Category: KPOP

[Album Review] Kill This Love (2nd Mini Album) – BLACKPINK

Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged Leave a comment

Apologies again for the lateness of the review (this was meant to be published on Saturday but it is now Sunday where I am living). But this review will be looking at BLACKPINK’s 2nd mini-album to date, Kill This Love, which features the title track of the same name. I think the most exciting part of this comeback is that the number of BLACKPINK songs is growing, with the addition of 4 new songs (including the title track). The album also contains a remix version of DDU-DU DDU-DU, which I think is really good as well. But as this song was previously reviewed, it has been omitted from this album review. 

blackpink-killthislove-2
Kill This Love Album Cover

1..Kill This Love (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Kill This Love. (6.5/10) APOLOGIES TO ALL BLINKS OUT THERE. My original review referred to the song as Kiss The Love in the title. This has been rectified.

2. Don’t Know What To Do – The one thing that makes this song amazing is that it slowly builds up to the club-centred chorus. This makes the chorus stand out even more than what it already does standalone due to its energetic kick. And as a result, this makes the song one to remember. In conjunction with this is amazing formula, the song also centres itself around the member’s vocals capabilities. I don’t think there was much of a rap sequence in the song, which I think was slightly intriguing. I think the choice of vocals makes this song even more unique, as a rap would have potentially made the song feel typical in BLACKPINK’s standards. (9/10)

3. Kick It – Kick It is what I would say is within the grounds of BLACKPINK typical standards. It has what I would say is a similar formula to their title tracks. But what I like about this track is that still manages to put a different spin on it. This was done through the more R&B and dragged out the chorus. Combined with their vibrant vocals (the ‘Kick It’ vocals are very popping), I think the chorus is quite dynamic. I also thought the inclusion of the rap sequence in the second verse makes this song a lot more appealing. Finally, the chanting part of the bridge was pretty good, feeling a void that I didn’t think exist until I carefully rethought the entirety of the song. (8/10)

4. Hope Not (아니길) – Following the focus on vocals rather than raps is Hope Not. It is a ballad that does an amazing job of showcasing the vocals of the members. It gives the powerful and popular girl group a more delicate sound. The instrumentation takes an acoustic guitar approach, and this goes well with the vocals. I did like the ‘Yeah Yeah Yeah’ part of the song, with that being the most memorable highlight of the entire track for me. Overall, it isn’t my personal favourite song on the album but it still good to listen to. (7/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.6/10

blackpink-killthislove-3
Kill This Love Teaser Image

[Review] Boy With Luv – BTS ft. Halsey

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , 10 Comments

Making their grand return today is BTS with Boy With Luv. And with their current worldwide popularity, Boy With Luv continues to break even more records than ever before. Topping charts as soon as the song is released, while also doubling the number of pre-orders for their latest mini-album (also dropped today) compared to their previous release, are just some already making news. So, it is super exciting to even be writing review for such a worldwide artist! We last saw BTS through their IDOL comeback in August last year.

If you are a longtime fan of the group, you may be familiar with another BTS title track, Boy In Luv. While the titles are similar, the songs are very different. Actually, it is very different compared to any other their past tracks, which were all dance heavy. To me, Boy With Luv still goes towards that dance route but in a lighter and more mellow pop direction. It also seems to focus on more of the vocals, as I thought the rapping wasn’t as prevalent. While we are on the topic of vocals, I thought each member managed to match the lighter sound and I think we got a chance to hear them in a wholesome manner, which contrasts from their autotuned and louder volumes in dance tracks. Suga and J-Hope didn’t shine as much, as their parts didn’t stand out as much. RM, however, benefited from a kick in the beat of the instrumental, which I thought was a major difference between the rapper’s section. The main confusing point has to be Halsey’s featuring parts, which was only certain parts of the chorus. I think she could have been omitted and everything would remain the same, honestly. Overall, the question remains: do I like it? Boy With Luv is different and foreign to me. But it is still pleasant, which I think I can enjoy even more down the road.

The music video seems very typical to me. It didn’t have that wow factor like most of their other videos. Though, there is most likely a hidden storyline in the midst of the video. Maybe it will have that wow factor then! I did like the more down-to-earth and more playful vibes the member got to portray. It did make the video feel a lot more casual and laidback. I think, to me, the most memorable parts had to Suga and RM’s rap parts. The change to darkness to let them be the main focus worked really well, and I wished some of the members got something similar. Well, they did but it didn’t seem as bold as RM or Suga’s.

Also going with the light trend is the choreography. Nothing too complicated or extremely energetic in this performance, which I think is rather nice and probably beneficial for the members, who have been overworked with complicated and intense choreographies. This is all based on what I saw in the video, by the way!

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

[Album Review] Clé 1 : MIROH (4th Mini Album) – Stray Kids

Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged 3 Comments

Apologies for the missed album review on Sunday. As a result, I will be publishing another tomorrow to compensate for it, or else I will fall very behind on my schedule. In the meantime, this is the weekly Friday album review post! Stray Kids made their comeback on the 25th of April with both Clé 1: MIROH and the title track, Miroh. Since then, they have been releasing special videos for a number of the tracks on the album. It seems like this is a common thing for Stray Kids and I may compile a special review of these videos later on. However, for now, here is the album review for Clé 1: MIROH.

straykids-cle1miroh-2
Clé 1: MIROH Album Cover

1..Miroh (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of Miroh. (9.5/10)

2. Victory Song (승전가) – Stray Kids throws you intensity right, left and centre in Victory Song. Listening to the track, it is loaded with that hip-hop sound that Stray Kids started off with their mixtape. And it honestly been a while since I have personally heard a hip-hop dance track like this and really enjoyed it. Starting the song off are some sirens, which just tell you that it is going to be one hell of a track. The song then moves onto rapping and we are treated to a very deep whisper by Felix, who does a really good job building suspense for the track. The way the song is set up allows for the rappers to really shine, but the vocals were also quite good. The chorus is extremely strong, with their chanting union of the line ‘Listen to this Victory Song’ very memorable. (9/10)

3. Maze of Memories (잠깐의 고요) – Maze of Memories is also very intense. But it takes a different approach that Victory Song or the title track. The song starts off with a light-ish piano piece to build up the song (To me, the piano piece reminds me of the waiting music you hear when you are waiting for a computer game to load up). But the song takes a sudden turn for the chorus, delving into a rock instrumental. Interesting, it returns to the piano piece for the second verse, which I thought was rather cool. And this allows for the rock instrumental to be even more profound when it returns once again. Even more impressively, all the members rap throughout the song. I don’t think I heard any vocals and I think that is quite cool. Felix, Seungmin and Bangchan’s English lines did take me by surprise, which I don’t really understand why. But I guess it is might be because I have not heard an extended sequence like so that much. (10/10)

4. Boxer – Following the intense trend on this album, Boxer seems to be a very appropriate title for a track on this album. And like the title, the song centres itself around boxing, with the chorus acting like a boxing tutorial that I think might just work if you are wanting a workout (though, don’t trust me on this as I do not work out in any way). Once again, the rappers are at the forefront of the song, dominating for most of the verses and choruses. But the vocalists were still quite good in their limited sections. As for the instrumental, there is a more electronic influence, with the scratchy chorus and very intense fast vibrating synth accompanied by the bells you hear commonly in boxing matches. To me, it isn’t the stand out track on the album but it still quite good. (8/10)

5. Chronosaurus – Chronosaurus is appealing for several factors. The song starts off with a tone that seems to refocus on the vocalists of the song. It is much more melodic, and the rappers appeared to be scattered throughout the song, rather than the vocalists like in the previous tracks. The song isn’t as intense, providing some relief after the overload of intensity we have gotten so far. It also has a slower tempo, which allows us to really appreciate the song in a more wholesome way. I also liked the instrumental. Still quite dynamic but it’s different in its own way. I think the best part has to the eerie bridge. I really liked Bang Chan, Woojin and Seungmin’s vocals in this section. It really goes well with all the Western songs that I listen to and it makes the final chorus even more impactful once it comes along. (9/10)

6. 19 – When you see the number 19 in the context of KPOP songs, you automatically think of the strict broadcasting laws video content must be branded with. However, this is not the case for Stray Kid’s 19. The song is a slow R&B track that showcases both the rappers and vocalists evenly. I think the song talks about their hardship at the age of 19, which I think is the final age before people become ‘adults’ in Korea (don’t quote me on this, however). I really like the moody instrumental of the track which seems emotional and reflective, but the deep R&B vibes also fit Stray Kids’ portfolio. It didn’t appeal automatically to my taste, but the song grew on me after a while and I think, now, is quite good. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.9/10

straykids-cle1miroh-3
Clé 1: MIROH Teaser Image

recommended red round grunge vintage ribbon stamp

[Review] Hocus Pocus – BVNDIT

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 2 Comments

Apologies for my absence yesterday, which saw the debut of a brand new group. BVNDIT is a five-member girl group who are currently signed under MH Entertainment, the same company that currently has Kim Chungha signed under. The group, consisting of Songhee, Yiyeon, Simyeong, Jungwoo, Seungeun, made their debut with the single Hocus Pocus, the title track from BVNDIT, Be Ambitious! (their first mini-album). Also, BVNDIT (pronounced as BANDIT) also stands for Be Ambitious N Do It, which is a little fun fact about the group!

Interestingly, Hocus Pocus has a number of similarities to what Chungha has previously put out. But BVNDIT also manages to put a spin on this sound and make it their own. To me, the song is quite typical, with not many elements jumping out of me at first listen. But listening to it some more has given me a chance to form some observations. A small fraction of the flute at the very start of the song reminds me of Chungha’s Gotta Go. And I was convinced that one of the members (sorry, I don’t know any member’s names) was Chungha based on her vocals, which is very similar to the soloist. While we were on the topic of the vocals, I thought there were quite nice. The song did miss that opportunity to include a rap sequence, which I think could have given the song a boost. I also did like the post-chorus instrumental break which has some brass and an ethnic sound, which makes it an intriguing part of the song, overall. I also enjoyed the slowdown for the bridge. Usually, I think a slowdown for a dance track isn’t the most ideal way to go, but this works here as the rest of the track doesn’t seem to be that fast actually.

To me, the music video is a balance between cutesy (though the brighter and vibrant colours at the start) and edgy (the darker tone that we get during the second verse). There are elements of both and I guess the video was made to show the two sides of the girls. Apart from that, I didn’t notice too much about the video that could be considered a plotline. Other than that, it was a nice visual introduction to the group.

The choreography for this debut track is pretty fantastic. I enjoyed the performance from start to end. It looked energetic and fun. I particularly like the choreography for the post-chorus instrumental breaks

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

[Album Review] Letter From Secret (4th Mini Album) – Secret

Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged Leave a comment

Originally, I was going to do a full album review for Secret for this week’s ‘Past Album’ review. However, a few things popped up last minute and I decided to go with an album with fewer songs, instead. After all, I already skipped the album review on Sunday, so I didn’t want to miss out on this one. Secret release Letter From Secret back in 2013 and it was a return to the group’s cutesy concept. Unfortunately, the album and title track didn’t do too well when it was released, so it never got that much attention. I find the songs on their album to be very nice and today, I will be sharing this album with you.

secret-letterfromsecret-2
Letter From Secret Album Cover

1..YooHoo (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of YooHoo. (9.5/10)

2. Daddy Long Legs (키다리 아저씨) – The title of this song is rather odd like it isn’t the first title that comes to your mind when you hear this sweet ballad-like song. After some digging around, the song title seems to allude to someone with a fatherly figure. While this could easily be applied to a lover, I think the song is more directed to the member’s fathers. After all, the song has quite an innocent sound (or at least I assume it is). I really like the melody of the track and the guitar in the background, which gives off that swaying effect that I look for. I also enjoyed their vocals in this song. If it were to be memorable for anything, it would most likely before its touching lyrics towards their fatherly figures. But it is still quite pleasant, overall. (8/10)

3. ONLY U – Only U is a rather bittersweet song. The song is once again another ballad. While the lyrics seem to be about regretting letting someone go (let it be a past lover or a friend who they friendzone and now regrets), the song is still quite light. Rather than being straightforwardly sad, the song sits in a weird limbo based on its light tone and their sweet style vocals. However, I do hear the hints of sadness in their voices, which does complement the song’s message. I like Jung Hana’s rap sequence is the entire verse section of the song. The only downside to the song is that Sunhwa sounded like she was straining herself in the bridge and this didn’t sound as pleasing compared to the rest of the song. But to me, it is another great ballad. (8/10)

4. B.O.Y (Because Of You) – Out of the three ballads on the album, this one probably is my favourite. Unlike the other two which used a softer approach in its sound, B.O.Y used a harsher mix of instruments and this made the song feel more vibrant out of the rest. I would say that B.O.Y could be taken as a ballad, but it can also have some dance moves to it. But don’t let its vibrancy fool you. The song isn’t a vibrant song when you consider the lyrics. It is another emotional song that talks about how they cannot move on after a breakup. Once again, their vocals do a fantastic job of portraying these emotions and I also liked the harmonies during the chorus. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.6/10

secret-letterfromsecret-3
Letter From Secret Teaser Image

recommended red round grunge vintage ribbon stamp

[Review] I’m Home – Minho (SHINee)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , 1 Comment

Another very late review is coming your way! Out of all the SHINee members, Minho has yet to release any solo songs in this career. Instead, he is the most successful member in acting. And as many of the members were nearing the military enlistment age, we have seen an influx of releases of from member. Minho joins this influx and made his solo debut on the 28th of March, through the release of I’m Home. The single is released as part of the SM Station Season 3 project, which has seemed to be focusing on solo tracks more this time around.

I’m Home is a mid-tempo ballad. SInce Minho isn’t known for this vocals, I wondered how a song of this nature would play out. Rather than being anything negative, I’m Home manages to be quite pleasant and easy on the ears. The song opens with some whistling, something that you would associate with a breezy type of song. The instrumental is predominately acoustic guitar, with the incorporation of percussion for the vocals. His vocals are quite impressive. They were rather clear and it basically throws out on whether Minho could handle the ballad genre. His high note was very nice, as an example of his style. Nicely incorporated into the song is a rap sequence. To me, the song plays towards Minho’s strength. It isn’t the most memorable song out there. But for longtime fans of Minho and SHINee, I think this would be a very nice and well-deserved treat.

We start off with Minho walking up to the sound of both his alarm clock and the phone ringing. His character in the video is a businessman, who is basically working 24/7. However, based on his expressions and posture, it seems like Minho is longing to be with his partner, who is not in the picture at the moment. This goes nicely with the song. Every time he takes a rest, the alarm clock or phone (or another person) is waking him up. This just constantly reminds him of his loneliness and forces him to live with that feeling. I think this forces to him a move at the end, where is running to probably propose to his partner. I really like how he is singing in the midst of everything, which I think was a creative thing to do. I also like the golden appearance of the video and that slightly hazy effect.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10

[Album Review] Newtro (5th Mini Album) – DIA

Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged Leave a comment

DIA returned two weeks ago with Woowa and their latest mini-album, Newtro. Unofrtotuately, the group’s latest comeback hasn’t got much attention from what I have noticed. And from what I understand, the physical albums were delayed and hence this impacted their chart performances. Very disappointing. But that is why today’s album review is here! I enjoyed all the songs on the album and I want to let you guys know about these songs as well!

dia-newtro-2
Newtro Album Cover

1..Woowa (우와) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Woowa. (8.5/10)

2. No (안할래) – Following right after the addictive Woowa is No, which is another favourite track of mine. I find the song to be very dynamic with its vibrant use of that squeaky synth during the instrumental. Usually, I would find such a thing annoying, but it really popped well in this song. The lead up to the chorus was probably my absolute favourite part of the song as it gave the song a little flair in a memorable way. I also liked the keyboard that featured during the bridge of the track, which I think flowed really well with the rest of the song. The vocals were also extremely nice, another highlight to No. (9/10)

3. 5 More Minutes (5분만) – 5 More Minutes begin with a sing-rap sequence which was rather nice. Based on this, you can tell that this was going to a typical pop song. The chorus practically confirms this with no unexpected changes in the music. It is a sweet song that managed to bring about a smile, which I think the main aims of the lyrics were to do. The song focuses squarely on the vocals of each of the members. I personally won’t say DIA is known for their vocals but this was a fair effort and I really liked how innocent they sounded in this song. I also like how they didn’t go down the sad ballad route, which was a nice change up to normal expectations. (8/10)

4. Crescendo (손톱달) – While I liked most of the song, Crescendo started off with this really odd synth that really sounded like it was off-tune. Apart from that, everything else about the song was rather likeable. It sounded like it started off with a sweet sound, like what we were presented in 5 More Minutes. However, the second verses bring a bit of trap into the song. Interesting and not entirely misplaced. Once again, the vocals were at the forefront of the song, with the members singing at a higher pitch and in falsetto. I also think this song showcased the best harmonies from the members than any other song on this album. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.4/10

dia-newtro-3
Newtro Teaser Image

recommended red round grunge vintage ribbon stamp

[Review] Kill This Love – BLACKPINK

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 4 Comments

The biggest comeback of this week has to go to BLACKPINK, who returned today with Kill This Love. But when it comes to BLACKPINK’s comebacks, do you know what makes this one better? The fact that we also get three new songs (so an album review is coming your way!). We last saw BLACKPINK through the extremely popular DDU-DU DDU-DU. We also got to see Jennie through her solo promotions of SOLO at the end of 2018, along with promises from YG for future solo promotions for the other members (hopefully!).

Kill This Love starts with blaring horns, which really encapsulates the group’s fierce style within the first few seconds of the song. It also hints towards a military-style concept, which will become apparent quite soon.  Following this, the group launches itself into a hip-hop infused verse, before settling on a vocally-centred pre-chorus. The blaring horns return for the chorus, which definitely had an added dramatic flair. At the end of the song, we get this military-like rolling drum beat that pretty brings the song back full circle to the same feeling that we got from the start (and it is probably my favourite bit) However, there are a few aspects that leave me rather disappointed with the song. The chorus was underwhelming, with a very mediocre approach for its catchiness. I also think the song was rather muddled with its many sounds. The presence of the extended pre-chorus right after the fierceness of the hip-hop verse really lost the flow of the track and it failed to make the chorus drop in a satisfying manner. Overall, I am not really feeling the song this time.

As usual, the music video is amazing. I say this with any YG Entertainment music video and will probably say it countless more times in the future. Each set looked amazing, especially the massive bear trap set. Though, I am never sure about the meaning behind every scene and how this relates to the lyrics or the rest of the video (sometimes, they feel quite random). I did find this video that did a good job of describing the scenes so I will post this here if you want to hear about a possible theory. I really like how edgy the members look with their outfits and on the sets. The military concept also carried over, with pretty much the ending being a massive military march.

The performance was really good. Fierceness seems to be the big word of the day, with it being an adjective throughout all the aspects of this comeback. The chorus looked amazing but my favourite choreography moment has to be the end with the marching/rolling drum beats. I enjoyed the rush of energy during this part.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.8/10

[Review] Universe – Minhyun (NU’EST)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , 3 Comments

Out of all the members of the now-disbanded Wanna One, I think many people are excited for Minhyun. His group went onto Produce 101 as a final attempt to get themselves recognition. And it paid off. NU’EST returned as NU’EST W and continually topped charts with their new releases. Minhyun went on to be part of the popular Wanna One. And now that chapter has closed, it will be interesting to see what direction NU’EST will now take. And we will slowly find out from today, as Minhyun’s solo release (in preparation for a full comeback in the near future) was revealed.

Universe is the Minhyun’s solo track’s name. It is an R&B track but it diverts from that traditional slow tempo to a more upbeat pop and dance influence. And it is this diversion that really gets me into the song. A solo release will also get the member to shine and Minhyun does it effortlessly in this song. So altogether, the song does stand out for me. I find this particular route is very foreign for NU’EST, so it is quite refreshing when I reflect upon the song at the end. I really like the melody, which I thought was calming in a way, despite the upbeatness. Maybe it was the clearness in his voice or its rather easy-on-the-ears instrumentation. Talking about his voice, I really like the falsettos that he attempts at towards the end of the song. It did feel like it was missing something. It didn’t feel complete to me. I think I wanted a rap sequence somewhere to give a little more variety. But that would completely shake up the track, so I guess I understand why that didn’t occur. But overall, Universe is a really good track to kick start Minhyun’s return to the group.

The music video was shot in Budapest and is connected to NU’EST’s previous music videos (Overcome and Love Paint). It is a little confusing, but here is my attempt at the storyline. Minhyun used to be in a relationship but it ended badly (i.e. she leaves him). I think this break-up was a bit harsh on Minhyun, who becomes ‘soulless’ as we saw at the start of the video. However, there is an old man living in the apartment across from his and he comes by daily with a crystal (the same crystals shown in Overcome), that when connected to a machine, relays the good memories of a person. In this case, Minhyun relives the relationship, as we see the days repeat themselves. And this old man is always nearby to control the dosage (I guess) of the crystal. But on one particular day, he isn’t there and Minhyun uses more of the crystals, which unlocks the white Queen (the same Queen from the Overcome music video who went missing). It seems like Minhyun was still on his quest to find the Queen all along, as he bows down to her at the end of the video. Though we don’t know what happens after he reunited with the Queen. My guess is that this ending leads us straight into the forthcoming videos from NU’EST because the storyline doesn’t seem to be completed just yet. I am also unsure how Love Paint play into this (maybe another music video theory post idea?).

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

[Double Review] Bom + Stars Over Me – BOL4

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 2 Comments

It is time for another double review. However, this one features two songs from the very popular duo, BOL4 or Bolbbalgan4, which were released yesterday. The way they got popular made me think that they were going to be a one-hit wonder. But they managed to enter the limelight every single time they return, which goes to show that influence that BOL4 has over the Korean public. The two songs, Bom and Stars Over Me, are featured on the group’s latest mini album and are currently on top of the charts in South Korea. This is also their first comeback since Travel and Starlight.

And there is a reason to why Bom is currently on the top of the charts. Bom is a love song and its sound is very typical of this season. And if you don’t know, Korea really loves love songs during the Spring months, given the fact many love songs have trend during this time of the year. I found the song to be very sweet. But not overly sweet that gets me cringing, which is obviously a good thing. I like its instrumental. And the vocals were quite nice, which is expected from BOL4. The combination of two, however, makes we smile a lot and I can’t but think of spending time with the person I like while listening to the song, which is another reason to why I think it is successful.

To me, Stars Over Me is like Travel but more suited for the Spring season in which the release is in. But rather like a love song, the song focuses more on friendship (but it could still go either way). I like how more acoustic this song is, which I find it more in line with their previous releases. I also enjoyed the English in the track. It wasn’t 100% correct but it was still a fair effort on their behalf. It also seems like Jiyoon also had the opportunity to harmonize with Joyoung in the song, which I thought was also nice. Once again, there wasn’t anything that special about the song but it was still nice to listen to.

Bom’s music video is very twisted. While the storyline of Jiyoung (Cupid) using her arrows to make her crush love her is very fitting for the song, the way he comes back to her is essentially a case of Stockholm Syndrome (i.e. he remembered of those fond memories that she forced upon him by forcing him to love her). I did like the very start of the storyline where she missed two arrows and it ended up hitting Jiyoon instead. Stars Over Me is also like the song. It focuses on the friendship between the two members and showing them have fun at various places. I liked how the lyrics popped up on the screen every now and then, giving it more of that fun nature.

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

Stars Over Me
Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8/10

[Album Review] The Secret (2nd Mini Album – WJSN (Cosmic Girls)

Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged , Leave a comment

Unfortunately, I have run out of my ‘stockpiled’ past album reviews, so I had to write a fresh one up today. And I couldn’t decide which artist to pick from since there are so many. I have done two male groups in a row, so I thought I refocus on the female groups. And so, I picked WJSN’s second mini-album, The Secret, which was released back in September 2016. This was the very first era that WJSN  caught my attention with and since then Secret has been a longtime favourite of mine. So it only makes sense to see what else the mini-album, which Secret comes from, has to offer. So let’s get onto it!

wjsn-thesecret-2
The Secret Album Cover

1..Secret (비밀이야) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Secret. (10/10)

2. BeBe – BeBe is a very memorable track. Unfortunately, it was more about the fact that it was the song that followed Secret. But listening to it now, the track has a very bright pop feel that I don’t mind. It does follow a youthful approach without going overboard in the cutesy domain, which I am glad did not occur. It is quite enjoyable, with nice vocals and the single rap sequence was nice. The track was relatively fast pace and it could have slowed down a tad bit to be a little more favourable. But overall, BeBe is a nice track. (8/10)

3. Would You Kiss Me? (우주키스미) – Would You Kiss Me? is a nice sweet pop track. Well, it started off with that thought. And it carried that idea for the majority of the track. But like many listeners, I find that trap breakdown very mismatching and ill-fitting for the tone of the track. I guess it was something formulated to fit the experimental trend. But other songs work because they come together well, which is not the case for this track. If I were to talk about the sweeter moments alone than I would have enjoyed it. (6/10)

4. Prince (짠!) – Prince sounds like a standard sidetrack. It is a good track, heavy-handed on the synths in the instrumentation. There are trap-like breaks in the song, which I thought was fitting for the heavy use of synths. But the song does feel weighed down and hence it doesn’t have that necessary pop to be considered as a title track. The vocals are good, but they felt overshadowed by the instrumental. On the other hand, the rap sequence really shined and was my personal favourite part of the song. (7.5/10)

5. Robot – Robot is probably my pick for most memorable sidetrack on this mini-album. I liked how they departed from their pop sound and went with something a little more electronic. I think the instrumental was very catching, even though it was quite repetitive. It reminds me of those retro sounds you often got in games. There are some squeaky effects towards the end, which I thought kept the song interesting. The vocals were nice in the song and the rapping was quite cool. I actually liked the high-pitch echo that followed Exy for the rap sequence. It may not be the sound I drift towards, but they pulled it off well enough for me to do so. (8.5/10)

6. Good Night (이층침대) – It is time for that mandatory ballad on most mini-albums. And while sometimes the mandatory ballads are pretty good, other times they are a miss. Unfortunately, Good Night falls under the latter. Like the title, Good Night makes me drift away from the album. I forget about it and hence the ending is also forgotten. The vocals were nice but because it was so light, I didn’t feel a connection with it. (6/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.7/10

 

[Double Review] Help Me + From Seoul – Block B BASTARZ

Posted in KPOPTagged , 1 Comment

Last week, Block B BASTARZ (comprised of U-Kwon, B-Bomb and P.O) made their comeback with their third mini-album, I’m A Mess, since their subunit debut. Apologies that it took this long to review a song from this new release. Within the album, Help Me is the title track. But as the pre-release track From Seoul also has a music video, I will be reviewing both today. This is Block B’s first release since the departure of Zico last year from the group.

I am not a major fan of BASTARZ’s releases (I honestly do not remember their last one), so I wasn’t expecting too much the first listen in. However, Help Me takes a sleek approach with a jazz influence on the hip-hop based foundation that the song is supported on. And it is safe to say that I am loving it. I really like how focused the song was on the vocals, which was all fantastic. The most striking part of the song has to be P.O’s first half of the chorus and it is the very thing that got me hooked to this song. It is very unique, so it ended up being very memorable (and extremely addictive).

From Seoul continues the jazzy influence, but this time the foundation is an R&B track. The song isn’t as heavy as the previous. In fact, it is lighthearted and talks about having a good time with friends. I like how the jazzy influence was more profound and the vocals were lower in tone, which made the song quite smooth as well. Unfortunately, there isn’t anything that striking about the song so it isn’t really a memorable piece for my personal taste. It is still quite good but unfortunately, Help Me outranks From Seoul.

Help Me is a more emotionally driven song but the video is quite twisted in a way. Kicking off the music video, it is landed a 19+ rating, which gives us a foreshadowing of blood and cigarettes. Tame to what I am used to, but remember this is stuff that Korea doesn’t have much of. The video shows the members disoriented (for whatever reason) but it clearly caused by the breakup with their partner. They find themselves in sticky situations like a car crash, a murder scene (I presume) and in the middle of a forest, so they have to beg for help (hence, the title). They also seem to be dressed for a wedding, given the flower on their lapels. Maybe they got stood up? From Seoul departs from the darkness in the other video and matches it lighthearted sound with a video consists of the trio having fun around Seoul. And it too was a nice video as it goes well with the song.

Help Me
Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9/10

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

[Review] Violeta – IZ*ONE

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 3 Comments

It is time we turn our attention to one of the biggest groups to debut last year. IZ*ONE, for those who may not remember or no, was formed through Produce 48 and debuted with La Vie en Rose. And while the industry is in full swing for the next season of Produce 101, IZ*ONE makes their long-awaited Korean comeback with Violeta. The new track features on the group’s second mini-album, HEART*IZ. In other related news, IZ*ONE made their official Japanese debut earlier this year with Suki to Iwasetai (or I Want To Say I Love You).

It has taken me a few listens for me to warm up to the song. And while I am still warming up to Violeta, I am liking the song. One of the reasons why I haven’t really warmed up to the song yet is due to the first verse. It didn’t feel as captivating. But from the pre-chorus onwards, I am quite into it. Talking about the pre-chorus, I like the dramatic flair. I also enjoyed the rush of energy that the chorus gave off. It makes the pop and tropical mix very intriguing. The vocals were nice, especially during the chorus. The rappers, however, were amazing. I know they didn’t have enough definition to their part but the fact that it stepped back from the high energy filled chorus was ideal. I also like that dubstep effect at the end of the song, which really gave the song a little interesting effect to end on (and not be too repetitive). Maybe a few more listens will do it for me. But so far, it is looking (or sounding, in this case) good.

The entirety of the video has this pale colour tone to it, with some emphasis on the violet colour due to it being part of the title. While I do think anything pale is a little old fashion, there is a swing towards this at the moment in the industry, judging by the pale colour tones in music videos over the last few years. The video, from what I have read, is based on the ‘The Happy Prince‘ book. I know of the book, but it isn’t my first pick when it comes to literature. So since I haven’t read it, I don’t feel confident making connections. But this may be something to look into for a future Music Vidoe Theory post. I did like the choreography sets and the scene with the solo member dancing in the water looked really cool and trendy.

The choreography was quite nice. I enjoyed the majority of it. The first and last chorus (when there is that rush of energy) was probably my favourite parts. Unfortunately, the butterfly effect that started off the second chorus was not that great and I felt like that was a mismatch to the fast paced section.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

[Review] Beautiful Goodbye – Chen (EXO)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , 4 Comments

As groups progress with their careers, we see a lot of the members branch out into solo careers. EXO is a fine example, with many of the members excelling at their solo careers, such as acting, collaborations and OSTs. What we have not yet seen from the members in Korea is actually a solo album! Lay took the honours as the first member to have a solo album, but that was released in China. But today, Chen will be the first Korean member to release a solo mini-album, April, and a flower, today. The title track from this mini-album is Beautiful Goodbye.

Given Chen’s amazing OSTs in the past, it was highly expected that Chen would go down the ballad route. And Beautiful Goodbye is a breathtaking ballad. A few reviews ago, I mentioned that there are the types of songs that you have to stop what you are doing and listen to it that way in order to fully appreciate the song. This is another perfect example of this. Beautiful Goodbye features only piano in the instrumental. As it is the only instrument in the song, it is extremely striking especially during the moments when the song ‘builds up’or peaks. Chen’s vocals compliment the piano. It doesn’t push himself in this domain nor does he reach ‘powerhouse’ mode. Instead, I find his voice to be very moving and also well-balanced.  This combination works in harmony and it leaves us with a fantastic song to listen to.

I also like how aesthetic the music video is. It isn’t artsy in any way but rather it is simplistic. It is all shot outside, with a very large tree-trunk like structure in the centre of the video. Within the centre, we find Chen and a piano player, whose piano is embedded into the structure. Surrounding them is are many female dancers, all dressed in a pale pink-ish colour that really works well with the setting. That is pretty much it to the video. I came across a news article today that stated that the video took 6 hours of filming and that Chen was concerned about whether he conveyed the right emotions. Well, those 6 hours paid off and Chen did wonders in the video.

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.6/10

[Album Review] Spring (1st Single Album) – Park Bom

Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged Leave a comment

It is time for another album review! Today, I wanted to review someone who deserved an album a very long time ago. After waiting for 9 years, Park Bom has released an album for the very first time. Unfortunately, it is only a single album made up of 3 songs. But it still better than nothing! The lead title track is Spring, which features fellow 2NE1 member, Sandara Park. Despite her hiatus for a while now, Park Bom has proven to still be extremely popular with both her album and single soaring towards the top of the charts. So it definitely makes sense for us to check this album out!

parkbom-spring-2
Spring Album Cover

1..Spring (봄) (ft. Sandara Park) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Spring. (9/10)

2. My Lover (내연인) – My Lover is a little brighter than Spring in its sound. I would say that the song has a ‘Spring’ in its step. It is also a mellow sound, which I think is quite nice. And because of this, the song falls towards the pop spectrum. I really like the piano but thought it could have been more prevalent over the rest of the instrumentation (which drowned out the piano). It is one of those songs that get you swaying along, despite it being a tad upbeat. And if you know me, swaying earns you ticks! I think Park Bom vocals are quite nice in this song, especially around the bridge of the song. Sometimes I felt like she was pushing a little too hard. (8/10)

3. Shameful (창피해) – Shameful is a dance track that takes upon the more typical trend of music currently (i.e. tropical). It was a little unexpecting, but it gives us a little more variety. And this is quite effective, given how she hasn’t released music for 8 years now. Though, I don’t think we will see any dance performances any time soon based on her Spring performance. While it is typical sounding for today’s standard, it was a fair song. The instrumentals popped, and I thoroughly enjoyed her vocals in the song. More impressively was her attempt at rapping. It isn’t exactly the best execution that I have heard from a vocalist, but it wasn’t terrible. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.3/10

parkbom-spring-3
Spring Teaser Image

[Review] Suffering For Love – EDEN

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 3 Comments

It is time for another ‘catch up review’, which is what I am now calling these reviews that I should have completed earlier on. Eden is the next artist to have a review done weeks after his release. His single, Suffering For Love, was released on the 15th of March, alongside his 2nd mini-album, EXHALANT. However, you probably have never heard of Eden (I didn’t until the day of release!). He is actually a music producer who has composed tracks for GFriend, BTOB and ATEEZ! So he already boasts big hits under his name. And maybe his single might just join this list!

Eden doesn’t fit the profile of artists who I write reviews for. Firstly, he is a solo act. Unless they come from a group, a well-known company or have a particular history in KPOP, I would gloss over them. Secondly, he is a producer. Not that I have anything against his profession, but I don’t review songs from many producers (unless it is a collaboration with another artist). But his song is very good. I’d say it is a modern R&B ballad. I feel like the R&B side is very prevalent but the modern side is through the use of the synths to create a very emotional driven atmosphere. The chorus is by the far the most memorable bit, with his verses coming a close second. I really like the blast of energy that the song delivers through the chorus, creating a seemingly fitting chaotic atmosphere that is probably an accurate representation of his mind.  Just the English lines ‘I just want to love you, touch you, be with you…‘ and ‘I just want to leave you, hate you, erase you…‘ really summarises how torn he is in the song and why he is suffering. The verses were quite nice because it was like the ‘calm before a storm’. Overall, Suffering In Love is a very tragic but great song to listen to!

The music video shows two sides of the world and the only thing connecting them is a mirror. One side, which is full of light and brightness is the calm zone. We see this often during the verses (i.e. the calm before the storm). The darker scenes feature his partner and more hurtful emotions. It is seen predominately during the chorus. He goes out of his way to keep the mirror covered but at times takes off the covering. This shows that while part of him wants to keep the hurtful side of his life behind him, another part wants to revisit due to his love for his partner. I think this is a very smart and well-present concept and goes extremely well with the song.

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