I ended the song portion of my Love Me Harder with the statement that WOODZ’s debut song had popped him on my radar. And news of his new release was purely exciting for me. It is just unfortunate that my poor planning and tired state lately prevented me from getting to review his comeback song. WOODZ returned on Tuesday with his new single, BUMP BUMP. This new single is the lead from his second mini-album, WOOPS, which also dropped on the same day. WOODZ (otherwise known as Cha Seung Youn and former member of UNIQ/X1) made his solo debut earlier this year with.
My first impression of BUMP BUMP is that the song is quite bright and cheerful, unlike his debut track and mini-album. It is a completely different energy and dynamic that WOODZ completely nails. BUMP BUMP is a track that I thoroughly enjoy. It definitely shows me that he is capable of variety and versatile, which further excites me for future releases. I really like the alternative rock influences that are mixed into the pop song. And it is because of these influence that I cannot help but nod my head along to it every time the song has appeared on my playlist this past week. It helps makes the song more explosive and pop out when it comes to the catchy chorus. It also helps drive the relentless energy we get in the same section, which makes the sudden launch from bridge (which literally continues the same energy as the preceding chorus) into the third and final chorus even stronger. I may not not like sudden changes like so that often, but it done really well in BUMP BUMP. So much that it probably my favourite part of the song. The alternative rock energy also carries WOODZ’s vocals effortlessly. He sounds so good in this song, especially with the slight raspiness giving the song that extra bit of depth and character. His rapping is also as strong and powerful as the instrumentation. Overall, BUMP BUMP is an excellent addition to his discography and I really can’t wait to see what he has in store next for us.
Personally, I am not digging his curly hair style that is shown at the start of the video. I just don’t think it suits as well. I prefer the straighter hair style that he also dons in the video. I liked that the music video captured a carefree vibe that I didn’t initially register with the song. The video keeps it chill by showing WOODZ and his group of friends having fun. It may not fit the lyrics persay, but I think that is fine. Though I think the fighting scenes in this video (i.e. WOODZ smashing the red balloons, peering over his partner who had fallen down) were cleverly hidden throughout the video and blended very well with the fun and happier scenes of the video. But that might just be overthinking and overanalyzing the video. Otherwise, that carefree vibe would not be as strong and exciting if the video was to match the lyrics or those possible fight scenes were more upfront fight scenes.
Í really like how creative the start of the performance was with the passing of the microphone to WOODZ. Very unique. As for the rest of the choreography, it definitely looks like WOODZ is participating more than he did in his debut stage performances. But you can still tell that he isn’t going full on so that his can perform his new song live on stage with actual vocals and rapping. I would like more of a balance, but the direction we are going in is a good sign.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
On Tuesday, we saw the comeback of KPOP groups/bands from two different time extremities. Tuesday’s review was for CN BLUE, who made their comeback 11 years ago in 2009. Today, I will be reviewing a brand new female group, aespa. The new female group comes from the legendary SM Entertainment, the home of well known groups such as BoA, TVXQ, Super Junior, SNSD, EXO, SHINee, Red Velvet and NCT. Four members currently make up this group’s lineup, Karina, Giselle, Winter and Ningning. They debut yesterday with Black Mamba.
One thing that I have continuously mentioned when it comes to debuting acts is that the song they are debuting with needs to be bold enough to get the attention of the industry and kickstart building that fanbase. Most of the time, both female and male groups start their careers with a very generic or standard track that isn’t their best foot forward. Many don’t make it past that first track and very few actually ‘make it’ down the track if they are fortunate to pass a second track. When I listen to Black Mamba, I feel that aespa nails the brief within just this song. It might simply be due to the fact they are under one of the biggest companies in the KPOP industry. But Black Mamba is groundbreaking for the company in terms of a debut track. I really like the dark and mature feel that this dance track brings to the table, giving off a EVERGLOW type of feel for me. I like the song’s grumbling bass and the explosive pow that the chorus brings when we are launched into the chorus. I like the thundering drums, combined with the various synths that make the chorus so dynamic. Vocally, aespa impresses. Catchy hooks that really highlight an appealing side to the group and the song. Both Winter and Ningning’s vocals during the bridge were superb, and the latter’s high note leaves an impression. The rapping could have been a little more punchy, if I was to be critical about something in this song. But overall, Black Mamba ticks the boxes for a solid debut from this up-and-coming female group.
aespa is a unique group, given the fact that the group actually consist of human and virtual members. Each member has an ‘æ’ version of themselves, who also make a presence in this music video. And this idea of virtual members gives way for a new era of music videos and storylines that I am sure SM Entertainment and aespa will indulge us with in the future. For Black Mamba, the video is very digitally aesthetic, colourful in a punk-ish way and almost felt like a futuristic landscape, similar to Avatar (the movie of blue aliens) – just a lot more purple and pink. There is also seems to be a new trend with SM music videos. At the end of the music video, we see a figure emerge from the visual glitchiness and this figure resembles a male person. Fans assume this is Kai, who is due to make his solo debut later this month. Something similar happened at the end of SuperM’s One music video, where aespa’s logo made an appearance at the very end. Interesting to see whether SM will be linking the videos in the future, as I don’t think any company has gone down that route before.
Performance-wise, aespa carries over that boldness from the song to the choreography. Definitely a show-stopping element to the choreography are those drops that they do at the start the chorus and lunging to the other side. The choreography, overall, also matches the mature and darker feel of the song.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 10/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9.3/10
Many of the male groups that I ham a fan of are currently in their mandatory military enlistment phase. However, some of them are re-emerging in the industry after completing their enlistments, which is the case for the artist of focus for this review. CN BLUE has been inactive since 2017, which was when they released their last mini-album and title track, 7CN and Between Us. Military enlistment was not the only thing they experienced since 2017. They also underwent a lineup change, after Jonghyun withdrew from the group due to the chatroom scandal. Thus, this leaves Yonghwa, Minhyuk and Jungshin as the three members to continue the CN BLUE with Then, Now and Forever.
Firstly, it is super exciting to hear CN BLUE once again. There is definitely a lack of bands in KPOP. And while there has been a slight increase in the amount, I sometimes need that sense of nostalgia that only two bands in Korea can bring (i.e. CN BLUE and FT ISLAND) as two bands are the ones that I grew up with. Hearing Yonghwa’s voice is enough to fulfil that craving. Secondly, Then, Now and Forever is an alternative rock track that sounds blissful and captivating. Yonghwa’s vocals compliment the alternative style of the instruments played by all three members. I particularly really liked the peak of the song, which gives Jungshin and Minhyuk an opportunity to shine. They could have stuck with the alternative side of the track for the entirety of the song (which would have been fine), but I would have made a comment about it being plain or ‘is stuck in a neutral gear’. The peak just gives the song that icing on top to make it feel more satisfying to listen to. I liked how the sound helps shows themselves off as mature and refined, which works well with the lyrics. The song itself expresses the emotions one experiences and deals with when a person they love is no longer around. Hopefully, one day the trio will return with a more hard hitting promotional track. But in the meanwhile, Then, Now and Forever is a nice comeback for the band and satisfy my specific craving for nostalgia.
It is a nice video to watch. Not exactly the most attention grabbing or outrageous video there is, but it does the job complimenting the song’s mature and emotional sound. We see the members are quite expressionless with their lives, now that their special someone had left. And even with the changes in their lives (which I am assuming the colour blue represents), their emotions still take hold of them. I did like the transition between white and blue. It is a strong contrast and really sends off an impression to the viewer. I do have questions about Yonghwa’s milk though. It seemed a bit random to me (and I think alcohol would have been a more appropriate prop for the video’s intention). But then again, how do you show the transition to blue clearly and aesthetically. I also liked the ‘stage’ they performed in and the three rooms hidden by the curtains were their individual sets. I thought that was smart and provided a physical connection to everything to help give that a ‘whole’ feeling to the video.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8.5/10 Overall Rating – 8.2/10
SF9 returned with a special album last month to celebrate their fourth year in the industry. The special album, titled SPECIAL HISTORY BOOK, is the focus of this album review and features Shine Together as the lead title track, along with two other new songs which I have reviewed below. This release also follows SF9’s 2020 comebacks, Good Guy and Summer Breeze.
2. Forever(오래 오래) – Forever is a mixture of genres that comes off quite refined and polished. It is an interesting piece, given that you don’t think the extremities (EDM and ballad) would blend well together yet they work surprisingly well with one another. To be fair, it isn’t an extreme form of either genres, which probably helps make the combination work. The EDM comes through the instrumental. There is your usual beat drop and the synthetic nature in the song. However, it is quite breezy and airy, which compliments the ballad style. The vocals and melodies bring the balladry elements to Forever and they felt similar to Shine Together’s vocals/melodies. Soothing and light are the words I would use to describe their delivery, which again, compliments the EDM style for this song. (8/10)
3. Love No. 5 – Love No. 5 needs a stage performance as soon as possible. The beat drop in the chorus is definitely a highlight and drawing point to the song. It is intense and on par with SF9’s more powerful releases like RPM. The vocal part of the chorus that precedes the drop is quite consistent and I am digging how it just keeps coming at you. The vocals added a certain smoothness to the song, while the rapping added some additional edge and had nice delivery, both of which I really enjoyed. I would have liked the final chorus to be amped up a little more to help drive a more epic closure to the song. On a side note, I would like to know what Love No. 5 actually means as the concept sounds rather intriguing. (9/10)
It has been a while since we heard from BTOB. All the members (with the exception of Peniel) over the last two years enlisted in the military. Some members have completed their enlistment while other are close to finishing. For those who have completed their enlistment (Eunkwang, Minhyuk and Changsub), they have regrouped (with Peniel) for unit promotions under the new name BTOB 4U with the new single, Show Your Love. The new single is also the title track off the unit’s first mini-album, INSIDE.
Show Your Love is a moombahton dance track that (fun fact!!) fellow member Hyunsik wrote prior to his enlistment. I have to admit the backing of Show Your Love is a typical for this era of music. But it was still refreshing and enjoyable to listen to. And it also gives us a BTOB fix. It is a nice change up to BTOB’s usual works, which have focused primarily on vocal centric tracks and ballads pre-military. Obviously, a subunit is able to explore and experiment with different sounds and genres. But this doesn’t feel like a unit release. Show Your Love feels very BTOB to me. I am instantly taken back to Only One For You thanks to the song’s melody. Show Your Love is just a more energetic and upbeat version of the mentioned title track, with an instrumental that really knows how to amplify the vocals and melodies. Eunkwang and Changsub handle this department with ease and the combination of the vocals and instrumentations makes the song sound explosive. Peniel and Minhyuk focus more on the rapping. Their rhythm was really good and they add some intensity to the song. If I were to pick a singular member who shined the most in Show Your Love, my pick would be Peniel because he has more opportunity to shine and his rapping was probably the most memorable in the midst of the other three members. But that doesn’t mean the others didn’t shine, given that Show Your Love comes together really well and fulfils that BTOB craving that I am sure we have all experienced over the last two years.
Based on the comments section of the music video, the members portray the different forms of love that can exist. Other fans have also noted that each member is portraying a character who experiences love in some form in their movie (given that Minhyuk’s is clearly representing the very infamous story of Romeo and Juliet). I do prefer the former option as I cannot pinpoint what the original movies Eunkwang, Changsub and Peniel are showing. Changsub is showing a toxic relationship, Peniel is showing self-love, Minhyuk tells us the story about willingness to die for a lover and Eunkwang portrays a same-sex love story. Each of these stories have ‘love’ as the running theme, fitting in with the song’s call to ‘Show Your Love‘. The end of the video shows the four member reuniting thanks to a simple card. They walk to an old warehouse and we are left with the image of the four members smiling over a glowing golden light. We aren’t shown exactly what they see. But my guess is we might be seeing the remaining members, who might be forming their own subunit when they return and they would reunite with BTOB 4U at the end of their video. Who knows…
The added bonus of an upbeat song is that BTOB 4U is able to show off more dance moves. I really like the start of the performance with the three lines of dancers/members. I feel like that is made to be an optical illusion as I could only see Peniel move to the middle line and when Minhyuk/Eunkwang appeared, my mind was blow. I also liked the part when Minhyuk suddenly kneels (it had an epic feel) and the cute little ‘LOVE’ letters they made with their hands at the end of the video.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.6/10
Kicking start the comebacks for this week is the return of two groups known for their vocals. The first is AKMU, the infamous sibling duo from YG Entertainment. Not much has happened since their last comeback, aside from Suhyun making her solo debut last month with Alien. Alien was also confirmed to be the first of a series of comebacks AKMU have scheduled for late 2020. Today, the pair makes their comeback with their second single/comeback of this series, titled Happening.
AKMU’s comeback single features a mid-tempo band instrumental that is really easy on the ears and extremely enjoyable. It also feels quite refreshing and different, relative to AKMU’s already diverse array of genres and musical styles. Happening starts off with predominantly acoustic guitar in the verses, before progressing to a slight touch of rock in the chorus. They form the bridge of the song with a half acoustic and half rock approach, before proceeding to add some suspense to the song by holding back on the upbeatness we got in the earlier choruses for the final chorus. But Happening isn’t just made of instrumentation. Happening also features amazing vocals from AKMU, which is the usual expectation. I really like the vocal processing in this song, especially the contrast between the Chanhyuk’s vocals in the verses and chorus. Also, the song seems perfect for his vocals so I liked that he took the lead in the chorus. Suhyun should not be forgotten as well, as her light tone brings some lightness to the song. I wished they sung together more. The resultant product was really top-notch already. But I wanted more of what I think is the briefest of harmonies at the end of each chorus. Overall, Happening is another fantastic addition to the duo’s discography.
When I watch the music video, I find it quite confusing on what the scenes are meant to represent. But I have a feeling the story behind it is quite simple. From what we know, the lyrics of the song is about a breakup. From how I see the music video, Suhyun’s scenes shows the reality of a breakup. We are shown how different the world is pre- and post-breakup. Everything that was once there and vibrant either disappeared or changed to be abandoned. And it looks like Suhyun comes to terms with this towards the end as the switching doesn’t happen as much at the end of the video and remains in the ‘pre-breakup’ setting. Chanhyuk’s scenes on the train a little more cryptic. But I see it how he views his world after the breakup. He sees that he is all alone as there is no one there for him anymore (i.e. skeletons appear instead of people) or that it is his fault for not being able to keep up with his ex (i.e. when he is darting around everyone coming towards him). I feel that he also comes to terms with his breakup as well. One moment in the middle of the video, it looks like he manages to get to her and is holding onto the memory of her. While the other moment (the ending) shows him hugging a skeleton, which suggests to me he has accepted that she is longer there. But that is my interpretation of the video. I may be wrong and I am sure there are many other interpretations out there as well.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
It is time for another album review. And it is also time for a new artist in this segment. For the very first time, I am reviewing an album for Weki Meki. Their albums thus far haven’t really caught my attention and hence I have been passing on the opportunity to review their albums. This time around, Weki Meki caught my attention with their latest title track, COOL, and I was very intrigued to see what the group had prepared for us in New Rules. While it was everything I did not expect from the group, Weki Meki still manages to show off some of their skills throughout the album so I just had to put on the reviewing list. The album features 3 other new tracks, not including the title track and the English version of the same track (which I have not included in this review).
2. Sweet Dreams– There are a few elements within Sweet Dreams that draws my attention. First of all, the innocent and playful vibe that the song brings feels quite nice and unique. The instrumental almost feels like a music box without incorporating any music box style samples. At other times, Sweet Dreams seems fitting for a fantastical concept. One thing that I observed/noted throughout the song was each part seemed to differ slightly from one another. But yet, the song cohesively comes together (apart from that vocal bit in the second verse which started off with the ‘Hush little baby’ – that was probably the most ill-fitting sequence in the entire song). It is interesting concept musically and works really well. I also liked the lightness that the vocals and rapping ended up bringing. (9/10)
3. D-DAY – D-DAY is a surprising song. Based on the title of the song, I would have expected something bombastic and intense, potentially bringing more of COOL’s vibe to the album or possibly even returning the group’s girl crush sound that they visited in Crush. But D-DAY ends up being a light pop track. It showcases a good amount of the group’s vocals and I also liked the lightness that the song brings. However, the song is quite ‘overly consistent’ and doesn’t deviate much from its guitar centric instrumentation. If they somehow changed up the song whilst maintaining the lightness, D-DAY would not be as boring by the time it reached its 2:49 mark. (7.5/10)
4. Just Us – Just Us is the final ‘new’ song on the album (quotation marks around the word ‘new’ because the next track is the English Version of COOL – but I already reviewed the Korean version above). Just Us is the album’s mandatory ballad. Once again, the song showcases their vocals really nicely and sweetly. I did like the song’s brighter tone and I felt the melodies were a bit more captivating than D-DAY’s. I really liked the high note during the bridge and that echo following it was also a nice touch. What makes this song even better than the preceding was the ‘La La La’ part that followed the final chorus, which adds something slightly different to the song but maintains the song’s sweet atmosphere without changing the dynamics of the song. (8/10)
In the midst of many recent releases that I should be reviewing, I will be sliding in reviews for the releases that I had promised to review a while back but haven’t gotten around to doing so yet. One of these releases is B.OY’s Miss You, which was released mid-September (apologies again for the super delayed review). It is featured on the pair’s second mini-album, Phase Two: We. Miss You follows Kim Keok Heon and Song Yu Vin’s official debut under the name B.O.Y with My Angel (in case you are unfamiliar with B.O.Y’s past releases).
To me, Miss You is a ballad posing as a dance track. It has elements of both styles. But I feel that the ballad side of the song prevails more, given the song’s emotive title and lyrics. There are a few elements to the song that I find to be quite good. The vocal work and rapping were nicely executed. You could hear the emotion behind their voices and their voices really helped drive the mature profile of the song. The chorus really soothing melodies. I personally don’t remember what I thought of those melodies when I first heard the song back in September. But whatever my first impression, hearing them over and over again really reinforced them in my mind and helped them become more likable over time. Unfortunately, the song isn’t perfect so there are a few things I don’t like. The main issue with the song is the instrumental. It suits the balladic side of the song and there is an appropriate kick to the instrumental for the chorus (where the pop elements come more to the forefront of the song). But for some reason, I also felt that the same instrumentation brought a dullness to the song. KPOP has shown that ballad dance tracks do exist and that they can be really strong songs, provided that it is executed well. Great examples that I can think of from the top of my head is BTOB’s more recent releases. BTOB’s songs have managed to showcase moving vocals/rapping, captivating instrumentals and really strong melodies that are memorable and enjoyable. Miss You ticks two of the boxes for me (vocals and melodies), but its instrumental fails to obtain a tick. And as a result, Miss You‘s aesthetics and appeal is dragged down.
My take on the music video shows the pair reminiscing over the past and missing their former lover. The sand in their glasses might represent the time (such as sand in an hourglass). However as they are in your standard drinking glasses, it might mean that the hourglass concept where time can continue forever is no longer possible. You can’t flip the standard glass over and have it flow like an hour glass (because then the sand/time would be lost entirely). Within the sand surrounding the pair are popcorn, a camera and ice cream, which seems to be specific memories that look like they have abandoned (in attempts to move on), but have continually come back to so they can reminisce over. I am, however, not sure what the significance of the yarn is though, despite it playing a very big part in the video. But it is a nice video that looks simple and is not unnecessarily complicated to suit the song. The sets and their outfits look good as well.
The choreography is quite fitting for the song’s slowness and more mature audio. The bridge of the performance had both the routine’s strongest and weakest point. The strongest has to be when Song Yu Vin and Kim Keok Heon had a solo choreography moment while the other member sings. The weakest has to be the sudden movements whilst they are on the floor, which affected their live performance (which I felt was quite essential for this song in particular). So it was a pity that it affected their live vocals.
Song – 6/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 6.8/10
I definitely have a long way to go to ‘catch up’ with the magnitude of comebacks, debuts and other releases I haven’t reviewed yet. I just wished I could ‘Run Away‘ from it. Hahaha… Excuse my lame pun. As you can tell by that terrible joke and the title of the post, I am finally getting around to reviewing Mino’s comeback track, Run Away. The comeback occurred two weeks ago at the very end of October (apologies per usual for the super later review). It also headlines Mino’s second studio album, TAKE.
As expected, Mino’s solo comeback delves into the hip-hop genre. No surprises there. While his solo debut track (FIANCE) was more robust and had very unique flourishes, Run Away is a lot more straightforward and plain. There are advantages to plainess if I were to think of it in an optimistic manner, but unfortunately it didn’t work in Mino’s favour. I didn’t get much excitement from the song instrumentally and that is the reason why I didn’t have much drive myself to start typing out a review for the comeback. One definite good thing about Run Away is Mino himself, who’s delivery was pretty dynamic throughout the song. It is admittedly quite sluggish at the start. But from the first chorus onwards, his delivery has a bit more of an energy kick to it, which gives the song a bit of needed dynamism. His super fast rapping sequence in the second verse was probably the song’s iconic moment and it does provide a minute and limited wow factor. However, no matter how much energy Mino infuses into the song via his delivery, the instrumental drags down the song nonetheless. Overall, Run Away doesn’t have that pull or enticement to get me into the song and get itself an earlier review.
The music video leaves me confused for a bit. But upon some research, it seems like the video is showing Mino is running away from the painful memories represented by different scenarios (i.e. people turning into stone, water filled train carriages and a pixelated former lover pushing the artist away). Each of these probably have some sort of significance and shouldn’t be taken literally. The final scene makes the most sense, as that would be his most painful memory of all (i.e. his former lover pushing him away). The scene where the people turn into stone represents the sadness that has lingered around and ‘hardened’ as mentioned in the lyrics. The water filled train carriage doesn’t make any sense to me, however, though I assume this has something to do with the ‘alcohol mixed with memories’ he sung about in the first verse. Despite the mild confusion, I did like the overall concept of it, which goes nicely with the lyrics. The video also features Kang Seung Yoon ever so briefly at 1:38 mark of the music video.
There really isn’t much of a choreography for this comeback. Hence I won’t include a rating for it. Unless you believe that Mino stumbling around on stage as if he is drunk and a mess is a dance routine. Obviously, this choice was made so that he can focus on performing live and I respect this choice. There are dancers in the background with some choreo, but I didn’t think they were necessary for this comeback.
Song – 6/10 Music Video – 7.5/10 Overall Rating – 6.6/10
It has been a long time coming, but I have finally decided to make a start on reviewing a certain type of song that I barely looked at in the past but have wanted to write about for a while now – OST songs. OST (otherwise known as Official Sound Tracks) have been a big part of KPOP. Many of the idols we know and love have gone onto being big name actors, whiles others have had to the privilege to sing some of the most famous tracks to some of the greatest drama scenes of all time.
I personally feel that there is a misconception that OSTs are usually just ballads, but I want to prove that wrong. Furthermore, there will be a Best OST category in this year’s KPOPREVIEVED Awards (hint hint). So I have picked five OSTs throughout 2020 to review and introduce to you here (and over a number of posts). Note that I have not watched all of the dramas, so I will be reviewing the song itself – like how I write my song reviews.
Give You My Heart – IU Drama: Crash Landing On You Release: 15 Feb 2020
I kick off this segment with the unstoppable IU. Every song she releases, regardless of whether it is her actual songs off her latest album, a digital single or an OST, it rises to the top of the charts. This was also the case for Can’t Give You My Heart. It is a ballad and one that you can’t really do anything whilst listening to it. Or else you will ‘miss it’. The background is made simply of classical strings, piano and acoustic guitars. The main highlight within the background is this really nice whistling that gives it an almost folksy profile and helps separates it from the other ballads that dominates the OST category. The other half of the song is IU’s beautiful voice, that without doubt captivates the listener with her soft voice. The melodies that she brings to the song helps make this ballad ‘swayable’, which is my self-made indicator of a good ballad (since I don’t have much music expertise myself). I really liked that acapella moment we get during the bridge, which essentially floored me. And how they brought the instrumentals back for the final sequence was really stunning. Overall, captivating and riveting to listen to. (10/10)
Hello Stranger – Stray Kids Drama: Pop Out Boy! Release: 16 Jul 2020
Stray Kids changes up the OST playlist (literally) with a more intense and energetic style of music that stands out for being different from the rest of the OST realm. Hello Stranger brings forth the group’s usual style of dance music, with rock and hip-hop influences that gives additional dimension to the song. And this is simply because the song was composed by the group’s main composing team. That being said, the song does also draw some similarities to other OSTs. Most relevantly, the song is much more melodic than what Stray Kids have put out this year promotionally. This makes complete sense, as rapping could be a bit much in a drama scene where you want the writing of the drama or the acting to be the main star (and not the background music). I did like this shift in focus for the group though. It allows the group to show off more of their vocal chops in a different manner from a ballad or R&B song, but rather something of their upbeat style. I find that Hello Stranger could have easily been released as part of their latest albums. While it is executed differently by the members, the song would blend in well with the rest of the albums. I only have two complaints. The first (which isn’t really a complaint, because the song does go for a substantial amount of time in reality) is that it felt like a blur. The second would be it sudden ending, something that I still haven’t gotten used to. (9.5/10)
Sweet Night – V (BTS) Drama: Itaewon Class Release: 13 Mar 2020
After that little detour, V (from the widely popular BTS) bring us back to the ballad front with his OST addition to Itaewon Class (probably one of the biggest dramas of the year). This is his second OST song. His first was a duet with fellow member Jin for Hwarang (which he was also part of the cast for). V impresses with Sweet Night on a number of fronts. Firstly, the song is a track written completely in English by the artist himself. That is definitely a feat in itself for anyone who’s first language isn’t English. Secondly, his husky vocals were so good to listen to. We need more of this husky voice – something that I have mentioned on my blog before when reviewing his solo tracks on BTS’ albums. However, listening to his voice is one thing. Unfortunately, I found it slightly difficult to make out some words given that the huskiness was so strong. I was only comfortable in acknowledging that it was a English track once I saw that people were praising him for his efforts and on media sites (gotta fact check everything in this day and age!). That is my only complaint with the this particular song. Thirdly, while V does get all the attention – the female vocals that harmonised with him and complimented his voice added more layers to the song, making Sweet Night more than just husky vocals and acoustic guitars. But nonetheless, it was a soothing and swayable track to listen to. (9/10)
Not A Sad Song (이별 노래가 아니야) – ONF Drama: Love Revolution Release: 22 Oct 2020
ONF’s first OST as a group is a pop track, brought to life by drums and electric guitars. The opening eight seconds make it seem otherwise. But after that piano centric introduction, we are blasted with that mentioned pop instrumentation, which I enjoyed. I feel that the song almost had this musical approach to it, which would have been fantastic to see be brought to life conceptually in the drama. I haven’t checked out the drama, so I have no idea. But the music video suggests that my wishes didn’t come true. Like what the song’s title suggest, this is Not A Sad Song. It is quite upbeat, full of energy and sunshine. It feels perfect for a teenage romance drama (which Love Revolution would be categorized as). I liked that the members sing the chorus together, which instantly boosts up the song’s appeal. I feared that the pop instrumentation that they had going on would be a bit cliche for my liking. But them singing together to really bolster the melodies and match the song’s blast of energy (courtesy of the instrumentals) when we get to the chorus worked really well. During the verses, their solo parts were quite good in itself. I liked how they still managed to fit in a part for Wyatt. As mentioned before under Hello Stranger, an intense rap sequence would not have been a perfect fit for a drama, especially a teenage romance drama which should be light. His style is usually more intense, but it was tweaked well enough to allow him to fit in a softer manner. Overall, a pleasantly upbeat track to listen to. (8/10)
Something – Kang Daniel Drama: Backstreet Rookie Release: 19 Jun 2020
I hope that I have showed you all that there is more to OSTs than just ballads. That being said, ballads still do make up an overwhelming portion of the OST market, so I will save some other non-ballad OSTs for next weeks post. I end today’s segment with Kang Daniel’s first OST. It is also a ballad and it taps into the more typical nature of the genre (i.e. classical and acoustic instrumentation). I did like the melody that Kang Daniel brings to the song, which gives the song an even smoother appeal. His voice is a lot softer and raspier than usual, which instantly gives Something a delicate profile. I do find this song is quite consistent and I wished there was more to the song to give it some depth and exciting energy. While this is fine for a romance drama and it doesn’t make the song boring as much as it would to other songs, this is seems like the style of OST that everyone is familiar with and would generalise the entire market as. Not that this was a bad move on Kang Daniel’s part, as the song manages to showcase the singer in a new light for me. Overall, Something was dreamy, soothing and calming to listen to. (8/10)
There was no review yesterday as I took a day off for my birthday (and in true style, I spent the night off napping). And I started writing this review pretty late on Friday, hence why this is posted in the wee-hours (my local time) on Saturday. But I make my review comeback after that short break with an album review. Pentagon impressed their fans and other listeners with their early October comeback, Daisy. The title track is featured on the group’s tenth (!) mini-album, We:th. It follows their first studio album (Universe: The Black Hall), their participation on Road To Kingdom and Jinho’s military enlistment (and as a gift, he left fans with a song on the physical version of the album – something I do not have access to to review). We:th and Daisy also serves as Hui’s last comeback with the group for the next two years, as he enlists into the military as well in early December.
2. Beautiful Goodbye – The next song on the album resettles on the pop genre, however I detect a bit of infusion from the rock influence we got in Daisy. There were some really good moments in Beautiful Goodbye that really draws my attention to the song time and time again. The first has to be the pre-chorus. The Shiwon/Yanan and Shinwon/Yuto pairings passing each word to one another was a really cool effect. Wooseok’s growl-like shouting in the second verse and Yuto’s deep voice were super exciting felt so appropriate for the slight rock influence we get in the song. The chorus was super easy to get into and had a really nice melody. I also like the story that the song tells, where the guys were happy to have their partner leave them without saying a beautiful goodbye. But at the end, their feelings change and expressed that they want one last kiss as that beautiful goodbye. (9/10)
3. Nostalgia (그해 그달 그날) – Wooseok dominates in this song with both vocals and rapping, which is fair given that he composed this song. It is a chirpy number that is full of energy. Yet, the lyrics of Nostalgia tell a slightly different story – they reminisce over a time in which they were happy about being in a relationship (the past) and compare to the time when they were not (the present). Aside from that, I don’t really get much of the song. Since the song is Wooseok-centric, the other members have quite limited opportunities to show off their skills. And the pop-based instrumental was good, but not exciting enough to be a standout song. (7/10)
4. You Like – While the opening and closing sequence to You Like oozes with Hui’s vocals and smooth piano instrumentation, don’t let it mislead you. The song changes up within seconds to an intense hip-hop dance style. It expresses frustration over people’s changing opinion and poses the question ‘What would you like?’ over and over again in a somewhat aggressive manner. I feel like the effects the song opted for were slightly overwhelming for my liking. So it wasn’t my cup of tea. But the vocal and rapping elements in the song were very good and well-polished. The most iconic moment, aside from the very abrasive instrumental, has to be dragged out ‘raw’ that follows the choruses. Not really the most impressive part of the song, but there is something about that expression that just manages to stick. (7.5/10)
5. Paradise (This Night Where Stars Shine) (Paradise (별이 빛나는 이 밤)) – The final song on the album is Paradise. It features a EDM and club-beat mashed up instrumental that feels very KPOP from early to mid-last decade. It was definitely a consistently great listen to tune into. The rapping opts for a trap instrumental. While this is pretty cliché, I appreciate that the trap sequence keeps song’s momentum going, opting for a piece that is a little more abrasiveness and almost like dubstep, that suits the song’s overall club beat energy and tempo. The vocal work was pretty nice in the song, dedicated to their fans. The bridge was exceptional, but it doesn’t stop the nostalgia that the chorus brings. (9/10)
Taemin did not keep us waiting for long for the second part of his 3rd studio album, Never Gonna Dance Again. He made his comeback on Monday with the second part of his 3rd studio album, Never Gonna Dance Again: Act #2, which is headlined by Idea (the actual title is IDEA:理想, but I am going to stick to Idea throughout this review). It follows the release of Act #1 of Never Gonna Dance Again in September, which was lead by the track Criminal.
To me, Idea seems to be one of Taemin’s weakest title tracks ever. However, this statement doesn’t make Idea a bad song necessarily. I just felt Taemin has raised the bar to an extremely high level with his past promotional tracks, the last being Criminal. There is some positives to the song, such as the intensity that is quite apparent and I felt that the atmosphere was going in a suspenseful direction overall. But to me, I feel like the future bass song gets straight to the point a little too quickly. There really isn’t much of a build up to the chorus from the verse (i.e. no pre-chorus really amped up the suspense and excitement). It just switched from verse to chorus without much thought, leaving you wondering what happened preceding the fact and dulling the song’s appeal after the fact. The chorus itself isn’t too bad instrumentally. I really enjoyed those synthetic violins that take front and centre of the chorus. They seemed to make the song more epic and gave the song some interesting textures. However, the chorus lacks a strong hook and the hook that we did get was quite distasteful, if I were to be honest. The second verse was pretty much non-existent given that it was blurred with the first chorus instrumental-wise. The bridge felt quite rushed, making way for a prolonged final chorus which had elements of what I liked and disliked in this song. Vocally, it was okay. The verse part was quite good, but I did find the overlapping at the end to be a bit much. BoA does make an appearance as the female voice we hear just ahead of the chorus, but it seems like she isn’t formally acknowledge as a featuring artist. Overall and put simply, Idea isn’t up to par with what we know Taemin for.
With a song as messy as Idea, I am not entirely sure how the video accompanying its release can be anything else but that. But the music video comes together quite well. There is some confusion on my part in interpreting the storyline that is hidden throughout the story (I am not sure why it isn’t the forefront of the video – this would have made this SM Entertainment music video unique, relatively to other music videos released by the company). From my understanding of the visuals and the lyrics, Taemin is imagining everything we see in the video. From the people at that bar whispering about him to the ghostly figures that appear in the forest with him. He thinks his bad experience in relationships and love is as result of someone in particular. But that person is a fragment of his delusional imagination. Hence we see Taemin in a white outfit (resembles a stray jacket) behind a glass wall, similar to the ones we see in jails in TV shows for the public to chat with locked up love ones. Per usual, this is my interpretation, so I maybe wrong. But I am still interested in reading about your interpretation and I know that Taemin has spoken about the actual meaning on a VLIVE recently.
The choreography looks really good. Regardless of whether we like the song or not, Taemin always exceeds expectations with the choreography. The entire final chorus routine looked really complicated but alluring, thanks to the increased intensity during this segment. He really pulled out his performance chops. The body rolls looked really nice, as they always do. Hahaha…
Song – 6/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 7.2/10
Once upon a time, I used to album reviews on Tuesdays. Usually, the album reviews published on Tuesday are reserved for a bit of a throwback. I cover ‘past’ albums for the year prior to the year we are in. Because of my poor sleeping patterns, I haven’t been able to do that. And now that I am overloaded with albums to review from October (and most likely November and December), I have decided to cancel the ‘past album review’ segment for now (it will be back next year) and use Tuesdays to help recover on the album review front of the blog. Today’s focus is on Golden Child’s second single album and title track, Pump It Up, which was released over a month ago. The song has become an instant favourite of mine and it has gone on to top my Weekly KPOP Charts.
2. That Guy – That Guy is more a pop ballad. My first impression of the song is that is almost on par with LADY, one of the group’s most memorable side tracks for me. The instrumental is made up of atmospheric strings and pop percussion. It is actually quite beautiful, to the point where I wouldn’t mind listening to it alone without the vocals. Oh and the vocals. There are equally as stunning. Joochan and Y’s lines in the chorus are the song’s highlight without the doubt. I wished that That Guy had stronger melodic power (like LADY) and that pretty much would have brought it up to the same level as the mentioned song. But we almost got there. I also liked how they delayed the ad-libs so it was more to the end. I felt that was a missing element at the start of the final chorus, but they delivered it down the track. And the rapping was also quite nice, tweaked well to fit the softer nature of the song. (9/10)
3. Lean On Me (너의 뒤에서) – Lean On Me is an upbeat electronic pop dance track. It too almost rivals a song, in particular the title track of this single album. It didn’t surpass Pump It Up because it lacked a bit of vibrancy. It is really the one thing that really set the two tracks apart for me. I feel that if the producers made the song pop out more, it could pretty much have been the title track. Once again, the vocals are quite nice in this song. They were very consistency throughout, which isn’t always a bad thing. I really liked that the rapping follows the chorus. It is applied to the same instrumental as the chorus, so it feels like an extension of the chorus – prolonging the song’s catchiest sequence. (9/10)
GFriend is back with their third comeback of the year! MAGO and 回:Walpurgis Night follows Crossroads and Apple as the third and final instalment of the 回 series. While Crossroads was a familiar sound for the group, both Apple and MAGO have strayed away from the usual GFriend sound. Each of the comebacks (including this one) have been executed flawlessly, so it definitely tells me that GFriend is definitely capable of versatility, though I think we we already know that from their earlier works. Where they go from here is definitely an exciting upcoming chapter for the group.
It is clear from the concept of the music video (and once you listen to the song) that GFriend jumps onto the retro train that has been picking up idol groups and soloists for pretty much the entire year. We have heard retro sounds from the group before, so this is pretty much explored territory for GFriend. But MAGO manages to outshine those previous sounds by going with something a lot more vibrant and disco-y within the retro sphere. And per unspoken rules of the retro sphere, MAGO effortlessly comes off as catchy and a fun musical number. The entire chorus was definitely the highlight of the song. The melodies during this section catch on quite quickly and it doesn’t help that the members deliver those melodies with such a cheerful persona that you cannot deny is there. I also enjoyed the background lines (i.e. the whispering ‘Yes you‘ and high pitched singing ‘Hakuna Matata‘) that really popping out for me. The verses were not as memorable, but I liked how the energy was consistently there throughout the length of the song. The lyrics, which has the simple message of being yourself, comes off with a little bit of attitude. I am not complaining about this as I love that it adds a bit of flavour to the song. Actually, my only complaint was that I felt the vocals were slightly over-processed. But the more I listen to the song, that observation is slowly dwindingly away. MAGO definitely makes me ‘feel so high’.
I love the retro concept that the producers opted for. There was no holding back, with the sets, outfit and overall atmosphere taking on a retro flair. And that cheerfulness that I mentioned before was carried over into the music video via the members. Epic moments of the music video has to be when Sowon rips off her suit, Sin.B’s sparkling red outfit and Yuju’s pole dancing and disco ball-ing (?). I also wonder who the music video connects with the rest of the 回 series. I have a theory, as I think there are elements of the two preceding music videos (and possibly other music videos) in this video (i.e. the red drink, Sowon’s suit amongst other things). Though I am wondering if anyone has any theories of the possible storyline yet.
I really like the MAGO move and the retro vibes that the choreography channels from the song. Other than that, nothing really sticks out at me. But as a whole, it was a good routine.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 10/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 9.1/10
Today, Ha Sung Woon continues his solo career with his latest comeback, Forbidden Island, which is the title track of his fourth mini-album, Mirage. It follows the release of Get Ready and Twilight Zone earlier this year. It is interesting to remind ourselves that Ha Sung Woon was once a member of HOTSHOT. I am a little surprised that he has yet to make an official return of HOTSHOT group’s promotions. It could potentially be that the group has gone on a hiatus due to military enlistments. But as Ha Sung Woon continues to make solo comebacks and his company continues to remain silent on a potential return, it is looking more like Ha Sung Woon had unofficially left the group’s lineup.
Forbidden Island is one of those songs that manages to surprises me as I listen to the song. And if you have already checked out the song, you probably know what I am talking about. There isn’t much to the start of the song aside from a building atmospheric instrumental piece and some clicks. I did like how he put forwards a raspy and breathy version of his vocals, further heightening the suspense that is slowly building. Nothing really happens until we reach the chorus. It changes up the song completely, driving forward with falsetto vocals and a funky instrumental (made up of guitar and percussion) that instantly lights up with energy. You could tell that a change up was bound to happen given how the song started. But what we got was not something I had expected. And I am digging it. The second verse pretty much is the same concept as the first, just the background has a little more momentum to make it feel appropriate following the first chorus. The bridge was stunning with the slowdown. It felt like it returned to how the song started, just without the suspense building in the background. His vocals, once again, stand out here, with an impressive high note. And the slowdown, per usual, makes the final chorus more vibrant and punchier. Overall, Forbidden Island is a strong release and possibly one of his best to date.
The music video shows a world without people, as suggested by Ha Sung Woon as he sings about this ‘Forbidden Island‘. He wants to be lead there by the person he is singing to – where we can only assume that life is infinity times better than with people. It sounds like an introvert’s dream. The setting of this video looked quite aesthetic, especially the scenes that one could describe as ‘in the dark’. I am talking specifically about the scenes where he is sitting on a chair surrounded by flowers, a circle that you can make out on the floor and some stage fog, or the scenes where is head is surrounded by colourful crystal-like structures. Even his choreography scenes and outdoor scenes looked really stunning.
You might feel that lifting people as part of a dance routine is something that happens quite a bit on stage. But I am impressed with the complexity of the lifting that happens in this particular routine. At the start, he is instantly lifted upon walking into the arms of the dancers. Towards the end, he is lifted to slide over one of the dancers in a really unique take of the move. Pretty much made me go wow. I also really liked how in sync he was with the dancers for the chorus and the duo moment that Ha Sung Woon and one of the dancers had during the second verse.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
SuperM’s Super One is another September album that I really wanted to review. But I haven’t been able to get around to it until today, mainly due to its fifteen track length. Amongst the fifteen tracks, we have One (Monster & Infinity) as the title track and the pre-release tracks – Tiger Inside and 100. These three tracks I have reviewed before (links are below). SuperM surprised me with their vocals on this album – completely unexpected given their focus on dance-heavy tracks as their main promotional tracks thus far. Enough chatter though. We have 12 other songs to get through for this album review, so it is going to be a lengthy post.
2. Infinity – If you haven’t caught on just yet, one half of the title track One is Infinity. Most notably, Infinity’s chorus and Mark’s punchy rap sequence just before the final chorus were carried over to One, amongst other sections. Standalone, Infinity was an epic track. The instrumental is pretty choppy during the verses, but that just gave the song amazing texture. It might sound like just like messy noise to some, but I really enjoyed the song. Aside from taking the best parts of Infinity, Baekhyun’s ad-lib introduction was the next best part of the song. The only part that held me back from giving the song a strong 10/10 was the vocal bridge. I just didn’t like how it was presented nor how unimaginative the sequence was (in comparison to the rest of the song). (9/10)
3. Monster– The other half of the title track was courtesy of Monster. The verses of Monster mainly carried over. And once again, I felt whoever joined the songs together took the best part of Monster. The chorus here felt like a letdown, unable to channel the energy and momentum that the verses were building up and towards. It is more vocally centric, which I didn’t expect. I was more under the impression that Monster would be a song that is ‘more in your face’, but I didn’t think we got that in the final product. Overall, if I had to select one of the two songs – Infinity was superior by a long way. (6.5/10)
4. Wish You Were Here – Wish You Were Here has this mellow reggae instrumental, which feels quite unique from the get go. This song is the first of many on this album that blows me away with the vocals. The harmonies made this song ooze out whilst listening to it. The catchy ‘ba ba ba-ra…’ hook was smooth and addicting. However, these positives just wasn’t enough to outweigh the negatives. There was this one-dimensional nature behind the rapping and the song felt quite repetitive by the time we reached the end. (7.5/10)
5. Big Chance – I definitely like it when a song impresses me within the first few seconds. Big Chance does just that with its catchy opening hook. It definitely shows off their vocals chops, with blissful harmonies and an easy-going melody. Both of these aspects allow the hook/chorus to speak volumes by itself, opting for minimal instrumentation. Other parts of the song opt for the same concept, while others incorporated this laid back tropical background to help fill out the song. What I liked the most about the song is the rapping, which is a ‘return to form’ after the previous track. (9/10)
8. Better Days – Better Days is one of the songs that caught my attention when I was vetting the album. It is a ballad, something I didn’t actually expect from SuperM at all. Better Days starts off with a simple piano and finger clicks instrumental combination at the start. It slowly builds by adding a slight organ synth during the first chorus, before adding even more percussion once we enter into the second verse and guitars in the bridge. Once again, amazing vocals and harmonies headline this track and the rapping fits effortlessly into the ballad without feeling ill-fitting or one-dimensional. I really enjoyed away the way they sing the title in the song, especially during the final chorus. So perfect. (10/10)
9. Together At Home – Together At Home is another song that impresses from the start and drew me in during the vetting process. The main drawing point to me with this song is the ‘Dala, da, da la…’ hook that makes up the chorus and features at the start. It is simple vocal hook, but one that is pretty effective. I also like the groovy 90s electronic bass instrumentation of Together At Home and how it repeats the catchy melody in instrument form. The vocals and rapping are superb in this song, both working together harmoniously to make this another strong song. (10/10)
10. DRIP – DRIP features another simple hook in its chorus (i.e. constant repetition of the title of the song). I really like it, even though it sounds like a persistent leaking tap (which I find to be quite annoying – especially as you are falling asleep). The rappers take the edge in this particular song, giving the song some much needed oomph. I liked the instrumental for its uniqueness, sounding almost like someone groaning but in an instrumental form. It sets the song’s serious tone, but it felt repetitive. (8/10)
11. Line ‘Em Up – Line ‘Em Up is SuperM’s take on the Middle Eastern (and based on the comments that I am reading on YouTube, South Asian – which might be a first in KPOP) flair trend that has been around for some time. This flair helps keeps the song distinctive. However, the song lacks that explosive feel or that wow factor. I believe that if Line ‘Em Up had that impact or explosive energy, the song would have been more dynamic and appealing to me. (7/10)
12. Dangerous Women – Blending R&B and EDM for SuperM produces Dangerous Women. Aside from the acapella moment at the start of the song and the vocals as a whole package throughout the song, Dangerous Women didn’t really cross any boundaries in music and felt relatively safe. I felt that the song could have benefited from something edgy, like a more abrasive EDM touch or even some edgier sounding raps. Otherwise, Dangerous Women literally sounds like many other tracks out there. (7.5/10)
13. Step Up– Step Up is predominately a R&B song. However, instead of remaining safe and in a neutral R&B gear for majority of the song (which would have been a mistake for me – as the R&B side of the track is quite boring), Step Up literally steps up its game by giving the chorus a kick in the upbeat and energy departments. This changes up the song, giving it a refreshing appeal. Baekhyun and Ten’s ad-libs were definitely helped make the song even more alluring. (8.5/10)
14. So Long – An example of a R&B song staying in that neutral gear and thus remaining relatively safe is So Long. For So Long, I don’t think this is a relatively bad thing. There is this sensual energy coming from the song that calls for body rolls left, right and centre. Aside from the sensual atmosphere (which obviously is a superior form of R&B), one other thing So Long manages to do right are the vocal harmonies that features in the chorus. (8/10)
15. With You – Closing the album (phew, we are finally at the end of the album) is With You. And like most albums. SuperM keeps the best song for last. Given its placement at the very end of the album, I am knighting With You as Super One’s hidden gem. The subtle and held-back funkiness of the instrumental is so damn good. The vocal work, particularly Taemin, Kai and Baekhyun’s vocals, are so good. It is also the only song on the album that made me want to dance whilst listening to it, which would have been awkward at work. Hahaha… (10/10)
KPOPREVIEWED 