This is the comeback that I have been waiting for all week. EXID has finally returned, along with Solji who has been absent from group promotions for almost two years now! Welcome back Solji! Their comeback single is titled as I Love You and is their first comeback since Lady, which was released back in April. Since then, the group (with Solji) made their official Japanese debut with their hit track, Up & Down.
I Love You opens up with the most addictive hook of the year. I have no idea if I will find it annoying in the future, but at the moment, I am totally digging it. It is definitely attention-grabbing. The verses were good but there isn’t much to talk about. I like how the chorus comes into play. Both Hyelin and Solji have ‘louder’ sections with their vocals jumping right at you. It is unexpecting but it manages to fit in. To avoid being too repetitive, the song takes a change for the second verse, becoming a lot more techno-y and much sexier. I love Hani’s whisper that comes at the end of the verse, which I thought was another highlight of the song. I do think the Solji’s high note at the end clashed with the song, making the ending appear slightly messy. But other than that, I Love You is probably my next favourite song.
Hopefully, you did not gag throughout this music video. EXID did a lot of gagging, which seems a little odd at first. I had a quick look at the lyrics but they don’t really fit the gagging into the song. It seems like there is some sort of regret going on, as Hani changes the course of the video to prevent each member from gagging/throwing up by editing some footage, which allows everyone to spend a more enjoyable night. And the worst thing after a night out is the hangover in the morning! I liked the comedic effect the video touched on and the Elmo character in the background for some of the scenes. The music video was also very colourful, which I thought added to the atmosphere of the video.
And I love the choreography. The moves associated to the hook were simple and can potentially rival their Up & Down hip thrust that drove them to the top of the charts. It was also sexy and oozed confidence, which is right up EXID’s alley. I also thought it was rather interesting they staggered the same dance move in the middle of the song, which I thought was a nice effect.
Song – 9.5/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
HIGHLIGHT is back with their third mini-album, Outro. This is the group’s first comeback since Celebrate (the group’s second mini-album under the name HIGHLIGHT), which featured the title track Can Be Better. The title track for Outro is Loved and it is also the first single to not feature Doojoon, who is currently carrying out his military enlistment. I believe this is also the group’s last release for the time being as other members will be enlisting in the next year. But in the meanwhile, let’s have a look at Loved.
The song started off as your standard dance track. The start felt very ‘done-before’, leaving the start to be underwhelming to my ears. However, the song started to pick up around Junhyung’s rap. From then on, the song started to gain momentum. But my most favourite part was the chorus. While the concept was rather ‘done-before’, it was totally awesome. The kick the distorted violin gave was much needed and very attention-grabbing. The way it presented was rather bold and I liked that. It did remind me of Ribbon, which also had violins of the same nature. The vocals were pretty good overall, with all the members doing an amazing job. I particularly like the autotuned ‘사랑했나봐’ just before the chorus. I also liked how mature it sounded, compared to their title tracks from last year which I wasn’t much of a fan of.
I liked the way the video was shot. It seems to show the actress walking through each of the member’s scenes and then the HIGHLIGHT members turning up a second too late. It doesn’t sound like a very normalised topic when it comes to Korean media but I think it was well shot. It goes hand-in-hand with the lyrics, particularly the ‘I will wait for you’ line towards the end of the song. I also like the choreography shots. Especially, the change between lack of colour to an infusion of colour, which resulted in some life and energy to the video.
The choreography, from what I can see in the music video, looks amazing. I think the chorus looked really cool and the staggering that they do with the backup dancers for the second half of the chorus was extremely smart and allowed for some aesthetics. I would like to see what else the dance will offer, so most likely I will return to update this section.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 (I will return to update this section) Overall Rating – 8.5/10
Wanna One has returned with what could be their last album release before their scheduled disbandment at the end of the year. The album is titled 1¹¹=1 (Power Of Destiny) and it features the title track, Spring Breeze. But despite the talk of this being their last release, there are ongoing rumours that are giving fans some hopefulness of contract extensions, with concert venues booked for January of the next year and the need to represent Wanna One at the award shows occurring at the start of next year. Whatever the outcome is, Wanna One and their influence will never be forgotten!
Spring Breeze is another dance track to add to Wanna One’s portfolio with the inclusion of some synth pop in the background. Like the song’s title and lyrics, the song felt fitting for a nice breezy day. You know those scenes with long grass on a nice sunny day with a constant breeze. That’s the day I am imagining when I listen to this song. I was quite surprised by the final outcome of the track, as I thought they would have gone with something a little more ‘Energetic‘ or upbeat. But they went with calming and soothing, instead. Like Beautiful, Spring Breeze zone right into the group’s vocals which I thought were nice, overall. The raps, on the other hand, were underwhelming for me. I guess I something a little more hard-hitting when it came to the raps, rather than rap-speaking. I think the way they ended the song, with all the members joining in, was an excellent way to close the song but also close this chapter with each other.
While there are many ways to interpret a song and a music video, if you are given the context you can only interpret them one way. There is no doubt that this is what I am doing with this comeback as it seems to be the right interpretation. The video shows the members having fun with each other. They enjoy each other’s company through the many interactions together. I particularly like the panning from left to right just before the choruses, which shows the members just doing that, similar to their chorus in I.P.U. But their close-ups show something else. The members look very passionate and intense in their close-ups, which could potentially be showing how sad they are in regards to their end. I found those scenes to be heartbreaking yet touching. I thought the choreography scenes looked spectacular with regards to the grand sets they had.
[Updated: My original comments still stand] We do not get to see much of their dance in the music video and their first live performance isn’t until this Thursday. However, the music video shows what I think will be the highlights and the main pointers to their choreography. I liked how they fitted their dancing into the slower tempo and how it looked extremely graceful. My favourite bit has to be the choreography for the first half of the first chorus (when Jaehwan starts singing). Their movements were so fluid yet strong in a subtle way.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 10/10 Performance – 9/10 [Updated: Original Performance Score Remains] Overall Rating – 9.3/10
BTOB made their return with Beautiful Pain (the title track) and a special mini-album, Hour Moment. This is the first release without Eunkwang (as I have mentioned already) enlisted into the military a few months back. Despite being without their main vocalist, BTOB has effortlessly filled the void that Eunkwang left with one anothe], expected of a group with amazing vocalists and rappers. So without any more delays, let’s have a quick look at their album.
Hour Moment Album Cover
1..Friend (Pre-release Track) –I liked the progression between a ballad-like start to an upbeat and inspiring sound at the end and during the choruses. The message of the song expresses gratitude to their friends, which plays in nicely with the members impending military enlistment. Eunkwang, who enlisted a few months back, participated this song and it is nice to hear his voice once again. While I am on the topic of vocals, everyone sounded amazing here, especially Ilhoon’s vocals during the second half of the chorus and Peniel’s raps in the second verse. (9/10)
2. Like It – Like Friend,Like It follows the same pattern. It actually starts off slower and softer than compared to the previous song. But it picks up a little sooner, at the start of Ilhoon’s vocal lines which is still in the verses. The song is R&B based, with a lot of the synths in the instrumental reminding me of the R&B genre. I felt the song was a little more straight forward and typical, in comparison to the rest of the songs. Nothing new about this track. But in the wise words of the song’s hook, ‘I like it’. (8/10)
3. Butterfly (나비) – We now come to the softer side of the album. Unlike the previous songs, there isn’t a turn in the instrumental which incorporates electronic synths and make it into an upbeat song. Instead, the guitar in the instrumental remains throughout, reminding me of some folksy songs. I like how their vocals weren’t extravagant in this song, instead opting for something that felt a little more constricted in a number of manners (such as pitch and volume). But nonetheless, the vocals were quite nice. I liked the hushed rapping, which felt fitting. (8/10)
4. Please (제발) – It is finally nice to hear Ilhoon return to some rapping. I say that because his section stands out the quite a bit. From his section onwards, the song turns into a power ballad, boasting a very dramatic (yet sparingly used) orchestral instrumental, power vocals from the vocalists and smashing raps from the rappers. Everything comes together to form a very powerful and well backed track. The highlight of the song has to go to Peniel’s rapping, which climaxes the song perfectly and fitting in with the power ballad side of the song extremely well. (10/10)
One of my goals for the next year is to work on my scheduling of reviews. Particularly debuts from much smaller companies. I tend to wait a few weeks in order to write the reviews (and I don’t really have a good enough excuse to why I do so). So while I am trying to work that out, let’s have a closer look at DreamNote, who is a female group from iME KOREA. The group is made up of 8 members (Sumin, Eunjo, Habin, Lara, Hanbyeol, Miso, Youi and Boni). and their debut track shares the same name as their group name, DREAM NOTE.
For me, DREAM NOTE sticks out for some reasons but becomes hidden for others. The group’s debut single is of the cutesy nature that literally made me cringe during my first listen. Their vocals seemed mediocre at best throughout the song. There just didn’t seem to be any impressive moments. However, the song has a decent hook that I can see growing on me. And the instrumental of the song isn’t all cutesy. There is a potential for a powerful song, given the instrumental of the song. I also find the saxophone at the end of the song adding a nice touch that felt just right then and there (probably my favourite section has to be the final chorus onwards with the presence of the saxophones to thank for that).
And as expected, the music video is full of colour. That is the common side order that you will get when it comes to a cutesy song. The girls are also acting cutesy, which is expected. The entire video is about them trying to find some objects to put into those toy capsule machine to obtain a key that opens the door. In a way, similar to an escape room type of concept. They just have a lot of un along the way. My only problem, they could have saved the trouble, turned the knob and the key would have still come out without the addition of the pebbles and a pomegranate. They probably took the longest time of all the participants and one of the girls lost a tooth along the way. Damn.
The performance I watched for this review showed the members have very strong vocals, especially with a fast paced and high energy dance like this one. I really like the chanting them did at the very end, which I thought was very uplifting and nice. As for the dance, nothing too impressive but still decent to watch.
Song – 6/10 Music Video – 6/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 6.2/10
Since their last comeback with Jelly (released in July 2017). a lot has happened with the members of HOTSHOT. Taehyun joined JBJ who promoted for a period of a few months before disbanding in April of this year. Timoteo and Hojung participated on The Unit: Idol Rebooting Project and placed 10th and 3rd place respectively. As a result, Hojung joined the show’s male project group, UNB. Despite all of this, HOTSHOT has regrouped (with the exception of Sungwoon, who is still a part of Wanna One) with the release of I Hate You.
I lowkey was expecting something along the lines of Jelly, which actually became quite addictive over time with the subtle aesthetics of the synths. I Hate You is a completely different song. It doesn’t rely on synths or electronic sounds, which is already a big difference. It feels more like a ballad, just there is enough in the instrumentation to allow the song to feature some choreography. The song is emotionally driven, which you can hear through their vocals. Their vocals are quite nice in the song. It isn’t the powerful vocals that I tend to prefer when it comes to ballads but it was enough to make me feel different feelings as the song progressed. I really like the “니가 미워” (nega miwo) hook at the very start of the chorus. There is something about it that makes it so beautiful and I quite like that.
The lyrics of the song essentially show their heartbreak and frustrations towards a lover who left unexpectedly. And the video does that. But instead of using the same ‘let’s film her physically walking away from the members’ over and over again, the video uses different ways to show that. While there were some cliche shots in the video, such as the girl disappearing around a corner, the video saw more creative ways such as having the lead actress die in one of their arms to represent ‘leaving’. I really like the contrast of colours throughout the video. The warm golden colour represents their happy moments but the darker scenes showcased loneliness and coldness. It is a well thought-out video.
As expected, the performance didn’t fall into a ballad category and featured choreography. I liked how sharp the chorus looked. While the song doesn’t really call for that, it worked in an interesting manner alongside the song. I also liked how the choreography didn’t feel constricting. The speed at which their movements were performed at and the wide motions really made the video feel quite strong.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.5/10
Unfortunately, I did not follow Produce 48 despite promises to myself that I would actually check out the show this time around. However, as usual, a group was produced from the Top 12 members from the show, who are now known as IZ*ONE. They made their debut two weeks ago with La Vie en Rose (link below) and their mini-album COLOR*IZ. Today, we will be having a closer look at their mini-album, starting now!
COLOR*IZ Album Cover
1..Beautiful Colour (아름다운 색) – IZ*ONE opens their debut mini-album with a fairly strong song. It is a bright and bubbly song that is quite colourful at the same time. I thought the chorus was rather soothing and melodic. The vocals were strong, showcasing different techniques. It particularly like the second half of the chorus and the falsetto leading up to it. The raps were decent and fitted in well with the rest of the song. It does sound typical when compared to other b-side tracks of other artists but other than that, it was quite nice. (8/10)
2. O’ My! – What stands out for me in this song is the instrumental. It does feel a lot cutesier than the previous song and it isn’t overwhelming, which is always a good thing when it comes to cutesy songs. Going back to the instrumental, I really like the dynamic electronic side of it. I thought that added a nice touch and kept it balanced. I thought the main hook of the song (O’ My!) was quite addictive. Vocals were good but I thought a little more rapping could have brought a little extra something to the song to really being to the next level. (8.5/10)
4. Memory (비밀의 시간) – Memory is the first ballad of the album. And the way it sounded reminded me of the ballad that Produce 101 Season 2 ended with. There is a touching side of the song and it doesn’t feel as emotional as a love song ballad. I think their vocals in this song was their very best throughout the entire album. I would love to hear more ballads from IZ*ONE if this is the quality and standard they will continually release. I really like it when they sung together at the end. The instrumental was plain for my taste but other than that, it was almost perfect. (9/10)
5. We Together (앞으로 잘 부탁해) – We have now entered the Produce 48 territory, where the girls have re-recorded their songs from the finale using the final IZ*ONE lineup. We Together was quite nice, giving off nostalgic vibes through their instrumental and chorus. It fits squarely in the pop genre and there isn’t much to the chorus to really differentiate the song from other artists. However, I did like the extra kick in the bridge, which I thought gave the song a unique twist. I also liked the electric guitars at the end. (8/10)
6. Crush On You (반해버리잖아?) (好きになっちゃうだろう?) – This may be due to my lack of musical skills or just my personal preference, but I thought the combinations of vocals and instrumentation is a little off-putting. They just didn’t seem to be connected and it felt a little uncomfortable (but not all the time. It was mainly felt during the lead up to the chorus). The instrumentation for this song reminded me of 8-bit music (i.e. like the music you get with retro video games), However, since IZ*ONE is both a Japanese and Korean music group, it was still nice to see something for the Japanese market despite the album being promoted in Korea so far. (6/10)
7. In Our Dreams (꿈을 꾸는 동안) (夢を見ている間) – I mentioned in Memory that the latter song felt like the ballad that ended their run on Produce 48. Well, here is the actual ballad that did end their time on the show. Many of the same comments under Memory can be rewritten here. What I did like about the song that hasn’t been motioned yet is that In Our Dream felt a lot warmer and you could feel a lot more emotion in this song. Once again, good vocals are present, but I actually preferred the vocals of the earlier song. But given its position on the album, it was a nice finale for the debut mini-album. (7/10)
D-CRUNCH made their debut in August of this year with Palace. Unfortunately, I didn’t get around to reviewing Palace. Luckily, D-CRUNCH announced their first comeback with Stealer and today will be having a closer look at Stealer. For those who don’t know the group, they are a 9-member male group under All-S Company. The members are Hyunwook,. Hyunho, O.V, Minhyuk, Hyunwoo, Hyunoh, Chanyoung, Jungseung and Dylan.
The first thing about the song that jumps out at me is its intensity. For a group with more rappers than vocalists, this intensity at the forefront of the song is expected. I like how they infused the electronic music genre with hip-hop but there were moments in the instrumental that felt exotic, reminding me of BLOCK B’s Nilli Mambo. And like Nilli Mambo, there were also moments that felt theatrical and grand. The many rappers bring an overwhelming rough texture to the song yet each of their sections is individualistic and this allows the intensity to grow exponentially. The vocalists also shine despite it being a rap-dominant song with their choruses and pre-choruses being clear and very melodic in a way that matches the rest of the song. Altogether, the song proves that this rookie group has potential and talent in a variety of domains.
The music video lives up to the music. The level of intensity of the song is matched by the edginess in the music video. I think there was a plotline to the video somewhere in the midst of all the choreography and closeup shots but it wasn’t easily decipherable due to its limited screen time (I think they were searching for something). Putting that aside, I thought the editing for this video was pretty cool. I liked how the transition matched the pre-chorus melody and instrumental moments. I like how dark the video felt, which goes back to that obvious edgy vibe. Maybe if they focused more on the plotline as the song does feel theatrical enough for one, the video would have had an extra level of appeal.
The choreography itself was quite good. But I couldn’t stop thinking that they could have done more. The performance I watched seemed to focus on live vocals (which were quite stable), so this limited the level of intensity their dance routine could of have. I wanted to see the torches on the stage as I thought their torch opener in the music video looked really cool but that was removed due to time limitations. If they managed to match the energy/ in the music video, I think this would have been a winning performance.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
This is not a drill. But BLACKPINK is returning! Just not as a quartet this time around. Instead, it has been confirmed by YG Entertainment that each member will be making their solo debut. Jennie’s solo release kicks off the series of solo debuts for each member with the title track titled appropriately, SOLO. We last heard from BLACKPINK via their smashing hit, DDU-DU DDU-DU.
This is one unique song. And I am really liking it. But before we jump into a shocking in-depth description, I must apologise for my lack of music terminology. This is going to be really hard. I thought the song had a nice minimisalitc vibe, especially in the opening verse. I also like those spaced out tapping (cannot think of the right word here) sounds which give off a classy yet epic vibe. Very ear-catching. I thought the pre-choruses was nailed perfectly. Her vocals just sound so good during this section. The chorus takes a turn and drops that minimalistic vibe. Instead, the aesthetics here are turned up, giving Jennie an opportunity to showcase some dance. I actually enjoyed the ‘SOLO LOLOLO‘ hook. I thought her rapping was on point and very sleek. I was hoping for the final chorus to have more a kick but they maintained the same chorus (with slight changes), which I didn’t mind. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was different yet so appealing.
So, the message behind the song is confidence. More specifically (and I quote this from SOOMPI): “Many women are in a relationship where they give up a lot of things just to be loved by someone else. But even though they put in a lot of effort, in many cases, it will return to them as pain. The song talks about being free rather than making up a fake version of yourself.” So the video shows two sides of Jennie. The first is showing her as hurt and in pain. The second is confident and strong. And this was rather cool. I liked the way the video was shot, with the cinematography being a major highlight for me. I actually enjoyed her final dance scene with the 20+ backup dancers. Jennie stood out in that crowd but yet the aesthetic of it was just through the roof.
The choreography for this looks amazing. I personally want to see how this would look on stage because the choreography for the first chorus looked more freestyle. But for the second and final choruses, I thought everything looked bold and very charismatic, obviously the exact vibes that Jennie was going for.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 10/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9.8/10
BTOB has a few releases under their belt this year already. The group returned with Only One For Me and BTOB-BLUE made their subunit comeback with When It Rains. Now, BTOB has returned with a special mini-album, which is titled HOUR MOMENT and the title track Beautiful Pain. This is the group’s first comeback since Eunkwang unexpectedly enlisted in the military back in August 2018.
BTOB makes their return with a ballad, which was not that unexpected. Beautiful Pain, from the title alone, just screams out ballad. And with BTOB’s known songs being mainly ballads, it was the obvious choice. And with BTOB’s known capabilities, this is a powerhouse ballad. Even with the lack of one strong set of vocals, the three remaining vocalists (Changsub, Sungjae and Hyunsik) do an amazing job of filling that void. I think honourable mentions have to go to Hyunsik and Changsub in the vocal domain. During the bridge, Hyunsik brings his deep husky vocals along that are so captivating and Changsub belts out this amazing high note. I was a little concerned with the rapping but Peniel, Ilhoon and Minhyuk do a wonderful job with each of their sections. My favourite has to be Minhyuk’s buildup. Overall, I really thought the group did an amazing job with Beautiful pain. You can hear the pain through each of their parts and the melody during the chorus was just so nice. The instrumentation wasn’t that special but everything else stands out.
The group sings about the bittersweet ends to their relationship. And as I mentioned in the above paragraph, their emotions could be felt. The same thing goes for the video. There were bittersweet moments when the leading actress makes her appearance around the members but the BTOB members remain in the ‘present’ moment of unable to let go. I think the most impactful moment of the entire video was when Sungjae had the sheets over his head and paced his way around the apartment. It was well shot and I liked the darkness of the video, which really made it more powerful. I also thought Hyunsik’s high note was well planned and incorporated into the video.
[Updated] I think they could have left out the dance entirely for this round of promotions. Though, I think it was more keeping all their ballad releases consistent. The performance was nice, with the backup dancers doing most of the dancing. The members did have some moves but not as much as in the past. I did like Peniel’s cane dance, which did look cool.
Song – 9.5/10 Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 8/10 [Updated] Overall Rating – 9.4/10[Updated]
TWICE returned last week with a brand new mini-album, YES or YES, making this the group’s third comeback this year so far. I have reviewed both What Is Love? and Summer Nights albums, which you can find by clicking the links. YES or YES features the title track of the same title and also the Korean version of their Japanese release BDZ (link below), which the group has been promoting as well during their first week of comeback performances. So scroll down below for the album review!
2. Say You Love Me – I really like the chorus of the song. I loved the tempo and the energy that comes from it. It feels like your typical pop song, if I was going to be objective. But there is something about the ‘You got something I want, and I have something you need’ line that makes it quite an addictive hook. I thought the guitar in the instrumental was nice during the verses and chorus. The vocals were pretty good. I liked the slow down for the ‘rap speak’ section of the song and the breezy sound, which felt quite fitting. (8/10)
3. LALALA – LALALA has a bright retro vibe, which I think would have been ideal in the Summer season. Nonetheless, its presence on the album was quite nice and I thought its upbeat instrumentation was very fun. I personally think the vocals could have been more interesting, but it was still quite good. I really liked the brass in the bridge, which kind of had some showtime flair. I also did like the ‘LaLaLa’ book in the chorus. It isn’t as powerful as some other hooks, but its lightness was very warm. (8/10)
4. Young & Wild – Young & Wild is my favourite track (apart from the title track) on the album. It is probably their most unconventional sounding track. It feels like it has potential to be an edgy hip-hop track, but TWICE keeps it true to their roots and makes it a brighter tune. I find this unique. I liked the way they ended their choruses with the autotuned effect and the thumping in the bridge of the song, which gave that edgy feel that I mentioned before. I thought the rapping was perfect for this song, kicking up that edginess to a new level. Altogether, it becomes their most memorable b-side on this album. (9/10)
5. Sunset – I must admit that Sunset was a letdown. I thought the instrumental just didn’t feel right for the song, especially when you think about how nice the vocals were (which was practically the only part that kept the song going for me). The instrumentation was a mixture of upbeat happiness and electronic music. Yet, there were times that it felt like it was attempting to slow down for some unknown reason as the song progressed. I also felt like the instrumental was quite messy and didn’t feel that inviting. (6/10)
6. After Moon – Like all albums, the ballad is a must. And After Moon is TWICE’s ballad on the album. While TWICE isn’t technically known for their vocals, the group nails this song really well. It isn’t that mind-blowing ballad that I tend to like but it did the job of being the mandatory ballad of the album. I think if they polished the chorus to make it feel a little nicer (it isn’t their vocals that I didn’t agree with, but rather the melody) alongside the chorus, this easily could have been one of my favourite tracks. I liked the orchestral instrumental. (7.5/10)
K.Will made his return earlier this week with the second half of his fourth studio album. The first half, Part 1. Nonfiction, was released last year with Nonfiction as the main title track. The second half of the album is titled Part 2. 想像 (Mood Indigo) and it features the title track, Those Days (그땐 그댄). In the lead up to the album, K.Will also released some singles, which you can also find on the album, such as My Star (which I previously reviewed).
Something that I have not heard much of so far this Fall season are ballads. This is quite odd given that we are almost at the end of the perfect ballad season. So when K.Will confirmed his comeback, I was highly anticipating a great ballad. And that is exactly what we got. His vocals are so damn good in this song, it leaves me breathless. A major reason why I really like K.Will’s voice is that he puts so much emotion behind them. This song is just even more proof of that. The song’s melody is very beautiful, particularly around the chorus. I think that there may be some backing vocals in the chorus and his harmonies are amazing. Finally the instrumental was amazing. Nothing beats a graceful orchestral piece for a ballad. Given that K.Will’s forte is ballads (in my opinion – he also really good R&B songs), he did not disappoint.
The music video features Yoo Yeon Seok as the lead actor, who is a suit tailor. While meeting one of his customers, he meets his ex-girlfriend (who has clearly moved on). Nonetheless, he continues with his job despite looking a tad unhappy. Throughout the video, we see flashbacks of their happy relationship but we don’t get to see why they broke up. Back in the present day, the two awkwardly ignore each other. The girl notices a fishbowl, the same bowl that she bought back in the day for another fish. This brings backs memories, which cause her to shed a tear. Once the job was complete, the couple leave. However, it seems like she wants to say something to her ex prior to leaving but he gives her a smile instead, to tell her everything is okay. I think the acting was wonderful in the video. I also liked how they slow motioned everything to an appropriate speed for the song but also making the video feel impactful.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 10/10 Overall Rating – 10/10
EXO has returned with their 5th studio album last week, titled as Don’t Mess Up My Tempo. Their lead title track was definitely a rollercoaster of sounds and tempos and it is titled as simply Tempo (link below). Today, the focus is on their album and can I begin by saying how impressed with every song on this album? So without any more delays, here are my thoughts on the album.
2. Sign – When you listen to both Tempo and Sign side-by-side, Sign is the better choice for the title track. Firstly, it doesn’t feel erratic. Secondly, the autotune section that follows the chorus was done wonderfully. It gave the song an intriguing factor while being an excellent addition of texture, which made me like it. While it does feel a little more mainstream, it is a solid track from start to end. Amazing vocals and raps (though I will admit that I prefer the rap sequences from Tempo) were also included in this song. The instrumental was intense and fell on the R&B scale, while also containing a mixture of synths of dubstep and other EDM. It was a great song. (9/10)
3. Ooh La La La(닿은 순간) – Ooh La La La seems to be EXO’s answer to the ongoing Latin trend that has hit KPOP and SM Entertainment as well. And it is not that bad. The song is a lot softer than their other songs (or any of the Latin-influenced songs that we have heard), giving us some relief to the intensity of this album. I really liked the vocals in this song. They were husky and low, which was something different for the group. The harmonies throughout the song (in particular the chorus) were perfect and it made the song flow effortless. There wasn’t rapping in this song, which I was kind of expecting. I am not too troubled by this as the vocals were on point. (8/10)
4. Gravity – The start of Gravity reminded me of Power for a brief second. But the song is not like Power at all. It has a dance techno instrumental which I thought was refined. I would have described the song as smooth but we lost that smoothness factor as the song went along. The vocals matched the song perfectly. They made the song feel cohesive and stand out for all the right reasons. What I loved about the song even more is the presence of the raps, which fits the bill well. They kicked the song up a notch and made the song feel right for a club setting. (9/10)
5. With You (가끔) – I think I found one of the most beautiful songs on the album. It starts off off-tuned, which I thought was going to be mean an awful track. But I was genuinely surprised with the direction the song took. The vocals (which added the beautiful factor to the song) took a soft ballad approach, yet the instrumental was fast tempo dance vibe. This is a very interesting combination. And I would not have expected it to work. Yet it does, and I can’t help stopping but marvel at this song. I really liked the continuous build-up in the first verse, which must be my favourite pick for inclination in any song. The rapping was nice but not their best on this album. (9/10)
6. 24/7 – It started off as another song. The whistling at the start was intriguing yet I lost interest in the song somewhere in the first verse. When the chorus kicked in, there was more than a kick to the song. I would like to describe it as more of a subtle explosion. It got my attention back to the song. As the song went along, there was a gradual build-up in the intensity of the song, which made it bold and appealing. The vocals were soft yet husky at points, which I think really gave the song some character and body. I prefer the final chorus as this is when the song full reaches its peak and doesn’t feel in any way related to how it started, yet still managing to remain true to the song’s roots. (9.5/10)
7. Bad Dream(후폭풍) – I like the way the song sounds but I can’t really figure out a way to describe the song to show this. I personally felt the instrumental could have been more interesting and developed a little more. The instrumental felt jazzy and R&B-ish, mixed nicely with some house. But it felt plain and didn’t really stand out. Same can be said for the vocals and raps. Yet when I listen to the song, I can’t help but groove along. I think a good comparison would have to be The Eve, as I can imagine the group going down a sexy route with this performance. (8/10)
8. Damage – When the song first started, it felt like something you would have gotten back in the day in KPOP. Chanyeol’s raps start the song off in a really pumped-up manner and this momentum continued into the vocals. The chorus was quite epic with a dramatic movie sound to it. I really liked how they incorporated classical instruments into the intense instrumental, particularly in the second verse, which basically a dream for someone who enjoys an orchestral piece. The bridge takes on a classical feel, stripping away the dramatic vibes of the song, which was a nice contrast. Sehun’s responsibility of saying E.X.O reappeared in this song, paying a nice throwback to EXO’s younger days. Altogether, I liked the song. (9/10)
9. Smile On My Face (여기 있을게) – Doing a complete 180° on the album is Smile On My Face, which is a pretty nice ballad. It showcased the vocals of the group and gave us an opportunity to focus on a softer side of the group before we end the album. There were no raps in this song, but I kind of expected given the ballad nature. It isn’t technically a stand out song on the album. It felt like it was there to give us a chance to catch our breathes from enjoying the more intense and dance-based tracks on the album. I like the melody and the swaying nature of the instrumental (which earns a tick from me!). (7.5/10)
10. Oasis (오아시스) – This was a nice closer for the album. There was a very certain level of hope which you could feel in the way the song sounds, which makes sense given the lyrics’ meaning. Vocally, there were many nice moments that make you feel warm and fuzzy. I think this track would have nice to listen during a walk on a nice warm day with blue skies. A cool breeze would make it even more exceptional. I would have expected some rapping in the song, to give the rappers a chance to feature in the closing of the album. But that could have easily changed the dynamic of the song. (8/10)
MXM has returned with a brand new single today. Knock Knock was previously released as part of the duo’s first studio album, More Than Ever, back in August of this year. Today, the duo dropped the TAK remix version of the song. For this review, there may be some comparison between the two versions, as I don’t review the remixed versions of any songs on this site. MXM previously returned with Ya Ya Ya in August, as well.
The original version of Knock Knock had a light feel and almost a bright atmosphere during the verses. And that was quite nice. It is just the EDM in the song didn’t feel grand but rather typical. While I never wrote an album review for this release, I did like the fade out and its transition to classical did give it a defining feature. The remixed version is a complete change. It featured a more intense dubstep sound and this resulted into a darker vibe from the song. And I actually like this version a bit more as dubstep isn’t something that I hear all too often. The vocals and rapping were practically the same between the versions, where both sounded quite nice. What I was personally interested was the ending of the song, which I mentioned above. While they did keep some of that piano as heard in the original, they incorporated some synths in order to keep it from being too distant, which makes the song well balanced. Overall, it was quite nice.
Fitting in with the darker sound is the darker visuals. MXM’s releases for this year (besides Gone Cold) have been quite bright and colourful. Here, there is a particular hazy filter placed over the top of the video, which made everything feel darker and dull. The sets were typical of most music videos but they felt fitting for the aesthetics of the video. In the entire video, I thought the entire sequence where the duo danced by themselves (i..e without the backup dancers) looked quite cool and basically summarised the entire vibe of the music video in a matter of seconds. It is a good video, fitting for the song.
It would be disappointing to see a dance routine for a song titled Knock Knock without some knocking. But don’t worry, there was some knocking action in the routine. While I liked that, I thought the performance was really well done. When the music got intense, their moves did as well. When the music was lightened, it felt lighter and the moves were a lot more fluid. While that seems to be a no-brainer, there have been a few performances that don’t follow this and I find such dances lacking and incomplete. But not this one!
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.5/10
With schedules for group comebacks becoming more spaced out for many established groups (particularly for male groups due to mandatory enlistment), many members have turned to solo careers. SHINee happens to be one of these groups. Dramas and solo music careers can be placed under the names of the other members but Key has only dabbled in variety shows. Now, he is officially making his solo debut this month and as a special pre-release, Key has released a collaboration with his good friend Soyou titled as Forever Yours.
Following their group promotions with three title tracks and one special repackaged release single, Key’s pre-release is a tropical house EDM styled song. And given the current competition, his song fails to really break any boundaries and stand out. The instrumental is nice but it doesn’t offer anything new to really be amazed at. What does keep this song quite fresh, however, are the vocals of both Key and Soyou. I have to admit that his voice feels very plain in this song. However, with Soyou’s husky vocals and the parts where both of them sing together, their voices brings a nice dynamic to the picture. I liked how Key’s voice was at the forefront of their duet moments, while Souyou’s husky voice stands out from the back. Other than that, I don’t have much else to say about the song.
And like SHINee’s music video, Key takes a fast-paced ride into space in his car. It felt the same producer or director played a part in this video. I really liked the retro feel in this video. The fonts and styles choices of the words that you see in the video remind me of various movie posters and really cringy fonts back in the day. The visuals are quite abstract and I have no clue on how to interpret this odd concoction of visuals. I am a little disappointed that Soyou didn’t appear in the video, which would have been nice if she did.
Song – 6/10 Music Video – 8/10 Overall Rating – 6.8/10
Making their comeback today is Gugudan. They have returned with their fifth mini-album, Act 05. New Action and the title track, Not That Type. Since their last full comeback back in February of this year with The Boots, the group launched a new subunit, Gugudan SEMINA, consisting of Sejeong, Mina and Nayoung. They have also one member less (making Gugudan an 8-member group now), as Hyeyon left the group last month for personal reasons.
With the ongoing trend of exuding confidence, Not That Type is Gugudan’s way of doing so. It is a fierce song that really implants itself into my mind after the first listen. And that is definitely a good thing in this current competitive industry. I like how they used the consistent backbone in the instrumental throughout the song. But they managed to keep it from being repetitive and dry by layering other stuff on top, such as the brass (which I am totally digging) in the pre-chorus. This song boasts great vocals from all the members, which goes hand-in-hand with their confidence message. I think the one thing the song is lacking, which would have made the song even better, was an epic rap sequence. The best part of this entire song has to be the bridge. It fits the song in an unexpecting way and manages to return to its original state from a complete slowdown. Overall, it is a damn good song.
And their music video is just so damn edgy. I really like the urban feel the video had going. I really liked the setting of the video, which already sets it apart from other videos, as they didn’t use any sets that we commonly see or are known to be ‘overused’. I also like their edgy visuals, which suits the song so well. Their charisma and the fierceness that the members alone put into the video was enough to already make it promising. So the combination of all the visual aspects worked wonderfully.
The performance was quite nice. I liked how they split up at the very start into the two smaller groups. You tend to see that for male groups but not so much for female groups. I thought the routine was very energetic, suiting that side of the song quite nicely.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.8/10
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