Category: KPOP

[Album Review] CHOICE (8th Mini Album) – VICTON

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Heads up. I will be posting one album review each day throughout the Easter long weekend – starting today and ending on next Tuesday. Song reviews will be back from Wednesday next day.

First up on this album review long weekend is VICTON’s CHOICE, the group’s 8th mini-album release since debut. The mini-album dropped mid-November 2022. and features the title track Virus and 4 sidetracks. This album release is the group’s first release as a five member group, following the departure of Chan from the group and the continued hiatus (at the time) of Seungwoo (who was serving his miltary enlistment). It also appears like CHOICE might the group’s final release for while, after two additional (Seungsik and Senjun) enlisted earlier this year. But who knows, there might be plans for a four member lineup comeback on the cards for VICTON. For now, here are my thoughts on the song’s on the CHOICE mini-album.

1. Virus (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Virus. (7/10)

2. Boy Who Chases Time (시간을 달리는 소년) – I personally quite enjoyed the subdued nature of Boys Who Chases Time. There is something alluring from this energy that makes the song quite enticing and captivating. It might be the weighty feel of the song or even possible the delivery of the entire track, which the members nailed. The chorus on takes on a punkish pop vibe, which I thought sounded very cool. The guitar work in this song is superb. A strong sidetrack, indeed. (9/10)

3. Alive – Funky vibes peek through in Alive. This comes about from the presence of lo-fi beats in the verses, which keeps the subdued profile that the preceding song had. But the song progresses, Alive does becomes relatively bolder and this help creates a more riveting listen. Hanse’s rapping really stands out in Alive and infuses such a cool vibe to the verses. He brings so much character to quite an empty set of verses. Sejun and Seungsik’s vocals in the choruses were also a captivating element to the song. Another strong song from the group. (8/10)

4. Better Place – Bringing a much brighter and uplifting tone to the mini-album is Better Place. The retro electronic nature of the instrumental gives off a childish yet cute vibe. It does become quite repetitive towards the end, but that isn’t too much of a deal breaker for me. The members help overcome this by driving the song forward with their vocals/raps. I also enjoyed how the members effortlessly moulded themselves to fit the brighter style, especially since I associate the group with weightier and mature songs. (8/10)

5. Feels Good – Feels Good continues the brighter and uplifting tone. All the members had a hand in writing in this, which makes this a notable release for fans of VICTON. To me, Feels Good is a bit more standard and doesn’t evoke the same reaction that Better Place did. It is still an enjoyable listen, however. The track does feel a lot inclusive, with the members all coming together to do the cheers in the background at the end. The melodies also give off a warm vibe. (7/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.8/10

CHOICE Teaser Image

[Review] D N D – APINK

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Making their comeback for the first time as a five-member female group after 12 years in the business and for the first time in 14 months is APINK. The long-lasting female group dropped their newest single D N D today, which leads the group’s 10th mini-album, SELF. This follows on from their 2022 release Dilemma, fourth studio album HORN, their annual anniversary single – I Want You To Be Happy – for their 11th anniversary and the debut of their first subunit CHOBOM with Copycat.

First listen in and I was falling for D N D (which stands for Do Not Disturb). To me, the song brings a fresh breath to APINK discography, especially when compared to some of their recent releases. We probably all know APINK for their cutesy sounds in the earlier days (and if you don’t, do check out their earlier day releases – very representative of the KPOP back when they first came about). However, as the group progressed along their 11 years in the industry, they successfully reinvented themselves as a leading female group through their mature releases, which you can also describe as somewhat dark and heavy. D N D leans into their early days, bringing a spring in their step and a pleasant energy that I felt was super appealing. D N D is a pop dance track featuring a very bright tone and funky elements in the background. It comes off as a pretty clean and pure instrumental. The bright tone of the instrumental is further emphasised by the vocals and melodies that APINK brings to the song. The melodies felt refreshing and vivid, especially when it came to the choruses, which strong showing of vocals was clear in the song. The pre-choruses brought a satisfying melody, delivery and inclination to the song, ramping it up to the catchy choruses. The bridge highlights the of the group’s vocals and was a simple yet stunning segment in D N D to enjoy. Overall, D N D is already a hit in my mind.

The song gives one courage to imagine a world of their own as no one will disturb them (taken from SOOMPI). We see the members lead ordinary lives or are stuck in a constricting world in the music video. We see a waitress, a painter who cannot come up an idea, an office worker stuck in a repetitive world, a celebrity who wants to escape from the public eye and a wanderer who stands out in a very grey world. As the video progresses, they embraces their imagination and this leads to the members realizing that there is more to life. For example, Eunji the office worker saw an alternative life involving a red carpet beyond the office lockers, while Hayoung the waitress caught the spoon in her coffee cup stirring without itself. The other members saw a change in lighting. From there, they change their outfits – from plain or seemingly out of place to more vivid and eye-catchy casual outfits that just shows a more comfortable side to the group. Overall, a well put together music video that works with the lyrics and message D N D is giving us.

The choreography brought a smile to my face. It might because of the music or just the members being cheerful and happy performing, which I am sure everyone is glad to see from APINK after a 14 month absence. But there was a bounce and a peppy vibe to the choreography that I really enjoyed. The entire routine was quite solid and looks great.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

[Review] Cupid – FIFTY FIFTY

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FIFTY FIFTY is a four-member female group who made their debut under Attrakt in November 2022 with HIGHER. Unfortunately, I have not reviewed their debut song just yet. Today’s focus is not on their debut, but rather their latest single, Cupid, which was released 3 months following their debut in February 2023. Since then, FIFTY FIFTY have been rising on the charts, becoming the fastest KPOP group ever to chart on the Billboards’ Hot 100 and one of only 6 KPOP acts to do so. Cupid is also quite heavily streamed on Spotify, with the Korean and English versions of the song reaching an almost combined 74.5 million streams at the time of writing this review.

With amazing stats and feats achieved by Cupid just a month after its release, it definitely warrants a listen at the very least. Cupid is described as a retro single combined with minimal disco beats and funky baselines. To me, the retro influence in Cupid comes in the form of a city-pop release. And the instrumental is kept very light and minimal throughout Cupid, with a consistent beat in the background. Nothing too fancy or out of the box. But it is something familiar, and I think Cupid really took advantage of this feeling. What definitely draws you to the song are the vocals. It too is quite light, but it is in the forefront of the song which allows the group to showcase their vocals more vividly compared to other releases. They do a decent job and I like the very subtle cutesy colour their vocals bring. It also helps that Cupid‘s melody does have a catchy tinge to it, and the melody is just like the instrumental – familiar and inviting. It is also quite simple in nature, which goes a long way in some cases like Cupid. When it comes to the rapping, I like how it gave Cupid a bit more of a punch and keeps the song from veering into overly consistent and neutral territory. Altogether, Cupid is undeniably pleasant and charming. I can definitely see why it is rising on the charts and achieving the goals that it has and will achieve.

The music video is more on the more traditional side. The lyrics paint the scene where the members were falling in love (i.e. trusting Cupid), but it turns out their crush did not reciprocate those feelings and rejected their advances, which resulted in the members calling Cupid stupid. We see all of that happen in the video, including one of the members (Sorry, I haven’t learnt FIFTY FIFTY members’ names just yet) cringe at the couple sitting in front of them. I did like how the colour tones in this video was pleasant, which works well with the song. I particularly liked the final choreography wide shot (where the members are dressed in dresses), which is a good example of this pleasant (yet bright) colour tone. The ending with just the one member sitting in front of her TV is a bit ambiguous. It might highlight the fact that she is alone now, or maybe a hint towards a future video.

For the choreography, I wasn’t exactly sure what I was expecting. But I did not think this performance would be fun to watch. Well, consider me wrong. I quite enjoyed the bounce of pre-chorus routine, and the pleasant cuteness of the chorus. The smiles and energy they put behind the choreography also made it worthwhile to watch.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 7.8/10

[Review] GGBB – MAMAMOO+

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Congratulation to MAMAMOO+ for being voted ‘Best Subunit of 2022’ in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Click here to find out which other artists, songs and performances you voted as winners for the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards.

MAMAMOO unveiled their first subunit, MAMAMOO+ consisting of Solar and Moonbyul, last year in August through the release of Better (ft. BIG Naughty). Unfortunately, I didn’t get around to reviewing it for a few reasons. But never say never, as I might go back to review it once I get some free time, especially since MAMAMOO+ was selected as the Best Subunit of 2022 in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. But today instead, I will be reviewing MAMAMOO+’s comeback single from their first single-album release, Act 1, Scene 1, which dropped last week.

GGBB (Good Girl Bad Boy) is the title of the single in question. GGBB is a doo-wop retro song that has a mild cutesy tinge. The retro influence is reminiscent of their original group’s early work that they persisted and succeeded with when they first started out. I did feel the cutesy charm of the song made it feel slightly childish, but it also enabled a decent elements to come to life in GGBB. One of these is the very light chorus melody. At first, I thought it was weak and it would have helped if the chorus had some backing. But multiple listens since its release, and GGBB has managed to turn that thought upside down. Now, I appreciate the lightness and drifty nature of the melody. It feels fitting and comes off as catchy. Both Solar and Moonbyul do a nice job in the song. Solar definitely has the vocal appeal to pull this sound off. I had concerns for Moonbyul initially, given how high and light the chorus went. But she does fits into the song and her huskier tone gave GGBB an interesting appeal. The only thing that really irks me about GGBB is the electronic/autotuned dance break. I will admit it was a good beat. But in the grand context of GGBB, it is more of an experiment to incorporate something different into the song, per current trends. But this particular dance break just didn’t work and ruined the flow that GGBB had created itself. I honestly don’t understand the need to do this. I am sure if the producers selected a bridge or instrumental break that aligns itself with the retro influence of the song, GGBB would have been a solid release through and through. But unfortunately, the dance break we did leaves GGBB disrupted and potentially broken.

The music video is set up like a musical show/concept. It is a fitting concept for a retro based song. It isn’t an innovative idea, but it was well executed. The dance break tries to incorporate a modern element to the musical stage concept. And just like the song, the hip-hop direction it went in was quite ill-fitting. Minus that, and I think the video would have been a decent one. I quite liked the final chorus and ending, where the producers made it feel like a finale. Once again, well-executed.

I found the routine for this comeback to be a fun one. I liked the bright and cutesy tinge it had, which works hand-in-hand with the sound of GGBB. While their dance break was performed on stage as well, I did like the KBS Music Bank version of GGBB, which incorporated Chico Malo (MAMAMOO+’s pre-release, which I am hoping to also review sometime in the near future) into the performance in place of the dance break. The issue of not fitting in still stands, but I find it much better than the dance/instrumental break we get part of the original song.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.2/10

[Review] Flower – JISOO (BLACKPINK)

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It was announced way back in 2018 that all the members of BLACKPINK would make their solo debut. Everything promptly kicked off at the end of 2018 with JENNIE’s release for SOLO. Then ROSÉ released On The Ground in 2020, followed by LISA’s LALISA in 2021. And now finally, after five years since the announcement of solo releases, JISOO makes her solo debut (as the last BLACKPINK member to do so) with the release of FLOWER yesterday.

To me, FLOWER sounds like the ideal song to become the next trend through TikTok/short form videos. The chorus of FLOWER reminds me of those Vietnamese songs that have been used as a backing to most of the shorts, reels and TikTok videos that I have been seeing on my social media. They all share a pretty similar appeal, in my opinion, and FLOWER would fit in quite well. However, FLOWER isn’t my cup of tea as a whole. The song’s chorus is quite lacking and feels very empty, as a result. I wished there was more body, lyrics or a catchy hook to it. Essentially, anything in addition would have been better than the empty feeling of FLOWER. I am not a fan of the whiny synth in the background the choruses, but they do have their charm. The chorus also disappoints as it follows on from some really decent verses that I felt was a nice showing of JISOO’s abilities, character, and vocal colour. Something to continue the momentum from the verses would have been ideal as the choruses, and I feel that the bridge is a good example of this. The inclination and oomph that we get from JISOO in that segment adds a lot more meat to the song,. The ad-libs and breathy “Hey” that follow also had a similar effect. Overall, FLOWER could have used a lot more to it. And as it stands, FLOWER is probably the weakest solo release from the group’s solo releases (thus far).

The music video was kind of boring. I hate to be a bummer, but I don’t think this particular video offered as much as the other solo music videos. The other videos had fabulous fashion, dramatic effects and cultural influences which helped make the video interesting to watch. And while we do have great fashion in this one and strong acting for JISOO, there just wasn’t anything else worth discussing. I do wish there was more to the video, similar to what I want from the song.

The choreography looks quite simple and was quite fitting for the song, from what I can see from the music video. I do hope that the verses have relatively more complex arrangements, like that spiral at the start of the final chorus with the dancers hands. That would give the performance bit more to it and something to get viewers to watch the performances for. What did see in the verses was interesting and heads in that direction, so I am definitely hopeful!

Song – 6/`10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 6.2/10

[Review] Kitsch – IVE

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For those have missed the news, IVE will be making a comeback in a couple of week’s time with their 1st studio album! And in preparation for that, the group has already begun teasing the new album release with their pre-release single, Kitsch. The comeback and pre-release single comes of a super successful year for the newly debuted female group who had hit after hit in 2022, including ELEVEN, LOVE DIVE (which took out many Song of the Year grand prizes in the recently passed award ceremonies for 2022) and After LIKE.

Kitsch is definitely a bold piece for IVE, compared to their past releases. As a pre-release, it definitely does a great job of introducing us to a new era of the group. Hopefully, their title track shows a new side of the group, as Kitsch implies. Since its release on Monday, I have had a chance to process the song a fair bit, and I now find it to be the catchiest release of the week. This wasn’t necessarily my first impression of Kitsch but those few additional listens were really favourable and helped the song grow on me. Artistically, I really like their simple pop approach the producers opts for in the verses. It was calm and soothing,, while the brightness felt innocent and comforting. All of which was very much opposite to what the choruses were and this was probably done intentionally to make Kitsch‘s anti-drop choruses pop out and be so much more impactful. The chanty delivery was memorable and pretty much keyed into my head. The instrumental turns deep-toned and heavy with the stomping beat and more electronic-leaning background really holds its ground as a statement piece for the group. All of this shows produces a sassier side to the group, something I had not expected from group whatsoever. For me, one aspect of Kitsch that didn’t sit right with me was the entire rap in the bridge. It felt pretty cliché and I am not sure if that rapping style adopted for was the best choice. I would have liked it more if the rappers chose had a more attitude-filled energy to compliment the energy of the chorus. I also wished they went in harder to carry the momentum of Kitsch‘s chorus that preceded it. Despite the rap however, the boldness prevails and Kitsch is definitely raising the bar to their title track release in a couple of week’s time.

Just like the song, the music video turns from sunny daylight (and if the scenes were not in daylight, then there was a brightness to them they felt light and warming) to the a darker vibe (through the use of intimidating red/flashing lights, the darkness of the night sky). Even the way the group carries themselves changes. They go from having fun and an easygoing vibe to a much fiercer and powerful vibe. Overall, it is a music video that works well and goes hand-in-hand with Kitsch.

The choreography looks great. You can apply the exact same comments I had for the music video to the dance routine. My favourite bit has to be the chorus segment of the routine, where the group really shows a more mature yet powerful side of themselves in the choreography. And from what I can see in the music video, the group encapsulates the same energy we get from the song super well in the choreography. Can’t wait to see a live performance for Kitsch.

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

[Album Review] MAXIDENT (7th Mini Album) – Stray Kids

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Congratulations to Stray Kids for being voted the Best Overall Artist and Best Male Group of 2022 in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. In addition to that Stray Kids also took home Best Stage Presence, Best Group Choreography – Male (for MANIAC), Best Electronic Song (for MANIAC) and Best International Song by a Korean Artist – Japanese (for CIRCUS). For more of the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards, click here.

It has been a long time coming, but here is the album review for MAXIDENT, Stray Kids’ 7th and their best selling release yet. I have been waiting a long time to actually sit down to review the album, but time and other things just got in the way. I have been actually been holding back on the album review segment as well, just because it didn’t feel right to proceed with the segment with listening deeper to MAXIDENT. Released back in October 2022 with CASE 143 as the title track, MAXIDENT went on to do over 2 million in album sales. And I think I read somewhere today that the album ended up being one of the best sellers globally in 2022. Massive feats for Stray Kids. In addition to CASE 143, there are 7 addition track (3 side tracks that I have reviewed in separate song reviews, 3 unit tracks and the Korean version of their Japanese single CIRCUS).

MAXIDENT Album Cover

1. CASE 143 (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for CASE 143. (8.5/10)

2. CHILL (식혀) – Click here to read the full review for CHILL. (8/10)

3. Give Me Your TMI – Click here to read the full review for Give Me Your TMI. (10/10)

4. SUPER BOARD – Click here to read the full review for SUPER BOARD. (8.5/10)

5. 3Racha – The self-titled 3Racha track by the 3Racha producing team (Bangchan, Changbin & Han) should come as no surprise for being rap-centric song. 3Racha is a super intense track with the unit rapping about their success and achievements thus far in their careers. Based on their delivery, they each really showed their rapping potential in the song. Changbin is usually the member that I focus on, but both Han and Bangchan really showed their passion and skills in this song.  The ending did fizzle out the intensity and momentum that the three were hurling at us throughout the song, but it doesn’t necessarily ruin the experience as they killed it in the song overall. (8/10)

6. TASTE – Lee Know, Hyunjin and Felix takes the album down a mature turn with TASTE. I really found the smoothness and mysterious tones to TASTE were strong characteristics of the song, and this adds to the sensual energy that the song delivers – I never knew organs can sound like this. Each of the three members stand out in their own way in the song, but I think Lee Know really takes the spotlight with his vocals. Given that the trio are also the members of the DANCERACHA unit, TASTE is well-designed for the trio and lends well to feature a memorable choreography routine thanks to the presence of instrumental moments for the trio to showcase something impact on stage and the intensity of the song. (9/10)

7. Can’t Stop (나 너 좋아하나봐) – Out of the three unit tracks, Seungmin and I.N’s Can’t Stop was my favourite. You might boil it down towards me having a bias towards vocalists per my past reviews, but Can’t Stop was quite an unexpected surprised. It was a simple pop rock that sounds so cheerful and had a great feel-good vibe to it. Can’t Stop necessarily didn’t show off both VOCALRACHA’s vocal capabilities, but it was a fun listen. And that I thoroughly enjoyed. (9/10)

8. CIRCUS (Korean Version) – The Japanese version of CIRCUS was previously reviewed on this blog. Click here to read that review for CIRCUS. (9/10)

I could not find the official audio for the Korean version of Circus, so I have opted to add a link to the Japanese version instead.

Overall Album Rating – 8.8/10

MAXIDENT Teaser Image

[Review] Give Me Your TMI – Stray Kids

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The final Stray Kids’ side track to be reviewed this time around is Give Me Your TMI. It serves as the group’s third song on the mini-album, which is lead by their hit CASE 143. Alongside separate reviews for the title track, SUPER BOARD and CHILL that have already been posted, I can now officially confirm that the rest of MAXIDENT will be published in the coming days through a long overdue album review post. But for now, let’s have a deeper dive into Give Me Your TMI.

Give Me Your TMI was quite a punchy and a super fun track to listen to. Personally, out of the three tracks I have reviewed recently on the blog, Give Me Your TMI comes out on top, as the song is so expressive and there was never a dull moment in the track. I really liked the funky notes the song had, which gave Give Me Your TMI more character than if it went down just the glitch pop genre. The range of synths we got in the song were super cohesive and gave the song that punchy aspect. I particularly enjoyed the intense EDM breakdown we get in the post-chorus hook alongside Felix’s “Woo Woo Woo“. It was super catchy. The vocals and rapping were on par with each other, and both vividly took the spotlight. Changbin probably is my favourite KPOP rapper at the moment, just because I focus on him a lot in my reviews. But from the way he started off the song to the more intense oomph he gives in the bridge, he definitely showed off his skill set in this song once again. The vocalists had a really great chorus and pop melodies to deliver. And they practically nailed it. Even the low key moments in the second verse from Hyunjin and Lee Know were fun moments in the song. I also liked how the group sounds flirty throughout Give Me Your TMI, which goes hand-in-hand with the lyrics of the song (which I will speak to in the next section of the review). Overall, I find it hard to find an issue with Give Me Your TMI. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it is a song that I look forward to hearing when I relisten to the album or check out their discography.

Give Me Your TMI is a song about wanting to know more about one’s crush. In the video, the members are depicted as spy agents. But their mission is a lot more lighthearted than what we usually come across in movies or tv shows. So a lot of smiles and laughter being shared are seen in this video. I feel like the amount of barriers the members had to get to (i.e. the walls, caution tape etc.) represented the walls that their crush had put up, and the actions they had taken (i.e. gunfights, odd items that depict grenades, perfume that doubles as a smoke screen, hacking etc.) were all attempts to weaken said walls to get to their goal – to find out more about their crush. Clever and fitting way to depict the lyrics.

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.6/10

[Album Review] AFTER SUNSET (4th Mini Album) – HIGHLIGHT

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That promised album review that I mentioned during the week will be coming tomorrow. But before we get to that album review, I will be reviewing another album to get momentum going with the return of the album reviews. And today’s album is HIGHLIGHT’s AFTER SUNSET, the veteran group’s 4th mini-album (13th mini-album overall when including the mini-albums under their former group name B2ST). I have chosen AFTER SUNSET for review over some other albums as I did not review their earlier 2022 comeback with DAYDREAM (the group’s 4th studio album) led by the single DAYDREAM due to poor planning on my end. So I thought I make it a priority to review the group’s next album release, which happens to be AFTER SUNSET. Continue reading for my thoughts on HIGHLIGHT’s latest release.

AFTER SUNSET Album Cover

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

2. PAPER CUT – Following the title track is PAPER CUT, which dabbles into the R&B genre. For a song titled after something that can be quite painful, the verses for the song were noticeably smooth. This contrasts really nicely with the relatively more explosive chorus. The synth that makes up the centre of the chorus was quite memorable, but also helps set a moody and mature tone to the song. (8/10)

3. S.I.L.Y (Say I Love You) – Dreamy vocals take over in S.I.L.Y for this pop ballad. It is a neat song, with a promising yet hidden chorus. However, even months after the album’s release, I still take a while to register that I am listening to the choruses, as there isn’t a distinct moment of transition between the verses and choruses. (7/10)

4. PRIVACY – The first thing that really grabs my attention from PRIVACY is the zippy synth that kicks off the song. I also enjoyed the bass and crunchiness of the overall instrumental. I really liked the fact that the dance track really jumps out you. Even though some might say the instrumental is of a noisy kind, the members could still be heard vividly and they really showed their style in PRIVACY. (9/10)

5. I Don’t Miss You – Final song on this mini-album is I Don’t Miss You, another R&B track. This one is more on the traditional side in pretty much all aspects. But this doesn’t make it a bad song. Matter of fact, I Don’t Miss You is still a strong showing from the members. I liked their different vocals tone throughout the track, from breathy to low to clean. The inclusion of the voicemail just before the final chorus was also quite fitting. (7.5/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.6/10

AFTER SUNSET Teaser Image

[Review] CHILL – Stray Kids

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Next up on the review block that belongs to Stray Kids is the side track CHILL, which comes from the group’s 7th mini-album release MAXIDENT from October of last year. As you may be aware from earlier in the week, I am reviewing the side tracks from the MAXIDENT mini-album that also got a music video release. This is all done in preparation for the upcoming mini-album review that is very much overdue at this stage. Previously, I have written reviews for CASE 143 (back in October 2022) and SUPER BOARD earlier this week. A review for Give Me Your TMI is also due shortly.

CHILL is a R&B pop song that has a particular stylish vibe and upbeat bounce to it. But this is at odds at with the messaging of the lyrics, which expresses the feelings about a relationship that has ‘cooled down’ (hence the title CHILL). Knowing this, it does put CHILL in an intriguing place. And if you know me, I like do that. On the topic of the instrumental, I enjoyed the details in the background. The synths sprinkled throughout the song gives CHILL more character, while the saxophone gave off a classy vibe that was so suitable for the song. As for the vocals, I would say CHILL is more vocally centric than usual for the group, as most of the members do gear towards a form of vocal delivery in the song. The melodies helps brings that aforementioned bounce to the song, whilst also a slight catchiness to the song that helps boost the appeal. CHANGBIN was the only member that had a substantial rap sequence in CHILL and his part actually stands out quite strongly to me. It added momentum to the song and also gave CHILL a dynamic punch, which helped heighten the appeal of the song. Overall, CHILL was a pleasant listen and was stylish and trendy track to enjoy.

The music video is set in an art gallery, with the members dressed in stylish suits/jackets for the duration of the video. I did find it interesting that all of the artwork they were looking at or featured in this video had something to do with water, which I guess keeps up with that cooler theme. But I am sure there is more meaning behind that. Throughout the video, the members were doing some random (but probably had some meaning) things. I guess they all relate somehow to the state of mind of members or the failing relationship they are in. I do think everything that they were doing (i.e. ice sculpting, setting off sparkers, creating the illusion of rain etc.) would probably make the owners (of that art gallery that the video was shot in) quite nervous.

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

[Review] Like Crazy – Jimin (BTS)

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A week ago, Jimin released the pre-release single Set Me Free Pt. 2, ahead of the release of his solo debut mini-album. Yesterday, Jimin unveiled his highly anticipated mini-album, FACE, which is lead the by the single Like Crazy. He is the fourth member of his group BTS to release an official solo release since the announcement that the group would be taking a break to focus on solo endeavors and military enlistment. Recently, he collaborated with TAEYANG for VIBE, kicking the year off in style.

To me, Like Crazy is a lot more palatable then Set Me Free Pt. 2. Compared to the pre-release single, Like Crazy is a lot more contained and much more charming. No autotune is present to leave a sour aftertaste nor do I feel an overpowering instrumentation. Instead, Like Crazy opts for a synthpop instrumental, which is traditionally soft and light. I like this style as it is captivating and it has a drive to it, even though the instrumental stays pretty neutral throughout. One of the aspects of the instrumental that I really enjoyed was the instrumental break of Like Crazy, which really upped the retro dial and gave a logical but needed change to keep the song alluring. Jimin brings both a sexiness charm and delicate touch to the song via his vocals, which I brings that charming element to the song. He also turns the emotions up, particularly in the final moments of the song before the outro, which I quite enjoyed. The only thing I can see as lacking from Like Crazy was a good hook/melody. Without these, Like Crazy fails to come off as a memorable song. It is still a pleasant listen, nonetheless. But I think a substantial hook or melody would have only improved Like Crazy, taking it to the next level.

The music video had an alluring aesthetic which complements the song extremely well. The song is about being heartbroken, and using fun adventures to move on from the feelings of break up (taken from PinkVilla) and this is shown in a literal sense in the video. For majority of the video, we see Jimin heartbroken and coming to terms with his breakup. I really liked the muddy spew that comes out of the walls and the floor in these scenes, probably representing the coldness from the current state of his relationship, while the spewing motion represents the sudden onset of these developments. We then transition to the club scenes, where Jimin begins alone but slowly starts having fun with the people around him. I really liked the blue hue that the club scenes having, which is a colour that represents calmness and stability, which is what Jimin is looking for after the developments of his relationships.

[Updated] The choreography is quite artistic and shares a similar alluring aesthetic that the music video had. I liked how the routine takes that sensual vibe that I mentioned earlier in the review. Tad disappointed that retro instrumental break was featured in the choreography. Also, no move really stands out, so the I don’t see this becoming a memorable performance. But it is one still worth watching, especially since it Jimin has some really good chemistry with the dancers.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10 [Updated]
Overall Rating – 8.6/10 [Updated]

[Review] SUPER BOARD – Stray Kids

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Guess who is finally getting around to writing that album review for Stray Kids’ MAXIDENT (led by CASE 143), which was released way back in early October of last year. But as you probably have guessed, I intend on covering the side tracks that were accompanied by a music video before I actually get to writing the full album review. And kicking it off the road to the album review is the song review for SUPER BOARD, the fourth song of the mini-album.

Let’s get the catchiest song out my head. That way, the rest of the song/album reviews coming your way won’t be infected with the ridiculously catchy hooks that are a main feature in SUPER BOARD (more on this in a second). SUPER BOARD enters cyberpunk territory, which is new territory for the group entirely (as far as I am aware). Some bass is also mixed into the song to give it a stable foundation and this compliments the cyberpunk quite well. The combination definitely brings a breath of fresh air to the Stray Kids’ electronic heavy discography, emphasising to me that they are capable to adapting and showing variety (in case their discography has yet to demonstrate this). I really liked the intensity and punchiness the instrumental gives SUPER BOARD. And I also enjoyed the more punkish side of the group, in terms of sound. SUPER BOARD features a good showing of vocals and raps from the members, just like all other releases by the group. However, I did notice that the vocals were drowned out by the instrumentation, and it was hard to notice each individual member as a result. It wasn’t as bad for the rappers of the group, but it was also heading in that direction for them as well. What did stand out is the fun little speed car racing sound effects that the members vocalised in SUPER BOARD. it just adds a bit of colour and brightness to the song that otherwise could have come off as heavy handed. Elsewhere, the repetitive set of similar lines that makes up the chorus was really effective and keeps SUPER BOARD very much upfront in your mind. It is quite hard to shake off SUPER BOARD when you revisit the album/song.

Just like the song, the music video visually shows a punkish side of the group that I don’t think we have seen before. In addition to that, the music video features a range of scenes of them hanging out and having fun in a garage. And it does genuinely look like they are having fun and are up to no good. There isn’t much else to the video. So for me, this video was one of the types of the video that you kind of just need to watch once. Just a quick side note, however, but the drills and the colour scheme of the garage made be think of MANIAC. Not sure if this is intentional.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.9/10

[Review] Spring Breeze – Kim Jae Hwan

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Making his solo comeback yesterday was Kim Jae Hwan, with his newest single Spring Breeze. It is Kim Jae Hwan’s first release of the year, with his last comeback being in September 2022 with BACK THEN and Empty Dream. More recently, we heard him as part of fellow Wanna One member Park Woo Jin’s solo debut album, featuring in the pre-release single Self Portrait. On other related matters for his comeback, here is a fun fact! Wanna One, the project group that Kim Jae Hwan used to be part of, previously released a single that shares the name as his latest title track – Spring Breeze. Anyway, with that now out of the way, let’s get stuck right into the newer song.

With a title like Spring Breeze, this contemporary pop song is fittingly breezy. The main drawing element in the instrumental is a folksy flute or whistle. It isn’t striking, like how flutes and whistles are usually used in KPOP nowadays. Instead, it is quite light and soft, but it is distinct enough to be noticed. The guitar work adds what feels like a complimentary acoustic flair to the song. The rest of the instrumental, through percussion and beat, adds some body and meat to the song. Despite that, the instrumental for Spring Breeze remains quite balanced overall, which enables that ‘breezy’ descriptor to be applied to the song. Kim Jae Hwan brings even more heft to Spring Breeze via his vocals, which helps makes him stand out quite a bit. In particular, this vocals soars during the pre-choruses, creating the impression of an incline in momentum. Interestingly, Kim Jae Hwan then opts for a lower tone to begin the choruses, creating a relatively striking moment for Spring Breeze. This adds a bit more appeal to the song, as it is clever way of drawing attention to the song. My main issue is the fact I didn’t get much out of the melodies and hooks aside that they sound decent. I feel that is partly due to the design of the song. They literally flow by and they don’t really have much of an anchor to become memorable. This becomes a problem when you do a more casual listen and aren’t exactly paying attention towards the details of the song. These elements that usually become the centerpiece of the song, but instead they end up flowing out the other ear soon after. It isn’t an indication of the melodies/hooks sounding bad persay, but rather a lack of opportunity to process them. Overall, Spring Breeze is a nice track to listen to. But as indicated by my comments on the melodies/hooks, Spring Breeze could easily be lost to the strong competition around it.

The music video is miss for me. I really liked the flowy and breezy bits of the video, which makes complete sense for a song about memories that appear again during the months of Spring that is titled Spring Breeze. However, I am not entirely sure about the more striking looks of the video, such as Kim Jae Hwan’s full black outfit and the bold blue circle on the ground during some of the solo/choreography shots. They just don’t fit the rest of the aesthetics of the video, in my opinion.

I did have concerns, given how light the song, where the choreography would lean towards. And the fact that it easily could have been overdone. But the choreography gears towards a more aesthetic approach, which is a safe move. The routine appears graceful, softly delivered and smooth, not sharp and impactful like other routines out there. This compliments the song well. The ending with the tree formation by the remembers reminds me of EXO’s Wolf for some reason. Trees have appeared in choreographies since 2013, so I am not sure why the flashbacks are happening here.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 6,5/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.4/10

[Review] Love Me Like This – NMIXX

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A week after their Young, Dumb, Stupid pre-release, NMIXX has officially returned with their latest single, Love Me Like This, and their 1st mini-album, Expérgo. Both the new single and first mini-album follows the releases of O.O, DICE and Funky Glitter Christmas. It is also the first major comeback to not feature former member Jinni, who left the group following the release of Funky Glitter Christmas at the end of last year. NMIXX has since reformed into a six-member group.

It appears that the producers behind NMIXX have learnt what stability is. During the entire first listen I gave to Love Me Like This, I was bracing for that wild and unexpecting change in the instrumentation and sound. But we never got that. Instead, Love Me Like This stayed relatively consistent and cohesive throughout, which I really appreciated. Love Me Like This is described as an upbeat R&B pop track, however I got more of a hip-hop impression initially through the bouncy beat and delivery that Love Me Like This adopts in its verses. The vocals and rapping in the verses do give the song character, however their delivery during the verses could have been strength somehow to give more of a wow factor. The pre-choruses was a definite highlight for me, with the melody and vocals here giving such a nice pop to the song. Lily’s delivery of the first pre-chorus, in particular, is my favourite part in this entire song. Then, the song slips into a chanty refrain for the chorus. Here, I can feel more of the R&B coming through. And although, “Love me like this, Love me like that” does come off as repetitive, I find this super effective. Give me by the end of the review and I will probably have the chorus keyed into my head. I did want more body to the instrumentation for the chorus, as it just doesn’t carry on the momentum that the pre-chorus was pushing the song towards. The touch of rock that we get in the second half of the chorus was ideal and it really helped strength Love Me Like This further. The weakest point of the song for me was the bridge. It was a very neutral part of the song that didn’t get a much of a reaction out of me. Overall, every release that NMIXX has made since their debut has shown improvement, with Love Me Like This their best effort yet. Compared to their debut, I am actually excited to see what their next release is like based on this trajectory.

Like the bridge of the song, the music video doesn’t get much out of me. I just didn’t find much of a connection to the sets used. I did like the brief Wizard of Oz type of set for the one-liner about a tin heart and I felt the white choreography set had impact. But the hallway and bedroom were a bit of a miss for me. Aside of that, I thought their stylists did an awesome job of showing off an edgy, hip-hop vibe with some of the outfits. But I also liked the pop of colour that some of the outfits had, which is fitting for the group and their youthful charms.

Choreography for this comeback looks awesome. I liked the entire chorus routine, as it makes such a strong impression and helps raise the impact level of the chorus. It also relieves some of that repetitiveness that the lyrics and beat brings, as each move was different and prevented the over-emphasis of repetition.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 7.8/10

[Album Review] Love Pt. 2: Passion (5th Mini Album) – WEi

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I am finally restarting the album review segment today after taking a bit of a break from writing them as a result of the finalisation of the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards post. And with a break and the backlog that existed prior to the pause, you can imagine that I have a lot to get through. The first album to be reviewed upon this restart is WEi’s 5th mini-album release, Love Pt. 2: Passion, which was unveiled back in October of last year. This mini-album features the title track Spray (link below). It follows the release of Love. Pt. 1: First Love back in March of the same year and their Japanese debut with Maldives, which I have yet to review as well (but it is coming soon). So, let’s not delay the restart further and dig right into Love Pt. 2: Passion.

Love Pt. 2: Passion Album Cover

1. Moonlight – Starting off the mini-album is Moonlight, an inviting and wholesome pop number. It is the type of song that brings a smile to your face, thanks to the subtle sweetness that comes from both the instrumentation, melody and members’ vocals. I really liked the simplicity of the melody and I also really enjoyed the softness that the piano brings to the song, contrasting very neatly with the relatively heavier beats in this pop song. (8/10)

2. Spray (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Spray. (7/10)

3. Higher Ground – Following from Spray is the impactful and powerful Higher Ground. It is without a doubt an eclectic piece with the multi-EDM, hip-hop and rock influences that make up the background, all of which comes together to create a very intense number. Personally, I did feel the choruses was a bit too shouty for my taste. But I do acknowledge that this helps increase the boldness of the track, which the members really did put their all into ensuring that Higher Ground comes off that way. (8.5/10)

4. ROSE – The oh-so-familiar Latin influence makes it comeback in ROSE. I really enjoyed how concentrated it was in the song. Alongside the hip-hop beats, ROSE actually comes off as a fun, cool and memorable number. The members did a great job of embracing the Latin flair, which makes ROSE an even better song. The rappers, in particular, really impressed me in this track. (9/10)

5. Special Holiday – More smiles are plastered to my face when I listen to Special Holiday. It is pretty much your standard pop track. There isn’t anything new in the song that makes me go wow, but I did like the cheerfully expressive tone the members brought to the song through their vocals. There was also a peppy energy to the song that helped make the stand out a bit. (7/10)

6. Umbrella (우산) – Umbrella follows on neatly from the previous track with its softer pop approach to close out the mini-album. Relatively, it is still fairly upbeat and I can imagine an endearing choreography routine to the song, as a result. I liked the heavier prominence of the piano in the instrumental, which was a delightful aspect of the song. The vocals and rapping were very nice and felt quite wholesome. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.9/10

Love Pt. 2: Passion Teaser Image

[Review] Top Tier – PARK WOO JIN (AB6IX)

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Here is another review for a release from a few weeks back. PARK WOO JIN, the rapper of AB6IX and former Wanna One member, made his solo debut back at the end of February with the single Top Tier and his debut mini-album, oWn. Top Tier follows the pre-release of the single Self Portrait (which accompanies Top Tier on the new mini-album) and features fellow former Wanna One member Kim Jae Hwan. Unfortunately, that release doesn’t have a music video and so I won’t be reviewing it in the standard song format. But it my revisited in an album review if I choose to write one for oWn. But for now, here are my thoughts on Top Tier.

I found Top Tier to be a very typical hip-hop release. I do commend the effort in which both PARK WOO JIN and Top Tier goes in hard and that the energy does have a relentless side to it. But Top Tier’s downfall is its repetitive nature. The repetition comes through the instrumentation and the song’s main hook. The former basically sounded the same all throughout its 2:50 minute run time. A bit more variety in the backing piece could have made Top Tier more dynamic and this would have improved the song by a great deal. The latter just felt monotonous and didn’t elicit anything memorable, which is not ideal for the song’s central moment. All of this adds up to a disappointing song. As mentioned just now, I wished there was more to Top Tier, maybe building on the intensity by way of an abrasively instrumented instrumental break to make way for a dance break in the choreography, or even a bolder and expressive hook that drives the energy upwards and doesn’t stay flat. But while my disappointment with Top Tier is abundant, I do commend PARK WOO JIN’s delivery and flow throughout the song. He himself definitely propels the song forward, as is the main driving force that makes up (partially) the effect of the plain and repetitive nature of Top Tier. The pre-choruses provided a brief look into the PARK WOO JIN’s husky vocals and this was an strong showing of skill as well. Overall, Top Tier does show off PARK WOO JIN to a degree, but I wished the song itself had more to it.

The music video shows PARK WOO JIN as different types of top tier individuals. We see him as the winner of an arcade game fight (who might also be the leader of a dance crew), the winning avatar in the game, a king on a throne (who might double up as the next individual), and a highly acclaimed artist. I liked how the video intertwines all of these different ‘top tier’ individuals into what felt like a cohesive video. I also enjoyed the darker tone the video took, which matches the heaviness of PARK WOO JIN’s song.

Choreography-wise, I felt that the routine did a decently good job of showing off the intensity the song had and the energy that PARK WOO JIN had injected into the song with its delivery. But nothing stood out to me in the performance that makes me want to go back for a re-watch.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 6.9/`10