Category: Reviews

[Review] Accendio – IVE

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Leave a comment

IVE’s latest mini-album, IVE SWITCH (which was released at the very end of April), features two title tracks – HEYA and Accendio. I have already reviewed HEYA on the day of its release, while Accendio only became eligible for a review once IVE unveiled the music video for the song earlier this week.

I quite like Accendio, as it shows off a more mature sound for IVE. There is also this mysteriousness to the song that attracts my attention. This can be attributed to the paced beat of Accendio, which actively contributes to that mystique that I just mentioned and helps build some intensity in the song. But it also feels like a double-edged sword. It sets Accendio up to be somewhat neutral, which is never a good observation to make in an exciting music genre like KPOP. I kind of wished Accendio really picked up along the way and there was some infusion of oomph to the song. I do hear an addition of energy to the song via the pre-choruses and choruses of Accendio, which I am grateful for. But while this addition of energy was good in the first instance, it didn’t have the same effect when the song revisited the same motif again. Similarly, the instrumental break could have used some added zing (perhaps something more electrifying) to add further excitement to the song. While the backing of Accendio lacked in some regards, I am extremely happy with the choruses. I personally felt the central piece of Accendio had a killer start through a really simple yet addictive “Watch me, Don’t touch me, Love me, Don’t hurt me” chant and some attitude-laced catwalk-like backing. This made the chorus stand out and feel very catchy to me. So much so, I find myself humming along with the song and after the song ends. That particular line in the chorus was nailed thanks to the members’ rap-speak delivery, which we do hear at other times in Accendio. To me, this delivery felt more prolific and interesting than the other vocals we get in the song. Overall, I quite liked Accendio. It is far from perfect, but it allowed IVE to explore something slightly different.

I personally felt the music video for this comeback also had an air of mystery to it, which made it intriguing to watch. The plot of this video also adds to the intriguingness. Gaeul stars as the main character of the video. While the rest of IVE were underwater, Gaeul disappears, causing alarm amongst the other members. Turns out Gaeul had run away and came across a ritualistic group (another version of IVE – henceforth calling them evil IVE) and a magic wand. Gaeul steals the wand and brings it back to her members. Unknowingly to Gaeul, evil IVE were watching Gaeul make her way back to her members. The magic wand gives Sailor Moon-like magic powers to good IVE, who are provided a mission to protect the magic wand to keep their powers permanently. Evil IVE tracks down the wand and have a dance battle with good IVE for the wand. While it isn’t an action packed set of scenes like Mission Impossible, the subsequent battle scene (not the dance battle scene) was nicely choreographed to showcase a fight between the two versions of IVE played out to gain or protect the wand. During the battle, Gaeul had hid the wand in the fridge. Once the evil IVE were defeated, good IVE went to retrieve the wand from the fridge but found it empty. Turns out, the wand somehow found its way to a beach and picked up a young girl. And good IVE were watching this happen, implying they have become the new evil IVE, who were going to fight a young girl for the wand. Personally, I felt the ending a little awkward and wondered why a different version of IVE (or perhaps even an older girl) picked up the wand. Setting up the next battle between IVE and a young girl is a bit harsh for the latter.

The choreography looks good. I liked the chorus routine, particularly the moves they did with that chanty line identified above. I just cannot help but think that this isn’t their strongest routine. It was cohesive as a whole piece, but nothing really stood out in my opinion.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 8.1/10

[Review] Feel The POP – ZEROBASEONE

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Leave a comment

Returning at the start of the week was ZEROBASEONE. And covering their latest comeback song, Feel The POP, at the end of the week is me! The new song is featured on the group’s 3rd mini-album You Had Me At Hello and Feel The POP follows the pre-release SWEAT (which I reviewed a couple of weeks back). The entire comeback follows on from their late 2023’s CRUSH.

I did check out Feel The POP when it was first released on Monday, but I didn’t get much from the track. I thought I give it a few days to see if it would grow on me slightly. But it only grew by a little and I am not sure if it can continue to grow on me anymore. Instead, my initial thoughts on the song stand. Feel The POP is indeed pleasant and enjoyable, but it feels very safe and ‘inside the box’. This hinders its appeal. Yes, I have described Feel The POP as pleasant and enjoyable (which are usually good positive terms to describe things by), but it is also neither fresh or different. The instrumental can be described in a similar manner. It feels subtly upbeat to be a summery track and I do like the hap-like synths in the background as it does bring some colour to the song. But at the exact same time, the background stayed rather neutral from start to end, and it didn’t develop into something exciting or with zing. I will say Feel The POP is focused on melodies and the singing was decent, but those same melodies felt thin and failed to make the song stand out. Same for the hooks. I thought the rapping could have been a good avenue to bring something different to Feel The POP, but said rapping was so limited and barely made a scratch into the song. I think it is safe to say that Feel The POP is very underbaked and doesn’t feel as fulfilling as their debut track (which is still their best effort, in my opinion).

As for the music video, there seems to be a few concepts going on visually, such as the modern Western cowboy theme, office workers, rich persons’ tennis playing and a more typical casual affair to close out the video. But they don’t seem to go together whatsoever. What does (loosely) joins the concept up is the supposedly cutesy apocalyptic event that causes alarm to others, but ZEROBASEONE handles quite coolly by smashing a tennis ball into a giant cactus and shooting down the giant bomb cloud. The world is saved and ZEROBASEONE proceeds to celebrate at the end of the video. I guess the intent of the video is supposed to be light-heart and summery, which the tennis scenes do give off. The rest of the video, now that I have summarised it on a page, does feel a bit wild, which is on brand for KPOP in some regards.

I feel like the choreography was the strongest aspect of the comeback. I really like the chorus routine, which brought some popping into the mix. Same goes for the bridge. And they were quite strong pops. Other than that, I liked the smoother feeling of the choreography for Feel The POP, which complements that pleasant tone that comes from the song.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 6.7/10

[Review] Supernova – aespa

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 1 Comment

Kicking off promotions for their first studio album is aespa (their first since their debut in 2020), with their new single Supernova. It is one of two title tracks to their 1st studio length album Armageddon, which will be fully released on May 27. The other title track has already been confirmed to share the same name as the new album! Both Supernova and Armageddon follows on from aespa’s Drama hit from the end of last year.

From the very first listen, I could tell that that Supernova is a total blast. Personally, it might actually be aespa’s best thus far, in my opinion. Supernova‘s cyber-like instrumental is definitely the song’s winning element. The instrumental alone felt like it borrowed some of the memorable elements from some aespa’s more recent songs. For example, I could hear charisma from Drama and the energetic motif from Spicy. That being said, Supernova still has a unique profile to it, which continues aespa’s strong run of great songs. I liked how forward driven everything felt and the overall smoothness that the song somehow embodies despite being full of crunchy and powerful synths. I also enjoyed the various detailings in the background of Supernova, which helped add a little something different and extra to each sequence. This variety definitely made Supernova more fun and appealing in my books. The choruses were very addictive, thanks to the fact they were paired with catchy hooks and ear-wormy delivery from the members. Even the bridge change up in the bridge, where Supernova stripped away the electronic synths a for a more funky hip-hop sound, was interesting and charming. Whilst it feels miles away, it wasn’t and was worked decently into the song. There is just two aspects of Supernova that I not 100% keen on. The first is how disjointed Supernova feels and the way the song just abruptly launches between sequences makes me feel a little uneasy. The second is the lack of a vocal sequence to blow me away like in their earlier days. Nothing in Supernova feels challenging enough on the vocal front and the ad-libs felt weak relative to those earlier releases. I guess that just means Supernova isn’t without some flaws, but the stronger aspects of the song definitely outweighs those concerns.

Supernova is defined as a powerful and luminous explosion of a star (from Wikipedia). And the members liken themselves to be a supernova in the lyrics of the song. In the video, it looks like 3 of the 4 members (Karina, Winter and Ningning) come down from outer space to Earth to wake up Giselle, who seems to have become ordinary and mundane. Giselle is the only member to not be shown showing off her power in the first verse sequence of the video, whilst the other 3 members have strutting around and showing the world their unearthly powers – Karina has super strength, Winter can control wind and Ningning can control fire. Furthermore, Giselle is seen trying to prove that she isn’t a robot/is a human via those CAPTCHA tests where you have to select certain tiles containing traffic lights or motorcycles. She has to pick which picture is not an AI and she doesn’t get far into it – it is as if she doesn’t know how to be human. She also celebrates with a not-so-hot cake that says “I’m hot” (which goes against the idea of being a supernova). Ningning gate crashes the celebration and sets Giselle’s apartment alight. This interaction causes Giselle to wake up and use her time controlling power to reverse the events. Giselle rejoins the rest of the members for the final parts of the video before the quartet is swept away in the wind storm created by Winter. I found it to be a playful video, with a cool concept. Combined with the editing, post-production and visuals, I think this places the music video into list of contenders for Best Music Video of the year.

While there is no official performance video for this release just yet, the choreography bits that we got in the music video definitely looks good. I don’t think I saw any key points. But I do hope there is some in the routine, as I think this song can definitely go far in the ongoing trend of short-form videos we get via TikTok. YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels. Knowing aespa’s potential and the fact we don’t see majority of the routine in the video, I may return to re-review the performance once there is an official performance.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 9.1/10

[Review] Girls Never Die – tripleS

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Leave a comment

When I reviewed Rising by tripleS last year, the group only had 16 members out of the confirmed 24-member lineup. Earlier this week, tripleS made their comeback with their full lineup of 24 members. Along with the additional 8 members, tripleS returned with the title track Girls Never Die, which is featured on their first studio album titled Assemble24.

I find Girls Never Die to be a pleasant dance-pop track. As initial thoughts to the song, Girls Never Die feels well-polished and seamless as a whole piece. The beat in the background felt very rhythmic and groovy. But at the same time, the background is also quite paced, which creates an easygoing and interesting aesthetic. But I have explained in the past that some ‘pleasant’ tracks do have a flip-side. At the moment, Girls Never Die does come off positively to me. But I fear that through repeat listens to Girls Never Die, that aesthetic might fizzle out and the underlying plainness in the song’s instrumentation would take over. Girls Never Die lacks excitement and a powerful eventuating peak, hence why I worry the plainness will prevail. Rather than being stuck in the same gear for the entirety of the track, Girls Never Die should have shifted a bit in momentum, tone or energy. The electric guitars was a nice addition to the song that could have impact in this area, but they were only added to the end, so too late to actually have an effect. As for tripleS themselves, there was some really nice vocals/rapping in the song from the members. Those ad-libs from Dahyun were very impressive. The song itself had a decent chorus, though the main “La La La” feels plain and unimaginative. Overall, Girls Never Die is a good song and starts off their next chapter of their careers as a full group strong. I just wished, like with most songs nowadays, there is more to Girls Never Die.

The music video was quite aesthetic. But that shouldn’t come as a surprise, given how MODHAUS is co-founded by the creative director (Jaden Jeong) who was behind LOONA’s aesthetic solo, unit and initial group music videos. Girls Never Die is a song about girls being resilient and stronger together. And that is what we see in the video. Different members of the group hanged out with one another and supporting each other. I think the following lines in the bridge sums up the music video and lyrics quite well: “If we ever stay together during fear and more, Nothing will scare us now“. When one of the members looked like they were going to give up (i.e., the bathtub scene), we see another member join them later to help them rise back up against their difficult circumstance. The funeral scenes look to be a bit counter intuitive to the messaging/intent. But I think the members surrounding the grave site weren’t lowering a member down (even though it was alluded), given one of the members was kneeling by the grave. Now that last bit is me speculating. The rest of the group could just be there to support one another to the very last moment, but that didn’t feel as fitting to the broader meaning of the video.

24 members on the stage for a performance sounds like a big mess waiting to happen. But tripleS handled it well. They started off on stage and ended the routine as a whole group, but broke into smaller group for the body of the performance to make everything more manageable and less overwhelming. They also performed classy moves that wouldn’t create a mess should a member miss a beat. However, better sychronisation could have enabled an even more refined performance to wow me even more.

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

[Review] Come Back To Me – RM (BTS)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , Leave a comment

Gearing up for a comeback very soon (i.e., end of this month) is RM (from BTS). But ahead of the release of his second studio album Right Place, Wrong Person, RM has pre-released the all-English single Come Back To Me, which will be the focus of this post. RM is currently undertaking his mandatory military service and won’t complete it until 2025. But he joins V and j-hope who have been also been busy preparing new music pre-enlistment for us to enjoy despite their absence from the stage.

RM takes us down an indie pop route with Come Back To Me, with a slight jazzy influence coming into play down the line. This track is unlike anything that RM has released before. It is extremely paced and purposely dragged out to make the entire piece quite thought provoking. Despite not enjoying tracks that take their time to build, I find Come Back To Me quite welcoming for some reason. I think I put it down to beautiful execution by co-producers RM and HYUKOH’s Oh Hyuk (who is quite well known in the Korean indie scene and you can hear of his influence in Come Back To Me). That purposefulness is also deliberate in other fronts in Come Back To Me. Instrumentally, the acoustic guitar sets the thought-provoking tone to the song, while the slight jazzy influence amps up Come Back To Me to make it more engaging and changes the tone to be a little more uplifting. Even RM’s various vocal styles that he employs throughout the track felt carefully selected to ensure that it captivates and steals the audience’s attention. The melodies were so easy to get lost in, and the “Your are my pain, Divine, Divine” was quite an artistic hook. Overall, I quite enjoyed Come Back To Me and I am excited to hear the rest of the Right Place, Wrong Person album when it is released on 24 May 2024.

Come Back To Me‘s lyrics explores the idea of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, which is also the central theme for the upcoming album from what I am reading. In the music video, we see RM appear in multiple potential lives – from being a person who constantly hang out with his friends, to being a dad, to being in a relationship where he is constantly fighting with his partner, to being a son of parents who have high expectations for him. Part way through the video, he crosses path with another lady who makes him encounter a happier and smiling version from himself. From this encounter, he becomes more him appreciative of all of the potential lives he could have been in – going from the idea of exploring those potential lives that are wrong for/to him to exploring potential lives that could be right for him. Ultimately, he re-meets the same lady who made him happier and change his outlook, and follows her to be with her. His unlocks the door that has been constantly locked throughout the entire video, opening a new life outside the many lives we have seen him apart of already. It is definitely a thought-provoking video and the paced nature of the song really emphasises this. I also enjoyed RM’s acting in the video, as well as the other actors who helped make the video engaging.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/`10

[Review] BE SOMEBODY – YOOK SUNGJAE (BTOB)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , Leave a comment

Sorry again for the radio silence since Tuesday. Work has been busy again. But I am back for the weekend and that means more reviews for you! Restarting the roll is YOOK SUNGJAE’s solo comeback with his same name single album and latest single BE SOMEBODY. This follows his 2020 solo debut with Come with the Wind and Yook O’Clock.

Like his solo debut back in 2020 with Come With The Wind, I had expected YOOK SUNGJAE’s solo return to be of a balladry kind. So hearing the pop rock behind BE SOMEBODY actually felt quite refreshing. Now, the pop rock style that BE SOMEBODY opted for isn’t anything new or innovative. But it was still good. The climb towards the choruses created some good momentum towards the chorus. The eventuating intensity in the chorus from the instrumentation was quite remarkable and help give the song a well-rounded punch. To complement that, SUNGJAE employed some gusto behind his vocals, which helps makes BE SOMEBODY even more more impactful. While this shows me his vocals, BE SOMEBODY could have used some variety in the same department. I noticed that once he enters high territory (about 40 seconds into the song), SUNGJAE remains in that territory for the remainder of the song. I would have loved it if he explored more of that deeper tone that he kicks off BE SOMEBODY with throughout the track. It could have grounded the song a bit better and not feel too neutrally high from that 40 second mark and onwards. There are some examples in the song (i.e., the rap-speak lines between the pre-chorus and choruses) where there are attempts to ground BE SOMEBODY, but they were rather brief and limited in number to really make a mark. But overall, I still find BE SOMEBODY to be a great song. Just more could have made it stronger.

The song conveys the message of breaking free to become somebody, rather than being someone they are not. This, along with the music video, feels linked to the fact that he has more freedom to be himself now that he has left CUBE Entertainment (but not BTOB – an important distinction there). In the video, we see him as an art exhibit, but people don’t pay much attention to him. It isn’t until he is put out there more via performances and the internet (different mediums) does he gain more attention. With the performances and internet, he isn’t bound to just one particular artform anymore. The art smashing to pieces towards the end of the video is representative of breaking that ‘one artform’ boundary he is expressing through this comeback. A well thought out video, overall, that I hoped I correctly interpreted.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

[Review] Mars – Doh Kyung Soo (EXO)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , Leave a comment

I am a bit late to start the new week. But as the saying goes, better late than never. Doh Kyung Soo (otherwise known as D.O from EXO) made his solo comeback today with a new single titled Mars and his 3rd mini-album Blossom. This follows his pre-release single Popcorn (which I will return to review in the future) last week, and his 2nd mini-album Expectation from last year (led by the single Somebody).

Mars is a song about loving someone so different to you, it is as if you and that someone are from two different planets. From that little reflection on the song, you can imagine how heartfelt and comforting the track is. I felt that Doh Kyung Soo portrays that messaging and tone very well in Mars, through all aspects of the track. I enjoyed the simplicity and straightforwardness of the medium-tempo pop track from the very first listen. The acoustic and band instrumentation was profound, with the guitar work being a big driver towards Mars‘ bright and meaningful outlook. Similarly, I felt the sincerity and affection behind Doh Kyung Soo’s vocals. The melodies were great. And altogether, Mars does bring a smile to my face when I listen to the track. I think a slight challenge to the song are the hooks. And this challenge isn’t necessarily unique to Mars, but more so to all ‘simple and ‘straight forward’ songs. To ensure longevity of a song like Mars, the song itself needs to be memorable and the melodies/hooks play a big part in this. Personally, I find Mars‘ hooks to be okay, but I think this aspect of Mars is also a little lacking. I am not too sure how Mars can hold its ground amongst the stiff competition. But as it stands, the song is still a great listen.

I found the music video to be a very cute watch and works well with the simple nature of the song. We see Doh Kyung Soo in his own little world throughout the video as he attempts to communicate with his special someone who is on a completely different planet to his. We see him get ready for the day ahead and ride his bike to the primary site in which he has set up to communicate with the world beyond his. On his bike are all the flowers he could find, which he later uses to write ‘I Miss You‘ on the ground in a bold colour for the other someone to see. In the end, his attempts to communicate work, with the special someone leaving simple and literally small messages for him. At the very end of the video, we see the different messages left behind for Doh Kyung Soo, that he has kept as little momentos. The outro sees him do it all again the next day (the presence of the rain helps us differentiate it is a new day), excited to extend the communications even further.

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

[Review] Relax – LEE JIN HYUK

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Leave a comment

Last week, LEE JIN HYUK made his solo comeback with his 6th mini-album, New Quest: Jungle, and the lead single Relax. This comeback serves as LEE JIN HYUK’s first solo comeback since leaving UP10TION (officially) and TOP Media over a year ago. He signed with Bill Entertainment, which is the home of other soloists – Yerin and Minseo. His last comeback was Crack, released back in 2022.

The new single Relax is an urban dance-pop anthem that has charm. It has taken me a few listens to the song to get into it, with the instrumentation growing on me considerably. The tinny-sounding chorus registered as interesting at first. But I find it quite appealing now. It is different and it draws your attention in. LEE JIN HYUK’s really gritty and raspy rap-sing vocals in the chorus felt plain at first. But upon reflection and more listens, I find that his deep vocal delivery actually pulls the chorus together to create a overall trance. While LEE JIN HYUK’s rapping and pre-chorus vocals were engaging and well-delivered, it wasn’t enough to make the rest of Relax memorable, unfortunately. The chorus definitely took centre stage and serves as Relax‘s strongest sequence. I do think Relax could have been punchier is all aspects. This potentially could have taken the rest of Relax to the next level and gave the song a stronger presence amongst its competition.

Unsurprisingly, Relax conveys the simple message of taking some time to take a break in our busy world. The video is set in a Korean bathhouse, which is probably an optimal location to take that break to relax. The video begins with a fight inside the bathhouse. But with LEE JIN HYUK’s presence and message, the fight turns into more of a chill party. We also see him get a massage in later parts of the video and hang around the ladies who are looking very comfortable. The dance break part of the music video sees what looked like the bathhouse set break apart, which is probably a symbolic way of reaching that peak relaxation, as if you are floating away. Overall, a neat music video.

The choreography for Relax strikes a fine balance between being energetic and relaxing. There are some moves that represents the relaxing side of it, while the rest of the choreography focuses on some more energetic moves without feeling too intense or complicated. I really liked the bouncy vibe of the choreography and also the footwork in the routine.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10

[Review] But I – Solar (MAMAMOO)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , 1 Comment

Also making her solo comeback on Tuesday this week was Solar from MAMAMOO. We last saw her promote on stage two years ago via her HONEY comeback and her first mini-album, 容 : Face. Tuesday saw her release her second mini-album COLOURS and the title track But I.

Despite the music video teasers released in the lead up to But I hinting at the two very different sound profiles, But I still managed to surprise me upon release. The song starts off soft as a ballad, with beautiful vocals from Solar herself, and a delicate and stilling piano backdrop. But that balladry motif quickly changes once we reach the choruses. The drumming and guitar work morphs But I into a rock track. It blasts us with some strong energy and Solar really kicks it up a few notches with her passionate and intense delivery. The melodies and hooks here are quite easy to get into. I particularly cannot get the “Your body, your money, your face, your vibe” out of my head. Following the first chorus, But I keeps the rock presence in the second verse, but tones it down considerably from the chorus. So, once the chorus returns for the final time, the strong energy still feels like a blast. The outro of But I does returns the song to its balladry beginnings and it drew the song to a wonderful end, as if she is now at peace with the hatred that she sings passionately about in But I. No doubt, But I is surprising. But it does so in a balanced and captivating manner that I personally enjoyed very much.

The lyrics of But I depicts one’s hatred for their a bad ex, which comes off crystal clear in the lyrics. But I (ha!) found it interesting that the pre-chorus for the song includes a line of what people external to the relationship had expected of Solar when she was part of the dead relationship (“Everybody thinks I was happy, happy but I I I I“) vs. when she was supposed to be heartbroken post-relationship (“Everybody thinks I’m not happy, happy but I I I“). I bring these two lines up in question for a particular reason. While not directly linked to what I am saying next, the two lines shows a contrasting expectation on Solar, and the video depicts a different two contrasting sides to Solar related to this post-breakup. On one hand, she is seen to be in mourning and is heartbroken following her failed relationship. And on the other hand, we see how vivid and freeing she truly feels after leaving the bad ex.

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

[Review] Little Things – Xdinary Heroes

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Leave a comment

Xdinary Heroes officially returned on Tuesday with their first studio length album Troubleshooting. Leading the charge on this new album is the title track Little Things (어리고 부끄럽고 바보 같은). This release is their first since October 2023’s Livelock (their 4th mini-album) and the single Break The Brake, which earned them a win for Best Band Performance in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards.

Little Things is Xdinary Heroes’ most straight forward rock title track since their debut. And I feel my comments on the song are relatively similar. Xdinary Heroes have promoted some wacky tracks and also some intense ones previously. But nothing feels as ‘simple’ or ‘safe’ as Little Things. There isn’t anything wrong going down this path (but it does come with its own flaws), especially when it invokes an early 2000s pop-punk nostalgia. If you have not yet caught on, this is the era of music that I grew up on. The nostalgia and execution of band’s vocal and instrumental delivery appeals to me. The punchiness of the instrumental is well-liked. I also liked the emotional tinge Little Things features. Xdinary Heroes really made sure that was heard from the get-go with the autotuned intro. I think the downside of going down the ‘simple’ and ‘safe’ road, and I do feel it as part of this release, is that Little Things feels inherently plain. The lack of innovation and excitement does hold it back slightly. But nostalgia and Xdinary Heroes’ ongoing consistent high-quality execution/delivery trumps in Little Things.

Little Things expresses the message to one’s younger self that no matter how lost you become, you will always find a way out of that lost feeling. In the music video, we see the members perform in a side-walk drain, representing their lost mindset. I am presuming the feeling of lost is liken to how we think certain items becomes ‘lost’ once you drop it down a sidewalk drain (as those items become hard to reach and it is difficult to recover them). In other close-up of the members, we see them alone and surrounded by darkness. Mid-way into the video, we see the drain closes in on the members and water/paper falls down, which might represent that pressure of ‘being lost’ on the members. However, in the end of the video, the members do escape the drain, which ultimately emphasises the message of the song.

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

[Review] MAESTRO – SEVENTEEN

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 3 Comments

The second Monday comeback that I want to focus on today is SEVENTEEN’s grand return with their 2nd compilation album 17 Is Right Here and the title track MAESTRO. It is SEVENTEEN’s first release since October’s SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN and GOD OF MUSIC.

MAESTRO leans the group back into their darker sound profile, which has always been a positive experience for me. And MAESTRO lives up to that expectation. The title MAESTRO instantly makes you think of classical music, and the song begins with a brief appearance (and sees a recurrence in the choruses) of piano. But we see the song quickly revert into its true form – a R&B dance track. A touch of funky guitar work, fast-paced rapping from S.COUPS and VERNON, and sleek vocals from MINGYU and JOSHUA gets MAESTRO moving along before we hear a stunning WOOZI and DK vocal-focused pre-chorus that builds the anticipation towards the chorus. The chorus that follows, and that we return to throughout MAESTRO, felt logical and charming to an extent. But I was disappointed with the reliance on the ‘La La La‘ as the hook. It definitely has potential to catch on, but it also feels empty and doesn’t really have as strong of a command as did latter parts of MAESTRO had. We do get a second half of the chorus, but that doesn’t ping me as memorable. MAESTRO then changes gears slightly with a techno beat feels unexpecting, yet so charismatic and pummels the song forward. It is paired with WONWOO’s rapping and JUN’s vocals – the former creates a perfect sense of intensity with said beat, while the latter felt a little lost in the beat. We return to another amazing pre-chorus (brought to you by DK and SEUNGKWAN this time around) and another run at the chorus. Then comes the bridge, which I think is one of the best moments of MAESTRO. THE8’s delicate vocals was supreme, as well as the follow-up rapping from S.COUPS and DINO. In the final moments of MAESTRO, the techno beat returns as a mini instrumental break and WONWOO’s deep and gripping vocals closes out the song nicely. Overall, a few minor flaws, but MAESTRO still comes off as an epic song for SEVENTEEN.

MAESTRO‘s music video has officially become the first contender for Best Music Video for 2024. You heard it first here! The editing, the concepts and even just the amazing closeup of the members just captivates me from the get-go and takes my breath away. The video sees SEVENTEEN have total command just like how a maestro would have control of an orchestra, and the intensity that comes off SEVENTEEN’s portrayal of this has me spellbound. More specifically, we see them control the narrative of events in the video, such as the car crashes and WONWOO’s fight scene (which has been engraved into my memory bank). We see them also control the AI bots, who mimic the members. Even the massive metronome building in the end alludes to the idea of commanding the citizens of the city around them.

No surprises here, but the choreography overall showcases the song’s intensity quite well. If I had to name an example moment of that intensity, my vote is for the instrumental break, which translates into a dance break in the performance. The presence of the baton in the performance makes sense and is a great way of bringing the concept of the comeback into the performance, as well. And as usual SEVENTEEN’s synchronisation always has me in awe.

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

[Review] HEYA – IVE

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 6 Comments

As mentioned yesterday, this week is going to be a busy one. And it all begins with Monday’s comebacks. One of these comebacks belongs to IVE, who is returning for the first time since the release of Baddie. Their new single HEYA (해야) is the title track off their 2nd mini-album, Ive Switch.

HEYA continues IVE’s exploration of the hip-hop genre. However, unlike Baddie, I instantly found IVE’s delivery of HEYA to feel a lot more vivid, exciting and colourful. These are all words that I associate with IVE’s earlier releases, so I personally think this is an improvement from Baddie already. HEYA may not be as pop-coded as their earlier releases, but it definitely heads in that direction a bit. So aside from feeling different, what has the group done differently in HEYA? I like that the instrumentation did not feel as weighted, and so HEYA did not feel heavy. Going into Summer, a heavy song doesn’t usually bode well, so the producers were really clever in using flourishes in its percussion to help liven up the backing. Rei, Leeseo and Yujin’s rapping in the verses feels equally as lively and engaging, bringing out a more dynamic tone in HEYA. This pays off in dividends for the group, as it highlights a newfound edginess and powerful delivery. HEYA also features more vocal parts, which makes way for more melodic touches in the song. The bridge was extremely successful in championing this (which is my second best moment within HEYA, following the choruses). I also like how they extended the melodic touch into the opening hook of HEYA, setting up the catchy and chanty chorus quite well. The extra layer in the instrumentation for the final chorus did a really good job of signaling the end, in my mind. Overall, IVE and HEYA‘s producers did a really great job improving upon the previous song, making for IVE’s next hit.

The lyrics and music video of HEYA sees the group reference a traditional Korean folklore known as ‘The Tiger Who Loved the Sun‘, which is a story that speaks to the formation of the sun and the moon. In the video, we see the members appear as the tiger in the story, dancing in front of the sun and moon to enchant us, before leaving their mark on us. Just like how the tiger did so to the mother, just a lot less gruesome in our case. Keeping to the traditional influence, I really like traditional Korean elements in the sets and post-production. The colours and lighting made everything look very pretty and aesthetic. I also really like IVE’s look throughout the music video, as it adds a bit of a modern flair in the midst of all of the traditional Korean elements present in the video.

From what I can see in the music video, the performance for this comeback is going to look great. The start of the chorus already looks like it is going to be a catchy key point of the choreography, and the rest of the routine looks robust and dynamic.

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

[Review] Bubble Gum – NewJeans

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Leave a comment

In the midst of the ongoing dispute between Min Hee Jin (the CEO of ADOR – the home of NewJeans) and HYBE Corporation (including Bang Si Hyuk), NewJeans is moving ahead with their May comeback. This comeback will feature two songs – Bubble Gum (which is the focus of this particular review with the music video dropping yesterday) and How Sweet next month. The group is also due to release two new Japanese original singles in June. Bubble Gum also marks their first release since their Get Up (which features Super Shy, Cool With You and ETA) comeback from last year.

Bubble Gum serves as both the soundtrack for a Japanese shampoo commercial and a side track for NewJeans’ upcoming How Sweet release. While I do not review commercial music often, I am interested in the latter. And as a side track, Bubble Gum is a decent release. It definitely is not ‘title track’ material, with the overall airy and breezy profile of the song feeling too delicate for my liking. The song features groovy beat and retro elements that grounds Bubble Gum to a degree, but I find the rest of the song (i.e., vocals, melodies, hooks) to be a bit too feathery. Don’t get me wrong, everything works in harmony with one another and is executed well across the board. I also like the flute-like piece that we hear in the background of the verses. But I am unsure of the song’s longevity given all of the lightness going on within Bubble Gum (and the ongoing dispute is definitely taking attention away from the new release – for me, at least). There were definitely some attempts to ‘ground’ the song further, with some deeper vocals at certain parts and the paced rap-sing vocals (which was the exact ending I was hoping for). But again, I only come out of Bubble Gum remembering the higher pitched (sometimes falsetto) vocals and flowy melodies. Overall, I do like the song, but I am not sure how long I will be replaying Bubble Gum.

The music video sees NewJeans hanging out and having fun with one another. To complement the song’s breezy sound profile, NewJeans takes a trip to the beach. Keeping true to the ‘retro is making a comeback’ concept, some of the video (including the intro and outro shot of Hyein and her bubbles) is shot in a home video style. It is an aesthetic that I didn’t like as much when it first appeared in KPOP, but NewJeans does it well. I also like the call back to old technology that appears throughout the video, such as the VHS tape, the camcorder and that old computer. On the modern side, we see one of the members hold an iPhone and the members carry their official light stick.

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

[Review] FUEGO – THE NEW SIX (TNX)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 1 Comment

THE NEW SIX smashed it with their last comeback (Kick It 4 Now), so I am excited to see what they are offering in their latest comeback that occurred on 20 March 2024. The new song is titled FUEGO and is the first comeback where THE NEW SIX has a full line-up in over a year, with Junhyeok returning from his hiatus.

THE NEW SIX trades out the retro that made Kick It 4 Now shine and opted for a more bombastic sound in FUEGO. While the former comeback was a hit out of the park, this new release isn’t. FUEGO falls into the more generic side of male group music nowadays. But it is not bad. The instrumental features a bass house sound that feels angsty and intense. The anti-drop actually hits hard in the chorus and makes for a bold central piece. Pity it is something else that weakens the chorus for me – more on that in a moment. The vocals in the verses were good. The melodic charm of the former comeback is definitely gone, but the vocals still manage to hold themselves well in FUEGO. I must give a commendation to Junhyeok and his vocals in the pre-choruses. His vocals delivery adds charisma and power of FUEGO. The rapping also feels brings an edgy dynamic to the song. I found the rappers’ delivery to be very clean and polished in FUEGO. There was a bit of shouty motif at times in FUEGO, but I felt they came in at the right times to drive up the song. Now, I did mention something earlier that weakens the chorus for me, and it is the one element that I haven’t mentioned yet – the hooks. While the instrumental in the chorus had club-banger potential, the hooks cancelled that out that potential. They felt boring, uneventful and dragged the energy that the instrumental was trying to get across to the audience. If I had one wish for FUEGO, it would be the members’ parts in the chorus were expanded (and not limited to 3 lines) and they are given some lively and exciting material to heighten the energy of the chorus and thus FUEGO.

Watching it a few times for the purposes of this review, I can see why I never really returned to the video following its release. There just wasn’t anything in the video that is memorable. Primarily set in a tunnel and on a wooden stage surrounded by doors, nothing really sparks in this video. We do get some additional backgrounds for the members’ closeups in the video. But nothing spectacular. For a song with the Spanish word for ‘fire’, there is also a lack of fires in this video. I am not expecting the place to be burning down (though there is a lot of precedent to that in KPOP music videos). But I expected a bit more flames than the few isolated CGI flames throughout the video.

The routine for FUEGO is one where the members kept on moving with little to no breaks in between each move. This drives up the intensity of the routine and kept the dynamism up high in the choreography. The dance routine also made sure the hooks didn’t get in the way of a good performance. There wasn’t a key moment to remember in this routine, but I liked the members’ style and charisma. Parts looked very sleek, especially the side way movements in the second verse and the forward movement that kicked off the second chorus.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 5/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.3/10

[Review] Midas Touch – KISS OF LIFE

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Leave a comment

As mentioned in my last KISS OF LIFE review for Bad News, this is one of the groups we all got to watch out for. And their latest comeback a couple of weeks back at the start of the month proves just that once again. The new single is titled Midas Touch and is featured on the group’s first single album of the same name.

Taking us back to the late 90’s/early ’00s pop era (think Britney Spears) with Midas Touch, KISS OF LIFE delivers another smashing track. The instrumental is just one of the highlights of the song. They touch on a very nostalgic period of pop and hip-hop music video for me. The combination feels very robust and dynamic, with the swinging beats and squirl synths coming together to make a very flirtatious and rousing backing for Midas Touch. The members makes Midas Touch super engaging with their singing and rapping. The way they deliver the verses and pre-choruses felt very elaborate and classy, which boosts up the song to a higher level. As for the choruses, the members infuse a little bit more of that flirty energy into their vocals to make the sing-talk melodies and hooks super catchy and addictive. The combination of the instrumentation and sing-talk in the chorus in Midas Touch‘s chorus is very hard to get out of my head. The bridge was a very nice switch up that feels effortless and clean, with the ‘Brace Brace‘ and usage of whistles being a direct homage to the 90s hip-hop era. The bridge is then followed up with a really clean high note from Belle. The final chorus also sees a small extension to give Midas Touch to fully conclude in a satisfying manner. All of the above is a lot to achieve in such a short period of time, and I agree with the comments that say Midas Touch is a prime example of how a song that spans less that 3 minutes can still feel fulfilling and complete. I think we can move from ‘KISS OF LIFE is a group to watch out for’ to ‘KISS OF LIFE is permanently on my radar’ thanks to Midas Touch.

Midas Touch is a reference towards the Greek mythology of King Midas and how he turned things he touched into gold. But instead of gold, whatever the members touched in the music video turned into stone. Now, there is a reason for that. Turning people into stone represents the grip and charm the members have on these people. And to further to support the idea of turning people into stone, we we actually see some Medusa (the Greek mythological creature that turned whomever that makes eye contact with her into stone) imagery around the members at around the midpoint of the video. So the concept of the video is a very reimagined version of the story of King Midas and Medusa. I really like the elaborate CGI setting they have going on. I also really enjoyed the stunning looks the members’ had donned in the video.

The choreography for this comeback is great! I really like the swinging motions they have going on in the chorus and the routine is super cool to watch as a whole piece. I also like their chemistry with one another on stage. It really makes the whole routine feel cohesive.

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

[Review] SWEAT – ZEROBASEONE

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 1 Comment

ZEROBASEONE is due back in a couple of weeks on 13 May 2024 with their second comeback (mini-album titled You Had Me At Hello) since their debut last year. Ahead of the new comeback, ZEROBASEONE pre-released a single yesterday to tease us with. The single is titled SWEAT and marks the beginning of an early Summer. We last saw ZEROBASEONE through CRUSH in Korea and (more recently) through YURA YURA in Japan.

SWEAT is a solid pre-release track, though it does lacks a ZEROBASEONE personality. SWEAT doesn’t feel like it falls on a spectrum with the two extremes being In Bloom or CRUSH. However, I do think it is a bit on a pleasant side of another spectrum, which isn’t a bad thing. I do think SWEAT could have been more robust in its house-based instrumental to drive up the energy and excitement. Maybe that could have given SWEAT a ZEROBASEONE feel. That being said, SWEAT does still have a beat and kick to it that made it enjoyable and chill. The song displays a good showing of vocals from the members, though nothing mind-blowing to really attract attention. That was delegated to the catchy hook which got my attention at the first pass when I checked out the track yesterday. Interestingly, the producers opted to not include a rap sequence. I think SWEAT could have benefited from a punchy and edgy rap sequence to, once again, drive up the energy and excitement even further. Wrapping up my thoughts on the song, it looks like SWEAT could have been more. But as it is, it is fine track.

While there is a music video for the release, the title of the video categorise it to be more of a ‘SPECIAL SUMMER VIDEO’. They definitely got the Summer bit down, with an overall very sunny music video that sees the group perform on stage at a beach, in the middle of a long road surrounded by breezy long grass and during a shower, and in a field with a sunset background. I also like the easygoing and chill vibes of the video. In addition to all of that, I am sure fans are enjoying the plentiful closeup of the members in the video.

Released a couple of hours after SWEAT, the performance video on the M2 YouTube channel was actually quite engaging thanks to the camera angles and how the members made a connection with the camera at these angles. As for the choreography, there was a slight sensual vibe to it, which interestingly didn’t make it into the music video. Other than that, a solid routine.

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