Category: Reviews

[Review] Ya – HUTA (Lee Minhyuk (BTOB))

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As male groups become more superior due to the amount of time they spent active in the industry, the inevitable occurs. BTOB has reached the stage where their Korean members must enlist into the military. We saw Eunkwang enlist suddenly last year. Changsub enlisted yesterday after his solo debut with Gone. And now it is Minhyuk’s turn to enlist next month. But before he leaves, he is treating fans to the release of his 1st solo album. Under the name HUTA, Minhyuk has two title tracks, Ya and With Melody off his album, HUTAZONE.

New fans of BTOB may know Minhyuk as a rapper of BTOB while some more long-term fans may know he started off singing in the group’s earlier days. Ya brings the two worlds together, giving Minhyuk to showcase his raps and vocals. Ya is actually a very smooth song. While it delves into the hip-hop side of KPOP, Ya starts off with Minhyuk’s deep and husky rap tone. I particularly like that roughness he brings to the table at the end of the final rap section of the song.  Once he starts singing, it beings a refreshing feel to the song. Given his vocals in this song, it makes you wonder why he hasn’t shown it as much in BTOB’s work. I really like the entire chorus of the track, particularly the ‘flexing with ya’ line in the post-chorus hook. It kicks the energy level of the song to the whole new high. Talking about the energy of the song, I liked how everything flowed in this song, particularly the instrumental break at the end of the song, which channelled the energy perfectly.

And like the song, the music video takes full commitment to that dark direction. I am not exactly sure what is happening but it seems like there are two sides of Minhyuk. The presence of these two sides is based on the person he likes, whom he describes as dangerous and should be avoided. His darker self (represented by the black outfit) seems to have the upper hand to his more good side (which is represented as being in the white stray jacket). And as his darker side tells him to stay with his dangerous lover, this results in his apartment catching on fire (a consequence he knows was going to happen). This is also the first time I saw a male idol gradually lose their shirt. In the first set of choreography shots, he was wearing a shirt and jacket. Next set of scenes was a jacket buttoned up. The final set of scenes was abs galore for all the fans out there. And visually, he is very good looking in this music video.

I thought the choreography was nice. It gives him an opportunity to really focus on rapping and singing. But it didn’t seem too simple if you understand what I mean. The moves at the ‘Flexing with ya’ post-chorus hook was rather simple but had attitude. His solo dance at the end was equally as cool and gave him to showcase his dancing ability, giving fans and the audience the trinity.

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.5/10

[Review] Sunrise – GFriend

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Here is a ‘Sunrise’ that you do not need to wake up early to be able to experience. Today, GFriend made their comeback with Sunrise, the title track off their second studio album, Time For Us. This is the group’s first Korean comeback since Sunny Summer and their first release since the group made their Japanese debut with Memoria and Time For The Moon Night.

I think the major attraction for the Sunrise title track is the vocals. Despite it having GFriend’s signature sound, the song focuses squarely on the vocals of each member. No one sounds overshadowed and stands out all in their own way. But the biggest highlight for the song comes at the very end when they pull off high note after high note to give the song that spectacular climax and ending. Normally Yuju handles these notes but this time around we see Eunha take the reigns. I personally like that rush of energy we get at the end of the song, which really makes the song feel suspenseful at the end and this obviously would go well with the vocals. I also liked how they put the instrumental break at the end of the song, rather than earlier (as this would have made them out of breath for the rest of the song and this could potentially ruin a live performance). I also found the chorus to be extremely catchy. Overall, another great song from the female group.

Based on some of the images we see in the music video, it seems like the music videos for Sunrise and Time For The Moon Night are connected. To quickly recap, we found out that Eunha had died at the end of the latter’s music video (as opposed to my original theory) and that she could only be seen during the night. In Sunrise, we see a lot more scenes during the start of the day. Prior to the Sunrise, the members could see Eunha freely but once Sunrise occurs, she disappears (whilst also taking a chunk of cake). This barrier upsets the members and it seems like they all end up dying to be with Eunha (i.e. they all reunite during the day at the piano which Eunha is playing at). Putting the stories together, I see how well thought out all of this was and I really like that. I also liked the visuals of the members throughout this video.

There seems to be a cutesy element mixed into the performance, which I quite liked. I also really like the elegant lift of Yuju at the first chorus. I also liked the pre-chorus movement, as that looked quite cool. And per usual, the dance break at the end was awesome, sealing the deal as another amazing GFriend dance.

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

[Review] Sappy – Red Velvet

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It is time for the first JPOP review of 2019. And starting of the JPOP rush for this year is Red Velvet with their brand new single, Sappy. The popular female group made their Japanese debut last year with #Cookie Jar, the title for both their debut single and mini-album. Since then, the group returned to Korea to release and promote Power Up and RBB.

Sappy has a lot going on and that is partly due to the instrumental of the song. But let’s backtrack for a moment and go from the start. I am not a fan of how they started off the song. It started off with straightforward hushed vocals singing ‘Sappy Boy‘ with the repetitive trumpet as its main attraction. That was okay. But the instrumental break that follows right after felt overwhelmingly messy. And, to me at least, felt off tune and disconnected. Moving along to the verses, I can see signs of an improvement in sound. It was extremely crisp and didn’t feature anything that I thought was off tune. I did notice their vocals seemed to be weighed down and that their voices had a lower tone. Don’t know why but I am not too bothered by it. The chorus came along and it too was a tad overwhelming at first with its many layers in the instrumentation. But it has since grown on me and I thought it provides a nice burst of energy and sweetness to the song. It was also quite catchy. So overall, Sappy was quite nice with the exception of that part.

Suiting the song and the group perfectly is the brightly coloured music video. It starts off as a standard music video, with the normal close up shots of the girls doing things. And then the music video becomes like a ‘Spot the Difference’ game. Come to the think of it, what was the concept for this comeback/music video? It does seem a little over the place, like the song at times.

I wasn’t impressed with their last Japanese dance. But this, it was good. I liked all of it, which I thought was fitting for the song. To match the fast tempo of the chorus, their moves became liked quick jerks, which I thought looked really cool. And then when the song slowed down, they moved into slower and wider motions, which was a good progression.

Song – 7/10
Music Video  – 6/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 6.9/10

[Review] Will You Be My Girlfriend? – M.O.N.T

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A few days ago, I posted two reviews for the title tracks of newly debut male groups, ONEUS and VERIVERY. In the ONEUS review, I mentioned that the two groups were not the first to debut in 2019. On January the 4th, M.O.N.T made their debut with Will You Be My Girlfriend?. The male trio consisting of Narachan, Bitsaeon, and Roda is under Fly Music Entertainment. If all three members look familiar, this is because they were all previously on MIXNINE.

Will You Be My Girlfriend? is the type of debut song that fits into the bright category. But that sounds like it fits into the really dreaded aegyo sounding category, which it doesn’t. Will You Be My Girlfriend? has a very strong hip-hop influence. It isn’t one of a kind but it has a unique charm through the use of hip-hop influences and its catchy chorus. I personally like how the rapper is the main focus on the song. You don’t get to hear that much rapping in songs of this bright nature, hence why I described as unique. On the other hand, the vocals are just good. I felt like the vocals could have been more interesting. Like the rapping, they could have added an element of interest. But instead, it seems like the producers/members played it safe, going for a more typical route. Sure it was good but it wasn’t interesting is what I am trying to say. But other than, it was a nice debut track that does set them apart for its differences to other debut songs.

Fitting in nicely with the bright theme is the bright music video. But this is where the debut package seems to encroach into the cutesy and over-the-top domain. It isn’t the most cringest video to watch but it was fairly close, based on what I have seen in the past. And truthfully, I wouldn’t know how else to really put this video together without going into the said domain. They try to play towards their youthful image by acting in a bright and playful manner, trying to ask their crush out. It goes well with the song’s vibes and the lyrics. It just isn’t my cup of tea.

The choreography for this song is okay. They don’t go with anything too complicated, which automatically wouldn’t go nicely with the song. Instead, to fit that bright element, they went with simplicity. I did like the chorus’ dance moves and their smiles looked like they had a great time on stage.

Song – 7/10
Music VIdeo – 6/10
Performance – 6/10
Overall Rating – 6.5/10

[Review] Carpet – Yesung (Super Junior) & Bumkey

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It is time for another SM Station release. Season 3 started a few weeks back, rounding out with NCT Dream’s Candle Light. There was an SM Station release last week due to (and I assumed this) it being the first week of the new year. But now, SM Station is back with a collaboration between Yesung and Bumkey. The song, Carpet, was released on Thursday of this week, which is the new designated day for all SM Station releases.

Carpet is an R&B ballad combo that endeavours the two genres that the collaborators are widely known for (Yesung commonly sings ballads, while Bumkey is an R&B rapper). Both do a splendid job within the song with nothing to say negatively. The harmonies are also quite beautiful. They also create a wonderful atmosphere that I think is best described as touching. I also noticed that there is a slight jazz infleunce, partly due to the piano, which could also be described as soothing. If you don’t understand the lyrics of the song straight off the bat (like a certain person – a.k.a. me), you can tell that there is an emotive drive to the song, which already sets the scene. But the music video (more on this later) and the title of the song got me rather intrigued, so I looked up the lyrics of the song. It seems the lyrics of the song are in the perspective of the small rug that has been through everything with someone, personifying it to be like a good friend to rely on and cry on – if needed.

And with the meaning of the song in hand, I think the video does an amazing job of visualising this message. The carpet has been with this young lady for many years. From her childhood, she played on it. From her adolescent, she read books on it. She also had breakups on it. But as she grew older, she moved away and the carpet was put into storage and somehow made it to the market. And during one of her shopping expeditions, the young female comes across the rug, which is instantly identified due to the presence of an orange juice stain that she caused back in her younger years, And to further fit the lyrics, we see the carpet wrapping itself around her to comfort her. A well put together music video.

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

[Review] Ring Ring Ring – VERIVERY

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Multiple comebacks in the same day is a regular thing but we don’t often hear too much about multiple debuts on the same day. In addition to the debut of ONEUS today, VERIVERY makes their career start with their title track Ring Ring Ring. The group is from Jellyfish Entertainment, which also manages VIXX and Gugudan. They consist of 7 members including Dongheon, Minchan, Yeonho, Hoyoung, Gyehyeon, Yongseung and Kangmin. While this is their debut track, this isn’t the first time I have reviewed the new group, as I wrote a review for their special single, Super Special, last year.

Ring Ring Ring reminds me of songs from the 90s era through its instrumental and melody. And with KPOP very big on the retro throwbacks, Ring Ring Ring fits neatly into the KPOP portfolio that has been growing over the years. The use of the drum beat throughout the song and the rap sequence within the bridge used to hype the song are all elements that point towards that era. The song itself is extremely bright and has also this pop feel to it, which I can see being infectious down the road. And for that, I think it is a very memorable song. The vocals were pretty good (that opening section to the bridge definitely showcases potential) and the rapping was definitely another top element. I did think the song got a little repetitive towards the end but I think its energetic nature makes up for this. Overall, it is a nice debut song to have ringing in the audience’s ear.

When I write these reviews, I find myself in awe of the simplest or smallest of things. I personally am not sure how they got those floating shapes in the background of the choreography shots to move about. I am not sure if it editing after filming or they used lights to project upon the white background. Either way, I am thoroughly intrigued about it. The rest of the video shows the members having fun, which is in line with the song’s vibes.

The choreography for this performance fits perfectly into the song. It is fun, energetic and youthful, which automatically becomes the group’s image. I think the best bit of the performance has to be the bridge. Starting off with those smooth rotating arms and exceptional synchronisation for the vocal section, while moving back into the fun style for the rap part of the bridge, everything looked well polished and it shows some versatility.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.1/10 

[Review] Valkyrie – ONEUS

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It is always exciting to look at new debuts and see what they have to offer. While it isn’t technically the first debut of 2019 (A review is coming soon!), ONEUS’ debut is still one of the first of the year. ONEUS is a 6-member male group under RBW Entertainment (which also houses Mamamoo and VROMANCE). The group is made up of Ravn, Seoho, Leedo, Keonhee, Hwanwoong, and Xion. We have previously seen the group with their collaboration with ONEWE, an upcoming band under the same company.

Their debut title track is titled as Valkyrie and there are two meanings to the title, which are both referenced in the lyrics of the song (taken from SOOMPI). The first is in regards to the mythological creature Valkyrie (more on this in the music video section). The second is in regards to the way Valkyrie is pronounced in South Korea, which is similar to the Korean equivalent of ‘Light It Up’, where the member describes their lover as a beacon of light. But I think the elements in the song were more interesting. The instrumental features this cool guitar rhythm, which I think makes the song sound so elegant and very addictive. But the song is two-faced, with an electronic changeup for the chorus which gives the song some edge and definitely adds onto that addictive nature. And we can’t wrap up this section without reference to the amazing vocals and rapping.  The rappers, in particular, caught my attention as they gave the song that extra roughness which definitely goes perfectly with the edgy sound they were aiming for.

The meaning with the mythological creature (mentioned above) is seen more profoundly in the music video. The Valkyrie is represented by the light in the music video (which goes hand-in-hand with the other meaning), awakening the members to travel to Valhalla (the afterlife). Throughout the video, you see the members being rather bored with their lives on Earth and I think are hoping that they will be picked to go to Valhalla in order to seek the Valkyrie, which may also be their lover. At least, that is my take on the video. I really like the dark side of the video and the very unique sets that they have. The spikes looked really cool and that back-ending scene really stole the show for me.

And that back-bending move is also seen in the choreography. Just the member doing the complicated move (sorry, I don’t know their names yet) is supported by other members. But still looks cool. I also liked the footwork they did during the lone guitar moments in the song and they made the chorus look quite explosive.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating- 9.5/10

 

[Review] La La Love – WJSN (Cosmic Girls)

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Returning today with a brand new song is WJSN, with La La Love. WJSN has had a pretty successful last year with the release of Dreams Come True and Save You, Save Me, which both helped grow their fanbase considerably. The latter song also earned the group’s first win on a weekly music show. And once again, only 10 members are involved in the promotions for the album, with  Cheng Xiao, Mei Qi and Xuan Yi missing out due to conflicting schedules and involvement with Rocket Girls 101.

La La Love slightly departs for the group’s usual fanatical and mystical sound.  It does maintain that influence but it ends up on an edgier route this time around. With Exy’s rap-talk introduction along with the dance instrumentation, the opening section of the song was amazing. I am currently waiting to see the lyrics for of the song as I am not sure what Exy was trying to say in the second line (‘They blended in the heart like a Cadillac’?). I liked the upbeatness of the song, which is one of the attractive points of the song. Another attractive point has to be the rap-talk sections just prior to the choruses, which really built up the suspense for the explosion of energy we got from the chorus. The one thing I felt could have been better was Exy’s actual rap sequence at the start of the second verse. She already had a rap-talk section at the start and end of the song, so to hear another rap-talk sequence was a little disappointing. I was expecting something with intensity and complete edginess to further offset the usual WJSN influence that we could hear. But La La Love was a song to La La Love for.

La La Love‘s music video takes on a circus concept, which actually looks amazing. That same mystical feel you get from their past video is also present in this music video. But this time around, they added a level of both edge and elegance to the video through their outfits, which I actually really liked. Their visuals are on point throughout the video. I did like the scenery and sets they had in the video, which definitely added to the visuals of the video. I wonder if there is symbolism in the video as the video felt more like a choreography/close up shot type video, which is the only negative that I point out about it.

Another great routine from the girls but there wasn’t anything memorable about this performance, like in both of last year’s releases. I did like the two pinches they did for the chorus. But that was far from memorable.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 8.6/10

[Review] I’m OK – iKON

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2018 has been the busiest year for iKON yet. Love Scenario, Killing Me and Goodbye Road were all promoted in 2018 by the YG male group. And now the group has kicked off 2019 with the release of I’m OK, which is the title track off their first repackaged/compilation album, The New Kids. The song also serves as the final release as part of their New Kids series, which has been ongoing since 2017. I’m OK was also due to be released on the 31st of December 2018 but it was postponed until yesterday.

I’m OK is a hip-hop ballad, something that we all know iKON will nail given their past releases. And out of the songs in this series, I’m OK goes heavy handed with the emotions. You can hear the pain and emotions they put forward during the rap sequences and the way the chorus sounds. I really like the instrumental for this track despite it being quite soft in nature. It features an orchestral influence, which is an instant hit in my books (if you know my taste in music). But it is the pairing of the instrumental with the vocals and raps make the song sound extremely worthwhile. I particularly like the piano in the background, especially the heavier notes we hear at the start of the chorus. Maybe they could have added more to the instrumental to build it up or had a more dramatic climax. But over than that, I’m OK is another great song from the group.

In line with the emotive side of the song, I’m OK is filled with scenes that go perfectly with that concept. And with each individual scenes, the video becomes very aesthetic, which is highly expected of any YG video. Definitely, the most epic moment of the video has to be the exploding car. There might be a story involved, as I think all the members interact with the car throughout the video in some form but it isn’t as explicit as I had hoped.  Overall, I thought it was a nicely done video.

While the ballad side of the song doesn’t need choreography, the hip-hop side invites the opportunity to arise. But because of the ballad side of the song, the potential for a set of moves is hugely limited. For the most part, iKON does a pretty good job at handling the motions. But it felt standard for the most part.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 6/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

[Review] %% – APINK

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After the release of their successful hit, I’m So Sick, which featured a change in image from their well-known cutesy style, APINK has returned with a brand new song, %%. While you may be tempted to pronounce it as ‘Percent Percent’, the actual pronunciation is ‘Eung Eung’ as when you slightly spin the percentage sign, you get ‘응응’. In other news related to APINK, they had their concert last night where they performed %% for the first time and Eunji had a solo comeback in the later parts of 2018.

%% is another complete changeup in their sound. It is probably their most sensual sounding song yet. The instrumental is very subtle. It is present but it doesn’t seem to be as noticeable as other girl-crush songs that we know of in KPOP, such as I’m So Sick. But I like that, as it forces the vocals to be the main attraction for the song. I thought their vocals were nice. Instead of going for a strong sound, their vocals sounded a lot lighter than usual, which goes extremely well with the subtle instrumentation I mentioned previously. The song itself is catchy and like my previous review, I can see the song growing on me. I really like the ‘Eung’ that features after each ‘Eung Eung‘ sung by the members. It sticks out for all the right reasons and gives a slight accent to the song. I think the song does lack that kick which could make this track a lot stronger and more profound. But over than that, I see this as another great song from APINK.

For a girl group named APINK, I think this is one of the few videos which feature pink as the main colour. There also seems to be this hazy look hanging over the video, which I guess is their way of doing something mysterious. Anyway, the video seems to be showing the members collecting ingredients for a potion of some kind, which was later shown to create a heart for their ‘man’, represented by the floating tuxedo. This goes well with the lyrics to the song. I liked their close up shots and the post-production editing on the video looked cool.

The choreography was awesome. I really liked the introductory dance they had at the start. They seemed to match the moves to the subtle nature of the song but they did it which attitude, so their moves looked much stronger as a whole. Once again, I need to wait until I see a full performance to be sure,

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.3/10

[Review] Lonely Night – KNK

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After a year and a half absence from the stage, KNK has finally returned with a brand new single, Lonely Night. Their last comeback was in July 2017 with their digital single Rain. Since then, a number of events have occurred for to the male group including their Japanese debut, 3 of the members (Seungjun, Inseong & Heejun) participated in Mix Nine survival show, Youjin left the group, Seungjun changed his stage name to Seoham, the group also parted ways with YNB Entertainment and this latest comeback sees the addition of a new member, Lee Dongwon, to the group.

Lonely Night reminds me of their previous single, Rain. I am attributing that to the instrumental, due to the saxophones in this song. Rain was more lowkey, however, while the saxophones in Lonely Night is more profound and give off an upbeat vibe. Lonely Night also has a darker feel, along with an intense hip-hop influence, which is definitely a trend ongoing in KPOP for the past few years. Altogether, the song does present as an attractive package to me. It has that dark vibe in its sound which I enjoy while also remaining upbeat to really have something for me to catch onto. I can see the song becoming catchy for me. The vocals were superb. Everyone sounded great. But my best part of the entire song has to be the rapping that featured just before each chorus. It sounded cool and just lead nicely into the chorus.

There could potentially be some meaning behind each of the member’s solo parts as I see some distorted imagery and reflections (as if something was haunting them). But that might just have been my misinterpretation. They did a good job of showing loneliness and the feelings that come with it. I liked how they toned down the colours in the video. It really keeps that dark concept in check with the song and consistent throughout the entire video.

I think I might need to wait until there is a live performance for this particular comeback. But from what I can see during the choreography shots, everything looked quite good. There were some body waves and some deliberate slow motion within the dance moves that look promising!

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

[Review] Drunk In The Morning – Ryeowook (Super Junior)

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Earlier this week, Ryeowook made his solo comeback with I’m Not Over You, which he is promoting as the main title track for this latest album release, Drunk On Love. I am not sure about the nature of Drunk In The Morning (i.e. if it is another title track or just a secondary track /ut a music video for it was released today, resulting in the publication of this review.

Drunk In The Morning gives us one side of the spectrum of ballads. That strong power vocal and moving instrumental that I think is seen as the more traditional style of ballads. However, the instrumental is a little non-traditional, featuring a mixture of modern synths and an orchestra. But it does a wonderful job of showcasing that emotional picture. But it is the Ryeowook’s power vocals that give the song a painful touch, while also giving that level of impact that I seek in songs, which means the song is memorable. I’m Not Over You shows a ballad at the opposite end of the spectrum as it approaches the genre in a different manner. Given the nature of these two contrasting songs, I am genuinely interested in what the rest of his album will be like. Hence, I will write an album review for Drunk In Love to be published next week! You heard it first here!

I liked how this music video connected with Ryeowook’s music video for I’m Not Over You. Some of the sets are similar, particularly the one with the satellite dishes (in the other video) and the payphone (in this video). Even the same love interest is shown here (but with different feelings to match the song, of course). Something must have happened between videos to let it get to this state! I think Ryeowook’s acting in this video is commendable. His vocals already bring pain to the song. But it is his acting that really consolidates all of that emotion and set it into stone for me.

 

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.6/10

[Review] Even So – Luna (f(x))

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It has been years since an F(x) comeback and with 2019 just starting out, we are hoping 2019 is the year for a comeback. But it hasn’t been a complete absent from the industry with Amber and Luna dropping music here and there since their 4 Walls comeback, while Krystal and Victoria have been focused on their acting careers. Luna returned today with her second solo single, Even So.

Even So is an R&B pop track, which I think does a good job at showing off Luna’s vocals. There is a hint of sweetness added to the song via the vocals, which I thought went hand-in-hand with the message of hope that was portrayed in the lyrics of the song. It also matched the pleasant vibes from the instrumental. Talking about the instrumental, it had a warm feeling and I really liked the mellowness of the music, which I think made this song very easy on the ears. I think the main issue with the song is its memorability. The said vocals were good but they didn’t that mind-blowing nature about them to really make the song unforgettable. Though, I am not sure what they could have added to give Luna’s song that memorability factor. But despite that, it was a good song.

I thought the video was decent, at best. It seems to tell a story, flashing between a sadden Luna in her solo shots and a more lively Luna during the scenes with other people. I did like how they used colour to represent that, giving us hints towards what is going on. Though, I am not 100% sure what this all means. I did also like how the cinematography was used throughout the video to really give the video some action. It really creates a level of appeal to the video. However, I did like think the video shared a similar fate as the song. It lacked that memorability factor, as well.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 6/10
Overall Rating – 6.6/10

[Review] Rooftop – N.Flying

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N.Flying kicks off another year with their second single to their Fly High Project. The single is titled as Rooftop and it joins Like A Flower as part of this music project, with more releases joining the lineup as each month goes by. This is also their first comeback as a 4-member band after Kwangjin recently left the group due to misconduct allegations.

Rooftop does a good job of combining that fun element from the songs which I liked from N.Flying’s discography (Hot Potato and The Real) and the mature side of the group, which we heard in their previous single. It isn’t that most mindblowing combination, however, as it isn’t a song that I would necessarily go out of my way to replay constantly. I think there is some reggae influence in the instrumental, which is smartly masked with the traditional rock instrumentation. I did like the extra insert they did final chorus to give the song a little something extra. But apart from that, the song did feel somewhat repetitive. Their vocals also bring a nice appeal to the song but it does lack some intensity, which I think they could have added via a rapping section.

While I don’t recognise all the members of N.Flying, I must admit that having one less member is extremely noticeable. There is a sense of emptiness that isn’t filled, which I guess is a lot harder for bands to fill as the performances don’t consist a lot of movement (so it would be harder to mask the reduced number of members). Moving along, since the song was titled Rooftop it would make sense for the band to perform on top of a rooftop, which is exactly what we got. And I liked what they did. It isn’t a really fancy music video but they managed to get by in a humble manner. And I liked that about the video, as it keeps it grounded without going over the top. I particularly like the night scenes as they do a better job of showing off that humbleness.

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

[Review] Gotta Go – Kim Chungha

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Also kicking off 2019 is Kim Chungha, who returns with an upgraded and mature performance to match her latest single, Gotta Go (벌써 12시). This is Kim Chungha’s first comeback since Love U was released back in Summer of 2018. It seems like Chungha is attempting to replicate the success of her Roller Coaster comeback, which was released at the start of last year in January 2018. Given her popularity has grown and the success of her Roller Coaster comeback earning her Best Solo Dance Performance Award at the 2018 MAMAs, there is no doubt that Chungha will still be able to top charts once again.

Gotta Go is Kim Chungha’s most mature release yet. The dance-pop instrumental of this song is extremely appealing and it paves the way for a very sexy looking performance (more on that later). I am not exactly sure how to describe the synth that features prominently in this song. It is like a synthesizer trying to mimic a flute. It is vaguely familiar, however, reminding me of songs from the 90s. But while I meddle over how to describe the sound in text, the song itself is really good. It is catchy and potentially addictive (we might need to wait on that as it has only been a few hours since its release). And like my other review from today, Chungha really put her best vocals forward through this song. That high note at the end was amazing and the stability in her vocals for this song allows that mature feeling to become a profound element of the song.

The first thing that I have to mention is that Chungha’s change in looks (compared to her previous comebacks) is extremely striking and bold. And going with that maturer sound is a sexy concept. But it isn’t that type of sexy that people criticise about. Rather, it is classy and elegant, which I quite liked. It also showcases confidence, which can be illustrated wonderfully during the scene where she did her walk down the stairs (alongside her backup dancers). I really liked the video and the visuals that came with it.

Watching the choreography in the music video, it makes me excited for the upcoming performances. This entire choreography looks amazing. That entire final section was definitely a mixture of the icing on the cake and the cherry on top. When the backup dancers fall down slowly and she goes into that scorpion posture, I was left shocked. Everything else was very strong and nicely done. I did see a few moves from her previous comebacks, though I am not sure if it was intentional or recycled.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.9/10

[Review] I’m Not Over You – Ryeowook (Super Junior)

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The first major comeback of 2019 is Ryeowook’s long-awaited solo comeback, I’m Not Over You. This is his first release since his departure from his military enlistment and The Little Prince comeback back in 2016. He also rejoined Super Junior for the One More Time promotions in October of 2018. His solo comeback was supposed to be back in December of last year (with teasers released) but was delayed last minute until today due to health concerns. Hopefully, Ryeowook has fully recovered and is able to showcase his vocals and music releases this year.

Following  The Little Prince, I’m Not Over You takes the ballad route. It is a nice ballad with soothing piano instrumentation. There was also some orchestra in the instrumental. It was very lightly featured during the start of the song. Almost inaudible because the piano was the main instrument heard. It builds up gradually as the song progresses, going for a climatic and epic peak during the bridge of the song. This drew my attention to the song as it added energy and a very attention-grabbing period of music to the slow ballad. It slows down for a moment afterwards but climaxes once again during the final chorus. Besides the instrumental, we need to discuss Ryeowook’s vocals which were superb. His vocals were perfect for the ballad with the title ‘I’m Not Over You‘ being the one line that just I anticipate every time I listen to the song. That falsetto during the bridge was definitely another highlight to the song and showcases his skills in a jaw-dropping manner.

I think the video was pretty good. The scenes we saw throughout the video simply showed the main story. That was, Ryeowook is searching for his lover using the many satellite dishes and tracking computers that he has in his room. But while that seems to be a tad too technological for a ballad, that isn’t the case whatsoever. Ryeowook was shown singing in these sets, reminding us that the song is the main attraction and that the video was a simple aid in helping us understand the music video.

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.6/10