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Kim Jae Hwan’s fifth mini-album is the next album to receive an album review from me. Released back in September, Empty Dream features six new songs including the title track BACK THEN. It is an awesome mini-album, in my opinion. showing off the vocal talent and abilities of the soloist. His vocals come up consistently throughout the review, with his vocal performance in one particular song leaving me speechless. Consider me amazed and a fan of this release!
Empty Dream Album Cover
1. ANSWER ME (대답해줘) – Kicking off the mini-album is a lo-fi R&B track. ANSWER ME really pushes Kim Jae Hwan’s vocals outward and I love this display of vocal work from the soloist, especially when he started off the song with a nasally undertone. It definitely starts off the mini-album in such a promising light. When we get to the chorus of ANSWER ME, Kim Jae Hwan adds a heavy dose of emotional heft to the song, which just makes the song so much more passionate and riveting. It is definitely a nice song to get lost to. (9/10)
3. OUT OF LINE (삐뚤어질까요) – Again, I floored by Kim Jae Hwan’s vocals, especially in this song. He just blows me away. Paired with the rock instrumentation, OUT OF LINE leaves me speechless. I don’t I need to say anything more than that. (10/10)
4. OASIS – OASIS brings forth the reggae, which it is a nice switch up from the more standard pop and rock that we keep on hearing. Kim Jae Hwan still brings the band sound to the song, which creates a really cool blend. I also feel like there is a bit of jazz that comes out during the bridge. Again, outstanding vocals from Kim Jae Hwan and I really liked the melodies in this song, which adds a playful tinge to the song. OASIS would probably make for a great performance piece (with choreography as well!). (9/10)
5. LOVE STRIKE – LOVE STRIKE is an upbeat track. It is definitely a bit of a relief from what we have heard so far, which all have been captivating pieces. LOVE STRIKE isn’t as captivating, but it is set up to be that way. It is more pleasant and fun. I quite like the touch of playfulness that Kim Jae Hwan delivers, especially through the chorus, melodies and hooks. It brings a smile to my face. While the track doesn’t feature wowing vocals from Kim Jae Hwan to the extent that of the other tracks on the album, it is still a strong effort from the soloist. (8.5/10)
6. GOODBYE MORNING – The final song on the album is GOODBYE MORNING and it takes the form of an acoustic ballad. I was expecting this to really build up, but we don’t get there. Instead, the song features is predominately guitar and vocals (with the slight addition of other instrumentation, but in minute amounts). The guitar is very profound, while Kim Jae Hwan’s vocals was quite soft throughout. I really liked how his vocals are on display through this song, bringing a different dynamic to the album. (8/10)
KANG DANIEL is nominated for Best Male Soloist, whilst Upside Down has been nominated for Best Solo Choreography (Male) for the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support KANG DANIEL, and your other favourite artists, songs and performance by clicking here to vote today.
After many months, I am finally writing my overdue review of The Story, KANG DANIEL’s first studio album. The album was released back in May of this year and features 10 tracks, lead by Upside Down. The album was then recently re-released as The Story: Retold in November, featuring the addition of 5 new tracks which includes the title track Nirvana. I will keep the introduction short today, in fear that if it goes for any longer, I might end up posting it five months down the track. So without further ado, here are my thoughts on KANG DANIEL’s first studio length album. (Note: in terms of track listing, I have used the repackaged album version of the tracklist.)
The Story Album CoverThe Story: Retold Album Cover
2. Selfish – Selfish was a nice pop track to ease into. The initial few seconds of the track had me thinking this was going to be a playful and whimsical sound. But as Selfish progresses, the heaviness of the bass and the trap elements say otherwise. But there is a bit of a sway to the song and its melodies that does potentially go in that direction. I also like how inviting KANG DANIEL’s vocals were in this song. (8/10)
4. Loser (ft. Dbo) – Loser is a R&B pop track, which starts off with the melodic chorus. And this chorus definitely was quite promising. The rest of the track follows through consistently, which I am not troubled by. But it does make the track slightly dull, relatively to the rest of the album. Dbo brings a bouncy rap segment to the song, which does help shake up the song ever so slightly. I did like how Dbo kept his presence in Loser ongoing by echoing and providing some ad-libs. Best part of Loser comes at the end when both Dbo and KANG DANIEL approaches the song with deep vocals, which gave depth to the song. (7.5/10)
7. Ride 4 U – Out of all the songs on the albums, Ride 4 U was the one that attracted most attention from me. It is to the point where I am quite surprised and disappointed that it didn’t get the music video treatment like some of the other side-tracks. Ride 4 U opens with some ‘Oooo’ courtesy of the backing vocals, which I thought was quite iconic. The melodies, especially around the title of the song, were quite memorable and is the one thing that I really took away from the album. I quite enjoyed the simplicity of this track with the way KANG DANIEL approaches the song. As for the instrumentation, I really liked the pairing of twinkling detailing and atmospheric synths, which in my view, hits different. (10/10)
9. Mad (ft. Chancellor) – Mad is the first song on the album that really goes hard, in my opinion. I felt the synths were a lot rawer and came together to create something that just got straight to the point. It was also quite intense in its own right. I quite liked how the instrumental was stripped down the track to make the acoustic guitar’s presence more known. This kept Mad interesting, even though you can hear guitar in the background amongst the synths. Chancellor’s featuring and KANG DANIEL do an amazing job to give this song life. Mad’s main hook, ‘Why are you so mad’ is definitely a memorable point of the song that really stays with you, even as we move to the next song. (10/10)
10. 1000x – 1000x serves as the first ballad of the album, but it doesn’t fall into your typical boundaries of a ballad. Instead of the classical tropes of the ballads, 1000x opts for paced synths in its instrumental. It keeps the song interesting, though I feel like the synths were a bit too loud as it almost drowns out KANG DANIEL’s vocals in my opinion. Talking about vocals, KANG DANIEL’s were amazing throughout and you can feel the emotions behind his voice. The chorus, in particular, had heft to it and the melodies were quite remarkable. (8/10)
11. Ghost – Ghost is another heavy bass track. However, there is a bit more to Ghost than just bass, thanks to the atmospheric synths that make up the instrumentation of Ghost. KANG DANIEL’s vocals are shown off quite nicely in Ghost and the melodies just make the song so beautiful. We also get a taste of rapper KANG DANIEL, though I do wish the rapping portion of the song was more substantial, just to give the song an extra layer of appeal. But Ghost as it is, is a stunner. (8.5/10)
12. Moment – Moment is another ballad, and this one is more on the typical side of the balladry genre. Guitar, piano and backing vocals make up most of the instrumental of Moment, and this was another stunning arrangement on this album. Ballads tend to highlight the vocals, and Moment did an exceptional job of this. Again, you can feel the emotions behind his vocals and I really enjoyed the way his voice carries you throughout the song. I am a sucker of ballads, and I feel it is ballads like this that prove my point to why ballads are such an underrated aspect of KPOP. (10/10)
13. The Story – It is interesting to see that The Story got bumped to the fourteenth position on the repackaged album, despite being introduced as the opening track of the original album. Anyhow, The Story is a very cool track. The use of synths in this song really encapsulates that descriptor, which gives The Story a very appealing side. I really enjoyed how the synths were used texturally. The pop-centric chorus was definitely a highlight, especially how it shifted the song’s trajectory. KANG DANIEL’s vocals were shown off once again. Though, my favourite part of The Story has to be the pre-choruses, which added a tinge of playfulness to the song. I think The Story could have used a harder hitting rap sequence, just to give it a more powerful element to it. (8.5/10)
14. Ride 4 U (Remix) – Refer to my comments on Ride 4 U above. This track did not count towards the overall album rating below.
15. Nirvana (Solo Version) – Refer to full review for Nirvana. This track did not count towards the overall album rating below.
Overall Album Rating – 8.7/10
The Story Teaser ImageThe Story: Retold Teaser Image
KANG DANIEL is nominated for Best Male Soloist, whilst Upside Down has been nominated for Best Solo Choreography (Male) for the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. JESSI is also nominated for Best Rap Performance, Best Rap/Hip-Hop Song and Best Solo Choreography (Female). Support KANG DANIEL, JESSI, and your other favourite artists, songs and performance by clicking here to vote today.
As mentioned earlier this week, I am determined to finally get KANG DANIEL’S The Story / The Story: Retold album review out this weekend. But before I can do that, I need to post one more review for a side track from the album that also got the music video treatment when the album was released earlier this year. This song is KANG DANIEL and JESSI’s collaboration, Don’t Tell. It joins Parade and How We Live, who also go the music video treatment despite also being side tracks on the album, that is lead by Upside Down and Nirvana.
Don’t Tell is a sexy song, tapping into the 2021 trend of Latin influences. The guitar is quite upfront in the initial seconds of the song’s beginning. It is then briefly muffled and placed further into the background of the background, allowing the deep paced bass beat to really come through. The deep beat really sets the tone of the song, showing a very mature and sexy side. KANG DANIEL’s vocals definitely work in this limelight, especially when he uses his deeper tones just prior to the choruses. The guitar returns to its former presence as we enter the chorus, which ends up being a slightly more amped version of what we have heard thus far (with added percussion). The melodies were quite catchy, and propelled the song forward. It might sound like a recipe for which I would usually call ‘overly consistent’, but I think the producers do enough of a job to Don’t Tell‘s chorus to keep me from getting to that conclusion. And as the song progresses, you can tell that more is being done to keep the song from falling into that trap. JESSI begins her feature in Don’t Tell from the second verse. The songs that I know her as of late have been more dynamic and upbeat. Here, JESSI channels a mature mindset to complement the song’s tone and brings her raspy vocals to the table, which I thought was a bit unexpected. I know that JESSI can sing, but I came in with the mentality that she would be rapping in the song. I also like how she also adds ad-libs to the song. The most memorable aspect of Don’t Tell is actually JESSI, with her line following the second and final choruses. The amplification she goes with in that line stands out and really stays with me. KANG DANIEl’s “All the girls in the back… All the fellas in the back….” line in the bridge was a close second. I also quite liked the final moments of the song where it got quite upbeat. This might have been brief, but it definitely helped end Don’t Tell on a non-consistent manner to the rest of the song. Overall, Don’t Tell was a nice side track on the album that ended up leaving a positive impression on me.
The music video didn’t have much to it. Choreography scenes and solo scenes of KANG DANIEL, JESSI and both. I was glad to see JESSI in the music video, and I loved the sexiness she added to the video. You can tell she isn’t shy. As for KANG DANIEL, he takes a subtle approach with his matureness and sexy appeal. But he does enough for it to be apparent enough. He just isn’t upfront with it. I did like the luxurious hotel setting the video appears to be shot at, especially when it came to the pool choreography scene and the ‘nightlife’ scene we see at the end of the video. The coloured neon lights made it look quite cool and very flashy (pun unintended).
KANG DANIEL’s showed off a more confident and sexier side to himself in this performance as well, from what I can see. There is a fair bit of hip work to this performance – of the thrusting and waving kind. I also thought his footwork was quite good. The dancers really put their all at the end and I really liked how this captialised on the energy exuded in this section. A nicely done performance, overall.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 7.5/10 Performance – 8.5/10 Overall Rating – 8.5/10
DRIPPIN is nominated for Most Underrated Artist in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support DRIPPIN and your other favourite artists, songs and performances by clicking here to vote today.
DRIPPIN is back with another comeback, making it their fourth release of the year. They begun 2022 with the release of VILLAIN, the title of both their third mini-album and title track. Then the group released their Japanese debut single, So Good, before returning to Korea in June with ZERO. Fast-forward 5 months, DRIPPIN rounds out the year (I hope, these guys need a break after the busy year!) with the release of their latest title track, The One, and their first studio length album since debut, Villain: The End.
Going into this comeback, I was expecting an intense dance track that found its roots purely in the EDM genre. But I was genuinely surprised that The One ended having a much bigger rock presence than EDM. Don’t misunderstand, however. There is still EDM here and there in the song, and it was definitely used to intensify The One and give it some textural components. The instrumental for the dance break was largely EDM-based and provided an epic climax for the song. But going back to the rock aspect of The One, I found it to be quite appealing that DRIPPIN and their producers went in this direction. What really gets me is that the rock isn’t necessarily a dark and emo piece, nor is it grungy. Instead, the rock influences in The One were surprisingly upbeat and vibrant. The drumming is superb in this track, and the metal guitar was definitely intense in itself. The explosive energy (there is a lot of going on in KPOP these days) and tempo of The One kept the adrenaline pumping – this track is definitely going on my exercise playlist. Aside from the instrumental, I quite enjoyed the pop charm of the melody and hooks to The One. The ‘I’m The One, One, Only One‘ is pretty much keyed into my mind. I thought that this gave the song a more appealing flavour, and took the opportunity to really transform The One into a pop rock vibe track. I feel the vocals and rapping were solid, though I wished the verses had bolder vocal and rapping moments, just to really bring it up to par with the rest of the chorus. Something like the rapping in the bridge would have been ideal. Overall, The One is an awesome track that I should have reviewed much earlier to tell you all about it.
An action packed music video was served alongside The One, and I am all for it. Junho was the common thread between all the videos that formed part of the Villain series, and it was pretty much hinted from the start that he would have a villainous role in the end. In the Villain music video, he comes hurdling into the ground and leaves unscathed from such an arrival. In the ZERO music video, he is the last one we see and we do see a taste of his fire power as he overlooks the city. In this music video, he causes meteors to come crushing down onto Earth (similar to how he arrived), forcing everyone into hiding. Upon hearing that villain Junho had killed the good Junho, good Junho’s bandmates emerge from hiding and revived good Junho. A very tense superhero-like action fight scene ensues between the two Junhos (with the bandmates also pitching in). The fight ends with the bandmates knocked out and no Junho around. The industrial setting of the fight becomes the grassy fields (the same fields at the start of the video) and the members celebrate their victory. They later find Junho, who smiles back at them. But a quick zoom into his face allows us to see Junho bearing a red and blue pupil, suggesting one of the two Junho came out victorious and absorbed the power of the other. But it leaves a question, which Junho won and which lost. Honestly, a really cool video, and I hope we see which Junho turned out victorious in the future (maybe this sets up a repackaged album?). As a little critique, I would have liked the story to delve into the other members a bit more, just to give us more of the story. .
The choreography was great. It sure exuded a lot of powerful energy and intensity, just as you would expect when listening to a song like this one. The dance breaks were really cool, and the move associated ‘I’m The One, One, Only One‘ felt like it could have been a really catchy move had it really been pushed. I also liked how it really complemented the pop side of the song, going for a less intense move, compared to the rest of the routine.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9.5/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
VICTON returned to the stage mid-November with their eighth mini-album, Choice, and their new single Virus. However, you might notice that the lineup for this comeback is one less compared to their last comeback from 6 months ago with Stupid O’Clock. Heo Chan voluntarily withdrew himself from the group following news that he was involved in a DUI investigation in October. IST Entertainment later confirmed Heo Chan’s departure from the group and that VICTON would continue as a six member group, though five for the time being as Ha Seung Woo is currently carrying out his military enlistment.
I found the piercing taps at the start of Virus to be quite intriguing and I wished the song followed through with that. Instead, that intriguingness was quickly lost upon a quick realisation that Virus delved into a generic verse, consisting of deep whoops whoops (is there a technical term of this?), marching drums and pretty standard vocal work. The chorus was a decent return to form, with the song fully embracing its electro R&B profile. I did wish the melodies were stronger to really pull you into Virus. However, the second half of the chorus had a nice oomph to it, thanks to the members’ vocals, that really helped deliver the chorus and give it potential. The later sections of the song, such as the bridge and the final post-post-chorus sequence (I will touch on this a bit later) were definitely the biggest highlights for me in Virus. The way VICTON glided into the bridge was really well done. I also quite enjoyed the way the bridge ramped back up in a paced manner via the use of percussion, Sejun’s high note, synths and then finishing it off with an impressive high note from Seungsik. The biggest question for Virus is Do Hanse’s rapping. While his part was definitely impressive and it shows us that he can coolly deliver a rap sequence, his overly raspy rapping voice and the intense/abrasive EDM just doesn’t fit into the bigger picture that is Virus. I am not too sure what was happening there and I find it to be quite a disappointment. Luckily, Do Hanse does recover later on in Virus by delivering (alongside Subin) that smooth sequence just after the final chorus. Overall, Virus was a decent track. I did wish the verses were more interesting and Do Hanse’s rap was more fitting for the song. But the rest of the song was done well and a nice enough listen.
The music video is one of those videos where it is just closeup shots and choreography. While there could be some sort of meaning behind the individual scenes (some were definitely intriguing enough), there really wasn’t much opportunity to really appreciate and try to understand the individual scenes. And it didn’t seem like there was much to tie everything together. I did like the dominance of a certain colour to everyone’s individual scene and I liked they didn’t use vivid colours like other KPOP videos tend to do. The producers for this music video chose pretty earthy colours for the most part. As for the colours that usually aren’t connected to the earth (i.e. the blue backing in the featured image, some of the green and Do Hanse’s black background), the producers went with accents and tones that really muted the colours, complementing the earthy tones to the video. The contrast was also a nice touch, as we can see in this post’s featured image.
I ended up quite enjoying the performance for this comeback. While nothing really stood out (nor is there much to mention from the routine), the piece definitely showcases the group’s performance potential with the sharp and clean movements and synchronisation I could see from the stage performances. I wished there was more of the performance, just so there is a more talk about
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 6/10 Performance – 7.5/10 Overall Rating – 6.8/10
TREASURE is nominated for Rising Star and Best Electronic Song (for JIKJIN) in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support TREASURE and JIKJIN, and your other favourite artists, songs and performances by clicking here to vote today!
I know I promised this review a few weeks back when HELLO topped the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 3rd Week of November 2022, but it unfortunately slipped from me. Apologies for that! But now, I am finally getting around to having a deeper look at HELLO, TREASURE’s latest comeback single. It was released as part of their second mini-album, The Second Step: Chapter Two, at the start of October. It is also the first comeback to not feature Bang Ye Dam and Mashiho, who were both on hiatus at the time but subsequently withdrew from the group a month after HELLO‘s release.
I didn’t pay much attention to the track upon its release as I had a lot going on in my life at the time. But listening back now, I am disappointed I missed and didn’t pay attention to such a fun, energetic and lively track like HELLO. I find it interesting that TREASURE is releasing music as vibrant and colourful as HELLO, especially since I feel like YG Entertainment aims for a certain niche within the KPOP community. Songs like JIKJIN, which are more heavy handed and serious sounding, are what I expect from YG Entertainment’s output, though 2022 appears to be changing that up. I guess their company is trying to captialise on TREASURE’s youth and energy. Anyhow, whilst the song does fall into the dance pop category thanks to its heavy (and at times, explosive) EDM approach, there are some typical YG Entertainment tropes, namely the chanty chorus, the hip-hop tinge and the anthem approach at the end of the song. All of this pretty typical arsenal for any YG artist, but TREASURE manages to breathe fresh life into these elements and really make it feel different. And I appreciate this ‘reinvention’. I also enjoyed the rock elements to the song, which is definitely on trend in 2022. Again, still not tired of it, hence why I enjoy it a lot! HELLO is also quite catchy, with strong hooks (which is the result of the chanty delivery of the chorus), which ultimately adds to the fun and liveliness of the track. I do think the song could have used some bolder moments in terms of vocals and rapping, just to give HELLO a bit of an edgy and a more memorable front. While what we got in HELLO was pretty solid, I do think more of the instrumental, rather than the vocals or rapping, after the song is over.
With a song like HELLO, I expected a party in the music video. And we got just that! HELLO is a song about coming together to combat the loneliness and emptiness that some might feel, and we got representation of that. At the start of the video with the members being alone and in their own worlds. But as the song progresses, the song brings the members together. And then a crowd, which finishes off the video in a party like fanfare. The fireworks work really well with the instrumental and heightens the viewing experience. I also like the simplicity of the dance choreography scene inside the white studio, with the coloured lighting and the big HELLO in the background.
The choreography for this comeback was on point. I love the vibrancy and energy that the members brought to the routine, which was also quite vivid and powerful. What amazes me is that the routine doesn’t give them much opportunity to take a break, but as we hurdle towards the end of the performance for HELLO, the members are still full of smiles and energy, which ends off the performance in such a positive and satisfying manner!
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
KANG DANIEL is nominated for Best Male Soloist, whilst Upside Down has been nominated for Best Solo Choreography (Male) for the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support KANG DANIEL, and your other favourite artists, songs and performance by clicking here to vote today.
This week is finally going to be the week where I finally post KANG DANIEL’s album review for The Story, which will now be expanded to also cover The Story: Retold, the repackaged version of the album that was released two weeks ago. But there are still two tracks I want to review by themselves since they received the music video treatment. One of these songs is How We Live, which features sokodomo. A music video for How We Live dropped mid-June, a month after The Story (and its title track Upside Down) was released. More recently, KANG DANIEL made his solo debut in Japan and returned to Korea with the new single Nirvana.
As a side-track, How We Live is quite a neat number. It is a simple old school hip-hop track that aims to be fun and vibrant. And I am happy to report that How We Live nails this quite well. Now, How We Live might not be the most riveting track on the entire album, nor do you find the track to be a show-stopping piece. It is also not a track that really shows off KANG DANIEL’s skill sets. Instead, How We Live keeps it simple, with a light tone that was enjoyable through Summer (the song was released on the cusp of Summer). I personally feel that this simplicity and light tone works in KANG DANIEL’s favour, as it complements the soloist’s vocals really well. In addition to that, there is honestly not much to the track, just those light old school hip-hop influences for the instrumental brought to life by fun and playful piano and some touches of brass (which is the instrumental of fun when it comes to KPOP), a simple melodical hook that is super easy on the ears and catches on quite effortlessly, and some really good rapping courtesy of sokodomo. sokodomo’s input to the song gives How We Live a bit of variety, and thus keeps the song from falling into a single constant state, which would have rendered the song boring and ineffective. All of these elements contributed and helped make How We Live quite enjoyable. And a comment that I pull out often for songs like this, but I appreciate that it is isn’t muddled or overwhelmed with synths or intensity. It is carefree and easy to get into. Hence why I quite enjoyed the likes of How We Live.
Just like that last comment about the song, this music video pretty much carries a carefree and no-nonsense vibe. All we see throughout the video is KANG DANIEL, sokodomo and the dancers enjoy a bit of unworried and casual atmosphere in the video. It is as if they rented an expensive home to escape life for the weekend and enjoy themselves in the company of some friends. Simple, straight to the point, but also exudes a bit of that fun and easy-going energy.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
ONF’s Goosebumps is nominated for Best Music Video and Best Album in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support Goosebumps and your other favourite artists, songs and performance by clicking here to vote today.
ONF surprised fans with the announcement and subsequent release of Storage of ONF, a special album release for their fans. What made this release a surprise in particular is that 5 out of the 6 members of ONF are currently carrying out their military enlistment. And traditionally, this means that the members are on hiatus and do not release music during this time. But ONF has definitely gone the extra mile. In addition to new music and a new album, the group also prepared and filmed a music vided for the title track. This means that in an already busy last year when the members were heavily promoting Beautiful Beautiful, Ugly Dance, Popping and Goosebumps, ONF was also thinking ahead about their fans (Fuses) and making sure Fuses had their fill of songs for this usually empty period. It definitely puts a new spin on loyalty and shows their unrelentless commitment to their fans! Storage of ONF features the title track Your Song, four additional new tracks, and five remastered versions of previous title and side tracks.
2. Runaway – Runaway brings me back to their early days, in particular to their Complete and We Must Love days. The vibrant tone and upbeat energy made Runaway super fun, while I liked the retro tinge that the song has in the chorus. The hooks were catchy and adds a neat punch to the song. The vocal work was solid and on point, while Wyatt’s deep rapping was well-delivered and kept up with the energy of Runaway. The addition of strings to Runaway during the bridge was quite a surprise, but it was very interesting and adds a very different dimension to the song. I think taking me back to their earlier days was enough to give it a 10/10, but everything else within Runaway proves that it is a 10/10. (10/10)
3. Traveler – Traveler tones down the energy and takes the form of a ballad. It is very nicely instrumented and quite piano dominant. As the ballad progresses, you get a very slight jazzy feel to the instrumental, which I thought was a really neat touch. I also liked the use of harmonies and backing vocals to form part of the instrumental for Traveler. The actual vocals were very dreamy and riveting. Everything in this track was a stunner. (9/10)
4. GUCCI – Whiplash is the first word that pops in my mind whilst listening to GUCCI. Following such a slow and peaceful track, GUCCI slaps you (quite forcibly, might I add, but not in a bad way) with its intensity and abrasiveness. It is quite an edgy track for ONF, but still feels like it within ONF’s repertoire. I feel like GUCCI would have been an absolutely cool track to see on stage, with high hopes for a really strong, cool and powerful dance routine to accompany the song. The hooks could have been a bit more fleshed out, but what we got was pretty memorable in itself. I also appreciate the fact that GUCCI managed to weave in quite melodic lines during its chorus. (8/10)
5. My Song – You might recognise the choruses’ melody of My Song, which comes from Your Song (this album’s title track). But aside from that similarity, the two songs have pretty much different. My Song instead is more orchestral centric with its instrumentation. And the different orchestral influences make My Song extremely alluring and captivating to listen to. I also liked how the vocals play into this, matching the orchestral sound for that part of the song. (9/10)
6. On/Off (Remastered Version) – On/Off was released back in 2017 as part of the mini-album of the same name and as the debut single for ONF. While I have not reviewed On/Off (both the mini-album and title track) before, I have decided to omit the track from the overall album score. However, you can still check out the remastered version of On/Off below.
7. If We Dream (Remastered Version) – If We Dream was released back in 2017 as part of the group’s debut mini-album On/Off. While I have not reviewed On/Off (the mini-album) or If We Dream before, I have decided to omit the track from the overall album score. However, you can still check out the remastered version of If We Dream below.
8. 86400 (Remastered Version) – 86400 was released back in 2018 as part of the group’s second mini-album, You Complete Me. I have reviewed You Complete Me before. And by extension, I have reviewed 86400 before, You can read my thoughts on 86400 through that album review. I have decided to omit this version of 86400 from the overall album score. However, you can still check out the remastered version of 86400.
9. We Must Love (Remastered Version) – We Must Love was released back in 2019 as part of the group’s third mini-album of the same name. I have previously reviewed We Must Love, which you can click here to read on my review for the single. However, I have decided to omit this version of We Must Love from the overall album score. But you can still check out the remastered version of We Must Love.
10. Complete (Remastered Version) – Complete was released back in 2018 as part of the group’s second mini-album, You Complete Me. I have previously reviewed Complete, which you can click here to read on my review for the single. However, I have decided to omit this version from the overall album score. But you can still check out the remastered version of Complete below.
Overall Album Rating – 9/10
E-Tion’s Teaser Image for Storage of ONFWyatt’s Teaser Image for Storage of ONFU’s Teaser Image for Storage of ONFMK’s Teaser Image for Storage of ONFJ-Us’ Teaser Image for Storage of ONFHyojin’s Teaser Image for Storage of ONF
For the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards, BTS is nominated for Best Stage Presence and Best Special Performance, while BTS members j-hope, SUGA and JIN are nominated in a range of other categories, including Best Rap Performance, Best New Male Soloist and Best Collaborations. Support BTS and your other favourite artists, songs and performances by clicking here to vote today.
For some, RM’s solo debut is probably the biggest release of the week. Yesterday, RM joined fellow members j-hope and JIN in solo release territory through the release of Indigo (the title of his solo debut studio-length album) and the title track Wild Flower, which features youjeen, the vocalist of Cherry Filter, a South Korean rock band. Earlier on in the year, RM confirmed that the BTS members would be focusing on solo ventures for the time being for the foreseeable future ahead of the impending military enlistment of the individual members with plans to regroup in 2025 following the completion of the group’s enlistment duties.
For those who don’t know, hip-hop and rap songs are not my go-to genres when I want to listen to music. I have just never been drawn to the style of music. But through KPOP, I have slowly grown accustomed to the genre and enjoy a few tracks from the genres. For RM, it was expected that we would heard delve into this style of music, given his role as main rapper in his group’s releases. What I did not expect was to be completely swept away by this song. Wild Flower was super captivating. To the point where I have to stop whatever I am doing (for example, writing this review). Usually, I can write a review (or do other things) whilst listening to the song in question. But with the likes of Wild Flower, it is one of those songs where the only way to appreciate is by taking it in purely and to do so without distractions. Wild Flower begins off with an atmospheric instrumental, before RM kicks it into gear by continuing the atmospheric underlay but also giving Wild Flower some momentum with the insertion of rock sounds. It creates for a powerful piece in such the opening section of the song. For the verses of Wild Flower, RM adds brings forth a more calming demeanour that effortlessly exudes passion. It is such an interesting balance that I find so interesting to listen to. The violins probably add to the calmness, and I thought that was clever. The verses are then followed by a second chorus, which features youjeen’s soaring vocals. I love the texture she brings to the song, adding to the captivation factor of Wild Flower. I quite liked how the violins and rock elements merge for the bridge and final run of the choruses of the song, combining the best of the two worlds that make up Wild Flower. Overall, I am definitely singing praises for Wild Flower, a song I didn’t expect to be the best release of the week.
The music video was stunning even without sitting down and interpreting the video. After all, Big Hit Music definitely have the budget to create such aesthetic videos. Based on SOOMPI’s article for this release, Wild Flower is about RM’s desire to live like a tranquil wild flower rather than an extravagant but quickly disappearing spark, which may be connected to RM’s desire to rediscover himself in music, which he has spoken about before. The video does a great job of depicting this, with RM present in a stunning outdoor setting that sets him up as a ‘tranquil wild flower’. Dark stormy clouds come by (which might be a representation of the stress and bad energy that RM experiences as an artist), but RM stands strong throughout, which allows him to passionately perform on stage at the end of the video. Overall, a literal but clever video.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 10/10 Overall Rating – 10/10
ITZY is nominated for Best Female Group in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support ITZY and your other favourite artists, songs and performances by clicking here to vote today!
Also making a comeback this week (and performing their new song for the first time at the MAMA Awards) is ITZY. Their new title track is titled Cheshire and is featured on the group’s sixth mini-album of the same name. Cheshire follows the release of their fifth mini-album CHECKMATE and their July single SNEAKERS. It also follows the pre-release of Boys Like You, which is an English single also featured on the Cheshire mini-album that I will review one day in the future as part of the International Song Review segment.
Despite being for a few days now, Cheshire doesn’t give me much rhyme or reason to be grinning. To be more accurate, I find the song to be quite dull. Again, the song could potentially grow on me with even more listens. But I just don’t see it possibly climbing to the likes of their past hits from their earlier days or even the recent SNEAKERS single (which I really enjoyed). The opening verse wasn’t exciting enough to pull me into Cheshire, which isn’t an ideal start, though you can fill the momentum accumulating in the background of the song. And this momentum eventuates into a questionable chorus. I think the producers were aiming for a similar explosive effect (given the contrast between Cheshire‘s chorus and lackluster verse), similar to the contrast from the previous song I reviewed. Unfortunately, I don’t think the intention is delivered. And it comes down to the ITZY’s vocals, which were very strained. The boastfulness that comes from the strained vocals just didn’t sit well with me and it distracted me from the rest of the chorus. You can’t really focus your attention much on the dance pop instrumental (though the ping-pong effect synth does poke through) nor the melodies, as the vocals are just in the way. They do a much better in the verses. The rapping was a positive aspect of the song, with the quieter rap sequence in the second verse showing off Ryujin’s charsima in audio form. Yuna’s rap segment in the bridge follows the same concept as the vocals in the chorus, but I find Yuna do have a much better handle on it. The plentiful post-chorus ‘La La La’ was pretty catchy, but I wished there was a bit more innovation to it. Overall, Cheshire is a slip for the group. Hopefully, next time around, their title track is better executed and punchy enough to make it an ITZY standout.
Not entirely sure what the concept of this music video is, but it seems like a magical performance of some kind. The members carry out a lot of magic tricks, transformations and special effects. And towards the end, there was a Cheshire Cat influence on the video, via Yeji’s smile being the last thing I could remember from the video – the Cheshire Cat in Alice In Wonderland folklore is known for its wide grin that remains behind momentarily after the cat itself disappears. What I quite enjoyed about the video is the changing background, especially around the second chorus segment of the song, that had to be applied in post-production. It was a really cool effect that gave a dynamic profile to the video.
Aside from the combination of the small swaying movement and the hand movement that makes a smile that pairs alongside the ‘La La La‘ post-chorus hook, there isn’t much else to talk about for the performance. It was rather bland looking performance, which I think was the intention. But it just felt like they did so much of it that it just ended up being bland.
Song – 6/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 6/10 Overall Rating – 6.6/10
KARA is one of many second and third generation groups who have made their comeback this year for the first time in while, joining the likes of BIGBANG, GOT7, SISTAR, SNSD, T-ARA and WANNA ONE, whom are nominated for the Best Comeback or Reunion in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support your favourite Comeback or Reunion of the year, and your other favourite artists, songs and performances of the year by clicking here to vote today!
KARA makes their grand return after a 6 year hiatus to celebrate their 15th anniversary! For those who may be new to the industry and KPOP, KARA was a five member female group who debuted back in 2007, and had very big hits like Mister,Lupin and Step (just to name a few). They unfortunately became inactive upon the departure of Park Gyuri, Han Seungyeon and the late Goo Hara from DSP Media (the company that established and managed KARA for 9 years) in 2016. As of the 29 November, KARA had regrouped and reunited as a five member group consisting of Park Gyuri, Han Seungyeon, Heo Youngji (who joined the group in 2014) and former KARA members Kang Jiyoung and Nicole (who both left the group in 2014). WHEN I MOVE (the title track) and Move Again (their 15th anniversary mini-album) dropped earlier this week, and the group held their first comeback performance on the same day at the 2022 MAMA Awards, held in Japan!
For me, without a doubt, KARA’s first comeback in six years was the biggest comeback of the week. In addition to their hits I have listed above, KARA has a few underrated title tracks, such as Pandora, CUPID and Damaged Lady, that I have grown to love over the years since their release. WHEN I MOVE is probably going to fall into their ‘underrated territory’, simply because I don’t think the masses would turn their attention to a group they probably do not much about (since KARA is considered to be second generation, and the masses are more focused on the fourth generation and lesser so of the third generation). WHEN I MOVE, however, is a great song. I really enjoyed the way WHEN I MOVE starts, opting for a subtle approach that just feels sleek and stylish. The minimalist nature of the instrumental at the start backs this up. I liked the way their vocals adopted the ‘subtle approach’ as well, which not only complements the approach of the instrumentation and set-up of the song, but also pulled me into an alluring captivation. The choruses of WHEN I MOVE contrasts strongly to this, with all the members joining forces together to deliver an explosive line that really takes you away from that captivation from the verses and still maintains your attention with such a chorus. The house beat that forms the basis of the choruses brought a cool and somewhat retro touch to the song, and it builds on the energy and tone that the verses had pulled together. The hooks and melodies that follow in the choruses were catchy and memorable. The raps and the trap that follows the rap/accompanies the vocals in the bridge were probably the weakest aspect of WHEN I MOVE. It just didn’t have the same flair and appeal as the rest of the song, and felt pretty basic. I wished they upped the ante for the bridge, just so it really honed into the already mentioned energy and vibe that I quite enjoyed in WHEN I MOVE. Despite that, I still think WHEN I MOVE is a great song and return for KARA. It could have been better, but I am happy to take it as it is.
The music video did exactly what I expected it to do, based on the model and catwalk-like sound that WHEN I MOVE had. The music video wasn’t necessarily a fashion parade, but it was definitely a celebration of KARA, which is the focus of this comeback/reunion. As an extension of that thought, I really liked the fact that the group and the producers of this music video paid homage to the late Goo Hara, who took her life a few years back. The addition of a sixth microphone stand at the end for Goo Hara was very touching and I am sure fans enjoy this small but meaningful gesture. Aside from that, I quite enjoyed the different colours (and schemes) they had in this video, which does give off that celebratory and stylish flair that the song calls for.
No matter which performance I watched for this comeback (at the time of writing, only the MAMA Awards and the Music Bank stages are available), it felt like KARA never went on hiatus nor any member left the group. The chemistry between the group members were there and well-developed, and their stage presence spoke volumes. Their command of the stage, their performance (even though it would not be as iconic as Mister‘s butt waves) and their solid vocals/raps are all elements that junior artists should definitely look up towards.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.2/10
Red Velvet’s Feel My Rhythm is nominated for Best Group Performance (Female) of 2022 in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards.Support Feel My Rhythm and your other favourite performances, songs and artists in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED by clicking the link here to vote.
Kicking off this week is Red Velvet, who returns after 8 months with their new single Birthday and the second part of their 2022 The ReVe Festival 2022 series, The ReVe Festival 2022 – Birthday. It follows Feel My Rhythm, their last Korean comeback from March of this year, and the release of their first Japanese studio length album in April of this year (which was headlined by the single Wildside).
To me, Birthday comes off as a muddled and underwhelming song. The instrumental of Birthday is what I considered to be muddled. Birthday continues the similar composition that was present in Feel My Rhythm, where a classical sample (for this track, the piece in question is George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue) is merged into a pop release. And for the purposes of Birthday, the classical sample ends up being mashed with trap elements. It ended up being a decent mix in my view, but I feel like the backing could have been more balance. Birthday places more emphasis on the trap elements, and I personally feel that this overpowers the delicate classical sample. My guess is that this is intended to make the song more riveting in the modern era. But I just feel it doesn’t do the classical element of the instrumental justice. As a result, we don’t get that same satisfaction that we got from Feel My Rhythm. As for the melodies, this is the side of the song that I thought was underwhelming. I feel the melodies and hooks were both underbaked and childish at the same time. This type of melody would have been perfect if the group was starting out. I have no issues with the group embracing a youthful side to their music, just not with an elementary and empty sound that we got in the final product. And preferably, one in which did not feel mismatched to the image they are aiming for/had created for themselves. I also feel like the melodies could have been weightier and more fleshed out. This would have helped Birthday build more character and feel more prominent. Throughout all of the song, there was only one element which I thought was interesting, and it would be cool for the group to explore this element in their releases into the future – the tinge of rock that we got in the bridge. More of it would be on trend this year and would have been great to explore now given that I am not over this rock genre trend. Overall, I think it is safe for me to say that this is not their best work ever.
The music video for Birthday begins with Red Velvet being denied from attending a party by the cartoon Gingerbread Man. In a rather petty move, the members return to the site of the party. But instead of presents like in the initial scenes, the members bring bats to infiltrate the party. They successfully do this, as per the ending scene. But after they defeat the Gingerbread Man. That is what I got out of the video, which was oddly childish in my opinion. I guess it complements the song in that regard. However, there are mature themes in the video, such as the cult-like fashion in which they summoned that balloon bear that shoots from its eyes. Aside from that, I quite enjoyed the colourful nature of the video and the fun energy the members did a great job of conveying throughout the video.
As for the choreography, I don’t see much potential in this department. I am quite surprised at this. I tend to look for the positive in all the negative, but I just thought this routine was relatively weak compared to their past routines. The only aspect that I thought might be worth flagging is that the routine was quite smooth. But aside from that, nothing really stood out..
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 5/10 Overall Rating – 6.9/10
Support your favourite artists, songs and performances in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards by clicking the link here to vote.
Going over my list of album and song reviews that I want to cover, I note that there are a few releases from the first half of the year that I have yet to cover. One in particular is Kim Sung Kyu’s solo comeback from April, SAVIOR, which I am quite surprised I missed. I was a very big fan of Kim Sung Kyu’s solo work in the past and I would always be game to review his solo work in depth. So forgive me that this is almost seven months late, but here is my review of the fourth mini-album from the leader of INFINITE himself.
While it was a while since we last heard from him at the time of SAVIOR‘s release, I must admit the mini-album did a good job of bridging what Kim Sung Kyu is known for from his past solo discography and the more modern elements of today’s industry. I did wish more people are interested in his work, as he has a lot to offer. I personally cannot wait for another release from Kim Sung Kyu, but at least we have five songs to tie us over for the meanwhile.
SAVIOR Album Cover
1. Intro – Kicking off the mini-album is a nice yet short band piece. It is quite nice to hear drums and guitar in a pure form, as it felt like it has been a while since I have heard something straight up like this. No vocals feature in this Intro, but it still definitely did a good job of driving excitement levels up for what is to come. And if you have been a avid fan of Kim Sung Kyu, you know that an intro like this one is something that is right up his alley.
3. My Love Will Be Yours – Following the title track is a ballad. My Love Will Be Yours is nice but it is on the fairly typical side of ballads. It does capture his vocals very well, and the instrumental was classically and orchestrally driven. But I found it to be lacking that captivation factor or a swayable/flowy melody that usually draws my attention to a ballad. It is still a good ballad nonetheless, just not one that I would find myself going back to often. (7.5/10)
4. I Dare You – I Dare You is SAVIOR‘s most interesting track. But it is this interesting factor that makes it good. I Dare You starts off with an atmospheric intro and first verse, which I would collectively liken to a suspenseful piece from a sci-fi movie. Here, Kim Sung Kyu concentrates his deeper tone, before soaring in the chorus alongside to some atmospheric rock. For the second verse, Kim Sung Kyu maintains the momentum from the first chorus, and captures my attention with a brief high note. The bridge is forgone for a dynamic and texturally heavy synth instrumental piece that feels like a performance could accompany this section if I Dare You were to be performed live. To me, I Dare You reminds me of his early solo days where he got to try something different from your typical ballad or dance tracks with his rock-styled tracks. Overall, a standout track that I would be revisiting often. (10/10)
5. Fog (안개) – Fog closes out this mini-album with a song that features a heavier presence of rock. I really like how intense the rock feels, despite it falling more on the softer side of the rock profile. I also enjoyed the upbeatness it gave the chorus, which was a nice change to usual softer rock sounds. For this most part, Kim Sung Kyu sounds quite good. This style is what he is known for, and it is nice nostalgic trip down the memory lane of Kim Sung Kyu’s solo work for me. However, at certain points of Fog, I did find the vocals to be quite soft and muffled. But I wonder if this was intentional to mimic how fog encapsulates one’s surrounding. It will be interesting if that is the case. (8.5/10)
THE BOYZ’s MAVERICK is nominated for Best Group Performance (Male) of 2022 in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. SupportMAVERICKand your other favourite artists, songs and performances in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards by clicking the link here to vote.
It has definitely been a while since the last album review being posted towards the end of October. A month on, I am finally back with the next album review. This one is for THE BOYZ’s BE AWARE – an album review I had started to draft before I had go on my urgent break and the prioritisation of other segments upon my return. Don’t worry, I dumped that draft and have rewritten everything to be a more accurate representation of my thoughts at this current point in time, as thoughts and feelings do change over a period of time. This album was released way back in mid-August and features the title track WHISTLE, alongside Timeless (a pre-release track) and four other side tracks.
Overall, a decent mini-album. Not their strongest, but there were some good moments on there. Do you agree with my overall summary of BE AWARE, or my thoughts on the individual songs? Let me know in the comments below.
2. Bump & Love – Bump & Love is a slower pop track. It has some catchy and memorable moments. The main ones that I really enjoyed were the ‘Woo~’ in the pre-choruses and the ‘La la la’ in the post-choruses. And I quite liked how the bridge double downed and really cut through the overly consistent feel that Bump & Love was tethering with. Since I already mentioned it, the likeness of the verses and choruses for Bump & Love was its biggest flaw. The lack of difference between the two sections and the returning tempo just made the song too consistent for the most part. I did wish the song picked it up a bit, especially for the choruses. This would have really given Bump & Love a bit more energy and colour, which could have potentially made the song even better. (7.5/10)
3. C.O.D.E – Probably the most standard sounding on the album is C.O.D.E. It has a pretty typical set-up of EDM instrumental, and simple and easy-going pop melodies. There isn’t anything wrong with this set-up as C.O.D.E was still enjoyable and palatable. I do think if C.O.D.E tapped more into tropical sound and had stronger set of vocals, this would have been a knock out song. My favourite bit of C.O.D.E is Sunwoo’s rap-spoken “G.E.N.I.U.S” bridge. It was a very memorable aspect of the song that I continue replay the song for. (8/10)
4. Levitating (무중력) – Levitating opts for a darker and more mature R&B profile, which I personally enjoyed. It was a textural song, but it managed to resist the abrasive textures we have heard in KPOP in the past. Instead, the song features a pounding and hefty beat to its instrumental and is accented with some metallic clanging. The latter was pretty typical, and I wished there was something more creative in place. The vocal work was quite sultry and complements the mature vibes of the song really well. The rapping had an equally passionate vibe that was flirty at times. (8/10)
5. Survive The Night – Survive The Night starts off the end of the album, which features a much softer tone to how the album started. This song features satisfying mix of electric guitar, a trap beat and some bass. Survive The Night also features a neat display of vocals from all members of the group. Emotions were also prevalent. Not as strong as other displays of emotions in songs that I have observed before. But enough to say that it helped make Survive The Night captivating, quite soothing, and the best side track from the album. (9/10)
NMIXX is nominated for Best New Female Group of 2022 in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support NMIXX and your other favourite artists, songs and performances in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED by clicking the link here to vote.
NMIXX is back with the first holiday-themed KPOP track of the season. There is definitely a few more confirmed holiday-themed releases coming out way, so definitely keep your eyes open for those. But the focus today is on NMIXX and their new single Funky Glitter Christmas. This comeback follows the likes of O.O (their debut single) and DICE (their first comeback single).
NMIXX definitely made a splash in the industry for their uniqueness in smashing different sounds and styles into one singular song each time. This time around, the group turns down the exact thing that drew attention to them, instead opting for a more ‘standard’ sounding track to close out the year. And I quite like it. Not only was Funky Glitter Christmas was cheerful, upbeat, wholesome and bubbly, it was also stable and enabled a focus on the group’s vocals. On the stable front, we did get a bit of familiar melodies and classical carols mashed into the song, which is similar to the approach that NMIXX and their producers have taken for their other tracks. But it isn’t exactly jarring and comes off as cohesive, hence it feels stable. As for the vocal front, we have heard potential from the members in their past promoted tracks, but Funky Glitter Christmas is my first time hear a substantial vocal piece from the group. And I am very impressed with the flair and prowess that the group brought to Funky Glitter Christmas. I was particularly impressed with the the way the song swung back from the Christmas carol slowdown of the bridge to the final chorus, especially when it came to Lily’s high note. The rapping, whilst quite good, felt like it could have been a little more naturally incorporated into the song. Also, I feel that Funky Glitter Christmas could have more funkiness. This would have really made Funky Glitter Christmas more enjoyable, stronger and stand out more. Overall, a great track for us to acclimate to the holiday season and the countdown to the new year.
The entire music video showed the members getting ready for a party, and ultimately ends with that party showing everyone having fun and enjoying their time. This music video is no serious video, just telling you (visually) to have fun and enjoy the final moments of 2022 in the best way possible. It intends to be lighthearted and send out a happy message. It works well with the song and seeing the members have fun left a smile on my face.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.3/10
TEMPEST is nominated for Best New Male Group of 2022, while their last comeback single is nominated for Most Underrated Song of 2022. Support TEMPEST and your other favourite artists, songs and performances in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED by clicking the link here to vote.
TEMPEST is back after a quick turnaround from their August comeback with Can’t Stop Shining and second mini-album (not yet reviewed, but will be reviewed). This time around, the group is promoting their third mini-album release, ON and ON, and the new lead single Dragon – both of which dropped on Tuesday this week. The single Taste The Feeling, which is also featured on this new mini-album, is also being promoted with a music video release (and I will be reviewing this some time into the future, as well).
Dragon is definitely a 180° change from their more pop centric Can’t Stop Shining, which I really enjoyed (so much so that it is now nominated for Most Underrated Song of 2022 in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards – sorry about the duplication and shameless plug). While I am not too bothered by the switch-up of style, my biggest concern with Dragon is that it doesn’t offer anything new in terms of output in the KPOP scene. Described as a hybrid trap song, Dragon is a somewhat solid track. It manages to put the members on display with solid display of vocals (i.e. the pre-choruses) and rapping (i.e. the powerful rapping we get in the verses). This is one aspect of Dragon that I really enjoyed. But unfortunately, it doesn’t strike me to be a memorable song. The choruses relied on shouty-like motif that didn’t give Dragon the opportunity to really hook me in. Whilst on the topic of hooks, Dragon was lacking in this department, as well. The instrumental was probably the most riveting aspect of the chorus, but it got repetitive by the time we got to the second chorus if I am being honest. Had the song been memorable by way of a more substantial hook, a less predictable instrumental or maybe a little creativity with the delivery of the chorus, Dragon could have been much more. But unfortunately, that wasn’t the case and we are left with a song that makes me want to relive their debut and previous comeback.
With a title as cool as Dragon, I kind of wished the music video featured more of the mystical beast. The glimpse of it that we did get was definitely serves as awesome peak. But I wished they had teased out the presence of the dragon a bit more. Aside from that, the video feels like your edgy styled music video, which works well with the song. I did quite liked the blue background with the white strips of fabric hanging above. That actually looked quite cool. I found the masks scenes to be a bit scary, but it worked with the edgy style quite well.
The performance for this comeback was just as you would expect. It is intense and has a powerful oomph to it, which complements the hybrid trap that we get in the song. I did like the kicks in the pre-choruses, which worked well in hyping up the performance. But nothing really stood out from this expected routine.
Song – 6.5/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 6.8/10
KPOPREVIEWED 