Category: KPOP

[Review] California Love – Donghae (Super Junior) ft. Jeno (NCT)

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In preparation of the upcoming return of Super Junior’s most active subunit, Super Junior D&E, with their first studio-length album (which also marks their 10 year anniversary as a unit), Donghae and Eunhyuk have released their first major solo songs since their debut over 15 years ago. Today, I will be reviewing their solo releases ahead of their official comeback in November. First up is Donghae’s California Love, which features Jeno from NCT.

California Love is another one of those songs that is riddled with a case of excessive autotune. For this R&B pop track, it didn’t feel needed. Donghae has proven himself to be a capable singer without the autotune in other tracks, so I am not sure why all his vocals had to be autotuned throughout the entirety of the track. Sure it could have been used to be an intriguing element, but at least use it sparingly. It just sticks out for the wrong reasons. It is interesting to note that Jeno, who features in the second verse, isn’t as autotuned as Donghae. His rapping does have a bit of filtering to it, but it isn’t as excessive. And I find Jeno’s part to be more appealing as a result, thanks to both the lower degree of the autotune and also the mature vibes he gives off in the song (which compliments the R&B side of the song). For the rest of the song. California Love doesn’t ping as a memorable track. I did like the smoothness of the song overall, and enjoyed the melodies we got from Donghae’s lines (despite the autotune), especially when we got the choruses. It was all enough to make the song pleasant and appreciable, but California Love is not a mind-blowing song.

I think the video does well in the visual department. It definitely shows off the handsome features of Donghae via his closeups (his pink hair just sticks out and is quite a memorable feature of this video), and the city landscape behind him while he drives and dances looks stunning. But I don’t see it being any more than a visually appealing piece. It is definitely nice to see Jeno feature in the music video. As mentioned many times in the past, featuring artists don’t really make it into the video due to unavailability etc. But when they do, I quite liked it. And I feel Jeno does a good job here.

The live performance definitely makes the song much better. On stage, his vocals are not as filtered, and this made the song smoother and pleasanter. He does a good job handling the rapping sections, as well. I guess with the song’s style, we are restricted with the routine’s opportunity to be creative. But it was definitely fitting for the music and pleasant to watch, nonetheless.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 6.5/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 6.4/10

[Review] Calm & Passion – Nam Woohyun (Infinite)

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Also making his comeback today is Nam Woohyun! Calm & Passion (the title track) and With (the fourth mini-album) is Woohyun’s first comeback since completing his military enlistment and the first time we have heard from him since Hold on Me in 2019.

It has been a while and I am definitely excited for a Woohyun comeback. But unfortunately, I am left disappointed with this release. Calm & Passion just doesn’t live up the standard that he had set himself through his previous comeback, Hold On Me, and the new song felt flat. Calm & Passion is a sleek R&B track that taps into the funky trend that KPOP has been riding lately. While it does sound great in writing, Calm & Passion isn’t as fleshed out as you expect. Take the chorus, for example. The song definitely picks up in the pre-choruses, and so I expected the song would approach a meatier drop. But instead, we are treated to an anti-drop that makes Calm & Passion remain in neutral gear. It does pick up slightly in the second half of the chorus, but I am still recovering from the disappointment from the first half. The second verse continues the momentum from the second half of the first chorus, so I expected that momentum to continue build and snowball from there. But the chorus just repeats its lackluster form which is a bigger disappointment. The song had a perfect sound platform to build momentum with, as rock elements clearly make themselves known in the instrumentation as the song progresses. But Calm & Passion doesn’t pick up on that hint, unfortunately. When it comes to the final chorus, this was the energy that I was after and it felt satisfying then, but I wished they had it happening earlier in the song. Aside from the instrumentation, it was great to hear Woohyun’s vocals after so long. This was not a disappointment like the music, as he sounds good in this sleek manner and I liked how his vocals pierced through when the instrumental was more relatively robust and dynamic. Overall, Calm & Passion had potential but failed to captialise on the mentioned potential.

The music video faired a bit better. Visually, it was okay. It isn’t the best, but at least the video was clear and you can see Woohyun well. For the plot, Woohyun is kind of stuck in this limbo when it comes to his relationships. Everything is slow paced and just doesn’t work out, contrary to the relationship that he seeks (which is calm and passionate, if you haven’t picked that up from the lyrics). It was kind of interesting piece and I liked how they purposefully made the video feel stagnant to reflect this story.

While I was disappointed with the song, it definitely enabled Woohyun to take on a sensual and mature vibe with his choreography, which he nailed. I really liked watching the shoulder movements, and I think the choreography made better use of the rock elements than how the song did.

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

[Review] strawberry moon – IU

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IU makes a surprise comeback with the release of strawberry moon earlier today, which adds to her list of releases for 2021. This follows her solo February 2021 comeback release with LILAC (title of both the lead track and her fifth studio album) and Celebrity (a pre-release single from the same album). It appears that IU is making up for her year long absence from the music industry in 2020 with these releases throughout 2021.

strawberry moon is a pleasantly beautiful song. Like most tracks released by this digital queen, I was captivated from the get-go, largely in part to IU’s heavenly vocals and the calming nature of the song. In strawberry moon, her vocals took on a purer and youthful tone. It is lovable and light, with the latter characteristic helping her vocals soar as the song progresses. The youthful tone that she adopts also reminded me of her earlier works, which was a nice walk down nostalgia lane. I will admit that the the melodies aren’t the most memorable piece of work from the soloist and hence it lacks the appeal to get me going back to the song compared to a catchier track, but IU’s vocals did a fantastic job of bringing them to life and making them charming to listen to. strawberry moon‘s instrumentation falls into the pop genre and features a presence of electronic instrumentation. Everything is quite light, as well. For me, it is the instrumentation that makes strawberry moon pleasant and contemporary, compared to other releases out there. And altogether, the vocals (especially the harmonies we get throughout the song) and the light instrumentation come together to create a calming atmosphere that makes this song an ideal casual listen, such as when you are unwinding after a long day or just as something pleasant in the background while working or going about your day.

Like the song, the music video is also pleasantly beautiful, The music video tells the tale of IU and her lover. While it wasn’t clear to why, it has been a while since they both have seen each other. IU spends some of the video reminiscing about the past with her partner (i.e they playing video games with one another, taking pictures and him giving her the necklace). I also think other parts of the video is based on IU’s imagination of what they could be doing. Piecing together the start and the end, she had set up a time to reunite with him (i.e. when the Strawberry Moon occurs), with the necklace that he gifted her as being a key to them reuniting. Based on their behaviour, she has been keen to return to his side, and he was genuinely surprised that she waited for him. And I guess from there on, they lived happily ever after. Aside from the sweet story, I quite liked the visuals of the video and IU looked stunning throughout.

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

[Review] Work Work – Lee Jin Hyuk

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Kick starting this week is Lee Jin Hyuk, who has returned with a new single, Work Work. This new single is the title track off his fourth mini-album, Crtl + V, which also dropped today. This is Lee Jin Hyuk’s first solo release since his April comeback with 5K and SCENE26. Lee Jin Hyuk also made a return to acting since his April comeback, which ahs kept his 2021 busy.

Work Work is another one of those songs that just come off as just pleasant. I do find it fun, bright and light-hearted, but I don’t find it exciting as what 5K ended up snowballing into becoming, which seems to be his best release thus far. I like the melodic style of this new song, which was the main driver of why Work Work received that pleasant descriptor. While the song does still fall into the hip-hop genre, I do feel like a pop vibe really creeps up in the song’s instrumentation and also adds fuel to that pleasantness. I will admit that all of this styling does make Lee Jin Hyuk’s rapping style in Work Work more approachable, light and enjoyable than usual, but I do prefer a bit more edge when it comes to rapping in general. We do get a bit of oomph as the song ramps up to the final chorus, with Lee Jin Hyuk giving us that mentioned edge with a faster and stronger delivery. I think this was what the song should have gone with from the get-go to really grab my attention and (hopefully) shake off that ‘pleasant’ styling. I do like the extension at the very of the end of with a dance break instrumental sequence. Lee Jin Hyuk had something similar in Bedlam, which I noted to be the best part of that song when it was released. I liked seeing that being replicated here and in a fitting nature of Work Work. Overall, Work Work is a pleasant track, especially when you consider what else is out there at the moment.

Work Work is all about the imbalance caused by work and love, and how it is hard to find that balance between the two. In this video, I think the love aspect is portrayed by the fun he is having. The cute gummy bear in the video doubles up as a lover, but also adds to that playful vibe that the song and video had going on. We also do see a bit of the work-side, with Lee Jin Hyuk busy in the recording studio and on set as assistants and staff continually follow him. It was a nice colourful video that works well with the song.

A decent routine for this comeback. It fits the bill and works tandemly with the song, with some good moments throughout. Though, still notably standard. I did wish the dance break at the end offered something more than a repeat of what we saw throughout the rest of Work Work.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 6.5/10

[Review] GLASSY – Jo Yuri

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Another IZ*ONE alum made her solo debut more recently. Upon the disbandment of IZ*ONE, Jo Yuri signed on with Wake One Entertainment (formerly known as MMO Entertainment and is home to To1 and Roy Kim) to become a soloist. She ended up making her solo debut with the single GLASSY (title of both the lead track and her first single album) two weeks back.

GLASSY was pretty a forgettable release for me. Even after two or so weeks since its release, I can’t really say I am excited to review this release. To me, the song had this dullness to it that really prevented it from being more than just ‘pleasant’. There is a tinge of retro air to GLASSY, but it is isn’t that strong or memorable like most other retro tracks. There is also a disco influence when we hit the chorus, and it did help add a bit of energy and colour to the song. But it wasn’t enough to really save GLASSY for me. The melodies that we got weren’t that memorable. On the hook front, the ‘La La La‘ was decent but not strong. And the song just kind of felt like a repeat of what we had just heard in the first verse and chorus, so there isn’t much else to mention. I think the most positive aspect of of the song was Jo Yuri’s vocals herself. I really like the nasally tone she brings to the song and I hope she can better utilize this to her advantage in subsequent releases. But overall, GLASSY was a miss for me.

The music video GLASSY has a similar effect as the song. I don’t remember much from it, despite just watching it just now to write this review. The idea of the giant glass heel falling from the sky was definitely intriguing, but it was pretty much forgotten once it had landed. There were references to glass shoes throughout the video, but they were simply placed there for aesthetics and nothing else. I could be missing a key detail that would make everything make sense. But given the lyrics are about falling in love and moving forward, I don’t think I did.

I liked how pretty the performance started off, with the flowers. It was a nice entrance and beginning to the routine. The rest of the performance was quite pleasant to watch, with the first half of the bridge being my favourite part of the entire routine to watch.

Song – 5/10
Music Video – 5/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 5.4/10

[Review] Door – Kwon Eun Bi

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Time to knock off one of many reviews I should have written ages ago. As you can tell from the title, the focus of this review will be Kwon Eun Bi’s solo debut with Door (the title track) and Open (the mini-album). For those who do not know who this particular artist is, she is a former member and leader of the now disbanded project group, IZ*ONE (she was also part of the short-lived group Ye-A prior to Produce 48). Upon disbandment, Kwon Eun Bi returned to her home company, Woolim Entertainment, and made her solo debut as a solo artist at the end of August.

Door‘s most notable element has to be its instrumental. It is what stood out to me the most since its release. It takes on a jazzy electro swing sound that exhibits a cute bounce and a colourful tone thanks to its brassy elements. This isn’t necessarily a new sound/style in KPOP. But it has felt like it has been a while, and so Door actually comes off as quite refreshing and different. I liked the boldness of the instrumentation when it is vibrant, resulting in a dance track that pops out of the crowd. Me reviewing this way after its release might suggest otherwise, but I can assure that Door does stand out a lot thanks to this sound. Kwon Eun Bi’s vocals were quite nice throughout the song. I liked how she whispers the opening line to the choruses at a low tone. This combined with the delayed drop, makes it a very impactful and memorable element of the song. It does come second to the instrumentation, but not by far. The rest of her vocals and melodies were quite pleasant, and I quite liked the elegance her vocals exuded in Door. But before you think I am singing praises for Door and Kwon Eun Bi, I must admit that I have this really burning feeling within me that says Door is missing something. Personally, I don’t where this feeling is coming from and I am not too sure what this lacking element could be. I thought the instrumentation was great, her vocals/melodies were nice, and my go-to suggestions just don’t feel like they would fit in this song. But yet, Door just feels incomplete somehow.

Visually, I find the music video for Door to be quite stunning. It definitely highlights Kwon Eun Bi’s visuals and the classy styling of this music video (in terms of sets) was pretty cool. I found the entire ending sequence (i.e. the choreography scene with gold confetti falling down on the stage) to be quite memorable. Kwon Eun Bi’s stylist also managed to a fantastic job of showcasing Kwon Eun Bi in both elegant and cutesy spotlights. Personally, I am usually drawn to the classy side of things, but it is hard to not like the cutesy style in this video. I am also sure there is a story somewhere in this video, based on the bunny ears she wears. But I can’t figure it out.

For the performance, the choreography went with a more mature vibe, which was absolutely fine. But the choreographer kept it fun and vibrant throughout, just like the song. I also enjoyed the jazzy influences that the choreography had at the end as well. The most memorable aspect of the performance has to be the floating move, which was cool and unique.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.9/10

[Album Review] NOEASY (2nd Studio Album) – Stray Kids

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As you may have seen, I was busy in the latter half of the week reviewing some the sides tracks off their second studio album. And now it is time for the album review! Stray Kids released their second studio album, NOEASY, back in August of this year. It is lead by the title track Thunderous, and is accompanied by an extensive promotional campaign. Both The View and Domino were also promoted alongside Thunderous, while a bunch of music videos were released for a handful of other tracks (some of which covered earlier this week). The album also consist of WOLFGANG, the group’s original release as part of Kingdom: Legendary War, and the single Mixtape: OH. And there are still a few more tracks on the album that I have yet to mention. To get my thoughts on those tracks and more, continue reading below!

NOEASY Album Cover

1. CHEESE – Click here for the full review for CHEESE. (9/10)

2. Thunderous (소리꾼) (Title Track) – Click here for the full review for Thunderous. (9.5/10)

3. Domino – I was very disappointed to find out that there wasn’t a full music video for Domino. I had high hopes for one, especially after the cool choreography we saw in their follow-up promotions. But anyhow, Domino is a super dynamic track. It is catchy and fun, but also quite serious and heavy with its electronic instrumentation. I particularly liked the domino synth they had going on in the chorus, and the vocalist’s sequence in the pre-chorus. Relevant and refreshing! The rapping slayed and definitely added a lot of power behind each sequence. The dance break was also freaking cool and added a trendy change to the song. (10/10)

4. Ssick (씩) – Four songs in and it seems like Stray Kids is not shying away from this element, nor noise, throughout this album. Ssick had some of the strongest moments of intensity and noise on this album. While this could really be a powerful tool to get reel listeners in, I find it not to be as cohesive as some of the other tracks of a similar nature. And as a result, it was the most forgettable for me (of all the intense electronic tracks on this album). I don’t know why, but the song just didn’t stick with me. I wished the group stuck with the playful nature that we got at the start of the song as I feel that would have been a unique take. But I feel the intensity and ‘noise’ takes hold of Ssick and overdoes it. It isn’t a terrible song, but it sounds more like flair than anything else. (7/10)

5. The View – Click here for the full review for The View. (10/10)

6. Sorry I Love You (좋아해서 미안) – The first ballad of this album. This one takes a hip-hop approach, which was an interesting combo. The instrumentation is quite a bore for me, and I wished there was something within the background that drew me into the song. I like the intensity that the rappers bring to the song, with their parts being the most memorable. The vocals were nice and the melodies caught on, but I don’t think they were the most impressive element of Sorry I Love You (the rappers take that honour). It was an okay song, as a whole. But it isn’t the best track on the album. (6.5/10)

7. Silent Cry – Silent Cry is an interesting track. It starts off with a haunting intro, before electronic music emerges from the darkness. And from there, the instrumental gets abstract at times and ultimately intense as the song progresses. This all results in a very cool track that pushes you to the edge of your seat. What really stood out for me over the cool instrumentation was the vocals and the subsequent melodies that they brought to life. They were super loud and very clear despite the different and relentless nature of the electronic. Similar things can be said about the rapping. I would really like to see a performance for this song, as I think there can be many creative paths taken for a song like this. (9/10)

8. Secret Secret (말할 수 없는 비밀) – Secret Secret is a decent balladry track from the entire group. But it was pretty typical and didn’t really attract my attention as much. The vocal work was quite nice, but I felt like the typical instrumentation held back the vocals from their full potential. I did like how the rappers kept true to their skills and worked their rapping into the song using a lower tone and slower delivery.  Usually, I am not a fan of rapping in ballads, but I think it was well done here. (6.5/10)

9. Star Lost – Star Lost combines the likes of pop melodies and electronic music to create an awesome track. As a whole, I quite enjoyed this song. Most of the elements felt just right and extremely pleasant in Star Lost, aside from the instrumentation. I do think they could have toned down the electronic side in the instrumentation at certain times of the song, like the EDM drop that we got. It wasn’t necessarily off-putting and I liked the idea behind it. I just felt to was a bit over the top for the song. But apart from that, great song. (8/10)  

10. Red Lights (강박) (Bangchan & Hyunjin) – Click here for the full review for Red Lights. (8/10)

11. Surfin’ (Lee Know, Changbin, Felix) – Click here for the full review for Surifin’. (7/10)

12. Gone Away (HAN, Seungmin, I.N) – Click here for the full review for Gone Away. (9/10)

13. WOLFGANG – Click here for the full review for WOLFGANG. (8.5/10)

14. Mixtape: OH () – Click here for the full review for Mixtape: OH. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.3/10

NOEASY Teaser Image

[Review] Gone Away – HAN, Seungmin & I.N (Stray Kids)

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The final side track that I will be reviewing separately from the upcoming album review for NOEASY is Gone Away. This side track is performed by the three remaining members who have yet to appear in a unit track, HAN, Seungmin and I.N.

Gone Away is a beautiful ballad. It too takes us on a different direction from the other tracks on the album, but it isn’t a new direction for Stray Kids, who have put out ta few heartfelt songs in the past. Due to the nature of ballads, the vocals of all three members were on display throughout Gone Away. Seungmin, the group’s main vocalist, takes my pick for outstanding members as his voice resonated the greatest for me. HAN and I.N did a great job themselves. HAN manages to surprise me every time he sings. Every time he sings, I forget that he is one of the rappers on their team. I.N vocals are extremely pure, and this aspect of the youngest members’ vocals are definitely highlighted in Gone Away. For the instrumentation, the piano and classical elements really helped concentrate more of that emotive side of the song. I also liked how Gone Away‘s instrumentation builds and progresses. The change up for the bridge was probably my favourite bit in the whole song, as it allowed the members to add some power behind their delivery and give the ballad the peak it needed, whilst also allowing HAN (and Seungmin to a lesser extent) to add some emotional rapping to further this peak. Overall, the trio presents with a stunning ballad that sounds so good.

The song is about letting go someone who loves someone else. In this video, the three members are all interested in the same girl (though at different points in time). I.N wants to confess to the girl by buying flowers. HAN becomes shy when she enters the store and buys the top she was looking at to gift to her. Seungmin is staring at her lovingly while on their field trip and pulls the blanket up on her while she naps away. But each realises that she is with someone else, so each member makes the decision to not pursue her. I liked how the members are shown to be older at the end, reminiscing over the memory. It is a bittersweet moment for them, but it was what felt right and ultimately a decision made with the best interest of their crush in mind. I feel the acting from the three members in this video was really good, with Seungmin standing out, particularly during his closeups around the campfire.

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

[Review] Surfin’ – Lee Know, Changbin & Felix (Stray Kids)

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Next up on my way to review Stray Kids’ second studio album is Surfin’. This side track is performed by members Lee Know, Changbin and Felix, and is the second unit track from the studio album.

Fun, light-heart and care-free are the words that I would use to describe Surfin’. Once again, it is a different dynamic to the other tracks on the album, But this time around, it isn’t necessarily new territory for the group overall. This doesn’t harm the song, as Surfin’ does have some charm. But unlike the other side tracks, I am not drawn to Surfin’ as much as the other side tracks I have/will be looking at. The song’s upbeat nature definitely suits the Summery season, and definitely has this undeniable bright energy within it that I feel would fit the group’s overall personality. But apart from that, I don’t find anything that memorable within the song. The vocal work and rapping felt like it had too much autotune applied to it, which really distracted me. While there is some appeal to it (I assume its main intention is to make the song fun, which kind of came through), I just didn’t like how it was used to style the vocals/rapping in this song. I am usually fine with Stray Kids’ usage of autotune in other songs, but it just doesn’t feel the same in Surfin‘. But Surfin’ still a decent listen, especially if you are looking for something fun in the midst of the loudness that the NOEASY album.

The music video starts off with some spoken vocals, with Lee Know playfully mocking Changbin, who is in turn mocked by Felix. Based on this, you can tell that the video was going to be fun and non-serious. We then get a snippet of them in the dance practice room, before they are magically (by the power of editing) transported to outside. From then on, it all was a pool-side party. It looks fun and feels fitting for the song.

There is a bit of choreography for this release, and I am have opted to review it in a separate paragraph as it felt secondary to the music video. It more so a simple routine that highlights the lightness, brightness and carefree nature of the song.

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

[Review] Red Lights – Bangchan & Hyunjin (Stray Kids)

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Next up from Stray Kids’ second studio length album, NOEASY, and the first of the three unit tracks that I will reviewing from the mentioned album is Red Lights. This track is performed by Bangchan and Hyunjin. As mentioned previously, all the Stray Kids reviews I am posting this week are in preparation for NOEASY‘s upcoming album review, which I am hoping to post tomorrow.

Red Lights is quite a surprising and different release. Usually, we get very intense or fun releases from the group, with the occasion mellow song from the group. But Red Lights opts for a mature and sensual vibe that is very different and also quite surprising. I quite liked Red Lights, more so that it explored uncharted waters, and a different side Bangchan and Hyunjin. But it seems like Red Lights offers a bit more than just a change in sound, based on my more detailed listen. The instrumentation is a really cool dramatic but slow piece. I find it to be the most memorable aspect of the song, simply because it is what pulls you in from the start. We get strings and electric guitars throughout the verses, and dubstep in the chorus. All comes together to create a sleek atmosphere that oozes out that mature and sensual vibe that I mentioned at the start. I also quite like the intensity. It isn’t in your face as per their more formal releases, but it is definitely still prevalent and prominent. I feel the vocal work was great, but it wasn’t the strongest aspect of the song. The vocals felt more neutral for the most part, but I did like how Bangchan’s adopted a deeper tone in the second verse, and Hyunjin adopted some falsettos. I find these well balance out the song, and adds flair to the song on top of their usual ‘more standard’ sounding vocals. Overall, Red Lights successfully introduces us to a side of Stray Kids that pushes boundaries in a completely different direction of what we are used to.

That mature and sensual vibe is on display in this music video. Both member’s acting and facial expression definitely take this video to the next level. Based on the lyrics and what I can see in the video, the duo are struggling with the unhealthy obsession that they have of their respective partners. They chained to beds and tables, and are struggling to get out of those chains. Even when they make it out of their rooms, they struggle to get far. The black and white filter heightens those mature and sensual vibes, while the use of red lights made complete sense (as it is the song’s title). I also combined the performance aspect of my review, given that it makes up a very big component of the music video and adds more of that mature/sensual essence to the video. Definitely a choreography to watch, as it is quite captivating and very artistic.

Song – 8/10
Music Video / Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 8.8/10

[Review] CHEESE – Stray Kids

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Onto the next Stray Kids review. As mentioned yesterday, I will be reviewing some Stray Kids releases from their NOEASY album, where there is a music video. Yesterday, I reviewed The View. Later today, I am hoping I can smash out three reviews for the three unit tracks that Stray Kids have featured on their album, before posting the full album review on Saturday. But for now, here are my thoughts on CHEESE.

My favourite part behind this particular side track is how Stray Kids creatively addressed the hate they have received for their music. I really liked how they took their famous lines from some of their previous hits (I can identify references to Awkward Silence, God’s Menu, Side Effects from the chorus, and I assume the ‘pigeon and magpie’ and ‘A-class vibes’ are references to other songs – not too sure), and revamped them to be stern and serious for inclusion in CHEESE. This is on top of their references to cheese, which seems random and an unexpected topic for a song. But they bring a fun element to the song. The stern and serious tone from the lyrics comes to life via the members’ rapping and vocal work. I quite liked the seriousness that they brought, adding in powerful attitude and showed me that Stray Kids wasn’t going to hold back in this song. I will also say the same thing when it comes to the synth heavy instrumentation, which is very intense, energy-packed, industrial and rough throughout. Everything comes together to help Stray Kids makes a statement and throw punches back at their haters. What also really helps sell CHEESE are the hooks that we get. Definitely made CHEESE memorable for me.

Stray Kids is very carefree throughout the video, not afraid of the haters and are willing it do their own thing. I quite liked that message, as it compliments the idea that they are being themselves and are comfortable with their music. I also liked the sarcastic attitude that the members bring to the video, especially I.N during his solo shots. The video also focuses on the other ‘Cheese’ – that is the phrase you say when you take pictures. I.N in his solo shots is a prime example of this ‘Cheese’ in action, with the other members jumping in as well. We also get some serious photos of the members throughout the video as well, which also brings forth this form of ‘Cheese’ as well.

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

[Review] VIVACE – LIGHTSUM

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Making their comeback yesterday was LIGHTSUM, with their new single VIVACE. It leads their second single album, Light A Wish. This release follows their debut from earlier in the year, Vanilla. Vanilla was a decent debut, but let’s see if VIVACE is any better.

And indeed it does. I quite enjoyed VIVACE, even though it doesn’t strike me as a unique song. To me, VIVACE is quite familiar, as it sound overall felt quite similar IZ*ONE’s sound had created for themselves before their disbandment earlier this year. It seems like CUBE is once again taking the sound of one group and giving it another, like what we saw after the sudden disbandment of 4MINUTE and the change in CLC’s sound. I am not too troubled by this and also feel like it also a step in the right direction for LIGHTSUM, provided if this is just a once off and LIGHTSUM doesn’t continually release similar sounding tracks that all sound the same! VIVACE isn’t boring, thanks to the plentiful vibrant elements from the instrumentation. There is a lot of synths and percussion going on in this pop song. I particularly like the brassy synths that you hear after the first and final choruses, as that brings out a party tune that I quite liked. I think the weakest point of the song are the vocals. While they are as loud as the synths and they do stand out (which I appreciate), I do feel like they lack personality and individuality. I wished there was a bit more to the vocals, as this could have taken VIVACE to the next level. I did like the use of vocals to transition between the second chorus to the bridge of the song. That was rather cool and smooth. Overall, VIVACE a vibrant second step for LIGHTSUM that falls into familiar waters.

The music video could have been better. It is quite plain and wasn’t that memorable. It offered nothing more than choreography and closeups. Yesterday, I did make a comment about how this combination was warranted for yesterday’s video. But remember, this combination should be circumstantial and sparingly. In this video, we see the combination in action. And like many others, it just didn’t work as well. The music video sets felt like your typical box sets, though the colour added a bit of vividness to the video.

The choreography was quite nice and enjoyable. I liked how the routine capitalises on the explosive synths, which helps makes the choreography more vibrant.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 5/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 6.9/10

[Review] The View – Stray Kids

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As flagged on Sunday, I will be posting reviews for the side tracks from Stray Kids’ second studio album, NOEASY, that we have music video for, in preparation for their upcoming album review this weekend. This include two group tracks and three unit tracks. First up is The View. It was promoted alongside Thunderous as a secondary promotional track and its music video was released in early September.

To me, The View was a standout track on the album. It went in a different direction to their other singles on the NOEASY album despite it being in the same boundaries of EDM. It was relatively light and quite atmospheric to listen to, and I find such qualities make The View fitting for the Summer season (in which it was released). I also appreciate the simplicity of the song’s melodies, which gave the song an overall sing-song approach that was flowy, breezy and just easy to get into. Thus, the vocals flourished effortlessly in this song. The View also was a great platform for the rappers. Felix (with his infamous deep voice) took things slow, making his voice more approachable than his usual harsh delivery. Jisung went with a much faster approach, throwing energy behind his delivery but still keeping it in line with the rest of the song. My favourite bit has to be Changbin’s section in the song. His section (in the second half of the bridge) was like a curveball, changing the momentum of the song ever so briefly with the heavier trap sequence and adding a bit of a ‘growl’ to The View. It changed things up, but doesn’t go overboard. His section just stuck out at me and really added a bit of a wow factor (for me) into The View. Overall, simplicity is sometimes key and I think The View is a prime example of this.

To match the breezy feel of the song, the music video was shot in the fields. It was very fitting and the closeup concept felt appropriate. I also quite enjoyed the scenic views throughout the video. However, I did want choreography scenes in this music video. As much as I find the ‘formula of closeup and choreography’ to be unoriginal and generic, I think it would have been a good inclusion for this music video. I also liked the tie in with the other videos at the end (i.e. the scene with Felix blowing out the candle and the other members are surrounding him). It is like a continuation of the events of Mixtape: OH, where he wished for the members to reunite.

I liked the performance, as it was light-hearted. I thought this was very appropriate for the song and match the vibes of the song that I mentioned above. The chorus had a nice bounce and the members looked like they were having fun on stage throughout.

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.2/10

[Review] Tamed-Dashed – ENHYPEN

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ENHYPEN returns with this week with their latest (but delayed) release, Tamed-Dashed. It leads their first studio-length album, Dimension: Dilemma, which was also released today. This is the group’s first comeback since their last one – Drunk-Dazed and the mini-album, Border: Carnival. Originally, this comeback was confirmed for end of September, but unfortunately some of the members tested positive for COVID-19, which ended up delaying this comeback. The members seemed to have quickly recovered from the illness and thus this only pushed out their comeback plans by less than a fortnight.

Tamed-Dashed is a pretty cool dance song, though I do have some reservations with it. What I really like about the song was its intense instrumentation. It was very consistent throughout, thus adding more to this intensity. There is a mixture of guitars and synthesizer used throughout the song, at times blurring with one another. This feels intention, so the song can come off as cohesive (which it does!). The bass really drives the song and it is what really pulls me into the song. It is also what makes Tamed-Dashed so satisfying and weighted for me. The guitar blends into the mix by opting for deep effect, it literally grumbles along but also adds so much texture to this song. The synthesizer is what adds energy to the song and really gives Tamed-Dashed its vibrant factor. Altogether, the three elements come through and make Tamed-Dashed‘s background fulfilling and electrifying. My reservations for Tamed-Dashed comes into play when I focus on other aspects of the song. The vocals, while were decent and brought a youthful factor, just didn’t seem satisfying. I wanted more from the members, and I feel that there was a lot of opportunity for the members to flourish throughout Tamed-Dashed. The melodies were good and they caught on, But I feel without this unique instrumental backdrop, the melodies would have fallen flat (as the instrumentation seems to be the only aspect that gets me to come back to the song). Overall, a satisfying song thanks to the instrumental, while the other elements underwhelm.

Do I have the slightest clue on what is happening in this video? Nope. My wild guess (and I am grasping at straws here) is that this video reiterate the theory that they are vampires, which was a theory that I had from their Drunk-Dazed music video. It explains to me why they have remained youthful despite travelling through different eras (as depicted by their outfits). The burning of the skin also seems to be a major part of this theory for me. At one point, they couldn’t reach for the ball without their skin burning. But something happened (not sure what) which enabled them to go into the sun without burning and play some rugby, which has stayed with them through the eras. Aside from the plot, there isn’t much else to the video.

The performance was okay, but feels like the weakest of all their title tracks thus far. It looks a bit plain and constricting. I am impressed that they would be throwing the rugby ball around during the bridge. While it looks like they slowed down the choreography to ensure they can catch the ball without it hitting any other members or overshooting it completely, it still looks risky.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.6/10

[Review] Sober – N.Flying

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Returning last week was N.Flying with the repackaged version of their first studio length album. For those who may have missed their last comeback, N.Flying returned with Moonshot and Man On The Moon back in June of this year. On Wednesday last week, the group reissued their first studio album and renamed it Turbulence, with it being lead by the title track Sober.

Sober is a decent song, if you are looking for a heavy and emotional rock ballad type of song. For me, it was pretty much a miss a week ago and is still a miss a week after. There isn’t anything wrong about the track. It just didn’t meet my expectations (more on that in a second). The band does well within the confines of their style boundaries for this release. The band instrumentation was standard, but substantial. There wasn’t anything special about it per say, but I liked how it had that lurching momentum that most rock ballads tend to have. I was waiting for a bit of a kick to come in, as I feel like there was room for the band to go into even deeper emotional territory with this song. We did of get a bit of intensity towards the end from the instrumentation front, but it was a tad too late for me. Similarly, I was expecting a similar effect with the vocals. The members nailed the emotional brief that Sober was all about, and I liked the mixture of soft rapping and vocals throughout the song. But there was so much potential for the vocals to go further. The bridge and Hwesung’s high note was definitely a teaser of what I was looking forward to hearing, but those parts alone just wasn’t enough. I was also not a fan of the abrupt ending to the song. However, the song still some appealing points. The first comes in via the melodies. Sober managed to still evoke that swaying effect that I tend to mention on this blog, despite me not being entirely into the song. So I give them points for that. I also give them points for the song’s hook, as that was memorable element and Seunghyub’s delivery was definitely made it sound good. Overall, Sober had potential in terms of direction that it just didn’t really navigate towards, hence the disappointment and ‘doesn’t meet expectations’ comment above.

The music video definitely compliments the tone and emotional vibe of the music. I am not a fan of the hazy filter that they had going on, but it works for this release. It was more so what the video was trying to show us that I am not entirely sure. It appears that the members are travelling on a plane, which I presume is their trip towards their relationship. But the plane enters a period of turbulence, which I am guessing is a relevant representation of a rocky relationship. The members are worried that the plane would crash, but they managed to get to the other side. Based on the lyrics, this ‘other side’ is a breakup, as appears the members had popped off the plane into the field, rather than the plane’s destination (i.e. their partner). I guess that kind of makes sense, though the really bright ‘heaven’ scenes leave me scratching me head and so do those bubbles (maybe the action of ‘bursting the bubbles’ meant that the members realize that this relationship isn’t good for them (i.e. not smooth sailing as depicted by the plane ride at the start).

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 7/10
Overall Rating – 6.4/10

[Album Review] The Awakening: Written In The Stars (1st Studio Album – Part 1) – CRAVITY

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The next album to be reviewed is Part 1 of CRAVITY’s first studio-length album, The Awakening: Written In The Stars, which officially dropped mid-August. It features the title track Gas Pedal and the follow-up promotion track VENI VIDI VICI, both of which I have reviewed separately (their reviews will be linked below). As this is a Starship Entertainment album release, I am not surprised that this studio album comes in two parts. As this is only Part 1 of their album, we can expect Part 2 some time in the future. And with Starship really pushing CRAVITY since their debut with back to back comebacks, I don’t think we will be waiting around for a long time.

The Awakening: Written In The Stars (Part 1) Album Cover

1. Intro: New Horizon – New Horizon starts off with a whistle that beckons you into the album, before we are met with an abrasive EDM piece that no doubt aligns with CRAVITY’s works thus far. I can imagine a powerful and impressive dance routine associated with this intro track. The whistle towards the end pulls us further into the album, taking us to the album’s title track, Gas Pedal.

2. Gas Pedal (Title Track) – Click here for the full review for Gas Pedal. (8/10)

3. VENI VIDI VICI – Click here for the full review for VENI VIDI VICI. (8/10)

4. CHINGA-LINGA – CHINGA-LINGA is one of those rare EDM tracks that I personally find overwhelming. It felt like there was a lot going on in CHINGA-LINGA thanks to the EDM centric instrumental backing, which falls more so on the trap territory of the EDM spectrum. There isn’t anything wrong with that, but combined with the constant changes in momentum, tempo and effects, the song comes off a bit much. Balancing out the instrumentation are the rapping and vocals, which I thought were well-handled by the group and I appreciated that they stood out over the loud ‘noisy’ instrumentation. If only said instrumentation was toned slightly to be a little more enjoyable. (7/10)

5. Celebrate – Celebrate still sits in that same EDM territory, with their song also taking on board a hip-hop influence. While hip-hop influences aren’t my personal cup of tea, I find that Celebrate strikes a balance between all its elements, especially with the fun melodies, which makes the song more palatable and approachable. It does come at a cost (i.e. less dynamic vocals), though I don’t think it was a huge sacrifice as I quite liked the song as a result. The rapping was my favourite part of this song. The rappers were much slower with their delivery, but they still delivered their lines with bite and impact that a usual rap sequence would have. (8.5/10)

6. Grand Prix – I like the impact and the groovy nature of Grand Prix. The impact comes in via the chorus, which features a very quick warp of energy to kick things off in this segment of the song. It caught my attention and made me fall for the song. The groovy nature comes via the bigger picture (i.e. instrumentation), which falls into the electro-pop territory. The hooks in this song were short and snappy, but also memorable at the same time. (9/10)

7. Divin’ – I like the refreshing nature of Divin’. The pop nature of the song was definitely a nice change up in sound for the group, despite the song still being heavy handed on the synths. I particularly enjoyed the pre-choruses and choruses of the song. The pre-choruses had a very likeable ramp up in energy that I am vibing to every time the song plays. For the choruses, they felt like they need to be played while late night drives around in the city. It felt breezy and was also quite light natured, which I thoroughly enjoyed. (9/10)

8. GO GO – CRAVITY’s final song on the album slows and tones down the energy. GO GO is still upbeat in its own way, but they trade heavy handed synths for guitar riffs and feature a heavy reliance on vocals. The song overall felt easy to get into, especially with such catchy hooks and nice harmonization between the members. After a very dynamic and powerful album, it was nice to end with something a lot more soothing and calming. (8.5/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.3/10

The Awakening: Written In The Stars (Part 1) Teaser Image