Category: KPOP

[Review] Suddenly – Roy Kim

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Roy Kim is back with his first mini album, Blooming Season. For those who don’t know who Roy Kim is, he is South Korean soloist who debuted back in 2013, with the chart-topping Bom Bom Bom (Spring Spring Spring). Before 2013, he was a contestant on Superstar K4 and ultimately won the competition that year. Since then, he has been releasing songs here and there, such as Home and Love Love Love. His last comeback was in 2015 with The Great Dipper.

If there was one thing that captivated me in all of the songs that I have listed above, it would have to be Roy Kim’s voice. And it is the one thing that people look forward to when they hear a Roy Kim song. His deep yet mellow voice is definitely unique and stands out in the crowd. His deep voice literally sucked me into this song and has me going back to it over and over again. The emotions that he carries in his voice are subtle but they make sure they are heard. Suddenly is a Spring-time ballad that has a very nice melody. It’s another song that makes you sway along to it. The instrumental is incredibly simple. No instrument overpowers another. From the finger clicks to the trumpet (or saxophone) at the end, everything felt just right in this song. I actually love the instrumental section at the end of the song. I am never a fan of songs that fade out at the end, but here it is very fitting for the song. If you can’t tell by now, I totally like this song. And if you are waiting for more Roy Kim reviews, I will be doing a review for Egoist, which will be published on Friday (and my praise here is nothing compared to that review, trust me).

The music video isn’t as captivating as the song. But I will gladly glue my eyes to the screen playing the music video for the song. I thought the video showed Roy Kim daily morning routine. But instead, it shows him packing up, leaving the house and going away (he ended up throwing the keys away). He sings about moving on from a past relationship and the video seems to show him moving on from the memories that he had in that house. While I wasn’t into the video, the idea of the video and its storyline fits the lyrics very nicely. For a while, it felt cold and empty, but that was what was trying to be conveyed through the video. Reflecting on what I wrote, it probably is an amazing video if I wasn’t so narrow-minded. The video just felt dull and (like I said at the start) captivating.

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

 

[Review] Signal – Twice

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The most talked about girl group, Twice, is finally back with a brand new song, Signal. They return with their fourth mini album, which is also titled as Signal. The group previously returned for a short promotional run for their song Knock Knock and their reissue of their third mini album. Twice is also gearing up for a Japan debut, so I am hoping for some original content from them in Japanese!!!

Sadly, I am on the fence with this song. It isn’t their best work out there, but it isn’t terrible as some people would describe it. Unlike all of their past songs, I don’t see anything that can be considered to be catchy. That leaves me a little disappointed because all of the songs that I love from Twice have that over-catchiness that makes it quite appealing. I am not a big fan of the opening or those ‘talking/chanting’ parts throughout the song. They felt awkward and very dull. Once the song starts picking up (and the members actually start singing), it gets a little better. And there is more colour to the song. The chorus was ‘alright’ at best. Like I said before, I can’t feel or hear any hooks in the song. The song also felt very neutral all throughout, with very little fluctuations or changes in the singing style that they go for. While the song felt very pop-centred, the neutralness does kill the track and prevent it from becoming that colourful track that Twice seems to aim for with all their songs. All of that being said, I don’t mind it. I can sit down and listen to it if it appears in my playlist. but I wouldn’t go through the effort of looking for the song.

So I guess the girls get transported to a different world and fall in love with a blue alien. But I love the only face (the  “IDGAF” face) that he gives throughout the video). Like I said yesterday, the music video quality is top-notch. What isn’t top-notch is the acting at the start, where they all faint in the field and the hair that some of the girl sport. Seems like someone ticked off the hair stylist recently. Each the girls also have a superpower (besides Nayeon. The Men In Black called and they want the Neuralyzer back). And I assume they decided to show off their powers to get the alien’s attention, which failed. In the end, it turns out they were all aliens, which explained their superpowers. It creeped me out a bit though. Overall, I thought this video is their cutest yet. And it is quite good!

I think the dance could pretty much be the next TT dance, with the alien ears. Their formations were also quite good. But watching their performance with the song, it felt weak and that left me a little disappointed. I just didn’t find it as cute as their past dances or like the video.

Song – 5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 6/10
Overall Rating – 6.5/10

 

 

[Review] Shangri-La – VIXX

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VIXX has finally returned with their fourth mini album, titled as Shangri-La. The title of the title track also shares the same name. This is VIXX’s first comeback since their comeback at the end of the year with The Closer, which finished off their trilogy centred around Greek Gods. They went on to release Milky Way, which was a special track for their fans.

The first thing you notice is that Chinese inspired instrumental. The song also combines synths to make it unique, similar to Ten’s Dream In A Dream. The Chinese inspired instrumental dominates the verses, while the synth-based instrumental dominates during the chorus, which does make it an interesting mix. In its own right, the track is extremely powerful. While it may not have the bass that I would have love, the differing dominance between sounds does give off strength and toughness. Their vocal work here is also quite exceptional. We already know the level that Leo and Ken can reach, but the rest of the other members do shine as brightly as Leo and Ken. I love N’s little section during the bridge, it is quite haunting. Even Ravi’s raps are quite good. Maybe not as badass and tough sounding like their other works, but still quite good. But that leads onto the issue for me. The track doesn’t hype me up as their previous work. And that is something I look for when VIXX releases songs. I have listened to it for a few times now after their 6 pm KST release, but I am not blown away with it. Maybe tomorrow or the next few days, but currently, I have don’t feel anything after the track ends.

The music video is crystal clear. I honestly don’t know if I have been living under a rock for the past year or so, but many music videos have emerged to be fully high-definition, which amazes me. GOT7’s Never Ever, Monsta X’s Beautiful and even Twice’s latest comeback (review coming out tomorrow) have wowed me with their quality. Once again, I am probably reviewing the comeback a little too early, so there is probably no fan theories for the music video yet. There is something going on, but since I have been apparently living under a rock, some never-heard-before story everyone has heard of is what the video is based on. After a little research, Shangri-La is a mythical place where it is forever happy and that is all what I can get from it.  Back to square one. Also, while this isn’t the first time KPOP singers have performed with water at their feet, this video does it really cool. I also love the different lighting and sets in the video. All looked quite cool.

I have been officially ‘slayed’ with the choreography. Their use of the fans gives off an elegant yet very dominating feel. That powerfulness is portrayed nicely through their sharp moves and their precision is amazing in this performance. I love the start where their starting pose and the hand work that they show. Once again, VIXX has done it again with the choreography.

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

[Review] New Face – Psy

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Yesterday, I wrote and posted one-half of the review for Psy’s latest comeback with his 8th album, 4×2 = 8. That review was centred around I Luv It. This particular review is for the other title track of Psy’s comeback, New Face.

Right off the bat, the brass catches your attention. The synths then kick in to transform it into one damn good song. Like most other post-2012 Psy songs, the level of addictiveness and catchiness for this song is quite high. However, the song makes me want more. It lacks bass, which could have transformed into a more impactful and strong song. The different segments feel like the song had multiple sounds smashed into one. But they give an interesting and dynamic appeal to the song, which makes me going back for more. His voice must be noted mainly because it showed different sides to the artist. He has a clear and strong rap voice. But his raspy pre-chorus vocals add to that dynamic feel as I mentioned before and that did make me go “Woah” in a good way when I first listened to the song. While I enjoyed most parts of the song, I felt the “anthem” of the song, where the dance break kicks in and Psy repeats “New Face”, didn’t necessarily have enough hype around it, leaving it feeling a tad dull and empty.

Like I Luv It, this music video also features Na-Eun, the youngest member of A-Pink. She joins the list of female artists who have joined Psy in the filming of the music video, which includes Hyuna, Gain from Brown Eyed Girls, CL from 2NE1 and Ha Ji Won (an actress). And she does a spectacular job with her presence in the music video. She features all throughout, joining Psy in his many costumes. They do act a while, while Psy lip syncs, but when that amount approaches in the song, they both dab for the camera. Honestly, I thought the video was of a great standard, joining the memorable music videos that Psy has released. I did think that the filter or colour of the video was a little off, but it didn’t ruin the video for me. I find the scene where they are on the escalator quite interesting. I wondered what happened when they got to the top.

Like yesterday, we have yet to see a full dance performance of New Face. That being said, the music video features (what I think is) enough to say that this is a pretty cool dance. It looks tiring, but Psy will manage somehow to pull it off, like he has done so with all of his dances. While the dab combo could potentially become another dance hype, the dab seems a little outdated (I sound like an old grumpy person, I know).

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

[Review] I Luv It – Psy

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Psy has finally returned with his 8th album, 4×2 = 8. For those who don’t remember who Psy is, he is the guy behind the worldwide hit, Gangnam Style. His last comeback was in 2015, where he promoted Napal Baji and Daddy (ft. CL). His latest album features two title tracks, I Luv It (reviewed today) and New Face (review for this will be released tomorrow). He had also enlisted artists Bobby (iKON), B.I (iKON), Taeyang (Big Bang), G-Dragon (Big Bang) and Zico (Block B) who either featured or participated in the production of Psy’s latest album.

I have to be honest, but I Luv It is a really groovy song. It’s another one of those songs that you feel the need to get up and dance. The song falls very nicely within the KPOP sound. The synths in the song are pretty good and they come together to give you an addictive song to listen to. The one thing that I am starting to notice but it follows up from Psy’s past hits. It attempts to deliver something new, but rather it feels very traditional and ‘done before’ (if you know what I mean). The one reason why everyone was drawn to Gangnam Style was because it was different. But here, from the sound (to even the other aspects of the comeback), everything felt similar and ‘done before’. However, that probably won’t stop me from replaying this song over and over again. I honestly did enjoy it and I loved that small Michael Jackson “yoo hoo” in the chorus, which did catch my attention the first time I heard it. Not entirely sure about the changeup of the song where the bridge is usually found, but overall, a truly funky song.

The accompanying video felt like a very Psy centred music video. Mainly because there were a million carbon copies of Psy in the video. But there is that Psy vibe to music videos that appear every single time. And that made it feel like it was ‘done before’. Which is a little disappointing, because I thought he would do something a little more different. That being said though, he invited two big names to this particular music video. Lee Byung Hun, a very famous Korean actor (who has starred in a few Hollywood movies) and the Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen guy, Pikotaro (still don’t know why that became a meme though). Overall, I thought the video was fitting for the song and it was also a pretty good video.

While there is no live performance yet, I think just watching the music video could give me a good enough glimpse into the dance routine. I personally think it has the potential to become another big dance hype. Joining the music, it seems the moves and the song were meant to be. However, I don’t think it would ever reach the level of his other famous dance, mainly because this one looks a little more complicated.

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

[Review] Dance Dance – DAY6

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The 6th of May just went by and that means another DAY6 release. It has been 5 months so far and I have to admit that their monthly release system is doing a wonderful job. Sure, they might not be appearing on the charts but I am 100% sure that with their different sounds in the last 4 months, their fanbase has grown exponentially. This month release actually occurred on the 8th, as the 6th was a Saturday and it is rare (but not unheard of) for artists to release songs on the weekend. Last month they released I’m Serious, which seemed to start off the Summer season for them.

If you are looking for a fun rock song to listen to, I think you have just stumbled across the right song. The guys have returned to their rock sound that I think suits them the best. However, instead of an emotional sound, the guys have decided to have a little fun with their sound. Not exactly saying the song went weird but rather they adopted a more bright and happy vibe. The song sounds like it can fit within the soundtrack of any American suburban-set TV show that involves teenagers. The song is extremely addictive and their vocal work has to be the best yet here. That silence part after the bridge of the song does wonders and kept me at the edge of my seat. And then we were thrown back in the head-banging and foot-tapping quality music. The “I Feel Good, baby, I Feel Great” turns it into an anthem and had me singing along to it. The song only came out a few hours ago but I can already see it dominate my playlist this week. Overall, an amazing song.

The music video suits the song perfectly. Essentially, you will witness DAY6 getting a little wild and crazy in the music video, while they perform in their recording booth/room. And that fits the fun and cheerful vibes the song is going for. And I have run out of things to say with this music video. Mainly because I summarised the video within just one sentence, leaving me without much else to say.

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

 

[Review] Flower (You) – VAV

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VAV has returned with a new single titled as Flower (You). This is my first time reviewing the group, who made their debut back in 2015 with Under The Moonlight. The group has since returned with a few songs such as No Doubt and this year’s comeback Venus (Dance With Me). The seven-member boy group is currently under A Team Entertainment and their name stands for Very Awesome Vampires. This is a warning for all fans of VAV, I did not enjoy the song.

The song uses the reggae sound that has been an emerging trend in KPOP lately. And while the instrumental was easily identified, it lacked… everything. It attempts to be trendy with its more chill and laidback vibes, but that didn’t work out well. With my first listen, it came off as an ‘okay’ track. But with the second and third listen, you can hear the boring side of the track and more descriptively, the dryness of the track. It lacked energy, which is something the instrumental tends to give. The vocals and raps sequences were okay, but they don’t impress me in any way. If anything, it contributed to the dryness of the song. They threw in the somewhat catchy line “yoo hoo hoo”, which attempts to save the song, but it doesn’t do enough to save the track. But I can overlook all of that. I honestly can. But the one thing I cannot overlook is the bridge of the song. Their tone in their voices was the same as the rest of the song and its return to the final chorus was expected. But what I didn’t expect was that mismatch of the bridge. It was so evident that it left an impression on me and regardless to say, is was not a great impression. I may sound harsh, but that is what I genuinely felt when I listened to the song.

Say that I am close-minded, but the concept of the video was completely different to the song style. I have to say they were close, but it was not the right season for the genre. The song fitted more of a Summer concept. However, the video portrayed a spring concept, which just doesn’t go with the reggae sound. That being said, I thought the colours in the video made it seem appealing. The video shows the girl rejecting the guys on numerous occasions, which I found a little funny. That sounds mean, but she seems like a hard person to impress.

Song – 3/10
Music Video – 5/10
Overall Rating – 4/10

[Review] Lullaby – Onew (SHINee) & Rocoberry

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This week’s SM Station track features Onew from SHINee and Rocoberry, a Korean indie duo. SM Station’s Lullaby is a remake of Rocoberry’s Lullaby. This song joins the growing list of SM Station Season 2 songs, including Dream In A Dream by Ten (NCT), Would U by Red Velvet, Spring Rain by BoA and many others.

Like what the name suggests, the song is a ballad and a really nice one. It fits into the ‘Lullaby’ style of music. It’s very calming and sounds beautiful. I have never heard of Rocoberry (and probably won’t go investigating), but Roco (the female of the duo and the one you can hear in the song) has an amazing voice that compliments Onew’s vocals, which we all know. Both sound superb and amazing. This track also confirms one thing. We need a solo song from Onew. Given the quality of this collaboration,  I have such high expectations. The calmness of the track is quite effective and probably be a track I will turn to in the future if I want to calm down (I was writing an assignment before writing this review). While the instrumental isn’t amazing, the mix between guitar and piano makes it a little interesting. Like most lullabies, however, the track sadly falls towards the more boring side of music. I honestly can’t wish for more, mainly because of its style. Otherwise, I would ruin the track and its calming vibes.

The music video isn’t anything fancy. There are closeups of Onew and Roco by themselves and once we reach the chorus, we see images of a couple dancing in the forest. It matched the song quite nicely and didn’t incorporate anything flashy or ‘loud’ to cause any viewing displeasures. Onew was unrecognisable when I first watched the video, which resulted in me doing a double take and rewatching the video to prove otherwise.

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

[Review] Crazy – Han Dong Geun

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Han Dong Geun rose to the top of the charts last year with his debut track, Making A New Ending For This Story (which was actually released back in 2014 )and his 2016 comeback, Amazing You. Now, Han Dong Geun has returned to the stage with his first album, Your Diary, and the title track, Crazy.

I found it very hard to start off the review for Crazy. Mainly because words cannot describe the song. Han Dong Geun has quickly risen to the top, to be one of the best male vocalists that I have heard on the Korean music scene. All of his past works have been sufficient evidence of that and this song cements his position on my list of Best Male Vocalist. He warned us that the song may take our breath away and that is what it exactly did. He went down the ballad route, so there were no surprises there. However, his voice goes all out for this song. And that makes your generic ballad instrumental into a chart-topping worthy song. The chorus is just pure bliss. The melody was amazing and I love the further build-up within the chorus. What also makes this song so good is that his voice does not leave you hanging. Instead, he brings it down to a suitable level and continues on. Even though I do not understand Korean, the level of emotion that his voice delivers to the song is remarkable and can be felt throughout, from the start to the very end. Overall, if you love a good ballad or need some sort of warmth in your day, this is the song to check out and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

The music video matches the heartbreak that is expressed in the song. Essentially what we see in the video is that the girl moves back into the house but is constantly reminded of her relationship, where in reality it had already ended. She tries her best to forget everything, like burning all the pictures (how cliche is that) and breaking the presents he gave her. However, it is not enough and she slowly starts going crazy, imagining him there with her. I guess at the end, we see scratches on her legs, which may indicate that she caused harm to herself. My assumption with the ending of the video is that she took her life and woke up in heaven, to which her imaginative boyfriend opened the door to the light and that left a smile on her face. We must applaud the actress in the video because her acting was amazing. It made everything feel more captivating and interesting to watch. You feel the coldness in scenes (that or I should turn my heater on) but Han Dong Geun’s voice makes it feel warmer, despite him singing about heartbreak and loss.

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

 

[Review] Wonder If – Junhyung (HIGHLIGHT) ft. Heize

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After rebranding into HIGHLIGHT, there were rumours floating about with Junhyung’s impending return as a solo artist. It seems like those rumours were true and hence we are all here today. Junhyung previously made his solo debut with Flower and returned last year with After This Moment (featuring Davii). His comeback is titled as Wonder If and features Heize.

Junhyung delves into the RnB side of the Korean music scene with his latest release. His main duty if HIGHLIGHT is to be the main rapper, however, here he sings the entire song. Something that is a little foreign for the established rapper. That being said, I always find rappers have a unique voice that lets them add a different colour to their group songs. Here, Junhyung shines like never before with his catchy and addictive track. It’s the RnB feel that I enjoy listening to. The chorus was probably the best bit of the entire song. I love the way he delivered his lines as if it was to make it jaggered, yet somehow remaining smooth the entire way. The melodies during the chorus are also amazing. While I did say his voice shines, the track does feel quite neutral as you move towards the end. Heize’s featuring was the much-needed relief and added that needed colour to the song. Her voice also gives the song an extra level of depth, which ends up transforming the song into something even better. Overall, this song is one really amazing and worthwhile collaboration.

The same cannot be said about the music video, unfortunately. While I enjoyed the song, the video feels empty and lacking. There isn’t a whole much going on in the video, besides Junhyung singing in various sets. I am not the type of person who would sit around and watch that. Even Heize’s addition to the video couldn’t save the video for me. The video was dark, which matches Junhyung’s associated sound and style. The video was edited to seem like you were drunk, which did give it an alluring appeal, which only lasted for a while. Besides that, I am not a fan of the video.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 5/10
Overall Rating –  7.5/10

 

[Review] Now, Us – Lovelyz

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Lovelyz has returned with their repackaged album of their second album, R U Ready?. They previously made their comeback with WoW! in February and this week released the repackaged album, along with the title track Now, Us.

Now, Us throws you back to their more earlier works. It feels distinctively familiar and distinctively Lovelyz. While I do want to hear a different sound from the group, such as WoW! (which kept that distinct Lovelyz sound but also added a different flavour), this track works nicely as well. The chorus itself is quite catchy and the track, after a few listens becomes quite addictive. Their vocal work is quite good here, especially how the entire track is sung at a higher pitch. It adds a little something different to the track, making it unique to their past tracks that I am fondly reminded of. The problem with this track is that it ends abruptly. While I have made exceptions in the past, the ending for this song felt very premature and it left me wondering if there is more or not. Maybe that is their tactic to make us go back to the song. But it just ruins the flow of the song, which does leave me a little disappointed when I hear the next song on the playlist.

Lovelyz also returned with the style of muisc video that I commonly associate with Lovelyz. Despite this, the video stands alone and suits the music perfectly. Once again, the individual scenes make no sense. However, I am absolutely certain they all add up to some sort of meaning. My guess is that they are nervous when meeting their crush. Nonetheless, it does make the video interesting to watch (mainly because I am trying to make sense of everything). I love how the rooms are quite pale, but some details make the girls stand out, such as they bold blue socks and yellow heels combination. Overall, I genuinely enjoyed the video.

[UPDATED] I think the performances can be cut into two parts. The first would be the more graceful side to match the tempo of the song during the verses, while the chorus showed a more energetic side to the choreography. Overall, I thought the entire performance had a Lovelyz feel, regardless if you find yourself tuning in any of the two parts. The chorus choreography was cute to watch.

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

[Review] 365 Fresh – Triple H

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Cube Entertainment unveiled a new subunit comprising of its artists recently, with the group being named as Triple H. The group consist of former 4Minute member Hyuna and Pentagon members Hui and E-Dawn (whose real name is Kim Hyo Jong). 365 Fresh is the title track off the subunit’s first mini album, which is titled as 199X. This is the second subunit formed between labelmates at Cube Entertainment, the other being Trouble Maker, comprising of Hyuna and Hyunseung.

365 Fresh is a really cool song. From the start, its upbeat and fresh sound really does stand out. The song delves into the Funk genre. It actually reminds me of songs that Bruno Mars put out, such as Uptown Funk. And like Uptown Funk, it makes me want to get up just dance to it. The catchy “365 So Fresh” that they repeat throughout the song does the job really well and make the song quite memorable. The vocals and the raps are both superb aspects in this song. I would love to hear a little more from Hyuna in the song. She was there but compared to the guys, her part didn’t shine as much. As for the guys, they did a pretty good job with their raps and vocal work. Together, all 3 members came together and showed a dynamic sound that could potentially rival the dynamics that were brought out to play when Trouble Maker released their songs.

Once again, Cube has put out a music video that was slapped with another 19+ rating. And given the scenes in the video, I am quite sure that the Korean netizens are criticising the video left, right and centre. Onto the plot. Hyuna is a hairdresser, but in the video, she is inappropriately touched by the customer. She protects herself from the customer and ends up killing him. Hui seems to be on the run from a gang. E-Dawn attempts to suicide a few times in the video, but (not too sure here) changes his minds. All three somehow meet on the road and end up escaping their currently lives. Hui actually stole a car and coincidently there is bucket loads of money in the boot of the car, so the three of them live new lives in style. There seemed to be a little bit of tension as Hyuna and E-Dawn seem to fall in love, while Hui third-wheels. In the end, after too much partying, they end up jumping off a building, most likely leading to their deaths. I like the video for its storyline and appeal. That being said, I do not condone violence, drug use, suicide or other themes that appeared in the video.

[UPDATED] While it may not be the usual sexy style that we expect and see from Hyuna, the choreography for 365 Fresh is extremely flirty and works well with the song. Even between the trio, there is some sort of chemistry that can’t really be described, but should rather be witnessed. The guys have big shoes to fill, especially given the portfolio of Hyuna and her choreographies, but the guys fit in wonderful, with the funky dance routine.

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

 

[Double Review] Sad Song + Be Well – Sechskies

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Sechskies has officially returned with their latest album. For those who do not know, Sechskies is a 6-member boy group who made their debut way back in 1997. They are a hugely successful act boasting releases such as Couple, Com’Back, Chivalry and many others. The group disbanded in 2000, however, reformed in 2016 as a five member group. The group signed on with YG Entertainment and later went on to release 2016 Re-Album, which included all of their past hits. 2017 marks their 20th anniversary and last week, just released their 20th-anniversary album, featuring the title tracks Sad Song and Be Well.

Sad Song is a pretty good song. It hits home runs in some aspects of the song but lacks energy in other parts. Their vocal work is quite good, but once again, the raps are standouts for the song. The verses felt a little empty and dull compared to the rest of the song. The raps and the chorus gave the song the colour it needed, despite the song sounding quite neutral all throughout. The instrumental delves into the electro sound but it is pretty generic. If the instrumental was bolder, I feel like the song could have worked better.
Be Well is on a whole different level. Listening to the song, you can feel the YG influences. Combining it with the Sechskies group and you might have a winning combination. I love the ballad feels this song, but it also can serve as a nice dance feel to it, which opens the possibility for creative direction. But we are not here to talk about that. The vocal work here is much better here, than compared to the previous song. While it did sound more like a monologue, the rap felt underwhelming. I think a more emotional centred rap could have made the song sound more impactful. The song overall had a more appealing melody which was soft and almost soothing.

Both music video suited their respective songs. Sad Song played with a more upbeat feel and while the music video does bring out the emotions through the scenes, the video felt just right for the electronic sounds. The video shows the guys recovering from a breakup (I think), so there isn’t much to talk about. More interestingly, the cinematography in this video makes it seem cool and made the video appear more flashy, which goes back to suiting the song. Be Well had a more dramatic video, but it too suited the song’s ballad feels. What made the video look cool was the fact they sat in ‘rain’ throughout the video. They also showed the first-person perspective on the relationship, which does make it unique.

I really can’t make that many comments on the choreography. Mainly because they are nearing their forties and still can dance better than me. The dance for Sad Song lacked energy and felt weak, which matched the emotional side of the song, but not the electro sound. Be Well had a more suitable dance but it was boring to watch. However, their stage presence on both stages and the fan chants just prove what great influence they still have after 20 years.

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

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

[Review] Hole In One – VARSITY

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VARSITY is a 12-member boy group currently under CSO Entertainment. They previously made their debut at the start of the year with U R My Only One, which I ended not reviewing due to time commitments. However, they did appear on my Weekly KPOP Charts, peaking at 19th position. This is the group’s first comeback since their debut.

Hole In One is a complete change, compared to their debut single. U R My Only One was a much darker song, which sounded more dramatic and tough. However, their new single is bright and vibrant. While I do prefer the darker and stronger sound from boy groups, there have been many instances where boy groups have put out iconic bright songs that everyone loves. In this case, however, I am torn when it comes to the song. This song falls in the “not bad” category, where most of those cute songs end up.  Their vocal work is pretty good but their raps are the standout in the song. I was blown away from the raps. There were some parts of the song that had a nice chill vibe going through, such as the post-chorus section. While it did manage to appear on my radar in the past week, the song isn’t catchy enough to remain on my radar for much longer. For the most part, it felt flavourless and didn’t have much of a hook. The instrumental also could have been a little more vibrant or at least faster. The song felt sluggish and slow for the most part, which didn’t present well when I first listened to it.

The video is okay, more typical than anything else. The guys essentially find a cute girl and end up following her to the golf course, where she eventually teaches one of them golf. Though it drew on the song title, it was a sad attempt of incorporating golf into the story line. I am also suprised that she wasn’t creeped out by 12 guys following her around. Anyway, I didn’t mind the choreography scenes in the video. I thought they looked quite good. As for those random scenes where some girls were just dancing along to the music, I honestly do not get why those scenes were included in the music video. It didn’t really fit with the rest of the video.

As for the dance, it was good for the slow tempo that the song had. It, too, matched the song’s bright and vibrant energy, which shows another side of the group to the audience.

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

[Review] Spring Rain – BoA

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BoA is finally back with a new single, in the form of  SM Station release. It has been a while since we heard from the soloist. Last year, she also participated in another SM Station release, No Matter What, which also features Beenzino. Prior to the release of Spring Rain, she called her company out for writing her name incorrectly on the teaser image.

Spring Rain is another experimental track that goes nicely with all the other SM Station releases. The song also delves into the R&B genre. I have probably heard this style before somewhere but there is something that makes this song quite unique and fresh. The first is her voice. The song really allows her voice to shine. From the chorus to the long note at the end, everything sounds amazing with her voice. The second aspect is the instrumental. It is honestly quite calming and refreshing. The song’s lyrics aren’t exactly bright as other Spring songs, such as Would U by Red Velvet. However, the instrumental has a bit brightness to it, while still complementing the darker lyrics. It is honestly a type of instrumental that I wouldn’t mind listening to by itself. There are whispers at the start and the end of the song. I don’t mind them and they seem to contribute to the aesthetics of the song. However, they really don’t do much to the rest of the song and sound like it belongs elsewhere, rather than this particular single. That being said, the song overall sound pretty good, as well.

Once again, SM Station has gone with a video with a lot of aesthetics, which works well with the song. I personally love videos with odd camera angles and the way filters were applied to the video makes it look urban and industrial. It is like they took a whole bunch of stockpiled videos and manage to work it with their idea of the music video. The video itself shows a couple at the start of their relationship and (what I assume) the breakdown of their relationship. While the video was edited to be in slow-motion, the acting the video is quite good. Their scenes together don’t seem to do much, but when they are by themselves (i.e. the lady walking around and the guy just laying on the bed), the scenes become stronger and adds more meaning to the video. Overall, it was a nice video that went well with the song.

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

[Review] Wonderful Love – Momoland 

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Momoland has returned with their first comeback and Wonderful Love. The group debuted with Jjan! Koong! Kwang! at the end of 2016 and the song has since grown on me. The group has added two new members, Daisy and Kim Taeha, bringing the total members of the group to 9.

Wonderful Love packs a punch. The song a very grand feel, which follows on nicely from their catchy chorus in their debut song. Like their debut song, this one has me singing along. It’s really catchy and within a few listens, it has me coming back. I love the instrumental, with the grand orchestra feel that I am always a sucker for. The cutesy sound doesn’t feel like it is over-the-top. Instead, it feels lesser than what we heard before. I love the dynamic chorus. While the song does fall in the cutesy category, the chorus gives the song have a much grander feel and it is quite dominating. It’s another song that makes me smile, especially the lyrics of support. Overall, the song is made to grab your attention and that is something that the song definitely does. It is definitely a strong song, one that is unexpected from the pool of cutesy songs that I am used to. And it is one song that is worth listening to.

The music video is okay to watch. There isn’t much to talk about the video at the start but once we get to the end of the video and song, the epic feels of the song are channelled nicely in the video. The video largely consists of choreography shots and close ups. However, the video does mix in scenes where the girls hang out and have fun around the theme park, which the video is shot in. What makes it epic (for me, at least) was the final choreography shot which brought in many backup dancers to join in. It made the video look pretty cool. I know, probably doesn’t look that epic. But with the music, it came off as cool and epic to me.

Now, the part of the review that I was wanting to write. It is ‘dab-central’ with this dance routine. Quite unexpected and quite ridiculous. But it is extremely fitting for the song and I love it. It may be an odd combination but I continually find myself going back to the performances, which means they have done something right.

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.5/10