Category: KPOP

[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

[Review] The BAT – 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.

As mentioned previously, I will be reviewing the side tracks that was treated with an ‘archiving video’ (whatever that means) from NCT’s latest studio album, Golden Age. The album, if you missed it, was released in August of this year and is lead by the singles Baggy Jeans and Golden Age.  In addition to those two songs, I have also reviewed PADO already. Next up is the 5th track from the album – The BAT.

The BAT brings together TAEIL, JOHNNY, YUTA, JUNGWOO, HENDERY, JENO and JISUNG. I can easily see The BAT being slipped into any of the main units’ (NCT 127, NCT DREAM, WAYV) discography. But I am glad that we hear it here on this NCT album instead, as it gives the best of the three. The BAT goes dark and sensual, which is a ‘done before’ sound profile that has been proven to be successful in the past. What makes The BAT slightly more unique than past iterations of these two energies merging together is the song’s textural and abrasive instrumentation, which is synth-heavy. Not entirely new territory for NCT (or KPOP in general), but the abrasive textures do feel unique as I don’t think we have heard anything that leans into that as much as The BAT. We also see some really impressive delivery from JENO and JISUNG in the second verse, where they both rap quite rapidly. Again, not as new. But fast rapping is no easy feat and can be a drawing point, as it was here. I also like the edgy vibes both the rapping and the instrumental gives The BAT. The ‘Ma bat apex’ hook was pretty memorable (though I would like to know the meaning of this line). The vocals are also impressive in The BAT, especially when the latter reaches its peak in the high notes. Another likeable track on Golden Age.

Dark and sensual is the way to go, and the archiving video for this release definitely went with that. The dark comes through via the concept of the video, which I can’t exactly pinpoint what that is. But the lighting, the heavy reliance on the colour black on practically everything from background, props and outfits, and the ‘dangerous’ aspects of the video (i.e., speeding) that alludes that they might not be up to any good just screams out darkness. The sensual comes through via the all of the members, with JENO and JISUNG really surprising me the most in particular. All I can say is you should re-watch the video in detail if you want to find out why.

Again, the dark and sensual vibe comes through in the choreography for this particular release. The darkness actually taps into more of an edgy territory, which I think works really well. And the slow and deliberate moves, along with the outfits, emphasise that sensual energy. It is an engaging performance, overall, which shows off each individual members’ fatal charms and performance skills.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video (or “Archiving Video”, in this case) – 9/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10

[Review] let it be summer – 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.

In September of this year, Young K from DAY6 marked his return to the solo stage with his first studio album, Letters with Note. The first song from the album released was let it be summer, which dropped at the end of August as pre-release single. Following this track was the official release of the studio album and the title track nothing but (which I will be posting a review for in the coming days).

For me, I found let it be summer to be a very straight forward track. It is a lively and energetic rock track that never stops, with the rock energy continually pushing the song forward. The atmosphere of let it be summer can easily be described as feel-good, and has always evoked a foot-tapping or head-banging reaction from me (depending on the day). It also always puts a smile on my face for its celebration of summer. Young K’s vocals in let it be summer are just as dynamic as the instrumentation and I really like the extra oomph his singing gives the chorus. While my thoughts and impression on let it be summer is short and brief, I found the track to be super effective and a highlight on my playlist (and Young K’s album). As such, I nominated let it be summer as one of the contenders for ‘Best Rock Song of 2023’ in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards.

The music video also does not fluff around, showing two things – the first is Young K rocking about in the country side and the second is a younger actor (presumably playing the role of a younger Young K) hanging out and having fun with his friends. I really like the part of the video where the two words combine, with Young K and his younger self playing the guitar alongside one another. But while the song is energetic and dynamic, I wished the camera work wasn’t much so. There was a bit too much movement and it made it extremely hard to focus.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

[Review] PADO – 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.

NCT returned as a whole group in August this year with the studio album Golden Age. Leading the charge of that album are the title tracks Baggy Jeans (performed by TAEYONG, DOYOUNG, JAEHYUN, TEN and MARK) and Golden Age (performed by all 20 active members). Alongside the title tracks, NCT also released 4 “archiving videos” (whatever they are) for an additional four side tracks from the album. Over the next few weeks, in the lead up to the album review for Golden Age, I will be reviewing those tracks in separate song reviews. First up is the 3rd song on the album – PADO.

Performed by a lineup of 7 members (JOHNNY, TAEYONG, JAEHYUN, MARK, XIAOJUN, HENDERY, HAECHAN), PADO is quite the melodic track. The entire track felt classy from start to end, and this consistent vibe held me over to the end. I just cannot bring myself to skip PADO every time it comes up. I really like the vocal focus of the track, which all comes to a head during the song’s “You got me confused, You got me satisfied” hook line (delivered by Xiaojun and Haechan). And boy, was that line super memorable and catchy. While the song’s vocals are the more showcased element of the song, PADO does feature rap-centric verses that plays with the song’s texture a bit. Not too much, as PADO does remain easy on the ears, stays true to that classiness I already mentioned and never overwhelms us. The instrumentation of PADO was very clean and sleek, with the added brass and jazzy elements in the verses and choruses being the prime suspect for why PADO has such a classy vibe. The flute-like sound that comes into play after the choruses concentrates all the adjectives that I have used in this portion of the review into a common point. And all of that works exceptionally well with PADO’s beats, maintaining the tracks’ upbeat nature. Overall, a strong side track from NCT that I can definitely see being promoted into ‘title track’ status.

The archiving video places PADO into a bar setting, which makes perfect sense for such a classy song. The colour palette that the video does go for steers us down a refreshing vibe, with the simple screen of waves in the background over a white background being the big focal point of the video. The white is further seen in the bar and other props present in the video, while the blue is also seen in the background of the queue outside said bar and the signage of the bar. I like that as it feels modern and trendy, whereas the usual red colour that I would have immediately associated with the song and bar concept to be typical and bland. I also like the additional splash of colour the members have via their outfits, which give the video a bit depth and variety.

To match up with those classy vibes, this unit of NCT members bring a sensual tone to the choreography, which feels appropriate and brings out an engaging energy. The coloured outfits in the music video does detract from that unfortunately. But the performance they gave (whilst dressed in black outfits) at the recent NCT concert definitely showcases the sensual energy a lot better. 

Song – 10/10
Music Video (or “Archiving Video”, in this case) – 9/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.5/10

[Album Review] House of Tricky: How to Play (2nd Mini Album) – xikers

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xikers is nominated for Best New Male Group and their single ROCKSTAR is nominated for Best Rock Song in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support xikers and ROCKSTAR by clicking here to vote for them and your other favourite artists, songs and performances today.

Today’s album review focuses on xikers’ second mini-album, House of Tricky: How To Play, which was released at the beginning of August this year with the title tracks DO or DIE and HOMEBOY. This is the group’s first comeback, following their debut in March 2023 with House of Tricky: Door Bell Ringing, which featured the title tracks Tricky House and ROCKSTAR (the latter is nominated for Best Rock Song of 2023 in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED in case you forgot to the read top part of this post). This latest mini-album really consolidates the rookie group’s presence in the KPOP industry this year amongst some very high profile male group debut acts. Pretty much all the songs on this mini-album are powerful, loud and noisy in their own way, which is pretty much on par with the rest of the industry. However, xikers keeps it interesting and has me coming back for more.

House of Tricky: How to Play Album Cover

1. Skater – If you are looking for a track that is filled to the brim, look no further than Skater. I like the brightness that the track exudes, which is thanks to its pop energy that the synths in the instrumentation form and the dynamic flair that the members give off throughout Skater. I particularly enjoyed the soaring effect of the vocals towards the end of the choruses and the rapping leaves a strong impression. I did feel Skater was slightly overwhelming, given how everything felt like it was piled onto one another. But I can also see it as a potential charm which might get listeners interested. (9/10)  

2. HOMEBOY (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for HOMEBOY. (8/10)

3. DO or DIE (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for DO or DIE. (9/10)

4. Koong – Koong was actually the first song to be unveiled from this album via the release of a performance video a week before the mini-album and first title track dropped. I was going to review it separately, but have shelved that plan in the interest of time. Koong takes a serious turn, with powerful hip-hop beats and intense energy that packs a punch. This is heightened by the autotune and vocal processing applied to the members’ vocals and rapid rapping, and the piano work etched into the synth soundscape in the background at some parts of Koong. The track has a punchy hook in its chorus, but I like the shoutier delivery of the song title the most as it just has so much character to it. As a teaser to the new mini-album, Koong actually sets the bar up quite high. (8.5/10)

5. Run – Moving away from intensity is the brighter Run. After a powerful track like Koong, Run does come off as refreshing and I like that aspect. I am not entirely keen on the squirrely synths we hear in the choruses, and like the first track, Run does feel very full to the brim. But the rest of the song is solid work for xikers. I just felt more memorable hooks and melodies could have made Run even better. (7.5/10)   

6. Sunny Side – Old school hip-hop comes into play for the final track on the mini-album, which is a different sound compared to the rest of the mini-album. Sunny Side still maintains xikers’ EDM profile, showing off some pretty cool synth choices that works really well with the old school hip-hop style. I found the “Sun is coming up” to be quite catchy. Likewise with the chorus melodies. Even the rappers felt just right in the song with their sequences. It is a definite step away from the rest in the mini-album, but I see that as a nice way to ease off a very energetic and full-on mini-album. (8.5/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.4/10

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[Review] Macarena – BLIZTERS

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

One of the songs nominated for Most Underrated Song of 2023 this year in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards (click here to vote today, if you have yet to) is BLIZTERS’ Macarena. Obviously, there is a reason for this nomination which I will address later on. Macarena is BLIZTERS’ only comeback in 2023 (thus far, but it is definitely looking like that is the case) and is featured on their second single album of the same name. BLIZTERS is a seven-member male group who debuted under Wuzo Entertainment in 2021 with Breathe Again.

It is about time I got around to reviewing Macarena, given that it is seven months old. With that in mind, I am deeply sorry for how long it has finally taken me to turn my mind to this song. As mentioned above, I did put this song forward as a possible winner for the Most Underrated Song for this year (and it is my personal pick, as well). There are a few reasons for that decision, but if I had to boil it all down to one reason, it is because Macarena is one fun track, thanks to all of the brass, toots and horns in the chorus. I also found the deep voice repetitive ‘Macarena’ hook in the centrepiece to be really catchy, and the combination of all of this means one super addictive track in my books. Even their delivery throughout the track was super dynamic, and so the playful energy of from the centrepiece of Macarena was definitely maintained and reflected through the verses. Overall, Macarena is a blast of a song and it is a track that I would have on when I want to or am experiencing a good time.

In the music video, one of the members wakes up from the dead, surrounded by the other members. They remind him of what I think is an embarrassing video, and he (along with the rest of the group) go in search for the video, which is contained in a laptop. Nothing that interesting in the first portion of the video, but the video takes a comedic turn when they all encounter zombies. All of them try to fight the zombies, as they appear to fail due to some funny stuff-ups, like accidently putting themselves to sleep by hypnosis, getting distracted by focusing on a dancing zombie, or sitting in car and enjoying some popcorn whilst the zombies are about). But somehow the group survives and they go onwards to find the laptop, which is held hostage by another group of zombies. After some negotiating with 7 kilograms of meat, the group succeeds in getting the laptop and the video is deleted. Cue the celebrations. However, in the end, we see the member who rose from the dead wake up again, in a Ground-hog day type of situation. Just like the song, this video is fun and light-hearted thanks to its funny nature.   

With such a fun song like Macarena, I just want to dance every opportunity you get when this song appears on your playlist or queue. Probably not as coordinated as what BLITZERS performs on stage, but probably just as fun. Anyway, I love the circular and shaking motion that makes up the chorus, and I also enjoyed how they changed up the routine in the bridge every now (though it should have been more often) and then to give some variety and something extra to look forward to.

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

[Review] VROOM VROOM – WEEEKLY

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

Making their comeback a month ago was WEEEKLY, their first in 1 year and 9 months after the release of Ven para. Their latest single is titled VROOM VROOM, which is the title track off their fifth mini-album, ColoRise. Since then, the group has been fairly quiet with some members participating in the Queendom Puzzle show earlier this year and a digital single release with Good Day (Special Daileee) for their fans last month.

Despite it being titled as VROOM VROOM, which I would usually associate to something fast moving like a race car, the song is rather pleasant. This pleasantness feels miles away from what we have heard from WEEEKLY in the past, and I feel like that is a good thing given that I do like the song under certain circumstances (more on that in a bit). VROOM VROOM consists of an elegant and classy vibe that helps the song stand out in the current soundscape of the industry. The subdued take on the retro influence in VROOM VROOM is very noticeable and likeable. I like VROOM VROOM for its easy on the ear melodies, though I feel like the melodies and hooks could have been more riveting. VROOM VROOM also feels more mature. It is a good piece to show off some vocals, and I felt that was achieved in the song, particularly at the end. I also like the textures brought to the song via the vocal processing. The rap-speak that does feature in VROOM VROOM was nicely suited for the song. I guess my main issue with VROOM VROOM is that I only really like the song when I really focus on it (i.e., for example, listening to it for the purposes of vetting the mini-album for a potential future review or for this song review). If I am listening to it in passing or it appears in my queue, I don’t think VROOM VROOM necessarily has enough pull to make me recognise or to replay the song. And this comebacks back to its subdued nature in combination with its weak melodies and hooks. But still, a neat song to listen to.

The music video complements VROOM VROOM quite well. I liked how refrained the different visual elements were in this video. I found the colours and tone to be quite soft, which matches with the effect that the music goes for. Even when there were bold colours in the background, it didn’t appear loud. Likewise, the styling of the members’ outfits felt right. Some of it brought out a more edgy appeal which matches with the dance moves which mimicked the revving of a bike. But it was all rather subtle and didn’t become too bold. Others were drawn from a pastels colour palette, which is a naturally soft set of colours.

The choreography encapsulates the song quite well. It focused on softer and delicate movements, and as a whole looked like a great routine. Nothing necessarily stands out for me, but I felt the chorus routine was quite pleasant to watch and enjoy.

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

[Review] Soñar (Breaker) – NMIXX

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NMIXX is nominated for Most Underrated Artist and Love Me Like This is nominated for Most Underrated Song in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support NMIXX and your other favourite acts by clicking here to vote today.

Ahead of their upcoming comeback in over a month on 15 January 2024 with their next mini-album, Fe3O4: Break, NMIXX has unveiled the pre-release single Soñar (Breaker) today. This follows on from their 2023 comebacks – Love Me Like This and Party O’Clock.

Soñar (Breaker) briefly revisits the MIXX-pop genre that NMIXX debuted with in 2022 to mixed reviews and opinions. For the most part, the song has this dramatic energy that feels like an appropriate extension to their Latin hip-hop chorus. And it is these dramatic parts of the song that I like the most. The rhythmic and powerful drumming just feels very clean and brings out an adventurous vibe. Everyone contributing to the vocals in the pre-chorus was also a memorable moment in Soñar (Breaker). The Latin hip-hop chorus was a bit lacking and sub-standard for me. The instrumentation wasn’t as engaging as in the first verse, the hooks did not feel as punchy as it was (though I can see it growing on me) and there wasn’t a melody. Following the first chorus, we get that touch of MIXX-pop with Soñar (Breaker) transitioning to a dreamy R&B sequence which features a UK garage background, however I am not sure why it was even there, before we switch back to that dramatic energy that I already mentioned I liked. As for the bridge, the first half showcases some great vocals from the group, which we know they are capable of. But I am not keen on the second half of the bridge (which is also what Soñar (Breaker) ends on), which felt cringy to me. Overall, Soñar (Breaker) a mixed bag of a song, most of which I am not a fan of.

I am sure there is more to the video than what meets the eye. I am just not entirely sure what that more is. The music video starts off aesthetic, but it loses that appeal quite quickly. I am not a big fan of the styling. The blue and pink outfits looked really nice, but the grey and hoodies outfits just looked dull and boring. I am sure they were intended to be an edgy look. But in combination with the white background or the quarry-like background, it just looked tired and uneventful. As for the rest of the video, it focused primarily on choreography, which I will touch on in the next section.

The choreography itself looks good. I actually think NMIXX is inserting a bit of a cutesy side to the choreography, which somehow works. Normally, I would not be a fan. But I find it to be a unique aspect of this routine. But just like you would expect when you hear Soñar (Breaker), the intensity and edginess is still present in the routine and I appreciate that NMIXX doesn’t let go of that.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 6.7/10

[Review] Crazy Form – ATEEZ

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ATEEZ is nominated for Best Male Group, Best Stage Presence, Best Male Dance Performance (for BOUNCY), Best Electronic Song (for BOUNCY), Best Concept (for their Outlaw concept for BOUNCY) and Best Special Performance (for San’s Warrior Performance) and Best Album (for THE WORLD EP.2: OUTLAW). Support ATEEZ in these categories and your other favourite acts by clicking here to vote today.

Ending this past week was ATEEZ with their latest comeback – Crazy Form and their second studio album, The World EP.Fin: Will. The group first unveiled their new song on the MAMA Awards stage earlier in the week before dropping the music video and album release on Friday. This comeback follows on from the group June 2023 comeback – BOUNCY (K-HOT CHILLI PEPPERS) and their 11th mini-album, THE WORLD EP.2: OUTLAW.

After a string of powerful, intense and what some describe as noisy dance tracks, Crazy Form takes a step back from all of that. Crazy Form still has that ATEEZ vibe to it, just without that chaos that the noise, powerful and intensity brought when combined together. While it is just the first release without all of that, I already miss all of that and wished that Crazy Form went all out like its predecessors. There are some good moments, namely in the verses of Crazy Form that does give the song potential. The delivery had a sense of playfulness and rhythm to it, which I quite liked. The rapping doesn’t let down even though the step back on the instrumental front. And JONGHO’s soaring vocals and YEOSANG and YUNHO’s deep in the final moments of the pre-chorus that launches us into the chorus heightens the song. Unfortunately, the chorus is what makes Crazy Form feel flat. The lack of a punchy and blastful background for the chorus actually frustrates me, as the incline in the pre-chorus towards Crazy Form‘s centrepiece alludes to a bombastic and energetic chorus. What we get also isn’t even an anti-drop. It is like the producers forgot to hit the gas for the chorus. I don’t care for the melodies and the hooks suffers from the lack of energy. The only other promising aspect was the ending, when Crazy Form gets chanty and shouty, which brings Crazy Form to a very satisfying end. But all of that is let down thanks to a weak chorus, that I am not feeling this time around.

From what I can see in this video (and taking into account what has happened previously in this THE WORLD trilogy), the group is in its final phase of its rebellion that it has been building since the events in the Guerrilla music video. They just need to install their devices (produced by YUNHO and WOOYOUNG) around the city to illuminate an image of their pirate ship in the sky. The other members aid by distracting and taking out a few hurdles along the way that could impede on their mission. And in the end, the group succeeds with the pirate ship illumination (which is a nod to their ‘Pirate King’ start) and takes over the city in the end. I am going to assume that the shots with the city in the background is a celebration of their success, with pairs with their celebration under the water sprinklers at the bar.

The choreography is good, but it isn’t a standout in comparison to their past works (such as BOUNCY (K-HOT CHILLI PEPPERS), which earned a nomination for Best Male Dance Performance (Group) in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards). The best part of the routine for me was the sequence at the end where the song turned shouty. The rush that the song exuded was captured well into the choreography.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10