Category: KPOP

[Album Review] Brother Act (2nd Studio Album) – BTOB

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BTOB has returned with their second full-length album, Brother’s Act, which is based on the movie, Sister Act (starring Whoopi Goldberg). The album returns to the group’s ballad roots that earned them recognition for this vocal and rapping skills, which they previously displayed in their ballad trilogy. And given their performance so far on the charts, this return is much appreciated by fans. Please note that I will not be looking into the Prelude or the Interlude of this album.

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Brother Act Album Cover

2. Missing You (그리워하다) (Title Track) – Click here for full review of Missing You (9.5/10)

3. My Lady – My Lady is one of my favourite tracks off the album. The instrumental is definitely my style of music, so I started liking the song before I started paying attention to the other elements. Vocally (for both the singers and rappers), the song is on point. There was a nice balance between the members and the soft pop instrumental. My favourite parts of the song were definitely the “Give It Up” lines at the start of the pre-chorus and when Peniel started singing his lines. Finally, some light on who I think is probably one of the underrated members of the group. (10/10)

4. Red Lie (새빨간 거짓말) – Red Lie is a track that literally begs their significant other to stop lying to them and just break up because there is nothing more between them. My assumption with the title is the Red Lie is referring the girl’s red lips. The instrumental is quite nice, with the guitar giving the track a little colour and avoiding the ‘typical’ ballad trap. I would like to see them perform this song, as well. The upbeat instrumental of the chorus makes me very curious about that accompanying dance that they could add in alongside the song. (9/10)

5. Blow Up (신바람) – You can always expect BTOB to throw something quirky in the mix. Their performances for Blow Up were amazing. It is exactly what I would have expected if their personalities off stage and their music clash. Blow Up is the party track that definitely gets the party started. It is also a nice change for the album, which places a great focus on ballads and softer forms of music. (9.5/10)

7. Na Na Na (나나나)  – Catching me off guard with this song is the fabulous intro that Sungjae delivered through his vocals. His vocals are so fitting for this song. Nonetheless, the other members do a great job but the real winner has to be Sungjae in this song. The song is essentially that Autumn track that you would listen to while having a walk in the park. And it is also a great track to sway along to, especially with that consistent thumping and guitar strumming instrumental. (9/10)

8. Dream (꿈에) – While it is good music, Dream fits right in with that typical ‘ballad’ stereotype. It is the one track on the entire album that I thought they could have spruced it up a bit. Most likely they composed the song that way to mimic a lullaby, but to me, it is the weakest song on the album.  That being said, the vocals do add an element of appeal to the song. It is the raps that I thought were a little awkward for the song. (6/10)

9. Guitar (Stroke Of Love) – For a song with the title “Guitar”, there isn’t that much guitar in it. Until I looked into the lyrics and realized that they weren’t really talking about the instrument. Instead, the lyrics a little suggestive. Okay, not a little. They were downright sexual and it was not a misunderstanding scenario. “I’ll hit that G precisely, We’ll be making sweet music tonight, Let your neighbours know your name right now”. But musically, it is a more upbeat track that gives you some relief from the ballads you have been exposed to. (8/10)

10. Running Into Breakup (이별을 만나다) – The song is about when the guy is accepting the fact that they can no longer be together. Running Into Breakup does feel a tad bland in my opinion. But what saves it is the rappers, who display a great example of how raps should be in ballads, along with the swaying element that you probably know I seek in ballads now.  (7/10)

11. Fly Away – This particular track is definitely one of the more pleasing tracks on the entire album. There is some warmth that comes from the sounds of it. The contrast between the minimal verses to the explosion of sound you get for the chorus was definitely one of biggest highlights of the song. The only thing that I have to say (once again) that does take the appeal away from the song are those autotuned parts at the end of the choruses. (9/10)

12. Finale: Our Concert (Finale: 우리들의 콘서트) – The album ends off with another sweet pop ballad, written for this fans. And it is extremely fitting to end on a more happier note, rather another love story. All the members shine brightly in the song, with the feel of inclusion quite prominent in the song. I love the epic instrumental and that section where everyone is singing in the chorus. (10/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.7/10

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Brother Act Teaser Image

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[Review] Amazing – IN2IT

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During the week, IN2IT made their debut on the stage. For those who don’t know, the group was formed through the survival show, BOYS24. The show just never took off and never reached the same level of appeal as its competitors. Given the large gap between the show and the actual debut date, the show has seemed to undermine what popularity the members had gained throughout the show. But regardless of those observations, the group is made of 8 members (the Top 8 to be exact) and made their debut with their first mini-album, Carpe Diem.

The title track from the mini-album is Amazing and sadly, the title doesn’t capture the main sound of the song. Amazing takes on the tropical house. A side of me wants to say that is plain and boring now. It used to be something that I was into but since the genre has been so overworked, I have kind of gone on to find something new. However, there is a side of me that is appreciating the track. The weather has been gloomy the past few days (and in the next week), so a song like this does make it feel a lot sunnier. But sadly, I think the lack of appeal from the various elements of the song is overwhelming, leaving me disappointed with the final product. The vocals/rap don’t capture my attention. The instrumental (as previously discussed) is quite generic. The song doesn’t feel catchy and it doesn’t have me wanting more.

Shot in Kazakhstan, the video does an okay job at introducing the group to the viewers. I just felt like some of the scenes where they are singing to the music just really staged and unnatural, such as when one the members are singing while leaning on the car. Their interactions with one another seem a lot more appealing to my eyes. The choreography shots were pretty nice, along with the sots towards the end with the scenery and landscape. But besides that, the video just shows the guys having some fun on a road trip. Nothing that special, when you think about it.

Choreography wise, I thought it was quite good. Not amazing, like the song title, but decent enough for a debut.

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

[Review] Home Is Far Away – EPIK HIGH ft. Oh Hyuk

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We now return to the usual schedule of reviews with EPIK HIGH’s Home Is Far Away. It has been a while since we last heard from EPIK HIGH entirely. Their last comeback was with Shoebox and title track Happen Ending, back in 2014. Since then, the trio had been a little quiet with their work but have returned with full force as evident through their appearance at the top of the charts. Their latest album, We’ve Done Something Wonderful, showcases many featuring artists including IU, Mino (Winner), Crush and many others.

Home Is Far Away features Oh Hyuk, the vocalist from Hyukoh. His nasal sounding vocals go a long way in this song as he features throughout the chorus. It adds a nice softer touch to the RnB based song, which pairs well with the more deeper raps that Tablo and Mirtha bring to the song. The movement towards the RnB track also seems to go well into the EPIK HIGH’s portfolio, who I am used to doing more upbeat emotional based songs. Tablo’s previous solo work gave us a taster into what RnB could sound like under the guidance of the group (because the members produce their own songs). Yes, their previous track was also RnB based but I wasn’t much of a fan of it. I had a better connection with this one for its sleek instrumental and appealing sound. It doesn’t necessarily grab your attention like some of their more notable works but it leaves you feeling full of emotion and thoughts about life.

The videos seem fitting for the song. The minimalistic vibes through the night time shots of the city landscape give off a stylish and smooth look for the song. The appearance of the members, along with Oh Hyuk is also quite refreshing, mainly because it has been so long since we last saw them. A small segment of EPIK HIGH and IU’s collaboration is also played at the end. I am not too sure about the significance of the connection between the two songs (or to the video) but I have to admit, IU’s voice does add more aesthetics to the video.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.5/10

[Review] Callin’ – A.C.E

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A.C.E is back after making their debut earlier on in the year with Catcus. This time, the rookie boy group opted to a somewhat more normal titled song, Callin’. In a more confusing manner, some of A.C.E members are participating in The Unit, which is a new TV show, like Produce 101, for those who have already debuted. While I don’t know the logistics of this, it makes me wonder how their promotions will fare.

Callin’ seems to be channelling their debut track with a few changes here and there. I am not saying the songs are exactly the same but there are a number of similarities between the songs. Callin’ has slow verses and this allows for a decent build up to the explosive chorus, whereas Cactus launched right into the fast thumping instrumental. In fact, I think the song manages to kick an edgier sound. And it is that change in bpm and edge that makes this track a stand out for me. If you have a decent set of speakers with great bass, this track is bound to sound awesome. Once again, they manage to pair the vocals well with the segments of the song and that the instrumental doesn’t overpower the members when they sing during the chorus. What I feel with most songs currently is that lack of that strong hook. However, the instrumental here will have me coming back for more.

Music video wise, they seemed to have gone all out with a high-quality type of video. And like the song, they manage to incorporate ways to make the music video feel trippy. My personal belief is that there isn’t enough trippiness in the video but that might be disagreed upon by other people. The fast scene changes go well with that faster chorus, which I think it a great aspect of the video. There doesn’t seem to be much to say about the content of the scenes so that basically ends this part of the review.

Like Cactus, the song provides another opportunity for the group to put their dance skills to the test and they manage to pull it off. It was a great performance to watch, especially the final seconds. No short shorts this time, which is a relief.

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

[Review] Fantasy – JBJ

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Another group has emerged from Produce 101 Season 2. JBJ (Just Be Joyful) is another project group consisting of trainees (and artists) from different companies, who did not make it into Wanna One. JBJ came about due to fan requests and the group is made up of Noh Tae Hyun, Takada Kenta, Kim Sang Gyun, Kim Yong Guk, Kwon Hyun Bin and Kim Dong Han.

JBJ debuted with Fantasy during the week and the song is actually quite good. The track is another dance track but it has a slower tempo, compared to other dance tracks. But in a way, the slowness allows the thumps in the instrumental to actually sound quite strong and feel more intense. It does get a little more upbeat once the raps come into play and it remains like that for the rest of the track. There is also an air of seriousness when you listen to it, which makes it quite intriguing. The vocal and raps that feature in this song are also a strong effort from the members. Taehyun’s pre-chorus section was by far the most dynamic part of the song and personally shined the brightest in the entire song. The song does lack a more prominent and strong hook. But overall what we get in the song is decent enough for me to say it is a good song.

The music video was confusing but that makes it intriguing to try to understand the storyline. There was a bland element that stayed throughout the video and did stay within your mind when you watch the video. The editing of the video made everything more visually appealing. The way they filmed the choreography scenes with its zoomed in motion and somewhat shakiness made it feel more natural and suited the song quite nicely.

The choreography was really nice. They seemed to display a more sensual side to their performance, which made it look quite good. The blank and serious facial expressions just seem to make everything seem more intense.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.5/10

 

[Review] Move – Taemin (SHINee)

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Taemin has made his solo comeback with some new “Move(s)”. And that is the last of punny me for today. Taemin’s latest full-length album, which also shares the same title as the title track, Move, features songs in which he had already performed at his solo concert, a day before the release.

Taemin goes out of the box once again with Move. This time around, he tries a more sensual sounding song that pairs well with the dance background that he is known for. His vocals go surprisingly well with the concept, which was probably one of the highlights of the song.  The aesthetics of the song are definitely a captivating aspect of the song. Moving to the more negative side of the song. The instrumental doesn’t scream ‘major hit’ and remained subtle and non-progressive throughout the entire song. The song also doesn’t rely on a catchy hook or line to get listeners going. But despite all of that, my mind is telling me to say that it is a good song, regardless of what I considered to be its flaw. Instead, every time I listen to the song, I end up being in awe with what he has put out. And I  think that is enough to say how good of a song it is.

Taemin shot 3 music videos for this comeback. One main video. One solo dance performance video and another dance video with a partner. That’s quite a lot, in my mind. What is great about the video, in my opinion, is that it matches the song in terms of its subtleness. There are barely any major changes in the video. From start to end, he dances in the alleyway in the rain. It doesn’t progress much, just like the music. But yet, he pulls the concept off quite well. Awesome, abs and biceps alert for you fangirls out there.

The dance performance is great. We have seen him, time and time again, putting out great choreography for this solo work. This is no exception. There is definitely that sensual nature to it. And while he does perform the same dance as the female back up dancers (that hip swaying tho), there is a masculine side that he puts on display, which I thought was great.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.5/10

[Review] Pinwheel – SEVENTEEN Vocal Unit

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In the past few weeks, SEVENTEEN have been busy with their unit releases. The Leader unit kicked things off with Change Up. A week later, the Hip Hop unit made their release with Trauma, while another week after that, the Performance Unit made their release with Dance of Month 13. Lastly, comes this week’s release, which is from the Vocal unit of the group.

The good thing about Seventeen’s work is that they don’t play around. Regardless of the direction the group (or the units) go in, everything plays out nicely for them. Pinwheel is a clear example of this. Despite the unit releasing what could easily have been described as a ‘usual ballad’, the group manages to put their vocals in the forefront of the song. And it is an undeniable strong effort from the unit. First of all, the vocals were soft, which plays well with the emotions that can be heard strongly throughout the song. The instrumental was bland but there was that soothing nature within it. The main thing that I felt was missing was the peak of the song. Everything sounded good but it just didn’t reach that climax that it needed. It might have been the soft nature of the song but I was quite confident that high note leading into the final chorus was going to be it. Besides that, everyone shined strongly in the song.

The music video was a little dry to my standards, but it seemed to be shot in a similar manner to their Don’t Wanna Cry video. For the most part, the members are pretty depressed throughout the video, which I think actually helped the emotional side of the ballad to come out. The cinematography was also quite nice. The major difference with this video, compared to the previous videos, was that montage towards the end. Does that give some hint towards the future release? I don’t know. On a completely different side note, I confused Jeonghan for Wonwoo a couple of times throughout the video. Was anyone else seeing things with me?

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 6/10
Overall Rating – 8/10

[Review] Missing You – BTOB

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BTOB is back with their brand new full-length album, Brother Act. The album is their first major release after Movie earlier on in the year. Since then, however, they embarked on giving a different side of themselves through solo releases. This project, known as Piece of BTOB, started in April and ended in September. I did a quick review of each track and you can find that review by clicking the link above.

Missing You is described to be a ballad and it turns out, it is a really good one. BTOB has flaunted their skills through their ballad trilogy in the past but there is something about this one that makes it sound better. The instrumental is already a big plus in my books. The guitar and the soothing nature of it just make me feel warm.  But the bigger winner when it comes to ballads are the vocals. Listening to the track, you can feel the emotions that oozes from the song. And don’t get me started on how good they sound. The raps actually give off an interesting feeling. While they add a little more variety to the song, it also adds a contemporary feel and uplifts it, to an extent. But what got me was that final chorus, where everyone chants the lyrics. It caught me off guard and I had to take a moment to settle myself down from the grand feel I got from it. Overall, amazing song.

Personally, it was a good video to watch. It opens up with Hyunsik playing the piano and writing some music. For some reason, the scene was quite haunting but the notes he played were so familiar. The video then shows each member reflecting on losing a loved one. A lot of screaming and anger ensues. They end up coming together and have a walk in the desert, which was interesting but confusing at the same time. The darkness and brown hazy colour palette of the video made it make serious and emotional to your eyes. Their acting is phenomenal and probably made the video much more enjoyable to watch.

[Updated] Due to some requests and more information coming to light regarding the performance, I have decided to redo my updated performance review. BTOB had incorporated sign language into their choreography, which definitely makes the whole performance more intriguing to watch. The way they managed to include the language was incredibly smooth, fitting right in and flows well with the other elements of the comeback.

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 9/10 [UPDATED]
Overall Rating – 9.5/10 [UPDATED]

[Review] Can Be Better – HIGHLIGHT

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HIGHLIGHT is back and this time they are “celebrating” their 8th year since their debut in 2009. Oh, how fast has time been. Their latest mini-album is titled, appropriately, as Celebrate and features the title track, Can Be Better. This is their first comeback since their repackaged album, Calling You.

Continuing their run with their more cheerful and vibrant songs, HIGHLIGHT manages to nail it once again with Can Be Better. Actually, they might just have hit the bull-eyes with this song. From the very first listen, the song was so upbeat that my body just wanted to get up and dance. It was catchy and definitely addictive to listen to. Little did I know that in a couple of hours, I actually played the song so much more than any other song today.  There isn’t anything that special about the song’s instrumental. But the atmosphere that the vocals and the raps add to the song gives it such a lively background. Though I do miss the darker side of the group, I have to admit the brighter side is doing wonders for them.

The music video reflects well with the song. It has a more humorous side to it, which makes it more appealing to watch. And I think it ties in well with their message. Essentially, it doesn’t matter if you are having a bad day. It happens and you just might not know what will happen next. It did get confusing towards the end with how each of them manages to step into the freezer and somehow get stuck inside that. I would like to see the aftermath of all the events, but I think the party scenes seem to be what followed.

[Updated] The dance matched the song in terms of that cheerful and bright side. It looked like the dance was choreographed based on wanting to have fun and that was portrayed very nicely. It was also the type of song that could have any dance and the only element required was the fun side of it.

Song – 9.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 9/10 [Updated]
Overall Rating – 9.5/10 [Updated]

[Album Review] 7 For 7 (7th Mini Album) – GOT7

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GOT7 is officially back with their latest mini-album, 7 for 7.  While this is their latest release to date, I have plans (over my Summer holiday) to go back and review some of their past releases (like what I have already done with their Departure album). And this does not apply to just GOT7 but other artists as well!! But until then, here are my thoughts on GOT7’s 7 for 7.

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7 For 7 Album Cover

1..Moon U – This particular song can be described a very smooth track, which is perfect for the start of the mini album. And while does sound great with its synth dominating instrumental and the clear vocals/raps, the song is relatively plain. It doesn’t progress much and it did make me yawn a few times. (7/10)

2. Teenager – I’ll admit it, Teenager is not my song style. But I actually think it is one of the few stronger songs on the track. It starts off with the same tempo and smoothness as Moon U but it quickly builds up at the pre-chorus. Once the beat drops for the chorus, a catchy hip-hop beat captured my attention. The vocal parts in the midst of the “You make me teenager” lines by the rappers are probably my most favourite parts of the song. (8/10)

3. You Are (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for You Are. (8/10)

4. Firework – Firework is a low-key hit in my books. Everyone sings. And hence it shows off a different side to the group, which has basically been dance and hip-hop centred in majority of their tracks. The sound effects within the song along with the instrumental give the song some momentum. Firework sounds like it should be a song that blows up (pun unintentional) when you listen to it but its subtle nature here makes it a standout instead. (9/10)

5. Remember You – The song centres between a subtle RnB track and a ballad. The vocals were quite good but those raps sounded so dreamy. The song doesn’t really capture my attention. It does feel dry and (once again) doesn’t seem to get far. There was a moment where the song does manage to catch me off guard (i.e. the sudden jumps in the bridge and before final chorus) but they didn’t continue with that surprise and went back to the boring side. (6/10)

6. To Me (내게) – This is where things start picking up, once again. The track could have done with a more interesting instrumental, to be honest. It felt very bland and colourless throughout the song. The vocals and the raps were pretty good, which in turn gave some colour to the song. But I don’t think there was enough to do the track justice. (6/10)

7. Face – They left the best song (besides the title track) to the very end. The song starts off slow but it was temporary. The song manages to launch itself into a strong chorus with a really catchy hook. Like the others, the song manages to show the vocal and rapping talents of the members. Jinyoung and Yugyeom managed to wow me with their vocals in the bridge. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.5/10

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Screenshot from You Are music video

[Weekly Chart] 2nd Week of October 2017

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Welcome to the 2nd week of the October. This is going to be another quick one this week as I am a little stressed due to exams. It will remain so like this for the next few weeks until I finish my last exam for the year. Reviews will be pumped out (to the best of my ability) as soon as possible.

There was no doubt that GOT7 was going to take out this week’s top spot, given their track record with all their new releases. Following closely behind is NU’EST W latest song, Where You At. BTS holds on tightly to 3rd position, while the Performance Unit of SEVENTEEN and B1A4 take out 4th and 5th positions respectively.

Next week will be busy, just like this past week. We start off with comebacks from HIGHLIGHT, BTOB and Taemin. JBJ, A.C.E, Seventeen’s vocal unit, Wheesung and Epik High will also be releasing content.

I present you this week’s chart and here are some things that will help you denote the chart:
Green (▲)  – Song has gone up in ranking
Red (▼) – Song has gone down in ranking
Blue (=) – Song has remained in the same position as the previous week
Orange  (new) – Song debuts on the chart
Grey (Final Week) – Song appears on the chart for its final week.

8th Oct – 14th Oct 2017
Title Artist Status
1 You Are GOT7 (new)
2 Where You At NU’EST W (new)
3 DNA BTS (=)
4 Dance of Month 13 SEVENTEEN Performance Unit (new)
5 Rollin’ B1A4 (▼ 4)
6 Just U Jung Sewoon (▲ 1)
7 Gashina Sunmi (▲ 18)
8 O Sole Mio SF9 (new)
9 Nonfiction K.Will (▼ 5)
10 Good Night DIA (new)
11 Honeymoon B.A.P (▲ 1)
12 Summer Rain GFriend (▲ 4)
13 When Someone Loved You DAY6 (▼ 2)
14 Friday Night Sonamoo (▲ 21) (Final Week)
15 Trauma SEVENTEEN Hip Hop Unit (▼ 13)
16 Juliette Rainz (new)
17 DamDaDi Golden Child (▲ 16)
18 Like This Pentagon (▼ 9)
19 I Loved You DAY6 (▼ 9)
20 Going Crazy UP10TION (new)
21 Power EXO (▼ 15)
22 Spectrum TRCNG (new)
23 Can’t Stop DIA (▲ 4)
24 Purple Rain Minhyuk (BTOB) ft. Cheeze (▲ 12)
25 I Loved You Bobby (iKON) (▲ 4)
26 Drop Yunho (TVXQ) (▼ 21)
27 Babe Hyuna (▼ 1)
28 I’m Da One MXM (▲ 6)
29 Take My Hand April (=)
30 Runaway Bobby (iKON) (▼ 16)

Songs leaving the chart this week and will not appear on the charts starting next week are:

  • Ice Chu – Gugudan OguOgu
  • Friday Night – Sonamoo
  • Wake Me Up – Tayeang (Big Bang)
  • Darling – Taeyang (Big Bang)
  • We Young – NCT Dream
  • Canvas – Junho (2PM) [Leaving Early]
  • Instant Love – Junho (2PM) [Leaving Early]
  • Pow Pow – ELRIS [Leaving Early]
  • Something Special  – SECHKIES [Leaving Early]
  • Smile – SECHKIES [Leaving Early]

Until next week, have a great one!

[Review] Juliette – Rainz

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Rainz is another brand new group formed from Produce 101 Season 2, which is clearly a fresh start for these new trainees with some of them gaining recognition for their skills and looks. Rainz is fan requested and comprises of 7 members: Kim Seong Lee, Ju Won Tak, Hong Eun Ki, Byun Hyun Min, Lee Ki Won, Seo Sung Hyuk and Jang Dae Hyun. It was reported that their contract will go for about a year.

To me, Juliette is a return to that old KPOP sound that I fell in love with when I first listened to KPOP 7 years ago (time does go too fast). The instrumental is just a pure retro beat that does lack some bass but delivers well when it is paired with the vocals/raps. Listening to it, I couldn’t help but have a dance in the chair I am in. The vocals and raps just show that there is clearly potential for this group and its individual members. If you want proof, just listen to the entire song. I don’t think there was one weak moment in terms of the vocals/raps. If there was anything to say about the song, they could have gone for a catchier chorus, which would have made the song more memorable. But overall, great debut track!

Even the sets of the music videos remind me of videos from three or more years ago. The virtual reality girlfriend concept seems to be something from that era (or even further back). The acting the video is just plain cheesy. Honestly, I found the video quite dull to watch. There wasn’t much happening within it that makes me want to speak about it.

The choreography seems to be stuck between the soft delivery of moves and the sharp delivery of moves. The moves during the verses seem to fit that soft side of the spectrum, while the post-chorus “Juliette” chanting features that sharpness. Though, I think the dance aims to be somewhat cutesy to appeal to their own ‘Juliette‘.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 6/10
Overall Rating – 7.5/10

 

 

[Review] Good Night – DIA

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DIA has made their return to the stage with their repackaged mini-album and the title track, Good Night. They made their last comeback a month ago with Can’t Stop, which has become my favourite track of the group since their debut.

Good Night is not their worst song but it is not their best song. It brought a smile to my face the first time around when I listened to it. And it suits the girl’s vocals quite nicely. But to be frank, that smile isn’t going to last. I can literally feel it dying off. Why I say that? Well, the track is their attempt at the tropical sound that has dominated KPOP for the past year or so. And while I do find their attempt appealing to an extent, the song doesn’t really get far. They were on a roll this year but it might just have stalled with this song. The tropical influence, I have to admit, is in your face. There is no escaping it. I don’t find it catchy nor does it have that element that makes me want to go back to it like Can’t Stop. There is an interesting mix of people doing vocals and raps this time around. Personally, I think the song could have done better in the Summer season and to appeal to listeners, despite it being a little cliché, they could have done something for the Fall season.

The video is incredibly boring. I don’t find much captivating about it. The girls are having a bit of fun and hanging out with each other. There really isn’t much else to say about the video. I did notice Chaeyeon seemed to get a large bulk of the video, espeically at the start of the video, while some members didn’t get any screen time until the end of the video. And while I have nothing against her, I think the company should start looking at other ways to get the girls well known (I already know two members are in The Unit but maybe look for other things for the other members to do during their non-promotional periods?).

The dance seems to be just fan service for their fanbase. The girls act cutesy in a cheesy way basically for the majority of the video. There is a set routine but it doesn’t feel like much for the song.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 4/10
Performance – 4/10
Overall Rating – 5/10

[Review] O Sole Mio – SF9

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Joining the mass comeback lineup for this week is SF9 with their latest track O Sole Mio.  The boys previously made their comeback with Easy Love a few months back, which has become one of my favourites of this year.

O Sole Mio is a Latin-infused dance track that manages to captures the listener’s attention. As Latin isn’t a much of an influence in KPOP, the idea of it and its overall sound was very fresh. And they didn’t mess around with the infusion, going straight to the point with its instrumental. The mix of dance electronic seems to give it a more modern and keeps grounded as a KPOP dance track. It actually took a few listens to actually become comfortable but it got there in end nonetheless. The vocals were solid but I think the winner in this song has to be the rapping. I don’t know why but I associate a rough and deep voice when it comes to songs like this and the rappers delivered with that. The most disappointing moment in the song would have to the “Oh ya ya ya” part midway into the chorus, which felt like it cut into the chorus a little too much. Overall, it is a solid song from the group, adding to their list this year.

The music video is a little confusing. One moment they are in the desert, the next inside a church, the next inside a pretty nice looking hallway, next minute they are in a plane graveyard. I don’t know if they were going down the apocalyptic route with the video, it felt like that. But besides that, everything else in the video looked decent. The filter that was placed on top of the video kind of made things hazier, which I think indicated the presence of heat. And as stereotypical as it sounds, the Latn sounds go well with the heat and desert imagery throughout the video. Once again, not entirely sure what is going on in the video, but it was a nice one to watch.

The choreography for this comeback was pretty good. It wasn’t as amazing as expected, but it had the aesthetics appropriate for the song. There use of their outfit throughout the performance is commendable. It looked cool in the music video due to the wind, so I am wondering how they are going to replicate that same effect if they can’t use fans.

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

[Review] Going Crazy – UP10TION

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UP10TION has returned with a special mini album and the title track Going Crazy. They were last on stage with Runner, earlier this year. I am under the impression that they will promote this song but I am not 100% sure.

While the industry has been focusing heavily on the tropical house genre of EDM, it has been a while since we heard something a little purer. Going Crazy tackles the house genre and I think it does a pretty good job. The chorus is incredibly intense and it gives off a nice feeling when you listen to it. My body just wants to get up and dance to the music. And while the vocal and raps are quite good (you can hear it over the actual music and they don’t seem to be hindered by unnecessary autotune), the song lacks one aspect, a catchy hook. Everything else is great, I just don’t remember the song for its lyrics or its catchiness. And that isn’t the end of the world, just my overall feeling of the song. I really liked the pings at the start of the song as they made the song more intriguing. Overall, great song.

The music video worked in my opinion but I felt like the producer could have done more to it. It looks really cool and trendy. But the idea of these videos has been seen time and time again (when it fades between the members singing and dancing to the aesthetic use of props). Likewise, I am sure the flowers and disco balls have a cryptic message that I would never be able to crack  The black and white sets look good and the isolated colours do look bolder this way.

[Updated] This choreography is probably on the better ones out at the moment. The dance style was pretty cool (chorus was my favourite part), with all the members remaining in sync which looked even cooler. The moves aren’t impressive or mindblowing but the bigger picture made it looked amazing.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 9/10 [Updated]
Overall Rating – 8/10 [Updated]

[Review] Spectrum – TRCNG

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Following the likes of Secret, B.A.P and Sonamoo, TS Entertainment has finally debut TRCNG, a 10 member boy group with the average age of 15 (way to go for making me look and feel old). The name of the group stands for ‘Teen Rising Champion in a New Generation’. Their debut features the title track Spectrum.

Without doubt, TS Entertainment wanted to replicate the same wow factor that Warrior brought for B.A.P without making Spectrum feel too similar to the other song. And while that impact is there, the song remains in an awkward position between meh and wow. And while that is a broad spectrum (hahaha), it just shows that part of me feels like this song is great but the other part felt like it could have been better (which is something I have been noticing about myself for the past few reviews). The intensity can be felt throughout the song. It has this very tough but at the same time, somewhat innocent vibe from the young age group.  The main issue is that I didn’t feel like the song peaked. Instead, from the start to the end, it remained fairly neutral and linear. It could have gone for a catchy chorus but I don’t mind it. Moving along, it is the vocals and the raps that give the song that needed colour and make me go wow. I don’t think I heard any disappointing vocals or raps throughout the song, which is quite promising for the group. Overall, I would say this song ranks towards the other end of the spectrum and that if they put out a song that showed a little more variety, I think they could go a long way.

The music video is a tad confusing. To me, it feels like they are in alternate realities and what they do in one reality, the exact same thing happens in the other. Which doesn’t necessarily mean an alternate reality, but hopefully you get what I am trying to get at. The darkness of the video fits the edgy and tough vibes that they are going for. Besides that, there isn’t much else to the video that I find worth talking about.

[Updated] In response to my previous comments, these young boys managed to pull off a performance that I could not even dream of even trying.  The toughness that they had going on was good but I thought that it was borderline exaggerated at times. But overall, it was a decent choreography to watch.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Performance – 8/10 [Updated]
Overall Rating – 8/10 [Updated]