Category: KPOP

[Review] Door – Kwon Eun Bi

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 2 Comments

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

Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged 6 Comments

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)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , , , Leave a comment

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)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , , , Leave a comment

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)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , , 10 Comments

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

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 1 Comment

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

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Leave a comment

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

Posted in KPOP, SpecialTagged 3 Comments

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

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 3 Comments

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

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Leave a comment

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

Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged 1 Comment

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

[Album Review] Game Changer / DDARA (2nd Studio Album / 2nd Studio Album Repackaged) – Golden Child

Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged 1 Comment

As mentioned earlier today (and throughout the past week), I would be posting the album review for Golden Child’s second studio album and its repackaged version today. GAME CHANGER (released at the start of August this year) is the group’s second studio album and features the title track Ra Pam Pam. Earlier this week, the group returned with the repackaged version, retitled DDARA, and features the title track of the same name. In total, there are 13 tracks on the album which I will be reviewing today. This album release was a banger – a small hint of what I thought about the albums overall.

  • GAME CHANGER Album Cover
  • DDARA Album Cover

1. Game Changer – The album kicks off with the eerie intro track Game Changer. The eeriness is only around at the start though, with the intro track opting for suspenseful classical vibe. This too is quite brief, as EDM kicks in right after to bump this up into very dynamic territory. I feel like this track would be awesome for a movie trailer, hinting towards twist and turns. For this album, it leads right into the likes of Ra Pam Pam.

2. Ra Pam Pam (Title Track) – Click here for the full review of Ra Pam Pam. (8.5/10)

3. DDARA (Title Track) – Click here for the full review of DDARA. (9/10)

4. OASIS – The other new track added to the repackaged version is OASIS. To me, the track is an impressive display of vocals from the group. Those successive high notes we get at the end sound so good. It felt almost like the members were in a ballad mindset for this song. But OASIS is no ballad. The instrumentation falls into the EDM side of music. It definitely made OASIS impactful and dynamic enough for me to give the song a 10/10. The rapping also reiterates the fact that this is no ballad, going with a powerful approach, which fitted in really well. (10/10)

5. Bottom of the Ocean – Bottom of the Ocean is a full English track that brings me back to the ‘00s thanks to its pop rock sound. The track feels just right for the summer season, with its vibrancy and energy fitting right into the hallmarks of a summery song. Golden Child handles the song exceptionally well, which is worth a mention, as this is their first English track. The harmonies were a really nice touch. (9/10)

6. Fanfare (빵빠레) – Fanfare is my pick for favourite side track for this album. It was hard to pick one, but I settled on this one!. It is a dance track with a really great retro and funky instrumentation. The brass elements in this song really give it so much colour, while rest of the funky and retro instrumentation is so vibrant and lively. The bass adds extra groove as well! The members bring solid vocals and rapping in this song, with the standout award going to the main vocalists for their high note and ad-libs. Overall, a home run with this track. (10/10)

7. Singing in the Rain (Joo Chan & Bo Min) – Click here for the full review for Singing In The Rain. (8/10)

8. GAME (Tag & Ji Beom) – Click here for the full review for GAME. (7/10)

9. Spell (주문을 걸어) – The album breaks away from the unit/solo track with a bit of an interlude in the form of Spell. It is similar to Fanfare in the sense that it has a funky and groovy energy oozing from it. But it is different in a way that it is more reliant on synths and EDM to get this energy across. Not that it matters, as Spell is an equally good track and the EDM makes it a dynamic number. I really like the idea of the delayed drop in this song, especially since I feel the delay allows Golden Child an opportunity to showcase a mature vibe in the chorus. The hooks in Spell are also quite dynamic and really appealed to me. (10/10)

10. Out the Window (창밖으로 우리가 흘러) (Daeyeol Solo) – Click here for the full review for Out The Window. (8/10)

11. POPPIN’ (Y & Jang Jun) – Click here for the full review for POPPIN’. (10/10)

12. That Feeling (느낌적인 느낌) (Seung Min & Dong Hyun & Jae Hyun) – Click here for the full review for That Feeling. (7.5/10)

13. I Know (난 알아요) – The album ends with a ballad. Common sense tells me that their vocals would be on full display, and that is the case with I Know. But what makes their vocals even better (and so the ballad as a whole) is the instrumentation. Not only does the thumping in the instrumentation makes the ballad more upbeat, it adds impact to the song and a breathtaking element to the song. The rest of the instrumental falls into the same motif as well. Ending off the album with a song like I Know felt just like the perfect ender. (10/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.9/10

  • Game Changer Teaser Image
  • DDARA Teaser Image

[Review] Out The Window – Daeyeol (Golden Child)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , 1 Comment

The final side track from Golden Child’s second studio album which I will be reviewing ahead of the rest of the album is Out The Window, which is performed by Daeyeol. Daeyeol was the only member from the group to have a solo track, with the other members participating in unit tracks. After this review, it is full steam ahead to their Game Changer and DDARA album review, which I will be posting shortly after this. Until then, this is my review for Out The Window.

Daeyeol’s solo song comes in the form of a mid-tempo ballad. Overall, I find Out The Window to be a pleasant song that highlights Daeyeol’s vocals. While the song itself is pretty straightforward and simplistic, it is still a really nice song and doesn’t fall on the boring or typical side of ballads. The melodies are what pulls me in and I think Daeyeol’s vocals do an amazing job of bringing Out The Window‘s melodies to life. As mentioned before, the song is rather simple, with a nice acoustic instrumental to form the backing of the song. It helps with making everything palatable and really compliments Daeyeol’s vocals in my opinion. To be honest, the song is similar to what we have heard in some of the other side tracks that I have reviewed separately over the last day, in the sense that there isn’t anything special about it. However, I do think that Out The Window has a bit of a edge over the other tracks. Every time I hear the song or watch the music video for it over the past couple of weeks, I found myself thinking the song can be a great OST choice for the right drama. Based on the lyrics, it seems like this ballad would be best played when the lead characters of the drama are reminiscing about their memories of one another.

For the music video, I liked its more rustic approach with its out-of-focus home video style approach. It is quite different to what we get nowadays when it comes to aesthetics, and I find this video speak volumes this way. I think the particular style is intention though, as the content that we see are actually memories that are being played back. This would align with the lyrics of the song. I am not exactly sure if I saw things right, but the scene in which the female character withdraws/retracts her hand from Daeyeol felt like it was in a rewinding motion.

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

[Review] That Feeling – Seungmin, Donghyun & Jaehyun (Golden Child)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , , , 1 Comment

Coming up later today is the album review for Golden Child’s second studio album (and its repackaged version). But as mentioned yesterday, there is still a few more unit and solo tracks to review off the album before I can post the full album review. First up today is the unit track That Feeling, which features Seungmin, Donhyun and Jaehyun.

I too do not have much to say about That Feeling. It isn’t a mind blowing track, but That Feeling comes off as a nostalgic listen to me. It is as if I have heard the song before. This does not mean that it is a direct copy off another song. Instead, thanks to the song’s warming and mild atmosphere, That Feeling comes off as familiar and inviting. And I quite like that aspect of this unit track. I also find the song to be quite sweet-sounding, which can be attributed to the the likes of Seungmin, Donghyun and Jaehyun. Similarly, the melodies, especially during the pre-chorus and choruses, were so nice and soothing to listen to. I also appreciate the lightness of the song and how it is easy of the ears. From the vocals to the trumpets we get in background, nothing overwhelmed and contributed to that overall inviting and warm feeling. Overall, That Feeling was quite a likeable track.

There isn’t anything too crazy in the music video. Like the song, it also quite sweet and fits the tone of the song overall. Seungmin, Donghyun and Jaehyun are on a road trip in Korea, with a lot of the footage of them are at a beach and on the road. I did like the combined usage of the Instagram look and the ripped photo/scrapbooking look. Both came together to give the video both a modern and rustic look. but I also thought that both contributed to a playful and fun vibe as well.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10

[Review] Singing In The Rain – Joochan & Bomin (Golden Child)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , , 3 Comments

The next step to a completed album review for Golden Child’s second studio album (and its repackaged version) is for the album’s first unit track. This unit, if you cannot tell from the title of the post, is made up of Joochan and Bomin, two vocalists of the group. Their single is titled Singing In The Rain.

I personally do not have much to say about Singing In The Rain, so this review will be fairly short. This doesn’t mean I dislike the song, though. As a matter of fact, I quite enjoyed the song as whole, even though its style just isn’t my cup of tea. Singing In The Rain is a fairly simple song. It is a very typical jazzy style of music, suitable for a coffee shop. There is a bit of rain in the background, so imagine sitting in a n ambient coffee shop on a rainy day whilst listening to this song. There actually isn’t anything that special about the style of song, but something else really captivates and pulls me into the song. Singing In The Rain superbly present Joochan and Bomin’s vocals. The pair sounds quite dreamy and sweet throughout the song and this really fans out to the rest of the song. I particularly like the pairing of Joochan’s higher and Bomin’s lower tone in this song. The contrast between the two was nice and gives the song that extra something to talk/think about. The melodies that the voices are carry are so light and drifty, reiterating that dreamy and sweet feeling you get from the song. Overall, a soothing track to listen to. In the grand scheme of things, it may not be the most memorable side track on the album, but Singing In The Rain is still a worthwhile listen.

There seems to be two theories floating about regarding this video. One of them proposes that Bomin’s character is in love with the female character, while the other proposes that Bomin is in love with Joochan’s character. The video is pretty ambiguous, so either theories feel very valid. Apart from that, everything else within the video fits in neatly with the song. I also like the rainy scenes, with Joochan and Bomin dressed up in suits and holding their umbrellas. It gave the video a bit of variety in terms of range of scenes and infused a bit of something different into the video.

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

[Review] GAME – TAG & Jibeom (Golden Child)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , , 1 Comment

Earlier this week, I flag I would post reviews for the unit and solo tracks from Golden Child’s second studio album, GAME CHANGER, ahead of the actual album review which I will be posting this weekend. To date, I have only posted one (the review of POPPIN’ by Y and Jangjun). But the rest are coming and the album review will definitely be posted this weekend! So, I better get cracking. Next up is the unit release of GAME, which features members TAG and Jibeom.

To me, GAME feels slightly inferior to POPPIN’, simply because it comes off as your more typical dance pop track. It is still a decent side track off the GAME CHANGER album, and its elements (which I will go through in a second) helps the song stand out. But it just doesn’t live up the same standard as POPPIN’ had set. I just don’t find GAME as striking as the previously reviewed song, with the typical nature of the song coming out more throughout the track, and I feel that this atmosphere was the only aspect that hold backs the song for me. To me, the standardness comes from two elements within GAME – forgettable verses that just didn’t stick in my mind, and similarly unmemorable vocals/rapping. Sure, the rapping was powerful and the vocals were nice in GAME, but neither really struck me. Unlike POPPIN’, I am not amazed as I had hoped to be. We did get some memorable hooks (i.e. the ‘LALALA‘ hooks following the choruses), but these felt unoriginal, and I couldn’t really bring myself to say that the vocals/raps were the cause of the memorable factor. However, as mentioned above, I was impressed with the brassy centrepiece of GAME. The heaviness from the piano in the chorus and the bass also gave the song some depth and oomph, which I definitely appreciated. But overall, GAME just didn’t live up to standard set by Y and Jangjun.

TAG and Jibeom play rivals in this music video, and they choose to settle their differences with a bit of gambling. After putting everything they have in, both members were more interested in showing each other who is better (big egos here). So interested that they didn’t see or hear the third person in the room, who knocks them both out (with a very soft tap from the looks of it). Once tied up, they realize that they were played and shouldn’t have worked against each other. Now, both of them have lost everything on the table and someone else (unknown to us all) has run off with both TAG and Jibeom’s money. Aside from the plot, I quite liked the visuals from this music video, particularly the various photo shots we get throughout the video and how they were intertwined with the video’s scenes.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.4/10