A Life last year (another review which I haven’t gone back to update once the live performance came out).
What A Life came off as dull and lackluster. That is essentially all I remember about their debut song. And it is looking like Telephone is shaping to be the exact same. It delves back into the hip-hop genre, with the duo going with a rap-sing delivery of the lyrics. More specifically, Telephone delves into the chilled side of hip-hop, with the entire track going with a laid-back vibe, similar to their debut track. Though, I felt the song might have gone many steps too far into the chilled spectrum, that both Chanyeol and Sehun’s vocals were pretty expressionless and this really dulled out the song. Same comment can be made with the instrumental. It is pretty much straightforward, with the repetitive and simple tapping of a piano key. Not really the most exciting piece of music. It was pretty much empty and sparse of sounds, besides some phone sounds and the duo echoing the lyrics and providing some ‘few words’ in the background. And even they didn’t do a good job of filling up the song. The most exciting bit of the song is when 10CM joins in, providing smooth vocals and this leads to Chanyeol and Sehun doing a little more with their own vocals to close off the song. But by then, I had already tuned out and became distracted. It sucks that I have to echo the disappointment I gave in their debut review, but that is the reality. Hopefully on Monday, the pair will give us something a little more exciting to breakdown.
I felt that the music video had a lot more substance than the song. The lyrics is all about their reservation to the phone, which everyone (including their crush and themselves) to communicate to other people. Chanyeol and Sehun are trying to get their crush’s attention. When they are together, their crush to too busy looking at their own phone. When they are not and Chanyeol/Sehun are trying to communicate with them, they blame their phone and use phone-related excuses for not being able to answer (i.e. the phone was charging, I was driving so I couldn’t pick my phone etc.). This leads to Chanyeol and Sehun entering the phone and destroying the attention stealing stuff on the phone, leading their crush to have nothing to do, other than message the two guys back. At least that is my take on the lyrics and the visuals from the music video. I also think there is some sort of hidden message at the start of the video, that we would be too busy doing one thing (i.e. reading the messages that popped up on the screen) to notice some of the stuff the pair were doing, such as applying wood filler to a toothbrush, overfilling a bowl, wearing odd socks and oversalting food.
Song – 4/10 Music Video – 8/10 Overall Rating – 5.6/10
It has been a while since we heard from Red Velvet, which I assume is due to Wendy’s recovery from the stage accident that grounded their Psycho promotions to a halt at the very of last year. But now Red Velvet has returned to the stage in the form of a duo subunit, Red Velvet – Irene & Seulgi, which is up of (you guessed it!) Irene and Seulgi. The official release of their debut title track Monster occurred on Monday, but the music video was not released until Tuesday. And I accidentally napped unexpectedly, resulting in a further delay in the review. And before I nap again today, here is my review for Monster.
If you go into this song thinking we will be getting something Red Velvet usually puts out (as that is what you might think given the name Red Velvet is retained in the unit’s name), be prepared to be surprised. Monster has a very distinctive sound. It is like Monster took Red Velvet’s darkest and edgiest sound and amping it up to the next level. It starts with a high pitch and slightly distorted ‘Na Na Na‘, which undoubtedly sets the tone of the song. We then enter a very sinister and suspenseful verse, before launching it a more energised chorus made up of trap elements and dubstep. The song’s vibes and sound essentially repeat itself once that ‘Na Na Na‘ distorted vocals return at the end of the chorus. But while the song does have that unique distinctive sound for current times, I do find the repetition to dull the song’s appeal. It could have been intriguing and interesting, provided they change up the song’s textures a bit as it progressed to give it some variety and freshness. I do commendable Irene and Seulgi’s vocals, which were superb in this song. They added character to the song and helped Monster achieve those sinister and suspenseful vibes that I mentioned earlier. I particularly liked the entire second verse, as there was some interesting colours and vocal profiles there. The chorus had nice melodic hooks, but like the repetition flaw, it soon became dry and dull. There ‘I’m A Little Monster‘ was impactful and came off strong in a subtle manner. Overall, Monster was a fair effort. Just not as mind-blowing as I hoped it to be.
The dark and edgy sound that the song opted for was reflected in the visuals of the music video through the horror influence. While it was quite good to watch, this horror concept came off as rather tame. I wanted to see them go that extra mile as they could have explored a lot of imagery and stories, conceptually. We see the members dressed in white doll-like dresses that resemble the clothing that we see young girls wear in horror movies as they die or haunt the living. Seulgi creepily crawling in one scene towards herself and then walking confidently in the next, similar to how I remember some demonic ghosts would haunt the living in some movies. We see Irene playing with dolls in a creepy manner and in one of the choreography shots, we see a devil’s face edited over Irene’s face. It didn’t scare me, but it had me jumping up and down excitedly as that was the type of scare that I wanted to see. I did like the sets, as they gave off a haunting without going explicitly into cliche haunted house land.
I really liked the outfits they wore and the makeup they donned in the music video. It really suited the music video. And I can’t wait to see them on stage with those exact same outfits and makeup. For the choreography, it looks like a stunning routine. Best parts include their starting formation, (which looks like a creepy creature) and Seulgi twisting Irene to include the ghost face (simple yet effective in terms of coolness).
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.5/10
Over the last few months, Chungha has been leaving breadcrumbs for her upcoming solo comeback which yet to be announced. The first breadcrumb was the release of the pre-release single, Stay Tonight (a track that I want to revisit when I revise my ratings for some songs in a new segment). The second breadcrumb is Play, which was released today and features Changmo. Since Stay Tonight, Chungha has also collaborated with the popular rapper pH-1 on the track My Friend, which I have yet to review. But we are here for thoughts on Play, so let’s get to that first.
By the time I had finished listening to Play for the first time, I knew that this was going to the be the 2020 Summer song to beat. The energy and atmosphere she creates for herself in this song is so epic and grand, it really helps to overlook the song’s flaw, the Latin pop genre. While that has been a typical sound throughout the Summer seasons over the last few years and Play itself incorporates with brass elements and synths that we have heard many many times before, Chungha manages to somehow reform it to make it come off refreshing and exciting in Play. That is already a strong cause for an applause. I really like her vocals in this song. The instrumental could have easily overwhelmed and masked all of Chungha’s vocals. But Chungha’s vocals soar high enough to be in the forefront of the song. And that is saying a lot, considering how blastful and bombast this instrumental got, especially as we approached the end. Also featuring on this song is Changmo, who’s rap sequence added a cool dynamic to the song. It somehow balances out the upbeat energy of the chorus and gives us some relief after the first chorus. Same thing can be said about the bridge, which slows the song down (but allows for the return in the final chorus to be super impactful). The melodies and hooks were catchy and may become super addictive if I give the song any more listens (which will happen!). Overall, I am in awe and loving Play.
Once again, the music video takes on that closeup and choreography approach, which I have (many times) stated was a bore. But the music video for Play is captivating enough to override that statement. There were some epic moments, aside from her beautiful visuals (which alone were enough to steal my attention away from the formula), that really wowed me. Chungha becoming a bullfighter with the red sports car was definitely one of those. Actually, any moment in that particular setting was amazing. I also really liked the birdcage choreography scenes, as that set looked really cool.
It is unknown whether Chungha would be promoting this time around. It soon became apparent that Stay Tonight would be extremely difficult to perform on stage due to various formations formed. But I don’t see any of that in this choreography, which may present hope that we will be seeing a stage performance of Play soon. I really like how the atmosphere from the song came through in the performance and how charismatic Chungha looked throughout the performance. I also liked the energy that came from the chorus routine alone, as that looked cool.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9.5/10
Six months ago, SF9 kicked off 2020 with their Good Guy comeback. It proved to be SF9’s most popular and best-performing comeback ever, with the group earning their first-ever weekly show music win during the promotions of Good Guy. And exactly six months from that comeback, the group is back, now helping to kick off the second half of 2020 with SummerBreeze. Their new title track features on the group’s eighth mini-album, 9loryUS.
SF9 begins the song with an intriguing synth sequence that reminds one of those Western movie themes, before reverting to a foot tap worthy house beat for the verses. The pre-chorus creates suspense with a typical but workable buildup. The chorus combines that Western movie theme synth sequence with those house beats to create a really pleasant and enjoyable combination that takes the positives aspects of those two sounds to form a wholesome feel. The bridge brings forward refreshing acoustic guitars that stayed hidden between the Western theme synths and house beats during the chorus. Overall, it is safe to say that the Summer Breeze‘s instrumental earns a big tick from me. It is just so suitable yet so refined for Summer. And it is this refined sound that makes it suitable to be a follow up after Good Guy. Some of the other aspects of the song are good to great, but they just don’t feel as amazing as the instrumental. The vocal work and rapping were strong efforts. Zuho’s rap sequence just before the final chorus had a nice punch to it and was a highlight in my opinion. There are some good hooks in this song and the melody is pretty easy to follow. But each of these components (the vocal/rapping, hooks and melodies) have a hand in creating a generic atmosphere. I wanted something more exciting and addictive, which would easily help lifted this song to be one of their best. What we have is good and I feel like it will be enjoyable at the very least if the subsequent listens don’t help it grow on me. But per usual, I wanted more from the members in Summer Breeze.
It is a bit unclear what the concept of the music video really is. I thought they were part of different gangs with the mission to eliminate each other at first. Though, it doesn’t explain the part when one of the bullets broke the mirror to reveal the sunshine, which then caused the members to redirect their gunfire. One source says the music video was similar to a James Bond movie and that the members are playing a dangerous game. Though, that also doesn’t explain the sunshine scene. Apart from the confusing plot line, I liked how the music video set gave me the same feels as their Good Guy music video. I also liked how classy the video felt, especially in the hotel scenes where the gunfight occurs.
Best part the choreography is during the ‘Bang Bang Bang‘ parts. I also found Jaeyoon to be the most captivating member, with his body rolls during his solo parts. As for the rest of the performance, there isn’t much else to comment on. It may not have been captivating, but it felt refined and classy, which is definitely the direction that SF9 was aiming for with this comeback.
Song – 7.5/10 Music Video – 6.5/10 Performance – 7.5/10 Overall Rating – 7.2/10
Stray Kids made their comeback a few weeks back with their very first studio album, GO生 (or Go Live). The main title track was God’s Menu, which has proven to be a great song in my books. It has gone on to top the Weekly KPOP Charts thanks to its powerful energy, catchy hooks and dynamism. So it was natural for me to investigate the album which it is featured on. Alongside God’s Menu, you will find familiar tracks such as Top and Slump (which were both previously released Japanese tracks), along with Gone Days and On Track (which were earlier mixtape releases that were released after their Levanter promotions). Links to the reviews for these tracks, along with my thoughts on the other sidetracks can be found below.
Go Live Album Cover
1. Go Live (GO生) – Stray Kids is known for their powerful tracks, as their entire career so far has been predominately made up of powerful sounds. Go Live, as an introductory track, aligns the album with that association and really kicks off the album in a very suspenseful fashion. A lot of hip-hop influences in this short track. It kicks off with strong rapping from the rappers and the vocalists come in with their vocals autotuned to fit the atmosphere. I.N’s deep voice is probably the most shocking of all (did not know we had another Felix in the group) and Lee Know’s ‘I Know, You Know, We Know, Lee Know’ line has to be the most memorable of all. (7/10)
3. Easy – Easy, without doubt, continue the momentum that God’s Menu ends off with. The rapping in this song is also rapid and powerful. The vocals are autotuned. I am a little torn about this, as I am not a fan of overly autotuned vocals usually. However, as mentioned in the introductory track’s paragraph, this was the obvious direction for the vocals to fit the powerful and fast tempo nature of the song. Regarding the instrumental, it feels fairly plain in comparison to the title track, though I did like the start which added dramatic suspense to the song. I also enjoyed the dance break, which added some energy to the song. The one thing that weighs down the song is the lack of dynamic hooks, which is why I give it a slightly lower rating to their title track. (8/10)
4. Pacemaker – The fast pace instrumental of Pacemaker blasts you at the very start of the song before the members assault you (in a good sense) with their rapping and vocals. It might be overwhelming for some, but that is one of the aspects of the song that I thoroughly enjoyed. The instrumental itself takes a half step back for some of the verses, before returning to that blast of energy for the chorus. I liked how the lyrics liken their lover to a pacemaker by saying things like ‘your end is my end’. It is a captivating track full of energy and one that I recommend if you don’t mind the members and music coming at you. (9/10)
5. Airplane (비행기) – We take a step back from the intensity for something with a pop sound. There does seem to be some hip-hop influences mixed into the song, but I would categorize it more as a pop track by the song stops playing. Airplane is fun-sounding but it is nothing more than a pleasant track. There is an enjoyable level of brightness and energy in this song. And even though it may not conform to Stray Kid’s powerful sound, Airplane has a decent beat and the vocal melodies shine. I am kind of glad that the vocalists (namely Seungmin and I.N) get an opportunity to shine somewhere on this album. Their voices may have had to compete with instrumental, though they did well with what they had to work with. (8/10)
6. Another Day (일상) – Another Day is another chance for the Stray Kid’s vocalists to shine. Wait, let me backtrack that statement. All members actually shine throughout this song. Joining Seungmin and I.N as vocalists in this song is Lee Know, Bang Chan and Han. And if this song needs to prove anything, those members can definitely sing. Felix, Changbin and Hyunjin took on their usual roles as rappers. Even though their parts were very constricted, their deep and raspy rap-singing lines were very pleasant and extremely fitting alongside the vocals. This is all over an instrumental predominately consisting of a mellow sounding acoustic guitar. Fitting the atmosphere of the song are the members reflecting on ‘Another Day’ in the lyrics. (8/10)
7. Phobia– Overtaking the other songs that have been branded with a 9/10 rating, in terms of quality, is Phobia. I really like how this track sound. This is a synth pop-dance track. I really like soothing the energy is for this song. While it is upbeat (which might not be a term you would associate with ‘soothing’), I find the melodies and vocals to be glide effortlessly over the instrumental and everything just balances out nicely. Their vocals and rapping in this sound, alongside with the melodies are very dynamic and catchy, which are undoubtedly strong appealing points. The song’s hooks were quite addictive and I really liked how cool the English sound in this song. Jisung handling the high note was a pleasant surprise and another drawing point to the song. (10/10)
8. Blueprint (청사진) – Blueprint is the type of song that you want to have playing a theme song as you stroll down a busy suburban street on a sunny day and you interact with the other pedestrians in perfect looking montage. It is also fitting for the current Summery season. Great upbeat energy coming from this song. I like how the synth heavy the song is, but I also enjoy all the actual instrumentations poking through along the way. The members add a dynamic atmosphere to the song, which I find to be very appealing. The melody that their voices carry, especially when it came to the chorus was quite memorable. Seungmin is my pick for standout member in this song. I also like how all the members sing parts of each line at the end of the song, which adds a very happy and joyful tinge of colour to the song. I found it very hard to fault this song, hence a perfect rating. (10/10)
9. Ta (타) – Two 10/10 tracks in a row? Well, I might as well spoil it now and say that this is another 10/10 track. Ta is probably the most straightforward song on this album. The start of the song reminds me of how Miroh started with jungle sounds. But what sets Ta apart from their previous dynamic sounding title track is that it just continually builds on top of those jungle sounds, creating a party-like sound that I can’t stop gravitating to. I would gladly put this one at a party to just get it started. The melodies are addictive. Their voices are amazing. The hooks are catchy. And the atmosphere is exciting and fun. What more can you ask for? (10/10)
10. Haven – Like the previous song, Haven has this addictive and memorable party-like vibe that I am digging. It is great that the two tracks are paired next to one another, as I can play both songs without needing to skip anything in between. Haven has more of a club beat during its more upbeat moments, whilst having more of a pop sound when we are in the verses. The chorus also has this nostalgic sound it, reminding me of a few party-like sounds we have heard in KPOP. I have to admit that the rap/trap sequence in the second verse cut the flow is a slightly undesirable manner and hence I can’t give it that 10/10 rating. But everything else is worthy of a listen. (9/10)
12. Slump (Korean Version) – The Japanese version of Slump was also released alongside Top to be part of the official soundtrack of the anime, Tower of God. I really like the pop-rock path they took with this song, which is unique and different for Stray Kids. I don’t like how the vocals were autotuned during the chorus to match the autotune that the rappers had. I felt that was unnecessary and robbed the members of a chance to show off their vocals during a powerful chorus. But it is still a good song. (8/10)
KPOPREVIEWED 