Category: KPOP

[Review] On – BTS

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We end the week with the return of the KPOP group that is breaking records left, right and centre. BTS has broken more ground that any other artist in KPOP ever in the industry. And yet they continue to do so with every comeback. Today, the group returns with On, the title track from their fourth Korean album, Map of The Soul: 7. The album also features all the tracks from their 2019 mini-album, Map of the Soul: Persona, including Boy With Luv. The album also features Black Swan and Interlude: Shadow, which were pre-releases back in January.

One of my previous complaints with BTS previous comebacks (they were still good songs) was that it was catered to the Western industry and consequently lost the darkness that I really enjoyed from BTS back in the day. While On isn’t totally a dark track like Fake Love or Blood Sweat and Tears, the song is a step in that direction with its edgy vibes. I love the marching drums in the instrumental. It keeps the song coming at you in a consistent manner, driving the song along with a subtle yet heavy intensity. The subtle voice synths (what is the technical terms for this?) in the chorus that were made to match the style of a rolling drum beat was also quite cool. The dance break took me by surprise when I heard the first time. It takes a slight trap influence and infuses it with brass and some electric guitar, which I think is really cool. The vocal work was superb (loving how Jin got more lines than usual) and the rapping was, as always, top notch.

The music video is awesome. There is an epic feel to the video thanks to the wide shot and the very familiar backdrop. I am sure it has appeared on other shows and videos before, but I recognize it from American Horror Story. The lighting is also quite bright, while everyone else is dressed in black. There is a strong contrast with the backup dancers and the scenery. In the end, the members pop, which I think is really cool. They are in a mixture of black and white, so they do standout in the crowd. I also liked how the video was set up and made to look like the members (for some parts) appear out of nowhere. Whether that is part of the choreography, I am not sure. But it looks fantastic either way.

The choreography was also a standout. The chorus, for one, was pretty memorable by the end of the music video. Especially when it came to the raining lyrics. The circular motions they made with their hands somehow keyed into my mind. The second part has to be the dance break. Intense, edgy and very tough, bringing me back to my favourite eras of BTS releases. I do wonder, with such an extravagant music video and routine setup, how they will pull off comeback stages. It is either going to be mind blowing or over the top.

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.8/10

[Review] Dazzle Dazzle – Weki Meki

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The next artist that needs to be reviewed (according to my list of comebacks) is Weki Meki, who made their return yesterday with Dazzle Dazzle. 2019 saw the group return with Picky Picky and Tiki Taka, which I enjoyed moderately and forgot the existence of the two songs quite soon after. I do know that since their last comeback, Yoojung did go on a hiatus to attend to some health concerns, but has returned as part of the full lineup for Dazzle Dazzle. Let’s find out if the group is able to dazzle their through this review and get a high rating.

To me, the song reminds me of the many female tracks that we got over the past few years that just never got popular in the industry. But guess what? Many of those songs were totally big highlights and standouts to me. And it seems like Dazzle Dazzle is going down that under appreciated route. Sorry to say that, but given the other big name artist that just dropped their new track today, Dazzle Dazzle will definitely be overshadowed. But here are some reasons to why you should check out this track. Firstly, the energy coming from the instrumental is so infectiously fun. The brass, the very bubbly synths and the synthpop backdrop in the chorus was just a fun and vibrant combination. The vocal work was pretty good. I really liked how they toned the track down for the bridge and how it allowed the vocals of Doyeon and Suyeon to be showcased in the limelight. I am not usually one to enjoy this, but I thought it was a good change in this song. I do find the rapping a little standard, but it was fitting for this track when I think back. The song was also smothered with catchy hooks, which definitely is appealing. Overall, I think the group did managed to dazzle me with Dazzle Dazzle.

Despite it being a pretty video, it wasn’t much to it. There some diamonds and other stuff to give off some dazzling effect. But I think the producers could have been a little more creative when it came to the music video. Maybe they could have revolved it around the diamond or something that dazzles. That is probably is a lame idea. But the video honestly needed a little more of something to give it some sort of memorable element. On a more positive note, I did think the video had a nice pastel colour palette and highlighted the visuals of the members in a beautiful manner.

I find the performance of the song pretty unique. The foot and hand move they did during the chorus and verse actually looked cool. It is probably very hard considering they need to move their limbs while balancing on one leg.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.9/10

[Album Review] # (2nd Mini Album) – LOONA

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No reviews today. But I thought it might be a good opportunity to get the album review that I am holding onto out or else everything else will be pushed to a later date (which screws with another break I am planning to have). The artist in focus today is LOONA, who returned with # and their latest title track, So What. This is the group’s first comeback in a year since Butterfly. The group did release 365 as a single back in December and this is also included as part of the album. For those who didn’t read my So What review, (spoiler alert) it is epic! So let’s see how the rest of the album fair.

# Album Cover

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

3. Number 1 – The album is co-produced by Lee Soo Man, who some people may know as the SM Entertainment CEO. So, I was wondering if we would hear some influences of the big company on the album. Number 1 confirms this, with a song that is right up BoA’s alley. The entire time I was listening to the song, I could imagine BoA singing this R&B track, as well. And while this may sound like a good thing, some of you might not know that I am not really a big BoA fan (some of her tracks are good, others sound very plain). The plainness comes through in this track and this leaves me disappoint. I do find the vocals to be elegant and delicate in this song and there is a nice melody. But, not really enough appeal from the instrumental department, in my opinion. (6/10)

4. Oh (Yes I Am) – Another very typical instrumental. Oh (Yes I Am) attempts to exploit the trap genre of music that has been very dominant over the last few years. I think the chorus and pre-chorus are pretty good examples of fresh usage of the genre, given that the energy that does come from the song is very promising. Another way of thinking about the song is that it is pretty much a tamed and held back version of GWSN’s title track. This is also a really good set up for the rappers, who are given another opportunity on the album to shine. The genre’s usage in the verses, however, was very boring and I didn’t enjoy this part of the song as much. I thought the vocals were good, especially with the ‘Oh~’ that we get every now and then in the chorus. (8/10)

5. Ding Ding Dong – After Number 1 and Oh (Yes I Am), I was wondering when the album will start to infuse some energy into the album. And we get it through Ding Ding Dong, which is probably more of a cutesy and innocent sound. It does sound like the group is stepping back from their routes through this song. But I reassure, it is still a good song nonetheless. The instrumental contains a slight jazzy like touch, which is where the energy comes from. The rapping is very typical in this track for a LOONA track, but I guess that is because of the innocent side of the track. The vocal work is a strong point in this song, especially Chuu’s parts in the bridge, which I thought gave the song a really good peak. (7.5/10)

6. 365 (Pre-Release Track) – This pre-release track was released back in December 2019. It was a ballad, suited for the Winter season that we had just left. There is a warming feeling to the song, thanks to the piano and the vocal work of the song. There is also a few Christmas-related touches in the song. The chorus is probably the best part of the song, which is where I start to sway along to the music (those who have been reading my blog for a very long time would know what this means). It isn’t the strongest song on the album and I didn’t really think much of it when it was released. But writing the review now, I find it a nice track. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.9/10

# Teaser Image

[Review] Scream – Dream Catcher

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This is the first review in a while that I managed to complete on the same day of its release. Dream Catcher is back with a brand new song, Scream. It is featured on their very first studio album, Dystopia: The Tree of Language. If you watch the music video, you may notice that there is only 6 members involved in this comeback. This is because Handong is sitting out of this comeback due to overseas schedules. Dream Catcher has also confirmed that they will be releasing their third Japanese single, so keep an eye out on Saturdays for the review!

One listen in and I am already overwhelmed with the epic nature of the song. What I find very interesting is that Dream Catcher has been very consistent with their sound. Just everytime they return, they manage to reinvent the sound in some manner that makes it sound so epic and grand. Scream starts off with that rock sound that we are used when we discuss Dream Catcher. But slowly the thumping beats creeps in and we are introduced to a twist that leaves your jaws hanging. The chorus throws electronica into the mix and this gives the song that rush of intensity and dramatic flair that is unlike any I have encountered before in my many years of listing to Korean music. What I really thought was cool is how the members brought a deeper tone to their voices to the chorus. This definitely added to that flair I just mentioned. Another cool detail in the chorus as to be that choir-like ‘Scream, Scream, Scream‘. The rappers really shined, going with a deeper than usual tone as well. The vocals were superb in this song. In fact, I think all the members managed to top whatever song I considered to be their best previously as this was an awesome track which I highly recommend if you want some intensity in your playlist.

Darkness seems to overtake the members in this video, as seen by the start of the video with light being taken away and the members are running away from the dark clouds. There seems to be a little witchcraft in the video as well, based on some scenes looking like had a magic component to it. Their outfits seems to allude to witchcraft. But other than that, I have no idea what is going on in this video. What is the significance of the mask? What is the darkness and cloud? And why did it take over the light? What role to the members play in this video? It looks like we are going to get answers (hopefully) in an upcoming comeback, so I guess we have to wait and see. When it comes to the visuals of the video themselves, I thought the video looked amazing. The post production looked awesome and it definitely really appealed to my taste.

The choreography routine features backup dancers, which I don’t think Dream Catcher has ever used before. I find that fairly cool. I also think there is a lot of attitude to this song, thanks to the routine they perform for the chorus. I also liked how they kept Handong in mind while choreographing this routine, as I believe she might take the position of the masked female dancer when she returns.

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 9.4/10

[Review] Fiesta – IZ*ONE

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It has been a rough end to 2019 for the female group IZ*ONE. Originally, the group was meant to return in November (presumably with the same title track and album). However, the group was whisked into a voting rigging controversy that occurred throughout the Produce 101 series. As IZ*ONE hails from one of the seasons where vote rigging did occur, the group went on hiatus (along with X1). Fortunately, IZ*ONE was able to push through the hiatus (X1 unfortunately disbanded at the request of the individual companies) and, as of today, return to promotions with Fiesta and Bloom*IZ.

As expected from the title of the song, Fiesta, the song is a colourful mix of sounds that is bound to get your attention. Whether the song is an appealing mix will definitely depend on the individual due to the unique sounds that the song features. We start the song off with what I would describe a typical pop instrumental for this current era. But it is one that showcases good producing talents. I liked the thumping beat which gives its a slight dramatic flair. The chorus is where the song gets a little wacky, thanks to the use of very squeaky horns. It was subtle at first when the members are singing, but it gets turned up a notch during the post-chorus instrumental break. I personally thought they gave the song a very unique character and helped the song in the charming department. Vocally, the song showcases a more powerful side of the group, which I really like (as you may know from past reviews).

I thought this was a stunning video. Let’s start off with the visual of the members. Their outfits and their closeups all make so damn beautiful. I am not exactly familiar with each individual member (I don’t follow the Produce 101 seasons closely). But this is the type of video that makes you want to learn everyone’s name. Secondly, the video features some of the best post-production editing I have seen in a long time. I definitely appreciate this and love the polished feel it gives off. Oh, and the video is colourful, as one would expect.

Two things stood out for me when it came to the performance for Fiesta. The first was regarding the bounciness of the chorus, which I thought was pretty cool. The dress twirling also looked cool. The second aspect which I liked was the pre-chorus formations, where they be walking and dancing at the same time. It is the little details that can make or break a routine and I think the group nailed it.

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

[Review] Eclipse – Moonbyul (Mamamoo)

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Apologies for the 3-day late review. I know I promised the reviews would only be a day late last week, but I took some time off over the weekend as I needed to recover from a lack of sleep. One of the reviews that were meant to be published on Saturday is Moonbyul’s solo comeback, Eclipse. The Mamamoo rapper and vocalist made her solo comeback back in 2016 with Selfish (which featured Seulgi from Red Velvet). It has been a while since we heard any solo work. I do need to warn you. If you are expecting something along the lines of Selfish, I would quickly change those expectations now.

Why would I lead into the review with a change in expectations? Well, Moonbyul goes full blast with Eclipse. We have never seen her like this. Not in Selfish and definitely not as part of Mamamoo. I think the relevant way of it saying it nowadays (Internet jargon/slang is not my thing) is that ‘She snapped’. The song has this intense trap-based dance instrumental as its backdrop. While this is typical in the industry, the way the song manages to come together makes it sound epic and helps breathe new light into the style/sound. There are also some smaller details such as the song’s slow down moments (which provide relief from the intensity) and the deep voice in the background during the chorus that helps with this. We see a mixture of Moonbyul rapping and singing in this song. I won’t describe this as an extension of what we have seen so far. Not when she raps with such intensity and her vocals shine through thanks to the raspy nature of her voice. I feel like Moonbyul created her own identity through Eclipse, far away from what we are used to. The song itself is also catchy and has a nice rhythm, which appeals straight to my tastes.

Talking about ‘sides’, Moonbyul presents two sides of herself in the video. I think the first is Moonstar, which is represented through the white outfits and her much lighter makeup. The second is Monster. This side of the artist is presented by the black outfits and heavy eye makeup. I definitely thought this was a very strong concept. Two sides of an artist has been visited before. But this one feels a lot more fulfilling once you finish watching the music video. I am not usually a fan of the flashy nature of music videos, but I thought it was very well used in this video and helped with the intense aesthetics.

I liked how despite the fact that Moonbyul still had to rap and sing throughout the performance, she delivers with her moves. No moves stood out to me. But I thought it was a cool performance, regardless.

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

[Album Review] Labyrinth (8th Mini Album) – GFriend

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Apologies for the random publishing dates for these album reviews. I expect all my reviews to normalize back to the usual days in the coming weeks.

GFriend have returned and took the past week by storm by taking the top spots of the Weekly Music Shows with their most recent comeback, Crossroads. Today, I will be looking at the rest of their album which is titled Labyrinth. Within the review, you will notice that they experiment with their sounds but stay relatively safe for their title track. More on that very soon (literally as part of the review of the first song on album). But I find that very interesting. Let’s see where their side tracks sit relative to the title track, Crossroads.

Labyrinth Album Cover

1. Labyrinth – In my Crossroads review, I mentioned that the group’s sound is becoming a little too consistent and this might be an issue if they were to keep to the same sound for their future releases. If we were to get a change in sound from GFriend, something like Labyrinth would be amazing. The start of the song reminded me of Fingertip, a previous title track of theirs. I really like the melodies in this song. Paired with a funky techno-like dance beat, the song is a great opener and track from the ladies, overall. All of this helps make the song extremely addictive and I keep on coming back for more. It is okay for GFriend to keep some of their influences in the track, as they did with the electric guitar during the bridge of Labyrinth. (10/10)

2. Crossroads (교차로) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Crossroads. (7/10)

3. Here We Are – The verses in this song were very unimpressive. It was a pretty bland start and I was wanting to pass the song the first few times I was listening to the album. But it until the song starts building up during the pre-chorus that the song has a kick to it. And the kick delivered a pretty solid chorus full of harmonies and melodies that highlights the best of the group’s vocals. I find it a very wholesome song, where the group longs to return to the best moment of their past or dwindling relationship. The bridge brings out a new sound that we haven’t heard from the group, opting for a slight anthem-like vibe. (8/10)

4. Eclipse (지금 만나러 갑니다) – Here is another good change to the group’s sound. This one would be considered to be in more familiar territory, as it retains the group’s classical instrumentation. But they seem to add a little Latin influence into the mix. There were also moments that I thought the song had a ‘diva-like’ vibe to the song, which I would love to hear the group explore more. Regardless of the slight touch add to the song, I thought the energy coming from the track was very encapsulated. There was a rush to the song but it wasn’t necessary a rush that we would associate with in this era. The vocal work is quite nice in the song, even though it seems a little linear for the most part (Yuju helped recover this at the end, but I would have liked to hear more character throughout). (9/10)

5. Dreamcatcher – Dreamcatcher is a very soothing song, suitable for a song about dreams and how their partner/crush is recurring in them. I don’t think this is very new territory for the group, as there is an ongoing trend on this album regarding ‘new sounds’. The way the group does perform the song do give is a refreshing feel. Their vocals are also very delicate, which makes sense regarding the theme of the song, and I thought the song had really good hooks/melodies to help drive the song and make it even more appealing. (8/10)

6. From Me – The final song on the album is a ballad. No surprises there, as this is commonly the place for the ballad of the song. The way the song started, I thought that there was a chance that the song would not be a ballad given the heavy thumping beat. But the song develops in that direction regardless. One thing that does make this song very appealing to me is its acoustic guitar that builds on and on as the song progresses. I thought that was very cool. Their vocals shine in this song, as you would want with a ballad and I think their vocals get even better towards the end. So, it is another song to listen through all the way! (8.5/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.4/10

Labyrinth Teaser Image

[Review] Red Moon – KARD

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The next comeback to receive a day-late review is by KARD. The co-ed group is finally back after the release of their 2019 Bomb Bomb and Dumb Litty. Their new track is titled Red Moon and it is the title track from the album of the same name. In a recent review, the group aspires to release a a studio album in the future, which is definitely long overdue for the group. The only thing standing in the group’s way is J.Seph’s impending military enlistment, which means that there won’t be a full group comeback for about two years. While J.Seph is still here, however, let’s enjoy what Red Moon has to offer.

My first impressions of the song wasn’t that great. I thought it was rather bland. I am kind of glad I didn’t write this review yesterday, as it would have been so different. Red Moon swings right at you at the right moments. The song is another house based dance track (it is a KARD thing) that employs very heavy beats throughout the song to provide it with some definition. I think the song has good melodies and will be one to stay on my playlist for a long time. The vocal work is pretty amazing and the rapping is very impressive. I really loved how Somin echoes Jiwoo during the second verse. Something that I am still not 100% used to yet is how the song feels like it is a mashup of two songs. The verses and (what I believe) is the first set of choruses is one song, while the more robust and heavy part (the ‘run baby run’ one) felt liked it belong to another. While they are distinct, somehow they come together quite well the second time. The first times feels a little awkward but I guess a few more listens might just help merge the two together. Overall, a good song.

I thought the video was very classy. It is a dance track that looks and sounds likes what KARD has been doing throughout their careers thus far. But there was a little high-end feel when it came to the visual side of this comeback. All the members appeared in a glass box and wore really fancy outfits that really looked stunning. Likewise, that second heavy drop chorus featured the members in a cat-walk like moment. I thought was really cool and made perfect sense. There were more urban looks in the music video and they looked cool as well. But we have seen so much of that already, so it was a nice change.

The key point dance was from the first heavy chorus, which I thought looked cool in the small snippet that we got initially. And it is still looks impressive in the whole routine. I liked how they repeated the same routine but in a completely different formation the second time around. And it looks fresh as well, rather than using the same repeated moves that we have seen from the group before.

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

[Review] Dr. BeBe – Pentagon

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Yup, still a day late with the reviews. Bringing us one of two late reviews to be published today is Pentagon, who are finally back with their very first studio album. In my last album review, I was hoping a studio length album and my wishes came true! The group returns with Dr. BeBe, which is featured the album titled UNIVERSE: THE BLACK HALL. This release follows their Korean Humph! and Japanese Happiness.

Pentagon has had a strong run with their brighter concepts over the last few years. And while the group could continue what they have been doing with these brighter sounds, it is quite unfortunate that none of them really managed to hit the mark like how Shine got their name out there. So, the obvious choice was to change sounds and boy, what a change it was. The song kicks off with a suspenseful, anthem-like opener that really intrigues you. It would have been nice if the rest of the song followed through. But instead, we were presented with a very standard dance track setup. I do admit that I do find this new song a lot tighter and intense with its overall sound (which are all good things, especially with a song that opts for a darker profile). The chorus does provide a little more rhythm to the mix, giving the ends of some lines a little kick in the high note department which is rather unique. I wouldn’t say the song is catchy, but rather it was memorable for those high note line endings. The presence of violins during the bridge was good to help cut through the standard dance synths we get in this song. Vocally, I thought the vocalists and rappers did a good job. I just wished the sound wasn’t as generic and that the track be a little more unique.

Not only did their sound go from bright to intense, but their visual concept also shared the same change. Obviously, it matches up with the song. The lyrics provided insight into a crazed split-personality and the members did an amazing job of showing that in the music video. From their crazed dark side to their scared innocent side, their acting was spot on. In the end, it was shown that they were all patients in a facility, which makes me glad as they did seem they were freely roaming before. I really liked the dark scenes, particularly the choreography shots. It just really emphasizes the new image. I do agree with the netizens this time around when it comes to Hongseok’s outfit. I do think it is a little overkill for this concept and it is more to show off the abs that has been in spotlight.

No moves really stood out to me in the choreography, which is slightly disappointing. But that doesn’t mean it was a bad routine. In fact, I did think it was powerful and strong, which we have seen from Pentagon in the past. It just had no moves that I could really direct your attention to.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10

[Review] Hands Up – Cherry Bullet

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My reviews are going to be a day late, unfortunately. With that warning in place, I start this review for Cherry Bullet’s Hands Up, which was meant to be written yesterday as it was released yesterday. But as I say quite often on here, better late than never. This is the group’s second comeback, which follows their addictive Q&A debut and their alright Really Really comeback. Since their last comeback, the group reformed into a seven-member lineup after the departure of Mirae, Kokoro, and Linlin. Let’s see what seven-member Cherry Bullet has to offer us.

If I were to put their last two title tracks into list, Hands Up will fall into the Q&A list. Why? Well, I was blown away by the song from first listen. The most memorable aspect of this new song has to be the sample of Beethoven’s Für Elise. I thought it was a one time thing in this song but it kept on reappearing in the background. It had a very unique charm and gave the song some class. I particularly liked how the vocals merge with the sample at the very end of the bridge, which I thought was very cool. In addition of that sample, the song takes a mature profile, compared to their earlier works from 2019. And I thought that this was a nice change. It is another one of those songs that you expect a massive drop for, but they never delivered this drop, which adds to the suspense of the song. The vocal work and slight rapping we heard in the song was very good. The melodies give off a polish feel, further highlighting the mature side of the group. Overall, enjoying the song.

What I think the group is also nailing are their concepts. We first got a video game centred music video for their debut. Their comeback showcased the virtual reality aspect of gaming. And now, we are given a look into their Cherry Bullet Development, where videos games are made. I liked how to match their mature sound, the group is given mature colours to wear. Their sets are definitely less colourful (but not dull in anyway). Overall, I thought this was both a very visually and conceptually video to watch. I wonder if the group will extend their video game concept further somehow with their next release.

I thought the choreography was good. Not really the most unique performance out there or the most captivating. But it does the job in my opinion, especially for a song that does not drop.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10

[Review] Bouncy – Rocket Punch

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Rocket Punch made a mediocre debut last year with BIM BAM BUM. Their debut track was just another one of those that left me on the fence with both good and bad moments. Now, the group is back to take on the industry with a new track titled BOUNCY. This is featured on the group’s second mini-album, RED PUNCH. Let’s see if the track is any better than their debut song.

I will get straight to the point and address what I had left off at. I do think BOUNCY is better than BIM BAM BUM by a mile. Sure, it takes on that bright pop sound that majority of KPOP female groups attempt. And their debut track did just that. I just find this a lot more energetic and colourful than their debut track. I do like how the song lives up to the group’s name, with the beat during the chorus being literally punchy. There isn’t a dull moment in this song. It is super catchy and the pop moments really do pop out. However, the song isn’t perfect and it does bring back the ‘on the fence’ comment I made previously. The song features hip-hop focused parts and trap-based instrumentation. Usually, this could be infused well into some tracks. In this case, I think it would be best described as ‘trying too hard’. It flip-flops between the two sounds and I don’t think it mashes together well. I also don’t like how they get shout-y during the more intense moments. I think it pushes the group in the wrong direction. There were moments that I feel like they were channeling ITZY as the sounds are similar. That is all good. They just went overkill this time around.

Given the energetic and punchy sound they had going, there was no doubt that the video would be full of colour. It would be a complete dud if the video was dark and mysterious. It just doesn’t work with one another. Other than a colourful video, the video doesn’t have much else to offer content wise. If you are after a video that is definitely lively, then this is a video for you to watch.

Putting the song behind and focusing on the choreography, my comments are slightly different. There is no way this choreography could have come about if the group didn’t have the different sounds that BOUNCY has going on. It is an intense routine that shows off the group’s talent in the performance department. And like the song’s title, the chorus has this bouncy feel that I thought made it a fun routine.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 6.9/10

[Review] Reveal – The Boyz

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The Boyz had another busy year with three Korean and one Japanese release. This is quite similar to their jam-packed debut year. Could 2020 be a repeat with multiple comebacks from the male group? Well, we will have to wait and see. The group does kick off 2020 with the release of their very first studio album, which shares the same name as their title track, Reveal. The music video was released 18 hours prior to the actual album drop, which is a rare occurrence. Unfortunately, I was asleep when the music video was revealed (and was busy yesterday) and couldn’t cover it until now.

I am torn about Reveal. The song has been out for a while now and I think my feelings to the song have budged at all. I thought the song is rather typical for a male group. That edgy and dark territory is pretty much a phase that majority of male groups must touch on in some capacity and is much preferred by many fans (myself included). So creatively, I don’t see anything new about this dance track (with trap synths and other trendy styles). And this was my mentality during the verses. It felt flat and disappointed me with its lack of memorable hooks or synths. The chorus was a lot better. There is definitely a kick to it with the ‘Down for your love‘ repetition (though, it took me a while to try to decipher what they were saying during this moment, as I thought they were chanting ‘devil’ or ‘dev-u-lah’). Vocally, The Boyz did an okay job. It was like how I thought the song was. Plain during the verses and a lot more lively during the chorus. The rapping was a lot more impressive, especially with how the rapping was incorporated during the lively choruses. Overall, I am on the fence when it comes to Reveal.

The music video had a ‘wolf’ concept. But I didn’t get much of a ‘wolf’ concept as it lacked canines. I think the only canine-related moment that I could detect in the video was the line ‘Time For Dogs and Wolves‘ just before the final chorus. It honestly just felt like a standard edgy and dark concept that majority of male groups do throughout their career. The video ended up being very mysterious, which I guess goes well with their dark concept. I did like the use of colour within the darkness of the video, which helped the colours pop out.

While the song and the video have been disappointing for me, the choreography is quite the opposite. I thought the performance they put on was actually quite cool. I liked how minute everything felt during the start, but the aura they had was very intense. That could be used to describe the rest of the choreography, with it being powerful in some parts and subtle in other parts.

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

[Album Review] Reminiscence (1st Mini Album) – EVERGLOW

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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)

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

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)

Overall Album Rating – 8.6/10

Reminiscence Teaser Image

[Review] Cool – BVNDIT

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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

[Album Review] Timeless (9th Repackaged Album) – Super Junior

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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.

Timeless Album Cover

1. 2YA2YAO! (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for 2YA2YAO! (9/10)

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)

Overall Album Rating – 9/10

Timeless Teaser Image

[Review] Dive – iKON

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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