Category: KPOP

[Review] Mind Control – TOPSECRET

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TOPSECRET is officially back with their latest song, which was released on Monday (5th of May). The 7-member boy group previously made their debut with She (which I did not end up reviewing) back in January and are under JSL Company. 

The song is your generic upbeat Summer track from a boy group. But there is a slight twist that makes the song a little more compelling to listen to. It fits in with the rest of the Summer tracks for the Summer season. But that just means it doesn’t stand out that much in the crowd. There wasn’t anything special about worth talking about. Their vocals and rapping abilities are pretty good, but there isn’t anything amazing about them. But that small part right after the chorus really lifts the song up and gives it an intense sound. It also makes the song brighter and vibrant. It changes up the song quite a bit, but it works well. At first, I thought it sounded weird and odd. But after a few more listens, it ended up sounding quite normal. The rest of the song was forgettable but because of that different post-chorus section, the song will probably get more attention in the future from me.

The music video is set at a school. The guys are in science class and learning about hormones. I don’t blame them for falling asleep. Just reading the subtitles had me falling asleep. But the guys somehow create a formula which gets everyone dancing. They were very wasteful on their part, by over spraying everyone and then wondering why they ran out. And then they somehow make another massive batch and proceed to gather everyone in a hall and make them dance. While I do question the plot (yeah… I do this to a few videos), I think it was a great way to incorporate “Mind Control” into the video. For once I don’t really enjoy the choreography shots, but overall, I don’t mind watching the video over and over again.

These guys will be shuffling their way through the next few months. I remember when shuffling was a trend at school. Minus the shuffling though, I thought the dance was rather weak. It was fun to watch though.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 6/10
Overall Rating – 6.5/10

[Review] Cactus – A.C.E

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A.C.E is a brand new boy group joining the Korean music scene. They are under Beat Interactive and made their official debut last month with Cactus. The group consist of five members Donghun, Jun, Wow, Jason and Chan. On a funnier side note, but the group is currently known for their long legs and very short shorts. More on that later though.

While they have an odd title, the song delves into a more intense and bass heavy style of EDM, which actually sounds quite good. The verses feel quite empty compared to the rest of the song, but what they did was used that opportunity to highlight their vocal potential. I personally think that is a smart idea. But when it comes to the chorus and the dance breaks, the song does not hold back with the intensity. It’s perfect for them to show off their dance skills during that massive hit of energy, otherwise known as the dance breaks. It is the type of song that would get your heart pumping at a club. While it does sound noisy and dense, the sound actually works quite well. The more I am listening to the song, the more I fall into it. The instrumental makes it addictive to listen and it gives you that same feeling of being at the edge of your seat, especially the ending. For a debut song, you need to get noticed and they definitely debuted with a song that definitely got me noticing.

The video opens up with the guys being tied up and blindfolded. And then they somehow escaped and started to hold cactuses. As a non-Korean who has not brushed up on his Korean skills despite listening to the genre for nearly 7 years (I know… scary), I have no clue on what’s going on in the video. Moving away from that, the fashion or outfits that they are wearing are quite smart, but some of them look plain stupid. The black and white outfits look very cool and is a play on what they were tied up with at the start. It is as if they ripped themselves from their constrains and went with it. But the red outfits have me questioning thing. Especially the guy with half a jacket. Is it budget cuts or is it art? Overall, the video was confusing, but it looked like something a popular KPOP boy group would release nowadays,

Back to those short shorts. And of course, the performance. Like I said before, the song provided them an opportunity to showcase their dancing skills, which they used very well. Their performance looks as intense as the music and quite powerful at the same time. Not into their short shorts though. But I love the headlines and comments that those shorts gave them.

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

[Review] Wannabe – Hyoyeon (SNSD)

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Hyoyeon from Girl’s Generation has returned with her latest single. Her previously collaborated with Miss A’s Min and Jo Kwon and released a single titled as Born To Be Wild. She later went on to release Mystery, her first solo single. Both these songs were released for SM Station. This is her second single, with the song titled Wannabe, which also features SanE.

Right from the very start, we hear a constant groaning in the background of the song. It is undeniably a turn-off and quite annoying. She usually raps when she is a part of Girl’s Generation, but there is a different sound in this song, compared to works as part of the 8-member girl group. I actually think this tough sound fits her. Her raspy voice gives it a boost in terms of energy, which goes a long way in this song. But the part I love the most is the chorus. It’s catchy and provided much needed relief from that groaning at the start. The verses delved into a hip-hop centred sound, while the chorus felt like it was more retro pop. Odd combination and it doesn’t work for me. While it didn’t seem that apparent, there really wasn’t a transition that could have tied the two different sounds together. That made it feel like the parts were detached from each other. Likewise, SanE’s featuring in the song felt distant from the rest of the song. It just felt like another part of another song that was added to extend the song. There is definitely potential behind this song just by listening to the chorus. But the rest of the song seems to mask it.

The music video is filmed in a place, which seemed to look like an underground boxing arena and a warehouse where some of the boxers are practising. The cinematography seem to add an extra edgy vibe in conjunction to the song, which I think is quite cool. The way she moves around and starts dancing at some parts also made the video looked smooth. The addition of the guys in the background, where the camera pans to them watching Hyoyeon or ‘resting’, made things feel a little awkward. Furthermore, the amount of jewellery and ‘bling’ (my attempt to sound cool) wouldn’t necessary fly in an area like that. The scenery and surroundings mismatched the accessories she was wearing throughout the video. Overall though, the video was quite pretty good to watch.

The performance is quite cool. The styles matched the certain part of the song she was dancing to. The more edgy feel was also present, something we don’t really see when she is with SNSD, which is nice. It wasn’t impressive, but nonetheless, it was enjoyable to watch.

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

 

[Review] Sweet Lies – Baek Ah Yeon ft. The Barberettes

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In the past few years, Baek Ah Yeon’s singles have topping charts. Shouldn’t Have and So So have become her most well-known songs. And now, the soloist is back with her third mini album, titled as Bittersweet, which features the title track, Sweet Lies. The Barberettes (who are a trio, known for their retro and barbershop music) also features on the title track.

The song sticks out in the crowd of releases for its more simple and soothing instrumental. Not once does the instrumental seem to be a loud component of the song. It rather stayed subtle in the background. There was a calming and enjoyable indie sound, which seems to be on the trend nowadays in the Korean Music Industry. At the forefront of the song are the vocals of Baek Ah Yeon, which dominate the song. However, there is still that balance between her voice and the background instrumental, which why I think it sounds so great. Overall, the style isn’t my cup of tea. But that doesn’t mean that I think the song sucks. Instead, I think it is amazing. I am a little confused about the featuring of The Barberettes. I don’t really seem to hear them except for that one part prior to the choruses. Their harmony was great, but I expected them to harmonise with Baek Ah Yeon as well. Compared to her past tracks, I don’t think there was much of a hook anywhere in the song. There was something catchy about her past songs, just this one doesn’t have that, which leaves the song feeling a little forgotten.

I haven’t watched the music video yet, so this is my first-hand experience with the music video. The video itself plays on the ’empty promises’ that Baek Ah Yeon makes references to. At the start, she sings about things that her lover has said to her, to which she agrees and waits around (hence only one Baek Ah Yeon in that room). But in the second verse, she sings “When was the last time you said it?”, to which we are shown multiple Baek Ah Yeon’s still waiting around (and clearly bored) in that same room. I am not too sure about the use of the bouncy ping pong balls. But I feel like you trying to suggest that if you replace her with them (hence it appears in places where she used to be), the guy wouldn’t notice. That’s just my theory though. I am quite sure there is another accurate and better theory out there. I wasn’t into the video as I liked to be. There was some dryness to it and it felt loaded, compared to her more soothing and calming song.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 6/10
Overall Rating – 7/10

[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