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[Album Review] 24 Part 2 (1st Studio Album) – Jeong Sewoon

January 22, 2021Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged Jeong SewoonLeave a comment

Jeong Sewoon is back with the second part of his 24 studio album. For those who don’t know or remember, the soloist made an announcement last year for his first studio length album. In July 2020, he made his solo comeback with the first half of his solo studio album, 24, and the title track Say Yes. Since wrapping promotions, Jeong Sewoon remained fairly quiet up until December, when it was confirmed that he would return on Janaury 6 with the second part of 24 and the title track In The Dark. Per usual, Jeong Sewoon has really shown off his music ability with another amazing release. Also, this album review is also the first album review for a 2021 release.

1. :m (Mind) – Opening the album is :m (Mind), which is a nice acoustic pop track. But there is a bit more to this track, with Jeong Sewoon’s vocals dominating the track and there is a really nice synth touch that transforms :m into something unique. The melody of this track is very simple, yet so moving all at the same time. The swaying criteria can be applied to this song and it definitely helps :m earns the tick of approval. (8/10)

2. In The Dark (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for In The Dark. (9/10)

3. Fine – The upbeat nature of the song and its groovy instrumentation is what attracts my attention at first. And it the same elements that keeps me coming back for more. I really like the guitar work in the chorus and how husky Jeong Sewoon’s voice was during the chorus. It just all made Fine be a standout song. His high note pierces through at the end, but in a very good and satisfying manner. It was also a catchy number that I thoroughly enjoyed. (10/10)

4. DoDoDo – Bringing you back to the olden times is DoDoDo. It is a jazzy number that is quite soothing and mellow-sounding. Paired with the way his voice is filtered through the autotune, DoDoDo sounds like it could be part of a soundtrack of an old movie (when sound was first introduced). I don’t say that in a bad way through, as DoDoDo is quite captivating and a pleasure to listen to. (9/10)

5. Find You (숨은 그림 찾기) – Within seconds of listening to Find You, I just knew it was another perfect song. Jeong Sewoon brings back some of that acoustic guitar and groovy instrumentation in this song. The best part of the instrumentation is when they bring in that more defined guitar work part way through the verses. It felt very refreshing and very blissful. I als like how that energy carries through into the chorus. Find You sounds like a very sweet song and that feeling definitely comes through the lyrics, as well. (10/10)

6. Be A Fool – Ending off the album is Be A Fool, another song that got me swaying along from the very start. There is a hint of a jazz in the instrumental, but Be A Fool can be passed off as a ballad. The instrumental for Be A Fool is quite simple. But simplicity here is definitely a positive, as we get to hear Jeong Sewoon’s vocals in a very clear manner. It felt clean, pure and concentrated all the same time. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 9.2/10

[Review] No Diggity – ONEUS

January 21, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged ONEUS5 Comments

2020 was a big year for ONEUS in terms of promotions. They were definitely busy. The male group started off 2020 with A Song Written Easily and this was promoted whilst the group participated on Road To Kingdom. As part of the Road To Kingdom show, the group dropped their Come Back Home single, which was then followed up with TO BE OR NOT TO BE in August. And unexpectedly, ONEUS dropped BBUYSEO last month as a digital single. And while you would expect ONEUS to finally have a break of some kind, the group announced a 2021 comeback with No Diggity, which is the focus of today’s review. No Diggity is featured on the group’s first studio album, Devil, since their debut in 2019.

No Diggity is a very powerful song. We are teased with the powerfulness at first via the thumping at the start of the song. But this is just a teaser for what is to come. The song reverts to a more typical hip-hop based dance track, yet with a serious tone and explosive energy as it progresses. What I do like is how they kept that connection with the powerful nature by intensifying the instrumentation with rock vibes. The pre-chorus opt for a very KPOP direction. It was pretty plain and felt like music that I have heard before. On a more positive note, it did show off some vocal flair from Seonho and Leedo though. The chorus takes a turn with what would be accurately described as a noisy and expected drop. We all saw it coming and I don’t really know how to feel about that. I also didn’t enjoy the so-called lyrics to the first half of the chorus (they aren’t words!). It felt like a typical move, though it did show off the song’s intensity without much hinderance. Interestingly, when you actually get lyrics in the second half, you can’t hear much of it because they paired the member with the deepest voice (Leedo) in the group with the loudest instrumentation, which lead to the drowning out effect! Said member returns briefly at the start of the second verse with a really strong rap sequence. I appreciate that he was brought back after the chorus died down and that hint of a low growling effect in his voice. Let’s skip forward to the bridge (as the rest of the second verse/chorus was essentially the same as the first verse/chorus), which I think is where the song definitely wows and peaks for me. Firstly, we have strong vocals (i.e. a brief falestto from Keonhee and high note from Seonho). Remember that powerful energy at the very start of the song? Well, you get a rush of it here at the very end during the dance break and final half-chorus. It shows off their fierceness and intense profile in another thrilling section. Overall, No Diggity is defintiely a song you would want to check out if you want something high energy or intense. It just has a bit of a plainness issue in some parts.

The music video is definitely very bold and has a hint of colour, which I thought was pretty expressive. Based on the lyrics and the imagery in the video, I think the music video is about inner conflict for a lover. On one hand, the members wanted to be sweet (represented by the members in their white outfit). And on the other hand, the members’ inner devil comes out to play, showing each member in an insane mode (playing with flame throwers, getting up close and personal with a bear trap, donning the spiky mask etc.). I think the video also shows their transition to the more crazier side, as shown by the members as they are dressed in red. In the song itself, the more powerful rock sections are like the inner devils speaking, while the more melodic sections (pre-chorus and bridge) was when the more sweeter side emerges. So I think my theory is plausible.

Aside from the intense choreography which ONEUS definitely ticked with this performance, another thing that they nailed was the stage presence. I mean, they knew how to captivate us on stage with their performance with their facial expressions and charisma. And that along with the intense choreography drew me into the stage performance.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.8/10

[Album Review] INSIDE ME (3rd Mini Album) – Kim Sung Kyu (Infinite)

January 19, 2021January 19, 2021Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged INFINITE, Kim Sung Kyu (Infinite)Leave a comment

It is time to return to the album reviews. Apologies for not posting any over the weekend, when they should have been released per the posting schedule. Today’s focus is Kim Sung Kyu’s INSIDE ME, which is the soloists’ third mini-album since his solo debut in 2012. The title track, I’m Cold, was released alongside the mini-album in December 2020. Kim Sung Kyu’s solo comeback in December came at no better time as I had a massive craving for Infinite in some form. Kim Sung Kyu’s solo releases are enough to suffice this for now. I am hoping for a group release once all the members return from the military. We last heard from Kim Sung Kyu in 2018 through his 10 Stories comeback and the title track, True Love, another aweome comeback from the solo act.

1. INSIDE ME – While INSIDE ME will not be included in the final rating score, I just want to take a moment to draw attention to this introductory track. I really like the suspenseful vibes of the song. I also like how it felt like a teaser of what is to come, as it literally used some of the instrumentation from the title track. It also felt like music that Infinite would have released back in the day, with the combination of synths and instruments.

2. I’m Cold (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for I’m Cold. (10/10)

3. Fade (안녕) – Fade continues on with the R&B vibes that featured in I’m Cold. The major difference is that Fade is a lot airer in its instrumentation and slower overall. It kicks off with a somewhat distorted like filter over a music box and Kim Sung Kyu’s utterance of ‘Goodbye’, before proceeding with the familiar R&B vibes I just mentioned. I really like how the electric guitars sound almost like electronic synths, which reminds me of some of his earlier works such as his last solo comeback. His vocals flourish in this song, with the falsettos he opts for being a star attraction. I just wish Fade had a more memorable melody. (8/10)

4. Room – Room diverts away from the R&B that we all know Kim Sung Kyu for. Instead, he opts for a genre that I am sure that everyone is certain the soloist will nail, ballad. I am happy to report that his ballad had me sway along to the music, which we all know is my way of determining the quality of a ballad. But honestly, the buildup of Room was stunning. It starts off like any slow ballad. But as you progress along, the instrumental grows by incorporating more instruments and it develops into an epic backing for the ballad. Kim Sung Kyu’s vocals climb to compliment this buildup and he sounds beautiful and powerful. It is most emotional number on this album and probably his discography as far as I can remember. (10/10)

5. DIVIN’ – Moving away from the heartbreak that has dominated the album thus far, Kim Sung Kyu goes DIVIN’ into a new relationship and sound. The song falls back into the R&B realm of music, but there is more to it. It sounds like there was is a bit of jazz mixed into the instrumentation, which comes together to become a groovy mix, which makes it suitable for a high-end bar. Once again, Kim Sung Kyu’s vocals are quite good. I appreciate that his vocals sound a lot livelier, complimenting groovy instrumentation. Multiple R&B and ballad tracks after one another can be draining in some cases, so it is nice for a change up. (8/10)

6. Climax – Climax is a little unexpected with its upbeat nature. But it is an amazing end to the album. Firstly, Climax is a personal track. It is a song about performing, a passion of Kim Sung Kyu (if you cannot tell). He sings about pushing forward with his career and his motivation is simply his fans. A message like that will have fans swooning over him. Secondly, the instrumentation is very unique and colourful. I really like the electronic nature of the instrumental, which was full of textures (which you know I enjoy). I also enjoyed the choppiness, which was an interesting route in general. The pre-chorus has a very unique vibe by embracing a choppy delivery of the lyrics, which helped made the song so much more alluring. His vocals are superb, once again in this song. TGhere was some questionable uses of autotune in the song though, which doesn’t really capitalise on his vocals as much as the song should have. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 9/10

[Review] Stay Young – AB6IX

January 19, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged AB6IX3 Comments

The first group to be reviewed this week is AB6IX, who made their return with Stay Young today. This new song is the title track off their repackaged version of their third mini-album, Salute: A New Hope. Previously, the group made their epic comeback in October 2020 with SALUTE, via the mini-album of the same name. I have yet to publish my album review for SALUTE. Originally that was going to come out past new years. But as soon as I heard that the quartet was gearing up for a comeback with a repackaged version, I thought I hold it back to include the new side tracks. That should hopefully come out by the end of the month. In the meanwhile, here is my review for Stay Young.

First impressions of the song is that is very different to the grand and epic nature of SALUTE. If I were to compare the two song side by side, SALUTE would be ‘bold’, ‘powerful’ and ’empowering’, which I am sure are words that many listeners would use to describe that number regardless of whether they enjoyed the song or not. Stay Young would definitely be described as ‘toned-back’, ‘delicate’ and ‘warming’, which are without a doubt in a completely different league. The song itself is a dance track that employs a unique combination of textures, classical instrumentation and bouncy synths. It almost felt like a throwback to their title tracks during their debut year which featured a heavy presense of the house genre. Stay Young features a trendier and refreshing mix that makes the song sound more appealing than straightforward house. The textures and classical instrumentation also bring a differen dynamic to the song. I liked how the producers of the song go for a very nice change in textures towards the end of the song, by bring a touch of guitar, squeakier synths, and the re-employment of the textures that I already mentioned. It definitely makes the song more interesting and brings a fresh wave of energy to end the song in a satisfying manner. The bass in this song is also commendable. Woojin’s rapping was definitely quite strong and complimented the song’s bolstering buildup. Their vocal work was quite nice, but it felt best during the chorus. The vocals in the verses were forgettable. But overall, Stay Young is definitely a decent track overall that I am sure fans will enjoy. Props to their slightly different direction, yet still calling it back to their roots.

From what I got from the lyrics, the song is all about staying indivualistic by staying young. I just wished that message was slightly stronger in the music video. But from what I could understand, the theme park was closed, yet the members still managed to get into the theme park and have some fun. They reference that this could be seen as a rebellion, but they see this as being young. I had a slightly more confusing interpretation which invovled the letter flying backwards and the flower in Woong’s hand while they emerge from apocalyptic setting. But I don’t think it is as strong, felt muddled and might make it confusing, which is why I have left it out. I would like to know any theories/interpretation you might have that involve these scenes, as they do feel a bit random. Aside from the messaging, the video actually felt quite nice. The lighting really helped warm the video up. The setting brings about a nostalgic feeling, while their outfits add to the warmth of the video. Good choices, overall.

The choreography was quite good. I found it to be quite enjoyable to watch, especially when it came to the choruses. There was a vibrant blast of energy in the choreography that really help strengthen the song. I also liked how they played with the song’s slight textural change at the end, which made the performance more captivating and fun (depending on which way you look at it).

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.6/10

[Review] Switch To Me – Rain & JYP

January 17, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged J.Y. Park, Rain3 Comments

The next collaboration that I wanted to quickly cover was the final release of 2020. Dropping on the 31st of December 2020 was Switch To Me, a collaboration between Rain and JYP. Rain, for those who don’t know, is a well-known soloist in the KPOP music industry and his famous physique that he has flaunted in his musical releases on numerous occasions (the most iconic being Love Song). More recently, he saw a resurgence in his fame through the remergence of his 2018 track Gang, collaborated with Zico for Summer Hate and collaborated with Yoo Jae Suk and Lee Hyori for SSAK. JYP is a male soloist who we all know, thanks to his old school hits (which are considered classics in the industry) and more recently collaborated with Sunmi for When We Disco. But today, we are hear to have a closer look and listen at Switch To Me.

Switch To Me delves into the new jack swing genre, bringing forth a strong retro appeal for their new song and collaboration. It is super jam packed with energy, which is representative of the genre. And knowing Rain and JYP’s style of music, this energy driven song is totally both their styles. In hindsight, Switch To Me is a pretty straightforward song. But there was a few elements that really made this a collaboration enjoyable. Aside from the energy that I have already touch upon, I really liked the chorus of this song. It was quite memorable and catchy. I particularly liked the way they ended their choruses, giving us a little more than a hard finish would have. I really liked their voices in this song. JYP’s sings in his signature style, while Rain employs a little more huskiness than what I remember his voice contains. The rapping in the second verse was quite nice and adds a burst of exciting energy into the song. I don’t have much else to say about Switch To Me, aside from the fact that it is a strong collaboration track and one that I am sure fans of both soloists have enjoyed.

The music video starts off with what feels like a K-drama scene of two frienemies or rivals praising one another by keeping tabs on one another’s recent achievements. I also like how their dialogue touches on the point that Rain used to be an artist under JYP’s guidance and that he learnt everything from JYP himself. Enter in the actress, who Rain and JYP spend their time throughout the music video competing against each other for. There are abs being flaunted, horse riding and expensive cars being driven. But the ending cracks me up with an unsuspected contender turns up. The ending shows the actress walking towards Rain and JYP, with us suspecting that she will choose one of them. But she ends up going for Psy, whom she was very pleased to see. I loved Psy’s face in response to the two singers and Rain’s reaction to the event.

The performance was pretty good. Despite their age, both Rain and JYP commit to the energtic side of the performance. It is really enjoyable and helps liven the song up a lot more than just the instrumentation/song itself. There seems to be a tiny hint of comedy in the performance from how I see things, no doubt a play on Rain’s recent trendiness and JYP’s usual outrageous performance style. I also quite liked the ending, with both singers going for that half split.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.6/10

[Review] Hop In – Uhm Jung Hwa ft. Hwasa (Mamamoo) & DPR LIVE

January 17, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged DPR LIVE, HWASA (MAMAMOO), Uhm Jung HwaLeave a comment

During the final days of 2020, we were gifted with a number of releases. Usually, this time of the year is very quiet in terms of releases. But like the entire year as a whole, 2020 was an exception. The first release I want to review is a collabroation between the legendary Uhm Jung Hwa, the trendy Hwasa (from Mamamoo) and DPR Live. The single, titled Hop In, came to life on the 22nd of December and was performed at each of the end of year music festivals.

Hop In starts off with Hwasa in a ballad-like set up. Hwasa has been known to kill ballads in the past and this start is no exception to this trend. But that is only the intro, a small fraction of the song. In a matter of seconds of wrapping up the balladic nature, the song brings in a very energetic and upbeat retro beat (similar to the new jack swing genre of music) that is very lively and brings so much personality to the song. This also marks Uhm jung Hwa’s entrance into the song, which is bold and powerful. All of which definitely suits the legend that Uhm Jung Hwa is. I really like the rock elements in the instrumental, which just amps up the song to a whole new level. DPR Live ‘s featuring is much shorter in comparison to Hwasa’s featuring. At first I enjoyed his part, giving the song some vareity. But as his part progresses on, it just bored me. Hwasa returns at the end of the song to close off the song with that balldry style that she started the song off with. There are two parts of Hop In that I really enjoyed, on top of what I have already pointed out thus far. The first has to be the mini rap-like sequence Uhm Jung Hwa brings to the song towards the end. And the second is the spoken ‘Click Clack’ just before the song’s choruses. Both parts felt iconic and definitely are Uhm Jung Hwa’s strong points. Overall, Hop In was a very strong collaboration between generations that manages to appeal towards the taste of listeners of KPOP today.

I find the music video to be quite well done. It is quite simple, with majority of the music video shot in a dark set and lights being used as effects to fill up the void in the darkness. It is quite effective, as the simplicity allows you to just zone right into Uhm Jung Hwa and Hwasa. And they are performing in leopard print, which fits both of their bold, confident and fierce personas. The coloured lighting in the white rooms were pretty weak and not as bold. I wished they had some oomph to them to be on par with the rest of the music video.

Uhm Jung Hwa and Hwasa are sexy icons. So without a doubt, their performance will go down the sexy route. Those outfits definitely allude to the direction already. It is quite an enjoyable routine and there wasn’t anything overly explicit about it. But despite that, I like that neither holds back, going straight for the boldness that I am sure shocked fans and the Korean public.

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

[Double Review] ASURABALBALTA + Dracula – T1419

January 17, 2021January 17, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged TFN1 Comment

It is time to do some catching up and review a new release from earlier in the week. Killing two birds with one stone, as the saying goes. T1419 made their debut on Monday with ASURABALBALTA. Those who don’t know who T1419, they are a nine-member male group from MLD Entertainment. Because they come from MLD Entertainment, the group is being marketed as the younger-sibling group of MOMOLAND, who also hails from the same company. Fun fact, the name T1419 is based on the current age range of the members (i.e. 14 to 19 years of age). The group also pre-released a single prior to their debut, Dracula, which is the second song in this review today.

While this is a double review, I will be focusing on ASURABALBALTA as that is their debut track. ASURABALBALTA is clearly an attempt of trying to fit into the industry with the dark and serious sound trend that male groups have been going for, particularly in 2020. I do like prefer this style of music from male groups. But T1419’s debut track fails to really captivate and capture my attention. ASURABALBALTA features a powerful instrumental that is undermined by the group’s delivery. The vocals and rapping don’t feature that same level of impact and hence weakens the integrity of the song quite a bit. And even while I describe the instrumental as powerful, I will admit that its content is very unimaginative. I wish there was more to every element. Let the instrumental have that spark it need to make it even more explosive. Let the vocals and rapping have a bit angst behind them to really make the song more captivating. I will give them a second chance when they next comeback rolls around. But ASURABALBALTA is just a listen once song for me.

Dracula was released back before Halloween 2020. I personally don’t remember what I initially thought about Dracula when it was first released. But post-ASURABALBALTA, Dracula has a bit more indivudality, even though it does have a plainness vibe to it. It, too, is an attempt to fit in with the darker sound of male idol groups in the KPOP industry. But there are acoustic guitars and flute work that is mixed into a bass-heavy and squeaky synth instrumentation. I also like the suspenseful bridge of the song, which works with the time period they released the song in. It isn’t exactly a fresh sound, but it definitely has its perks. Dracula also manages to put a bit of ‘life’ into the rapping, which I think is much better than the debut song’s rapping (even though, it is heavily deepened to give off a ‘possessed’ type of aura). The vocals don’t really scream out at me in Dracula, which felt more dried and dulled than ever. I just wished the instrumental (and vocals) had more oomph and energy, which would have Dracula a much more successful debut track than the former song.

ASURABALBALTA‘s music video was pretty one-dimensional. I wanted more to it, as it just opted for the basic choreography and closeup formula. At least, MLD Entertainment could have made the closeups a little more captivating. Aesthetic-wise, the colour palette works extremely well and the edgy vibes are well translated. But that is the best comments I can give for their debut music video. As for Dracula‘s music video, it was a smart video. It is relatively simple music video, featuring just choreography shots. But it taps into that Halloween pretty well. The setting that was chosen for the music video served its purposes for this concept. I really like the bats and chuckled at the randomness of the wolves. But the winning element, without a doubt, has to be the faces of the members. Scary, yes. Mysterious, yes. Creepy, yes. And going back to that ‘smart’ comment, Dracula also serves its purpose of being a teaser to the group, leaving us guessing and asking questions about the members.

T1419’s strongest point has to the choreography and performance. Both ASURABALBALTA and Dracula were strong performances. ASURABALBALTA showcased their syncness and energy quite well. I just wished the song was something more along the lines of the intro, which would have really showed us more of their performance skills. Dracula could have used some more flair, but it was still a decent routine that worked well with the rest of the music video.

ASURABALBALTA
Song – 5.5/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 6.2/10

Dracula
Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7/10

[Review] HWAA – (G)I-DLE

January 13, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged i-dle2 Comments

Please accept my apology for drip feeding you the reviews like this. Today, we are covering another comeback that occurred on Monday of this week. (G)I-DLE made their comeback with HWAA and the mini-album, I Burn. This release follows their DUMDi DUMDi comeback that occurred back in August of 2020. Since the August comeback, the group has been busy with their Japanese comeback, their return as part of the K/DA lineup and an online fanmeet.

The first thought that popped into my head while listening to HWAA the first time was that this new song reminded me of HANN quite a bit, a previous single by the group. And I guess this was based on the atmopsheric approach that the songs share in common. But HWAA is a little different, as (to me) it has a bit of an edge thanks to the more upbeat instrumentation that the song ended up developing towards. I also find that the more intense moments of the song come during the verses, which is slightly different to HANN’s chorus approach when it came to that atmospheric vibe. And as we have that atmosphereic mindset in play, I was also slightly convinced that the group was going to pull an Oh My God styled chorus, which I personally would have been down for. I specifically note this, however, as I have recently found that I seem to be in the minority of people who actually enjoyed the Oh My God comeback. Obviously with that supposed general consenus, something similar would probably have made HWAA less palatable. I am hoping that this is more satisfying for other listeners to actually appreciate the effort that (G)I-DLE has put in for this song/comeback. I personally enjoyed the chorus, but wished there was something more than the HWAA harmonisation to give it that extra oomph. The rest of the vocal work in the song is superb, especially with Soyeon’s vocals at the start of the song and rapping in the second verse. It is however disappointing to hear that Shuhua only got four seconds of lines in the song. The biggest flaw for me with this song was the ending. Too abrupt for my liking. Overall, HWAA was a great song, though the ending was the biggest let down. And such an ending stays with you.

The music video was very aesthetic and stunning to watch. To me, this would rival any YG Entertainment music video. And this is saying a lot given how I am always amazed at the quality of their videos and the grandness of their set design. HWAA consisted for really beautiful and captivating set designs. The icy landscape with the dying tree in the background, Soyeon’s birdnest, the oriental styled walling and the moonlight garden were just so good. I also find their outfits and visuals stunning. Stealing my attention right away is Yuqi’s haristyle and those dresses with flowery patterns on them. The song doesn’t necessarily suit those dresses, but they work extremely well in that moonlight garden setting.

Hand motions and arm work heavily dominate the choreography. It is commendable how graceful they make the all those motios look during the pre-chorus vocal moments, matching with the music. And I really like how robust they make it look during the chorus, giving it energy and intensity to also match with the music at those parts. Essentially, they are doing the same thing but making it go both ways.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.8/10

[Review] MY TREASURE – TREASURE

January 12, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged TREASURE5 Comments

Also making their comeback yesterday was TREASURE. For those who missed the second half of 2020, TREASURE made their debut with BOY back in August and made comebacks with I LOVE YOU and MMM. And with these releases under their belt, the newest male group to the YG Family have been sweeping the rookie awards of this ongoing award season. They are also my pick for best rookie of 2020 (hint hint). This comeback with a full length album and (I guess) the title track, MY TREASURE, was originally hinted to be a December release. But their company made the decision to delay it slightly to allow the members focus on more special performances which they are performing at award shows and end of year music festivals. But as we are now in mid-January (and YG delivered on their promise), we are here today to check out MY TREASURE.

I personally find TREASURE to be a very interesting group, given their company’s background. MY TREASURE doesn’t conform to anything that YG Entertainment is known for. I had that inkling through their earlier releases. But MY TREASURE seems to confirm that TREASURE is going in a different direction to what the roots of the company were based on. The new song itself is very cheerful and vibrant in a pop music manner, which works extremely well with the uplifting nature of the lyrics. I feel that the company/members ultimately chose this song as their comeback track for these characteristics. It definitely brought some light back into our lives after such a hard year. I appreciate this greatly and think the effort pays off, as the song does make you want to smile as you listen to it. I also really like the warm feeling the song gives off thanks to the brass- and string-based instrumentation, particularly during the chorus. Another positive aspect of this song is that with this style, more of TREASURE’s vocals are showcased. I definitely enjoyed this as well, as it really allowed TREASURE to show more of that side of their music. The rapping was still quite good, giving the song some much needed oomph and additional intensity. The hooks were catchy and memorable. But while this upbeat and pop sound is fantastic, I just wished there was more to the song. At the moment, MY TREASURE feels like it could have been pulled off by any other male group. I just wanted a bit more personality and indivduality, adding to what we saw in their earlier works from last year. I also wonder where TREASURE would go from here and how this more pop-centric sound would alter YG Entertainment’s portfolio. But it still a great listen, nonetheless.

With such uplifting lyrics and such a vibrant sound, it was clear that this music video would be along the lines of that bright and cutesy style. I am glad that the members didn’t get dragged into a cutesy concept, as that would be a bit much for me (as always). ‘Bright’ would be the best term to describe the song with. There is a lot of smiles in this music video, and also frowns being turned upside down. I also liked the splash of colour in their sets, making this a really pleasant video to tune into. The video does take a slightly serious turn, showing a lonely child, students taking exams in a very harsh environment and a child blocking their ears from hearing their parents arguing. But we see their hearts shine, showing us that they will shine through the hard times no matter what.

Like the music video, the performance was definitely bright and vibrant. But I will be honest, there isn’t much else to the performance. I didn’t find any moves that were captivating or worth mentioning. You could blame the song, but I felt the creative minds could still manage to find somehow one-up their MMM and other performances.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 6/10
Overall Rating – 7.9/10

[Review] What I Said – VICTON

January 11, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged VICTON3 Comments

VICTON is officially back with their first studio-length album since debut. Titled Voice: The Future is Now, the group launches right into promotions with What I Said as the title track. This comeback was originally scheduled for early December, but the members came into close contact with a person with COVID-19 days prior to their comeback. ‘The company, Plan M Entertainment, decided to postpone the comeback to allow the members to quarantine and ensure that they all had a clean bill of health (which fortunately, they did) for promotions. This follows Mayday, which was released in June of last year and Han Seong Woo’s solo debut with Sacrifice.

What I Said continues the Latin trend that has been going around the industry for the last few years. While this would definitely elicit a groan and a eye roll from some (which does include me), What I Said manages to stand out with the more energetic nature of the instrumental. I think it is better described as an explosion of energy, thanks to the layered instrumental of brass and thumping percussion. The song features a powerful dance pop vibe in the song, which really helps distract me slightly from the Latin influence that is undeniably there. And if you know me, I do like my vibrant pieces of music. So that really enhances What I Said for me. The members do a really good job of matching this vibrancy. From their vocals to the rapping, everything was definitely popped out at me. I liked how their vocals and rapping added an edgy vibe, which fits in with VICTON’s matured profile that they opted for in 2020. I also liked the energy they channeled through the vocals and rapping, giving the song some more power in another form. The hooks of the song made the song even better, giving it that memorability factor that I always looking for in these song. I did find the second verse the most interesting, with the start of verse reminding me of the ‘I Like It Like That‘ sample which was made recognizable most recently through Cardi B’s I Like That. Hanse’s rapping and Chan’s solo moment right after were very captivating and extremely intense. Overall, What I Said might be a bit cliché in some regards. But this is easily overlooked with everything else that VICTON pulls out of the bag.

Personally, I am not exactly sure if the music video sets have much meaning. They look quite extravagant, sleek and definitely something that feels like it was thought out. Furthermore, I am quite sure they reflect parts of the lyrics. But I just can’t seem to pinpoint the exact meaning or message behind the music video. I am always interested in reading theories, so feel free to comment any below that you may have figured out or heard from other viewers/fans. But I can say that the sets are stunning (as already touched on). The camera work looked cool and the video highlighted the visuals of each of the members. I also like their outfits in this video, especially those black jackets and gold detailing.

While the choreography is a great representation of all that energy, intensity and power that I mentioned in the song review section of this post, I felt the choreography was lacking depth and dynamism. I just wanted more with this choreography, something to make me go wow. The synchronization was good, but it just wasn’t paired with jaw-dropping moves that would have enhanced their performance even more.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 6/10
Overall Rating – 7.9/10

[Album Review] One-reeler Act IV (4th Mini Album) – IZ*ONE

January 10, 2021January 10, 2021Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged IZ*ONELeave a comment

Album reviews for 2021 will continue per the usual schedule next month. In the meanwhile, album reviews will be coming out spontaneously as I complete them. I want to wrap all the album reviews for 2020 this month, whilst also publish the album reviews for January 2021 releases, so I don’t fall behind on them like I did so at the end of 2020. This will also allow me to focus on some of the other posts in January such as the end of year charts and the announcement of the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Award winners. But more on that in the future. This post focuses on IZ*ONE’s fourth mini-album, One-reeler Act IV, which was released at the start of December 2020. It features the title track Panorama and five other songs on the mini-album, so let’s check them out. Let me know what you think of them down in the comments section below.

1. Mise-en-scène – Mise-en-scène follows the same music formula as the rest of their other title tracks. The song starts off in the pop realm and slowly develops into a dance track with a very abrasive drop in the chorus. What Mise-en-scène manages to do well to differentiate itself from the rest of their previous works is the more electronic profile and detailing in the song. This adds so much different texture and helps makes the song standout. (9/10)

2. Panorama (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Panorama. (9/10)

3. Island – Island is surprisingly what I had expected. It is a cute number confirmed by their vocals and the twinkling effect at the start. But the group manages to put an IZ*ONE spin, bringing that abrasive instrumental I mentioned earlier into the song. That being said, Island is not just noise and it turns out to be a very strong song altogether. I really like the different directions the song does go in, which helps elevate the song’s appeal and prevents it just sounding like an amped up cutesy track. (8/10)

4. Sequence – IZ*ONE tones back the energy of the instrumental ever so slightly in Sequence. The funky and retro instrumental isn’t as rough as the previous tracks. But the song does still have that heightened texture to it, though I would describe it as more sleek in comparison to their other songs. I really like what they did with the chorus, adding more to it as it progressed along. I felt this really made their vocals pop during the chorus, which helped made the song more enjoyable. (9/10)

5. O Sole Mio – At just a glance, I thought it was just another house dance track. Literally, if you blink (whatever the equivalent for hearing is), you would miss the Latin flair hidden behind the house influence. I personally like this ‘touch of Latin’, as the Latin trend has become overused in my books now and I am slowly getting tired of it (though, I do keep my mind open to other clever uses of the trend). Just the house influence does make O Sole Mio sound typical and cliché. The song also sounds like it opted for a ‘touch of matureness’, which I attribute to some of the vocals. The rapping was also a nice addition. (8/10)

6. Slow Journey – Slow Journey is group’s most held back sound on the album, opting for a pop ballad sound. It is very nice, though I wished they removed some of the percussion and disc scratching. It distracted me from the sweet vocals and really bright acoustic guitar work. Otherwise, I reckon the song would have been more delicate and sweeter sounding. (7/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.3/10

[Review] Crush – MCND

January 9, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged MCNDLeave a comment

MCND makes their comeback, just a few days after the group kicked off their musical career with their pre-debut single Top Gang one year ago. They later debuted in 2020 with Ice Age, and returned with Spring and nanana later in the year. On the Thursday and Friday that just passed, the five member male group from TOP MEDIA returned with Crush and their third mini-album, MCND Age.

Since their debut, MCND has managed to show more and more of their skillset to me through their main title releases. And it seems like Crush continues momentum with another pretty good song for me at least. Their new song has this playful persona especially when it came to the song’s chorus, which helped made the song appeal to my taste and make it likable. It is a little masked, however, which allowed the group’s hip-hop roots to flourish a bit more and help it be consistent with the rest of their discography. I am not troubled by this though, as Crush still comes out to be a really enjoyable song for me. The instrumental has this really nice energy profile throughout the song. From the looping guitars to the conisistent snare beats to the synths employred throughout Crush, everything comes together really tightly. I really liked the dance break section that formed part of the bridge, which felt like a brief reset before the song brought back the chorus in a more amped up and chanty fashion. Their vocal delivery was also quite good. It might have been a dull move when paired with other instrumentals. But the deep rap-speak delivery of the lines in the chorus worked really well and added that playful persona that I mentioned before. The ad-libs were also quite nice, giving the song some flair at the end. Altogether, a great listen from MCND.

Aside from choreography shots and closeups, the music video to Crush doesn’t have much else to it. But despite the basic formula, I did enjoy the various sets that the members shot those scenes in and the different angles/confined places that were used helped make the music video feel a little more creative. I do question some elements. The closeup shot of one of the members in a tanning bed doesn’t seem like a great message to send out to the audience (I come from a country where those are banned because they are dangerous and not great for one’s health). The whole final set of scenes where the members perform ‘outside’ with hot air balloons floating in the background made no sense and felt like a random addition. The hats worn by two members in those scenes were also horrendous. Who ever thought that pink fluffy hat in particular was good really needs to have a long think about themselves. But apart from those questionable elements, it was a good video.

With a song such as this and great energy being one of the highlights, it is expected that the choreography would carry through the same energy levels. And they do just that. The song’s playful nature also carries over, making it quite en enjoyable stage. The members’ smirks and smiles add another layer of appeal to the performance. That dance break we get at the end was another highlight of the choreography.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.5/10

[Review] In The Dark – Jeong Sewoon

January 6, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Jeong Sewoon1 Comment

Finally…. The first song review of 2021! And the honour of kick starting the reviews for 2021 belongs to Jeong Sewoon, the first artist from a major company to make their comeback in the new year. About 6 months ago, Jeong Sewoon made his comeback with the first half of his first studio album, 24, and the title track Say Yes. It has been incredibly quiet since that release. Today, the soloist finally returns with the second half of his first studio album and the title track, In The Dark.

While the last title track had a cheerful tone to it, In The Dark opts for a little more matureness and seriousness. This doesn’t effect the upbeat nature of the song, as the acoustic guitars that make up In The Dark‘s background is incorporated with band percussion to give the instrumentation some bounce to it. I quite like this, as the energy is very straightforward and consistent. Usually, I use these descriptors to highlight them as flaws. But In The Dark uses them in a very appealing manner, so it is definitely a highlight of the song. Another highlight has to be the husky vocals that Jeong Sewoon employs in this song. They blew me away and made the song a lot more captivating to listen to. It just bring so much texture of the song, particularly for the chorus. And it is the main selling point of the song that makes me want to go back to the song each time it wraps up. Unfortuately, I do have one issue with the song. I was expecting the ending to be somewhat different to the rest of the song to really bring it all home and blow me away completely. Whether that was through amped up vocals (or some sort of high/long note or ad-lib) or maybe different instrumentation routes, I wouldn’t mind. I just thought the ending called for something more. But aside from that, In The Dark still manages to blow me away.

While In The Dark sounds more mature and serious, the lyrics are unexpectedly quite uplifting. It reassures fans and listeners that being ‘in the dark’ is okay and that ‘you will shine’. He also offers tips of ‘hold your head up high’ and ‘bring back the mindset that you started with’ whilst in the dark. What does this have to do with the music video? Well, majority of the video is Jeong Sewoon in the dark. I interpreted his face in some parts to be worrying and scared. But we see him have a boogie and dance around, making the most of his time in the darkness. It is clear he is showing that while the dark is scary, he can hold his head up high and shine with his smile. And if he can do it, you can as well!

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9.4/10

[Album Review] Border: Day One (1st Mini Album) – ENHYPEN

January 5, 2021Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged ENHYPEN2 Comments

I know I promised the restart of reviews yesterday, but I decided to delay that to focus on some other stuff for the blog. I will restart the reviews tomorrow when the first 2021 release officially drops and I will then return to writing some other 2020 reviews. In the meantime, I hope the next album review suffice. The artist at the focus of the album review is ENHYPEN, who made their debut at the very end of November with Given-Taken. The song was featured on the group’s first mini-album, Border: Day One, which has sold over 300,000 copies since its release. Given-Taken faired pretty well, so let’s see what I thought about the rest of the mini-album.

1. Intro: Walk The Line – There are some vocals in the Intro track, which lands itself on the reviewing block. Honestly, I don’t have much else to say aside from that Walk The Line sets the tone for this mini-album. The music itself is quite atmospheric. It, as a whole piece, pretty much felt like a marching band was following them as they embark on their journey as artists. The members also sing ‘Walk The Line’ in Italian, which isn’t a language we see at all in KPOP. Definitely a good start to the mini-album. (9/10)

2. Given-Taken (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Given-Taken. (8.5/10)

3. Let Me In (20 Cube) – Let Me In a lot less serious compared the title track. It actually taps into a more vibrant sound, which I find appropriate for the youthfulness the group brings to the industry. To me, the song is a solid dance track that features a hint of a reggae beat. The vocals are nice, though I felt that they could have reduced the autotune that filtered their vocals. Just a personal preference of mine. I also did think the song needed a more substantial rap sequence. Ni-Ki teased us with his really deep voice, but I wanted more of that in the song. (8/10)

4. 10 Months – 10 Months continues the upbeat and vibrancy from the previous track. It is a fun number with a bouncy instrumentation. To me, it wasn’t a really interesting track. It was a nice listen and I did enjoy the energy that came from it. But I wanted more from the group in this song in terms of vocals and rapping. I also wanted more robustness and dynamism from the producers. The only interesting moment(s) worth mentioning was the unique (and possibly fancy) way the members sang ‘Love’, which sounded like ‘La-Uve’ (6.5/10)

5. Flicker – Flicker was a song previously performed on the I-LAND. Though this version is at a higher pitch and felt a bit faster than what was performed on the show. The instrumental was definitely texturally interesting, with its use of guitars and other synths. The members also sound more promising in Flicker than the other side track, though the excessive autotune could have been reduced. Listening to this song (and taking in account my thoughts from the songs above), the group aligns better with a mature and serious tone. It just seems to click better and felt more nature for me. (8/10)

6. Outro: Cross the Line – The outro track doesn’t feature any vocals per say, so I won’t include it in final album rating score I usually give. But I have to make a few comments about it. It is so creepy. The voices of the kids in the background were chilling. The European (possibly French? roots) instrumental influences were very haunting. And this was all followed by rock version of the Phantom of the Opera’s most iconic tune. Hopefully, this outro is teasing us with what is to come. I would totally be game for this.

Overall Album Rating – 8/10

[Album Review] Travel (10th Mini Album) – MAMAMOO

January 3, 2021Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged MAMAMOOLeave a comment

Welcome to my first post of 2021! The first few posts come in the form of album reviews that I was meant to schedule over my break, but ultimately forgot to do. I have just returned from my break (back to work as of tomorrow with song reviews coming your way) and have decided to quickly post these album reviews as soon as possible, as I don’t want to really be holding onto these album reviews which would delay the 2021 album reviews (which I would like to avoid). First up is Mamamoo’s Travel, the group’s 10th mini-album since their debut almost seven years ago! The mini-album features the pre-release track Dingga (which performed better than the title track) and the title track, AYA. The mini-album also contains other songs which is why we are here today. Let’s check out these other songs as well.

1. Travel – Travel opens up the mini-album with an extremely pleasant pop track, one that I will gladly listen to whilst on a road trip/holiday (whenever we can next do that). In addition to making me dream about a holiday, the song has this layer of nostalgia, which I find to be very soothing and likeable. I really like how the members vocals compliment the pleasantry nature of the song. Usually, I prefer Mamamoo with their power vocals. But it was a good call to leave that approach behind for this song. Moonbyul does bring a bit of a kick through her rapping lines at the end of the choruses, which helps change up the song slightly without causing major disruption to the song. (9/10)

2. Dingga (딩가딩가) – Click here to read the full review of Dingga. (9/10)

3. AYA (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for AYA. (6/10)

4. Chuck (척) – When I first saw the title Chuck, all I could think of was Seventeen’s Chuck. Seventeen’s Chuck was definitely very memorable and impactful. However, I was confident that Mamamoo wouldn’t pull a Seventeen styled Chuck, so I was intrigued with the song. What Mamamoo ended giving us was a pretty robust track. I really liked the striking nature of the instrumental, from the repetitive beat in the chorus to the wooden xylophone-like tapping in the post-chorus. The intro gave me Blurred Lines vibes, just a lot more classy. Mamamoo’s vocals were amazing in this song. I love the tease of the powerhouse vocals during the opening moments of the chorus and the energy they bring to the chorus. I also enjoyed the alternating Chuck that they simply speak during the post-chorus hook. (10/10)

5. Diamond – Diamond was an unexpected track on this album and for the group. It takes on a sensual vibe that is quite alluring to listen to. It is also quite refreshing, given that this isn’t Mamamoo’s style of music. However, they nail it. I really liked the elongation of some of their words, dragging it out as if they are teasing us with their vocals. And the way they vocally spell out the word Diamond was quite interesting. Both Hwasa and Wheein really flourished, given their vocals fitted this style. Moonbyul’s signature rapping is brought back in this song and she blends in perfectly into this song. My only issue with this song is that it just didn’t go anywhere. (8/10)

6. Good Night (잘자) – It doesn’t help that I am writing this review past midnight. The first section (and ending of Good Night) is putting me asleep. Not because it is boring. But rather, these sections of Good Night appears to sound like a ballad and features piano that felt almost like a sleepy tune on Spotify. The song then suddenly changes into a café style music by incorporating some percussion and energy, and it slowly builds from there. I am unsure why though this was necessary. As the song builds, we get more and more (and it ends with a high note from Solar). Definitely no longer a sleep tune. But that complaint aside, the song definitely sounded good and everything was well executed. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.3/10

[Album Review] 回:Walpurgis Night (3rd Studio Album) – GFriend

December 30, 2020Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged GFriendLeave a comment

GFriend is nominated for Best Female Group, Best Female Group Performance (for Apple), Best Outfit (for Apple) and Best Concept (for their Temptation Concept for Apple) in the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Click here to support GFriend and your other favourite artists of the year.

GFriend returned with their impressively catchy MAGO at the start of November, which was released as part of their third studio album, 回:Walpurgis Night. There are a few major points about this studio album that are very important to note before we crack on with the review of the album tracks. The new album marks the end of the group’s 回trilogy and also features their last two comeback tracks, Crossroads (released back in February of this year) and Apple (released in July of this year). Labyrinth, which was a side track that attracted a lot of attention this year was also included in the studio album, alongside seven other new tracks. And without anything further, let’s move onto the review!

1. MAGO (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for MAGO. (9/10)

2. Love Spell – Love Spell opts for a pop rock vibe. I adore the guitars in this song, which give the song a grungy edge and a 90s persona. The members themselves make the song sound a lot sweeter. I also find it a nice balance between pop rock and GFriend (though part of me would have loved to see them go full on rock or even punk rock, which Love Spell hinted towards). (9/10)

3. Three of Cups – Staying within the pop realm, Three of Cups opts for a city pop vibe or a 70s disco vibe. This style really gives the opportunity for the group to do something light, which their airy vocals reflected quite well. There were also some catchy moments in the song that made Three of Cups appealing. (9/10)

4. GRWM – Based on what I can gather, GRWM stands for ‘Get Ready With Me’, a term used to describe vlogs that shows the morning activities as you get ready for the day. What I like about this pop song is GRWM’s instrumental felt grounded and tighter than the previous tracks. I did feel their vocals could have followed that same feeling, but instead they felt overly light for such a heavy instrumentation. As a result, it felt slightly mismatched. Only slightly, but noticeable still. (8/10)

5. Secret Diary – Secret Diary is the first the three unit tracks on this album. This was brought to you by SinB and Yerin. It was nice track to listen, with good vocals and a likeable instrumental. Pleasant at best, as I have recently been saying. It just didn’t really feel memorable as it could have been with catchier hooks. (7/10)

6. Better Me – Better Me features Umji and Sowon, an interesting pair. Vocally, I wasn’t sure how the song would turn out, given that these two members aren’t exactly known for their vocals. But I think Better Me was more than a pleasant listen. The song has this subtle Latin vibe to it and they both sounded quite clear. I also liked how they pushed themselves for this song, which ultimately paid off. I find Better Me as the better of the three unit tracks. (8.5/10)

7. Night Drive – I expected a bit more from Eunha and Yuju, if I was being honest. They are both known for their vocals, so I expected something exciting for them. But instead, the pair went down the cliché route by opting for really soft R&B track that comes off like a ballad to me. That being said, the two did show off some vocal flair by effortlessly going into falsetto mode for some of the song. I also find their vocals compliments the song’s soft approach, which helps give off a slightly polished feel. (7.5/10)

8. Crossroads (교차로) – Click here to read my full review for Crossroads. (7/10)

9. Apple – Click here to read my full review for Apple. (9/10)

I am not able to find the Walpurgis Night audio of Apple. I will update the video link once I do.

10. Labyrinth – Click here to read my song review for Labyrinth. (10/10)

11. Wheel of the Year (앞면의 뒷면의 뒷면) – The final song on the album, following the three songs the group has previously released, is Wheel of the Year. It opens up with a consistent piano tune. The song builds to incorporate other classical and band instrumentation to develop the song into a a really strong pop sound. Once again, the vocals are quite light, airy and smooth, but I felt they were fitting for this song. There was also some really nice melodies. The song also features a bunch of catchy moments, especially as the song starts to pick up momentum. It is definitely an excellent pop track to end both the album and trilogy. (10/10)