Sorry about another day late album review. It was a bit busy yesterday, so I couldn’t finalize and publish it in time. But here it is now. The album that I had chosen to focus on this weekend was EVERGLOW’s Reminiscence. This is the group’s 1st mini-album since debut. For those who missed my song review, I was astounded by the explosion of energy for Dun Dun. So, it definitely got me excited for the rest of their album. I can give a short teaser to the album, which is pop. What does that mean? Continue to read to find out.
Reminiscence Album Cover
1. Salute – This is the KPOP that I loved so much back in the day. It is very energetic and bright, very different to the tough and charismatic side of the group that we see through their title track. However, at the very time, the song aligns with what we know of the group without a doubt. The song has this anthem like feel during the verses, while the chorus takes a really pop turn that I find so catchy and lively. The vocal work in this song is amazing. Definitely a standout on this album. I do feel that I cannot listen to this song repetitive as I would get tired of it, which is essentially the only flaw I can see in the song. But for now, I am loving it. (9/10)
3. Player – With EVERGLOW, the mini-album is expected to be loaded with intensity and toughness. But the first song and the last song on the album (read below) really goes against this expectation. Player doesn’t, which I think is a side-track that we can say was coming our way. The chorus is very intense, expressing that they are the main character/player. Definitely a unique show of confidence. There is a nice ethnic sample during the chorus, which we were teased with towards the end of Dun Dun. What I personally don’t like is the pop pre-chorus. It sounded very immature and lacked finesse that the rest of the song had oozing. (7.5/10)
4. No Lie– The verses in this song for some reason remind me of the pop songs that Western songs had during the ‘00s. The chorus, however, is more during this era. I do find it an odd mix of R&B and pop. But it works really nicely, and I do enjoy the song. It does lack boldness, which was heavily employed during the first two tracks of the song. There seems to be a slight foreign touch through the chorus, which I like. The song is rather catchy, which helps the song become very appealing. (8/10)
BVNDIT made their return yesterday with Cool. This digital single is unfortutaely not a formal comeback. But since I enjoyed the song a fair bit and it had a music video, I had to place it on the review list. Cool follows the release of Hocus Pocus (the group’s debut single), Dramatic (the group’s first digital single) and Dumb (their comeback track released back in November last year). Both tracks were pretty good at the time of their release, so let’s see if Cool has the potential to as cool.
I find the track to be fairly simple. It is straight forward. And sometimes you need to things to be straight forward or simple. There is a potential problem in the sense that simple could be rather boring. However, if done perfectly, simple can definitely be pleasing. I find Cool to be of the latter category. The song isn’t jam-packed with synths effects that feel unnecessary. We do get some synths in the background, but they are used sparingly and kept very light. This allows their vocals to be heard without being masked in any way. The melody stands out and this obviously helps makes the song appealing. There is also a fun vibe to the song. All of this gets me tapping along to the song.. Its simplicity also doesn’t take the fun vibes down the cutesy route, which wouldn’t their image/sound. I do find the ‘dramatic’ flair just before each chorus to be rather odd and random. Not sure that I like that. Overall a pretty cool song that has my finger over the replay button.
We have seen this effect before in some music videos. So it isn’t a new idea. But since it has been a while, the use of images over the top of the person in the music video comes off as a new and innovative idea. Paired with the song, I find the video to be very refreshing as well. While the idea already gives off the impression of a cheap video, the shots where the members are in the studio really cheapens and dulls the video. I don’t like that section of the video. If they just continued the overlaid images only, I think the video would have fine.
While this isn’t a formal comeback, we are pretty lucky to get a full routine to the song. We don’t really get to see it in the music video for stylistic reasons. It is a simple choreography that compliments the song. There really isn’t much else to really mention about this. I did like how the routine changed with the tempo during the bridge.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.8/10
Super Junior made their comeback last week with 2YA2YAO!, which is the title track from their recent album, Timeless. For those who don’t know, this is their group’s 9th repackaged album, which was formerly titled Time_Slip. Through Time_Slip and Timeless, the group has showed us two polar sides of themselves. SUPER Clap (the title track from Time_Slip) was a much more energetic and colourful song. 2YA2YAO! is a lot darker and more serious. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the repackaged album (new songs only!) will play out.
3. Ticky Tocky(악몽) – Don’t let the title trick you. I thought Ticky Tocky would be this obnoxiously bright track and would totally hate it. But it was definitely the opposite. Ticky Tocky is a hip-hop based dance track that is very serious. There is a level of edginess to the song that pretty much appealed to my tastes right away. There are some parts of the song that I do place a question mark over, namely the bridge once again. It just brought too much of a pop vibe to the song which I don’t think this subtly intense song needed. The rest of the song was awesome, with really smooth vocals and nice rapping to compliment the hip-hop sound. (8/10)
4. Shadow (赤霞) – Probably the most modern sounding song on the album. The song has this funky sound to it that makes this song sound so awesome. Rather than settling for that hip-hop sound that the other three tracks in this album review have opted for, the song incorporates a bit of that sound through a dance electronica beat. The bass to this song is perfection and the chorus is really addictive. The vocals, once again, is very smooth for a song of this style. But what really caught my attention is the rapping. It is one of their best efforts yet. The rap sequence, at the end, was my favourite bit and I loved the energy that flowed from this part. (10/10)
12. Rock Your Body– Rock Your Body opts for a heavy hip-hop sound on top of the dance genre that the song had going, fitting right in with the rest of the repackaged album. You will notice that only four members performed this track (Yesung, Eunhyuk, Donghae, Ryeowook). The chorus had this anthem-like vibe to it, which helped bolden the song in my point of view. Yesung, Ryeowook and Donghae handled the vocal department really well in this song, helping the song achieve an epic feel. The rapping, handled by Eunhyuk, was pretty good as well. (9/10)
After an exceptionally long wait, iKON has finally returned to the music industry. It has been rough year for iKON. For those who missed it, B.I withdrew from the group after it was revealed that he tried to buy drugs in the past. This effectively put a stop on the group’s 2019 comeback. Fast forward to 2020, the group has returned as a reformed 6-member group with Dive and an album produced by B.I (along with many others). It was revealed that this album was originally the comeback slated for 2019. But due to the ‘controversy’, the group had to re-record everything.
I definitely find it interesting that YG Entertainment decided to keep B.I’s song despite the controversy. There could be a number of reasons for this. iKON could have pushed very hard to keep the songs that B.I had put his sweat and tears into. Or YG Entertainment kept the songs as they came from a very trendy producer. Whatever the reason, the song seems to take on a growing trend in the industry. The song features traditional instruments on top of its standard hip-hop backdrop. I think majority of songs that adopted this trend have only featured one instrument. Dive seems to have a few. There are definitely some sort of string instrument and a horn of some type. It gives the song a very appealing and unique profile. This also gave the song some lightness, as I found the song not heavy handed as some of their past tracks. While I do find this side of the song interesting, the vocal and rap work was not as exciting. Instead, it didn’t have the impact it needed and it just didn’t feel captivating. It did try to get there at the end when they brought everyone together, but it just wasn’t enough. On a personal level, I think the song will grow on me. It just needs a little more to it.
One thing that is always a promising sight when it comes to music videos from YG Entertainment are the sets. And this one features some really awesome. A flaming bridge, a non-flaming bridge, a ring of fire just to name a few. Essentially, these are all dangerous and this plays neatly into the lyrics. The members sing that they will be willing to go through anything to be with their lover. If their lover was a thorny bush or a fire, they will dive right into it because they will be willing to do so.
The choreography was good. It was toned down to fit the song’s lighter and melodic nature, which I quite liked. It just doesn’t ping me as a memorable one, unfortunately.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 6/10 Overall Rating – 7.4/10
Today’s major comeback is by LOONA. Finally, the group that took out the Best Female Group Choreography in the recent 2019 KPOPREVIEWED Awards with Butterfly has returned. This is the group’s first comeback since Butterfly, so it definitely has been a long wait. Hopefully, So What isn’t the group’s only comeback in 2020, as we don’t want to wait another whole year for a comeback! Unfortunately, this comeback does not feature Haseul, as she sits out due to health concerns.
The song is titled as So What and I think this is a great title for such an intense and attitude filled song. The song is probably best described as a hip-hop infused urban dance track. Usually, I would say that the song ‘throws at you’. But this time, I am going to say that the song kicks you (sorry with the violent analogies) with its intense moments. The chorus is just loaded and comes hurling in your direction with no warning. And I feel that way each time I have listened to the song today, despite knowing fully what is coming my way. Vocally, I have no complaints. There is a fair amount of rapping in the song due to the hip-hop direction, which makes total sense. The vocals were also quite strong, despite it being limited this time around. I did like the slow down in the bridge. It brought relief from the intensity and that they recovered all that lost energy pretty well in the final chorus (i.e. it didn’t ‘start’ a ‘drag down’ of the song). Overall, very impressed.
I only have a limited section in this review to discuss the music video. But my heading it whirling with theories at the moment as this video definitely connects with Hi High and all of their pre-debut singles. But that is another post. The teasers referenced the dark side of the moon, the side that we don’t know of the moon. In this video, we are shown the ‘dark side’ of LOONA or the side that we did not know existed. And it seems Olivia Hye, the final member to be revealed has some influence with their unveil. I remember quite fondly that red lighting was a thing in her music video, and at the end the members were shot with a red light over them. On top of that, a white feather is burning at the end. The feather is an important aspect of the video connecting Haseul (who is absent) and their animals to this video. In addition to the connection of their LOONAVERSE, the group managed to incorporate amazing cinematography, stunning closeup shots and a great depiction of the girl-crush concept.
Their knife-like precision is shown off again in this performance. I like the intense sections of the song feature powerful moves, while the slowed down bridge showcases a more elegant routine. The start, the pre-chorus section and the chorus all looked really cool. It was just so hard to choose a favourite section!
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 10/10 Performance – 10/10 Overall Rating – 10/10
As January was a fairly slow month, there were not many debuts from memory. But as things start to pick up in February and onward, I am confident in saying that more debuts will occur. Cignature is a new seven-member female group from J9 Entertainment, which is a subsidy of C9 Entertainment (which is the entertainment company that manages CIX). The group, formerly known as C9 Girlz, is made up Chaesol, Jee won, Ye Ah, Sunn, Seline, Belle, Semi. They made their debut on Monday with Nun Nu Nan Na.
As a debut song and an introduction to the wider KPOP industry, Nun Nu Nan Na is a good song. But when you think about the song in the wider KPOP industry, we have heard this sound too many times before. This obviously leaves the group in a tight position, with their song leaving the audience’s mind a little sooner than what they thought. There are some good elements to the song, though. The chorus is punchy and the instrumental is vibrant. But the song needed a little something more than its basic girl-crush sound. The instrumental, for example, could have been a little more defined or robust. What we got was fairly light and lacked something memorable. I found the vocal work to be okay. But it isn’t really that impressive, to be honest. Their cutesy take just doesn’t play out, while their sing-shouting felt very cliche. Overall, the song is okay. But it definitely needs some oomph to go for a long ride.
Despite the music video being quite colourful, the lighting in this video alludes to the girl-crush concept quite heavily. Not that there is anything wrong with it. I just thought it was a clear indication of the concept. I did feel there was a bit of aegyo in the video. As I have mentioned in the past, I don’t really enjoy too much aegyo in a girl-crush concept. It does cut the potential mature feel and gives off a childish look. As for the individual rooms, we see in the video, I don’t get them. Don’t know how they play into the lyrics, as the lyrics don’t really seem to reference it. But other than that, it was an okay video to watch.
I thought this was a rather weak performance. It fits the light and vibrant side of the song. But I thought the moves just didn’t do enough justice for the girl-crush concept. There was a mix of cutesy, standard and sensual, so at times it was confusing to know exactly what concept they were aiming for. I also find that the way they got into their formations was a little messy.
Song – 6.5/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 5/10 Overall Rating – 6.4/10
I have noticed my clear lack of Lovelyz album reviews. They always seem like a hit or miss to me. But hopefully that will change soon as I plan to revisit some of their albums, including the ones that I consider to be ‘miss’ from the past few years. Today, I thought I revisit an album from the group which includes Destiny, one of their more memorable title tracks. The album is called A New Trilogy, which was released in April 2016.
3. Fondant (퐁당) – As the title of the song suggests, Fondant is a very sugary song. It is definitely brings out their cute side that we don’t get so much in Destiny. What I do like about the song is that it isn’t overly sweet. It does feel like it goes in that direction, but the really cutesy moments are quite limited. The vocals parts are sung at a higher pitch than usual to give off that cutesy feel. But after all these years of reviewing, I have found that to be bearable at least. It is more of those saturated moments that gets me otherwise. There is a nice melody and everything is quite light, which are elements that I really enjoy. (8/10)
4. Bookmark (책갈피) – To me, Bookmark can be a versatile song. It has the slowness and calmness of the ballad, while the instrumental does feature enough for it to have a nice choreography. Despite this, Bookmark is showcased as a ballad based on a performance I found. I thought the instrumental was a very nice. As mentioned, it combines the best of both worlds. But the piano does shine very nicely. The vocal work in this song was also quite soothing, while the rapping was a surprised addition that worked well with the setup. (8/10)
5. 1 cm – Another cutesy track from the group. But this one has an 8-bit like sound in the instrumental, which I thought was unique and added to the cutesy side of the track. It also provided a really bright and vibrant energy that you can’t help but smile at. I also like how the song sounds very ‘Lovelyz’, fitting extremely neatly into their discography. I also liked the delay drop to the chorus and the harmonies in this section, which really helped provided definition to the song. (9/10)
6. Heart (Handle with Care) (마음 (취급주의)) – The song also has a second title, Dear You. This one adds a little more energy to the song with an upbeat instrumentation. Like 1 cm, Heart does a good job of fitting into Lovelyz’s discography. The verses and bridge have that really sweet and cutesy tone to it that we have all grown to associate with Lovelyz. The chorus does stray away from their sound, however. It doesn’t feel like a Lovelyz song during chorus. I am not sure why, but it might have to do with the way they all harmonized and sung together. There is a charm to this as well, as it really become addictive to listen to. I also love the addition of electric guitar to the final chorus, as that it what the song really needed. (9/10)
7. Baby Doll (인형) – The way the song started instrumentally, along with the filtered/autotune vocals, really made the song sound haunting. I am not sure whether this is their intention, but that is what I tend to feel when I hear a music box like sound. Another way to look at it is that the song sounded very elegant or fairytale-like, which might be the more appropriate direction of the song. The vocal work seems to support either interpretations and sounded amazing when you consider both viewpoints. It isn’t my favourite track on the album, but it is alright. (7/10)
GFriend also made their comeback yesterday with Crossroads. Unfortunately I ran out of time to review it yesterday. But here is the review now, better late than never. This is a major comeback for the group, as this is the first comeback by the group since Source Music (their company) was acquired by Big Hit Entertainment (the home of BTS and TXT). According to Wikipedia, this isn’t the first time that both companies had paired up with one another, as they previously both partnered to form GLAM and are currently co-managing 8EIGHT (who were confirmed to be returning quite soon).
You would expect that with a ‘change’ in management such as the one outlined in the above paragraph, the group would have faced some sort of transformation. But that isn’t the case. The group retained that sound that we got from Time Is The Moon Night and Sunrise. And while I have enjoyed that sound greatly when it was released, it is slowly becoming a bore and I think that might be the consensus this time around. The string-dominant instrumentation feels like a copy of the previous songs. However, Crossroads did incorporate a little more with faint woodblock like sounds, feature another explosive chorus and the presence of electric guitar at the end felt like it was ‘in-your-face’, which surprisingly was what I had wanted a few comebacks back. All of these did help the song feel new. But I just wished they went an entirely different direction when it came to the ‘main body’ of the song. Vocally, I felt that it was good. It didn’t have much epicness to it as compared to Sunrise (Eunha’s high note still gets me). But I did thoroughly enjoy that brief milli-second pause just before the final chorus, which capped the song in a unique fashion. Overall, it was okay. Just not what I had expected.
One line stood out to me in the song. “Even if you pass by me, I will find you. Then I’ll reach out again to you“, which essentially is all about returning to one another despite difficulties. In the music video, we are shown a whole bunch of scenes where the members fight. And it seems like the fights are very hurtful. For example, Umji and Yuju have a massive fight at home. A few scenes later, Umji wants to make up with Yuju, but Yuju rejects this, showing us the extent of this fight. At the end, we do get to see the members come together and enjoy their time with one another, which I assume shows us that they all made up after finding their way back to one another. That is the story line that I managed to get after watching the video a couple of time and may have missed on important details (i.e. Eunha’s introductory doesn’t really fit into this category, but may link up with their previous videos possibly?). So let me know if I missed anything or what you think happened in the video!
Even the choreography reminds me of their previous comebacks. I do still like the elegant side of their performance and am glad that did carry over, as this is very fitting for this song style. I thought that both the start and the end of the performance looked really cool, especially with the speed at which the ending came hurling at.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.5/10
One of the groups that I am going to be keeping an eye on throughout 2020 is EVERGLOW. Why am I keeping an eye out for them? Well, their debut track (Bon Bon Chocolat) and Adios comeback puts them on a whole new level. And it is EVERGLOW’s goal to continue this or even top it through their next comeback and beyond. Well, the group has returned with Dun Dun today. So it will be interesting to see if it does.
I read an article headline today where the group stated that the first time hearing the song, they loved it. And I think I can say the exact same thing. Once again, EVERGLOW manages to blow my mind with Dun Dun. It is bolder than their other title tracks, which basically means they achieved their goal mentioned in the first paragraph. There is a ethnic vibe to the song in the opening that filtered throughout the song as it progressed along. The song then threw us one of the best lines in KPOP so far at the very start. I say that because that line just oozed so much attitude. But the part that blew my mind was the chorus. There is a delay drop and we get one of the most memorable moments of the song through this (i.e. where they sing softly ‘You Are So Done Done Done‘. The chorus was explosive and their shouting really makes it memorable. I also liked how they didn’t repeat the delayed drop for the second chorus, which help prevent the song from becoming repetitive. Towards, we do get a instrumental break which basically encompasses all the adjectives (i.e. bold, explosive, attitude-heavy) that I have mentioned in the review so far. There is a lot to this song and I definitely think it is another amazing track from the group that is one up from their previous tracks.
The music video definitely fits in with the song. It is bolder and helps define the song in a way that makes it so much more explosive. That is why I consider visuals to be a very important of KPOP. The music video also no doubtfully made them look very stunning, with their outfits and closeups highlighting the individual members. I really liked their sets in the music video looked really cool, as they helped the video to become even more memorable. I think the icy set, with the black background and their black dresses were the best in the video.
All the adjectives that I have mentioned thus far were actively portrayed throughout the performance. I have honestly run out of things to mention, as I have basically describe the dance already. I think the only word that I haven’t mentioned is edgy, but I use that term a little too much nowadays. I really like the swaying thing they do when they delay the drop and the dance break at the end was really cool.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 10/10 Overall Rating – 9.7/10
The next review I have coming your way is for ANS, an eight-member female group that I have yet to cover on my blog. They made their debut with Boom Boom in the later half of the year. Originally, I was going to review Boom Boom but that has been delayed. The review for Boom Boom will be coming later in the month as part of the Catch Up segment that I am planning. So, keep your eyes peeled for that. In the meanwhile, this is the review for Say My Name, the group’s comeback track which was released at the start of the year.
Say My Name is a good track. It just has a few things that don’t sit right for me. But I will get to them later on. The song has this level of boldness, which really helps put the spotlight on the track. The song’s EDM based instrumental does sound a little typical but there is a good level of energy to it that I really enjoyed. The pre-chorus vocals were probably my favourite parts of the song and I liked the hook that they had. It was very catchy and has grown to be somewhat addictive. But the rapping just did not feel right. It just didn’t feel fitting and I think if they somehow better mixed into the song, that would have helped a lot. The second has to be one of the ‘addictive’ hooks. The ‘going Boom Boom‘ felt very cheap, particularly since it was the title of their debut single. I wished they were a little more creative and opted for a different catchphrase. Minus those two problems, Say My Name is a pretty decent track to continue onward with their careers.
The music video is what really caught my attention. Based on concept, it reminded me of EVERGLOW’s Adios comeback from 2019. But they added a few little more elements to make it their own. These additions also made it turn into a quite colourful music video. But it isn’t brightly coloured as the edgy factor is maintained throughout the music video. I also thought the video managed to showcase a very bold side of the group, which goes hand-in-hand with the song. Overall, a cool music video.
I really liked how they brought the edge through their performance. The song does have a ‘don’t mess with me’ type of vibe to it and I think they worked that vibe well into their choreography. The song does also give them a little leeway, as it is all seriousness, giving them an opportunity to smile for the camera. I think they could have lost this element but it still managed to work.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
Apologies for my lack of album reviews over the last few weeks. A lot has happened in the past few weeks which prevented me from drafting and publishing these album reviews. But now that everything is stable again, I am able to restart posting reviews and album reviews as previously announced. We kick start the album review segment for the second time this year with VERIVERY’s comeback. They returned last month with Lay Back and their third mini-album, Face Me. Let’s see how the album fared as part of their latest comeback.
Face Me Album Cover
1. Photo – To me, Photo sets the tone for the album. It starts off with a rap-whisper sequence and this slowly builds into a decent rap verse. The vocals start to come through alongside the rapping. All this happens with a minimal background that is laced with heavy bass. That is up until the pre-chorus where the song picks up, leading to a paced but unique chorus. It doesn’t go for a slamming drop, but it is definitely a change in momentum. I really liked this section as it really sets the song apart from the rest of the album. The rest of the song copies the exact same set up. But due to its uniqueness, it doesn’t feel repetitive (maybe many more listens might change this). But Photo really opens the album in a way that yells out that there is a change in their sound, and it is worth checking out this change. (8/10)
3. Paradise – We start with the clock ticking and then are launched into the very familiar tropical house genre. It isn’t a complete launch (like as we do with the chorus), but you can definitely tell the direction of the song within the first few seconds on the track. I thought the song was nice, with the brightness in this track cutting the intensity that was thrown at us. It doesn’t feel heavy and the sound isn’t the ‘in-your-face’ type. My only complaint was the chanting (or shouting) during the chorus really cheapened the song for me. I did like the rougher texture during the opening of the final chorus. But the rest of the choruses felt a little too cliché. (7.5/10)
4. Curtain Call – Curtain Call is a pretty standard pop track. There is a nice beat to the song, which I think is one of the song’s main draw points. The rapping in the song is also another strong aspect and I definitely wanted to hear more of it as the song went along. The vocals did feel like it was the weakest part of the song as it didn’t feel like it was mixed in nicely. One example of this was the chorus. The vocals were used as a launcher into the chorus, but instead it cut the flow of the song and it felt like it was just awkwardly placed on top of the instrumental, rather than incorporated into the song. Overall, it was okay. But it was definitely the weakest of the bunch. (6/10)
5. Moment – We end of the album with a ballad. An expected move when it comes to many albums in the KPOP sphere. Coming off the previous song, I did think the vocal work in this song was a lot better. I do get the same impression that the vocals were laid over the top of the instrumental, but that is the nature of most ballads. The harmonies with the backing vocals, the acoustic guitar focused background and the softer nature of their voices do help out in this aspect, making this track extremely pleasant and calming. (8/10)
Golden Child is the second artist to comeback this week that is returning with a repackaged album. In November 2019, the group returned with the rebooted Wannabe, which earned them their first weekly music show win ever! Now the group is looking to continue the same momentum through their Without You comeback and the repackaged version of Re-boot, which also shares the same name as the new title track. In other related news, the group also recently held their first solo concert mid-January.
Based on my initial listen, I categorize this track into the classy category. I think what Golden Child managed to do in Without You was really impressive and unique. Going into this track, I had expected the common structure. So, I thought the soft-spoken start was the launchpad into a song that would have built up to into something explicitly epic. But we never get to that point as the song doesn’t really build. Instead the epicness we do get was a lot more subtle. The beat was a lot more hidden, but the chorus still managed to be groovy and fitting as a follow up from Wannabe. There is also a trap-infused dance break following the choruses, which was designed to be fitting for the song yet subtle at the same time. The second half of the song does have a more beat to it, but it keeps relatively aligned with the first half in its subtle-ness. The vocal work was superb and the rapping gave the song an extra punch, which I thought was fun. While I do like the song as a whole, my favourite section has to be the rough texture in the first verse, which is followed by a brief pause. That was really cool effect.
I don’t have time at the moment to really dig into the meaning behind the video. But I can tell that each scene seems to be in this music video for a symbolic reasoning. I would like to see what they are trying to portray, so if you have an idea about the storyline/meaning of the video, then let us know in the comment. This makes the music video a lot more interesting, lifting the dark concept from typical to captivating.
I thought the start to the choreography was pretty cool. The way they get up one by one. It is followed up a really cool setup where they are able to pull Jaehyun backwards. Then they were able to have really stunning formations during each pause in the first verse. And all of this happened before we reached the chorus. The dance break we ended up getting looked awesome, while the key point of the choreography during the chorus helped ‘smooth’ everything out.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.7/10
As the Lunar New Year has passed, you an expect an influx of comebacks this week from some of your favourite artists. Super Junior kicks us off this week with the release of 2YA2YAO! This is the group’s title track for the repackaged album of Time_Slip, which has been renamed as Timeless. As the lineup for Super Junior tends to change between comebacks (though this shouldn’t happen anymore as all the members have passed the mandatory enlistment stage of their careers), I just wanted to clarify that this comeback features the same nine members who participated in Super CLAP and the Time_Slip album. But on with the review!
Pronounced as Il-Ow-Il-Ya-Oh, 2YA2YAO! takes on a completely different profile to their previous title track. This new song is a lot more intense and edgy, as opposed to the bright and pop nature of SUPER Clap. To me, this would be Super Junior’s answer to the more intense comebacks that we have heard in this era of KPOP and definitely a return to their more powerful sounds that they had going when they were at the peak of their careers. And I thought it was a really awesome song. The instrumental felt like it took a page of the 90s and I honestly liked how deep it sounded. I think this was largely the reason to why I really enjoyed the song. The vocal work helped support this. The rapping was good but it felt a little plain. The part that did get the biggest question mark is trap-focused bridge of the song. It started off good, matching with the rest of the song. But then the melody become a little too mainstream pop, which didn’t feel like it was fitting for the otherwise cool track.
Based from the top of my mind, this comeback features one of their edgiest videos yet. I think the last time I got this type of feeling from a Super Junior music video was Bonamana. While I do like this type of concept, I have to admit that it is a little typical. Aside from showing the members in a dark setting and charismatic light (which does match the song’s vibes), there just wasn’t really anything worth talking about.
The music video did feature the standard choreography shots and I thought that these were a better element of the music video. You could feel the edge when watching the choreography shots. My favourite bit has to be short instrumental segments we get following each chorus. I thought the section looked really cool and it was like they were tutting with their entire bodies.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.2/10
In addition to Interlude tracks, I don’t often review pre-release tracks. The main reason for this is that there usually isn’t any music video (which would reduce my review to a 2 paragraphs. Last week, BTS unveiled Black Swan, the pre-release track off their upcoming album release, Map Of The Soul: 7. Accompanying this pre-release track is an art film, which I have decided to be the music video for this release. Hence, this fulfills the criteria for a review. Map Of The Soul: 7 has been confirmed for release on the 21st of February 2020.
The more I listen to Black Swan, the more I find it to be extremely calming. There is something about the song that just relaxes me. It might be the instrumental, which doesn’t go into any ‘hard’ territory and remains relatively light throughout. The Eastern influences that you can hear in the instrumental give off complexity, definition and personality. All elements that you definitely want to find in a song. The more modern trap beats keeps it grounded and adds robustness to the song. The combination comes together nicely and allows for a flow like water trickling over a riverbed. Their vocals could also help make the song feel calming. Their harsher vocals (for both rappers and vocalists) were not present in this song. Everything was a lot softer and more melodic, which helped smooth out the song even further. The use of autotune usually would have countered this. But somehow, BTS managed to utilize this element without disrupting the atmosphere. If I was to be honest, I didn’t feel this way about the song the first few times I heard it. It felt awkward and I just didn’t get it. But more listens definitely helped out and I am looking forward to the rest of the album when it comes out in February.
The art film contains a slightly different version of the song, where the song features more traditional instruments and a more acoustic profile. And I think this version really helps make the choreography stand out. I find the following explanation to the performance to make a lot of sense and is more detailed that whatever interpretation that I would have made.
To me, the level of aesthetics in which the art film reaches is a very fine point on any scale. That takes a lot to do and the producers nailed the film perfectly, capturing everything that needed to be captured. It is definitely one of check out. I highly recommend it.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 10/10 Overall Rating – 9.4/10
This review contains my personal opinions regarding the song and music video. This is my interpretation and mine only.
This is the first time I am doing a full review for the Interlude track for BTS (or any artist). Why am I finally doing a review for the Interlude track? Well, I have noticed that these are actually tracks worth talking about themselves. The music video that accompanies these tracks also tend to be full of symbolism and hence there is more to talk about. The Interlude track is titled Shadow, courtesy of Suga. It was the first track unveiled after the announcement of their upcoming comeback in February with Map Of The Soul: 7.
There is something haunting with the start of the song in the ‘I Wanna Be…‘ montage. Suga’s signature husky and low tone brings this section to life, making it a memorable part of the song. Suga then start to throw lines at us through the rapping. And it is in this part do we get more of an idea of what the song is all about. Essentially, the ‘I Wanna Be…‘ montage at the start is more like the dream that we keep on repeating to ourselves to help make it a reality. But the verses and chorus paint a darker picture. That sometimes this dream isn’t somewhere we would want to be. In this sense, Suga says as part as of the world’s leading musical act, he is lonely and is often followed by a dark shadow that stays with me no matter whats. He doesn’t want to fly nor does he want to fall from the top. The rock sound in this part was really good and well accented. He then repeats the montage and then the song manages to flip a switch. It becomes a lot more intense and powerful. Suga’s rapping becomes more erratic and chaotic, as opposed to the control at the start. In the lyrics, I think he is referencing that darker side, which I thought was interesting. There is a lot to take in, but I thought Suga nailed this track with a very likable backdrop/instrumental.
I think my interpretation of the song lyrics and the musical intentions of the song reflect well with the music video. Remember that this might not be the actual interpretation. We see shadows at the start, with Suga standing in front of door. I think this foreshadows the shadows that will follow him once he rises to the top. We then see the same corridor with Suga, but no shadows, which shows his desires prior to realizing the darker side of show business. He runs, which shows his climb to the top. This lands him on the stage, with everyone watching. In this era, social media is like a double-ended sword. It help create his career. But at the same time, it allows for the focus to be too much on him. There is a scene in which the camera angles continually changes but the focus remains on him the entire time, further emphasising this part. The more erratic part of the song shows cameras directed at him, similar to how paparazzi tends to get. We see the shadows run after him. But we see human hands instead, showing that some fans can be the shadow. Overall, I thought this was a really cool video. The different ways symbolism was shown in the video was really profound. The post-production also helped out.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 10/10 Overall Rating – 9.4/10
SF9 made their return last Monday with Good Guy and their very first studio length album, First Collection. And a bigger congratulation to the members as this comeback has scored them their first (few) wins on the weekly music shows that we see each weekend. Good Guy scored first place on MCountdown and Music Bank this week, further proving that their popularity is growing between comebacks. Good job to the group and hope to see more wins the future, as they do deserve it. But before we go anywhere into the future, let’s have a close look at what their first album had to offer.
2. Am I The Only One (나만 그래) – Am I The Only One could easily have been a title track. There is a very classy profile to this track that I think many people might miss if they gloss through the album. I find this contrasts in a very distinct manner, as the song talks about being the only one in a former relationship to have their thoughts linger towards their former lover. The chorus was really smooth, and I thought the husky vocals Inseong brought to the song really ‘upgraded’ the song. The rappers also stood out in this song, which their parts providing a little interesting push and texture. There is a lot more that I wanted to say about this song. But due to the nature of the album review, this is not possible. However, I think the song can be described in one word: perfection. (9/10)
3. Shh – Another fantastic song on this album comes right after a perfect song. I like how seductive the song sounds. The limited brass that featured in the instrumental (during the pre-chorus and ending) was very smooth, while the guitar helped make the song groovy. I liked how they amped up the bass for the chorus, which made the instrumental sound so bouncy. I thought every member sounded really good in the song. The rappers did not have much of a presence in this song, relative to the second track. But their parts sounded really good, complimenting the vocalists and their slight seduction. (9/10)
4. Lullu Lalla(룰루랄라) – I wasn’t exactly sure what direction the song would take, given the song’s title. But once I heard the pop sound and the upbeat instrumentation, it all made sense. The instrumental or backdrop to the song was very vibrant, which I thought gave the song a strong appeal. There is a much brighter tone to the song, which does take everything we have heard in a different direction. I thought it was a nice palate cleanser, given its position after a number of intense tracks (the intensity in some was more subtle). There is a bit of autotune to the song, which I thought gave good textures to the otherwise traditional sound. The vocals and rapping were good. (8/10)
5. One Love – One Love is another upbeat dance pop track. But unfortunately, it sounds pretty typical for its pop sound. And hence I find the song not as impressive when compared to the song around it. What the song does good is that it pushes forward with an instrumental that just keeps on going. I thought this was a good aspect of the song, as the flow does not get cut for majority of the song. The only break in the instrumental comes just before the final chorus and it does so in a neat manner. The momentum returns in full capacity for the final chorus and gives the song a decent ending, ending with how it started. (7/10)
6. Like The Hands Held Tight (널 꽉 잡은 손만큼) – Chosen as a secondary promotional track (i.e. promoted during their comeback week), Like The Hands Held Tight is a mid-tempo R&B track that sounds pretty decent. It shows off their classy side, as mentioned earlier in the review, and this makes this a good lead-in to their actual comeback title track. The track also reminded me of their O Sole Mio era, based on the way Taeyang sings ‘Take My My Hand’. To be honest, I wanted a little more to the song. I wanted it to be more engaging. The instrumental was bland and needed to be spice up in some capacity. The song would have benefited from this and developed a more engaging appeal. (7/10)
7. Fire (타) – For a song named Fire, I expected a little more when it came to the verses. I expected it to come roaring at me, as other tracks titled Fire have done in the past. But I thought the start (and second verse) was pretty tame in comparison. The chorus does make up for the flawed start by amping up the instrumentation, tempo and energy. The hooks were very catchy and addictive. I did place a huge question mark over the rapping, because I thought it needed more intensity. But more listens have removed this question mark. The vocal work was also quite good as well. (7.5/10)
8. Stop It Now (더 잔인하게) – Despite the song being on the shorter side, I thought Stop It Now was a very good song. There is a slowness to this song that I thought was aesthetically pleasing. I personally don’t think the song was ‘slowed’ to be seductive, though I am confident that these guys can pull off a concept of that type. Instead, the slowness drives the song. I liked how the beat is accented in this song, make it even more powerful. The vocals are dragged out, but in a way that works with the rest of the song and doesn’t feel unnecessary. The rapping is a tool used to add intensity to the song, making it even more engaging. (8.5/10)
9. Dance With Us(춤을 출 거야) – Given the title, I thought it was going to be vibrant and fun sounding. I wouldn’t say I was 100% right, but I was thinking in the same direction. What I didn’t expect was the song’s first verse to be very similar to Pentagon’s Humph!. It gave off the same vibe. The rest of the song doesn’t really sound the same, however. I did expect a little more ‘dance-centric’ or lively sound in the instrumental as the tempo may come off sluggish to some. However, I thought that the song was interesting as it is and had a SF9 profile to it. The ending was very unique, as the members kick up the tempo and give us that lively sound, I had desired. It was just short-lived. (8/10)
10. Beautiful Light – Based on my YouTube search, Beautiful Light was revealed at their concert last year. I seem to can’t find an English translation for the song. But given its position as the final track on the album, along with its performance at their previous concert, Beautiful Light is probably a track dedicated to their fans. The upbeat and happy instrumental is very upbeat and different from their usual style. There is a nice melodic ring to the song. The vocal work and rapping were also very good. Thus, ending the song on a happy tone. (8/10)
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