Category: KPOP

[Review] Where You At – NU’EST W

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After gaining a considerably large following through their Produce 101 Season 2 days, NU’EST is officially back with Where You At. Despite this, however, the group is unable to make a comeback with all 5 members (Minhyun was chosen to be in Wanna One). Instead, the remaining 4 members have formed a subunit, NU’EST W. This also marks the group’s first return since Love Paint last year. Where You At is an incredibly strong song that the welcomes NU’EST W back to the stage.

Where You At is an incredibly strong song that the welcomes NU’EST W back to the stage. The song starts off with a strong beat, which does leave you a little towards the edge of your seat. Then we approach the first half of the chorus. The slow-paced and ‘stripping of the instrumental’ caught me off guard. I was expecting a massive drop but instead, they chose to delay that. And that delay made everything sound ten times better once the real drop came. It definitely gave the song more intensity and power that way. And made the song more appealing. Their vocals are pretty good and the rapping was on point. And while I do praise the song, I feel like there could have been more to verses to match that same level of impact. The verses become forgotten in the midst of the chorus, so that is why I am suggesting that. But overall, the entire song just blows me away every time I listen to it (and it has been replayed many times despite its release 3 hours ago).

Following their past videos, the accompanying music is definitely made to be aesthetic and there seems to be some sort of plotline mixed within the video. While I should read the lyrics, my initial assessment of the storyline is that the members are all one person and they seem to be held captive by the demon (the lady), who may represent their ex (or something like that). Every time they manage to escape, however, she manages to recapture them and make it harder for them to escape (i.e. Aron had access to the key at the start but the end, there was no key in the draw). That is just what I saw and there could have been many other clues hidden throughout. The camera work in this video is amazing and it contributes to the aesthetics that I was mentioning about. It is definitely a video to check out for.

[Updated] I will be honest. The song is so good that I pay attention to it more than anything else. Personally, it is another great dance that sums the epicness felt from the drops of the song. Best part was that drop just before the chorus. 

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

 

[Review] You Are – GOT7

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GOT7 has made their return to the stage with their brand new mini-album, 7 for 7 and the title track, You Are. This is the group’s first comeback since wrapping up their Flight Log trilogy with Never Ever at the start of the year. Since then, Jackson made his solo debut in China, while JJ Project made their long-awaited return with Tomorrow, Today.

I am going to be honest, I think this is their weakest song yet. The group’s previous tracks have been centred around strong concepts and sounds. This upbeat dance track just doesn’t seem to fit that pattern. And while I am not too fussed about that aspect, there are elements that keep me from saying that this is their best track yet. The verses were bland and dry. They didn’t seem to captivate me as much as I hoped. The pre-chorus seemed a little awkward. It just didn’t fit in with the rest of the song, in my opinion. The chorus was probably one of the few decent parts of the song, but it wasn’t that intriguing. Instead, it was relatively straightforward. However, I do think the chorus suggest the group went for a more vocal approach, as their vocals seem to be the spotlight even more. The raps seem fitting for the song, though it could have gone for more energy. The lyrics seem to point towards a more cheerful side of the song as well, which is a nice change. So far, I can say the song has grown on me considerably and maybe a few more listens will change my perspective of the song. But for now, what I wrote above seems to be my views.

The music video is quite refreshing to watch. Though I do miss that tough and strong side of the group, the video gives off a more relatable and nice side of the group. The scenery in Hong Kong makes this a cinematic video to watch. The camera angles and the drone shots not only capture the members but also the incredible views. Though we have seen those windmills in the past, they still look amazing time and time again. The sunset scene, where they perform the choreography looked quite nice as well. I thought their incorporation of their chain accessories (what do you call them?) into the video was quite interesting.

The choreography was also quite good. It suits the upbeat nature of the song and I thought the moves during the chorus was quite impressive. When the members did the many turns for the final chorus, I was impressed.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8/10

[Review] Dance Of Month 13 – Seventeen Performance Unit

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Seventeen is continuing their unit releases this week with the return of the Performance unit. The Leaders of the group released Change Up, while the Hip Hop unit released Trauma last week.  This isn’t the first release of the Performance unit, however, as they previously released a music video for Highlight at the start of the year.

Dance Of Month 13 is a little different to what I am used to. It is definitely an interesting song that tries to captivate your attention but I think it just misses its target. The song is a musical mess if you can describe a song like that. Let’s just say if you took multiple electronic and dance style songs and combined them together, you will get this particular track. And even then, you are not exactly sure what you are listening to. But somehow it ties together nicely and comes off as a single song. But what did impress me when it came to the song was the vocal work. Sure, some it was masked by autotune. But it wasn’t a bad example off autotune use. Instead, it felt fitting. But it is the pure vocals that blew me away. Jun and Hoshi’s high pitch lines were unexpected highlights for me and Dino’s talk-rap was amazing. I am still on the fence regarding the song but it is another strong effort from the unit.

The music video and performance section of this review will be mashed together. I am not entirely sure about the people in the background of the video (or well, behind the camera). Part way into the video we see them staring at the unit as if they are hypnotised, while at the very end, we see them all lying on the ground. It made no sense to me. But besides that, the rest of the video focused on mainly the choreography. And you will not be disappointed. They are all in the Performance Unit of the group for a reason because their dancing style is just so cool. And this video just proves it. I love the start, where their arms resemble a flame, and during the chorus where they do something along the lines of the helicopter with their legs.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video / Performance –  9/10
Overall Rating – 8/10

 

[Special Review] Piece of BTOB

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With BTOB making their return in a week or so, I thought it would be nice to take some time to look at some of their solo tracks that they have been releasing since April. Piece of BTOB is a project where each member released a song each month (or so). While I could have reviewed the songs as they were released, I decided one massive post once all the songs are out. And without further ado, here are the short reviews for all of the Piece of BTOB project singles.

At The End – Changsub
(Release Date: 24th April 2017)

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To start off this review, I have to declare that this is my most favourite single out the entire project. Despite this being out for longer, the pop-rock track is extremely addictive after just a few replays. I love the build-up in the background with the instrumental. But it is Changsub’s vocals that make me come back for more.

Fancy Shoes – Ilhoon
(Release Date: 30th May 2017)

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Ilhoon brings his signature raps to the table with Fancy Shoes. And we know how good he is, given his track record through the many BTOB releases. But it seems like I am the only person who thought the song was a little disconnected. Like the instrumental and Ilhoon’s rap doesn’t seem to go with each other. Compared to the other songs, I just didn’t feel a connection to the song.

That Girl – Peniel
(Release Date: 27th June 2017)

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Out of all the members, I wanted to listen to what Peniel would release, mainly because there has never been a chance for the rapper to shine in the main title tracks. That Girl is entirely in English (yes, I can finally understand) and it was a catchy track to fit in the Summer season. I was caught off guard when Peniel went into the chorus singing, as we know him to be a rapper. He has pretty good vocals and it gave the song that refreshing feel.

Swimming – Hyunsik
(Release Date: 24th July 2017)

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The ‘Alternative’ genre is very rare in KPOP, but it does exist. And since it has been a while, Hyunsik’s Swimming is a very fresh sound. The alternative rock sound makes the song implant the feeling that you get when you float on water into your mind. It is almost dreamy. I have only stumbled upon Hyunsik’s vocals more recently and this song just further proves his vocals skills to me.

Purple Rain – Minhyuk ft. Cheeze
(Release Date: 10th August 2017)

Minhyuk’s solo is the only release that has a featuring artist, Cheeze, who brings her husky vocals to the song. Minhyuk does a mixture of singing and rapping, which does sound awesome. Paring the two together, you get quite an intense track. Cheeze brings an emotional sound, while Minhyuk brings intensity. Personally, the track was quite good but it just doesn’t have that addictive nature, like other ballads in this mix.

Paradise & Tell Me – Sungjae
(Release Date: 30th August 2017)

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Paradise is an upbeat love confession type of song, which I think fits Sungjae’s personality nicely.  The sound just feels very cheerful and bright, something that you come to associate with Sungjae. His vocals just don’t stand out in the song. The more emotionally centred ballad, Tell Me, seems more suitable for his vocals. It is the song type that gets you swaying alone, which is something I like I lot in ballads.

One Day & That Time – Eunkwang
(Release Date: 19th September 2017)

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Ending the entire projects is Eunkwang, tackles the very big feat with two ballads. That Time is a spectacular ballad that drew my attention with Eunkwang’s vocals and the impactful instrumental. It ticks all the right boxes in my books for a great ballad! Especially, the choruses which blow me away each time I  listen to the song. One Day seems to replicate that exact same feeling, despite it having a different melody and sound. The chorus is equally as impactful and Eunkwang’s vocals are just spot on.

[Review] Trauma – Seventeen (Hip Hop Unit)

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Last Monday, Seventeen released Change Up, a single which starts off their project for the final part of the year.  That particular single features of the leaders of each Seventeen subunits. This week, the Hip Hop unit of Seventeen has released their single, titled as Trauma.

As many of you may know, I am not a major fan of the hip-hop genre. And while I may have that bias working against this song, I don’t actually mind it. Like the name suggests, the song is a lot darker and more serious, compared to Change Up, which was also hip-hop based. Mingyu takes the reins for the vocal parts of the song, which showcases his rough voice, which felt fitting for the rest of the song. He doesn’t sing that much in past songs, so it did feel a lot different then usual. The rest of the team gave it their all in rapping, which I thought was fantastic in this song. There were parts of the song which I hoped they could have rapped a little louder because I found those parts a tiny too soft for my personal liking. But they weren’t as troubling as other songs. Overall, Trauma is pretty good, even though I am not one to listen to the genre as much.

The music video was definitely quite good. Per usual, I like the coloured backgrounds, which evidently gave the song more colour. Due to the tension from the song, they could have gone down that dark route, but they seemed to have gone with some colour to give the music video some life. Not exactly sure of the props that are used (such as the pile of sand or fans) or the way some of the members are positioned throughout the video but you can definitely tell that there is a level of aesthetics associated with the video. It wasn’t as captivating as expected but it did the job.

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

[Album Review] Rollin’ (7th Mini Album) – B1A4

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B1A4 has made their return with Rollin’, which is a shared title between the mini-album and title track. This is my review of their album, which I have been trying to post weekly. Things may get a little funky in the coming weeks, but I will put them out eventually. Now, let’s go on with B1A4’s release.

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Rollin’ Album Cover

1..Rollin’ – Click here for the full review of Rollin’ (9/10)

2. You Need Me (너는 내가 필요해) – The group continues their electronic sound with You Need Me. This, though, feels more like a B1A4 song and could have featured on their previous albums. The song;s instrumental is quite intense and gives the song that energetic side, which actually catches on quite quickly. The slowdown for the bridge does take away from that energetic feel, but the contrast was nice. This entire track is a standout on this album. (9/10)

3. Love Emotion – Now, for a much slower song. Love Emotion is more of a RnB track with a synth-based instrumental. Unlike the previous songs, Love Emotion doesn’t really yell out to me and it does get hidden within the rest of the album. To me, it would have done well if it followed a track like Sweet Girl. But here, it just doesn’t stand out. (7/10)

4. Smile Mask – The song features a rock style ballad with a strong pop influence. What makes the song more memorable was the instrumental, which has a few different quirks here and there that keeps the track engaging to listen to. The rough rap from Baro, along with the vocals, do give the track some colour as well. Not too keen on the bridge of the song but everything else was fantastic. (8/10)

5. Call Me (내게 전화해) – Another track that does seem to get forgotten in the midst of the other songs. The track has a more subtle instrumental, which does contribute to its underwhelming sound. And while the vocals/rap try to make up for that with its ear-catching deliver, it just wasn’t enough to get it over the line. (6/10)

6. Like A Child (아이처럼) – The mandatory ballad of all KPOP albums has been chosen to end the album. And while it does sound like I dread it, the track isn’t that bad.  The song could have used a stronger chorus as there was practically no difference between the chorus and verses. But vocally, they manage to display their skills throughout the song. It was a very touching song to finish off the album (7/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.5/10

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Rollin’ Teaser Image

[Review] In A Different Life – Max Changmin (TVXQ)

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The second half of the legendary duo, TVXQ, has finally returned. Max Changmin has returned with his solo single, In A Different Life. The track is also part of the SM Station weekly release and this week’s release also features Yunho’s Drop.

Unlike Yunho’s electronic-heavy single, Changmin went for a more simplified and natural sound. In A Different Life is a pop-ballad that features guitars and a beautiful piano melody. But that doesn’t steal the spotlight. It is his vocals that do and it shines brightly. The way he delivers the lines just make everything sound like you are floating in the clouds. It is not harsh nor rough, but it is soft and mellow. But that being said, the song does feel a tad empty. First of all, it isn’t exactly that memorable. While I did highlight his vocals, the song doesn’t come off as catchy or has any moments that make me go “Wow”. Second of all, I don’t think the song peaked at all. Instead, it just felt very neutral and linear, in terms of its sound. But regardless, I still appreciate the song for its simplicity and softer sound. Comparing the two songs (this one and Drop), both seem to go nicely together. One is pretty much straightforward while the other is unexpecting and complex.

Watching the accompanying music video, it puts the song into a more reflective light. Changmin seems to do just that. And while that is a good thing, I don’t think anyone is really into the whole ‘reflection time’ segments of life. That or it can be just me. It just doesn’t seem captivating and expectedly, the video shares the same fate. Max seems to take in Mother Nature through the many different shots we see him in, which all looked nice. Just the video doesn’t seem to engage me as I would hoping for.

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

[Review] When You Love Someone – DAY6

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DAY6 have made their comeback for their “October” release, a week before its usual release date of ‘the sixth day of the month’. When You Love Someone features the continuation of the storyline that featured in What Can I Do? and I Loved You.

But before we start looking at the music video, let’s talk about the song. When You Love Someone, is once again, on the slower side of the group’s releases. But while I have expressed my disinterest in their slower tracks earlier on the year, it seems like they have been on a roll with these slower songs more recently. The song manages to get me to sway along, which if you know by now, is something that I like a lot. To be precise, it definitely has a very calming aura, which makes it interesting to listen to. The melodies in this song are quite nice and the instrumental has a very nice pop nature to it. The chorus was exceptionally good, with the group managing to throw in a hook to give the song a memorable moment. But their vocals is what is on display throughout the song and that is why I really like the song. Nothing sounds as pure and crisp as the vocals in this song and every member sounds on point.

With the continuation of the plotline from the previous videos, you can see some progression in some points. But in others, it seemed to stall. Sungjin finally confessed to his girl, but it seems like she isn’t interested. While I am not 100%, she seems to have feelings for Young K instead, as she comes to his aid when he is accused of stealing money from the cash register. Jae is totally into the girl at that cafe, while Wonpil seems to still be coming to terms with his needing to let go. The most confusing character this time around is Dowoon, who doesn’t really get much progression in the storyline. Instead, it seems like he was forgotten in the video. I can’t read Korean but my guess is that his parents (or whoever he lives with) left him to be alone again, which doesn’t seem to phase him. Overall, the director of this series is doing a pretty good job of keeping my attention on the video. I want to see what happens next month and figure out this story once and for all.

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

[Review] Drop – Yunho (TXVQ)

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After a two-year absent (due to mandatory military service), TVXQ has started to mark their return to the stage with the return of each individual member through SM Station. Yunho is first up with his single, Drop, which was dropped earlier this week.

From the very second Drop starts, the song bombards you with a whole heap of EDM and dubstep sounds. Multiple sections throughout the song are mashed together to form one whole song, which shouldn’t work, especially how volatile EDM can be. But it manages to work wonderfully here. And while I can see why this song could garner some interest for its many sections, I am not that fond of it. Personally, the start was a little disappointing and the song doesn’t really settle down until around halfway. The second half was much better, mainly because its sound was a lot more consistent. The best drop was that super intense dance break, which you get around the 4:20 mark of the music video. That gave the song that punch of intensity and energy that was much needed. Vocal-wise, Yunho does a pretty good job, though it was obvious that some autotune would be required to help him navigate through the song.

The song manages to come off as extremely dramatic, so it was fitting for an equally dramatic video as well. And that is exactly what we got. The concept seems to be military based, which seemed to go well with the intensity of the track as well. The visuals are quite good, with that industrial feel making it seem like an underground thing.

Choreography for this comeback is awesome. While you do see a few great moves throughout the earlier parts of the video, the dacne break around that 4:20 mark is definitely the best bit.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.5/10

[Review] Nonfiction – K.Will

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K.Will has made his long-awaited return to the stage with a brand new album, titled as Nonfiction, which is also the same name as his title track. This album is the first part of his 4th full-length album. It has been a while since he last promoted on stage. The last being in 2015 with Growing, though he has released singles and collaborations since then.

Nonfiction takes the ballad route with K.Will’s signature husky vocals. The instrumental, along with his vocals, make the song extremely soothing to listen to. I love it when he finishes the lines on a higher note, in the verses. It gives the ballad some variety and colour, which goes nicely with the emotional message in which is trying to convey to us. The song does build up, starting from a soft introduction to a climatic ending using just the same instruments that he started off with. Personally, ballads hit a soft spot for me. And this one does the job perfectly. The only thing that I may say about the song is that there isn’t anything mindblowing or spectacular about it. Instead, it is like every other ballad out there. But if you want a good old ballad, this is the recent release your need to check out.

The music video tells an emotional story, which goes nicely with the K.Will’s singing style. Essentially, the guy works as a tour guide at this old Korean palace and it is the place where he and his former girlfriend used to go out on dates. And while he still remains there, his former girlfriend has moved on. They reunite for a very brief moment when her current boyfriend asks him to take a photo of them. The main guy complies with the request and returns home, only to become more heartbroken. The last few scenes were probably the hardest to get to, as he relives his favourite pastime with his ex (where they dance with each other) but he instead dances alone in his bedroom. I thought it was a very deep and impactful video to watch. And the acting is quite good.

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

[Review] Change Up – SEVENTEEN

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Recently, Seventeen announced their future plans for the rest of the year, which continues on from their previous comeback, Don’t Wanna Cry. The group kicks off the rest of the year with the release of a track, Change Up, that features the leaders of the group’s 3 units, which is this review. Each unit will be releasing a song in the near future and the entire group will then make their official comeback as a whole.

What I expected the track to be was not what it turned out as. While the song pinches the leaders of the 3 units (Hip-Hop, Performance, Vocal) that make up Seventeen, the song felt heavy handed on the hip-hop side. I honestly expected to see a little flare from each unit, but when I think about it now, it would be hard to combine the three units together.  The blaring instrumental literally grabs your attention from the get-go. This is the first time I have heard Hoshi rap and he sounds equally as good as S.Coups. Woozi’s high-pitched vocal parts seem to showcase some contrast with the hip-hop vibe, which I thought had the song more interesting and appealing to listen to. As the song progresses, it seems to hype you up, which leaves you feeling a little empty once the song ends and there is that awkward silence before the next song. Change Up is undeniably catchy, but it could be its downfall as well. While the repetition of the words “Change Up” is keyed into your head by the time the song ends (along with the rhythm), I do see it becoming annoying if the song is blasted on repeat. But that is my personal opinion only. For the time being however, it is definitely on my playlist of songs to put on repeat.

Like the song’s instrumental, the bold colours grab your attention from the very start. From the colour of their tracksuit to the colour of the background, it appeals to everyone’s eyes. There isn’t much to the video. The most I can comment on are the camera angles and the shots of the guys grooving with each other or by themselves. But despite that, I like the video.

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

[Review] Rollin’ – B1A4

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B1A4 has made their return to the stage with their latest mini-album and title track, which are both titled as Rollin’. The group made their last comeback in December of last year with A Lie and since then, they have been going at solo promotions.

Rollin’ is a totally great song. It does take a few listens to get into but it easily turns into a song that I can rock out to. The song joins the long list of other tropical house based songs but mixes it with what is described as a ‘band sound’. And that is exactly what we get. The ‘band sound’ takes the song to a new level and I find that very interesting. My favourite parts were the crashing of the cymbals, which gives the song that extra burst of energy. The buildup to the chorus and the drop into the chorus was definitely the best bits of the song. The song, overall, is quite catchy and as mentioned previously, addictive. The “Rollin’ Rollin’ Rollin’ in the deep” gets stuck in your head quite easily and is incredibly hard to shake off. Vocally, I am on the fence. They sound good but I am not exactly sure if that is would be the right word to describe their vocals. Overall, if you want a song that packs a punch, then this is the song for you.

Apparently, they shot the video in Australia and I have to admit, I want to live wherever they shot the video. Look at the clear blue skies and the sun! But where I live, the sky (until just a few days ago) was very gloomy and dark. The cinematography in this video is pretty good, especially how the camera circles around the members during various sections of the video. The shot where they are jamming out to the song looks a little awkward. But overall, the video is quite good and compliments the song quite nicely.

[Updated] The choreography seemed fitting but I thought it lacked quite a bit. They could have gone down a more impressive route for the performance, given the song style. I liked how they let CNU and Sanduel have their solo moments during the beat drops.

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

 

 

[Album Review] Love Yourself: Her (5th Mini Album) – BTS

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BTS has already broken records in just a matter of hours after their comeback, so it only makes sense to have a closer look into their album. And I am not disappointed with Love Yourself: Her. I can definitely see why fans are really into the music, despite it being a changeup. Scroll down for the entire album review. Please note that for certain reasons, I have decided to leave out their skits once again, mainly because they wouldn’t be classified as music.

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Love Yourself: Her Album Cover

1..Serendipity (Intro Track) – While the style of the track isn’t to my taste, Jimin (who is the only singer in this track) opens the album with a breath-taking song. His vocals are amazing in this song, with just the first few seconds branding a deep impression into your mind. It is a song that can be very sensual, given the lyrics and overall sound of it. (9/10)

2. DNA – Click here to read the full review for DNA (9/10)

3. Best Of Me – Following DNA is this track. Out of all the tracks on the album, my favourite vote goes to this one. It has a very Western feel to it and I think that is mainly attributed because this is a collaboration between BTS and The Chainsmokers, who happens to be one of my favourite Western artists at the moment. The beat drop is amazing and that “Haru Haru” part just before the drop just takes my breath away. The only word that can describe the instrumental, vocals and raps: perfect. (10/10)

4. Dimple (보조개) – This is probably another hidden gem of the album. The song only features Jimin, Jungkook, Jin and V. And they did a great job with compensating for the lack of rappers in this song. It gave a chance for us listeners to hear something more hearty and wholesome from the vocal line, which was clearly the intended highlight. I really like the instrumental for this track. (9/10)

5. Pied Piper – This is one track to groove to. You can tell that there is a hip-hop influence, but there was also a little bit of funk mixed into it, which made it very interesting (in a good way).  It was easy to get lost in this track due to its great melody and rhythm. Both the vocals and the raps for this song were on point. It could have used some speed, but that may change up the song up a little too much. (8/10)

7. MIC Drop – The one track that was influenced by Barack Obama. That must be the first. I wasn’t much of a fan of the song at first but it grew on me. Quite a bit. It isn’t the first song I think of when I want to listen to the album,  but who knows what a few more listens can do. The track itself is a hip-hop influenced but with an oriental/Middle Eastern twist to it, which makes it memorable. The rappers steal the show in this track (originally, I thought the vocalists were also in the song, but luckily I fact-checked myself) (8.5/10)

8. Go Go (고민보다 Go) – By now, you can tell that the album has a been given a huge dosage of hip-hop. Go Go continues on and it is another song that I don’t think of when it comes to the album but it wouldn’t mean I would shy away from this song. I saw the performance of the song, which attracted my attention to the song. The chorus was probably my favourite bit of the entire song as it sounds weird (in a good way) but very intriguing at the same time. (8/10)

9. Her (Outro Track) – The rappers take the reins and end the album (“officially”) with another hip-hop based song. The rappers did an amazing job (once again) but I personally think the highlight of this track is the instrumental. It is my style of jazzy music and the raps that lay on top goes really well with it. (8.5/10)

11. Sea (Hidden Track) – Sea is a very deep track. I praised many of the BTS solo tracks in their Wings album for their lyrics and deepness and this is the equivalent of this album. The vocals are beautiful, as usual, and the raps are equally as impactful. But despite the emotion-filled lyrics and vocals, the instrumental was quite calming and interlinked well with each other (9/10)

Overall Album Review – 9/10

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Serendipity Teaser Video Screenshot

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[Double Review] Something Special + Smile – SECHSKIES

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I know I am a few days late but here is my SECHSKIES review for their latest comeback. The 90s boy group is back with an album full of new songs by the boy group, a first for the group since their disbandment in 2000. Last year, they made their highly anticipated return and the group’s performance in the past year so far has proven that they still have what it takes! The two lead title tracks for their album are Something Special and Smile.

Something Special seems to lack that ‘Something Special’. The song is quite nice, let me just say that. It is a mid-tempo Summer ballad-like song that seems to be nice and easy to the ears. The guitar strumming along gave the song a very wholesome feel. The vocals were great. The main issue about the song is that it just didn’t stand out in the crowd.  It didn’t have that level of appeal that other groups (at this very moment) are delivering. The song felt like that flat line analogy that I used to speak about. When I listen to the track by itself, I don’t really remember much from it. To sum up, the song just didn’t get anywhere and that left me disappointed.

Smile takes the ballad feels from the previous song a step further by making it a full-on ballad. Unlike the previous song, however, Smile did end going there and it felt like a stronger title track. The instrumental had a nice build up and their voices reflected the buildup quite nicely. But as crazy as it sounds, I couldn’t find that much interest in me to listen to the song. Multiple times, I end up skipping the song before it finished up and I guess it could be because the song didn’t do a good enough job of making it appealing.

Something Special‘s music video was a lot more appealing than the song. The imagery within the song is quite interesting and like many of the shots due to the cinematography. However, some shots looked incredibly plain, mainly the solo shots throughout the video. They felt like last minute additions and incredibly awkward in compared to the rest of the video. Smile‘s music video felt just right for a ballad of that nature. The speed and the fading of the group/people in the video felt perfect and it reflected the atmosphere quite nicely. 

The choreography for Something Special was okay but it also felt very awkward. I don’t know why I feel that way, but every time I rewatch the performance, I just can’t seem to shake that feeling off.

Something Special
Song – 7/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 5/10
Overall Rating – 6.5/10

Smile
Song – 6/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7/10 

[Double Review] Sleepless Rainy Night + Last Night Story – IU

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After her promotions of Palette earlier this year, IU has made her surprising return to the music industry with another remake album. Her previous remake album, A Flower Bookmark, was released in 2014. This sequel to the album, A Flower Bookmark 2, features a number of singles. Autumn Morning was unexpectedly released earlier than the rest of the album and the two songs taken into account for this review are Sleepless Rainy Night and Last Night Story.

Sleepless Rainy Night is a remake of the same-titled track by Kim Gun Mo. Her rendition takes the track to a much slower tempo but also gives it a jazzier vibe. Like the original, she gives her tries are sing-rapping or rapping in general in some parts. And like any other IU song, she handles it pretty well. Her vocals make the song sound dreamy and smooth, which is something that I like. It is very easy to the ears. Compared to the rest of the song on the album, this one isn’t the best one. But it is still one pretty nice remake cover.

The original singers of Last Night Story are Sobangcho, a trio who made their debut in 1987. IU’s version is a lot cleaner, in terms of the instruments used, and the modern feel. But the same beat and rhythm seem to remain to the song. The upbeat nature of IU’s version make this song easy to get into and it makes me want to dance.  The short instrumental breaks make everything a lot more tempting. Once again, she shines, vocally, in the song.

Unfortunately, Sleepless Rainy Night does not have a music video (that, or it hasn’t appeared in my subscriptions yet). So I will be making my rating based on the song alone. On the other hand, there is a music video (and choreography) for Last Night Story and I love both equally. The video is extremely cute and the choreography is something that I would probably do at a party. No shame there. The video left such an impression on me for its crazy that I could actually put this down as one of the best music videos of the year. I know how it sounds, but I thought the elements (i.e. sets, use of backup dancers, props, IU’s acting) was amazing.

Sleepless Rainy Night 
Song & Overall Rating – 8/10

Last Night Story
Song – 10/10
Music Video – 10/10
Overall Rating – 10/10

 

 

[Review] Take My Hand – APRIL

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April has returned during the week with their third comeback of 2017. The girls made their first comeback at the start of the year with April Story and in May with Mayday. Their third comeback is in the form of their 4th mini-album, titled as Eternity and the title track is Take My Hand.

Take My Hand has one powerful instrumental. From the very start to the end, the instrumental has been the standout aspect of the entire song. The mix of classical with the electronic synths sounds really cool. Their vocal work in this song is pretty good. But the song is far from perfect. The first major observation is that the song didn’t have that catchiness that makes many KPOP songs addictive. Going hand-in-hand with that observation is that the song does really peak as well. It remains relatively neutral and it would have been better to have it kicked into a more addictive gear with a hook. The next thing I noticed was that the song seemed to be jammed together. Rather than having small breaks along the way, it felt more like a blur and in combination with the idea that the song doesn’t have any catchy moments, the song does fall behind its competition and the girl’s previous tracks. While there are aspects that I like, the song does fall short.

The few times I have watched the video, I thought it was boring. But after looking into it in detail, it actually became quite interesting. Essentially, the plotline is that the girls are shy and are hesitant when it comes to confessing to their crush. Their crush just seems to brush things off and goes on with his day. Wanting a second wish, they find this prayer that allows them to have a second chance at confessing to the guy, which in the end, they manage to get. Quite an interesting storyline, considering how it fits in nicely with the accompanying English lyrics. The choreography scenes look great but I am not a major fan of their outfits this time around. Not one to mention it, but it was one of the first things to pop into my head when I watched the video the first time around.

The performance is quite nice, but it doesn’t have a memorable move or sequence. I did like their jammed-packed chorus because there was a mix of elegance but also a little abstract from what I can see.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7/10