Per the posting schedule, it is time for another album review. This time it is the latest mini-album from Golden Child, YES. This mini-album was unveiled at the end of January 2021. Burn It was the title track from the album and the group has since wrapped up promotions for. As of this week, Golden Child has started follow up promotions with Breathe, another track from the mini-album. Alongside these two songs, the album also features three other tracks and an introductory instrumental track (which per usual, I have not included in this album review. Continue reading to see whether the mini-album will earn a big YES from me.
3. Cool Cool – Cool Cool is what I would call a well-rounded song. I felt like I enjoyed every aspect of the song. The instrumental was quite cool (pun unintended). From the xylophones, to the striped back percussion of the first half of the chorus, to the brass that dominated the second half of the chorus. It all worked really cohesively together to form the song. I would have liked the song to be a little heftier, as that would really have made the song mind-blowing for me. Cool Cool also shines thanks to the vocals and rapping. The vocals really pushed the song from being ordinary to being quite dynamic through the high notes and their overall delivery. The rappers brought a really nice sense of edgy and punchiness to the song, making the song even more dynamic. (9/10)
4. Round n Round (기다리고 있어) – If you know me, you will probably know that I am attracted to songs with a bit of upbeat and lively energy. Round n Round seems to be the that track on this album. The electronic centric instrumentation gives the song a lot of texture. It also makes the song feel fulfilling and adds some interesting detailing to the background. I also like the bounce to the instrumentation, which really appeals to my affinity for this type of song. I really like the pop route they took with the chorus, which practically sold me the song within the first listen. The rappers also give the song a classy effect, while the vocalists do their usual thing with their great vocals. To me, Round n Round is this album’s hidden gem. (10/10)
5. Milky Way– Milky Way is no ballad, thanks to its instrumentation. But it feels like the album’s mandatory ballad thanks to its more downtempo approach. The song also leans more to the pop genre (maybe even pop rock to a certain extent). Once again, I like the synths used in the instrumental and how it was underlaid with some nice guitar work, which helps bring a bit of acoustic to the song. For the members, I enjoyed their vocals, especially those who sang the ‘Nothing without you’ line from the chorus. I also like the autotuned deep vocals that end the chorus. It all really makes Milky Way captivating and worth listening to. (9/10)
The final big comeback of the week was courtesy of Wonho, who made his first comeback since going solo last year. Yesterday, the solo artist made his anticipated return to the stage with Lose as the title track and the mini-album Love Synonym #2: Right For Us. As mentioned, this is his first comeback since debut as a solo artist with Open Mind. As a little side note, Wonho and Open Mind was nominated for Best New Male Soloist and Best Male Solo Choreography of 2020 in the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Click here to find out if Wonho was voted to be the winners of those categories in the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Apart from that, let’s move on with the review before we ‘lose’ any more time.
Lose continues the really stylish and sleek profile from his solo debut, something that I really enjoyed. But instead of being a proud and loud song like the synths in Open Mind, Lose is more atmospheric and ‘dark’. When you listen to Lose, you can feel this intensity and dark aura (amongst other things which I will touch on in a second) rolling off the instrumentation, vocals and everything else which I won’t have room and time to mention. The new single is concentrated with chugging guitar work, driving the song forward. The guitar also brings out a subtle sense of funkiness, which makes the song weave into the ongoing groovy trend that KPOP has been experiencing. But while it does fit in, Lose does have massive appeal and stands out thanks to the already mention atmosphere that it created, the intensity and ‘darkness’ that comes from the music. There is more of the grooviness towards the end with the outro of the song being an instrumental extension featuring an even funkier guitar piece. My favourite part has to be the violins, especially in the final chorus. The opening to this section of the song was definitely the peak of the song, whilst the use of classical violins empahsises everything that I have mentioned thus far. Adding a sensual vibe to the song are Wonho’s vocals. For the most part, he whisper sings his way through the song with a husky tone. It is very alluring and definitely fits in with the already mentioned appealing aspects of the song. While everything in Lose is literally perfection thus far, I wanted more to the song. And I felt that the song could have used rap sequence, either from Wonho or a featuring artist. Call me cliché, but I think that would have added an extra layer of intensity and appeal. And if Wonho was to pull it off, well, I am sure fans (Wenee’s) would be mindblown with Lose.
Lose‘s accompanying music video is a Wonho video. So, abs are a mandatory element. So I am sure fans and other viewers will be overjoyed if that is the thing they like to look out for. I felt a lot of the video’s setup was done so to really emphasis his body, like the rain and the associated choreography shots. His outfits definitely enable use to see more of this body (thought it makes you think why they even both with a shirt or jacket in the first place). But at the same time, it definitely made the video worth watching. Aside from a distractingly good body, I really like how the video taps into the song’s dark aura by using darkness and dimming the lights.
The choreography for Lose is quite good, fitting for the music as one would expect. It really fits because of the balanced mixture of the fast and sharp movements, with the slower and smoother moves. Wonho also makes the performance more alluring to watch thanks to his facial expressions. They just really captivate and shows off his showmanship.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
Congratulations to Golden Child for winning four of the categories in the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards including Best Male Group, Best Male Group Choreography, Rising Star and Best Song of 2020 with ONE (Lucid Dream). To check out who else was voted to be the best in 2020, click here!
Golden Child is back! A month ago, they made their comeback with Burn It and their fifth mini-album, Yes. The comeback has proven to be a success, with the group scoring a few weekly KPOP show wins and edges the group closer to the top of the album charts. Golden Child also made their first appearance on the Gaon Digital Charts with the single. And it seems like the success has given them the opportunity to promote a follow-up single from the album. Today, the group dropped the music video and started promotions for Breathe, the final song on their Yes mini-album and the focus of this review. On a side note, I will be reviewing their mini-album and that album review will be out very soon!
Breathe taps Golden Child into the once-again common retro trend. And it is a fine track to kick back to, especially at the end of the album. What I really enjoyed about Breathe was the upbeat energy that comes off the song, particularly during the choruses. This isn’t hard-hitting like most songs we hear today which heavily utilises EDM and comes swinging at you in a relentless manner. Instead, Breathe comes off as quite pleasant and satisfying. There is also a nostalgic ring to the song. The pop dance track features synths that really make the song quite dynamic and appealing to me. What is also great about Breathe is how it present the members. The melodies are quite easy to get into, allowing the vocalists to be heard in a fulfilling manner. The ‘I Wanna Breathe‘ opening line to the chorus actually stuck with me, along with their other hook and melodies. The bridge is a prime example of how their vocals were highlighted in the song, with Bomin and Joochan bringing some steadiness to the song to make the final chorus that little more impactful for us. I also really liked how the rappers’ section had a groovier kick, allowing their rapping to fit into the song with a slightly more intense and dynamic background. The groovier kick still fits in with the pop tune of the song, of course! Overall, Breathe is definitely a nice track, with optimal energy being its biggest asset.
The image teasers leading up the follow-up promotions showed us Golden Child as volleyball players. In the music video, we see their high-school volleyball player personas train for a big game. It appears that Daeyeol and Y have a bit of a rift while practicing for the game. It leads to Y becoming quite moody and it also appears that he temporarily leaves the team (i.e. when he leaves his sweatband behind after practice). Joochan tries to hold him back, but he brushes him off. It turns out that Y doesn’t want to leave the team and comes after hours to continue practicing. Joochan joins him and gives him his sweatband to tell him that he is part of the team regardless of whatever he is experiencing. They have a bit of fun before Daeyeol appears in front of them. Y believes he is about to get scolded, but Daeyeol ends up throwing a ball at him. All is forgiven and they return with the team to train as a group. They go on to play the game, with the team scoring a win thanks to Y. The story is pretty cliché, but nice at the same time. Apart from the storyline, the music video features satisfying choreography shots. My favourite is the white shirts and demin jeans on the outside field. The colours just pop and look great.
I really like the entire routine. Like the song and music video, it just feels just right and it compliments all the other elements of this comeback quite well. The start was quite interesting. It was a nice soothing look on stage, before the first chorus kicks into gear. I also enjoyed the sharp moments in the chorus and how Golden Child performed in sync with one another on stage, giving this choreography a really polished look.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 8.5/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.9/10
ONF is the next group to make their return to the stage with a new song. It is titled Beautiful Beautiful and follows the pre-release single, My Name Is. Both songs are featured on their first studio album, ONF: MY NAME. The release of this album also makes ONF join a growing number of artists to return with a studio album this year. We last saw ONF through their Sukhumvit Swimming comeback last year and their still incredible New World Road To Kingdom single. Yes, I am still raving about that song. Let’s see if Beautiful Beautiful has what it takes to replace the title New World holds for me.
Beautiful Beautiful kicks off with post-chorus that is undeniably catchy. The “Brrram ppabam…” repetition from the very first second sets up the song quite nicely and gives hint at how fun the next three minutes and so will become. When the song actually kicks into gear, it takes on a wonderfully energetic and exciting retro profile. It brought me a smile to my face and I had a little boogie in my chair. The really upbeat energy and splash of colour that you could hear in this song is quite impressive and felt quite refreshing. The sudden switch to between chorus and bridge actually worked really well. Usually I am not a fan of this tactic and am an advocate for transitions. But here, it fitted in with the retro sound. I really like how strong their vocals are in the song. They really made sure they could be heard over the song’s quite dominating instrumental. I honestly cannot pick out a standout member because they all sound fantastic and deserving of the title. But more so, I cannot choose because they (as a group) decide to drop the acapella version of their post-chorus hook on us within the bridge. I just really liked how flawlessly the producers weaved that into the song. Very clever and it paid off for me. The last thing I wanted to touch on was the hooks. As already mentioned at the start of this section. they are super addictive and catchy. Altogether, all the elements of Beautiful Beautiful make it a perfect song. I don’t think it can replace New Worldas my new ONF song to rave about however. Both are distinctly different. So I have decided to make them both my favourite ONF songs to rave about!
ONF takes us into a futuristic world, where it looks like they are outlaws trying to make a positive change. There also seems to be the side mission of rescuing J-US, who has been captured by the robot authorities and is detained in a virtual prison. Hyojin is the one in charged of that side mission, while everyone else is hacking their way through the world (as it is the future) to make that positive change. I am not sure what that change is, but it is most likely to spread the message of the lyrics (to be proud of oneself). I felt a Thunderbird-like presence in U’s solo parts with the flying rocket ship, Their outfits in the choreography scene gives off that same feeling as well. It really brings back memories for me (does anyone know what Thunderbirds is anymore? Or am I showing my age?). I really like how elaborate the landscape was and all the post-production that was added to the video. It definitely looked cool. I also appreciate the lighting, which went extremely well with the bright energy of the song. Overall, a really cool and interesting video to watch.
Once again, the choreography brings forth that energy that I really enjoyed in the song. They managed to strike a fine balance between making the choreography fun and infusing their usual powerful performance style that we all associate ONF to. And you can tell that they really enjoyed it. I also liked how the performance felt freeing and it not constricting. There was a strong sense of harmony between the members for this routine as well.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 10/10 Performance – 10/10 Overall Rating – 10/10
Next up on the comeback list for this week is WEi with their first comeback since debut and new single, All Or Nothing. This is featured on the group’s second mini-album, Identity: Challenge. If you are unfamiliar with the this group, they are a six-member male group under Oui Entertainment. They kicked their careers off with their single, Twilight in October of last year. Other than that, there really isn’t much else to say in terms of an introduction for this review, so let’s just move onto the sections to why we are here.
If you were to put Twilightand All Or Nothing together side by side, you wouldn’t be able to guess that the two songs are by the same group. All Or Nothing is many more times aggressive, abrasive and powerful than their debut track. If you look back on my review for their debut single, I mentioned that the song underwhelmed because it lacked ‘heft or load’. Well, I am happy to report that all the heft and load that should have been in Twilight somehow made its way into All Or Nothing. They really went for it and it definitely impressed me. To some, the use of this blastful energy and noisy synth work could be overwhelming. But for me, this is what I am looking for. The song taps into a hybrid trap motif, bringing a lot of texture and vibration to the song. There was also an exotic influence to the instrumentation. It was very subtle in the chorus, but made explicit in the second verse. I really enjoyed that even though the song started off quite abrasive and aggressive, it built upon that initial feeling in a very satisfying manner. By the end of the song, I was heading banging along to the music – always a great feeling. I do have to note that this song doesn’t bring anything new to the table. But it is definitely an upgrade, in terms of appeal, from their previous work. The high intensity also gives the rappers of the group an opportunity to really shine. They really showed off their skillset and showed us that they should not be messed around with their deliveries. The vocalists did a fine job themselves when given the opportunity. They had to give us some powerful vocals to be heard over the instrumentation, but this didn’t affect the quality of their sequence. Overall, All Or Nothing really captures your attention with its energy and holds a lot of promise for WEi’s future.
The music video for this comeback looks really good. Some of the sets had this really edgy style to them, like Daehyeon’s hallway that is lined with guns and Dong Han’s cliff (mainly due to the angle at which the camera was shooting at). Other sets like Junseo’s golden room and Yohan’s couch were a bit of a let down. I wished the producers thought of something more original with those members’ scenes. I really like the industrial profile of the choreography sets and that they used a lot of flashing lights to match the music style. Aside from the usage of the typical formula as I just outlined, the music video does its job well and compliments the song as a whole.
The relentlessness and intensity of the song makes this one tiring performance. And to pull it off whilst performing live would be an amazing feat. For their showcase, they do just that. So props to them for nailing the performance. I really like the fast paced nature of the first sequence in the chorus, It was also quite satisfying to experience the aggressiveness of the dance as the song drew to a close (as the music pushes the members one more time with an intense closer).
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.7/10
Today, we see the return of Sunmi with the new single, Tail. This is her first comeback since the release of pporappippam in June of last year. Since then, Sunmi has been active with other artists such as J.Y.Park for the collaboration, When We Disco, which was nominated for Best Collaboration of 2020 in the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards (Public Service Announcement: Award winners have been announced, so click here if you have checked out who won which categories yet). I really enjoy Sunmi’s work, so I am brewing with excitement for this comeback. So without any delay, let’s get stuck right into the comeback.
What steals my attention in this pop song is Sunmi’s vocals and the song’s hooks. Let’s start off with the first standout element of Tail. Once again, this song showcases the husky tone that Sunmi has in her arsenal when it comes to her solo songs. It is fitting with the concept of the comeback (more on this later on). Aside from her husky tone, her snappy and sassy delivery of her lines in the verses is very memorable. Moving along to the hooks, my favourite has to be the second half of the chorus. Her vocals go into an almost whisper-like tone which adds to much more character and intensity to the song, while the melody is quite hypnotic. This is followed up with a few spoken words (‘Shake Shake‘), adding more of everything I just mentioned into the song. I also found the instrumental of the song to be quite a dynamic mix of electronic synths. This is pretty typical style for Sunmi, but I really like how the instrumental helped carry the vocal work and hooks in this song. The energy that is the result of everything coming together is really fulfilling and helps drive the song forward. To me, Tail ticks a lot of boxes. Most importantly, it reeled me from the start and I am addicted to this new song.
I am unsure if I interpreted the video correctly, but it seems like a story of the Curse of Sunmi (or cat-lady, depending on how you look at it). I am guessing Sunmi’s former lover is attempting to break free from their relationship. I am not sure what brought on Sunmi’s case of crazy laughter, whether this is the reason to why her former lover wanted out of the relationship or whether it was brought on because of the news of the breakup. Either way, it results in Sunmi falling to her ‘death’. However, she is saved by some alley cats. From this point onwards, she adopts cat-like traits and prepares to exact revenge by kidnapping her former lover and tying him to a railroad with an approaching train on its way. He manages to escape but is now obviously terrified by Sunmi. I would like to see more of the story like a continuation at the end, or a sequel. I think that would be really cool. I also really like the sets for this music video, which look very elegant and sophisticated. Her outfits are definitely another strong visual aspect of the performance.
Tail is Sunmi’s sexiest performance yet. Just from the start of the performance where is crawling on the floor like a cat between her dancers legs, it pretty much sets the tone of the performance. But it seems like the sexy nature of the performance comes and goes, because we don’t see anything provocative until the second verse, where she dances with her dancers while sitting down. The best part of the performance comes during the bridge and is probably the peak of this comeback’s sexiness profile. The dancers’ legs act like a tail moving about, fanning out behind Sunmi like a moving tail while she is on the ground. In terms of last impression, Sunmi hits the nail on the end with her cat-like pose at the very end.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 10/10 Overall Rating – 9.2/10
Yesterday, we saw the solo debut of J.Don a.k.a. Lee Seung Hyub of N.Flying. For those who are unfamiliar of this member of N.Flying, Lee Seung Hyub is the leader, main rapper and lead vocalist of the band. His debut single is titled Clicker and is featured on his first single album, ON THE TRACK. He is also the second member to go solo (member Hwesung has dabbled in solo work before), but the first to officially debut as a solo artist.
Personally, it was hard to figure out what to expect with the news of the impending solo debut of J.Don. From what I recall, his solo collaborative work has shown he has excelled with his rapping. But his N.Flying work has shown otherwise with vocals. So it was hard to predict which route he would go with. Clicker seems to be a mixture of both, but with a more laidback and easygoing vibe that edges towards the hip-hop genre. The instrumentation isn’t hard hitting in any way, but there are still rock influence mixed into it that connects it to N.Flying’s work. The laidback and easygoing vibe gives off a bright tone, carefree and almost hippy in a way. It is pleasant, but it is admittedly plain. The carefree and ‘almost hippy’ description can also be applied to J.Don himself in this song. There is a mixture of both rapping and vocals in the song, with the former being more dominant during the verses and the other in the chorus. To match the rest of the song, the rapping is light and flowy. The melodic touch comes through via the vocals, which sounded pretty decent. Due to the set up of the song, the hooks aren’t the most memorable aspect of the song. But there is something about the way he sings ‘Clicker‘, which just… well… clicks. The most memorable part has to be the the really short pre-chorus sequence where he sings ‘Oh momma ma ma‘. That stood out for me given that it was different to the vocal and rapping work we heard in Clicker. Overall, the best way to describe Clicker is that it is pleasant. Nothing more or nothing less.
From what I am reading, the lyrics are telling us to change negativity into positivity, which is a great message. I just don’t really see much of that in the music video. It seems to be subtly there and I think I can make out the storyline that fits in with the lyrics. Here is my attempt of making sense of the story. It seems like J.Don experience thoughts of the negative kind in his life, as shown through the different versions of himself. Casual J.Don has to battle music coming from the hippy J.Don neighbour. Scientist J.Don seems to lack ideas for his experiments. Businessman J.Don seems to be focused on others all the time. By the end of the video, J.Don has changed his negative thoughts into positive one about himself. Casual J.Don clicks a button (I am assuming the reset button to change his mentality), Scientist J.Don starts an experiment on ‘how to be yourself’ and Businessman J.Don finds a book that shows him how to focus on himself. Not exactly sure about hippy neighbour and construction worker version of himself though.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7/10
Making their grand and long-awaited comeback today with their seventh studio album is SHINee with Don’t Call Me. This new song headlines their new album of the same name. Since the end of 2018, SHINee has been absent from the stage (aside from Taemin, who has continued to promote as a solo artist) due to military enlistment of three members. The three members who enlisted (Onew, Key and Minho) were all discharged in the latter half of 2020. Since returning to the industry, the group had rejoined with one another to hold a special live online concert in January, where they announced this comeback much to the excitement of fans.
Don’t Call Me is a dance track that has firm roots in the hip-hop genre of music. While we have definitely heard this combination in the past, SHINee’s take on this is quite refreshing and addictive. The refreshing description comes through in Don’t Call Me via the instrumentation. The variety of synths used throughout the song really intrigues you. They don’t really stick to one type of synth, so there is always something different around the corner. The use of bass helps make the song ‘hit hard’ (pun intended). The bass drives the song forward and really adds emphasis to the pre-chorus or chorus, where it predominately is used. It also made the song more dramatic, which we all know is my favourite effect. While I am talking about being dramatic, they really top it off with that dramatic piano piece that appeared at the end of the bridge and infused into the first section of the final chorus. It managed to blend in well with the rest of the song and just gave the song that extra level of interestingness, albeit random. Together, the synths and bass really makes this song a textural heaven. Also adding to the addictiveness is the repetition of the title. It opens with the ‘Don’t Call Me‘ chant that is pretty much engraved into your memory before the song actually kicked off. There is a bit of rapping throughout the song, but more in a spoken manner. When it came to the vocals, there was some really cool and interesting melodies to show off vocal flair. These were an attraction and made the song even more intriguing, as they aren’t what you expect. I particularly like the melody in the chorus. Overall, SHINee manages to pull off another stunning song that slides well into their growing and varying discography.
While I think SHINee is at that status in the industry where they can attempt anything music-wise and would be untouchable with that song, I don’t think it applies to their outfits. Sure, they might get some leeway here and there. But I still question some of the fashion choices. Namely Key’s feather hat and his other headwear throughout the video. I am also not keen on Onew’s red headwear (whatever that was) and Minho’s ear flap attachment to his hat. Aside from the questionable fashion, the music video sets look really cool. And the post-production added to these sets (especially when it came to the part of the music video with the piano piece) really elevated something that could have looked rather ordinary. Some of their solo shots were very intriguing and made me rewatch the video make sure I saw things right.
Per usual, SHINee excels in the choreography department. I really like how they were fierce with this performance, which matched their lyrics and tone of the song. The ending of the performance is definitely a scene engraved into my mind and felt like a statement to viewers that they are officially back. I also enjoyed the tiny hint of elegance that was brought into the song via that piano section towards at the end of the song.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9.2/10
The 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Award winners have been announced. Click here top find out who won in each of the categories that you voted for!
Hopefully starting with this post, I can be a little more consistent with writing and publishing album reviews. I am usually quite good with the segment, releasing two or three album reviews per week. But lately, that number has dropped quite a bit. For example, I have only posted a total of two album reviews this month (which VICTON’s album review post being the third). As just mentioned, this restart of the album review segment begins with VICTON’s first studio album, Voice: The Future Is Now, which is headlined with the title track What I Said. The album features an additional 12 songs, four of which are solo tracks from selected members. If this album has shown me anything, it is how much I shouldn’t overlook VICTON. This album has a few amazing songs that I am definitely coming back to kick back to in the future (if I haven’t done yet). Find out which songs I am referring to below!
Voice: The Future is Now Album Cover
1. Into The Mirror – Into The Mirror starts off the album in epic proportions. I practically enjoyed all elements of the song. The EDM was powerful and the vocal work and the rapping were very strong. In the Mirror really pulls you into the album. My favourite section has to be the short rap-speak sequence before the choruses, which added suspense to the song. I would give it a 10/10 rating, but I can see some people making the argument that this song can be overwhelming for them based on its powerfulness. (9.5/10)
3. Circle– Circle stands out for a number of reasons. The first is the unique synth that sounds pretty much like a table tennis ball bouncing. It is peculiar and random, all at the same time. But there is a charm to it. The second is the rock infusion when it came to the chorus. I liked how it brought intensity to the song and it boosted the pop sound to a new level. The third has to be the song more melodic approach, which was brought to life through the vocals of the members (who all sounded pretty good). The rapping, especially Byungchan’s ending sequence, added appeal and complimented the intensity brought by the rock infusion. (10/10)
4. Chess – The electronic profile of the instrumental of Chess feels quite unique. I really like the retro game-like sample they use repetitively during the verses. It too has its charm and gave the verse something more to focus on. I also enjoyed the stripped back style of the chorus. It is quite atmospheric and it was also a great blank canvas for the members to showcase their vocals, which they do. I also really like how the song allows for the members to drive it forward with the song’s melodies. The stand out member for me is Hanse, whose rap sequence really captivated me. (9/10)
5. Up To You –Up To You feels like a typical pop track. It pretty much showcases a sound that we have heard from the rest of the industry. While plainness is sometimes enjoyed by me, Up To You should have continued the streak of great songs by bringing something new to the table. What is good about the song is the intensity that forms when the instrumentation is paired with the vocals. It helps amplify the song, making it more appealing as it progresses. Unfortunately, when compared to the song before and after it, Up To You just felt standard. (6.5/10)
6. All Day – All Day brings something new to the album, an acoustic and mellow sound. It also brings out a different side of the group to what we have heard so far from them on this album. Delicate vocals and a softer tone. The instrumental itself also brings forth that swayable effect on me, which I think is a strong indication of how nice and soothing the song sounds. It is also reminiscent of their softer pop title tracks such as Nostalgic Night, which I fairly enjoyed. (8/10)
7. Carry On (Kang Seungsik Solo) – The first solo track on the album belongs to Seungsik. His addition to the album is a ballad. It also serves as the album’s mandatory ballad. As mentioned in the past, this is expected for the main vocalist of the group, as their solo work as usually defaulted to a ballad of some kind. Carry On really shines the light on Seungsik’s vocals, which are very soft, delicate and touching. The softer tone in the instrumentation was also quite soothing. Together, I found the entirety of Carry On to be dreamy and perfect as a song to fade out on. (8/10)
8. Eyes On You (Heo Chan Solo) –While I was listening to the album to vet it for the purpose of writing an album review, Eyes On You caught my attention. It has such a sleek profile during the verses. The soft approach that Chan adopts in the verses stole my attention from whatever I was doing at the time. The chorus was quite unexpecting (for me, at least). At first, I thought it was a bit heavy handed as a drop (relative to the verses). But I have grown to like it as it is. It now comes off as a held back drop to me and that idea of it being heavy handed has long gone. Eyes On You was previously revealed at VICTON’s concert and the drop facilitates an awesome choreography and stage presence. (10/10)
9. Utopia (Lim Sejun Solo) – Sejun’s solo track is titled Utopia. It is a decent pop track, but lacking in some departments. The instrumental has a nice bounce to it, but it falls into a very typical EDM hole. The energy that comes off the song is promising. But I wished there was more of an exciting climb and a satisfying peak to the song. It just felt flat. I did like the vocal work but Sejun seemed to have been held back for whatever reason. As a whole track, Utopia is pretty plain. (6/10)
10. Where Is Love? (Do Hanse Solo) – The final solo song is Where Is Love?. I have very high expectations as Hanse is one of the members in VICTON’s that stands out to me. His texturally loaded voice is just made for the rapping and he sounds very cool in majority of VICTON’s every track out there. Interestingly, Where Is Love? is predominately a slow R&B song. It builds as its progresses along, peaking at the end with its most upbeat dance sequence. Hanse showcases his rapping ability in a more refined matter as a result of the song’s slow pace. Personally, I would have liked it if he let loose, but Where Is Love? is still quite appreciable. (7/10)
11. Unpredictable– After a string of varying solo tracks, VICTON returns as a full group with Unpredictable. And it is a smashing song. The instrumental for this song fits into the groovy trend that has taken over KPOP. But it is cleverly mashed up into an intense dance track. The initial moments are quite misleading by starting slow. But Unpredictable develops into a really cool and funky dance track. The vocal work is great, while Hanse delivers with his rap sequence. As a result, Unpredictable is my pick for the album’s hidden gem. (10/10)
12. Flip A Coin– The star attraction to Flip A Coin is Hanse’s fast paced rap sequence. It is the reason to why I come back to the song so often. The rest of the song falls into the trap of being a typical intense male group release, which is quite unfortunate. The other positive aspect of the song happens to be the repetition of ‘Flip A Coin’ as part of the chorus. It seems that the repetition and Hanse’s execution of his part is enough to convince me to return often to the song. But it isn’t enough to convince me otherwise about the rest of the song. (7/10)
13. We Stay– The song at the end of studio albums seems to usually fall into the category of being a fan-pleaser. VICTON’s final song is no exception, with We Stay containing a very bright pop background. It is quite easy to get into, with simple melodies and fun hooks. It is also quite lighthearted, miles away from the rest of the album. Per usual, VICTON showcases great vocals and rapping in the song. It ends the album on a very positive and happy note. (8/10)
BTS’ Dynamite was voted by you to be the Best International Song By a Korean Artist. All songs from this review moving forward, including the songs in this review, will be eligble for the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Check them out and remember to vote for your favourite at the end of the year. In the meanwhile, check out the winners for the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards.
Welcome to the first International Song Review post of 2021. KPOP artists aren’t just focused on the Korean pop music industry. They have embarked on multiple other music video industries include the Japanese, Chinese and Western music industries. As they are released by Korean artists, I feel the obligation to review them like any other song released by the artists in Korea. But as they are not from the primary industry (i.e. KPOP), I decided to lump the reviews into one post. This allows me to focus on the primary review of Korean songs, but also allow me to ‘keep up’ with the releases outside of Korea. In this post, I will be focusing on songs released in the Western and Japanese music industries by Korean artists in late November 2020 and January 2021. I would recommend you check them all out. They include Chungha, Baekhyun, Dream Catcher, Jung Daehyun and TWICE.
Dream of You – Chungha (with R3HAB)
Dream of You is actually a Korean song released all in English. To give you some context, Dream of You is a pre-release single for her now-released first studio album that dropped earlier in the week. We all first heard the song at the end of November 2020 and it became part of the buildup towards Chungha’s grand return to the domestic market. What really stands out with Dream of You is the funky thumping instrumentation (which felt quite classy and dynamic all at the same time). The electronic nature of the instrumentation just makes it groovier. It is quite simple in hindsight, but it feels quite loaded when you consider the song as a whole. Chungha shows off her vocal flair throughout the song, delivering the song’s mature lyrics in a very complimenting manner. If Dream of You needed to prove its potential for Chungha to flourish in the Western market, then it did its job well. The music video released in conjunction back in November 2020 is actually a performance video. It showcases Chungha and her male dancers performing the song with an uber sensual choreography. There is a modern femme fatale vibe that comes from it, which I really enjoyed. It also felt like an extension of her Stay Tonight music video that was released earlier in 2020. I really the scenes where she performance in a suit and a hat. It just made the performance more impactful and interesting to watch. This release as a whole proves to me that Chungha is a performer that any industry should be afraid of. (10/10)
Get You Alone – Baekhyun (EXO)
It seems like the ongoing funky trend is spreading to other industries as well. Get You Alone is Baekhyun’s Japanese solo debut title track and it was first unveiled on the 3rd of January 2021 at his solo concert. The song has this casual upbeat vibe which makes it quite a pleasant listen. It isn’t really the most exciting song out there. But it manages to show off Baekhyun’s vocals quite nicely, emphasising the smoothness of his vocals and its husky profile. His ad-libs throughout Get You Alone and especially during the bridge is definitely the song’s icing on the cake. The music video shows a nerdy version of Baekhyun wanting to ask out someone he is interested in. But that person cruelly rejects him. He turns to the help of a more confident and experienced version of Baekhyun (the talk show host), who tells him what to do to be successful in the dating department (i.e. setting the mood, teaching him about manners and to make sure he smells nice – which resulted in a classy wardrobe change). I wished we got to see whether the changes and work put in paid off. It would have completed the story in a fulfilling manner. I liked the sets of the video. There isn’t anything special about them, but they managed to emphasis the funky tones of the song. The choreography shown throughout the music video was quite good and paired well with the song. (8/10)
No More – Dream Catcher
We all know Dream Catcher for their infusion of rock influences in their title tracks, regardless of the music industry they are releasing it in. What makes it even better is that Dream Catcher almost always puts a fresh spin on it. They found a niche in the KPOP industry and have managed to continued marketing towards that niche without tiring out listeners. But I don’t think we have ever heard anything with high intensity as No More. Released at the end of November 2020, No More literally charges at you with its relentless energy. It quite thrilling and powerful, all rolled into three minute long song. I really like how Dami’s rap cuts through the intensity by having the rock instrumentation stripped away into an almost trap-electronic piece. It does feel fitting for the song as a whole and brings some mid-song relief. The music video for No More doesn’t actually the members. I am assuming the anime characters that we do see are anime version of the members, though I haven’t found any information on who they are. The music video also doubles up as a lyrics video, showing the lyrics of the song of the song. I also like the transitions of the video. They do feel erratic, but most importantly, they matching the intensity of the song. As the video doesn’t feature the members and the anime character are simply images, there is not associated choreography with this comeback. (8.6/10)
Amazing – Jung Daehyun
Jung Daehyun, a member of the now inactive B.A.P, made his solo comeback in Korea with his first Japanese single back in November 2020. The new song is titled Amazing and it was officially released at the end of November 2020. But the music video was released for a month prior to the official song release. It is definitely nice to hear his voice once again, especially since this is the first song I have heard from him since the release of Aight at the end of 2019. His voice does flourish in the song and the melodies are quite enjoyable. Amazing also shines in the instrumental department. Sure, there isn’t anything special about it. But like the vocals and melodies, it was quite enjoyable and acted as a decent backdrop for the solo act’s vocals. It was noticeably dominated by repetitive taps on the keyboard and there was also some brass thrown into the song to give the chorus some additional colour. The music video was quite simple at the start, but it stilled managed to look classy thanks to the outfits worn by Jung Daehyun and the dancers. The video also showcased the visuals of Jung Daehyun quite well. About half way through the video, we see Jung Daehyun and the dancers perform under rain and in a water pool. While this is something we now see often in KPOP, it made the video more visually interesting. I personally felt the red light could have been omitted, but that is the only critical comment I can make for this video. The choreography looks nice. I wished more people would view the video to watch Jung Daehyun in action and listen to the song, as this comeback is very underrated. (8.2/10)
Better – TWICE
The final song in this post is TWICE’s Better. It was released back in mid-November. If you are looking for a fulfilling pop dose from this list, Better is the song for you. While some of the other songs above are within the pop realm, none of them match Better‘s colourful energy. It is the type of song that will make you smile and get up to dance to. The song’s best part has to be the descending melody that features as the song’s pre-chorus. It is definitely quite memorable and it makes the chorus just pop out so much more. The chorus comes out as a close second, with Jihyo’s ‘Better‘ really sticking in my mind. The rapping by Chaeyoung and Dahyun has a really nice kick to it, elevating Better to a much better level. While I don’t mention the rest of the members, they all sound really amazing throughout this new song. When it comes to the music video for Better, I applaud the stylist of the video who chose their outfits. The colours were quite dull and wouldn’t necessarily be considered fashionable at first glance. But the outfit colours worked in really close harmony to the rest of the music video, making the members stand out in the video. There is still a burst of other colours throughout the video using dominance, which compliments the pop vibes of the song. I also like the casualness of the video, portrayed through the member’s outfits and the uncomplicated nature of the sets. For the choreography, I like the bouncy energy they bring forth. The bridge looks complicated, but aesthetic. (9/10)
As mentioned in the last review, I will be focusing on two new debuts from this week. I have already covered TRI.BE’s debut single in the mentioned review. Today, I will be focusing on a newly debuted male group, KINGDOM. They are a new group under GF Entertainment and is made up of seven members (Dann, Louis, Chiwoo, Arthur, Ivan, Mujin, Jahan). Dann and Arthur were previous members of VARSITY. An interesting and unique concept with the group members is that their stage names are based on historic kings from across the world. KINGDOM made their debut on Thursday with the single, Excalibur, and the mini-album, History Of Kingdom : PartⅠ. Arthur.
There seems to be a bit within Excalibur. For some songs, that could be a compliment. But in Excalibur‘s case, this description is not as positive as it could have been. Let’s break the song down, starting off with the members. While Excalibur does show that the members can perform, it felt overly ambitious at the same time. Some of the vocal work felt strained, while other parts could have been more polished to feel cleaner and clearer. I also felt the vocal department didn’t offer anything new to the industry, which leaves them less memorable to me. Nor was there anything impressive to wow me. The rapping faired a little better. But overall, there was a consistent plainness that came from the members. Similarly, the song doesn’t have much of a strong hook. There were good moments within the song, but they were brief ‘moments’ and nothing like what a ‘strong hook’ should be like. Those good moments are mainly there due to the instrumentation. I felt that the producers managed to showcase an epic vibe within the sound of the song quite well. But unfortunately, the epic vibes were pretty much concentrated during the pre-chorus, where the background inclines using organs and gripping energy. It is also quite unfortunate that the producers reverted to a very plain use of EDM for the chorus. There was so much potential for the chorus to be so much more dynamic. The bridge is a bit more interesting, using a wobbling-like synth effect which I haven’t heard of before. I also liked how it grew faster, which was very different. Overall, Excalibur was ambitious that didn’t feel like it was well-executed. There were some positives about the song that I was glad to still enjoy. But it seems like the song’s negative aspects outweighs its positives.
The visual concept behind this group might be one of the biggest positives of the debut as a whole. As the mini-album is centered around King Arthur, the main character for this music video is Arthur himself. Furthermore, the song is titled after King Arthur’s infamous sword. So clearly this makes the most sense. You can see each member representing the king that has been assigned to them by their stage name throughout the video. All join forces to defeat whoever is trying to kill Arthur and all pay their respect to King Arthur at the end of the video when he finally sits on his throne. While I did like the visual concept, I am not keen on their outfits. They seemed overkill and felt like the stylist got too carried away with the chains. I also would like to see whether they will focus on each king/member in their subsequent releases. It will be interesting to see a different story being told, especially after they went with the most obvious story of a king battling to reclaim his throne. I am hoping they don’t repeat the same story another six times, just revisualised to fit the background of the king in focus. It does seem like we will be seeing the Chinese king, Chiyou, in the next video based on the ending.
KINGDOM made the plain EDM chorus turn into a powerful piece thanks to the choreography. That is quite a feat! On top of that the performance looks quite good. The choice to use swords and so many backup dancers really paid off, even though both sound very risky. It helps bring the visual concept to life on the stage, expanding the comeback in a very clever manner. However, them posing with the swords at the end felt a little corny for my liking.
Song – 5/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 6.5/10
The next two reviews (released today and tomorrow) are for some new debuts that occurred this week. Yesterday, we saw the debut of TRI.BE, a new female group co-produced by Shinsadong Tiger and Universal Music. The group consist of seven members (SongSun, Kelly, JinHa, HyunBin, Jia, SoEun and Mire). From my research, the group name is split into two, with the ‘TRI’ part representing perfection (and comes from the word ‘Triangle’) and ‘BE’ representing the perfect being. They debuted yesterday with DOOM DOOM TA, which is featured on the group’s first single album, TRI.BE Da Loca.
Aside from a smashing to start of their careers with, what newly debut groups really need to demonstrate with their first few songs is potential. And I feel that TRI.BE has done that through DOOM DOOM TA. It is what I enjoyed about this song. I felt like there was a lot of it throughout the song that showcase the members to a degree. There are great vocals throughout and I definitely have to praise whichever member handled the high note just before the final chorus. Other members showed different textures which I think can be carried forward to new song releases, provided the producing team for their future songs can capitalize them. Knowing that this is a Shinsadong Tiger produced group, I feel that they are in safe hands. There were some decent rapping throughout the song, as well. This showcase of potential is definitely important in this case, given I felt DOOM DOOM TA was a boring song overall. To me, I couldn’t find a memorable hook in DOOM DOOM TA. There was a lot of repetition, but it just felt flat. The instrumentational had a tribal-like exotic flair to the electronic sound. While I do feel like this is slightly unique, it just didn’t live up to my expectations when it mattered most. It felt plain during moments when the instrumental should have been the most dynamic (i.e. chorus). And no matter how times I have replayed it so far, I just haven’t been reeled into it. I also felt the transition between the chorus and bridge could have a bit more smoother and not so much sudden. Overall, I have mixed feelings about this song. Maybe more listens will help make the song more enjoyable. But for the time being, it seems that I am on the fence about DOOM DOOM TA.
There was a big emphasis on triangles in this music video. And I think this really helps emphasise their origins. From first glance, the music video takes on the girl crush concept. But when you watch the individual scenes, they feel a bit random. Lying in the mouth of crocodile, confronting haters with guns and rifles, flaming chainsaw to cut down a really tall basketball goal, meteor shower with pyramid-shaped alien spaceships floating in the air. I am not too sure what is going on. I guess there is a little bit of a parallel with other female group’s takes on the girl crush concept, such as Weki Meki. But this is a step into the ‘out there’ spectrum from how I see it. Maybe it is all there for a specific reason and I am just overlooking the meaning of everything completely. Aside from that, I really like the post-production on the video with various cool transitions (shooting the bottle on top of the members head, before transitioning scene into a choreography shot, the whole pyramid alien ship CGI etc.).
Once again, a lot of moves and formations involving triangles throughout the choreography. As a whole, the performance is so-so. You pretty have seen everything they pulled off before in other choreographies. So they don’t really bring anything new to the table. But they managed to meet the energy of the song, which helped made the performance look pleasant.
Song – 6/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 6.5/10 Overall Rating – 6.7/10
Making his epic return today is Kang Daniel with his brand new single. PARANOIA. This follows the release of 2U and Who U Are, his two 2020 singles (which were featured on the two mini-albums he released last year as well). It also follows the release of State of Wonder last month, which is a collaboration between himself, inverness and Anthony Russo. They are also the creative minds behind PARANOIA, alongside Kang Daniel. He has also been recently announced to be making his acting debut. But while he prepares for that, it seems like he has to shake off some PARANOIA.
What I really enjoyed about this song is its fierceness. This persona fits in with the whole message of fighting inner demons and emphasises the edgy nature of the song. I also find that the fierceness strikes at the best moments, just as we are coming to the chorus. Why do I think that this was the best moment? Well, the verse felt like suspense was simmering away. While the chorus was the more melodic and what you could call a mini-peak in the song’s momentum. The use of the harsh, rough and deep tone electric guitar as a tunnel for the fierceness really adds so much energy to launch the song into its chorus. As mentioned a moment ago, the chorus is a lot melodic and flowy compared to the verse and pre-chorus launch. But yet it showcases Kang Daniel’s vocals really well. The melodic hooks really make the song memorable and the instrumentation is quite atmospheric/mysterious to a degree. In addition to that, the heavy use of English really helps make the song even memorable for the international audience and gives us insight into the lyrics of the song. His rap-whisper sequence in the bridge was the next best thing in the song. It just had so much behind it and drove the song forward. Without a doubt, the whisper delivery was intentional, serving purpose to the lyrics of the song and just add more momentum towards the final chorus. As for the final chorus, I liked what they done. But I wished they peaked the energy at the start to carry on that momentum from that bridge. It felt like the energy was drained away, which I personally do not like. But once it did peak, the song ended on a really strong note. Overall, PARANOIA is a heavy track, both in meaning and its execution.
The music video is awesome. We see Kang Daniel struggle to fall asleep and is haunted by something. He cowers under the table in fear, and (I assume) he is haunted by whatever is going on when he closes his eyes. It looks like the video hints at some drinking to help with this fear. But obviously, it doesn’t help much. He does have brief moments of solitude where he is aware that those fears are lingering, but they don’t touch him. But the briefest distraction sets him back and he is reminded of those fears. The video chugs along with the same story, though at the end, I think the video shows these fears are just his inner demons. We are shown Kang Daniel with one red eye, indicative of an evil side. Towards the end, we see him struggle with someone who comes so close to stabbing him. But at the very end, we just see him with a bloody hand with no-one else in the room to show ‘he won’ the battle with his demon. While we are on the topic of bloody hand, there was a scene in which we saw a grate at floor level with Kang Daniel on the bed. On the floor is a trail of blood, which suggests to me something a little more sinister. I wonder how this all plays with his future comeback, as this does tease for that comeback.
This performance is on point. I enjoyed all aspects of the choreography, from the complexity of everything once it is put together to the individual moves. I really like how some of the moves made it seem like Kang Daniel and the dancers were possessed, moving in such a manner that really looked intriguing and cool. The dance itself is quite powerful and definitely one of watch in detail.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 10/10 Overall Rating – 9.2/10
Prepare yourself for the first collaboration of 2021. Members from IZ*ONE (Eunbi, Sakura, Minju, Yuri and WonYoung) and former Sistar member Soyou have joined forces with pH-1 for the new single, ZERO:ATTITUDE. This new single forms part of the Pepsi X Starship Project, providing us with great collaborations between big KPOP artists since 2019. Other artists who have participated in this project include GFriend’s Eunha and VIXX’s Ravi (Blossom), Ong Seong Wu (Heart Sign), MONSTA X’s Hyungwon and former VIXX member Hongbin (Cool Love), Rain & Soyou (Beginning), Kang Daniel & Zico (Refresh) and CIX’s Bae Jin Young & WEi’s Kim Yo Han (I Believe).
Like majority of the collaborative efforts between the artists listed above, SOYOU and IZ*ONE do a pretty neat job with this single. I find ZERO:ATTITUDE to be super catchy, which reels me into the song even more. And this catchiness tempts me to press the replay button with its infectious sung-spoken hook. On top of that, the confident energy that is expressed in the lyrics comes off pretty well in the instrumentation. The vocals from both the IZ*ONE members and Soyou were very clean-cut, popping out over the EDM based instrumentation. I also felt the line distribution was pretty fair between the individuals who participated in the The instrumentation is a hit and miss for me. Aside from the positives that I have mentioned thus far about this element, I have to make the note that it is relatively plain. Currently, it feels suitable as a short and sweet commercial track (which is the whole purpose of this collaboration in the first place). If the instrumental was a little more interesting and spruced up a bit to be more dynamic, I think ZERO:ATTITUDE has what it takes to be an awesome title track as everything else is pretty much at that level for me. pH-1’s bridge was a bit random for my taste. I honestly thought the song could have done without this part, replaced with a dance break to boost the song’s dynamism. This is not critical of pH-1’s delivery as his rapping is awesome. It is more so that his trap breakdown sequence just didn’t fit the liveliness and pop roots of the rest of the song. But aside from that, ZERO:ATTITUDE is another strong collaboration between two big names in the industry.
In case you missed it, the music video for ZERO:ATTITUDE was a three minute long commercial for Pepsi’s newest Pepsi Zero Lime flavour. The walls are lined with cans of the drink and the members (per soft drink commercial protocols) down the drink in the music video. Thought I point that out. But aside from the video’s purpose, I am loving the overall urban aesthetics of the big screen, exposed scaffolding/stage structure and the outfits donned by Soyou, the IZ*ONE members and the dancers. It just felt on point and really showed off a sexier side that is synonymous with Soyou. It also felt suitable for the IZ*ONE members. I was wondering when the two parties would meet up to make this video and collaboration feel complete as they were pretty much separated throughout the first two thirds of the video. But they managed to bring the two parties together at the end, fulfilling my wish for this video.
The performance is pretty neat. I liked how it exudes confidence, fitting in with the song and its purpose. I also liked how good it made Soyou and the IZ*ONE members look.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.8/10
Chungha is finally back!! It has been a long time coming, especially with the many pre-releases that Chungha was unveiling over the past year. It all started off in April 2020 with the release of Stay Tonight. Her second pre-release for this comeback was with PLAY in July. Her third release, which will be reviewed and published on the weekend, was an English track with R3HAB titled Dream of You. While this was shaping to be one epic comeback, Chungha’s comebacks plans were halted when she tested positive to COVID-19, which delayed her fourth and final pre-release single, X. This ended up occurring in January and pushed out her previously confirmed comeback date of 4th January to 15th February (today). And today, she drops her new title track, Bicycle, and her first studio album, Querencia.
Described as a R&B pop-trap song, Bicycle comes swinging at you with its powerful energy and intensity. As a result, one word comes to mind with this song – fierce. And knowing the trajectory that Chungha has been on with her solo releases, this one has managed to one up all her previous outstanding releases. It comes off as an intimidating song, as Chungha does quite a lot in this song to make sure that Bicycle is relentless. While I do want to point out that the song is her least melodic from start to end, she gifts us with strong and elegant vocals throughout. But they weren’t always elegant. Some parts framed her as quite seductive sounding, such as the sequence following the second chorus. Other times we get a bit of the melodic touch from her, such as during the chorus. And in at other times, she is quite fierce with the way she ends her lines in the chorus. She also presents us with a show-stopping rap verse for the second verse (which is all in English). It definitely showcases her development and maturity over the years. Based on what I understand, only the music video and the performance contain the foot-stomping dance break. I wished this was part of the official song. It just reiterates that fierceness quite well, by providing the song a more powerful sequence and edge. I also like how they used the bicycle bell sparingly throughout the song. It easily could have been overused and been a distraction if that was the case. I think my only other complaint with the song is that we don’t get much opportunity to hear her high notes in the foreground. They are always hidden in the background. I thought Bicycle would have been the perfect setting for her high note in the front, as that really would have emphasised the fierceness of the song (if it was done right).
Visuals galore. Whoever is Chungha’s stylist(s) really need a pay rise because her looks throughout the video were on point. From the amazing outfits to the simple closeups of her face, everything felt like perfection on that front. I also liked how her outfits were part of the set design as well, such as that massive black dress at the peak of the song where she was flying up. That part looked epic. The set designs were quite cool as well, going hand-in-hand with the outfits in each part.
Performance wise, I thought the comeback was really good. The fierceness that I mentioned earlier was definitely displayed, along with her confidence and seductiveness. I also have to mention that her charisma is very alluring, especially throughout this performance. The entire performance is a highlight. But more specific moments that I enjoyed are the human bicycle for Chungha to pedal on and the foot-stomping dance break.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 10/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9.3/10
TREASURE is definitely one of the next big groups with great potential to make it big in the KPOP industry. And they begin their next step in the KPOP industry in the year 2021 with their 1st Studio Album, MY FIRST STEP: TREASURE EFFECT. This studio album has topped album sale charts. Together with their other single albums combined, the group has sold over a million albums since their debut. A massive feat, given that they just debuted six months ago. Their first studio album combines their three previously unveiled single albums (including title tracks BOY, I LOVE YOU and MMM) and three new songs (which include the title track for this album, MY TREASURE) – all revovling around the pop genre. The album also features a pre-debut single and new versions of I LOVE YOU and MMM. All tracks aside from the new versions of those songs are reviewed in this post. Let’s go into the deep dive!
2. Be With Me (나랑 있자) – Be With Me is a pop song follows MY TREASURE. It is pleasant, at best. But it doesn’t really excite me or reel me in. There isn’t much else to the song aside from its simple tune and melodies. There are notable aspects of Be With Me including: solid vocals, raps that give the song the little playfulness, that whistling that adds a little more dynamism into the song. But these aren’t enough to overlook the song’s lack of excitement or dulled appeal. (7/10)
3. SLOWMOTION– SLOWMOTION has a bit more heft to it thanks to the addition of a thumping beat. It may not be much as the song does fall into the pop realm (like the other songs on this album) and there is a tinge of plainness due to the lack of uniqueness. But I find the very small differences between this song and the preceding song are the reasons why I find the listening experience to be quite enhanced. I personally enjoyed the direction in which the vocals were taking us, but I felt the rapping brought it down as it felt typical. (7.5/10)
5. Come To Me (들어와) – Come To Me was released alongside BOY in August 2020. The song, too, falls into the pop genre that has taken over the side tracks of this new album. But it is slightly quite different to the other side tracks thus far. I really like how the energy pops in Come To Me really pops out, which makes the song quite appealing. The melodies of this song are quite easy to get into and helps makes this side track stand out even more. The vocals and rap work fit well in the song’s pop profile, serving as a great introduction to the group and their potential (which followed through). (9/10)
6. I LOVE YOU (사랑해) – After many many listens, I LOVE YOU has become a favourite of mine throughout 2020. Hence, I have adjusted the song rating for I LOVE YOU to be 10/10 (originally 7.5/10). This is not be reflected in review post (for now). Click here to read the original review for I LOVE YOU.(10/10)
7. B.L.T (Bling Like This) – B.L.T has more of a dance profile to it. It is quite energetic and there is a bit of groove to the chorus, which makes the instrumentals of the song stand out amongst the other side tracks. Them exclaiming the title was quite catchy as well. It helped make the song become quite infectious, as I could help dancing to it whilst listening to the song for reviewing purposes. The song’s biggest letdown was the trap-based sequence for the rap. It wasn’t necessary to have this sequence as it just ruined the funky energy that I was enjoying a second before the breakdown happened. (8/10)
9. Orange (오렌지) – Orange was released alongside MMM in November 2020. It is the album’s slowest song. But instead of giving us a typical and straightforward ballad, TREASURE manages to give us a mid-tempo R&B track that feels fitting for the Fall season that it was released in. It feels warm and sounds touching. Orange showcases potential behind their vocals and rapping, whilst also showcasing a more delicate and emotive side of the song. It shows range and definitely a highlight on this album. (9/10)
10. Going Crazy (미쳐가네) – Going Crazy was a previously performed track, dating back to January 2020. Like the majority of the side tracks on this album, Going Crazy opts for a pop style. It is extremely pleasant, with the dance instrumental bringing a really stylish and sleek polish. I quite enjoyed the song. Despite it being released a year ago, Going Crazy slides quite well into the album and it is a great canvas to show off both their vocals and raps. It isn’t the most exciting song out there, but it serves as another great introduction to TREASURE and ender to their first studio album. (9.5/10)
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