KPOP – Page 161 – KPOPREVIEWED

[Double Review] Travel + Starlight – BOL4

May 26, 2018May 26, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged BOL4, Bolbbalgan4Leave a comment

I haven’t reviewed BOL4 (or Bolbbalgan4) before, despite them being chart-topping artists in the past two years. With the release of their latest mini-album, Red Diary Page. 2, I thought it would be nice to finally talk about them on this site. This review will focus on Travel, which is one of the title tracks (the other being Wind, with no music video yet), and Starlight, which is a side-track (which has a music video, hence its inclusion in the review).

Travel is your Summer time song that talks about taking a break and going on a vacation. Something I would like to have right now. It is a fun and bright song that really makes Jiyoung’s nasal vocals pop out. The song was extremely catchy with its catchy hook and you can genuinely feel the happiness in her vocals. The instrumental was extremely nice and I thought the guitar worked incredibly well with the rest of the song. Travel is one awesome song that I have been playing on repeat since its release and I have no plans on stopping.

Starlight takes on more of a ballad sound compared to Travel or any of their previous title tracks. It is quite breathtaking with the instrumental flowing around the vocals and the nasal vocals leaves you in awe. It is so good that I can’t really find anything that I dislike about it. I think there was a mix of electric and acoustic guitar in the song, which went extremely well with the orchestral and piano based instrumentals. Like Travel, the song has been on repeat since its release. And both songs are so good that I cannot choose an absolute favourite.

Each music video does an amazing job at compliment the song. As stated previously, Travel was a fun and bright song. And the video focused squarely on those two elements portraying a fun travel adventure where the duo seem to be carefree and having the time of their life, while the colours popped to make it such a bright video. Starlight, like the song, allows you to take in some of the views of where they took their holiday (I assume). Majority of the video was focused on the duo but I must admit, it is shot beautifully. The ending when the sky changes to the night sky (via post-production editing) was really nice. What puts the icing on the cake for me in this video is how perfect the wind is. Fake or not, it was done well and to reasonable proportions (and not over the top).

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

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

[Review] Bonnie & Clyde – 24K

May 26, 2018May 26, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 24KLeave a comment

24K is making their first comeback in a very long time with their 4th mini-album and the title track, both titled as Bonnie & Clyde. This is their first comeback since the release of Only One last year. Once again, there were lineup changes with the addition of Kiyong. Kisu is currently on hiatus due to military enlistment, while Hui and Daeil left the group at the end of 2017.

Bonnie & Clyde takes a step back into familiar terrain with the use of heavy synths and the song falling nicely into the dubstep genre of music. At first glance, the song does seem overloaded with the instrumental and it does become a little hard to hear the individual members. They do lower the intensity when it comes to the vocalists, which was pretty good. But I felt the rappers got the short end of the stick when it comes to the instrumental. Pretty much, they had to put more force into their voices in order to be heard. There is this catchy effect, which pretty makes me hang around for some more. For those who don’t know, Bonnie & Clyde is an infamous criminal couple in American history, whom people associate to bank robberies. The song does a good job of portraying the dangerous love life the couple had through its lyrics. The intensity of the song does a pretty good job of complimenting this as well. I thought the song was decent and ended up being quite listenable when you overlook the heaviness.

While Bonnie & Clyde was known to approach banks as part of their dangerous lifestyle, a bank robbery portrayed in the video wouldn’t really go hand-in-hand with the music style. So the option for the more modern racing scene was definitely the perfect arena for a song like this yet still keeping that dangerous lifestyle in check. Also matching the song style was the flashy nature of the video, which I usually would not really enjoy. However, it works perfectly with the song. I am a little confused with the addition of the female model. Yes, she was hot. But her interaction with the members doesn’t really add anything to the video, which is why I am slightly confused. But other than that, it was a good video.

The performance does a really good job of fitting into the intensity levels. I did expect something a little more in that short instrumental sequence just prior to the end of the song. But it was still decent to watch.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.8/10

[Album Review] Love Yourself: Tear (3rd Studio Album) – BTS

May 25, 2018May 25, 2018Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged BTS1 Comment

Apologies for the delayed release of this album review. I just had some last minute things to focus on. Here is the long review for BTS’s latest album, Love Yourself: Tear. They had their comeback stage at the Billboard Music Awards this past Sunday and officially kicked off their promotions in South Korea last night. So with no further delays, here is my review!

bts-loveyourselftear-2 — *Love Yourself: Tear* Album Cover

1. Intro: Singularity (V Solo) – Opening the album is an R&B track with a really ‘smooth’ instrumental that does a really good job of reeling you into the song. While this is the case, the song is a tad too slow for my liking. But as it features only V, it allows him to stand out. His vocals are extremely husky here and it sounds awesome when it is on a blank canvas, like this minimalistic instrumental. (8/10)

2. Fake Love (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of Fake Love. (9/10)

3. The Truth Untold (전하지 못한 진심) (ft. Steve Aoki) – The group previously collaborated with Steve Aoki for Mic Drop last year, so it was quite surprising to see another collaboration between the two. This around, however, the focus is on the vocal line, who put out a really beautiful ballad. Their vocals alone just amaze me. I loved how it climaxes at the bridge by bringing some percussion into the mix. And the ending was just perfect, giving the song the perfect ending. (10/10)

4. 134340 (Pluto) – The song manages to becomes its own thing by the inclusion of the flute in the instrumental. You don’t really hear them all too often in KPOP, so it definitely has this fresh feel. The song ended up having this jazzy or coffee shop vibe, which I thought was rather cool. I like how the vocals pushed the boundaries of the song, particularly the chorus and how the rapping sat so well within the boundaries. (10/10)

5. Paradise (낙원) – Unfortunately, Paradise didn’t really appeal to my taste, mainly because it became rather repetitive towards the end. The song had thumping from the very start, which I thought gave the song a strong foundation. I think I am going to side with the raps in this song, rather than the vocals. Don’t get me wrong, the vocals were fantastic but the raps felt like they had more edge. I did like the end where everyone was singing together though. (8/10)

6. Love Maze – Once again, the song features great vocals and rap sequences where the emotions that the members put in were easily felt. The harmonies during the chorus were quite nice. But I wasn’t too drawn to the song as it felt quite ‘simple’. The song doesn’t really scream excitement and the instrumental felt plain than anything else. It was a decent song, just not the best. (7.5/10)

7. Magic Shop – As I hear more songs that mixes amazing vocals with EDM or electronic based music, I am definitely falling harder for them. Magic Shop definitely throws in amazing vocals and raps, similar to what we would get from a ballad from the group. But with the addition of a great drop and EDM-based, it just gives the song a boost of life. The song wasn’t exactly catchy but it was breathtaking. The only other thing that I wasn’t keen on were the raps. (9/10)

8. Airplane Pt 2 – This song features a Latin-based sound, which seems to be a growing trend within the industry. In this song, the members take you to a trip around the world with their lyrics. The raps did a good job at keeping the song feel so linear. They also added some roughness through the huskiness of the rapper’s voices. The vocals were nice. But I wasn’t really drawn towards the song. (7/10)

9. Anpanman – Anpanman is a Japanese cartoon superhero character, which I assume would be famous throughout Asia. The song falls onto the hip-hop side of the group, however, there was this enjoyable yet fun element to its sound, which made it memorable for me. Not particularly a fan of the vocals of the song, which were drawn out or adjusted to be deep. The rapping and bridge, on the other hand, were great points throughout the song. (7.5/10)

10. So What – Despite it featuring a heavy beat and a house genre instrumental, the song was quite easy on the ears. The song was exceptionally groovy and had a burst of energy from the chorus. It is one of the songs that I would consider to be actual ‘hype songs’ and can easily be slipped into a playlist at a party. Really liked RM’s opening line to the rap. Overall, it was one great song. (9/10)

11. Outro: Tears – The song focuses on the rapper line. Like how movies tend to end on cliff-hangers, this song is probably the equivalent of that. The song basically keeps you on edge the entire time and despite it closing up very nicely, it does make you want the next album release instantly. It also shows off the rappers and their potential once again. The instrumental was a lot darker in comparison to rest of the album. The only section I am not into is Suga’s autotuned rap but it was one damn good outro song. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.5/10

bts-loveyourselftear-3 — *Love Yourself: Tear* Teaser Image

[Review] Time Of Sorrow – VICTON

May 24, 2018May 24, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged VICTONLeave a comment

Apologies for the lack of reviews for the past few days, I have been extremely busy with studies once again. But today I make my return (and a start on a bombardment of reviews) with my review for VICTON’s latest comeback, Time Of Sorrow. This is the group’s first comeback since Remember Me, which was released in November last year.

The group takes on a more emotional and mature sound with their latest comeback. They do nail the emotional side of the song, which I could feel through their vocals. While I am on the topic, the vocals were nice. I really liked the combination of the high and low notes in the song, as they really do mix well. By doing this, they keep to the song’s nature throughout the song (without unnecessary changeups) but also manages to bring out the best of each member. Like the vocals, the raps were also quite good. I was a little skeptical within the first few seconds how the raps would be incorporated but now, I don’t know why I was worried. I don’t want to say that the song is exactly soothing (due to the nature of the lyrics) but that was what my initial thought was. The only downside is that the song doesn’t seem to be that memorable. Firstly, the song doesn’t really climax, staying relatively linear. There were nice melodies and synths in the song but I don’t think either really made the song that memorable for me.

The video showed the members having some fun times (via flashbacks) with a girl who was in the same class. In the present, however, it is clear that she left (or something happened to her), which left the members visibly upset. At the end of the video, one of the members leave a flower on her desk. Now, this can either be a love confession but I am more convinced (as all the members were upset) that something happened to her, as this would explain the flower at the end. I thought the video was quite nice, fitting well with the song. The choreography scenes in front of that olden day looking building was really well done and my absolute favourite scenes in the entire video.

The one word that you would describe a dance that accompanies a song of this tempo is graceful. And I think that is the perfect word to describe it. While I do see moves that fit into a more dance centred performance, the performance does a great job of staying within that very fine line of balance between the two elements, which make it a standout performance to watch.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.8/10

[Special] LOOΠΔ Predebut Solo Song Reviews – Part 4

May 23, 2018May 23, 2018Posted in KPOP, Reviews, SpecialTagged LOOΠΔ, LOONALeave a comment

Please note these special posts are designed to be long and may require some time to read (if you plan on reading the entire post). To help shorten the length, the music video will be inserted as hyperlinked titles, so feel free to click the title of each section to watch the video.

After multiple requests about LOOΠΔ and reviews for their pre-release singles, it is time to start focusing on what seems to be a very promising girl group. Each Wednesday for the month of May, I will be releasing a special set of reviews for the LOOΠΔ members, which will focus on both their main and side-tracks as well.

LOOΠΔ is a 12-member girl group under Blockberry Creative. While they have yet to officially debut, their pre-debut promotion is extremely unusual. Starting in October 2016, each month a new member of the group is unveiled to the public. This continued until the end of March 2018. And with the completion of this pre-debut promotions, the group will be preparing and gearing up for their official debut which has been rumoured to be October this year.

Once I heard the project, I decided to wait for all the songs to be released (similar to what I did with previous project releases). I just didn’t anticipate for it to be such a long wait, as they also unveiled subunits made up of the already revealed members along the way, which drew the project out even longer. Talking about subunits, this is not the first time I have spoken about LOOΠΔ, as I have taken some time out to review and look closely to their subunit releases, which you can find out below.

LOOΠΔ 1/3 – Love & Live & Sonatine
LOOΠΔ Odd Eye Circle – Girl Front & Sweet Crazy Love

Today’s post will look at the side tracks that were released alongside the main tracks for the final 6 members. I couldn’t find any music videos for these songs, so the reviews may appear shorter.

Love Letter (Jinsoul & Kim Lip)

Jumping right at me for this song is how well the song flows. And with that, there was also a very delicate feel to the song. I liked how the vocals from the two members were brought out, highlighting their potential well. At first, I thought the song could have had a bolder drop into the chorus. However, what we got seemed to compliment their vocals quite well and I am satisfied with it. I particularly liked the twinkling sounds just before the chorus. On the other hand, I am not a major fan of the verses, which felt dull. And the poor English. But other than that, it was a decent song.

Puzzle (Jinsoul & Choerry)

The song had an exotic vibe to it, which I thought was nice. Once again, the vocals do jump out at me. But rather their normal pitch vocals didn’t do much of the screaming. Instead, the falsetto which they sang the chorus with stood out really well. However, while I do praise their singing, I am a little conflicted how it went with the instrumental. The vocals built up and you can hear the contrast between the different sections. The instrumental fell flat when it should have carried the vocals further. The whispering raps were too soft for my liking, as they could easily be missed. But it did offer some more texture to the song.

D-1 (Yves)

In contrast to her main track, new, D-1 manages to bring out the more delicate vocals that Yves didn’t really get to show. There is a mixture of singing and rap-speaking, which shows off some versatility. The song is honestly too dry for my taste. However, it did feel like something that Lim Kim or Jang Jane would release with their nasal vocals. I did like the harmonies with the background vocals and the indie-changeup during the bridge. I also liked her falestto note, which peaked the song nicely.

Girl’s Talk (Chuu & Yves)

We start to enter some grey area with the next few songs. I personally thought the vocals for this track was too light and high-pitched, in comparison to the rest of the songs on this list. The song does have a pop-diva type sound (almost disco with a modern twist), which was one likeable element. I really liked Yves rapping. It was limited but sounds awesome. I felt like the song was missing a breakdown, which could have given the song some life and appeal. Maybe it is because I put a lot of emphasis on the vocals, that I don’t really feel like they appeal to me in this song.

See Saw (Go Won & Chuu ft. Kim Lip)

Two things liked about this song: the opening vocals for all three members (Chuu was the best sounding overall in the entire song) and the drop into the chorus. The rest of the song just didn’t have enough for me to like. The chorus could have been more dynamic and filled more with content to become more catchy and appealing. Same could be said about the instrumental. I am not too sure why Kim Lip featured in the song, as she seemed to only get one line. Someone said that her line linked back to her song but I just don’t see the necessity to feature someone just for one line.

Rosy (Go Won & Olivia Hye ft. Heejin)

The final song I will be reviewing for the entire LOOΠΔ predebut project is Rosy. And I am glad it ends on a good note. The song contains youthful vocals that do sound quite cute, something that we didn’t get to see in either of Go Won’s or Olivia’s main tracks. The harmonies were nice. The bridge was my favourite part as it sounded quite random and quirky. Likewise, the instrumental on the end gives it a lasting impression and it also adds to the quirky side of the song.

Click here for Part 1 of the LOOΠΔ Solo Pre-debut reviews

Click here for Part 2 of the LOOΠΔ Solo Pre-debut reviews

Click here for Part 3 of the LOOΠΔ Solo Pre-debut reviews

Thank you all for reading the final part of my very late LOOΠΔ Solo Pre-debut reviews. I will be back with a new special segment in two weeks time, so click the follow button below so you know when it is out!

[Review] No More – UNI.T

May 20, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged UNI.TLeave a comment

One month after the male side of The Unit: Idol Rebooting Project show (UNB) made their official re-debut with Sense, it is time for the girls (UNI.T) to make their long-awaited re-debut. UNI.T compromises of Yang Jiwon (former member of Spica), Woohee (Dal Shabet), Yoonjo (former member of Hello Venus), ZN (Laboum), NC.A, Lee Hyun Joo (former member of April), Lee Suji (former member of The Ark), Euijin (Sonamoo) and Yebin (DIA). The mini-album release, Line, features the title track No More.

No More takes on the reggae-pop genre. While it does feel underwhelming at first, the song does grow quite a bit on you. Admittedly, it isn’t the catchiest piece of music released in the past week. However, it does feature a decent hook that appealed to my taste, at least. Like most songs, I thought the chorus was the main highlight. Rather than due to the actual music, it was the melody and vocals of the members that I liked. That may be due to fans picking a solid vocal line, as there wasn’t a rap section in the song. The ‘No More’ repetition is definitely growing on me and I loved how they voices did that part justice. The pre-choruses had that extra backing, which felt so much more interesting than the preceding verses. The only section which I thought was the messiest was the bridge with the unnecessary extra chimes and cymbals. All in all, it was a decent debut track that did the job nicely.

The video takes on a mature yet sensual concept. For some of the members who tend to fall towards the cutesy side of the girl group spectrum, this would be interesting. However, everyone fitted in nicely and no one looked out of place. I don’t know about you but I think it is clear that their company is favouring UNB, in terms of budget. UNI.T gets only one music video (so far) and it looks underbudget, especially with some of the scenes. Also, the editing for this looks rather poor. I don’t like how the camera angles were a little abstract but then no one shot remained for more than a second. Together, this creates a little mess that is really hard to miss.

I like how their performance started off with smaller groups and you don’t really get to see the whole team bridge. Despite the same moves appear for the chorus, you don’t really grow tired of it, regardless of how simple it turned out. Like the video, the choreography takes on a sensual vibe, which looks amazing. Overall, I thought it was one damn good piece of choreography.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.1/10

[Album Review] Heal (4th Mini Album) – Lovelyz

May 20, 2018May 20, 2018Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged LovelyzLeave a comment

Apologies for the lack of album reviews in the past week. I had to drop them temporarily due to my studies (it got hectic real fast). Now that the first hurdle is over, I am glad I can finally edit and publish on that I was holding for a few weeks now. Lovelyz made their comeback with That Day, which earned them their second trophy. It is the lead title track off their 4th mini-album, Heal. With no further delay, here is my album review!

2. That Day (그날의 너) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of That Day. (7.9/10)

3. Bizarre (미묘미묘해) – Bizarre is an upbeat and bright pop track with a cutesy vibe and retro feel. It is super catchy. It follows well after the title track with its ‘fun’ sound. Despite that, there was a ‘serious’ pre-chorus, which zoned right into the strong vocals and built up perfectly into the chorus. The verses were extremely colourful, which I really liked. Most awkward part of the song was definitely the end, where this deep tone came in. Quirky can be used to describe it but too random for my taste. Overall, a near-perfect song. (9.5/10)

4. Temptation – This contrast nicely with a more serious and mature tone. I really like the synth in the background that gives the song an almost futuristic sound. While the vocals don’t really hit that peak as in their previous two tracks, it sounds equally as nice here. The chorus provided a blast of energy which made it feel so refreshing. And the change-up did wonders to the track. Lovelyz don’t rap too often, so it did feel a little foreign to hear a rap sequence in their song. Following the rap was a soft piece of melodic music. Not too much of a fan of that but it gave a very different feel. (9/10)

5. Watercolour (수채화) – The mandatory ballad on all album releases is back to bite us. The song does showcase nice vocals, like in their previous tracks. There were nice ballads. However, it felt like your typical sweet-sounding ballad that girl groups tend to throw onto their albums. It sadly is the least interesting track on this album but still decent to listen to. (7/10)

6. SHINING★STAR – The song fondly reminds me of their previous album. It starts off with a very typical pop sound but instantly changes up with a chaotic piece of music lasting for a few seconds, which reminds me of ‘retro sounding video games’. The thumping in the verses and fast tempo really makes the song stand out. Chorus was nice however I felt the vocals were overshadowed by the intensity of the instrumental. From the second verse onwards, the song was quite repetitive, with nothing new to offer. The end of the song follows an energetic formula but was sadly too abrupt for my taste. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.3/10

[Review] Fake Love – BTS

May 18, 2018May 18, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged BTS2 Comments

This is currently the most anticipated comeback of the year thus far. BTS has returned with their 3rd full-length album, Love Yourself: Tear and the title track, Fake Love. The group is due to make their comeback stage at the Billboard Music Awards this upcoming Sunday, where they are nominated for Top Social Artist for the second year in the running! Not only is this an achievement for both BTS and ARMY, but this is an achievement for KPOP as well! But I am here to review Fake Love, so let’s get on with it!

Fake Love lives up to its hype. Majority of songs that tend to be hyped up end up falling flat and I think this is the first time that it hasn’t. What sets this apart from their previous title tracks is their vocals and rapping. You can hear the emotions pouring into the song. The singers sound amazing yet there is a sense of heartbreak in their voice. The rapping was powerful yet very fragile. Come together with the instrumental, it leaves you speechless (at least for me). The song mixes trap with grunge rock (according to Soompi) and while the combination does sound foreign, it fits into their long list of songs. The chorus was interesting, how it was split across the song. The second half of the chorus, ‘Fake Love’ repetition was heard earlier in the song, while the first half was heard after. I am not too sure if I am describing correctly but that is how I understood the structure. The chorus was addictive, with the ‘Fake Love’ repetition building up inside my head. It does irk me somewhat with the pronunciation of the word ‘Fake‘, which they make it sound like it is two syllables. But that is how Korean’s usually speak (i.e. emphasis on each syllable). All in all, the song is quite promising and definitely has what it takes to a world player.

I just want to start off by saying that literature and art is not my strong point. But there is a lot of visual aspects that allude to both forms which I am not 100% on talking about. From what I can gather from the video itself and the teasers is that the video talks about fear. Each member has a fear (such as V with technology and Jimin with water). Jungkook seems to be the most interesting, with a fear of the darkness and possible the past (seen by his running away from the collapsing floor). Over the course of the video, we see each member come to terms with their fear. Though I am not sure where the video goes from there. I would love to read theories, so please comment with any that you find interesting. Overall, the video was extremely well done. From the aesthetic to that amazing post-production editing for Jungkook’s running, this video nails that artistic vibe in an interesting wall. I liked the sets and their outfits. The only I strongly dislike is their hair for this video. It doesn’t look too good from what I am seeing.

The performance (from what can be seen) looked amazing. From the very start, all their moves looked so good. I really like how chaotic their move and formation got when it came to the ‘Fake Love‘ repetition which matched the overall vibe of the song at that moment. The start did look funny though.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.3/10

[Review] How R U Today? – N.Flying

May 16, 2018May 26, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged N.FlyingLeave a comment

Making their comeback after 4 months is N.Flying, who asks you ‘How R U Today?’. Their last set of promotions was at the start of the year with Hot Potato. The title track, How R U Today?, is featured on their 4th mini-album, How Are You?. Since their awesome comeback at the start of the year, Hwesung collaborated with FT Island’s Hongki, releasing the power-vocal ballad Still Love You. Thought I mention it here since it is a collaboration that you should not miss out on!

N.Flying has had an energetic and fun-filled run with The Real and Hot Potato. How R U Today? tones it down to a very mature sounding level, which I totally think it is a great thing. Firstly, it provides some variety and it does take you back to their debut sound, which was a lot more serious and mature sounding. The alternative rock song does found a little foreign at first. However, it is one of those songs that you really get into after just a few listens. I really liked the buildup from the very start of the song (which was quite soft and almost fragile sounding) to that rock vibe in the chorus (which brings that strong feeling that they have portrayed in their previous title tracks). They did an awesome job with the incorporation of the raps, which I thought wouldn’t go with the song. And like their previous tracks, their vocals are amazing. I am just in awe of the chorus as it has that rock-able element that you seek in most Korean band songs.

In an interview that was released prior to their music video release, the members said that their concept for this comeback was ‘sentimental’ and ‘sexy’. And I think they nailed both quite well. While I am not 100% sure of the ‘sexy’ side of their comeback, they do visually look good. And the visuals don’t just apply to themselves. The video has great natural scenery and views that just leave this video feeling amazing. As for the sentimental side, it fits both the song and their acting. They are still heartbroken about their past relationship, which was well portrayed by all members. Overall, the video does seem to fall towards the boring side, however, it does fulfil the intended concepts of the group.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

[Special] LOOΠΔ Predebut Solo Song Reviews – Part 3

May 16, 2018May 16, 2018Posted in KPOP, Reviews, SpecialTagged LOOΠΔ, LOONALeave a comment

LOOΠΔ 1/3 – Love & Live & Sonatine
LOOΠΔ Odd Eye Circle – Girl Front & Sweet Crazy Love

Today’s post will look at the side tracks that were released alongside the main tracks for the first 6 members. I will be focusing on the song and music video standalone, as I am interested in doing another special post focusing on the connections between their music videos.

I’ll Be There – Heejin & Hyunjin

Jumping right at you is the funky and groovy synthesizer-overloaded song. It just creates an uplifting atmosphere that you cannot really avoid. I think a good word to describe the song is ‘crunchy’, as that is what you get with the synths and overall beat. I also really enjoyed the “dum dum” that was present at the start and during the bridge, almost bringing an acapella effect to the song. The lines and vocals don’t really stand out but the instrumental does a good job covering up that aspect. For the music video, I liked the home video concept and the brightness of the video seems to match the song. Likewise, the choreography looked good.

The Carol – Heejin, Hyunjin & Haseul

The Carol coincided with the Christmas season of 2017, so it makes sense for a Christmas styled song. Following I’ll Be There, the song does make you smile, which is definitely a great thing. However, I thought the song was relatively typical for a Christmas song. The vocals did stand out and I really liked the piano in the background of the instrumental. The video also focuses on the Christmas season, with good vibes coming from it. You can’t really go wrong in that department. There was no choreography for this song.

My Sunday – Heejin & Hyunjin

While this is also another bright sounding song, they toned down the energy and atmosphere. Instead, it is a more acoustic sounding and quite different from any of their main tracks, so it was quite nice to hear it. I don’t remember what I expected at first but the chorus sounded quite different to what I thought it would sound like. Despite that, what we got flowed very nicely. The harmonies between the two members were nice and the bridge really gave the song that peak it needed. The video was quite nice, showing the pair throughout the beautiful sites of Taiwan/China. Once again, there was no choreography.

My Melody – Yeojin & Haseul

Interestingly, My Melody is a similar song to My Sunday. The verses were quite similar (by ear), while the choruses felt quite different. This produced a completely different feel, leaning towards a soothing vibe, which I thought was equally as nice as My Sunday. The bridge did showcase some vocals but it sounded like they were pushing themselves. But it sounded quite nice overall. Like the previous video, it shows the pair hanging out on a nice day.

Everyday I Need You – ViVi ft. Jinsoul

Following the same concept as before, the song is a much slower version of the ViVi’s main track, Everyday I Love You (ft. Haeseul). It is interesting because while the two songs are very similar, the difference in tempo offers a completely different feeling. The slower song does point out her weakness in the vocal department but it is a fair effort. Jinsoul’s rap did push the song along, which I felt was needed towards the end. The shots of the music video were much more graceful, fitting in with the slower speed of the song. It also felt like a lover filmed the entire video, with ViVi being the main focus. Jinsoul did ‘appear’ in the video, however as she was not unveiled yet, her face was not captured.

Twilight – Kim Lip

Sadly, there is no music video for Twilight. Knowing how Kim Lip focused a lot on the performance side for her main track’s music video, I don’t know why I was caught off guard by the changeup. It started off as a ballad, with a nice piano instrumental layered on top of a heavy beat. Then it develops into a dance track. But it isn’t over the top. Rather it keeps in line with the verses but it isn’t a ballad-like sound anymore. The entire track does focus on her vocals as you can grasp a beautiful tone from the track. The song definitely becomes interesting with the chorus. And for that, it is probably my most favourite on this list.

Click here for Part 1 of the LOOΠΔ Solo Pre-debut reviews

Click here for Part 2 of the LOOΠΔ Solo Pre-debut reviews

Check back next week for the 4th (and final) part of the LOOΠΔ Solo Pre-debut reviews

[Weekly Chart] 2nd Week of May 2018

May 13, 2018Posted in KPOPLeave a comment

Welcome back to the next edition of the week charts and the second week of May 2018. Once again, I am extremely busy with university. So today is going to be a fast one. Just to let you know, I will still be posting reviews where possible. However, album reviews have been put on hold until next Sunday. Albums from (G)I-DLE, GFriend, Lovelyz, Teen Top and Dream Catcher are confirmed (and I am still on the deciding/listening through other albums).

Lots of comebacks and debuts this week. Usually, one or two of them pop up in the Top 5. But sadly that isn’t the case this week so I will give you a quick summary: Teen Top, SPECTRUM, Favorite, Cross Gene, Dream Catcher and Junhyung (HIGHLIGHT). It is expected that they will change things up next week. Also, possible artists making their splash on the charts next week include Kanto, BTS, N.Flying and the debut of UNI.T.

Last week’s number 1 song (That Day by Lovelyz) manages to hold onto the first position for the second week in a row. Following behind is GFriend’s Time For The Moon Night, which rises from the third position last week. (G)I-DLE, one of the newer groups in the industry, takes out the third position this week. Snuper’s Tulips enters the top 5 for the first time at the fourth position, while previous chart-topping single, Love It Like It by YDPP returns to the Top 5 in the 5th position.

Once again, there weren’t any ‘impressive’ jumps on the chart this week. However, a number of songs that weren’t in the top 30 last week did make it onto the charts this week. Just missing out on the top 30 this week are UP10TION’s Candyland and EXO-CBX’s Blooming Days.

	6th May – 12th May 2018
	Title	Artist	Status
1	That Day	Lovelyz	(=)
2	Time For The Moon Night	GFriend	(▲ 1)
3	LATATA	(G)I-DLE	(▲ 5)
4	Tulips	Snuper	(▲ 2)
5	Love It Like It	YDPP	(▲ 17)
6	Shine	Pentagon	(▲ 18)
7	What Is Love?	TWICE	(▲ 4)
8	Boomerang	Wanna One	(▲ 23)
9	Still Love You	Lee Hong Ki (FT Island) & Yoo Hwe Sung (N.Flying)	(▲ 26)
10	Light It Up	SPECTRUM	(new)
11	Seoul Night	Teen Top	(new)
12	Call Your Name	JBJ	(▼ 2)
13	Sense	UNB	(▼ 6)
14	Where Are You From?	Favorite	(new)
15	Touch It	Cross Gene	(new)
16	You And I	Dream Catcher	(new)
17	Look	GOT7	(▲ 19)
18	Just Do It	BSS (Seventeen)	(▲ 15)
19	Go Away	Junhyung (HIGHLIGHT)	(new)
20	Scentist	VIXX	(▼ 15)
21	Dally	Hyolyn	(▲ 25)
22	Snapshot	IN2IT	(▼ 20)
23	Baby	The Rose	(▲ 9)
24	Giddy Up	The Boyz	(▼ 7)
25	Love Tint	Hyungseop & Euiwoong	(▲ 12)
26	Potion	Eric Nam ft. Woodie Gochild	(▲ 20)
27	Jealousy	Monsta X	(▼ 18)
28	Everyday	Winner	(▼ 1)
29	New Heroes	TEN (NCT)	(▲ 17)
30	Black On Black	NCT	(▲ 8)

Leaving the charts this week and won’t be appearing starting next week are:

Dinner – Suho (EXO) & Jang Jane
Look – GOT7
The Blue Bird – APRIL
Touch – NCT 127
Flower Road – Big Bang
Candyland – UP10TION
Angel – Hoya
Black on Black – NCT

Thank you once again and I hope to see you all next week!

[Review] Where Are You From? – FAVORITE

May 11, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged FavoriteLeave a comment

FAVORITE makes their return to the stage with Where Are You From?. This is the group’s first comeback since their debut with Party Time last year and their participation on the YG Entertainment produced survival show, MIXNINE. Where Are You From? is the title track off their second mini-album, which is titled as Love Loves to Love Love.

Where Are You From? is your basic girl group song that we see most girl groups do throughout their career. It is that cutesy and innocent sounding track that is either a complete hit or miss for me. However, I think for the first time ever (or at least, in a long while), their song isn’t a hit or a miss. It is just that typical track. Still listenable to without me cringing but not overthrowing their epic debut song. The song has this funky feel to it, which doesn’t cease to stop throughout the entire song. The verses were rather plain but I did like the slightly autotuned pre-chorus, which made the song sound somewhat quirky and appealing. The chorus was nice but it didn’t have a strong hook to really gain my attention. The vocal work was decent. The raps were probably the most disappointing section of the song. The added cutesy rap delivery doesn’t really do it for me and feels like the most cringest part of the song. I stand my first comments. It isn’t either amazing nor terrible. Just a good track to listen to.

I have no clue what is going on in the video. They seem to be on a spaceship, with one of the members playing with a toy plane. It drops and its results the girls being transported to another sandy planet with pink cacti. Being the optimistic bunch, they seem to settle onto the planet just fine and observing both the plane that crashed and their surroundings. One member encounters a fox human though… The rest of the video just doesn’t add anything else to the story. It is these videos that have ridiculous music videos that I tend to stay away from, mainly because they just don’t make much sense and just a way for the group to look exaggeratedly cutesy. Sorry but the video just wasn’t for me.

Their accompanying choreography was okay. Not mindblowing nor boring. Rather, just good, like their song. Though, I was more interested in listening to the song rather than watching the performance.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 5/10
Performance – 5/10
Overall Rating – 6/10

[Review] My Star – K.Will

May 11, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged K.WillLeave a comment

It has been a while since we last heard from K.Will. His last promotional round was back in September 2017 with Nonfiction, which was also the title track of the first part of his 4th album. Now, K.Will has returned with the 2nd part of his 4th album, which is titled as Will Be A Start. The title track for this release is My Star. From what I am also reading, this is also his second release as part of a trilogy.

Listening to the song, it made me realize how long it has been since I heard K.Will’s voice. I get drawn to the song mainly for its bright vibes and sound, which is extremely suitable for the Spring season in which South Korea is currently experiencing. Much better than the rainy and cold storm I am experiencing at the moment. While the song does satisfy the need of warmth and craving for the singer’s vocals, the song just simply fits into his portfolio. He doesn’t really have much else to offer with the song. Yes, it has a nice melody and a nice feel-good instrumental. There were nice hooks and moments that definitely has me coming back for more (such as the flowy and sway-along-to melody during the chorus and the dragged out bridge). However, it isn’t his most exciting comeback (the twisty Please Don’t take that honour) and hence I am slightly disappointed with its sound.

The music video features Gian84 and WJSN’s Bona, whom both plays neighbours in the video. Gian84 recently moved in and falls in love with his neighbour at first sight, after offering some food to her. While he can’t get his mind off her, he sees her again at a cafe, in which he falls further in love. He has a few dreams about her (after finding it hard to fall to sleep, to which he counts sheep. Literal sheep), which he wakes up from. In end, it seems like their love story continues when she turns up at his door the next morning. It is a nice love story, which was fitting for the song. What is more important is the fact that K.Will appeared in his music video. I think this is his second time featuring in his own music video (the first being a cameo role where he was killed off in Love Blossom). His presence definitely makes the video feel more wholesome.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

[Review] You and I – Dream Catcher

May 11, 2018May 11, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Dreamcatcher1 Comment

Dream Catcher is back with the final part of their nightmare tetralogy (or quartet) concept. The group has received a fair amount of interest based on their nightmare/horror concept, back from their debut single Chase Me and following onto Good Night and Fly High. You & I is the group’s final comeback as part of the nightmare concept and it is the title track off their second mini-album, Escape The Era.

You and I, from the very first second, manages to climb to the top of my favourite tracks from the group (and it may possibly climb to the top of my weekly charts posts). I loving the opening verse, with its eerie sound and their crisp clear vocals. I question the use of the modern doorbell sound at the very start, as I think a older sound doorbell would be more fitting for the song. The pre-chorus is when the song really starts to be promising. The build-up and introduction of the electric guitars really tells you what is to come. One amazing and hyped up chorus with an amazing rock instrumental that stays true to their roots. The rapping steals the show shortly after, with the song slowing down and becoming much softer, showing great contrast between the chorus and the said section. I also liked the falsetto, which added a nice touch to the bridge. Overall, another smashing song from the group.

The music video was unlike any of their previous music videos. I really thought the video was well produced and everything felt really defined. I like their use of visual effects (namely the green screen) in the video, which made it really intriguing to watch. Following the nightmare concept, the video seems to touch on another dimension. And it has horror aspects that were sene in some previous videos. I am not sure how they link up at the moment but the plotline of the 4 videos will be the subject of a future post.

I love it how there isn’t any messing around with the performance. It is creepy, powerful and seductive. All three occurring simultaneously in a span of 3 minutes. Really liked the incorporation of the handkerchiefs and that use of the cane (I love and am perflexed about how it appeared).

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9.7/10

[Review] Light It Up – SPECTRUM

May 10, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged SPECTRUMLeave a comment

SPECTRUM is the newest male group to be joining the KPOP wave. They are a new group under WYNN Entertainment. The members that make up the 7-member group are Hwarang, Minjae, Dongkyu, Jaehan, Eunjun, Dongyoon and (my pick for best stage name ever) Villain. You may find Jaehan familiar as he participated in Produce 101 Season 2, while Dongyoon participated in the more recent MIXNINE survival shot. Together, the group dropped their debut single, Light It Up, yesterday.

Light It Up joins the growing list of tropical house songs that had basically dominated our playlists in the past year or so. And while this song does sound good, I can’t help but point out how plain the tropical house elements are. Rather, the more interesting parts of the song were the stuff around the chorus. The verses were okay and the buildup to the chorus felt prolonged. However, that prolonged buildup seemed to pay off because I really liked the drop into the chorus. That deep sound while the rappers sing the words ‘불붙여 (Light It Up)’ really felt like a good punch from the song. And as simple as it sounds, the ‘Na Na Na‘ part in the second half of the chorus was quite decent. Together, they made the tropical house elements in the chorus more interesting. The vocal work was fine but I felt like they rushed through the rap sequence, where they had 3 rappers take on one rap sequence and then going back to the prolonged buildup to the chorus for the second verse. I feel like if they somehow managed to distribute the raps across the song, it would have potentially made their parts stand out somewhat more. But overall, Spectrum was a decent debut song.

The music video felt very typical. There wasn’t anything special about that makes it stand out from the crowd. Because they are from a small company, going with sets that were seen many times over was expected. But what makes other videos stand out is that they use the set in different ways. Here, it just feels very simple-minded and repeated many times before. The members also didn’t really pop in the video. The video was rather dark and the outfits the members were wearing didn’t really highlight them. I am not expecting fluoro colours but rather something more fitting yet allowing them to be brought to the forefront of the video.

The choreography of the video was quite cool. Once again, it wasn’t mind-blowing but I could appreciate their dance moves, which I thought were fitting for the song. Parts that stood out were the chorus and pre-chorus buildups.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.1/10

[Review] Go Away – Yong Junhyung (HIGHLIGHT)

May 9, 2018May 9, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged HIGHLIGHT, Yong JunhyungLeave a comment

Making his long-awaited return is Junhyung, the resident rapper of HIGHLIGHT. That being said, Junhyung is not only known for this works as part of HIGHLIGHT but also his many chart-topping singles over the year, such as Wonder If and Sudden Shower (featuring 10CM). This comeback also features his first solo album which is titled as Goodbye 20s. His last album release was back in 2013 with Flower.

The title track is Go Away and it is unlike any other song that I associate with Junhyung. I tend to think R&B when it comes to Junhyung but Go Away is surprisingly upbeat. While there are upbeat R&B and hip-hop songs, the song was quite groovy and ‘bright’ (if you know what I mean). And this new sound actually works well. I was attracted to the song within the first few seconds. The chorus wasn’t that much different, with the way he sings ‘Go Away‘ being my most favourite part of the song. It literally makes the song so much more memorable in my mind. I thought both his vocals and raps shined strongly throughout the song. Though, the singing had an edge, mainly because I am addicted to the way he sings that ‘Go Away‘ line. Overall, Go Away is one amazing comeback song, especially for someone of Junhyung’s calibre.

A few weeks ago, Junhyung released Sudden Shower (featuring 10CM), which happens to be track 4 on his album. The start of the video was a really smart way of introducing the new track by switching from Track 4 to Track 2 (which is the where the title track sits on the tracklist). My guess is that the same director who shot Lovelyz, EXID (and many others) music videos in the past also shot this video, with the rap sequences being quite noticeable. While it is a style seen quite often nowadays, it is always fresh somehow. I also thought the video played well with the lyrics, which talks about a breakup.

I have yet to hear any news about Junhyung promoting his new album and song on stage yet. However, it was seen in the music video that there was choreography, so it looks promising. It looks good from what I can see. Though I feel like a better judgement can be made once a live performance is revealed so I will return when that occurs.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 8.6/10