Category: KPOP

[Review] The Wonderful Escape – UKISS

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UKISS is nominated for Best “Return to Stage” Comeback in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support UKISS and your other favourite acts by clicking here to vote today.

UKISS is a group who debuted back in 2008 with Not Young. But since their debut, they have become widely known in the KPOP industry for hits like Man Man Ha Ni, Shut Up!, 0330, Neverland (my personal favourite from the group) and a few others. Over the years, there has been a number of lineup changes which reduced the group down to two members at one point. This year, UKISS celebrated their 15-year anniversary as a six-member group (Soohyun, Hoon and Kiseop are joined by Alexander, Eli and AJ as part of this comeback, with the support of other former members) with their first comeback (since 2017) – the mini-album Play List and the title track The Wonderful Escape.

The Wonderful Escape brings to us a nostalgic sound, which is fitting for the purposes of this comeback. The Wonderful Escape has this throwback club vibe to it that feels aligned with the era where the group was at their peak (i.e., late ‘00s and early ‘10s). In addition to that, the song also feels brightly refreshing and upbeat, which gives it an ideal appeal during the summery season that was released in. I really like the prowess and oomph that the members’ vocals bring to in The Wonderful Escape, which gives the song some nice depth and an extra element that is quite meaty to sink into. The rapping was admittedly brief and I am unsure why that was the case. What we got from in The Wonderful Escape fits in really well with the club vibe and EDM nature of the song, and so I wished there was more to it. This was a great return for UKISS. And with news that Alexander and Eli have signed on to keep the group alive with future comebacks with Soohyun, Hoon and Kiseop (plus AJ flagged he would be open to also participating in future promotions), The Wonderful Escape just invigorates my inner KissMe (name of UKISS fanclub).

While I really enjoyed the song , the music video was the disappointing aspect of the comeback for me. Don’t get me wrong, the video (for its majority) was watchable. But, and I am completely aware I am about to sound like an elderly citizen, I just can’t get out of my mind that UKISS is now a group of 30+ years olds who were doing similar scenes in this music video as some of their much younger peers (such as pushing each other in a shopping trolley – that feels very teenage/very young adult behaviour). I also wish the styling was better. Other than that, I did really like the various solo and some pair closeup shots of the group, and all of the indoor choreography scenes (see the feature image). They way the people who created the music video used up the space made it all come out well.

The choreography for the comeback looks good. It isn’t as memorable as their more wildly know routines, but it works well enough for this comeback. It is light and feels rightly upbeat like the music. I like how everyone involved had smiles on throughout the performances, which shows that they all really wanted to be there to celebrate the 15-year anniversary after so long.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10

[Review] MEGAVERSE – Stray Kids

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Stray Kids is nominated for Best Male Group, while Stray Kids’ rappers (HYUNJIN, HAN, CHANGBIN and FELIX) are nominated for Best Rap Performance. Their comeback single S-Class is nominated in a number of categories including Best Male Performance (Group), Best Electronic Song, Best Music Video etc. Support Stray Kids, S-Class and your other favourite acts from 2023 by clicking here to vote today.

Stray Kids have gone above and beyond again with their latest comeback, ROCK-STAR, and the title track LALALALA. In addition to the title track, Stray Kids have also unveiled the music video for MEGAVERSE, thus making it eligible for a song review – the reason as to why we are here today.

MEGAVERSE is quite an intense track, with the track being at its best when the intensity is at its peak. The song goes for some really dramatic synths that sets the tone of the track in a matter of seconds. The flute-y synth in the chorus is very memorable, giving MEGAVERSE that really defining element that instantly makes you remember the likes of MEGAVERSE if you were to hear it standalone elsewhere. But as mentioned at the start, the best part of MEGAVERSE’s instrumentation is towards the end when they really went in hard with the very wild and powerful synth concentration. As for Stray Kids, they did a really great job. FELIX and BANGCHAN’s opening line were so epic, while CHANGBIN, HAN and HYUNJIN’s rapping in the verses were so engaging and had great flow. LEE KNOW did a really good job fitting into the song, as well. SEUNGMIN and I.N were the members I had most concerns, given they shine brightest with more delicate material and MEGAVERSE doesn’t really reflect their wheelhouse. But I am happy to be corrected, as their vocals moments in the pre-chorus ends up being really nice moments of relief, which allows the song to ‘reset’ itself, so that the chorus drop can continually feel invigorating and less tiresome every time it comes back around. MEGAVERSE is a very strong opening track that really showcases who Stray Kids are and their style of music.

The music video opens up with a bored security guard, munching on some food and scribbling on an image of Stray Kids in the newspaper. Yeah… he shouldn’t have done that. Each member of Stray Kids make themselves known to the security guard in the video, with the group first appearing in the elevator on one of the guard’s screen out of nowhere. And without touching him, he faces the force of Stray Kids, who sends him flying into a glass wall and falling down a floor through the floor. This pretty much terrifies the guard, who tries to run away. But he can’t seem to do that, as he finds himself in a constant loop circling back to BANGCHAN, who we all know would go out of his way to protect his fellow members.  In the end, he snaps out of it after a fellow security guard interrupts what appears to be just a moment for the guard. That fellow security guard is TABLO from EPIK HIGH, who makes an unexpected appearance in this video. He is also intrigued by the newspaper. But rather experiencing what the other guard went through, he simply writes his name alongside Stray Kids in the crossword section of the newspaper (which interestingly has a “Next ‘X’?” title), which might be hinting towards a future collaboration between the two.

Ahead of the album drop, MEGAVERSE was performed as part of the group’s 5-Star Dome Tour. Said performance is very angsty and aggressive, matching up with the atmosphere that MEGAVERSE brings out and the delivery the group gives. It is a bold piece that definitely grabs your attention. And like the song itself, this might just become the very performance you might want to introduce non-fans to  Stray Kids.

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

[Review] Top or Cliff – KIM SEJEONG

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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.

Following the surprising announcement of Gugudan’s disbandment in 2020, the only member that has managed to stay on my radar is Kim Sejeong. This is more so the result of her growing popularity through the Korean dramas Business Proposal and The Uncanny Encounter. In August of this year, she returned as a solo artist with her first studio album, Door, and the title tracks Top or Cliff and Voyage. The former is the focus of this review post.

Top or Cliff takes us down the R&B path, with a flowy melody and a dramatic instrumentation. The guitar work that kicks off the song has this grip to it, while the dramatic nature of the instrumentation comes to life via the very paced percussion we hear in the background. This all accumulates towards a mature and moody atmosphere. Unfortunately, Top or Cliff doesn’t deviate from this composition at all as the song progresses, which is good for consistency purposes, but it also makes the song feel flat and lackluster as it goes on. I wished there was some sort of concentration of intensity towards the end to make Top or Cliff even more memorable on the instrumental front. Kim Sejeong’s vocals was very soothing, which I found to both complement and contrast with the rest of Top or Cliff. An interesting predicament. The breathy nature of the vocals accentuates the melodies and contributes to the mature and moody atmosphere. Yet it is smooth despite the dramatic flair. Overall, Top or Cliff has the hallmarks of a strong release. But I feel like better development, trajectory and an ending would have made everything even better.

Matching the mature and moody atmosphere of the song is the dark and violent music video. I would say that it feels rather unexpected. But it is a memorable aspect of this comeback. The music video opens up with Kim Sejeong arriving at the mansion. The staff all lineup to greet her at her arrival, but from some of the scenes, there is a level of distrust between her and the staff. I suppose she has a high rank in whatever this organisation is, and the staff (as we see later in the video) are planning a revolt. The staff keeps an eye on her, but she clearly knows that something is happening around the mansion. In the end, she takes action herself and takes down all of the staff themselves. A fight breaks ensues, but ultimately Kim Sejeong wins and burns the place down. While there is a lot of bloodshed in this video, I do find the start of the video where she is dancing around the mansion to be quite aesthetically pleasing. But I am assuming this is supposed to be intention so that it looks like she doesn’t know what is going on. I believe the message, when taking the events of the video and the lyrics into account, shows her strength and determination to not show her weakness.

The performance is very flowy, matching up with the melodies of the song. It looks nice and feels pleasant to watch, but nothing memorable comes from it.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.6/10

[Review] Serenade – BOYNEXTDOOR

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BOYNEXTDOOR is nominated for Best New Male Group in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support BOYNEXTDOOR and your other favourite acts by clicking here to vote today.

The BOYNEXTDOOR release that I promised I would review one day is the single Serenade, the third and final single from their single album WHO!. Today is the day I fulfil the promises I made in their One & Only and But I Like You reviews. Serenade was later featured as part of the group’s first mini-album released in October, Why.., and an album review for Why.. will be published soon.

Of the three debut singles BOYNEXTDOOR had, Serenade offers a more melodic focus. If you know me, I do like tracks that more vocal or melody forward, compared to rapping. And while the melodies in Serenade are quite pleasant and the vocal work we do hear from BOYNEXTDOOR does have some potential (the bridge is the best example of this potential), I wished that the producers of Serenade reeled the song in a bit. The group keeps to their youthful and playful charms in this song, something that they really made sure to emphasise in their both One & Only and But I Like You already. I don’t have an issue with the producers and the group maintaining this energy (as that is their concept), but it does make Serenade feel a bit ‘too much’. Some of the vocals and rapping feels a bit over-the-top and shouty, which detracts from the melodic focus that I mentioned at the start. Elsewhere in Serenade, I really liked how the song ends (though the “I’ll get along with your dad, for you” line makes me laugh), and I thought the various detailing in the instrumental keeps the track charming and on its toes.

The group chases after the person they have a crush on in the music video. And that is the music video in a nutshell. They follow her on the streets, to the place where she hangs out with friends (i.e., the recurring diner) and to her home. Not in a creepy sense, but in a ‘boy next door’ type of fashion that you see in American TV shows, where one party is upstairs and the other party is outside throwing rocks at the window to get the other’s attention. Holding speakers over the top of one’s head whilst outside of another’s home is similar I liked how the dad opens the door at the very end, and the group is taken aback with the presence of the dad. It gives context to the final line of the song mentioned above.

The performance was fun and playful, which works with their image. I really liked the crab walk move they do as a group in the first chorus  

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.9/10

[Album Review] Golden Age (4th Studio Album) – NCT

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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.

NCT returned with 20-members (sans LUCAS, who left the group due to controversy, and SUNGCHAN and SHOTARO who both were transferred to RIIZE) in August this year with a new album – Golden Age. Leading the charge on this 10-track album are Baggy Jeans and Golden Age. In addition to the 2 title tracks, I have also been busy reviewing 4 songs that has an ‘archiving video’ released as part of the promotions. And with all possible tracks eligible for a separate song review now ‘reviewed’, the only thing left is the rest of the album, which is why we are gathered here today. Golden Age is a fair album, with some great tracks on the list. For more of my own thoughts on the individual, continue reading onwards.

Golden Age Album Cover

1. Baggy Jeans (Title Track) (TAEYONG, DOYOUNG, JAEHYUN, TEN & MARK) – Click here to read the full review of Baggy Jeans. (6/10)

2. Call D (TAEYONG & TEN) – You might remember the pairing of TAEYONG and TEN from their Baby Don’t Stop days (almost 6 years ago). They are paired together again (just like how Baggy Jeans reunited the initial NCT U lineup) for Call D. And boy, this is an amazing track! I really like the synth work in this instrumentation, which translates to an awesome performance. It feels very textural, and the glitchness double downs towards the end. I find both TAEYONG and TEN to be quite charismatic in Call D with their rapping and vocals (that bridge was beautiful), captivating us further. (10/10)

3. PADO (JOHNNY, TAEYONG, JAEHYUN, MARK, XIAOJUN, HENDERY & HAECHAN) – Click here for the full review of PADO. (10/10)

4. Interlude: Oasis (YUTA, JAEHYUN, WINWIN, JAEMIN & CHENLE) – Oasis is a very soft R&B-like number, much different to what we are used from NCT. ‘Easy on the ears’ as I tend to say, but this description also comes about from the overall smooth vibes that comes from the track. This interlude track also highlights the vocals and rapping from this lineup, particularly from CHENLE and JAEMIN. (8.5/10)

5. The BAT (TAEIL, JOHNNY, YUTA, JUNGWOO, HENDERY, JENO & JISUNG) – Click here for the full review for The BAT. (8.5/10)

6. Alley Oop (YUTA, WINWIN, HENDERY, JENO, JAEMIN, YANGYANG & JISUNG) – Click here to read the full review for Alley Oop. (8/10)

7. That’s Not Fair (JOHNNY, TAEYONG, TEN, MARK, JENO & YANGYANG) – That’s Not Fair takes on the hip-hop style of music in a unique manner. Firstly, the instrumental has this subtle type of intensity which bubbles way. It never really builds, but you can tell it happening in the background. I also like the ‘down low’ nature of the backing, which complements the deeper and lower registers that the unit delivers their line in. This lower tone also enables a monotonous approach in That’s Not Fair that just screams out hip-hop. The melodies that manage to come through helps push the song along, and there are some catchy hooks in That’s Not Fair. All of this contributes to an experience that I wouldn’t mind going back to time and time again. (8/10)

8. Kangaroo (TAEIL, KUN, RENJUN, YANGYANG, CHENLE & JISUNG) – Click here for the full review of Kangaroo. (7.5/10)

9. Not Your Fault (TAEIL, KUN, DOYOUNG, TEN, JUNGWOO, XIAOJUN & RENJUN) – For the second last track on this album, this seven-member vocalist lineup brings us a R&B ballad. Not Your Fault is pretty much a familiar track for the likes of an R&B ballad. It features a warm and pleasantly instrumented piano-centric backing and stunning vocals from the lineup – JUNGWOO’s vocals at the end is soooo nice. It isn’t the most memorable track of the bunch, but it is still a nice listen. (7.5/10)

10. Golden Age – Click here for the full review of Golden Age. (7/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.1/10

  • YUTA’s teaser image for Golden Age
  • YANGYANG’s Teaser Image for Golden Age
  • XIAOJUN’s teaser image for Golden Age.
  • WINWIN’s teaser image for Golden Age.
  • TEN’s teaser image for Golden Age.
  • TAEYONG’s teaser image for Golden Age
  • TAEIL’s teaser image for Golden Age.
  • RENJUN’s teaser image for Golden Age
  • MARK’s teaser image for Golden Age.
  • KUN’s teaser image for Golden Age.
  • JUNGWOO’s teaser image for Golden Age.
  • JOHNNY’s teaser image for Golden Age.
  • JISUNG’s teaser image for Golden Age.
  • JENO’s teaser image for Golden Age.
  • JAEMIN’s teaser image for Golden Age.
  • JAEHYUN’s teaser image for Golden Age.
  • HENDERY’s teaser image for Golden Age.
  • HAECHAN’s teaser image for Golden Age.
  • DOYOUNG’s teaser image for Golden Age.
  • CHENLE’s teaser image for Golden Age.

Happy Holidays 🙂

[Album Review] Letter with Notes (1st Studio Album) – Young K (DAY6)

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Young K’s let it be summer is nominated for Best Rock Song in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support let it be summer and your other favourite acts by clicking here to vote today.

If you haven’t seen yet, I have posted the song reviews for Young K’s 2023 releases, nothing but and let it be summer (links below), over the last two weeks. And with that, I am ready to post my thoughts on Young K’s album that features these two tracks – Letter with Notes. This is Young K’s first comeback since his military enlistment and his first studio album. It dropped on 4 September 2023. Personally, I really like the variety that Young K offers in this album – there is a bit of rock, jazz, ballads etc. I kind of had the mindset that the entire album will just be variations of rock (given that Young K does come from a band) or just the more typical vocals/band formula. But there is a lot more to Letters with Notes as you dig further into the album. I highly recommend this release, especially if you are missing your DAY6 dose lately.

Letters With Notes Album Cover

1. waited (오늘만을 너만을 이날을) – Starting off the album is waited. To me, this 90s-like rock track is one of a few that I feel DAY6 easily could have executed together. It just had that whole band vibe that DAY6 has built for them. Well, of course, Young K does a really good job himself with his passionate vocals. I also enjoyed the upbeat and bright energy from the band instrumentation, the pairing making waited a lovely opener, and the glitchy-like echo of following the first chorus was a memorable and unique element of the song. (9/10)

2. nothing but (이것밖에는 없다) (Title Track) – Click here for the full review for nothing but. (8.5/10)

3. let it be summer (Pre-release Track) – Click here for the full review for let it be summer. (9/10)

4. Dreamer (꿈꿈) – Dreamer is a British rock track, with feel-good vibes at the forefront of the track. I really like the grungy guitar work in this track, which gives Dreamer a bit of grit, and the splash of brass in the background that emphasises and concentrates those feel-good vibes. Those same vibes are also exuded through Young K’s vocals – the best showing of his vocals is during the bridge, when the melodies curls up. The way he sings those ‘curls’ is impeccable. I find myself getting lost in all of the above often when I hear Dreamer on my queue, and that is definitely a solid indicator to how good the song is. (10/10)

5. Bungee Jumping – Bungee Jumping moves us into slightly softer territory, with a more mellow and pleasant vibe to its instrumentation (despite remaining upbeat). But before you think this translates a softer or mellow approach to Young K’s vocals, think again. I find Young K still puts some oomph behind his vocals during certain parts of the song (such as the opener to the chorus), which brings forth a bungee jumping-like effect to his vocals, which I find complements the title of the song well. Apart from that, everything (melodies, delivery etc.) feels pretty standard. (8/10)

6. natural – The instrumentation to natural evokes a foot-tapping reaction from me, which is another sign of a good song. I like how straight forwardly simple and pure the instrumentation, which complements the title (again) and the romantic intent of the song. Young K’s vocals are really nice in natural, with the soloist going down a more heartfelt and soft approach. I love how delicate he gets in this song, which contrasts nicely with the instrumentation. (9/10)

7. STRANGE – STRANGE reinvigorates the album with the infusion of synths alongside the band instrumentation. It ends up giving off a different dynamic to the rest of the traditional band approaches on the album, serving us with a playful vibe. You can also feel the refreshing energy coming from the soloist’s vocals. Throw in some catchy moments and you have a strong side track in STRANGE. (9/10)

8. SOUL (ft. COILB) – We revisit brass and band instrumentation in SOUL. This time around, the brass is more in the forefront and we also get a nice mellow touch via the presence of piano. Together, with the band instrumentation, we get a jazzy-like atmosphere. Young K himself brings so much soul and passion during the chorus, captivating and engaging me. So much so that I feel SOUL is his best effort vocally on this album. COILB’s rapping also complements SOUL quite well, with his delivery also giving passionate and soulful vibes. (10/10)

9. playground – The playful vibes come back to play in playground, with a funkier sound profile in this rock track. There also appears to be a touch of blues in playground. Young K’s vocals also play around, with his delivery throughout and the quirks in the vocals giving off confident, lively and cheeky undertones. I really like the dynamics of playground and just wished it had gone on and on. (9/10)   

10. babo – Despite the song’s title being the Korean word for ‘fool’, babo is an all-English track. The instrumentation makes babo an interesting track, with the various detailing, pauses and changes that unexpectedly arises as the song progresses. Despite listening to the song a few times since its release, I do find that I still get caught off guard with some of it, such as when the song turns acoustic out of nowhere and fades away. But despite that, babo is still a decent listen. (8/10)

11. what is.. – The final track on the album is (no surprises) a ballad. I really like the atmospheric instrumentation of what is.. and how it further emphasises the emotional heft that ultimately comes from Young K’s vocals. In addition to the emotions, his vocals are stunningly beautiful, captivating and engaging us once again. It also made for a nice closer to this album. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 9/10

Letters with Notes Teaser Image

[Album Review] All My Girls (4th Single Album) – EVERGLOW

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Support your other favourite artists, songs and performance in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards by clicking here to vote today.

EVERGLOW made their long awaited comeback with the single album All My Girls and the title track SLAY back in August of this year. This comes after a year and 8 month absence (their last being PIRATE and the mini-album Return of the Girl). Now, when I vetted the album for review, I could only find one good track on it. The other two (including the title track) falls a bit flat. I normally wouldn’t have picked up the album to review if that was the case. But I did want to continue reviewing EVERGLOW’s album releases, given that they do have a lot of potential. It is just this comeback (I hope) just didn’t hit the mark for me. For more of my personal thoughts on the individual songs, continue reading below.

All My Girls Album Cover

1. SLAY (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for SLAY. (6.5/10)

2. Oh Ma Ma Girl – To me, Oh Ma Ma Girl is a cohesive piece. I like the guitar work in the background and the punch the percussion brings to the song. The breathy and smooth vocals are also a strong aspect of Oh Ma Ma Girl. Where the song falters in the melodies. Yes, it makes the track pleasant to listen to. But I don’t find them to be memorable enough to get me to return to the track. (7/10)

3. Make Me Feel – Make Me Feel is by far the superior track on this single album. I really like the synth work in the background of this pop track, the rhythm that comes about from the percussion and beat, and the simplicity of the vocal work. There is some variety in all of that, but they all contribute to an easy on the ears and enjoyable listen. The chorus itself felt catchy and had I paid more attention to the single album since its release (the two songs before this one didn’t really give much incentive to do so), Make Me Feel would have grown greatly on me. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.5/10

All My Girls Teaser Image

[Review] Kangaroo – NCT U

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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.

In preparation for an album review for NCT’s Golden Age that dropped back in August with Baggy Jeans and Golden Age at the helm, I have been reviewing the tracks that had an ’archiving video’ released alongside it. And for the final time – what on earth is an archiving video? So far, I have reviewed PADO, The BAT and Alley Oop. But there is one more to review before I can post that album review – Kangaroo.   

TAEIL, KUN, RENJUN, YANGYANG, CHENLE and JISUNG are the members that form the lineup for Kangaroo. Out of the four additional songs that I am reviewing separately from Golden Age, Kangaroo is the least interesting for me. I personally find this track to be fairly standard of the bunch and it doesn’t really offer anything new or memorable that gets me coming back for more. That being said, I don’t personally mind Kangaroo. If it pops up on my queue, I won’t turn away or skip over it. Kangaroo is still a bright and upbeat track. The members make it bubbly and fun with their vocals. And most notably, there is a pleasantness, chillness and carefree vibe which I do see as charming.

The music video is also just as bright as the song, and the members turn on their cute charms to bring it all to life. While I would usually find such concepts to be cringy, it isn’t as bad as it could have been. Maybe they could have expanded on the idea of the ‘escape plan’ that we see in the video. It is just kind of shown and casted aside. I also don’t really see much of a kangaroo reference aside from the paw-like dance move, which I think is a missed opportunity to make the video even more fun than what it is. Plus, I do like kangaroos (though that might be my Australian-side coming through).

The performance is just like the music video. It is definitely bright and cutesy. But I do also see the fun and kind of see the kangaroo reference in the video. Maybe more hopping would have made the performance a bit more aligned with the title, but I enjoyed this aspect of the release nonetheless.

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

[Review] Who’s Next – Lapillus

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A group who I don’t really pay attention to whom I ought to pay attention more to is Lapillus. While I am not 100% sure why, I have a gut feeling that tells me that they should be on my radar. And their latest song, Who’s Next, backs up this thought. Who’s Next was released in June 2023 as part of the group’s second mini-album, Girl’s Round Part.2.

Who’s Next is clearly loud and noisy, but it is the boldness and striking nature of the song that I like best. You can say that the instrumentation plays a part in this (and it does, though I am not 100% impressed with the background – more of that in a second), but I actually put it down to the song’s clear and simple chanty “Tell me who’s next” hook, which does get pretty addictive. The “Na Na Na” refrain that follows the second chorus and ends off the song also has a similar effect. The pre-chorus that leads to the song’s main hook actually sounds quite good and gives a nice incline towards my personal likeable aspect of Who’s Next. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the rest of the song. The verses were a complete miss, with vocals and rapping not coming off as polished. The instrumentation was very typical and dated ‘loud noise’ and I felt it didn’t offer Who’s Next anything new to really set it apart from the competition. I also didn’t feel like it was cohesive, with it feeling like we were more so thrown into the production. Overall, I like Who’s Next’s intention, but not necessary all of its execution.

The music video appears to be pretty sub-par. There just isn’t a whole heap going on over than closeup and choreography in this video. While the background does give off an edgy vibe, the concept either felt plain (i.e., street food laneway) and was pretty overkill (i.e. gun-filled bathroom). The members’ styling was also quite boring. The post-production sucked. For example, the video includes a pretty cool drone shot at 1:10 of the video, with the drone flying through a window. But the editing that follows to merge it with the choreography scene to make it feel like the drone was also going to capture the choreography to make it appear seamless was very elementary and cheapens the whole deal. Also, what on earth is going on at the 2:33 mark, with the camera work capturing all members of the gun filled bathroom. They kind of used a 360° camera on a drone? It feels a bit much and felt distracting from the rest of the video.

I am quite impressed with the routine for this release, particularly when it comes to the chorus and instrumental break. The synchronisation between the members and sharpness of the moves looked cool and edgy. It also felt logical, which I liked.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 6.4/10

[Review] nothing but – Young K (DAY6)

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Young K’s let it be summer is nominated for Best Rock Song in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support let it be summer and your other favourite acts by clicking here to vote today.

Young K from DAY6 made his solo debut back in 2021 with the single Guard You. Following that, he carried out his military enlistment until April of this year. In September, he returned as a solo artist, bringing his first studio album Letters with Notes, the pre-release single let it be summer (which I have already reviewed) and the title track nothing but (the latter being the focus of this review).

While let it be summer was an energetic rock track, nothing but goes down the balladry path. The rock/band elements do remain in the instrumentation and the backing is also rather simplistic. These elements and its simplistic approach tones down the energy quite a bit to fit that balladry approach. But it is obvious to me that the execution of the backing remained passionate to enable nothing but to be an effective carrier of Young K’s vocals, which is so damn emotive. You can feel the heartbreak and pain behind his voice, which made the song so impactful to me when I first heard it. And it still remains that way every time I play the song again and again. Aside from that, I found the jerky piano at the start made for a stilling opening and a good beginning. But I would have liked more striking piano work elsewhere in nothing but to complement the beginning somehow. As it is, nothing but is still an emotive rock ballad that serves as a strong addition to Young K’s solo work.

The music video features both Young K and DAHYUN from TWICE, who we see are going through a break up. From Young K’s perspective (based on the lyrics of nothing but), he could feel that the breakup was coming. But he tries to hold onto what is left, as much as he can. We see him lose the ring in a car that is going to be dropped from up high. But no matter way, he tries to find it. DAHYUN drinks all of the water in the glass, and he goes to fill it back up as a way to keep her at the table. We see her hand back the presents that he once bought her – later shown to be frozen in ice (a metaphor for their relationship). But he still smashes his way through the ice to free the items. But no matter what he does, the video shows ultimately ends in their breakup. It is a really abstract yet interesting music video to watch. I also thought the acting of both Young K and DAHYUN was exceptional in this video.  

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10  

[Review] AMNESIA – WOODZ

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WOODZ is nominated for Best Male Soloist and ABYSS is nominated for Best Ballad in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support WOODZ and ABYSS by clicking here to vote today.

WOODZ announced that he will be enlisting into the Korean military later this month. But ahead of this, he also confirmed one final music release, AMNESIA, which dropped on Monday of this week. This follows on from his earlier 2023 comeback with ABYSS and Journey. AMNESIA will also serve as my final ‘new release’ review of 2023, as previously mentioned.

WOODZ kicks off AMNESIA with an alternative-rock ballad approach. And this start alone was breath taking to listen to. His vocals was extremely captivating and you could already feel the emotions behind WOODZ’s voice from this opening verse. Similar comments can be said about the second verse. But for the chorus, WOODZ takes AMNESIA up many notches with a powerful rock sound. And then he pushes the boundaries further with an even more heightened instrumental following the choruses. He has definitely tapped into the rock genre before in his discography, but this is the first time a song really blasts its way through and really grabs your attention. To be fair, the way this powerful rock sound comes off will either makes or breaks AMNESIA for everyone. Some will feel it is too much – it already feels so powerful that it overpowers WOODZ’s vocals in the latter half of the chorus. Others will enjoy it, with the powerful display being indicative of emotional heft AMNESIA delivers and the impact that the song delivers. I am of the latter category, though part of me does agree with the former regarding the overpowered vocals (hence why I raised it). But overall, I felt like the rush of energy from the choruses and the instrumental sequence following the choruses in AMNESIA to be quite exhilarating, which adds to the memorability of the song that firstly began with the captivating vocals in the verses.

In addition to the dark and grungy vibes that are given off at first glance through the rock band/singing scenes, the music video appears to be quite aesthetic. There is a fair bit to unpack in this video, such as the mysterious nature of the blonde person – it looks like they are contributing to WOODZ’s struggle, but they also rescue him. What does this all mean? Also the car crashing down into the room with the bathtub is quite intriguing. AMNESIA, according to Soompi, ‘asks the question what we have forgotten while living today.’. So, I am guessing these aspects of the music video are what WOODZ might have forgotten after moving on from a past relationship, given the parts when he is in a leather jacket does show him more ‘put together’ compared to the bathtub scenes? All very intriguing, and I am not put off by that.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.8/10

[Review] BORN TO BE – ITZY

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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.

Ahead of their official comeback on 8 January 2024 with their second studio album, ITZY has pre-released the single BORN TO BE. This upcoming comeback will be ITZY’s first return with a four-member lineup, after it was announced that LIA would not be part of this comeback due to anxiety. It also follows on from the group’s CAKE comeback in July of this year and their more recent Japanese single RINGO.

BORN TO BE attempts to become the group’s most powerful and bombastic sound yet, based on the visual aspect of this release (more on that in the music video and performance aspects of this review). And while I do hear it during certain parts of the song, I just don’t think BORN TO BE gets there. I personally thought the song was rather tame. Sure, the instrumental was busy and loud (though it was very clear to me that it was typical and lacked originality), and ITZY’s delivery at times alludes to a powerful undertaking. But I felt something was holding back the song from realizing its full potential. To me, a more innovative instrumental could have resolved some that. For example, I was waiting for some added vibrancy and intensity to kick in during the final chorus to make everything at the end feel more enhanced. That would have made BORN TO BE‘s ending to be more satisfying to end on. Also, I wished the chorus was less monotonous with its ‘Born To Be’ repetitive hook. I felt that really dulls the song down quite a bit. But it isn’t all bad news for ITZY. The shoutier moments of BORN TO BE felt like a statement, and I actually like the stillness (relative to the rest of the song) that the pre-chorus brought to the track. The vocal backing in the instrumental break was actually refreshing and different to the usual synth-only dance breaks we get. Overall, I definitely think more can be done with BORN TO BE.

The music video goes for a darker than usual concept for this performance centric music video. But I also like its simplicity. It might not be apparent, given the different visual effects utilized in the video and the amount of dancers present in video. But when you start breaking it down, there really isn’t much. The room is literally dark, with post-production used to apply a limited yet cool set of visual effects that plays out above the members/dancers. LCD screens are below the members as the ‘floor’, which at times was lava or just a white foundation for the group and dancers to perform and ‘pop’ out on. Minimal lighting was also used – there was enough so that you can see the members/dancers, but not enough such that the background feels like it is darkness. At a certain point, red carpet was introduced along with a rock formation that some of the members danced upon, just to give some form of height and depth to the video (otherwise, the video would have been very flat). I like it, simply because all of the above works well together with the song to show us what was intended out of BORN TO BE.

Performance looks amazing. The synchronisation at the pre-chorus is probably my highlight, simply because the angles at which their arms are at make it super difficult to achieve. The sheer volume of dancers (alongside ITZY) makes the chorus looks epic. And the dance break was awesome to watch. We might just have a contender for the 2024 KPOPREVIEWED Awards already.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 8.1/10

[Review] Alley Oop – NCT U

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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.

Last week, you would have seen me drop two reviews for NCT U – PADO and The BAT. These tracks form part of NCT’s Golden Age album and also had an ‘archiving video’ (whatever that is). There are two more tracks that have archiving videos, one of them being the focus of this review – Alley Oop. In addition to the four songs with archiving videos, Golden Age also features the title tracks Baggy Jeans and Golden Age.

Alley Oop features YUTA, WINWIN, HENDERY, JENO, JAEMIN, YANGYANG, and JISUNG. These seven NCT members brings us an energetic hip-hop track with powerful bass and 808 bass (based on the official description). I really like the hyped-up energy that the members and instrumental exudes, which makes Alley Oop a strong song. Once you start head-nodding to Alley Oop (and you will), it is extremely hard to stop and put down the song. I also really like the textures in this song, which I felt also came from both the members’ rapping/vocals and what I assume is the intentionally unpolished instrumentation. The texture gives Alley Oop some more vigour and intensity. I have to commend both JENO and YUTA in this song, as they are the members that stood out to me the most in Alley Oop (The rest did a fine job themselves, as well). JENO’s rough voice and YUTA’s vocals (particularly in the bridge) are my picks of Alley Oop’s highlights.

Based on a Google search, the term ‘Alley Oop’ is a basketball term and the moves that leads towards an alley oop requires teamwork. Alley Oop (the song) makes a lot of basketball references itself, but also focuses on that idea of a team. So, it makes perfect sense that the archiving video for Alley Oop is set on a basketball field and the styling of the members also go down that path. There is still a bit more to the video, with references to music, glittery pizza (?) and the members stealing (or maybe just unloading) shoeboxes from a truck. In addition to that parallel, I find the concept and styling throughout the video to work well with that hype-energy that I made reference to earlier in this review.

Song – 8/10
Music Video (or “Archiving Video”, in this case) – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8/10

[Album Review] The Flash (1st Single Album) – KWON EUNBI

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KWON EUNBI is nominated for Best Female Soloist, Rising Star and Best Female Performance (Solo) for The Flash in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support KWON EUNBI, The Flash and your other favourite acts by clicking here to vote today.

KWON EUNBI’s single album, The Flash, was released in August lead by the same-name title track. And based on the title of this post, you can probably tell it is the focus of this album review post. I am particularly excited to share my thoughts on this single album, as I practically like all of the three songs that make up the single album. So much so, that The Flash is now the highest rated album of 2023 in my books (i.e., this blog). Continue reading to find out why I am raving this single album. The Flash follows on from her October 2022 Underwater and Lethality comeback which I have yet to review.

The Flash Album Cover

1. The Flash (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for The Flash. (9/10)

2. Comet – KWON EUNBI brings us a very bright, upbeat, club-like electronic song in Comet that I find it very hard to skip. Its fun and feel highly suitable for the summery season the single album was released in. But the instrumental is only one likeable aspect of this song. KWON EUNBI’s vocals come through quite well. She makes the song feel pretty, and the melodies makes it catchy. Personally, I felt certain parts were a touch too soft and was in danger of being drowned out by the backing. I would have liked a slight touch of definition to her vocals to help alleviate that concern. But that is honestly a minor concern, and I would still recommend Comet regardless. (9.5/10)

3. Beautiful Night – Pop rock takes over in Beautiful Night and it makes for an amazing song. While each of the other songs on this single album is quite good, it was actually Beautiful Night that caught my attention at first and convinced me that an album review for this single album is warranted. I found the energy and rush that comes from Beautiful Night to be peak pop-rock vibes, and I like how KWON EUNBI’s delivery is playful, particularly when it came to the post-chorus sequences following the second and final choruses of the song. Other parts of Beautiful Night were refreshing and the song in its entirety is also just as unskippable as the previous song. (10/10)

Overall Album Rating – 9.5/10

The Flash Teaser Image

[Review] OVERDRIVE– WEi

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Support your other favourite artists, songs and performance in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards by clicking here to vote today.

Did you know that WEi made a comeback in June of this year with their sixth mini-album, Love Pt. 3: Eternally and the title track OVERDRIVE? Well, I never got around to reviewing OVERDRIVE. But that changes today! Both their sixth mini-album and OVERDRIVE follows WEi’s fifth mini-album, Love Pt. 2: Passion and the title track Spray.

OVERDRIVE is quite upbeat and bright, which feels very appropriate for the summery season in which was released in. It is also very appropriate where I live currently, which has been heating up quite rapidly the last few weeks. The electrical guitar at the very back on the instrumentation, the twinkling details, the tropical base and the crunchy percussion helps all makes this track pleasant and lively, while the members bring to life the melodies that give off that brightness and good vibes in OVERDRIVE. While the chorus was probably the best bit of the song (thanks to all of the above), I am impressed with the bridge. It does slow the song down, but it serves as a nice showcase of vocals from the group, particularly Seokhwa’s breathier vocals. His part in the bridge was brief, but definitely caught my attention. I also commend the ramp back up to the final chorus, which was handled extremely well with WEi, going from Yohan’s vocals (which ended with a slight touch of autotune) to the very fun “Woah~” from everyone else to the chorus. OVERDRIVE was a solid summer song!

My understanding is that the original music video was replaced with a reuploaded version following an issue with the map at the start of the video. I couldn’t find an official source for that news, but that is the explanation I gathered from Reddit and YouTube comments. If that is the case, it had very little impact on the rest of the video, which captures the members having fun at the beach. The video is lowkey and light-hearted, which suits the summery vibe they are channeling. The beach setting makes sense, given the song’s lyrics which makes reference to going to “the end of the world”, which is commonly associated with the coast. It might not be a music video I would consistently return to, but it complements the song quite well.

The choreography is quite nice. I like its more fluid and freer energy, particularly as we get towards the end of the routine. Its fun, its upbeat and it looks like a blast – all of which goes hand-in-hand with the song.

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

[Review] Wait – DINO (SEVENTEEN)

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Beginning in April 2021, SEVENTEEN members have been releasing solo mixtapes as part of ‘The Thirteen Tapes‘ project. The first was HOSHI’s Spider in April 2021. WOOZI released RUBY in January 2022, followed by VERNON in December 2022 with Black Eye. Next up in the series is DINO, who dropped Wait two weeks ago.

Wait explores a hybrid genre of music that see jazz and glitch come together. It is a unique mashup of genres, and we should definitely commend DINO and the producers of Wait on going out there in terms of the sound profile. But I am kind of left wanting more from Wait. While the mashup does come off as a notable centerpiece, everything else in Wait (from the verses to DINO’s vocals) doesn’t come off as nearly memorable. And when I reflect on the song overall after listening to it, the overall feeling I get from Wait is that it is flat. I just wished there was a bit more zing and zest to the song, to give it that vibrant factor and to really hone it all in. We do get some variety from DINO in this song, like some rapping and a decent peak towards the end of the song, which makes me form the opinion that DINO’s delivery in Wait is good and decent. But it also could have been more exciting and eventful. Overall, I’d considered Wait to be a fair release.

DINO does a whole heap of waiting in the music video, with the song expressing his desire to move forward with his relationship, whilst his partner has reservations or hesitations on the matter. We see DINO pull a ticket number and is made to wait for his food, wait to cross the road, awaiting a text message reply but is met with the dreaded three dot bubble. All the waiting appeared to be fruitful though, as he is able to collect his food by the time the video wraps up. And attached to his meal is a dried flower and his ticket, which we see him respectively smiling at and lose earlier in the video. I take this as a sign of acceptance of their relationship and moving forward from his partner. I guess my only query regarding the video is why he has such a dirtied look when he is sleeveless during a choreography scene. Not sure what the connection is there.

Talking about choreography, his performance skills are shown off in this video/release. His moves were sharp and precise, and he looks so focused and charismatic whilst dancing. The whole bridge sequence was my favourite part of this routine.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10