Also making their comeback yesterday was NMIXX, who returned with their 2nd mini-album Fe3O4: Break. Featured on the mini-album is the title track DASH – the focus of this review. But in addition to DASH, the new mini-album also features the pre-release single Soñar (Breaker).
DASH is a very strong effort from NMIXX and is probably one of their best tracks yet! The song intros with DASH‘s catchy main hook (‘I wanna dash, I wanna run it‘), and this initially introduces us to a sassy and confident tone from the group. Also from the get-go, the hip-hop influence is definitely alive and helps gives DASH a nice bounce that I felt encapsulates a more urban style of hip-hop to the song. From there, we move into the verses, which features funky guitar that helps keeps that hip-hop influence alive and solid vocal works from the members. The pre-choruses brings an R&B colour to the song and serves as one of the strongest aspects of DASH. A particular mention has to be given to Bae, whose vocal tone here was just so enticing. We are then taken back to the chorus, where the catchy main hook continues to build on you, and the choruses within the song also features some strong vocals that wasn’t part of the main hook that opens up DASH. For the bridge, the group re-introduces the concept of MIXX pop with a change up that I am actually not troubled by. The change to grungier rock vibes but more vibrant vocals actually felt cleaner and not as jarring as NMIXX’s past MIXX pop tracks. Kyujin’s ending line ‘Um, I just want to continue my pace‘ is pretty iconic and stayed in my mind even after DASH wrapped. I quite liked their new song and the energy that they are showcasing in DASH. Very exciting.
The music video features three main settings – the prison, the street and the pastel clouds. Personally, I feel like there is a story that connects them altogether somehow. But I am clueless as to what that story is. But standalone, I liked the individual components of each part. And considering the song, the three settings work really well with the music that comes about during each respective part. I am also warming up to the styling. At first, I thought they looked a bit awkward with the headwear. But the more I watch the video, the less I am put off by them.
With the hip-hop influence coming from song, I was expecting some complex foot work. While the choreography doesn’t really feature that at all (I am a little disappointed by the omission), I feel like they did a really good job with making the choreography complex with the other half of their bodies. The small details and intricate moves that uses their arms and upper body actually makes this a cool routine and hard to look away.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.2/10
Making her comeback yesterday was YENA, who returned with the single Good Morning and the mini-album of the same name. This is YENA’s first comeback since the release of Hate Rodrigo (which I have yet to, and probably won’t get around to, reviewing). For those who missed it, Hate Rodrigo ended up being quite controversial, as the music video featured images of Olivia Rodrigo (who, if you cannot tell by the title of the song, is the subject of the song) and this was seen as being a trademark and copyright issue. The music video ended up being taken down and re-edited to remove the images, but by then the public was not positively receiving the song as it was perceived to be about hating the famous pop star. In the end, the comeback was cut short and we haven’t heard much from YENA until yesterday.
For Good Morning, YENA takes us down an energetic and powerful pop rock/punk sound, which is bound to wake you up if you have a groggy morning. It definitely takes us back to her debut, which was of a similar sound. It is just Good Morning is very much amped up and bolder. I personally really enjoyed that rush of adrenaline and exhilarating feeling that comes right off the instrumentation of Good Morning. As for YENA’s vocals, one of her strengths is that she sounds extremely youthful, bright and sweet. This always contrasts well with the punk and intense rock vibes, and creates an interesting dynamic. Some female groups and artists have tried to pull it off in the past, but I don’t think anyone has ever been as successful with this style. And Good Morning is another great example to YENA’s repertoire. I also liked the airier and stripped back approach of the bridge, which gives YENA a chance to showcase a different side of her vocals, and I like how it gave her an opportunity to push the boundaries a bit with her vocals. Overall, Good Morning is thrilling and is a great dose if you are looking for a pop/punk rock sound.
The song is about ‘letting go of yesterday’s concerns and tomorrow’s worries while welcoming a good morning’ (taken from SOOMPI). And we see that in this video. We see her either travelling from or to work on the train, with one of the carriages set up to look like an office. We then see that this is like a dream sequence, with her waking up at midnight and see office workers outside her window – how scary indeed! From there, we see her tackle her worries. The masked dancers, I guess, represent her worries and she pulls the microphone from the stone (as a play on the story of The Sword in the Stone) to fight off her worries, which was successful in the end. She manages to fight back and scare them away. Parts of the video looked very cool, while other parts were cutesy and funny. She and the team behind the music video definitely know what they are doing and pulls it off well.
The choreography looks good. YENA doesn’t really participate as much as I had hoped. Instead, she spends most of the time with her microphone and singing live. That being said, the way she is interwoven into the choreography (executed by the dancers) was clever. There was also chemistry between her and the dancers, which is a good thing for the viewers to see.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 8.5/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.7/10
STAYC’s POPPY is nominated for Best Non-Korean Song by a Korean Artist (Japanese). Support POPPY and your other favourite acts by clicking here to vote today.
Over the last month, STAYC’s Bubble has really grown on me. So much so, if I had a crystal ball to tell me of this growth, I would have nominated it for Best Pop Song in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Anyhow, this growth has led me to review the album in which Bubble is included on, TEENFRESH. It is also my first time reviewing a STAYC album. The mini-album features a total of 6 songs, including 3 versions of Bubble and 3 additional side tracks. Let’s see how the rest of the mini-album stacks up to the title track.
2. Not Like You – For Not Like You, I enjoyed the moodier tone (relative to Bubble) we get from the instrumentation. But while I did enjoy it, I wished there was more development in the song as it progresses. Not Like You suffers from a consistency issue for keeping to close to the moodier energy as the song went along, and I wished that had more to offer. The chorus, whilst fine now, dulls down each time I listen to the song. Even the end of the song sounds a bit too alike to the verses. On the flip-side, I think we get a great showing of vocals from YOON and ISA in the pre-choruses. (7/10)
3. I Wanna Do – We go down a contemporary R&B direction with I Wanna Do. Upon reflection, there isn’t anything innovative in I Wanna Do if you were to compare it to songs of a similar soundscape. But the vocals, melodies and nostalgia of the instrumentation is on point. And all of that makes it hard for me to turn away from I Wanna Do. (8.5/10)
4. Be Mine – Probably the most interesting track on this mini-album is Be Mine, which has a familiar retro pop vibe to it. The bounciness of the instrumental was quite a cool aspect of the song. The bright vocals do have a slight R&B tinge to it, whilst the hazy rapping in the second verse was very intriguing. All of this cohesive comes together to create a good side track on this mini-album. (8/10)
5. Bubble (English Version) – Refer to my full review on Bubble above.
6. Bubble (English & Sped Up Version) – Refer to my full review on Bubble above.
I know a lot of my reviews lately have been related to NCT, with the most recent reviews being the 4 tracks that had an ’archiving video’ from NCT’s 4th studio album Golden Age, the album review for that particular album, and NCT 127’s special winter single Be There For Me. But ahead of the album review for their fifth studio album Fact Check (released back in October 2023), I will also be spending some time to review the b-side Angel Eyes from the Fact Check album, which also got a full length-track video.
My thoughts on Angel Eyes are super simple. Angel Eyes is a straightforward pop track with great vocals and rapping from all of the members. The pop rock instrumentation is extremely likeable. I personally felt the instrumentation was very clean and crisp, which heightens the pop rock energy and the members’ contributions to the track. Angel Eyes exudes a fun vibe, with my mind picturing everyone is having a blast with one another. It feels wholesome and pulls me in quite easily with its simple melodies. The chorus features everyone singing together, almost coming off in a chanty like manner. While that is sometimes a hit or miss, it works extremely well here in Angel Eyes. It is one of the best side tracks off the Fact Check album and I highly recommend you check it out.
The track video is rather simple. It shows the members performing live on a stage that is floating in a river near the city. Some shots of the cityscape at night, and the members are casually dressed with evidence of a nice breeze. It would have been cooler to see the members have a bit more fun, but they do look like they are enjoying their time out there on the river.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9.6/10
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A week ago, Jeong Sewoon made his first solo comeback in almost two years with his 6th mini-album, Quiz, and the title track of the same name. His last comeback was in 2022 with the single Roller Coaster.
Quiz is a cute mid-tempo pop track, with some well-executed vocals from the soloist. The vocals have such a pleasant demeanour to them, and I really like the warm and comforting vibe that he exudes. I liked that he used a variety of techniques and styles to delivers the lyrics, and this helped made Quiz more interesting. The light and easy-going instrumental adds a bubbly charm that works well with Jeong Sewoon’s charms. Quiz‘s melodies have a nice bounce to it, particularly when it comes to the choruses. But while everything was enjoyable altogether, the lack of pull from Quiz isn’t there and this may cause the song to disappear into the crowd of other KPOP releases coming out this month. Let’s hope I am wrong, but it is already starting to look that way for Quiz no matter how much I praise the other aspects of the song.
The music video aspect of the comeback showcases Jeong Sewoon’s cutesy and boyish charms that has stuck with him since his debut. Watching this video and hearing the song together made me smile. And that is one of the greatest responses you can get. Quiz is about comparing the life and world to questions on a test or quiz, and I liked the scenes in which Jeong Sewoon is “studying” whilst going around the neighbourhood. But the best bit comes in during the credits, where Jeong Sewoon is in a bit of a pickle when an orange falls out of the bag he is carrying on his scooter, especially when he goes to retrieve one that just dropped beforehand.
Similar comments can be made about the choreography for this comeback. Cutesy and boyish. Jeong Sewoon doesn’t really participate much, with most of the routine being performed by the dancers. But I liked how the microphone stand ends up being incorporated into the choreography whilst Jeong Sewoon moves away from it briefly to pull the audience into the performance as part of the finale of the song. I thought that was a nice change of pace to the routine.
Song – 7.5/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.6/`10
Support your other favourite artists, songs and performance in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards by clicking here to vote today.
OnlyOneOf makes their comeback today with their latest single dOpamine and mini-album Things I Can’t Say Love. It is their first comeback since March’s seOul drift (which was featured on their previous mini-album seOul collectiOn) and their BL drama Bump Up Business (which the entire group was casted in, but was led by Nine and Mill).
What I got out of OnlyOneOf’s latest release was that it puts us back in the previous familiar OnlyOneOf territory. And I am all for that! Right off the bat, the airiness and lightness of the vocals in dOpamine, opposite a drum and bass-like instrumental makes for an aesthetic environment. And we have previously got aesthetic sounds from OnlyOneOf through their more well known tracks likelibidO. There are some more interesting parts in dOpamine that I am instantly drawn to more than others. But that doesn’t mean the rest of the song isn’t good enough (though I think some improvements on the production side to really bring the vocals and instrumentation together better would have really helped out, especially during that first verse). Personally, I really liked the pre-chorus, which introduces some guitar work into the mix. Junji’s perfectly executed vocals really adds the cherry on top. The chorus features a really nice concentration in the instrumentation, making the track feel sharper and dynamic, which I found to be a good call. The abruptness and glitchy style of the bridge was also a nice yet welcome change up in momentum, which I felt was needed so that dOpamine doesn’t come off repetitive. Overall, the positives outweighs the weaker parts of dOpamine, which honestly is quite a good song in itself.
Abs galore is the first thing I will say about this music video. I really do like it that OnlyOneOf consistently pushes the boundaries in some form through their releases, and that they do it again by showing off their sexier side. I do hope that it is voluntary and that no member is forced into the concept if they are uncomfortable. Beyond that, the music video is a rather standard formula of close ups (the whole middle portion of the video did feel more so an abs showcase) and choreography scenes. But complementary-wise, the video works well with the song.
The choreography looks good. Nothing stands out on its own, but the entire routine together has impact and boldness, which contrasts with both the entirety and component-level of the aesthetic environment I spoke about earlier.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.5/10
B1A4 is a group that we don’t hear all too often anymore. They were quite popular when they started out, but with the departure of two key members and military enlistment, it has been hard to keep up with them as a group (mainly due to the lack of promotions/releases) but also the individual members. But I am glad that the group is still releasing songs. Part of the Monday comeback rush was B1A4, who returns for the first time in almost three years (their last release being 10 Times) with the song REWIND and their 8th mini-album, Connect.
REWIND takes B1A4 into New Jack Swing territory – a very energetic form of electronic music that instantly takes you back to the late 80s or early 90s. But ever since B1A4 reformed into a trio, the group has had a stake in music that has more of a pleasant vibe. And for REWIND, we do find that B1A4 keeps true to that with some really nice vocal work. B1A4’s execution of the New Jack Swing genre does not overwhelm, maintaining balance and that pleasant vibe I just mentioned. It makes for an interesting combination overall, but I can confirm it works and makes it an easier listen. Personally, I would have liked the melodies to be more prolific and maybe even some strong vocals to match up with the instrumentation, however, just to give REWIND some added oomph. I think that was the only missing aspect of REWIND. That being said, what we did get has a nice ring to it. And as mentioned earlier, it works!
Personally, I don’t get what is going on in the video. We do know (again from Soompi) that REWIND is about “rewinding time in order to meet the person from their dream the previous night”. I kind of get that desire from Gongchan’s scenes in the factory, where he looks very bored, out of place and wants to be somewhere else. But I am not sure where CNU and Sandeul’s scenes fit into this. I did like the choreography scene, where the members and dancers are performing within this massive round table that kind of looks like a clock. And that does have connect up with the desire to rewind time.
Choreography-wise, this comeback features an upbeat routine that matches up with the music – both in the sense of that New Jack Swing style and also the upbeat nature. From the dance practice video that was released, the members and dancers does take me back to their other fun routines that they have performed with in the past.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.3/10 [Updated on 3 March 2024 due to calculation error]
ITZY is nominated for Best Female Performance (Group) for CAKE, while RINGO is nominated for Best International Song by a Korean Artist (Japanese). Support ITZY’s CAKE and RINGO, songs and performances by clicking here to vote today.
Joining the Monday lineup of comeback is ITZY, who makes their comeback today with their comeback with their 2nd studio length album, BORN TO BE. The headline song of the album is the single UNTOUCHABLE. And it appears that JYP Entertainment has gone all out of this comeback, with 2 pre-release tracks (BORN TO BE and Mr. Vampire – the latter I will be reviewing later in the future) and 4 music videos for each of the solo singles from the four member lineup of this comeback (Lia is currently on hiatus, but she also has a solo single on the album and a lyric video was released instead). This is ITZY’s first Korean comeback since CAKE and KILL MY DOUBT.
I love that UNTOUCHABLE is bold and sends a strong and powerful message. However, I don’t think it is the song to win people back. I say that because I am a little iffy on the chorus. While I do like their approach and it standalone makes for a very good centrepiece, I am a little disappointed over the fact the producers chose synths over a rock centric backing for the chorus. The verses were a great incline towards the chorus, and thanks to the guitars in the background, it makes you expect a chorus with a rock vibe to it. We do get some presence of guitar in the chorus, but it isn’t the forefront, which is what I was hoping for. That being said, the chorus we do get in UNTOUCHABLE still comes off as bold and makes for quite a statement piece. The vocals, rapping and overall delivery of the chorus (and other parts of the song) was on point, with the ad-libs at the end serving well. The part of UNTOUCHABLE that could use a revamp are the verses. They fall short from feeling memorable and comes off as more of a blur when you compare it to the choruses. The part of the UNTOUCHABLE that could have used a rethink is the post-chorus, which felt a little werid for me. I am not exactly sure if it fits into the bigger picture that is UNTOUCHABLE.
This music video made me go wow! We are only 8 days into the new year and there might already be a strong contender for Best Music Video of 2024. The crispness and high quality of the video definitely takes it to the next level. You can feel the intensity at the start with all the guards standing around the members, and via the lighting that mimics a prison or lasers directed at them. The members themselves look stunning and fierce throughout the video, depending on which part you are watching. The best part of the video has to the beginnings of the final chorus, with the guards exploding in slow motion and ITZY dancing at normal speed in the midst of that chaos. We also get sole really cool cinematography in the final moments of the video, as well.
I found the performance to be quite striking and bold, which is on par with the song itself. The movements were very sharp and it showcases ITZY’s knife-like precision. There are some graceful moves in the routine and I felt their presence helps balance everything out, so it isn’t too precise and edgy to watch.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 10/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.8/10
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Today has proven to be a busy. Both at work for me and the KPOP industry. Unfortunately, I won’t get through all of the new releases today, but I want to at least tackle one or two. First up, I have selected SF9’s BIBORA, which is featured on their 13th mini-album, Sequence. This is the group’s first comeback since Puzzle and The Piece OF9 a year ago. It is also SF9’s first comeback as a reorganised 8 member group, following the departure of Rowoon (though the group continues to promote with a 7 member lineup due to Jaeyoon’s ongoing military enlistment.
BIBORA goes for a slight club banger style, pulling a lot of its appeal through subtle funky and groovy elements. This definitely pulls me into the track, serving as the initial tick for BIBORA. The subtleness is a trend throughout BIBORA, with the hooks and delivery coming off as subtle. For the hooks, I think they do manage to get there and I feel like the “BIBORA” sung in the chorus and pre-chorus both have a nice ring to it, with the latter catching on. And while I do like the idea of the members’ delivery in BIBORA, I did think it was something that SF9 and their producers could have pushed the boundaries on a bit. What they have pumped out is rather standard and safe for this group. I feel like some more powerful vocals and more prolific melodies could have made BIBORA added some depth to the song. The rapping does attempt to push the boundaries a bit, but I think their placement in the pre-chorus was a bit awkward. I also think their style could have really been back up with some sort of definition. Overall, I find BIBORA to be an alright song. It has a fair bit of pull, but there are some things in it that could be better.
According to SOOMPI, the lyrics of BIBORA “express one’s contrasting feelings of wanting to forget someone but also wanting to return to the time when they were together”. And we see the members portray that to and froing between the two desires throughout the video. There is some good acting in this video. I really like the stormy scenes they perform the chorus in, along with the special effects and overall mature vibes from the video.
Based on what I could see in the music video, the choreography for this comeback looks good. Nothing really stands out, but I liked the fast arm movements in the chorus. Can’t wait to see the rest of the routine.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.5/10
V is nominated for Best New Male Soloist in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards.Support V and your other favourite acts by clicking here to vote today.
First album review of the year belongs to V, who made his solo debut back in September with the mini-album Layover. Today, I will finally be reviewing that mini-album release. The R&B dominant mini-album consists of 6 tracks in total, including the title track Slow Dancing and piano version of the title track. And all other tracks, whether it was a pre-release (i.e., Love Me Again or Rainy Days) or not, has an accompanying music video. Unfortunately, time does not permit me to review all of the side tracks separately, so I have linked the music video down below in place of the usual audio videos I get from YouTube. With that little housekeeping out of the way, let’s move forward with the album review for Layover.
Layover Album Cover
1. Rainy Days(Pre-Release Track) – Starting off the mini-album is Rainy Days, which is a stunning song. The standout element of Rainy Days that I personally enjoyed has to be his vocals, which were very clear and comforting. I particularly like the deeper tone V takes in the second verse. It was unexpected, and adds some depth to the song. I also felt like I was drifting away with the melodies in Rainy Days. Finally, the R&B instrumentation was quite stilling and the rain sounds in the background felt just right. (9/10)
2. Blue – Blue features an old school form of R&B. While V’s husky vocals come into play and does appeal to me, I find the smoothness of the melodies in the chorus to be the more memorable element of Blue. The slightness of his vocals and the simplistic title repetition that makes up the chorus were also strong aspects of this song. (8/10)
5. For Us – For Us is probably the most dynamic R&B track of the album. It goes for alt-R&B vibes, with some cool synth work, fitting autotuned vocals in the first half. Mid-way, For Us has a slight change of pace following the sound of a tape change, which brings in nice piano and drumming in the latter half of the song. V, throughout For Us, continues to bring smoothness via his vocals. (9/10)
6. Slow Dancing (Piano Version) – Refer to my full review for Slow Dancing linked above.
RIIZE is nominated for Best New Male Group in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support RIIZE by clicking here to vote today.
Jumping forward to the present day, RIIZE made their comeback today with a new single titled Love 119, following on from their first comeback with Talk Saxy in October 2023. This is also the new male group’s first comeback with a six-member lineup after it was announced that Seunghan would go on indefinite hiatus due to some controversaries.
Another day, another SM track. Out of the three SM tracks I have reviewed this week, Love 119 is definitely more pop-centred than the others based on the instrumentation and how the song is sung. More on that in a second. I really what the producers did with the piano sample used in the song, which is from Izi’s Emergency Room (which was an OST from the the K-Drama Sassy Girl Chun Hyang). The other elements to give Love 119 also helps takes the song further into the pop direction yet maintain a certain level of pleasantness that makes Love 119 enjoyable to listen to. But aside from the sample, nothing too memorable. The track features some good singing from the members, but nothing exactly stand-out. The aspect of Love 119 that I am not 100% entirely keen on at the moment is the chorus, which goes down a chanty direction and contains a cringy line or two (the ‘Vroom‘ really takes the cake here). While I do think repeats of Love 119 will probably engrave the chant into my mind (simple is best and that is what the chant does opt for), a part of me does think that the chant is monotonous and flat. And this unfortunately hinders the loving feeling that comes from the song, which the rest of the lyrics and delivery does gear towards. Overall, a decent pop track to begin the year off on this blog. Maybe a more riveting centrepiece could have taken the song to another level.
The music video sees the members falling in love with at first sight whilst at school, after they each recieve a text message that prophesises that they will fall in love at 6PM on 5 January 2024 (i.e., time of release of the music video). While what we do see in the lead up to that specific time is loving and cute, the events that transpired soon after appears to be more tragic. At the 3:00 minute mark, we hear a news announcer. While I am not entirely sure what is being said here, we do hear the sound of a train crossing. We are also shown shots of the girl that the members fallen in love with, but these shots really emphasise the fact that she is alone and that the members are looking for her. We then see a short glimpse of her at the crossing, an empty platform (the exact one that we see Wonbin on with the girl, presumably at 6PM on 5 January 2024) and the members in tears. Joining the dots, I think it is alluded that she dies soon after. We do see her playing the members in the snow later on, but in latter shots we only see the 6 members and a white butterfly flying around them. Butterflies tend to be used as a way to show that someone is no longer around. Now this theory may be wrong, as it doesn’t really consider the fact that she may have rejected Wonbin on the platform (we do see her shake her head at the end of the montage). Regardless, there is more to the video than the idea of falling in love at first sight and comparing it to an emergency (hence why the song is titled Love 119).
The performance was pleasant to watch, as well. I like how the additional oomph allows them to put in some energy to keep this routine moving, but yet they manage to balance out the choreography with some more delicate and softer movement.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.3/10
NCT is nominated for Best Male Group, while MARK (NCT) is nominated for Best Rap Performance, and NCT DREAM and NCT DOJAEJUNG are nominated for Best Subunit (amongst other categories) in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support NCT and their associated acts, songs and performances by clicking here to vote today.
Days prior to Christmas, NCT 127 released a special Winter single, Be There For Me. It follows on from their October 2023 comeback with Fact Check and the commencement of their 3rd world tour – Neo City – The Unity.
The comforting feeling of warmth comes through Be There For Me, especially since this new single steps away from the likes of EDM or synths that we know NCT 127 for (i.e., Fact Check) and into more acoustic territory (the organ in the background at the start signals this for me). The acoustic nature of Be There For Me naturally allows most of the members to showcase vocals and melodies, which were very easy on the ears and enjoyable to listen to. Be There For Me does have some rapping (courtesy of TAEYONG and MARK), and it brought nice rhythm. But they aren’t the most memorable aspect of the song. Aside from being a pleasant listen overall, I don’t have much else to say. My only complaint about Be There For Me probably is a ridiculous one but I found the song to be quite paced and mid-tempo, which does make it feel a bit long-winded. But that doesn’t offset any of the appeal and enjoyment that Be There For Me brings.
The music video brought a smile to my face. But I am not entirely sure if that was because of the combination of music and imagery, or the cringy nature of what is happening in the video. We start off with JOHNNY and JUNGWOO playing ping pong. JUNGWOO accidently hits the ball a bit too hard and it lands in JAEHYUN’s cereal. JUNGWOO and JAEHYUN fight, before DOYOUNG gets them to resolve their conflict so they can all seriously plan out their participation in a furniture auction. They build a chair and some fast auctioning happens, causing the auctioneer to bang their hammer down a little too hard, smashing all the windows. It causes the debris to fly everywhere, mimicking snow, which leads onto a snowglobe transition. That is what I took away from the video. I did like the beginning, which felt lighthearted. But the video got odd from the auction setting onwards.
The choreography was pleasant and enjoyable to watch. Nothing too flashy or too hard.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.8/10
Support your other favourite artists, songs and performance in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards by clicking here to vote today.
I am back! And the first song review of 2024 is TVXQ!’s Rebel. It is one of the final songs released in 2023 and serves as the title track from the duo’s 9th Korean studio album, 20&2. This particular album also celebrates the pair’s 20th anniversary. Rebel is also TVXQ!’s first Korean release since 2018’s Truth (though the two members have been more active over the last few years as solo artists). They have been more actively lately as a group in Japan with their last release Lime & Lemon dropping a few months prior.
Leave it to TVXQ! to see off 2023 with an energetic and dramatic track like Rebel. I really liked the hollow percussion in the verses, the glitchy and rough nature of the synths elsewhere in the song (that instrumental break really sells it for me), and the freshness the pop melodies in the pre-choruses bring to Rebel. As for the dramatic turn the chorus takes, I did like the suspenseful direction Rebel takes, but I personally felt it could have gone harder. To me, the chorus just teeters at the edges and doesn’t really fall as hard as you would have expected from listening to the rest of Rebel or just from what you know of TVXQ!. It truly was a missed opportunity to take Rebel to the next level. Vocally, I felt satisfied with those pop melodies we get in the pre-choruses (as mentioned above). However, it is the really low rap-speak that we get from U-KNOW that I am not entirely fond of. I do appreciate that it adds to the suspense and intensity of the track, but it felt a tad too artificial and over-processed for me. But honestly, my nit-picks are pretty minor. The energy, dramatic flair, intensity, suspense and just the familiarity of TVXQ! makes Rebel feel like an indulgence. And given it was released in the final few days of 2023, the timing to indulge in it was just right.
The music video looks cool and works well with the song. The aesthetics throughout looks amazing, especially when it came to the dance break. It looks like a mismatch of things, but they actually work hand-in-hand with each other to create intensity and depth. The bubbling lava, lightning and other imagery we see during the dance break instantly amps up the intensity of that portion of the video/song, taking everything to another level. The eyeball imagery in the first verse and artwork imagery used during two parts of the video was also quite memorable element.
The other super cool part of this comeback is the choreography. The ripple effects, the vibrating parts and that dance break just highlights why TVXQ has been around for 20 years now. They know how to perform and it is something that they do not take lightly.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 8.5/10 Performance – 10/10 Overall Rating – 8.8/10
BOYNEXTDOOR is nominated as the Best New Male Group in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support BOYNEXTDOOR and your favourite other acts by clicking here to vote for them today.
I am back tomorrow with new posts for 2024, beginning with the Weekly KPOP Charts for the final weeks of 2023. But before that, I will leave you with the final scheduled post from 2023 – the album review for BOYNEXTDOOR’s first mini-album, WHY…. WHY…. features six songs in total – 3 songs from the group’s first single album (WHO!) which they debuted with (But I Like You, One & Only, Serenade) and 3 newer songs (including the title track But Sometimes and the follow-up single ABCDLOVE). All links to the songs that I have reviewed separately can be found below. I have chosen to review WHY… (and by extension, WHO! more formally) as the album is almost fully reviewed on my blog (just two outstanding songs). An easy post to knock out in the lead up to the holidays, but also an nice deep dive into one of the newer groups of 2023. The mini-album is much more standard and weaker than the ones I usually prioritise. But as I always say – there is always potential for improvements to take it to the next level.
4. Crying – The first new track of Why.. is Crying. It is a much more mature sound than compared to the Who! songs. The track take on a jazzy R&B motif and highlights the vocals of the group quite well. The rappers do a nice job in Crying, with their parts maintaining a youthful vibe that the group has already built for themselves in their debut releases. While the song does focus more on melodies and what we get is pretty good, I wished this aspect of Crying was teased out a bit more to really give it an even more memorable element. (7/10)
6. ABCDLOVE – I am fully aware that ABCDLOVE got the music video treatment. But I thought I forgo a full song review for ABCDLOVE, as I found myself to be quite disengaged with this track. This hip-hop track highlights the group’s youthfulness (the chipmunk autotuned vocals at the start and end alludes to this), with what could have been a playful track. I did like the carefree vibe that the members conveyed through the track. But I do not agree with the slow pace of the instrumentation and momentum. It dragged out the song and dulled it down quite a bit. I always felt like ABCDLOVE could have been better had it picked itself up as it went along. (6/10)
KIM SEJEONG’s Top or Cliff is nominated for Best R&B Song and Door is nominated for Best Album in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support KIM SEJEONG’s releases and your other favourite acts by clicking here to vote today.
For the final day of 2023, I leave you with an album review for KIM SEJEONG’s first studio length album, Door. It was released back in August of this year, and features double title tracks, Top or Cliff (which I reviewed separately in a song review post) and Voyage (which I never got around to reviewing despite it having a music video due to time constraints). Door officially becomes of the highest rated albums on the blog this year thanks to the awesome and high quality line-up of tracks on this album, which earned Door‘s nomination for Best Album of 2023 in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards, as mentioned in the opening paragraph.
Door (문/門) Album Cover
1. Voyage (항해) (Title Track) – Opening up the studio album is Voyage. Due to time constraints, I won’t be able to review Voyage separately (since it did have a music video), which probably makes the song the first ever title track to not be reviewed on its own ahead of an album review. But my thoughts on Voyage are very simple. I really like the folksy approach to the instrumentation, along with the bright and breezy energy that makes it appropriate for the outgoing summery period that the song was released in. Sejeong’s vocals feel comfortable and inviting, serving as a great opening door to the album. (10/10)
2. If We Do– The album shifts towards a minimalistic sound that is ballad-like in If We Do. It has me swaying side to side as I listen to it, and KIM SEJEONG’s pure and delicate vocals just whisks me off my feet. I also like the chorus of If We Do, where she compares parts of a relationship to different song genres. A little sample of the genre in question plays right after she makes the comparison in the lyrics. Without digging into the lyrics, this is an intriguing aspect of the song. But in the context of the lyrics, it feels logical and makes for a nice addition to the intent of If We Do. (9/10)
3. Sea of Hope(바라던바다) – Sea of Hope is takes us further into the balladry style. And without doubts, Sea of Hope is a beautiful one. I really like the atmospheric approach of the traditional instrumentation, taking us down a dreamy motif. I am not immediately taken away by the melodies in this song, but they have grown immensely on me and I do like the build-up the soloist delivers in the song. KIM SEJEONG’s vocals are lovely and emotionally driven, which further emphasises the beauty of the song. (8.5/10)
4. Between Summer and Winter(권태기의노래) – The next song picks up the momentum on the album with a soft pop-rock track. Again, Between Summer and Winter is pretty number that feels like a pleasant track to have on whilst taking a twilight walk. It isn’t the immediate standout on the album, but it still a worthwhile listen. I really like how KIM SEJEONG’s vocals captivated me in this track, especially with how breathy and delicate the delivery at certain parts of Between Summer and Winter. I also enjoyed the guitar solo in the bridge. (8/10)
5. Destiny(모르고 그려도 서로를 그리다) – I have a few favourites on this album and Destiny is one of them. I like how buoyant the instrumentation is in Destiny, with piano in the background and the pretty synth work. The upbeat nature of this pop track just hits the right spot and I liked the blissfulness this brings. The slight autotune applied to KIM SEJEONG’s vocals just allows her vocals to blend in so well with the rest of the track, but she remains crisp as always during other moments. The ‘Eh-Oh’ is also quite memorable hook in Destiny. (10/10)
7. Jenga – Jenga is quite a stylish pop number, particularly when it came to the chorus of the song. I can’t tell whether if the chorus is based on synths or really nice guitar work. But either way, I found it to be a really cool sound that sticks around in my head, even after Jenga is over. I like the different ‘moments’ in the song, such as angsty rock sequence we get towards the middle of the song and the dramatic strings that appear at the start and in the bridge of the track. The melodies also bring a smile to my face. (9/10)
8. Indigo Promise – Breathy vocals is what I remember the most about Indigo Promise. The atmospheric instrumentation and melodies are also additional promising elements of the song. Together, they form another beautiful song that feels on brand for KIM SEJEONG. (8/10)
9. Send A Letter(편지를보내요) – We delve further into balladry territory in Send A Letter. The usual suspects keep on bring me back to the song time and time again. I really like how her vocals shine in this song, the obvious emotional weight she conveys in the lyrics and the captivating melodies that has me closing my eyes to truly experience Send A Letter. I really like the strings in background, and also the jazzy riffs the piano brings to this ballad. (9/10)
10. Over The Rainbow (언젠가무지개를건너야할때) – Over The Rainbow keeps us in ballad land, with an orchestral instrumentation to back the ballad. Once again, KIM SEJEONG’s vocals and Over The Rainbow’s melodies keep me around. The vocals themselves are stunning throughout the length of the song (especially towards the end of the track), and the melodies are very pretty. Altogether, ‘beautiful’ is exactly how I would describe the song, and it is another favourite of mine. (10/10)
11. In The Rain(빗소리가들리면) – Finally, we reach the end of the album. And to lead us out, In The Rain picks up the energy a bit, combining the likes of orchestration and band instrumentation into a brighter and dynamic number. I know I sound like a broken record, but KIM SEJEONG’s vocals are beautifully delivered and they also bring such a refreshing tone to the song. The choir sequence serves as an introduction to the end of In The Rain, bringing out wholesome vibes. But it is KIM SEJEONG’s vocals that signal the end and she does so in such a satisfying manner. It hard to skip to this song. (10/10)
Support your other favourite artists, songs and performance in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards by clicking here to vote today.
Somehow BamBam’s March comeback with Sour & Sweet keeps on being passed up for a review. Obviously, I missed the opportunity to review the soloist’s latest song in March. I have also started a draft of the review a month after its release in April, and then again in August. But I am finally writing a review of Sour & Sweet, the title track of BamBam’s first studio album of the same name. It follows on from his release of Slow Mo at the very start of 2022 and will form the final song review to be posted in 2023.
Thanks to the synthwave instrumentation of Sour & Sweet, many people have been drawing parallels between this song and The Kid Laroi’s Stay. And I can completely hear that. Sour & Sweet is not better than the international hit itself, but it is still very much a likeable track. The synthwave backing and the fact that BamBam doesn’t go too hard makes for a pleasant track in Sour & Sweet. It all feels wispy and breezy, but yet the hooks keep the song grounded. And these hooks are very effective in keeping the song in your mind. Given the many months between release and this review, you might think that the hooks can’t be that effective. But it has beckoned me to starting writing a version of the review in between that will never see the light of day. BamBam’s delivery in the verses is also quite good. Not as riveting at the chorus, but still enjoyable. The instrumental break continues the momentum of the track with ease and doesn’t disrupt the flow or the song in anyway. Sour & Sweet is a very neat track from BamBam.
The music video shows two sides of BamBam. Based on the title of the song, one side depicts the “sour”, while the other depicts the “sweet”. In the video, we see BamBam investigate a crime. A crime that is later shown to have been committed the other side of BamBam. To me, it is a little unclear which side is which. I have a feeling that it might not be what we expect, however, given everything is slightly different. You might notice the song title is ‘Sour & Sweet’, when the saying is usually ‘Sweet & Sour’. Similarly, the writing on the newspaper says ‘Evil & Good’, when the saying is usually ‘Good & Evil’. Similarly, the business card he picks up associates ‘Sour’ with white, and ‘Sweet’ with black, when it would more common the other way around. It is quite a different take on things and brings out an aesthetic vibe that makes the music video even more thought provoking. That, or I am overcomplicating things, once again.
BamBam’s live performance skills are definitely shown off during this comeback with a solid routine and engaging performance from the soloist. His impressed me with his consistent live vocals, and the instrumental break highlights his dance performance skills. It is most effective when BamBam dons a jacket of some kind, with the opening of one side of the jacket having the most impact. It looks slightly awkward without the jacket.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8.5/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.2/10
KPOPREVIEWED 