Returning to the KPOP scene earlier in the week is BLANC7. Their latest comeback song is Drama, which is the title track off their latest single album, Take Off. Their last comeback was with Hello back in August 2017, thus making this their first comeback in over a year. While I did miss their first comeback, I did write a review for their debut track, Yeah, last year. But today, we are here for some ‘Drama’, so let’s continue.
Drama is a nice song. While it falls within the electronic music genre, it isn’t as hard-hitting as other tracks, making this a very nice soothing song to listen to. I personally thought the song, as a whole, was very refreshing, feeling almost like a cool breeze on a nice sunny day. I thought the vocals and raps were quite nice, balancing out with the calming atmosphere the song had. The instrumental was nice but I wasn’t too keen on the chirping synth that was present throughout the chorus. I also thought the instrumental was rather linear and I did expect it to pick up somewhere along the way (which it didn’t, for me). My favourite part would have to be the start of the song. It just offers something a little different from an extremely upbeat song that is overloaded with synths.
The start of the video featured one of the members running along with a girl. And then when the song starts, the entirety of the video is simply the choreography scenes and close up shots of the members. So my question is, where is the rest of that storyline? Who is she? What is their story? It just felt so random to put them in with nothing else to the story. Other than that, I thought the rest of the video was pretty much standard, with the members shooting in areas which have been shot at numerous times before.
The choreography felt quite smooth and classy, similar to how the song was presented to us. However, I think some finetuning could have made this performance even better to watch.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 6/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.2/10
The Boyz have been quite busy this year. In April, they released and promoted Giddy Upas their first comeback single. In July, they released KeePer as a digital single (which was produced by Park Kyung from Block B. And just yesterday, the group released their first single album, The Sphere, which features Right Here as the title track. So with the review obviously ‘Right Here‘ on this page, continue reading onwards!
The initial thought I had about the song was that it seems to be Giddy Up version 2.0. And that is a good thing, especially since I really enjoyed Giddy Up when it came out. I really liked the upbeat feel that the electro-pop song, which felt like it had some retro mixed into it. It doesn’t really slow down, which is one point of appeal which makes me like the song quite a bit. I like how hyped the pre-chorus felt, which made the launch into the chorus quite spectacular. Vocally, the song was quite good. What I felt the song needed was a dedicated rap section. There was rapping but it was very sparse throughout the song. The song needed some edge and I think that would have made it so much better. My favourite bit would have to be the extremely catchy hook during the chorus (the ‘Ooh baby baby baby’), which is still ringing in my ears.
For the music video, I really like the colours between the sets and what they are wearing. It allows them to stand out yet fit right into the video. Given their teasers, I would expect more emphasis on the circle, which would have been nice since that was the concept of the single album. I also thought the darkened choreography scene (where they are wearing caps) was a nice change up to the rest of the video (and providing that sense of edge).
The choreography was really good for this performance. The entire chorus was amazing. The stationary side shuffle looked cool but I really like the ‘Ooh baby baby baby’ lineup that they did, which was definitely another highlight for the choreography. It looked fun and allowed the members to be a little crazy than in a set routine.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 910 Overall Rating – 8.2/10
Fans became shocked to learn that 3 of the members of SNSD (Tiffany, Sooyoung and Seohyun) did not resign their contracts with SM Entertainment last year. However, fans were reassured as the 8-member group would remain together as SNSD. For the time being, it seems like SNSD is focusing on their solo activities or, in this case, subunit activities. SNSD has launched SNSD-Oh!GG a 5-member subunit made up of the members who chose to remain at SM Entertainment (Sunny, Taeyeon, Hyoyeon, Yoona and Yuri). Their ‘debut’ single, Lil’ Touch was released today.
Like all subunits, Lil’ Touch does not conform to what SNSD commonly releases. This song is a lot edgier than any of their previous releases, which I thought was a real charming point of the song. The song takes on a minimalistic approach with its pop instrumental. The beat is repetitive, accompanying the catchy melody and making this track quite addictive, as promised by the members. I thought the song was vocally quite good, especially during the pre-chorus. The verses seemed to be mixed up with a little rap-speaking, which I thought was rather different. Overall, Lil’ Touch may be very different but it definitely one cool track.
The music video is a little confusing. The members are running away from something but you don’t really see what they are running away from. They enter each room or set very cautiously, which I thought was rather interesting. Besides that, each member becomes very charismatic throughout the video, showing off their sexy side during their close up shots. If the plot doesn’t grab your attention, their looks will do the job very sufficiently. It was a good video to watch, minus the confusion.
The choreography looked quite cool. We could only see snippets throughout the music video but there was enough to confirm the following. It is a super upbeat performance, proving very fitting for the song. I like how they incorporate that edginess from the song into their dance as well.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.3/10
After Gashina and Heroine, Sunmi has finally returned with the final part of this trilogy. I personally had no idea that this was a trilogy, though the music videos had similar elements. Siren is Sunmi’s new release and it features on her second mini-album, Warning. So before we get a ‘Warning’ for delaying the review, let’s move along.
Another great song from Sunmi. It is a really catchy song that I have already replayed too many times since its release a few hours back. I can see how some people may say that it is similar to the previous songs in the trilogy but I can definitely see the uniqueness of the song. The chorus reminds me of pop songs you would have heard from the Western music industry in the ’00s, hence there is a sense of nostalgia. I feel like the verses were the biggest letdown of the song, as it felt like it was the plainest sections of the song. I like the chorus the most, due to its catchy nature. But the breakdown in the bridge was the most interesting. It felt odd but it ended up working really well when you look back at the song.
Once again, the music video for Siren is quite similar to what we got in Gashina and Heroine. The closeup of Sunmi at the very start is a clear example of how similar the videos looked. This time around Sunmi is getting ready, casually sneezing and then returning to touch up her eyelashes. I thought the use of the different Sunmi’s throughout the video gave it some interesting momentum to drive the video forward. As for the cage during the bridge, I am quite sure Sunmi could have fitted through the bars. But other than that, it was a really good video.
I thought the dance was quite cool, particularly around the chorus of the song. I also love the low lunge just before the chorus, which I thought was very seductive. I liked the use of the makeshift cage, which added a cool element for the performance as well.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
Summer isn’t over just yet, with 100% making a last-minute comeback with a song that would fit perfectly into the hot season. This is the group’s first comeback since Grand Bleu, which was released a few weeks ago as a special single. Heart is the title track off their Sunshine mini-album, which was one of the few comebacks today.
Heart takes on the tropical house genre that dominated KPOP for the most part of the past year. And while it isn’t as prevalent as a year ago, some songs still feature this genre. Like how I started off the review, it does feel slightly delayed. But that isn’t too much of an issue. I do like the vocal/rap work of the song and the tropical house instrumental of the song. However, they don’t necessarily blend together as nicely as you expected. It just feels like the vocals were slapped on top of the instrumentation and nothing was done to really bring the song together. That is what I had felt when it came to the song.
The music video was definitely a plus for this comeback. It was extremely high quality and bright like most Summertime music videos. The scenes inside the jungle or forest looked really well polished and the post-production made it look so good. The group also puts others to shame by dancing in a freaking swimming pool. Usually, groups perform in a very shallow amount of water but this was a little more than that. An impressive music video that draws your attention to their comeback.
The choreography for this looks quite good. Putting the swimming pool setting aside, the moves looked really technical and made this performance look very promising. It was upbeat and definitely fitting for the energetic side of the song.
Song – 6/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7/10
Nam Woo Hyun is officially back with his first solo comeback since his solo debut (Still I Remember) back in May 2016. Since May 2016. Woohyun has been participating in a range of musicals and making comebacks with Infinite, with the most recent being at the start of the year (Tell Me). Woo Hyun’s latest title track, If You Are Only Fine, is featured on his second mini-album, Second Write….
If You Are Only Fine is a ballad, following his solo debut track. And it is a very serious and emotional ballad from the very start. There isn’t anything upbeat or lively about this ballad, confirming the fact we are approaching that time of the year when every ballad that is released comes from an emotional or moving perspective. I personally do not mind as it allows seems fitting for the season. The song doesn’t get to the exciting territory until we get to the second half of the first verse, as this is when the instrumental slowly picks up. It builds up to be a nice orchestral ballad piece but feels very typical. Woohyun’s vocals do also buildup, giving us some power vocals that have a heavy dose of sadness throughout it. I will have to be honest though. It is a good song to listen to but it doesn’t have that wow factor that gets me wanting more or returning for further listens.
The music video recounts the moment a couple meets for the first time and the events in between, up until when the couple sadly splits up. It does a terrific job of encapsulating the saddening elements of the song and present it to us within a 4-minute video. I would have liked to see some more acting when it came to the sad ending because it doesn’t feel enough. What we got was good but I wanted more to further illustrate the heartbreak. However, it was good to watch.
Song – 6.5/10 Music Video – 7/10 Overall Rating – 6.7/10
Taking on Summer once again is Red Velvet, following the success of Red Flavour and The Red Summer (released last year). The mini-album, Summer Magic, features 7 songs. I will only be reviewing 6 of the song (with the last one being Bad Boy (English Version), which I believe they performed at a KCON event). And with Summer wrapping up in the Northern hemisphere, let’s quickly have a closer look at the album before it gets too chilly.
2. With You (한 여름의 크리스마스)– With You reminds me of Summer due to the presence of the instrumentation (hollow drums reminding me of the Caribbean and the tropics). The song itself also features great vocals from the members. The best part was when they sing together for the chorus, while some of their solo moments to give the chance for each member to stand out. There is a hint of catchiness making this a decent song to listen to. Not sure how Christmas relates to the Summer sounding track (I, unfortunately, do not have time to look up lyrics for this review), as the final Korean word in the title is ‘Christmas’. (8/10)
3. Mr. E – This song reminds me of another song which I cannot pinpoint yet. But its sense of nostalgia is greatly appreciated. It has that exotic vibe which sounds quite nice. The song itself is quite addictive, consisting of a very catchy hook and great melodies throughout the rest of the song. Like the previous song, the song also features great vocals. I also liked the rapping in the song but would have liked some more, to be honest. (8/10)
4. Mosquito – Probably my most favourite song on the entire track list. From the instrumentation to the vocal work, everything seemed perfect. But it is even better when everything feels epic. I like the hip-hop feel in this song, which gives a little flavour to the song that is unlike any other on this album. It also gives this song that extra edginess, which is why I describe it as ‘epic’. I liked how the instrumentation was relatively simple, but the suspenseful thumping came at the right time. Favourite line of the entire song has to be the ‘Na Na Na’ (10/10)
5. Hit That Drum – Following nicely from Mosquito is Hit That Drum that carries the same momentum. It sadly isn’t as epic sounding, but it has that catchiness that the previous song through its chorus. I have been humming the song since I first heard of it. It does remind me of another KPOP song, but I cannot figure out which (or even its it was by Red Velvet or not). It does need a little more of something to make it even better, but it was still another favourite. (9/10)
6. Blue Lemonade – Blue Lemonade aims to be a refreshing song and it nails its job perfectly. While its elements are very traditional, the overall feel of the song has that fresh tone which you want to hear with any new song. I like the bubbly effects the song contains, which personalises the song to the group very well and allow for the title to come to life. Once again great vocals, especially the ending to finish off the song. (9/10)
The second single of Station X 0 is officially out. Last time, we heard from Taeyeon and Melomance on Page 0. The second single, Young, features the collaborative efforts of Baekhyun (whom we all know from EXO) and Loco, who we all know as a leading hip-hop artist. It seems like each of these songs have some sort of empowering message, based on the release of the first two singles. Can’t wait to see the rest of the releases.
Young is an electro-pop track that is extremely serious sounding. The atmosphere that is presented when you listen to the song isn’t one to be taken lightly. In my opinion, the song beckons you to determine what they are trying to get across to us. To quickly summarise, the song sends the message of being yourself and not to conform to the ‘expected’ image. Putting the message aside, the song features Baekhyun’s signature vocals, which fluctuates every now and then, giving the song some texture and drive. The song also features Loco and his rapping voice, which adds those elements and drive the song even further. Together, they don’t share any parts. However, they still compliment each other quite well, making this another great song from the SM Station project.
The music video expresses just what the message of the song says. However, the expectation set upon people are the rounded balls they are moulding together throughout the video. The way the people are working and walking around expressionlessly (illustrated by the paint splashing scene with Loco) shows that they are conformed to the standard and extremely bland societal normals. The way Baekhyun and Loco act, along with the disfigured ball at the end of the video shows how we should be acting and how we should be ourselves.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
NCT Dream is known for their youthful image and sound. And they will continually do just that. But as members get older, they don’t necessarily fit the image anymore. Thus, NCT Dream is a rotational unit made up of teenagers and members will graduate from the group as they are of age. Basically, SM Entertainment confirmed that Mark will be leaving the lineup. Thus, this makes We Go Up Mark’s last comeback as part of the NCT Dream. So let’s have one close look at Mark’s final song with the group.
We Go Up takes that hip-hop style that was present during theirGo promotions earlier in the year, combining it with that youthful sound that they are known for. The resulting combination actually comes together quite nicely. The instrumentation felt very trendy and very energetic. There were cowbells and when that is used well (like in this song), it adds another layer of appeal. The chorus was definitely catchy and had this suspenseful feel to it, which I quite liked. The rap verses reminded me of the 90s, while the vocals were quite nice. Though, I felt like the vocals could have had some more colour to it, like how the raps stood out. Overall, the song was definitely an improvement from theirGo days but still retaining that sound.
Knowing how this is Mark’s final promotion round with Dream, I noticed a lot of the video felt like a send-off for Mark. While all the members were sleeping, Mark was the one walking around the room (There was a scene where Chenle was walking around but he notices the hourglass is almost up, so he realizes that Mark is about to leave). Within his sleep, he reminisces about the fun events they had together. Overall, I thought it was a nice video, and if my perspective is right, quite touching as well.
You might have waited for this review to be published last night (and I apologise if you did). However, I actually decided to wait a day for the start of their live promotions. I thought their choreography was quite powerful and fitting for the hip-hop style they went for in the song.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
As you may tell, I am currently prioritising some of the albums released earlier in the month, hence if some of your favourites recently came back, their album reviews should be out around mid-September. iKON is one of the artists who made their return to the stage at the start of the month with Killing Me and their first mini-album, New Kids: Continue.
2. Freedom (바람) – I thought the song would have had great potential with its rock influence, if only it didn’t take on a chorus that felt like it resembles something that came from the Disney channel. The verses and bridge were good, just the chorus felt like a letdown. Nonetheless, it was good head-banging music despite being described as a soft rock. I did like the fast-paced nature of the song and everyone sounded quite good. (7/10)
3. Only You – Only You takes that Summer sound that you get throughout the Summer season and mash it with iKON’s traditional hip-hop sound. In the end, we get a decent song. There was a slight reggae feel to the song, from what I heard. It did feel quite generic around the chorus but it wasn’t too bad that it affected the rest of the track. I liked the rapping in the song and the vocals were still quite good. (8/10)
4. Cocktail (칵테일) – Cocktail is probably my most favourite track on this list. The atmosphere that comes from this track makes you feel quite happy and lively. I thought the tiny quirk (where they go for a quick falsetto) at the end of each vocal line during the verses was nice. The vocals and rap combination was also quite cool in this song. And I like how they bring everyone together at the end of the song for the outro. And you can’t really help but sing along to it. (9/10)
5. Just For You (줄게) – Just For You is a nice ballad to end the album with. I like how the resident rappers also sing in this song (which they have done with other ballads in the past). But their vocals are top notch here, giving the song some interesting textures. The vocalists themselves did a nice job. The instrumentation was also quite nice and the launch back into the final chorus was quite impactful. Overall, it is a nice song. (8/10)
LONGGUO is back with his first ever mini-album which shares the same name as his title track, Friday n Night. For those who may not know this soloist, his real name is Kim Yong Guk and was apart of JBJ, which disbanded back in April or May of this year. He participated in Produce 101: Season 2. He did make his solo debut a few months back through the release of the digital single, Clover, which featured the legendary Yoo Mi Rae.
Friday n Night takes on a ballad approach, mixing it with some R&B, which was prominently present throughout his debut single, Clover. And I think this song is about to kick off the season of ballads, which we are just about to enter (Fall and Winter tend to be ballad dominant). LONGGUO does an amazing job with this song, his vocals shining throughout it. I would have liked it to build up to something, which would have made this song so much better. I liked how emotional the song felt, making this the perfect song for the upcoming rainy days here in Melbourne. I liked the guitar and the violins (which definitely added a very depressing feel to the song). It has been a while since I have heard a very emotional ballad and this fulfils my unknown craving.
I thought the music video was quite nice. It depicts LONGGUO going about his day as a cafe owner. Some days he was productive, others weren’t so much. But he waits around for someone, depicting his loneliness quite effortlessly. It adds to the emotional vibes of the song and you cannot help but feel bad for him. There was one thing that bugged me, however. ‘Wednesday’ was spelt wrong on his calendar. I know it was the smallest detail but it did make me feel uneasy for a while. (Good thing the song was there to soothe me!).
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.4/10
It is time to cover some KPOP groups who recently made a start to their careers. NEWKIDD has yet to officially debut, however, they did release a new pre-debut single as a subunit (NEWKIDD02) titled as Shooting Star. This occurred back on 25th of July (and I have been bumping it around since its release). The subunit features Jinkwon, Ji Hansol (who is also currently promoting as part of UNB), Choi Jiann, Yunmin, Hwi and Woochul. NEWKIDD also has another subunit, Lemme Spoil U, who released Will You Be Ma at the end of last year.
Shooting Star is quite a funky and groovy song to listen to. It has the instrumentation to be an addictive song in my opinion. But it is mediocre, at best. It just doesn’t deliver, which is a huge disappointment in my mind. The song could have more momentum or drive, which would have made it more appealing. The group does have good vocals however I don’t think that is much help here, especially since their hook is quite weak. The song also could have used a more defined rap section, which would have added that energy/momentum. Despite all of my criticism, the song isn’t too bad once you hear it on a playlist. It isn’t terrible in any way, I just think it needs a little more to be able to stand out from the crowd.
It has been a while since I have seen an all blonde male group. I think the last time that occurred was B.A.P’s debut back in 2012. The music video benefits from good post-production, which I think made the video much more enjoyable. And that is the best thing I can say in regards to it. It does fall towards the boring side of the spectrum, which doesn’t make me want to rewatch it again.
The choreography was quite cool. I liked the skipping part and the arrow shooting towards the end of the music video. While the song and the music video hasn’t got rave reviews from me, I am glad the choreography shows that there might just be something to put this group on my radar.
Song – 5/10 Music Video – 6.5/10 Performance – 7.5/10 Overall Rating – 6/10
With some groups in the industry at the moment, we are seeing unfortunate disbandment or the departure of some select members who want to venture on a different path. On the other hand, we see some groups sticking together by resigning their contracts. Shinhwa is prime example of this, especially since they are celebrating their 20th year anniversary. The legendary group has returned with Kiss Me Like That and with their special mini-album, Heart.
I am not sure what their portfolio was like prior to their 2012 comeback with Venus (though I know some of their old tracks such as Perfect Man, T.O.P and Brand New). Kiss Me Like That is a complete change up in their sound, going for a more acoustic sound with their release. And it is a very promising like that. It feels like a nice song to listen to if you want to escape the reliance on EDM nowadays, Even their rap section follows the acoustic sound, which I thought allowed the song to remain consistency (this is also another example of how consistency can be a good thing). The chorus felt like an Western pop song’s chorus, reminding me of a few songs. I like their vocals and the rapping in the song, overall. Having listened to the song a number of times prior to writing this review, I haven’t grown bored of it and it happens to be the case that I cannot find myself being bored of it. Overall, an amazing song.
There is nothing more peaceful than sounds from the sea and that is what we get in this video. The entire video is set on a cruise ship. And for a celebration for their 20th year since debut, the video doesn’t go for any saddening plotlines. Instead, they use dance scenes and fireworks to showcase their celebration, which I thought was cool. The orange sunset made the video feel golden, which I thought was nice. It is a good video, suiting the song quite well.
I liked the dance during the chorus, which was very classy from what I see. They way they signify the ‘Kiss Me Like That’ hook and the ‘Touch Me Like That’ line was pretty nice (the latter probably showing how comfortable they are with each other).
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
So I wrote yesterday that I would be reviewing Seungri’s full album later this week. I just did not remember that I had organised for this to be done the day after. But we are here to look back on the release of Seungri’s first studio album, which is titled as The Great Seungri. His entire album seems lean towards electronic music, with the exception of just a few tracks. But that is all for you to read later on.
3. Love Is You (ft. Blue.D) – Love Is You showcases a groovy R&B sound which I really like. It attracts my attention straight way, especially with the guitars throughout the song. Seungri has a nice voice in this song, which makes it even greater. Joining Seungri is Blue.D, who I just found out is a YG trainee. She has a very nice husky voice, which complements Seungri’s vocals very well. It was quite disappointing when there wasn’t enough opportunities for the two to sing together. There were some and it left me wanting more (I am not considering the chorus as the focus was on Seungri the entire time and she was only heard as backup vocals). But other than that, it was a good song. (8/10)
4. Mollado (몰라도) (ft. B.I) – The next song on the album takes on that Latin trend that KPOP has been having this year. It combines that Latin sound and EDM, creating a very catchy and upbeat sound that sticks in your head for quite a while. The song also features B.I from iKON, who delivers a really cool rap sequence for the bridge of the song and takes over the hook at the end. Little confused to why they allocated that part to him but I am not complaining. (8.5/10)
5. Sweet Lie (달콤한 거짓말) (ft. Dannic) – What makes this track so awesome is the build-up to the epic drop and the epic drop itself. I honestly pass over the vocals. They are good, and the production did a good job of letting the two come together but they just weren’t at that same level as the instrumentation. It remained too consistent here, staying within the same style for the entire song. I feel like if his vocals were tweaked a bit or some autotune was applied, this would have been much more appealing. (7/10)
6. Be Friend – As soon as the song starts, you are basically thrown into this extremely upbeat yet cheerful atmosphere. The instrumentation reminds me of a G-Dragon song, while his vocals felt like some that iKON would be releasing as a b-side track. The combination of the two does work together and allows Seungri to deliver a catchy song. A part of me also thinks this song could work as a soccer anthem, just some tweaking in the lyrics would be required. (8/10)
7. Hotline – The instrumentation and the hook for this song would work extremely well for Psy. It also sounds like the perfect song to slide into a random group at the club to. Just listening to this track, you can basically imagine a club-themed music video, which seems to be something right up YG alley a few years back. It is another song that hypes the crowd up and attract your attention. It had a powerful build-up and great level of energy to it, which I like. (9/10)
8. Alone (혼자 있는법) – Following the electronic music theme that this album had going on, Alone brings a different feel to the table. Something which the album hasn’t experienced yet, emotions. I also like how ‘different’ the synths during the chorus felt. Instead of usually featuring an increasing tone, it felt more like a downward spiral, which I thought was interesting and quite cool. It did get a little repetitive towards the end, but it was still good. (8.5/10)
9. Good Luck to You – The album saves the best track for last. The song starts off generic but once it gets to the chorus, another epic drop presents itself. I liked how there was two sections of the chorus drop, which felt like it prolonged the awesomeness of the chorus. The lyrics for this song were cool and Seungri’s vocals here has to be my vote for best on the album. I would have liked for there to be a rap of some kind of give the song some edge, which would have it made more interesting. But overall, one really great song. (9/10)
As mentioned previously, I will be catching up on some songs and videos that were released in the past few weeks, which I haven’t had a chance to write about yet. And with Seungri’s album review due to come out this week, I thought I look at the second music video released for the artist’s solo comeback, Where R U From?, which features Mino from Winner. Seungri previously returned with his main solo track, 1,2,3 last month.
The main intention for Where R U From is to hype up the listeners and be a fun track to listen to. It isn’t meant to be taken seriously, as you can tell from its sound and the music video that was released alongside the track. The song relies on a really simple yet catchy hook that gets you into the song. And this one hook did a good job at it. Seungri does a good job with his lines but I don’t think he was the star of the track. The featuring artist, Mino, was the better out of the two, in my opinion. His lines gave just enough edge to the song to make it not feel too repetitive and added that extra ‘cherry-on-top’ for the listeners to enjoy. The only issues with similar tracks to this one is that multiple listens later, you get tired of hearing the same thing over and over again, which is also happening to this song, unfortunately.
The entire video is a comedic response to the ongoing political tension throughout the world. I am surprised that this video hasn’t garnered much attention for its certain portrayal of two political world leaders. But putting that aside, I thought the video was interesting. I chuckled when Seungri pulled out the YG Entertainment table plaque thing and Seungri/Yoo Byung Jae’s paradoy of BLACKPINK and G-Dragon. In a few other ways, the video felt like it was pushing for a new Psy, which I am a little unsure about at this stage. But overall, it was good to see something different (and fun) for a change.
The performance confirms my last statement. The company is pushing Seungri to be the next Psy, who left YG Entertainment earlier this year. The way Seungri looks when he performs remind me of Psy. I thought some of his moves were good but others were just plain odd. But he did a good job with connecting with the audience and made it look decent overall, at least.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.8/10
As I was planning the reviews to be published this week (aka. the start of the catching up that I promised weeks ago), I realized I completely forgot about UP10TION’s latest summer release, So Beautiful. It was released last week and is the title track off the UP10TION 2018 Special Photo Edition. This is the group’s first release since Candyland back in March of this year. The group also recently released their Japanese comeback track, Chaser, which I will be reviewing later this week.
So Beautiful is a pretty cool song. Though it doesn’t have a strong hook that gets me repeating a certain line over and over again (like most KPOP songs), there is enough within the instrumental to get me into the song. The instrumental seems to buildup in a fantastic manner and there were sections which reminded me of Wanna One’s Energetic for some reason (the rapper’s section during the verses and the piano during the verses, for example). I really like the kick that the rapper’s part bring along to the song in the verses and during the bridge, which was my pick for the highlight moments of the song. The vocals were quite good as well but that momentum and energy wasn’t the same, which was quite unfortunate. I feel like if the song had a more stronger hook, the song would have been a lot more memorable.
The music video shows the behind the scenes for what I assume is their photoshoot for their photo book. Not really much to say here. Though, this is a song that could have benefited with some sort of modelling concept, as that is what I imagined after listening to the song for the first time. I am not disappointed but rather have different ideas floating in my head as I was listening to the song.
I personally do not know if they will be promoting their new release. While photo books are not promoted, Going Crazy was released as part of another photo book release and was subsequently promoted on stage.
Song – 7.5/10 Music Video – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.3/10
KPOPREVIEWED 