Mamamoo ends the Autumn season with another comeback, making this their 3rd comeback so far. They have been releasing mini-albums every season for their 4 Seasons tetralogy this year, with Starry Night in Spring and Egotistic in Summer. For Autumn, the title track is Wind Flower and it is featured on their 8th mini-album, Blue:S. The only season left is Winter and my prediction is that won’t come until the very end of Winter, based on their release dates of the previous 3 seasons. But we are here for Wind Flower, so let’s dive in for a closer look.
Wind Flower is a pretty neat song. The first thing you get when you listen to the song is a blast of smoothness. The song almost reminds me of a jazzy number, but not quite. It also has an interesting blend of R&B, which brings the emotional side of the lyrics into play. Together, it creates a song that I think only Mamamoo can nail. Their vocals feel perfect for the song and the season. It goes to show that Mamamoo doesn’t need to rely on their powerhouse vocals to get the job done. I thought the song had some interesting textures, based on different vocal styles I heard in the song. The husky whispers of Wind Flower just prior to the choruses show a delicate nature, while Moonbyul’s rap and vocals during the bridge bring a little bit of coarseness to the song. The choruses themselves do pop a lot, giving the song that needed boost of energy to make it memorable and another Mamamoo hit.
The emotional side of the comeback can be seen most prominently in their music video. The members are feeling the emotions from their past relationships despite breaking up. They spend some time of the video by themselves, feeling heartbreak. But towards the end of the video, the members band together to have some fun on the streets of Hong Kong and forget about their troubles. They have fun drinking heavily (while it is depicted as alcohol, they are actually drinking oolong tea) and then some more fun eating soft serve cones from McDonald’s. I like the video quite a bit as it brings a really beautiful insight into the nightlife of Hong Kong. And the acting in some of the parts of the video are on point.
I thought the performance was quite fitting. It wasn’t as hard-hitting or sexy like Egotisticbut it had its own charms. I thought the heartbreaking summed up the song pretty well, while the incorporation of the number 2 during the chorus was a nice bounce back from that saddening theme. Also, the male backup dancers added a nice touch, especially for the freestyle bit at the end.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8.5/10 Overall Rating – 8.4/10
The Boyz have returned with their fourth release of the year! I know it is a little hard to believe but let’s have a very brief look at the first 3 releases. In April, they returned with Giddy Up!. In August, the group released a special single, KeePer. And just two months ago in September, the group returned with Right Here. The fourth release is No Air, which is the title track off the group’s 3rd mini-album titled The Only.
No Air has an interesting title, so I became interested when the teasers were slowly released. Essentially, the song lyrics liken not having their significant other to having no air (They cannot live without one or the other). And like the idea of the song, the intro did get my interest up. The use of brass instruments was very intriguing. The song then takes a turn to more of a standard dance track. The chorus drop was nice but it wasn’t as explosive as I hoped for. Both the vocal work and rapping in this song were quite nice but they weren’t as strong as in the past. A similar comment can be made in regards to the main hook during the chorus, leaving the song to lack in the memorability criteria. There was a ‘No Air‘ hook after the second and final choruses but it wasn’t their best. And that practically sums up my feelings about the song. It is good but it isn’t their best.
While their choreography sets aren’t that elaborate, I like the use of the dominant colours in each set, with everything else complimenting the respective dominant colour. Like the purple made dancing in the shallow pool of water look so much cooler. For the rest of the video, I don’t really get what’s going on. I guess they are showing the ‘No Air’ side of things have killed the rest of humanity and they are left to find their one love. But that’s my guess that makes no sense.
The choreography was definitely one of the better components of this comeback. I thought the pulsing nature of the dance during the bridge was a really cool moment in the performance. The ‘No Air‘ hook dance (after the second and final choruses) also show a tough vibe, which I thought seemed cool as well.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.2/10
HOTSHOT recently returned with a brand new mini-album, Early Flowering. This is their first mini-album since the release of AM I HOTSHOT?, which was released back in 2015. Also mentioned in their latest review of I Hate You (link below), this is the group’s final comeback before Sungwoon, who has been promoting as part of Wanna One, returns to the group. With this mini-album in mind, I wonder what dynamic Sungwoon will bring back to HOTSHOT. But until then, let’s start the album review.
Early Flowering Album Cover
1..Print – Starting off the album is Print, another tropical house song. I’ll be honest, the song fits more of a Summery period. So, seeing how it is included on an album released in Autumn alongside an Autumn title track (see below) indicates that the album lacks direction and cohesiveness. But putting that aside, other than the upbeat nature of the song, the song doesn’t really have much else to really make it an amazing opener. The instrumental is pretty much standard to today’s standard and the vocals felt great for the given canvas, but don’t really offer anything big to showcase. Just another standard track to me. (6/10)
3. Paradise – Paradise feels a lot more fitting for the Autumn season, despite being an electronic based song. The instrumental is repetitive but there were effects and synths along the way that really made the song feel unique as it goes on. I hear some of these synths in the Western music I often listen to, so there is a certain level of appeal to the song for me. But the winning component of the song must be the vocals. They shine throughout the song, especially the vocals for the chorus. I like the ‘wide’ effect their vocals had, which I think would sound awesome in a concert hall. The melody also allowed for the song’s flowy nature, which was another likeable component. (8/10)
4. Better – As we go down the track list, the songs get a lot better, which is why I chose to review this mini-album. The song is very funky with its guitar and dance pop-infused instrumental. And it is this funkiness which makes this track sound so much better. In a subtle way, the instrumental makes the song very dynamic. I liked the opener (‘Better’) to the chorus which did feel a little sharp but it is one of the cases that worked wonderfully. Vocally, I think they did well, incorporating that husky and raspy nature into their voices. And the rapping here is one of their best on the album. (9/10)
5. Body Talks – Ending the album is another tropical house song. And the same comments do apply in terms of the mismatch of sounds and season. Though, this isn’t something I can’t really hold against them. I personally think Body Talks had a more interesting flair compared to the Print as there is so much more energy and the drop is more dynamic. Vocally, the song was nice, especially the vocals that end the song. I think the song could have benefited with a kick-ass rap sequence to make it even more energetic and stronger. (7/10)
Yubin has returned with a brand new single, Thank U Soooo Much. Earlier this year, the artist made her long-awaited debut as a solo artist with Lady. There were a few bumps along the road with the cancellation of the b-side single due to plagiarism concerns and a number of articles criticising her of her singing capabilities. Hopefully, this time around she won’t get the same comments with her latest single, which is featured on the mini-album, TUSM (Thank U Soooo Much).
Thank U Soooo Much takes on the disco beat that originated back in the 70s. It is quite an upbeat and funky track to dig into. I really like the whistles used in the background, which is kind of the ‘go-to’ sample if you want an addictive nature to your song. I do like that while it has that dominate retro disco feel, it doesn’t feel too much. Instead, the producer managed to keep it well balanced and free from any extremities, allowing the song to thrive and shine. Yubin sings in the majority of the song and I honestly do not understand the criticisms as she sounds wonderful in both this and her past songs. She does rap-talk the bridge, which I think is a great throwback to her more well-known side as a Wonder Girl’s member. Overall, I really like the new song.
Surprisingly, the video doesn’t really tap into the retro sci-fi imagery as much as I expected it to. The effects on the screens during the choreography shots was probably the most retro the video got. Her futuristic outfit and technology seemed to also be ideas from that era. But everything else felt quite modern. Maybe it is because the quality of the video was so high definition that makes it feel modern. I say that because some other retro-based music videos (such as SHINee’s releases earlier in the year) seem to use that home video or old cassette tape quality as a filter to really bring the videos back to that era. Overall, I liked the video though I wasn’t too sure what the storyline was going for.
The dance for this comebacks looks really cool. You can tell there is some attitude to the moves through her facial expressions, which go nicely with the lyrics. I really like how her arms flail about during the start of the chorus. It looks really cool.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.3/10
Key makes his official solo debut with One Of Those Nights, which features successful R&B artist, Crush. His title track is featured on the album titled as FACE and it also features the pre-release single, Forever Yours (featuring Soyou) which was released a few weeks back. Key is the third member of SHINee to make his solo debut, after Jonghyun (RIP) and Taemin. Onew has been confirmed to make his solo debut with an album next month before his military enlistment, leaving Minho as the only member to not branch out in a solo music career yet.
But today’s focus is on Key’s solo release, which I quite like. The instrumentation combines guitar and house beats, which is now a classic combination. And it makes the track quite addictive despite it not offering anything that we can consider new. I think the stand out element of the song has to be the vocals. Both Key and Crush’s vocals actually sound quite alike and both suit this style of music very well. If I wasn’t watching the music video, I wouldn’t be able to tell who is singing, which I think is a smart idea for when Key has to perform the song alone. That being said, Crush’s featuring in the chorus allows for Key to dance during the chorus and I too like that idea very much. Overall, I thought the song was quite clean cut and easy to listen to/get into.
The lyrics of the song talks about having ‘One of Those Nights’ where you cannot forget about your ex. And I thought the music video did a good job at portraying that. Key’s acting was really good, showing off facial expressions that make him look lost or just completely zone out due to these memories. I liked how Crush featured in the music video. But he was tucked into the scenes, such as Key dancing on the train carriage and Crush singing in the background. I thought that was really cool. I also thought the sets were very nice in the video.
This seems to be an artistic performance. While we cannot see much in the music video, the verses do show some graceful moves to fit the tempo and tone of the verses. When the chorus kicks in, everything becomes more energetic and upbeat. The bridge and final chorus look like it is going to be very powerful highlights in the performance, so I am looking forward to that.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
Making his solo comeback after 2 years is Mino, the main rapper from Winner. I consider this to be his “comeback” despite it being marketed as it “solo debut”, as Mino started off his solo endeavours through Body, which was released alongside Bobby’s Holup! and MOBB’s (Mino & Bobby’s collaboration) Hit Me back in 2016. This time around, Mino released FIANCÉ, the title track off his first solo studio album, XX. And since its release yesterday, it has topped all the major charts in South Korea!
FIANCÉ opens up with a guitar riff that feels very country-based for the verses, which later progresses into a hip-hop dance track. Along the way, there are trot samples used in the background to give off a very unique effect. It is an interesting take on hip-hop which is Mino’s known associated sound and it makes it into a very colourful song. The delivery of his lines was quite nice. Though, I was wanting some buildup towards the end to really get the energy pumping. I felt like the ‘La La La‘ ending was good as a hype mechanism and definitely fitted the song. But it felt too straightforward. In the end, it felt like it lacked intensity. I would have liked a strong hooker. I didn’t find the main hook of FIANCÉ to be that memorable, so it did feel like it would be a forgettable song, especially in the midst of yesterday’s comebacks.
I think what Mino did nail with his release is the music video. The quality of the music video definitely fits in the YG scope, especially when it comes to set design. While the music video does show Mino surrounded by a lot of ladies (which may or may not allude to some themes based on the way they are dressed), the producers did a good job with making the main focus of the video to be Mino rather than the ladies, which would have caused a public outcry in today’s media. I thought the incorporation of the historical Korean set and outfits was really nice, especially since the song contained samples of Korean trot music.
The choreography looks interesting. With the way the song is presented, there is a form of edginess that I think Mino portrays well. I think the choreography for the second verse, where the soloist dances with each dancer, is going to be a very a very big moment in the performance.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.6/10
Returning of the second time this year is NU’EST W with Help Me. They previously returned with Deja Vu in June. This will be NU’EST W’s last comeback as a subunit, with the impending return of Minhyun, who has been promoting as part of Wanna One, as he finished in the top 11 of Produce 101 Season 2. There is a slight nod towards this long-awaited reunion at the end of the music video. But before getting to the music video, let’s have a closer look at the song.
Help Me is one powerful and dynamic title track. Out of all the NU’EST W comebacks so far, this is probably their most promising yet. It is described as an R&B pop fusion track, featuring orchestral and rock elements in the background. I think the first thing that needs to be mentioned is the energy that this song manages to deliver in each punch (or chorus). It makes the track extremely memorable. I think the rapping (performed by JR) is very powerful in this track. But the vocals manage to match that same level of energy, so really they also shine. I particularly like the complete slow down for the first half of the final chorus and how it managed to fit in with the rest of the song. And then that return to the same impactful energy was just perfect. The point of exclaiming ‘Help Me‘ is to get someone’s attention and I can confirm that they have mine.
The music video features the member seeking help from someone. The lyrics paint a picture of a collapsed world and that this someone is the member’s saviour. And I thought the video did a really good job of creating a dystopian or non-existing world. And within each world, the members are lost and seeking that needed assistance. I think the most shell-shocking moment of the music video was the end, with the door opening. I think every fan of the group (me included) jumped up at that moment and assumed that it is alluding to the return of Minhyun, who I assume is the saviour (It doesn’t help that the footsteps sounded heavy – like a male’s footstep). Together, they reform as NU’EST once again.
I really liked the fast pace of the choreography, matching the energy of the song in a spectacular fashion. I was waiting for a really strong highlight of the choreography but I don’t think there was any. Instead, I was in complete awe of their moves and I was not left disappointed. Especially that entire dance break at the end.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
Joining the November comeback influx is Lovelyz. Known for their youthful comebacks, the girl group has been growing even more popular with each comeback. Now, the group has returned with their fifth mini album, Sanctuary, which features the title track, Lost N Found. This is their first comeback since Wag-Zak (released back in June) and the release of their first compilation album (Muse on Music), which is made up of instrumentals of many of their past tracks.
In just the first few seconds of the song, I thought Lovelyz was going to have a dramatic change in their sound. It was 100% techno, so that was very surprising. But within another few seconds, the group returned to their usual sound, with that techno infused into it. Well, during the purely instrumental sections, it felt more like distortion. But it gave their usual sound a facelift, which I thought was really clever. Their vocals brought the traditional Lovelyz sound and a hint of cuteness to the track. It was a really good track up until the bridge. I thought that the transition between the chorus to the bridge felt a little too sudden and this just cut the flow of the song for me. Its buildup back to the final chorus was quite lacklustre, nor was there really anything to call a ‘peak’. Overall, the song is good but not their best.
What they had visually was a very nice video. I just didn’t understand the imagery or symbolism of what they were doing. It might be retelling a story of a certain someone, where this certain someone fits in with the objects they were holding and the lyrics of the song but I have no idea who (maybe a Goddess). But besides the plot of the video, I thought the set looked really beautiful. It matches Lovelyz bright personality and beauty.
To fit in with the beauty and the concept, each of the members is holding microphones covered in flowers. While this seems quite ‘normal’ when you think about it, it is rather smart when on stage. Instead of drabby looking microphones, why not have them fit the theme or their outfits. I thought the intro choreography looked really nice and it matched the edgy side of the techno music extremely well. There was also this staggering move that I liked during the bridge.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.2/10
HIGHLIGHT returned earlier in the week with their special mini-album, Outro. This special mini-album serves as the group’s final mini-album before the member’s impending enlistment into the military. Doojoon, the leader of the group, has already enlisted, with Yoseob following in January of next year. Despite that, Doojoon does feature on the mini-album. The group also paired up, treating us with two duets (Yosoeb & Dongwoon and Junhyung & Gikwang).
2. Wind (바람) (Yoseob & Dongwoon) – Wind is an R&B ballad that combines the vocals of both Yoseob (who is known for his solo work in R&B and ballads) and Dongwoon (who I believe has released a few ballads in the past). It is a nice and warm track that I think would be ideal on a cold day. Vocal work is nice. But there really isn’t much else to the song. I didn’t really get into it because it quite slow for my liking and the melody wasn’t that appealing to my personal taste. The instrumental didn’t offer much but I did like the fading out, which complements the slow nature of the song and genre. (6/10)
3. Leave Me Alone (내버려 둬) (Junhyung & Gikwang) – The way Leave Me Alone starts off felt like a G-Dragon song. It isn’t until Junhyung starts rapping and Gikwang starts singing does it feel like a Highlight song. It was upbeat and something up my alley. It felt dynamic and I like the way they autotuned some of their vocals to give a different effect. Both members shined in this song, so there wasn’t a really dominant member, which shows a successful collaboration. I liked the wholesome feel of the ending, minus the actual sharp stop to the song. (8/10)
4. Nightmare (오늘같은 밤이면) (Doojoon Solo) – Doojoon managed to record Nightmare prior to his enlistment. And I wanted to hear his vocals on the album, as it wouldn’t feel like a proper HIGHLIGHT release without him. And to make things even better, Doojoon’s participation on the album is through a solo single. Nightmare sounds like something very dark. But for this song, it is rather bright and light, quite like a sunny day. I like the pop feel from his song and the melody, which felt refreshing. I think I would have liked something a little heavier sounding, but Nightmare was still quite nice. (7/10)
6. Take Care (잘 지내줘) – Coming right after the instrumental track for Loved is Take Care. It is another ballad, but it serves as their ‘outro’ song for the next two years. I like this ballad more than the previous ballad, with the piano making the song sound so beautiful. Their vocals and raps were amazing in this song. I particularly like Junhyung’s rap sequence in the song, which was done so well for the slow song. For once, it is the music rather than their vocals that convey emotions. And it is this emotion that makes it memorable for me. (9/10)
There is a new debut in the midst of the onslaught of comebacks in the month of November. THE MAN BLK is a 10 member male group under Stardium and their member lineup consists of Jinhwan, Sungyong, Se-ung, Junwon, Hyeongseok, Chanyi, Woojin, Seungho, Jeongyu and Taewoo. Free Fall is the group’s debut title track, which is featured on the group’s first mini-album, Various Colors.
I think Free Fall does a good job of showcasing the group’s vocals and rapping ability. The song can be described as a synth-based ballad, which tends to be an interesting combination of what is usually dance music and the soothing nature of a ballad. And this allows for the focus on the vocals and raps to be prominent. What I did like about the song is that it has a very mature feel to it, which is one bold move. This makes the song memorable for me. I did like the atmosphere and the instrumental of the song, which does fit into the common sound we hear nowadays. But it isn’t all praises for this song. The biggest lacking element in the song is momentum. It relies too much on that soothing nature that it doesn’t really accumulate energy like all other dance songs do. The song is repetitive and doesn’t really have any elements to dispell this repetitiveness. And as a result, the song does feel quite dry.
To match the mature sound of the song, many of the scenes in the music video had slow motion applied for to it. Not too bothered by it as it is quite fitting but it makes the video a tad slow. Also, I thought the Autumn style they members went for in all their scenes was definitely fitting for the song and season. The brown, grey and golden colour palette were also quite nice. Besides that, the music video shows choreography and close-ups, so there isn’t much else to talk about.
Starting off the performance is actually a pretty nice ‘free fall’. It may be the simplest of things but what I have determined here is that ‘sometimes simple is best’. And it starts the performance with impact. The performance is quite fitting for the slow nature of the song. It looked graceful and elegant at times.
Song – 7.5/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 8/10 Music Video – 7.5/10
ATEEZ made their debut at the end of October with Treasure. Since the release, the group have been actively promoting both Treasure and Pirate King on the weekly music shows. In my Treasure review, I did state that Pirate King was some sort of pre-debut single for the group and I believe I misstated that it wasn’t included in the actual album release (I was wrong with this latter bit). Their debut allowed for the release of the music video and proper promotions for the track, bumping it up to title track status.
When I heard the ‘Pirate King‘ titled, I expected something along the lines of Pirates of the Carribean. Don’t ask me why that is the first thing that popped into my head but it just did. The song isn’t anything like that official soundtrack. Instead, we get a very bombastic EDM track, which did have a slight theatrical flair and actually could be a part of a soundtrack to some sort of grand movie. I really like some of the synths in the song, which added electrifying details to the song to make it very appealing. The main concern with the song was that the instrumental was quite heavy and loud (not really an ideal track to blast over and over again). One of the possibilities that this could lead to is the overshadowing of the vocals and raps. However, this wasn’t the case as both vocals and raps were definitely well-heard and clear. And like their debut single, vocals and raps were on point!
We don’t have an actual music video for Pirate King, but instead, we have a performance version. For those who are new, you can get two official videos for a title track – the actual music video and a performance version (if there is choreography involved, though this one tends to be optional for some groups). Usually, you get the performance video in one set only. But we are treated to various sets for this video, which I believe to be the same deserts observed in the Treasure music video. It is quite good and the editing between the sets was great.
Amazing performance. The way they moved looked so cool. I particularly like the formation at the start of the second verse and the chorus. And that ending was so powerful. Honestly, I think I know which group I need to look out for (performance wise) next year!
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 7.9/10
Since wrapping up their promotions for Regular a few weeks back, we have been teased with an impending return with the repackaged version of their first studio album, And now, NCT 127 has returned for the third time this year with Simon Says, which the title track off their 1st Repackaged Album, Regulate. Interestingly, the music video for Simon Says was released well ahead of the actual release of the repackaged album. But we aren’t here to talk about this experimental release method. Instead, Simon Says to start this review!
Simon Says is a return to that hip-hop and electronic sound that NCT 127 hasn’t really done that much this year. Touch was a rather bright release, while Regular was an attempt at the Latin trend. So, it is quite nice to go back to some familiar territory. The instrumental has this experimental side to it, which makes it interesting as the style isn’t that clear-cut as their past songs. The verses are formed to give attention towards the rappers, who do a really good job with the song. There are attitude and charisma flowing throughout. The song focuses on the vocalists through the bridge of the song. While it is a little short, we do great a nice little breather from the intensity of the verses/chorus. As for the chorus, I thought it was quite catchy. The song is quite powerful and definitely aggressive in a more subtle manner. Overall, Simon Says is a pretty cool song.
The music video takes that aggressive and powerful nature touched upon earlier and develops into a very aesthetic music video. There is definitely some sort of message hidden throughout this video through the symbolism that I am no way near smart enough to understand. Here are what I could see. Taeyong is Simon, as he is the leader of the subunit and all the members move around him. He is also the first member to take off his mask and the rest of the members follow suit. And talking about the masks, how amazing do they look? Visuals along, this is one video to watch.
Like all the other components of this comeback, the performance is very intense and dynamic. Each of the members do a really good job at captivating the audience through their charisma alone. Their moves make this comeback so much better. My favourite part has to be the fast-paced chorus.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
Making his second comeback of the year so far is Hwang Chi Yeul. His first release of 2018 is My Only Star, which was unveiled back in April. The soloist returned on Tuesday of this week with Learn To Love, his first digital single release.
Learn To Love no doubt takes on what the soloist does best, ballads. And like the rest of his title tracks, Learn To Love is another typical ballad. It has a nice orchestral-like instrumental, which is rather standard of ballads. It was definitely quite nice sounding though, so I am not too much troubled by the typical nature of the song. Hwang Chi Yeul brings his raspy vocals into play, which I quite like. His voice captivates you, which is definitely a selling point of any ballad. I did like how his vocals pushed higher and felt more emotionally influenced during the chorus, allowing the song to be boosted in appeal. The song peaked wonderfully during the bridge, with the combination of his vocals and the instrumental, reaching up higher than before. I do want to see him go into different areas of ballads or music one day, as his stages on Immortal Song proves his potential. But this is still quite nice.
The song sounds quite sad but when you inspect the lyrics and the video, there really isn’t a hint of sadness (at least how I am interpreting them). The lyrics seemed to be a commitment to love at the start of a relationship. He sings “I did not know that that I was the only one learning to love”, which seems to show that the two are starting their love life afresh with each other. The music video shows that through scenes of the two getting to know each other and slowing things down. A few times they seem to go in for a kiss but they hold back (most likely in their own past relationships, they rushed things). I did think the dullness of the colours/filter was a little too dark, which made me think the song was a sad one at first. But other than that, it was a good video.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.6/10
NATURE is back with a brand new song, titled SOME (You’ll Be Mine)! For those who do not know NATURE, they are a relatively new group who debuted with Allegro Cantabile back in August. They were meant to debut with 9 members, however, one member left just before they debuted (she did not participate in promotions but was still featured n the music video). With this comeback, the number of members is bumped back up to 9 with the addition of Loha.
If you were looking for a song similar to Allegro Cantabile, you have come to the wrong place. But if you came for something a little more out there, you may stay and have a listen. SOME start off a standard KPOP track, bright and bubbly. But the chorus is a little different, going with seems to be an addictive EDM drop that I am digging a fair bit. It attracts attention and hypes up the atmosphere. It caught me off guard but I really did enjoy the chorus. I thought the pre-chorus section was amazing, which I thought was a great limbo between the bright start and the dramatic change for the chorus. The rapping to the song was awesome, fitting in extremely nicely. And I thought the vocal work was showcased well, where both the vocals and the raps draw you in. The bridge slows it down but I didn’t mind it too much as the buildup back to the chorus was awesome. Overall, it is another great song for this week.
The first thing that jumped right at me was the colours. I thought it was extremely bold and very bright, which definitely matches the atmosphere of the song. It does fall under the category of a typical music video but it is the atmosphere of it that makes this a great watch. The classroom set reminded me of a combination of TWICE’s One More Time colour palette, while the classroom reminded me of TWICE’s Signal. I am not trying to suggest that they copied but rather point out an observation I made. I feel like with the song’s drop and the dance moves, they could have been more out-there. For example, funny costumes would have been fun in this video.
I think the main focus of this comeback is the dance. Once again, I am reminded of another group’s performance. If you cast your mind to Momoland’s Wonderful Love choreography for EDM remix, I think this would be the equivalent to that. And once again, the choreography during the chorus lived up to the song’s crazy drop, atmosphere and expectations.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.7/10
Wanna One has returned with their assumingly final release before their impending disbandment at the end of the year (even though that hasn’t been 100% confirmed yet). This final release comes in the form of 111 = 1 (Power of Destiny) – I couldn’t include the number bit in the title of this post as its format doesn’t show properly. The album consisted of 11 songs, including an intro track (which I didn’t include in the review), the title track Spring Breeze and a special CD only track.
3. Home (집) – Home is what I wanted when I mentioned something more energetic and upbeat in my Spring Breeze review. Home is an upbeat dance track, with a very normal instrumental and I admit that the song is quite linear throughout. Despite that, the song has impact, which does level out the linear nature. I thought the song’s instrumental had a decent build-up, which allowed the chorus to be very strong. Vocals were showcased in a very cool manner, with a very melodic factor reeling me in for more. The raps were perfect for the song. A right level of energy and roughness made it fit right in. I do hope they have a performance for this as I want one so badly. (9/10)
4. Flower Bomb (불꽃놀이) – Living up to the second half of the title, the chorus was explosive in comparison to the rest of the song. This is what I wanted with the song when I first heard the title. The burst of energy made the song robust and appealing. The vocals and raps were still at the forefront of the song, which was a concern at first given the nature of the chorus instrumentation. But I am glad that they were clear because their vocals in this song were a nice element. Besides the chorus explosion, I thought the delayed and staggered explosive nature of the final chorus was a really great way to make the song less repetitive and more interesting. (8/10)
5. One Love (묻고싶다) – I like the overall sound of One Love. It starts off as a typical R&B song, but it picks up into something a little more upbeat and intriguing. I really like the slight twist that follows the main chorus (the ‘One Love…’ lines) because it gave a punch to the song, which made it enjoyable (and hence that ‘typical’ nature disappeared). What makes this song even better is that it showcases the rappers (Daniel, Jihoon, Guanlin and Woojin), who usually do not get much limelight in some of the group’s other songs. The vocalists were also amazing, but I felt the song did the rappers justice. (8/10)
6. Deeper – Deeper is my pick for the most aesthetic song on the entire album. Not just the lyrics but I thought the sound was rather aesthetically pleasing. I thought the vocals (excluding the chorus vocals) and the raps had a heavy tone to them, which I guess goes hand-in-hand with the ‘Deeper’ title. I thought their echo-y ‘Deeper’ to be a very strong and interesting hook to the song. The vocals at this part seem to be like shouting, which contrasts nicely with the rest of the deep and husky vocals/raps you hear in the song. I thought the instrumental was nice, which went for a piano and drum beat mix. (8/10)
7. Hide And Seek (술래) – Hide And Seek is similar to slow ballad-like song on this album. Like most songs on the album, the vocals are quite crisp and clear. I thought the rapping added a nice dynamic to the song, particularly during the bridge. The melody of this song was decent, making me sway along to it. The only issue is that it doesn’t lose that typical feeling. It just feels like any ballad and that doesn’t really live up to the standard set by the other songs on the album. Hence, I find it to be the least captivating. But don’t misunderstand, the song isn’t terrible in any way. (6.5/10)
8. Awake – I think if we were to pick one member who stood out in the synth-heavy Awake, it would have to be Woojin. His rap sections were just so amazing. I really like the fast tempo of the song during the chorus and the upbeat nature was quite addictive. Vocally, the song was awesome. I thought the people who sang the chorus had the best bit of the song (besides Woojin’s rap sequences). It is one song that I personally want to see a performance, as I think they can nail it a dance to this song. Personally, it is one of my favourite tracks on the album. (9/10)
9. 12th Star – This song is only present on the physical album, so I wasn’t going to review it. However, after checking a lyric video for it on YouTube, it will be rather disappointing to miss out on talking about this ballad. There is a lot of emotion in this song, which you can hear behind the voices of both singers and rappers. I liked the many attempts to keep the song from becoming too repetitive, which is a common occurrence in ballads. The harmonizing at the end and the slight stillness in the instrumental kept the song appealing and impactful. (8/10)
10. Pine Tree (소나무) – Pine Tree is a touching tribute to their parents. It is a pop ballad that sums up their gratitude to those who raised them from young. With such an emotional song, you can’t help but wonder how their parents reacted to the song. Surely, some tears were shed, and smiles were formed. I felt like every member shined in this song. I am not saying that because it was for their parents. But I genuinely thought everyone was well-balanced with one another and no one really became showcased, so it was not just a song for their own parents but for each other’s parents, as well. (9/10)
11. Beautiful(Part II) – When I first heard the highlight medley, I was automatically drawn to this track. The reasons were obvious. It has a more pronounced ballad feel, with the much slower and more orchestral heavy instrumental in the background. There are a few familiar melodies and moments from Part 1, with a number of tweaks throughout the song. I like how with some of the lines that were the same between the two songs were sung in a different manner in this one, giving a new form to the older song. The rappers also had a fair amount of singing lines in this song, which I thought was nice (as they have good voices). Overall, Beautiful (Part 2) is a beautiful ending to the album. (10/10)
Baek A Yeon is the second artist to make their comeback today. The soloist from JYP Entertainment returned with Sorry To Myself, which is the title track off her fourth mini-album, Dear Me. This is her first comeback since Sweet Lies (featuring The Barberettes), which was released at the start of last year.
Sorry To Myself, as expected from the title, is a very emotionally driven ballad. Baek Ah Yeon’s recent title tracks have been of the brighter nature, so it is nice to see something different than the usual. Honestly, I had the chose to two ballads to review today and I chose this one because I was more drawn to it. There is something about her voice that makes the song sound so heartbreaking and desperate. Maybe it is because you can hear a hint of innocence, which makes the song so much more impactful. I really like the melody in the chorus, which I believe to be the strongest peak of the song. As for the instrumentation, there isn’t anything special about it. Instead, it is rather standard. But besides that, it is a good song.
The music video shows a heartbroken girl, who is reminded of her ex-partner through many things. We are treated to a number of flashbacks during their happy memories, to make sense to why apples and a rubber duck keychain makes her sad (i.e. fond memories of her partner). We are then shown the moment they break up, which is the start of her devastation. I thought the actress’ acting was amazing, especially during the scenes where she is all alone. She took the emotion behind the vocals and portrayed it successfully in the video. From what I saw I think there was a turning point where she started to retreat in a confident manner, which went extremely well with the ‘He doesn’t deserve to be hated’ lyrics.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
KPOPREVIEWED 