After seven years, the first member from TWICE is finally making her solo debut. The honour goes to TWICE’s NAYEON, who debuted as a solo artist last Friday with the single POP! and the mini-album Im Nayeon. I personally wonder if this solo debut is a backup plan in case TWICE’s contract negotiation falls through (which I hope is not the case). I just find it suspicious that the group is only a few months out of the standard seven year contract, and suddenly one member (so far – I hope there is more solo debuts on the way) make her solo debut. But I guess time will tell. Until then, this is my review for POP!. This is also the first TWICE related release of the year, as well, following the release of Doughnut in Japan and SCIENTISTin Korea.
POP! is an okay track. Since its release, I have listened to it a few times. And while it nice and decent, I am not exactly head over heels for this solo release. As mentioned yesterday, maybe time will help make the song grow on me. But as for now, I am pretty neutral over POP!. I liked the instrumental’s percussive and upbeat underlay, which was a pleasantly consistent element in the instrumental. It brought on a refreshing vibe to the song, undoubtedly fitting for the Summer season that this comeback falls in. The brass in the verse and the electric guitar in the chorus were nice additions to add extra life and colour to the instrumental. Together, they create a relatively simple pop instrumental for the likes of POP!. As for NAYEON’s vocals in POP!, they sound good. But I am not overly excited by her vocals. They felt somewhat plain. Similar comments can be said about the song’s melodies. I just expected something more jumpy or vibrant. We get part of the way there, but it just isn’t enough. Her spoken hook (i.e. the pops) were probably the most exciting part of the song. Though, I do think POP! would have benefited from something more punchy and colourful. The rapping felt unnecessary and adds an overly cute sequence into the song that felt too sugary and saccharine for my taste. Overall, I feel the strong and weak points of POP! cancel each other out, leaving me without much feelings for the song. I neither hate nor like POP!. I am just somewhere in the middle.
The music video fairs better than the song. It is everything you can ask for in a Summer concept music video. Bright, colourful, vibrant. The sets look amazing and fun, as well. I quite like the look of the post-production treatment, as it help adds so much more life visually to the video. On top of that, Nayeon is stunning and looks amazing throughout the video. Her smiles also make the a whole lot of difference to the video, adding more to those bright and vibrant descriptors I have mentioned.
I thought the choreography was great. The small pops that come via the hips and body movements looked fantastic and adds a vibrant and fun element to the routine. I also like how the dancers made the popping come to life following the second chorus when they stand behind Nayeon (and then fan out).
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
Making this solo comeback last week was Youngjae with his second mini-album and title track, both of which are titled SUGAR. This is his second comeback following his solo debut with Vibin’ in October of last year (his first was via the winter single Walk With Me, which I didn’t review). Youngjae’s solo comeback also follows GOT7’s recent long awaited return to the industry, to which Youngjae and all his fellow members participated in, after almost 1.5 years absence from the industry.
SUGAR has yet to really catch on like how Vibin’ did. But more time could change that. And based on what I am going to be saying in this review, I expect that it will. Nonetheless, SUGAR has proven to be an extremely enjoyable track. The funky pop instrumental made up of pronounced guitars was quite consistent throughout the song. While consistency has been an issue in the past for some songs, the consistency issue is not really a thing here in SUGAR. This is thanks to the guitar work, which is so vibrant and punchy that it offsets any consistency concerns. That being said, there is also a bit of trap thrown into the mix for the second verse and finger clicks in the bridge that gives some variety to the background. SUGAR features strong vocals from Youngjae, whose tone matches the vibrancy of the guitar in the instrumental. It really allows him to pop out in the song. He also adds a bit of sweetness to the song, which works really well with the title of the song. His ad-libs at the end channels a fair bit of energy, as well, creating a dynamic end. Youngjae also tries his hand at rapping for the second verse. It was a fair effort. I do think maybe a featuring rapper could have made it more dynamic and enticing, but Youngjae did well on his own. I quite like how he handled the ‘That’s how you do it‘ line midway through the second verse. The melodies of SUGAR were also quite catchy and enjoyable. Overall, SUGAR is a nice follow-up single to his debut track.
The video starts off a bit dark, with Youngjae awakening from a slumber at the dinner table, just in time to see a female presence leave the room. He has a flashback of the nights event, and runs after the female. We are then shown what happened. The day started very bright and outside. He seeks the attention of the female character from the beginning of the video, trying his best to look cool (which I personally think he achieved, but that might be my bias for him talking now). He then throws a classy dinner party. He is so infatuated by the female character (as expressed in the lyrics). and continues his cool streak that he fails to catch on her efforts of putting him to sleep. The motive is unclear, but I guess she and her friends want to have a good time at the expense of Youngjae (who in the credits is shown asleep, while everyone else has fun at his party). I quite enjoyed the chemistry that Youngjae had with the camera throughout the video, looking quite confident and cheeky. The settings were also really nice.
Like in the music video, I quite like how charismatic he is on stage. It creates a strong atmosphere for the performance. Aside from that, I liked the energy he and the dancers channel throughout the performance. Nothing really stood out, until the end, where he pushes through the dancer dramatically. That I felt was a cool moment.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8.5/10 Performance – 7.5/10 Overall Rating – 8.1/10
It has felt like it has been a while since we have heard new music from Sunmi, even though we have heard the odd single or two from her since her last official promotions of You Can’t Sit With Us from August of last year. Since then, she has released two special singles (Go or Stop? and Oh Sorry Ya). But as already mentioned, neither were promoted (and hence no review was written for them). Today, Sunmi returned with the new single Heart Burn.
Described as the day version of her pporappippam (a song that depicts a Summer night’s atmosphere), Sunmi describes Heart Burn as the heat of a Summer’s day. I quite enjoyed the likes of Heart Burn, simply for the pleasant nature of the song. Yes, it joins a string of pleasant songs that we have gotten thus far this year. But with a heavy presence of EDM still dominating the likes of the industry, pleasant songs like Heart Burn are much appreciated by yours truly. I quite like the easy going atmosphere that the song has, making it quite ‘easy on the ears’, as I always say. The melodies and instrumental were relatively simple, but they were still quite appealing and catchy nonetheless. The guitar and percussion creates a low-key pop instrumental, which came off as refreshing to me. I quite liked the sparing use and intriguing nature of the high pitch squeaky synth that fills up the non-vocal sections of the song. It was a simple use of the synth, but I thought it was clever to confine it to just those moments so avoid overuse, which in turn made it quite attractive. I also like Sunmi’s vocals throughout Heart Burn. They blended very nicely into the song, keeping true to the pleasant and easy going nature of the song. Her vocals were quite consistent throughout Heart Burn, never really breaking free from a standard motif. But somehow it works and makes Heart Burn more appealing. When compared to her other works, however, Heart Burn doesn’t really stick out for me. But it is still a really neat song.
The music video starts off quite innocent and almost cutesy in a way, with Sunmi playing about in the garden and playing with a dog. But it was soon revealed that Sunmi is an immortal femme fatale, who has caused the death of multiple men throughout history. She strikes in 1856, 1926, 1966, 1969 in the scenes, causing at least four deaths (that we know of). Sunmi’s portray is very fitting, given her sensual style we have seen in past music videos. I did wish the change of emotions of sorrow and guilt to happiness that we do see in the video was a bit more snappy and sudden, just to make the story a bit more apparent. And maybe a modern day shot of her going for her next victim would have been a nice closer to the video. But I guess that might lead into cheesy territory.
Usually, you see idols put a bit of energy into their performance to come off sensual. But what I saw in Sunmi’s performance was very little energy, but it somehow manages to come off as effortlessly sensual. I am amazed at her skills. I also liked the fans throughout the performance. They are aesthetic and artsy. They also added a fair bit of oomph to the stage.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8.5/10 Overall Rating – 8.7/10
Also making his comeback today is HUTA (a.k.a Lee Minhyuk from BTOB) who returns as a solo artist after three years with the title track and his second studio length album, both titled BOOM. HUTA did make a small comeback in 2021 with the single, Good Night, but that flew under most people’s radar and wasn’t reviewable due to a lack of promotive material. So I won’t consider that a full fledged comeback, and so BOOM follows HUTA’s 2019 solo debut release, YA, and his first studio length album, HUTAZONE. HUTA also recently promoted as part of BTOB, who made their grand return earlier this year with The Song.
BOOM lives up to its name, as it is explosive and packs a punch. This is thanks to two elements – the instrumental and HUTA himself. BOOM is described to be a ‘hybrid wonk trap style song with an elaborate bass line’ (taken from SOOMPI). The percussive and trap elements combined with the bass brought a dramatic flair to the song that gets your blood flowing. The wonky sub-genre, which I personally have not heard of before today (or I may have, but never had it described to me as ‘wonk’) or experience in KPOP before, doesn’t really help bring out the explosive side of the song. But it comes through the most during the choruses, and adds a background centrepiece to BOOM‘s centrepiece. Combining the two, you have a pretty powerfully unique track that doesn’t hold back. HUTA himself brings aggression into the song, with his iron solid rapping extremely bolstered and passionate at the same time. This aligns with the instrumental strongly, creating a dynamic piece. But interestingly, it isn’t the instrumental or rapping that takes the cake for me in BOOM. It is HUTA’s vocals that somehow managed to steal the show, especially the ‘aight‘, ‘high‘ or ‘hi‘ we get in the lyrics. He goes high pitch with these words, which contrasts really well with the deeper and harder sounds. The rest of his vocals are smooth, yet maintains a raspiness to them. The chorus was catchy and memorable, thanks to the ‘Boom Shaka Laka‘ line. Overall, HUTA kills it with BOOM and impresses me with his versatility, once again.
Three music videos into HUTA’s solo career (YA, Tonight (With Melody) and now BOOM), and HUTA shown his abs once again. I sense a theme and a connection with fellow soloist WONHO. Anyhow, the music video for BOOM is dark and edgy, as one would expect. The video also uses a lot of red or orangey-red lighting, which I persume is to highlight and emphasise the aggression that HUTA brings to the song. All of this feels very appropriate for BOOM. I liked the forest background for some of the shots, as it felt a bit more freeing than the closed sets we got and managed to still work in tandem with the rest of the shots. I also liked it when he punched the camera. And of course, HUTA looks great throughout the video (abs or clothed)!
BOOM also shows off HUTA’s performance skills with a cool choreography. Based on what I saw in the video, it isn’t exactly groundbreaking. But it had aggression, it had smoothness, it had sensual moves. It practically had everything! What does freak me out are the masked dancers. It takes the idea of masks to a whole new level, as there are no eyes holes on the mask. Instead, the front of the mask is decorated with shiny stones that reflect the light. Sounds cool in theory, but very dark in practicality. The floating throne (made up of the dancers) at the start was a pretty cool idea.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.5/10
Making their comeback today is fromis_9, who returns with their new single Stay This Way and fifth mini-album, From Our Memento Box. This follows the group’s last comeback, DM, which occurred earlier this year and really stole my attention for many many weeks. The group was originally going to kick off promotions with a comeback showcase, but some members were unfortunately injured over the weekend in a car crash and the decision was made to cancel the showcase. It is currently said that the affected members do not have serious injuries, but it is currently unsure whether promotions can go ahead this week.
Stay This Way continues the pleasant nature that fromis_9 visited in DM. Majority of the song felt similar, and so Stay This Way thrives on the familiarity front – fitting for a song titled Stay This Way. Their vocals were super nice, and the melodies still had a bounce to them that made them enjoyable. I could also easily carry over DM’s description for the instrumental ‘a pop track with no frills, and is quite light, soft and pleasant (in a positive sense) as well‘, though I felt Stay This Way had a minute difference (more on that in a second). I am just glad that the producers have allowed fromis_9 to explore more of this pleasant style, since its suits them so well and DM proved to be a very successful for them. But there are differences between the song that makes Stay This Way its own song. One obvious difference is the presence of rapping, which I thought added a different dynamic to the pleasantries. But it is delivery in a way that is kept in line with the pleasant nature of the song. Is it the best rap performance? Not really. But it does the job and adds something else to Stay This Way, as already mentioned. Less apparent is the instrumental which I already mentioned to be similar. But I also felt that Stay This Way which had a slight kick to it thanks to what felt like a faster tempo to bring up the energy since it is a Summer release. The repetition of the song’s title was also a neat change and hook to the song, though unimaginative. Overall, Stay This Way carries on what I really enjoyed from their previous comeback but does what it needs to to be its own song.
Most of the video looks super fitting and logical given the current season the song is released in. I believe it also fits in with the lyrics of the song, as well. The members appear to having fun in the outdoors surroundings. When the members are smiling and look like they are enjoying the outdoors, the video felt natural. I believe the pale filter helps heighten this. However, there were moments when the members felt a bit forced, especially when they looking serious and throwing model looks at us during solo and unit shots. Not really the natural vibe there, to be honest.
Based on what I can see in the music video, the choreography for this comeback looks good. It seems like the chorus would be the most attractive point, as the chorus’ choreography parts drew my attention the most. I might return to this review and update it once a live performance happens.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.3/10
The next album to be reviewed is Moonbin & Sanha’s second mini-album, RFFUGE, which dropped mid-March this year. It features the title track WHO, and four additional singles including Ghost Town, which served as the mini-album’s pre-release single. Moonbin & Sanha’s comeback follows the debut of ASTRO’s second subunit, JinJin & Rocky, who made their debut with the single Just Breath and mini-album Restore. Their comeback precedes ASTRO’s Candy Sugar Pop comeback and the group’s third studio album, Drive to the Starry Road (which I will be reviewing at a later date).
I can’t remember the exact reason why I chose to review REFUGE, as it has been a while since its release. I just have it down as ‘TO REVIEW’ in my notes. It has been bumped up slightly, however, as I don’t think I can handle another full length album review this weekend, but thought it would be nice to still put out an album review. And REFUGE was the first mini-album on my list to review. Overall, REFUGE was a decent album with some good and weaker songs. It is still worth a listen, as you may find something you like, as I did.
2. BOO – BOO takes on the R&B genre. I personally like the beat, the brighter tone, the clear vocals and the intriguing nature of the twangs we get in the instrumental. But beyond that, I find BOO to be just a decent track. Unfortunately, the melodies or hooks weren’t as memorable as they could be. And compared to the other tracks on the album, BOO easily becomes the forgotten single. (7/10)
3. DIA – DIA is more of my jam. The disco influences in the crunchy instrumental brought a more dynamic profile to the song (which I find to be extremely memorable), and I find myself having a boogie in my chair every time this song comes on. I really liked their vocals throughout DIA, with this song showing off their vocals in the best on this album. There is no standout hook in this song, as the instrumental really dominated the track for me. But I feel there is enough in terms of melodies to help boost the song’s memorability factor. (8/10)
4. Distance – Distance brings forth balladry energy. Distance starts off with an acoustic centric instrumental which I thought was really soothing and nice, before developing into a more bolstered instrumental that somehow maintains the acoustic roots it began with. I find myself swaying along to the song, as the pair delivers very captivating vocals and melodies. I am not entirely keen on the siren-like synths, but they do help fill up the background of the song, creating a heftier number. (8.5/10)
At the start of February this year, Wonpil made his solo debut with Pilmography, two months prior to his military enlistment. This release comes in the form of a studio album (which is a rare form of a debut, though it has been done before), which is lead by the single Voiceless. In addition to Voiceless, there are nine other addition tracks on the album – some of which have been performed live by Wonpil in some form following the album’s release. Today, I will finally be reviewing the album (almost five months after its release).
Going into the album, I thought we would be getting ballad after ballad for some reason. I guess Wonpil looks like a ballad type of guy. But I was genuinely surprised that ballads only make up a small portion of the album. Instead, we got different song styles coming through. It is all in the realm of music that can be performed by a band, but it isn’t all rock (as one might think when it comes to band music) or ballads. I highly recommend you check out this album, as some of the songs are stunning. Others are surprising or just plain old pleasant. But all are very good songs.
2. Sincerity (지우게) – At first, I thought Sincerity was a straight forward ballad with striking piano, which I totally enjoyed. But as the song continues, it unexpectedly changes momentum via the insertion of synths during the choruses. It isn’t a complete shakeup though, as the beat is maintained and the song reverts between the two as its progresses along. I also found it to be quite cohesive, as a result. I enjoyed the way Wonpil’s vocals climbed to match the intensity that the synths bring and how he brought an airiness of the verses to give it some colour. (9/10)
3. A Writer in a Love Story (소설 속의 작가가 되어) – You can tell that A Writer in a Love Story is a lot more cheerful compared to some of the other song, thanks to its upbeat and jazzy tone. I feel that this brought a warm feel to the album as a result. And since it is cold where I am, I was really feeling it. I also like how Wonpil’s vocals compliments different genres, with his vocals sounding splendid in this enjoyable and pleasant song. (8/10)
4. Walk With Me (우리 더 걸을까) – The acoustic nature of Walk With Me feels very fitting for the Springtime in which the album was released in. It felt like a song that easily could have risen in the charts had it been standalone and well promoted, just like how some other Spring songs tend to rise out of nowhere during the Spring season on the Korean charts. Wonpil sounds sweet and warm touch to the song, complimenting the lyrics and overall feel of the song, which highlights the loving nature of the song. (8/10)
5. Stranded (외딴섬의 외톨이) – One of my picks for best song on Pilmography is Stranded, simply because I don’t mind having this song on repeat. It brings back synths, bringing forth a jazzy city pop vibe, and an upbeat tempo. Both are appealing aspects on a vocal centric album like this. I find Wonpil’s voice to be the best in Stranded, as he pulled out a few different techniques to make the song more interesting on his part. I particularly enjoyed his interaction with the backing vocals in the pre-chorus for this song. (10/10)
6. Someday, Spring Will Come (언젠가 봄은 찾아올 거야) – If you are looking for a softer and an ‘easy on the ear’ song, Someday, Spring Will Come is the song for you. It is, however, a more bittersweet song, reminding us that there is always good news down the track or ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ (for this song, the good news or light is likened to be Spring). The instrumental is interesting, bringing in horns and flutes into the mix. Not unheard of, but it a bit different set of instruments commonly heard. I enjoyed the percussion in this song, which made the song extremely pleasant. Wonpil’s vocals are good, but they felt a bit flat in this song. (7/10)
7. Pieces (휴지조각) – Another favourite of mine from this album. Pieces takes on a pop profile and explores Wonpil’s lower registers, both of which hasn’t really been touched upon on this album in great detail yet. I really like the pulsing melody in the verses and throughout instrumental. It creates an intriguing and different dynamic that is quite cool. I also enjoyed the building momentum towards the lyric-less chorus. It’s a bit abstract, but that makes the track unique and individualistic, which I am always for. (10/10)
8. Last Goodbye (늦은 끝) – We re-enter ballad territory with Last Goodbye, with features a piano only instrumental that is quite beautiful. It actually didn’t occur to me at first (only as I was typing this review) that the instrumental was just piano, as the piano compensated for what usual is present (i.e. some form of percussion, strings etc.). With such an instrumental, the focus is squarely on Wonpil. And as indicated throughout this album, he shows off his vocals in a manner that is extremely pure and untouched. (9/10)
9. Unpainted Canvas (그리다 보면) – Unpainted Canvas is an uplifting pop rock song that is so captivating to listen to. While I try hard not to think of DAY6 whilst writing this album review since this is Wonpil’s own work, I felt that Unpainted Canvas is the most DAY6-like track thanks to the rock band feel that the instrumental brings. I also enjoyed the lyrics, conveying one’s journey from young to present via the idea of painting or drawing a future. I also liked Wonpil’s vocals throughout this track, as well. (8.5/10)
10. A Journey (행운을 빌어 줘) – Final song on this stunning album is A Journey. Wonpil saves one of the best to the very end. It closes out with the message that he will be back as a better person and to wish him luck for what is to come next in his journey. It is also the most surprising track on the album thanks to its synth/band instrumental that drives the song forward. The chorus is just so vibrant and cheerful, and I like how Wonpil matches this energy with his vocals. (10/10)
As mentioned in my last song review, two Queendom 2 participants made their comeback this week. Now it is time for the second group and runner up of the competition to get their review. LOONA has made a comeback with a special Summer mini-album, Flip That, which features the title track of the same name. Aside from Queendom 2, this is the first time we are seeing the group following their PTT (Paint The Town) Korean comeback and their Japanese debut Hula Hoop.
Compared to their last few releases (which have been more powerful and intense releases), Flip That brings a very different colour to the group’s discography. Flip That is described as a house based track. But instead of the usual likes of house EDM, Flip That is more subdued, light and airy. That being said, there is still heft and bass to the instrumental. This creates an interesting and almost aesthetic atmosphere that feels unique and different. Their vocals take on a sweeter and brighter tone profile, which I find to pair extremely well with the instrumentation and its subdued nature. Keeping the song is check and balance are the rappers, who too brought a smidge of heft to the song. But while this sound combination sounds successful so far, I don’t find Flip That to be LOONA’s most riveting piece to date. This determination came down to the melodies and hooks. A small part of me felt Flip That‘s melodies and hooks were memorable to a degree. But a much larger part of me a feels that the melodies and hooks were underwhelming, underdeveloped and underplayed. It didn’t feel enough, if you understand what I mean. I wished it was teased out a bit more and brought a more dynamic touch to the song. Overall, Flip That does have its pros and cons. At this stage, I like it for its uniqueness and thinks that this compensates for the rest of the track.
To match the song’s subdued sound, Flip That‘s accompanying music video takes on a more lighthearted and innocent look compared to their recent music videos. Its bright and airy. There is a lot of colour (though not bold or heavy handed, which I find it be quite nice and easy on the eyes). I really love the forest background that was selected for one of the choreography shots in music video. Its so vivid, and the producers put a lot of thought in ensuring that the video remained balanced with the 12 members and bright white outfits. Not entirely sure if the video is trying to tell a story of some kind, but it can easily be summed up as the members enjoying their time outdoors (or towards their next location/comeback).
Just like the song and music video, the choreography takes on a lighter, cuter and more delicate feel. I like what they did with the formation of the second chorus, and the chorus routine in general. And also, I like that they kept their signature synchronisation. But as a whole piece, I didn’t feel like it was as captivating as the performance could have be.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 7.5/10 Performance – 6.5/10 Overall Rating – 7.7/10
This week started off with two Queendom 2 acts making their comeback. First up on the reviewing block is Kep1er, who makes their grand return with Up!. This is featured on the group’s second mini-album, Doublast. This comes after the group’s debut back in January 2022 with WA DA DA, and more recently, their participation on Queendom 2 (as already mentioned).
Up! comes out at the right time, capitalising on the current Summer season in which Korea (and Northern Hemisphere) is in. This is the time we want to hear bright and vibrant songs, and I feel that Up! hits that part of the brief with no doubts. The track also capitalises on the group’s youthfulness, and brings about a fun and upbeat energy to a mix (which is synonymous with the Summer season). Both goes hand in hand in setting up Up!. There are a few aspects in the song that I quite like. The synths used in this song are felt refreshing and didn’t feel like a repeat of what we have heard thus far this year in terms of Summer songs. Up! features some really cool rapping that adds some deepness to the song and keeps the song grounded. The chorus was brought a trendy pop sound to the table and was pleasantly catchy. I do think a stronger melodic hook would have been more satisfying overall, but what we got in Up! is perfectly fine already. On the other hand, the post-chorus felt weak and didn’t feel concentrated enough. In addition to that, I also felt that Up!‘s reliance on cuteness is a hit or miss I wished it was toned down as it is a bit too cliché. A summer track can be youthful, without the need to steer into the cute domain. The vocals were plain in comparison to the rapping. Even with the autotune, it didn’t do much for me. And finally, the second half of the instrumental break in the bridge felt forced. The brighter first half was fine and fits in with the rest of the track, but the more intense second half (taking on a dubstep like approach), was unnecessary and creates an imbalance with the rest of the song. But overall, Up! is a decent Summer track.
A very colourful and vibrant video accompanies the release. No surprises there. For the most part, the video was decent, alongside the music. I did see them trying to push a cutesy agenda, which I am not entirely a fan of. But at the same time, it wasn’t a terrible concept for this video. There were some scenes that I could have done without, such as the awkward laptop POV scene and the lemon charging scene. They felt very random and didn’t make much sense to me.
I quite liked what they did with the chorus in this routine, with the arm wave at the start and the two lines of members. As for the dance break, I liked how bouncy the first half felt. And as much as I disagree with the second half of the dance break, the routine was pretty good. The rest of the choreography otherwise felt standard for me.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.2/10
As mentioned yesterday on Twitter (yes, I have a Twitter account – @kpopreviewed), there would be two album reviews today (as I was slightly busy yesterday). The second album review of the day is for KIHYUN’s official solo debut, which occurred back in March of this year. The solo debut was titled VOYAGER, and is the title for both the lead single and single album. In addition to VOYAGER, the single album also consist of two additional side tracks. Following his solo debut, KIHYUN returned with MONSTA X through their LOVEand Shape of Love comeback (which I will be writing an album review for some time in the future). It was also recently announced that KIHYUN had renewed his contract with Starship Entertainment.
I am a bit disappointed that KIHYUN’s solo debut came in the form of three songs (i.e. the very typical length for a single album). It is far too short to appreciate what KIHYUN has to offer. He definitely deserves a mini-album, at the very least. But hey, this is what KIHYUN has provided us, so I shouldn’t be complaining. Again, a strong album release from this seasoned KPOP artist. VOYAGER takes the cake for best song on the album, but the other two songs have their own charm. Continue scrolling to see what I thought about those songs.
2. , (COMMA) – COMMA continues the pop rock vibe from the title track, but opts for a much softer and more emotional atmosphere, expressing his own desire to take a break or rest when he is lost, similar to how a comma brings a brief pause in a sentence. It is a completely different energy to what we got before it, as KIHYUN’s vocals convey more emotions in this song. I quite like the oomph he puts behind his vocals during the chorus, in contrast with the softer approach he takes in the verses. It makes for a slightly more riveting piece. The instrumental feels on trend, but I wished it was a bit more innovative, just so COMMA can have a bit of an edge. (8/10)
3. RAIN – RAIN opts for a more intense instrumental piece, featuring what felt like a slow burning rock instrumental. The intensity is so gripping, it was quite hard to be distracted from the song (or to turn away from the song). KIHYUN’s vocals are powerful and felt so loaded, particularly during the chorus, which in turn felt relatively explosive. I did like how he kept held himself back throughout RAIN, keeping that energy and intensity simmering away until the end to make it a captivating piece. (9/10)
It has been almost a month since my last album review. But I am finally getting back to writing them and posting them on weekends. But be aware as I am quite back up with a very long list of many great albums I want to review, so please bare with me. The first album I want to visit is BTOB’s third studio length album, Be Together, which was released back in February of this year. Featured on this album is the title track The Song, nine side tracks, an intro, an interlude and an outro track. So it is definitely jammed packed. This album, for those who may not recall, was also BTOB’s grand comeback as a full group since 2018 and follows the military enlistment of all members (aside from Peniel).
As a quick summary. I find myself to be a fan of every song on this album in one way or another. That is the greatest outcome for any album. Knowing BTOB’s background and successful songs, there are obviously ballads on this album. But some of the album’s standouts are not ballads and are more so hidden gems on this album (as they are placed in the midst of the many ballads on this album). But obviously, more on those songs as I get to them. So without any more delays (or else this might get delayed), let’s me get straight into the first album review after a while, BTOB’s Be Together.
Be Together Album Cover
1. Intro: The Trace (Intro: 발자취) – The album starts off with a fairly simple introductory track. Over a really nice piano melody that sets a balladry tone for the album, we can hear someone walking through the snow. It is piece I can vividly imagine and see myself in.
3. Blooming Day (봄이 피어나) – My favourite aspects of Blooming Day are the presence of the raps in the verses. Minhyuk really pushed the song to the next level with his sequence, while Peniel brought a nice flow. They also brought whole lot of intensity to the ballad, which peaked my interest in the song and made it so captivating. I also liked that the chorus follows the momentum of the raps creating a powerful centrepiece. The ad-libs in the final chorus also builds the intensity and gives off a similar effect. (10/10)
4. Be Together (우리) – Be Together, the namesake for this album, continues the album’s ballad focus. Be Together is a beautiful one with a swayable atmosphere and melody that you will know I would like. I really like the rock elements in the instrumental of this ballad, which throws out the idea that a ballad has to be classically instrumented in order to beautiful. The vocals stand out in this one, showcasing strong and powerful vocals. The rappers held themselves back with small and slighter sequences, but I liked how their parts still had intensity. (9/10)
5. My Way – My Way changes the momentum of the album up with a more upbeat track, delving into a R&B and hip-hop mix. It sounds quite urban, and is a song that I wouldn’t mind listening to whilst walking through a hip neighbourhood. I like how everyone brought their A-game for this track. Unlike the preceding track, both vocalists and rappers’ factions of the group were on par with each other and brought great energy to the song. I particularly like the echoing effect of the post-chorus hook. (9/10)
6. Whiskey – Whiskey follows My Way’s more urban feel, but opts for a R&B instrumental that feels groovier while the lyrics are a lot sexier. There is also a sleekness to the song’s instrumental that I totally digging. I really like the character and personality that the members put behind their vocals. It just adds depth and energy to the song that would have felt plain had more standard vocals/raps been used. It also demonstrates BTOB’s vocal versatility between members, but their ability to also remain cohesive. For example, Peniel’s more hip-hop aligned breakdown in the second verse was a surprising presence, but fits into the bigger picture that is Whiskey. (8/10)
7. Interlude: Re – The album features an interlude track, Re, which is a minute and a half of a soothing piano melody. It brings down the energy of the album following some upbeat tracks, enabling the next track to be placed.
8. Lonely – Lonely is another ballad on this album. But rather than being your typical slow or flowy ballad, Lonely is a fairly intense ballad thanks to the presence of the strings throughout the track. Not in the dramatic sense, but more so in a captivating sense. In addition to the strings, the members’ vocals also build up the intensity of the song and adds to that captivation. It isn’t a smashing ballad like the others earlier on this album, but Lonely is still a strong one nonetheless. (8/10)
9. Dance With Me (춤) – Dance With Me bring up the album’s energy levels with another dynamic track. The energy is quite refreshing and thoroughly enjoyable. And for that, I deem it as one of my favourite side tracks on this album. Dance With Me features some really cool and intriguing guitar work at the start. But that is not only where we get the guitar work. I liked how the guitar makes a presence throughout the song, pulling the different segments together. The powerful vocals are a highlight in this song, while the upbeat nature enables the rappers to dive into their parts. (10/10)
10. Higher – Thanks to its rock influences, Higher is definitely the odd one out on this album. But instead of me questioning its presence on the album, Higher steals my attention and carries me away. Before I know it, the song is over and I am left wanting more. I remember it leaving me floored when I listened to the album back in February. And after four months, Higher still leaves me on the edge of my seat and gets me head banging! I quite liked the snowballing effect the energy has, which is thanks to both the rock instrumentation and the members’ powerful energy they channeled through the song. (10/10)
11. Thank You – Thank You is the type of song to bring a smile to your face. At least, it did for me. Thank You had a tall order in following the likes of Higher, but I think it handled it pretty well. The song is much sweeter (to match the lyrics) and less energy driven, but it wasn’t as an extreme step down in terms of upbeatness. I like the jazzy notes within the instrumental, the more loving vocals the members provide to the song and the random burst of brass we get consistently in the backing. (8.5/10)
12. It’s All Good (흘려보내) – The second last song on the album remains in upbeat territory with its pop rock instrumentation, but you can tell that the group is slowly tuning down the energy to help ease us off the album. It isn’t as a riveting piece as it could be, but it has its charms. I really like the soaring and floaty melodies that It’s All Good has. My only critical note about the song is Minhyuk’s powerful and strong entrance in the bridge, which contrasts practically everything in the track and it feels a bit unexpected. I am not entirely sure what to think of this. It works with the idea of a pop rock instrumental, but it doesn’t work in harmony as with the rest of the song. (7/10)
13. Outro: Encore – Ending the album is an outro track, titled Encore. Usually, when the title includes the ‘Outro’ tag, it is something brief, and not a full-fledged 4-minute-long track like how Encore was. It is fitting that the album closes out with a ballad, just like how it started. I enjoyed how stunning this one was, from start to end, vocals to raps. I really liked the high notes in this as well, giving the track a breathtaking element. Encore is classically and acoustically instrumented and was quite riveting. An amazing end to the album. (10/10)
Naturally, the night I decided to take off (yesterday) had multiple comebacks. But don’t worry, I will (slowly) get around to them! First up (and I will explain why I chose this one to be first up from yesterday’s options for a review) is OMEGA X’s PLAY DUMB, which is the title track off their 1st studio length album. This is the group’s first comeback that I am reviewing since their debut with VAMOS last year, Story Written In Music. However, OMEGA X has had two comebacks since their debut which I have yet to cover including What’s Goin’ On and Love Like This, both of which will be reviewed in some form in the future. As for now, here is my review for their third comeback track, PLAY DUMB.
Out of all the releases from the 15 June 2022, PLAY DUMB was my favourite. And it was so for a very simple reason – it was fun and had strong ‘feel-good’ vibes which I needed after a long day. PLAY DUMB isn’t an innovative pop song, but it also doesn’t feel like a straight up copy of another bright and vibrant pop song from the top of my head (though one could say it is similar to other songs of an equivalent nature and I wouldn’t disagree with them). In addition to the vibes that I already mentioned, I found PLAY DUMB to have lively but also pleasant instrumental, stepping away from the heaviness that synths that we hear so often nowadays. I love the funky vibes that the guitar brought to the post-chorus hook. PLAY DUMB also features a strong showing of vocals and raps from the members, which is always appreciable. It also contains some decent hooks and melodies which I thought tied the song together really well. I really enjoyed the inclination of the pre-choruses, which helped drive up the energy of PLAY DUMB to make the chorus even better. There was something about the melody and the instrumental combination that worked really well and attracted my attention towards the song. I do think PLAY DUMB would have benefited from a more centric hook or melody for the actual chorus sequence, just to drive up the memorable factor of the song. But the hooks and melodies we did get in the song still works fine. Overall, PLAY DUMB is definitely a fun release, with its vibrant and brightness suitable for the Summer season.
Listening to the song, the accompanying music video had to fulfil one criterion for me to be considered successful – be fun. And I feel like that was nailed perfectly. The members looked like they were having a blast with one another and there were some funny scenes throughout. I also like the vivid colours of the video, which just works extremely well in bringing out that vibrancy from the song. If you missed the concept that was consistently present from start to end, it is just tennis. The sport was the pure focus of the video (aside from laughs and having fun). I did wonder what happened to the massive tennis ball that featured at the start of the video (the one that came crashing into Earth, put on displayed and subsequently stolen by one of the members so they can sketch it). I thought that whole ‘plotline’ was a bit of fun and would have liked it to make some sort of reappearance in the video at the end or something. it just disappearing didn’t make sense to me, and I am a bit disappointed by that.
The choreography was nice and worked well with the fun and energetic side of the song. I liked the refreshing vibes the members brought to the stage. I would have liked more bounce to the choreography (I think the song calls for this), but what we got was perfectly fine!
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 8.5/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.7/10
One of the new comebacks that started off this new week is WONHO’s, who returns with his new mini-album, FACADE, on Monday. Featured on this new mini-album is the title track CRAZY, which follows his earlier comeback of this year, EYE ON YOU, from February.
CRAZY knows exactly how to tease, opting for a uniquely groovy and sensual atmosphere that only an artist like WONHO can pull off. I can think of a few artists who may have potential to deliver part of what CRAZY achieves, but no one could nail this exact vibe like how WONHO has. I love the feeling that CRAZY leaves behind once I am finished listening to the song – I simply want more from the track. But in a good way, as in I want to go back to CRAZY to continuously satisfy my craving for that groovy undertone that oozes from the song and the brief rock detailing that adds a refined sense of oomph and abrasiveness to the song that makes the chorus so damn good. The track intentionally under delivers by just a hair, just to get me to click that replay button one more time – but time and time again. CRAZY starts off with and revisits these crunchy yet deep rap-like vocals. As far as I am aware, no one is attributed to these vocals, which are worked into the background. But they kick off the title track with some flair and excitement. Following that, an electronic bass riff kicks in and this is followed up with WONHO’s sleek and silky vocals. The verses a bit bland, if I have to suggest something critical about CRAZY. But that is easily overlooked once the chorus kicks in, coming off as how I have already describe the track with the groovy underlay and the rock detailing. In hindsight, I do think the bridge could have gone further, just to prevent the song from being overly consistent and push the boundaries a bit. But overall, CRAZY is a top notch track that plays towards WONHO’s strengths.
It is not a WONHO video if he is not teasing us visually as well. And it is definitely not a WONHO video without some form of abs or muscles showing. Aside from the usual talk of muscles and abs, there is a modern aesthetic that suits CRAZY so well. The simplicity from those choreography sets is wonderful and much appreciated, given the amount of dancers that accompanies WONHO for this comebacks. However, I do like the busy nature of the car yard scenes and the some of the solo sets thanks to the way the background is staged or the lights. The ending is a bit cryptic, with the massive head and mouth opening up. I wonder if this is the start to some series (or are we possibly already in the midst of some series?).
The choreography for this comeback is lowkey, but I like how it took on that groovy feel. It definitely looks cool. It fits in with the music, as the music doesn’t really call for much intensity. However, I did like the intensity that WONHO and the dancers delivered for the final sequence, and like how they eased out with a slow rock vibe. I also like the domino effect the female dancers delivered in the second pre-chorus.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8.5/10 Overall Rating – 8.9/10
It has been a while, but BTS is officially back in South Korea with their latest Korean single, Yet to Come (The Most Beautiful Moment). The new single dropped today and is featured as the title track from the group’s first anthology album, Proof, which features a range of songs from the last nine years of the group’s discography. It is also the group’s first domestic comeback since 2020’s Life Goes On and Be, and the subsequent English hits – Dynamite,Butter and Permission to Dance.
If I had to summarise Yet To Come in a few simple words, my pick would be “a sentimental pop ballad”. Nothing more, nothing less. From my listens to the song thus far since its release on Friday, I can say that it sounds good and has a swayable melody that I find in what I consider to be good ballads. Yet To Come‘s instrumental had a hip-hop tinge to it, which make sense given the group’s roots in the genre. It is a bit airy and simple (even for my taste), but that allows the other elements to shine more brightly. The high pitch squealy like synths in the background were extremely subtle, but they helped cut the plainness of the song. The vocal and rapping work was nice, and I quite liked the idea of the rapping in the chorus, giving the centrepiece of Yet To Come a bit more energy that prevents the song from being consistently plain. RM, Suga and J-Hope’s flow throughout the song (not just the chorus) was great. Although, I am not a fan of Suga’s rapping at the beginning of the second verse, however, with the autotune. It was an odd ball moment that I didn’t find fit with the rest of the song. The vocalists sound well rounded, but their parts didn’t stand out as much like how the rappers’ did. My biggest issue with the song is not with the group’s execution of Yet To Come, but rather the song’s choice. After their chart topping hits in the Western market, I expected a song with much more fanfare for their ‘grand and long-awaited return’. I wasn’t necessarily expecting a full fledged dance track, but something with a bit more flair than a track that reflects on the past and looks into the future. For some, Yet To Come might be the track that pulls on their heartstrings. And that is absolutely okay. But for me, I find the track to be one of those that I don’t really need to check out again after writing my review.
When I watched the video for Yet To Come, I felt the shots were throwbacks to previous videos. The order in which the members sat and ended the music video in was the order in which the members sat in for their Just One Day music video. V holding a red rose throws back to solo teaser photos from their Map of The Soul: Persona and Boy With Luv (ft. Halsey) comeback. His uniform also seems to remind me of their ‘school uniform days’ which encompasses their School trilogy days, most specifically Boy In Luv. Jungkook standing in front of the rusty blue ‘You Never Walk Alone’ wheel, the train (which featured in J-Hope’s solo shot) and Jimin’s white shoes takes me back to Spring Day. The pick-up truck we driving around and in the background of JIN’s shot brings back memories of RUN‘s ending. RM’s solo shot consist of a shipping container, which seems to link up with their RUN music video, as well. The big winged statue and the scene where JIN covers V’s eyes reminds me of Blood Sweat & Tears. Suga’s solo scene with the butterfly might be connection to their Butterfly song from 2015. The yellow school bus we see at the end reminds us of the bus that featured in No More Dream music video. Aside from the trip down memory lane, the video was shot in beautiful desert location that feels quite scenic despite it being just sand and blue skies.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 7.8/10
It personally has felt like it has been a while since I wrote a song review. It doesn’t feel like my last one was just over a week ago. With my final Queendom 2 post scheduled for publish tomorrow, I am looking to jump right back into the song and album reviews that I have neglected the past few weeks. But that is after I complete some reviews for the releases of this week. First up is SECRET NUMBER, who made their return yesterday with DOOMCHITA. This is their first comeback since Fire Saturday, which was released back in October of last year. The group also officially reformed into a six member group with this latest comeback, following the official announcement of Denise earlier this year.
Got That Boom was the last track that I reviewed from this group (can’t exactly remember why I passed up the opportunity to review Fire Saturday, but given it was released in October 2021, it was most likely due to time constraints). If I felt 8 days was a while ago (reference to my first two sentences to this review), I think Got That Boom can also be said was a while ago. And so, I have unfortunately forgotten the group. But when there is a chance to rediscover the group, I am always down for it. But listening to DOOMCHITA, I am not exactly sure I am that keen anymore. DOOMCHITA doesn’t have individuality or character, and this alone doesn’t really encourage me to check out their other works. It is a pretty generic release, fitting neatly into the sea of other electronic releases that goes for a powerful and abrasive profile that we have been hearing often. I did like the moment in which the instrumental did ‘kick it up a notch’ just before the final chorus. It added a touch of dynamism to the song, which I appreciated, and felt a lot tighter compared to the rest of the instrumental. DOOMCHITA‘s hooks and melodies aren’t that memorable and I don’t find myself reaching for the replay button or feeling the song. All of this is quite a letdown, especially since DOOMCHITA features solid vocals and rapping from the members. The actual delivery of these lines was pretty generic as well, but I quite liked how bolstered the vocals/rapping felt over the instrumental, which helped give off that ‘solid impression’. They easily could have inserted that character and individual character via their delivery, and this could have allowed DOOMCHITA to fair a bit better. However, as much as I try to enjoy the DOOMCHITA, the generic nature takes over.
Same thing can be said about the music video. It goes for that edgy concept that we see so often, and so the video is pretty generic. The sets have those usual tropes of graffiti, WANTED posters etc. I also want to point out that, sometimes, videos with generic concepts could have a wow factor, coming in via a memorable element or moment. But DOOMCHITA‘s music video doesn’t have that. That hanging light fixture that the members are holding onto in some solo shot, which I have exclaimed to be a wow factor (I am sure of it) in the past, is quite dated now. Their colourful outfits faired a bit better, adding some much needed pop into the video. On the other hand, their leather outfits remind me of ITZY’s M.A.F.I.A outfits.
As for the choreography, it looks fine. However, I am of the belief that the moves could have been a bit more aggressive and ‘in your face’. I think the music really calls for that and there was some potential to go that way. But I guess the choreography decided to focus on more sensual movements instead, which was alright.
Song – 6/10 Music Video – 5/10 Performance – 6.5/10 Overall Rating – 5.8/10
VICTON’s last comeback was a little over four months ago when the group (sans Han Seung Woo, who is currently carrying out his military enlistment) released their Chronograph single and single album. Fast forward four and half months to yesterday, VICTON made their comeback with the single Stupid O’clock, the title track off the group’s seventh mini-album, Chaos.
As opposed to Chronograph, Stupid O’clock is much more appealing from the first listen. I am digging the sleek and groovy bass that Stupid O’clock has going on in the background. I liked how it is (kind of) the constant throughout the song, featuring in the background of the verses and choruses. Though, the pre-choruses and bridge of Stupid O’clock do not feature the groovy bass, which I appreciated. Otherwise Stupid O’clock would be too repetitive and become boring a lot earlier on (more on this in a second). Instead, they featured a clean slate of synths to build up towards the chorus or background the vocals (in the case of the bridge). And before you think the constant bass is the only thing happening in the chorus, which would raise the issue of repetition and boringness, it isn’t. There are these warped-like vocals and some guitar work in the background that adds a much needed oomph and colour to the choruses, while also aiding in differentiating the verses and choruses of Stupid O’clock. As for the vocals throughout the song, they were were clean and pleasant, while Do Hanse’s rapping had a really cool rhythm to it, which kind of helped offset what I am about to say next. The issue with Stupid O’clock is the plainness. Yes, I still enjoyed the groovy bass of the song. I think it is the song’s best asset and is a step in the right direction. However, Stupid O’clock lacks oomph and boldness, which is usually paired extremely well with groovy and funky tracks. And as a result, Stupid O’clock comes off as plain. I wished there was a bit more to the song. Maybe Stupid O’clock would benefit from stronger and catchier hooks or some dynamic line delivery, or possibly something extra in the instrumental. All of this, or just one of these additions, would have made Stupid O’clock better and more robust (and so upping appealing towards the song).
Not entirely sure what is going on in the video (per usual, but I will take a stab of forming what I think is the plotline), but it looks like all the members aside of Byungchan (I think) have banded together to pull off a heist to steal the necklace. Byungchan, on the other hand, investigates the crime scene (he kind of looks like he is dressed up to be a cop) and searches for the other members. They members ultimately run away (interestingly, six members are seen running away). And in the end, it turns out Byungchan was the only one running and is seen holding the necklace the entire time. This indicates that he might have acted alone. Based on the scenes of the first chorus, it looks like he is going through something (i.e. alternate personalities possibly, and he does not have a recollection of events when he slips into these alternate personalities). Though, the scene of him at the start shows us that he might have remembered the events of the previous night’s event (i.e. the heist) after all. That is my interpretation of the plotline, though I might be wrong as I couldn’t really identify the main character of the video due to the lighting and fast pace of the scenes. However, they aren’t criticisms of the video. The lighting gave off mysterious vibes and works well with the sleek nature of the song, while the fast pace of the story allows it to feel action packed.
Overall, I think the performance consists of a pretty good routine. I liked the sharpness of some of the moves, and I feel the slower movements did a great job of encapsulating the sleeker nature of the song. My favourite bit has to be the rap sequence though, as the choreography did a good job of matching the more energetic sequence.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 8.5/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.7/10
KPOPREVIEWED 