Category: KPOP

[Double Review] Mayday + Lovesick – APRIL

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APRIL previously made their comeback at the start of the year with April Story. That was their first comeback where they introduced their two newest members, Rachel and Chaekyung. Now, the girls are back with their newest title track Mayday. From what I got out of the news articles regarding their comeback (I mainly skimmed over them), I did not expect a second music video for Lovesick. However, since it is already released, why not make a review for it as well? Let’s get the show on the road!

While the verses were very dry and lacking, the chorus is what makes Mayday so good. Overall, the song seems to bring together the cute side of their past comebacks but also that mature sound we were given a taste of, at the start of the year. There is also something familiar about the “Mayday, Mayday” melody at the start of the chorus, which made we return to the track a few times already. The instrumental was kind of messy and very loaded. They smashed different sounds, which sounded okay, but it wasn’t great. As for their vocal work, it was okay. Not their finest but still good.

Comparing the two songs, the vocal work of Lovesick is much better. They sounded clearer and more appealing to me. The song was drier than Mayday, which was a disappointment. I say that because I was drawn to the song for its string based instrumental, which (for those who don’t know) I am a total sucker for. The instrumental may be a lot more simple in this song and almost felt empty, but I still fell for it. Overall, it isn’t that catchy and I actually do prefer Mayday over Lovesick.

Like the song, I do prefer the music video for Mayday over Lovesick. If you have read my many past reviews (I have over a thousand of them), I place a huge emphasis on colours and filters, which I think I shouldn’t do. But, the video for Mayday was more bolder and vibrant with its colours, while Lovesick felt pale and didn’t have the energy to help fuel its potential cute concept. There wasn’t else to the Lovesick video. It felt more like a video for fans more than anything else. Mayday was loaded with extra scenes and fitted the bright sound of the song. I also liked the retro theme that they had going.

Both dances were very cute and matched their respective songs. To me, Mayday had more of an impact to it, which made it more enjoyable to watch. Lovesick had your typical cute concept moves, while Mayday had a little more fun to it.

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

Lovesick
Song – 6/10
Music Video – 5/10
Performance – 5.5/10
Overall Rating – 5.5/10

 

[Review] Lonely – Sistar

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As you may know, Sistar officially announced their disbandment a few weeks back. Since then, everyone has been reflecting on Sistar’s contribution and anticipating their final single as a four-member girl group. I posted a tribute to Sistar a few hours ago, so check it out if you haven’t yet. Before we give Sistar a standing ovation and a final wave goodbye, let’s go on with the review.

Even though the song uses such a cliché title, Lonely is quite an leaves quite a deep impression. Just within the first listen, I was determined to click that replay button, because the song sounds so amazing. You may say that this is because their final song, it would be rude to not like it. There is something touching that comes out of the song, something that I personally think makes this song very special. Yeah, it is their final song, but even if it was released as part of a normal album, I would have still been blown away. Their vocal work as a group is amazing. Everyone sounded amazing, from the mail vocalists to the rapper herself, perfection to my ears. There is a nice melody, which compliments the emotion that they are putting into the song, but not making it too depressing or overly saddening. The instrumental is soft on our ears. I want to say I heard this style before from Sistar, but I honestly haven’t. Sure, the girls have performed ballads in the past, but never had it sound this amazing. Lonely is amazing and a worthwhile song to listen to.

The music video compliments the song very nicely. We see the girls hang out overseas. Having fun on their vacation. However, every now and then, we see the girls alone (where everyone once was) and having a more solemn look on their face. It played with my emotions that I felt in the song. But what made me smile even more (besides that random flashing scene in the hotel room) in regards to the video was the ending. The girls gather for one last picture, in front of the camera for the music video. And for some reason, before taking that picture, it seems like the director or whoever is controlling the camera yells out cut. But instead of breaking away, they stay together and seem to keep that moment going. They go in for a deeper hug and the video cuts out from there. Oh god, I am tearing up right now. Nargghh… The video is amazing, of course.

While there is no performance for this song released, I can safely bet that they won’t be a choreography for this final comeback. It will ruin the emotional side of the song. But I may check back in tomorrow (once there has been a performance) to update this part!

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

Now, we can officially have that standing ovation. #ThankYouSistar

 

[Review] Calling You – HIGHLIGHT

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HIGHLIGHT (formerly Beast) is back with their repackaged mini-album. The group made their “debut” back in March of this year with Plz Don’t Be Sad and the mini-album Can You Feel It?. Calling You is the song being reviewed today, which is also the title track of the repackaged album (surprise, surprise).

When I heard that the group was going to release a new song, I was super excited. Mainly because I was super excited. Plz Don’t Be Sad ended up being a really catchy and addictive song. But if I was being honest regarding Calling You, you all will be very disappointed. I don’t see the same happening for Calling You, which even shocked me since I love all of their past title tracks. Per usual, the group threw in their grand vocals for this song, while still maintaining a pop-influenced instrumental. All the members sang in the song, which still surprises me til this day. The song is bright and vibrant (something that HIGHLIGHT only started doing since they “debuted”). Moving along to why I don’t see it catching on (for me). It doesn’t feel dynamic or catchy. There was an apparent hook throughout the chorus, but it didn’t seem strong enough. It felt more like a fan-service song than an actual title track (was that its intention, I am not too sure). Finally, the song felt like it ended a little too soon and didn’t reach the end that it needed. It kind of awkwardly faded away.

I actually liked the music video a lot more. You see the guys gather at a local Korean food stand, but all in their own scenarios. It seems like all the guys have someone constantly on their mind and throughout the video are trying to forget about that person through drinking and various activities. But those feelings were probably too strong and they all end up trying to make some sort of contact in the video. Besides the plot, I thought the video looked good overall. I thought the part where everyone got up to dance looked pretty cool. My main question is: ‘What is Junhyung wearing?”. But besides, great video!

It seems like HIGHLIGHT is continuing with the playful side we saw in Plz Don’t Be Sad. While it was tone down for the song, you could tell by their facial expressions and lightheartedness throughout the performance. Not that memorable but it does suit the song very nicely.

Song – 5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 6.5/10

 

[Review] Baby – ASTRO

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ASTRO is back with a brand new mini-album, titled as Dream Part. 01. Baby is the title track for the mini-album. ASTRO previously returned (without promotions) with their fourth and Winter-themed mini-album, along with the track Should Have Held Onto You in February.  The group has also been announced perform at their first concert in July this year.

Fitting in with the upcoming Summer season in South Korea, ASTRO’s Baby is a great song to open up the extremely close season (Excuse me, while I start shivering down here in Melbourne). The overall sound is fresh and bright, which are ideas that you associate with Summer. The sound also goes hand-in-hand with their previous releases. The song is rooted firmly into the pop sphere, but there is a strong tropical sound that comes out of it. The vocal work is great here and the raps seem to come in at the right time. It’s the type of song that you wouldn’t mind dancing to or you can’t help smiling too. The only thing I have against the song is that it isn’t as catchy as I wanted it to be. Not necessarily a bad thing in this case though, because I would listen to it either way for that Summer feel. There is something in the chorus that would perk my ears up, but it isn’t at the level I want it to be. But overall, great song!

The music video features the guys working in a cafe that serves 6 different coloured soft drinks. And each member represents a single colour. Moonbin is red, Eunwoo is blue, JinJin is green, MJ is orange, Sanha is yellow and Rocky is indigo/violet. And each drink somehow transports you to a different coloured room, with each respective member in there with you, having a bit of fun. The use of colour is obvious but it goes well that Summer season. I liked how the rooms were next to each other and would have liked for a longer montage to be shown of the rooms next to each other. There was one thing though. As the music video progresses, the video seems to lose its touch that it started off with. But that might just be my perspective. But overall, great music video, as well!

And here is a great (should find a new word to use) choreography. Something that left me surprised was their footwork. All of their previous performances have proven the group to be great dancers. Likewise, this performance does as well! Like most of the performances this year, not that memorable. But nonetheless, you should check it out!

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

[Review] Only You – 24K

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Boy group 24K is officially back with their brand new single, Only You. Last year, the group returned with two songs, Still 24K and Bingo, that were both EDM based and shared one story split between two music videos. This is their first comeback since October of last year.

Once again, the group has returned with an EDM-based song. But compared to their last songs, which seemed to use more of the heavier EDM synths, this one is a lot easier on the ears. While I don’t necessarily find the song catchy, I can see why some people would say otherwise. Their instrumental is interesting and adds to the song’s catchy vibes. The beat doesn’t seem to drop, but their vocals act as that drop. Not too sure if I feel okay with this, but I have to admit the vocal work for this song is pretty good. What I did notice though was the level of energy the song gives. Not only does the energy seem to ooze from the instrumental, but their vocals seem to also contribute to the energy as well. So the sound appears to be impactful and punchy. I just find the verses boring, and the chorus felt too repetitive. But everything else makes this one fine song.

The music video is pretty good. I thought the group would have been dealt with a terrible video since their company went all out for their past two music videos and the group doesn’t seem to have big returns. So the video caught me off guard. Watching the video, I have no idea what every single member is doing in the video. But the choreography scenes look quite cool, even though it isn’t as flashy as the song sounds. Furthermore, the ending where the guys are peering a hole in the coloured walls looked very cool and stylish. What the video did need was some colour to match the song, and those final scenes, along with the changing light backdrop for the choreography scenes do just that.

The choreography is quite good. Nothing that amazed me (once again) but it is fitting for the music. The energy can be felt throughout the performance, which is also a plus.  I thought the footwork was pretty cool. And now, I am just going to body roll my way out of this section. Hahahaha….

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.5/10

[Album Review] Al1 (4th Mini Album) – Seventeen

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Seventeen returned last week with their fourth mini album and the title track, Don’t Wanna Cry. The mini-album consists of 8 tracks. These 8 tracks includes 2 tracks from the entire group, 3 tracks from each subunit, 1 track from Jun and The8 and 2 tracks on the CD version only. At the time I was writing this review, I could not find those final two tracks that are present on the physical album only, so they will be omitted. Maybe if I can find them in the near future, I will return to review them.

 

Al1 (4th Mini Album) Cover

 

1..Don’t Wanna Cry (울고 싶지 않아) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Don’t Wanna Cry! (9/10)

2. Habit (입버릇) (Vocal Team) – We all know what the Vocal Team of Seventeen is capable of. Their vocals of various tones and potential have all been highlighted in their past songs, either within songs as a subunit or as a group. Habit re-confirms that statement. Their vocals are amazing in the song. The song itself is soothing to an extent and it makes you want to sway along. The songs buildups quite suddenly, but it manages to work. While I do praise it, I don’t necessary think this is the best song on the album, but it definitely up there. (8/10)

3. If I (Hip-Hop Team) – For those who don’t know me, I tend to stay away from Hip-Hop rooted songs mainly because I don’t really enjoy them. The turn to more hip-hop centred songs has turned back that thought a bit, though. But Seventeen’s Hip-Hop subunit does an amazing job with this song, where they give the song a more deeper feel, which I actually enjoy. I thoroughly enjoyed the instrumental, which does remind me of the title track for this album but still remains different in its own way. Their raps aren’t heavy sounding, which is probably why I enjoyed this style more. (8.5/10)

4. Swimming Fool (Performance Team) – Just looking at the title, I could tell it was a quirky track. Quirky just isn’t the right word for it, despite it being more energetic and vibrant compared to the other subunit songs. Instead, it utilises a very catchy and funky beat, which I am loving. The song provides the right bursts of energy at the right time throughout the song through the alternative western inspired instrumental and the team’s vocals. (8.5/10)

5. My I (Jun & The8) – For those who don’t know, Jun and The8 are members of the group from China. And so their Korean isn’t up to par with the rest of the Korean members. Hence, they tend to get the least amount of lines in their songs. And while I was very happy they were getting a song for themselves, I just can’t really fall in love with the track. The song just didn’t have any appeal to me and my mind seems to blank out when this song comes on. Their vocals are finally placed into the spotlight, where they sound pretty decent overall. (6/10)

6. Crazy In Love – This is my favourite track off the album. I am madly enjoying the song. It starts off in a way which I would not like. It’s not until Dino starts off the pre-chorus that has me swooning over this track. There is a very alluring sound with the pre-chorus. The chorus changes up the song giving it an amazing funk sound, which seems to be the highlight of the entire album. It’s super catchy and an addictive song to listen to. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8/10

 

 

Image result for Seventeen Don't Wanna Cry
Image from Don’t Wanna Cry Music Video

 

 

[Review] Sun, Moon, Star – KNK

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KNK is back with a brand new single, titled as Sun, Moon, Star. The group made their debut last year with Knock and made comebacks with Back Again and U. Their latest single is said to pay homage to HIGHLIGHT (formerly known as Beast). The writer of KNK’s latest song, Kim Tae Joo, has previously worked with HIGHLIGHT and the choreography is also said to be inspired by Ribbon.

True to the claims, the song has distinct similarities to HIGHLIGHT’s tracks such as 12:30 and Ribbon. These two songs have grown to be one of my favourite tracks in KPOP and it seems like this one is fastly rising to join that list. I won’t say it is amazing or on par with the other songs, mainly because there is one thing that didn’t feel right (more on that shortly). KNK does manage to put a twist on the sound to make it different at the same time. The string and classical based instrumental suits the member’s vocals very well, considering how the group has so far made more powerful and intense songs. The song has no rap section, which is something that I agree with. There is no room for a rap sequence given the nostalgic instrumental and great vocals (i.e. a rap sequence would have made everything feel overwhelming). All of that being said though, this song doesn’t captivate me. There is dull feel to the song, which I can help but notice every time I return to the song for another listen. I say this because it is the one and only criticism I have regarding the song. I am quite sure that if the song somehow shook off that dull sound, the song would have been much better.

Returning to that dull point I was making, the haziness of the video doesn’t really help. I know that they are trying to put out a different video entirely, but I felt it was too hazy at times and the lighting was a little too bright for an emotional song. That’s me being narrow-minded. The darker choreography scenes seem to fit the track more. The video shows the guys trying to adapt to a breakup with their lovers. Everything else returns to normal (such as that chair moving back in place) but the guys are having a hard time doing so. The video also consisted on choreography shots and closeups of them singing, which all look good (minus the lighting).

The choreography is fitting for the song, so I don’t really have much else to say. On stage, they seem to convey their emotions both through the dance and their vocals, which is pretty cool. The link between HIGHLIGHT’s choreography and KNK’s dance is extremely subtle and I had to watch extremely carefully to catch it. Not too sure if that is a good thing yet, but it has me coming back to performances to see what else could be a connection between the two routines.

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

[Review] Anck Su Namum – Yezi (Fiestar)

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Yezi, the rapper of Fiestar, is back with a new solo release. She has previously released tracks like Crazy Dog and Cider, which all showcases a different side to the rapper which you do not get to see while she performs with the rest of the members. This review literally me listening to the song and watching the music video for the first time. I have been extremely busy this week, so I actually haven’t listened to some new releases yet. So, this review will be my raw opinions of the song.

The track has a distinctive exotic sound that you associate with the ancient Egyptians. This would make a lot of sense since the song is based on an ancient mummy and a movie character. But what makes it interesting is that from the very start, the song mixes in more modern sounds to appeal to the audience of the 21st century (hahaha…). And this transforms a ‘could-have-been-used-in-the-background-of-the-museum-exhibit-soundtrack’ to a really powerful and sexy sounding song. The song builds up in a really satisfying way and this leads me to be on the edge of my seat throughout the entire song. Yezi’s rapping has been noted in the past through her appearance of Unpretty Rapstar and my praising in Cider. And she has proven herself once again in this song. I love her delivery in this song. It makes me why Fiestar doesn’t somehow use her skills in their songs more. And it also throws her up there on the list of best female rappers in KPOP. Overall, it is an amazing song which left me in awe when I listened to it the first time. And it continues to do so every time I go back to it.

The video is amazing. It plays nicely into the exotic sound which I mentioned before. The video also shows an extremely sexy side, while still managing to keep up with the intensity of the song. For the most part, the video consisted of choreography scenes, which looked spectacular overall. There are a few closeups, but she looked unrecognisable due to her long hair (I honestly don’t remember when she last had long hair). Nonetheless, she still looks amazing and extremely sexy in the video. The sets may not have been elaborate, but they still manage to look cool. Sometimes the simplistic approach works well and this is an example of that.

Likewise, the choreography deserves its own praise. Once again, it isn’t memorable. But the sexy choreography is somewhat refreshing. It has been a while. It too manages to keep up with the song and its intensity, which it maintains strongly. Talking about strength, the dance, while it is sexy, has a tough side, which matches the rapper’s stage presence and sound.

Song – 9.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 9/10

[Review] Hello Hello – B.I.G

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B.I.G has finally returned with a brand new single. The group previously returned with 1.2.3 in February with just 4 members. With the return of their fifth member, Minpyo, the group has released their 6th single, titled as Hello Hello. This isn’t their first ‘Hello’ song though, as they made their debut back in 2014 with Hello (안녕하세요).

Hello Hello is another standard a song that doesn’t really stand out from the crowd. There is nothing that memorable in the song, which is a disappointment, given how all of their recent releases have been catchy and addictive to listen to. The instrumental seems to try to differentiate itself from others with the uses of synths and its hip-hop sound. If I had to be honest, the synths added to the song made it messy and it overall made the song feel more loaded than what it had to be. The chorus provides some relief from this, which is much appreciated and sounds a lot cleaner. Sadly, as previously mentioned, there wasn’t any catchy parts or hooks. That statement is also applied to the chorus as well.  If there was one thing that I thought was pretty good, it has to be the strong yet clear vocals. The rap sequences were also quite cool, but it did feel like it lacked some energy, which can be said regarding the track overall.

The music video is simply the ‘performance version’, which makes me question whether there was meant to be another version of the video. The video is shot in a barn, which may indicate some things about their company and the band. However, they still manage to turn it into a pretty good music video with the flashing lights (even though, they did feel annoying) and the editing of the video. I don’t have much else to say about the video, though.

The choreography was okay. When I watch the performance with the song, it makes the song feel much more upbeat and  I think that lifts the song up. It wasn’t lacking compared to the rest of the comeback, but it just wasn’t memorable. Some parts looked fine, such as the chorus, but other parts felt slow paced.

Song – 5/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 5/10
Overall Rating – 5.5/10

[Review] I’m Ready – MAP6

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MAP6 is back with their latest single, I’m Ready. The group previously made their last Korean comeback with Swagger Time in March of last year. Since then, the group made their debut in Japan with the Japanese version of Swagger Time. The group also recently returned to Japan with the song No Surrender, released in March 2017.

I’m Ready is a pretty standard song, but it did catch my attention with that generic feel. Out of the few KPOP boy groups that have returned this week from the smaller companies, this one provided felt the most powerful and tough, despite it using a very generic pop sound. Not technically fond of the voices at the start of the song, but from the strumming guitars onwards sounded quite nice. I love the mini burst of intensity when the chorus kicks. It might not have been enough, but it still works. Not technically fond of their electro dance breakdown right after the choruses. It didn’t fit in well with the guitar based instrumental. The chorus is catchy, to an extent. The vocals were okay, but they didn’t carry that wow factor. Lastly, the raps felt like letdowns in this track. The rappers had very deep and low voices, which it usually associated with some rappers. But they sounded soft and didn’t necessarily fit the intensity that the song was trying to send out, which did bring it down in my eyes.

The music video was pretty awesome, except for one small detail. The song itself sounded rough at times and it felt edgy and tough. The video went for a similar feel, with the darker concept pushing for a more mature and powerful side of the guys out there. It did feel generic and it was lacking, but at least I got that out of it. But when the members were interrogating the girl, they were attempting to flirt in a way that felt childish and comedic. Totally opposite of that tough boy feel. At least that is what I got out of the video. And after watching many crime shows, I think they should invest in a one-way mirror because that seems to make their actions a little more subtle. The choreography shots and all looked spectacular. Given everything I have already said, I think this is their best video yet!

The dance was pretty good. Not that memorable, but still pretty good. While I am not fond of the dance break in the song, the dancing during that part was probably the best part of the whole choreography in my mind. The guys felt like they were flirting in the dance, which seemed to go hand in hand with the other aspects of their comeback.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.5/10

[Review] B-DAY – iKON

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I previously reviewed iKON’s Bling Bling, which you can view by clicking the link. But this is the review for iKON’s second title track for this promotional run, titled as B-Day.

To me, B-Day is a more dynamic track that sounds a lot better than Bling Bling. Maybe it is because I enjoy the more upbeat feel. But I personally think iKON sounds a lot better with the more upbeat and hyped up songs, which I touched upon in my last review. The instrumental isn’t that amazing but it provides a more fresher and vibrant sound to the group’s portfolio. There is also something familiar about the instrumental, which I can’t really figure out. The vocal work and rapping in this song is a lot better in this song. The raspy voices fit the song quite nicely, giving it a rougher side. But to me, the vocals were at the forefront and not at the back of the song (which I also touched on). Doing that, it gives the song a more active sound and definitely a better push to a more powerful sound. The track itself is pretty catchy. The “Waeng Waeng Waeng” chant catches on pretty quick and it definitely drew my attention to the song straight away. Now, I just cannot get it out of my head. And that goes for the song as well.

I thought the concept of the music video was a little odd this time around. Little being an understatement, as I discover the scenes of bees. Not saying the video is terrible, because it was actually quite nice to watch. Actually (not considering the lyrics in anyway) but the video maybe looking at discovering an ancient civilization (and then they moved into it as well). Just a theory.  It was just the concept that had me second guessing things. Minus the thoughts regarding the concept, the scenes in the video were quite good. Once again, YG has done it again with their music videos. While this one may not be better than Bling Bling‘s, it definitely suits the song and intensity.

Talking about intensity, I felt the choreography was a little lacking. It might have been the editing of the music video, but when the “Waeng Waeng Waeng” started, the dance was great. But towards the end of the line, the energy just plummeted and that disappointed me. But it still looked cool. I may update this part once a full performance is uploaded somewhere.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 6.5/10
Overall Rating – 7.5/10

[Review] Bling Bling – iKON

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iKON has officially made their first comeback since their debut in 2015. The group, since 2015, have had toured across Asia and made their official debut in Japan. They also previously released #WYD last year. Some of the members have also changed their stage names since debut, which surprised some fans. Jinhwan changed to Jay, Chanwoo changed to Chan, Donghyuk changed to DK and Yunhyeong changed to Song. Bling Bling is also promoted alongside B-Day (and a review for that will be published sometime today or tomorrow morning).

If there is one word that I can think of when it comes to Bling Bling, it has to be ‘swag’. While I am not an everyday user of the word, the song embodies the word quite accurately. From the very first listen, it is an extremely intense track. The instrumental of the track is very interesting, despite it being slow at some parts, which overall made it feel quite dull. The use of brass provides the song something more, which accompanied the drawn out ‘Bling Bling’ repetition. The song remains the same from start to about the bridge. Starting at the bridge of the song, the song turns into a much more upbeat track/anthem style track, which I think sounds a lot cooler. However the contrast between the two segments and tempo is pretty cool. As for the raps and vocals, I am not really into that aspect of the song. They seemed to be on the back burner rather than the forefront of the song. It just didn’t seem to capture my attention. Only the ‘Bling Bling’ does. While I did say it was intense and tough, I think the dullness is probably the main aspect that turns me away from this song. I don’t mind it, but if there was a more hyped up sound, I think I would have enjoyed it more.

The music video is another video that is okay, at best. YG Entertainment have always put out great videos. And they are great for a specific reason. Here, I thought the great aspect are the sets and the backgrounds. It looked pretty cool and provided support to that toughness and intensity in a more subtle way. But I am not too sure why I think this, but they felt awkward in front of the camera. The interactions with the camera didn’t seem to feel natural and more like they were thrown in front of the camera with no guidance. Maybe it was the song style that didn’t allow them to be as natural or the editing just didn’t make it seem right, I don’t know. And that is essentially the video. The choreography shots with the amazing backgrounds but awkwardness for the solo shots.

I think there is enough in the video to write about the dance and possible performance. I don’t really talk about stage sets, but YG always seem to have an amazing idea which makes the stages for their artists look stunning. I particular enjoyed the more faster parts of the song, hence I am more drawn to the dance at those parts. However, the slowness in their choreography matches the song really well!

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 4/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 6/10

[Review] Don’t Wanna Cry – Seventeen

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Seventeen is officially back with their brand new title track, Don’t Wanna Cry. The title track can be found as part of their fourth mini album, Al1. The new mini album consists of tracks from each of Seventeen’s subunits and also features a song performed by both Jun and The8. Seventeen’s last comeback was in December of last year with Boom Boom.

From the very first second, the song’s instrumental felt more western than KPOP and it is a complete change in the sound, compared to Seventeen’s past songs. The song itself sounds similar to some Chainsmoker’s more recent works and hits (emphasis on ‘similar’). But still quite different in its own way. The instrumental itself is right up my alley. What surprised me was that the rappers didn’t really rap, but they sang their lines instead, which caught me off guard the first time around. The vocal work in this song is quite good, but I love that small section just prior to the chorus where DK and Seungkwan sing. The buildup and rhythm there was amazing. I thought the silence just before the beat drops is quite nice, providing more strength to the song despite it also did feel like a gaping hole in the song. Finally, what I loved the most about the song is the bridge. Wonwoo and Minggyu’s part in the bridge provided the punch that the song needed and I thought that was pretty good. Overall, I think it is safe to say that I really like the song. It sounds cool and very modern.

The video was quite nice. I believe it was shot in the U.S (not too sure though). Overall, I thought the aesthetics that was present in the music video and the teasers preceding their actual release of their mini album were superb. There is a lot that is going, most of which I have very little clue to. Together, it is a bigger mystery. Hahahaha… I am really bad at interpreting hidden messages in music videos. The cinematography in this video is also amazing and I really liked the places where they shot the video, especially the choreography shots.

Once again, Seventeen is proving to be competition when it comes to the choreography. I personally think this is their most dynamic performance yet. Everything looks amazing from the very first second to the last. The choppiness present during the chorus matches the song really well. My favourite part would have to be when DK and Seungkwan sing the pre-chorus, which on stage, looked pretty cool.

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

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[Review] Like You – HONEYST

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HONEYST is a new KPOP boy band from FNC Entertainment, where the majority of KPOP bands come from. They made their debut in the past week with Like You. The group consist of 4 members: Dongsung, Seungseok, Chulmin and Hwan. The band competed alongside SF9 on the show D.O.B (Dance or Band) to see who could debut first. SF9 won and made their debut last year with Fanfare and now it is HONEYST’s turn.

Given the group’s young age, it would be expected they would go for a certain bright and happy style. And that is exactly what we got here. While it is cliche, the new band does a pretty good job with it. I honestly just started to listen to it today and I am already hooked. The instrumental reminds me of something. It’s like a nostalgic sound that I find very appealing. I just cannot pinpoint what it is. The majority of the chorus is the group repeating the line “Falling For You (Banhagesseo Banhagesseo Banhagesseo)” but it works and has me singing along with it. The whistles added a nice touch but the pickup with the instruments right after the whistle gave the song more of a punch. The vocal work was good, but it felt very generic and it felt very neutral throughout the entire song. I guess that is the one downside to the song. The last few seconds of the song gave it more dynamics and how they ended the song was pretty nice (and that nostalgic feel is back). Overall, a solid debut with a great song!

The music video was okay. It did feel very generic as well, so it really didn’t catch my attention. It’s your standard “confessing to a girl” video type of scenario, just a lot more interactions with the camera and audience, which I thought was nice and different. But what did catch my attention is the scenery that they shot in. This video reminded me many different music videos that were shot in the area. From what I can identify so far: GFriend’s Rough and Super Junior’s Wonder Boy and possibly APINK and 2PM’s latest music videos for Only One and Promise (judging from the buildings). I am certain there are many other videos that I can’t remember at this moment that was filmed there. It is amazing to know how many different music videos you can get out of one location.

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

 

[Review] Egoist – Roy Kim

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Two days ago, I reviewed Roy Kim’s main title track, Suddenly. I made a statement that I would review the other title track of Roy Kim’s latest comeback, Egoist, today. And here it is. For those who may have missed the review, Roy Kim made his solo comeback with his first mini album, which features two title tracks.

Roy Kim has always been known for his more acoustic sounds, such as his main past title tracks. So it came as a surprise when I first heard this song. Egoist delves into a more electronic instrumental, but still managing to maintain those acoustic vibes throughout the song. And the blend between the two is amazing. I personally think the tropical and more summery sounds that came out of this song was extremely fitting, for both the upcoming season and Roy Kim himself. I mentioned his voice in the past review and I have to mention them again here. Roy Kim sounds amazing in this song, as well! I love the chorus of the song, especially that line, which was at a higher pitch. I thought the buildup during the pre-chorus was really great as well, which built up from his already great verses to an even more amazing chorus. There is enough catchiness to the song that has me coming back for more. Overall, I thought the song was incredibly smooth and it is music that I would love to hear from Roy Kim in the future.

Matching that tropical and summer sound, we have a more colourful video for the song. It is also a nice contrast to the more dulled music video that was released for Suddenly. In this video, we see Roy Kim being quirky in the video. Also in the video is an equally quirky girl, who follows Roy Kim around. She is helpful at times but probably creeps Roy Kim out just a bit. He soon starts falling for her, while they both share the odd and weird activities that Roy likes.  The video made me laugh and it spoke to me on a level that no other video has. I thought the circumstances of how they met were quite cute. I personally liked this video a lot and you all should check it out as well!

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

[Album Review] Shangri-La (4th Mini Album) – VIXX

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A few days ago, I wrote the review for VIXX’s latest title track. And given that I am a big fan of the group, it would be obvious that an album review would be coming your way. At first I thought I wouldn’t have time to write it today, but it is VIXX, so I pushed all my assignments to one side and wrote this. No regrets though, because it gave me another excuse to listen to their album and focus on the group entirely for one night. This is their 4th mini album to date, which is also titled as Shangri-La.

Shangri-La (4th Mini Album) Cover

 

1..Shangri-La (Title Track)  – Click here to see the full review of Shangri-La (8.5/10)

2. Into The Void – I love the introduction to this song. It sounds like a soundtrack out of a really good movie. Throw the group’s vocals on top of that soundtrack-like instrumental and the song turns into a spine-shivering song that sounds like pure amazingness. The chorus changes it up a bit, but still keeping that epic feel from the start. And then, Ravi’s rap throws the track into chaos. Not saying that is a bad thing here, it fits very well and gives the track that needed boost of energy just before the final chorus, in case it got oo repetitive. (9/10)

3. Black Out – I think it is going to be an expected thing when it comes to VIXX albums. The presence of a questionable track that gets fans a little hot and bothered. Throw in the performance for a track like this and all I can say is damn… Out of all the songs, this one is the catchiest out of all. The track itself uses a seductive tone, especially from Ravi, which is extremely appropriate for a song of this nature. (9/10)

4. It’s Coming (다가오네) – The obligatory ballad on the album. Like I have mentioned throughout the review, their vocals are top-notch, which is amazing. It’s another song, regardless of its meaning or message, that makes me want to sway along to it. The percussion in the instrumental give the song that dynamic side, fitting in nicely with the upbeat tracks that preceded it. (8/10)

5. To Us (우리에게) – It’s the song that the album needed. A return from the previous ballad to the more upbeat songs of the tracklist, but not a complete return. I personally think this is an amazing song. It is easy to the ears and their vocals are superb in this song. Literally, their vocal work on this album is their best yet and they maintained that standard to the very end of the album. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.7/10

Teaser Image

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