Category: Reviews

[Review] Blue Rose – UP10TION

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Continuing the blue theme for the last few reviews (Onew’s solo release, titled Blue and Mamamoo’s album review for BLUE;S)  is UP10TION’s latest release, Blue Rose, which is featured on the group’s 9th mini-album. This is the group’s first comeback since the release of their special single, So Beautiful back in August of this year. The group has also been active in Japan with their Chaser comeback.

Blue Rose starts off with what seems to promise to their most edgy sound yet. And they do a pretty good job with maintaining that level of edginess throughout the song. The rapping during this start (along with the rest of the rapping) was really cool, giving the song a really rough exterior. The instrumental gave the song a powerful kick, especially during the choruses. I really liked that brief pause after the first line of the chorus, giving that striking impact to the song. The bridge was also quite nice, bringing in a minimalist dance break, which I thought was quite cool. However, there were some things that hold is back from being an amazing song. The vocals felt bland. Because the song felt like the first verse/chorus was just copied and pasted, it left the vocals hanging and not really build up all that much. I felt like they could have spiced the song up a tiny bit towards the end, which would have made it a lot more interesting.

The music video seems to show two opposing sides. The more casually dressed UP10TION seemed to represent the fugitives, while the smartly dressed UP10TION shows the Chasers (based on the teasers). The fugitives have the Blue Rose, which the chasers are trying to obtain. We don’t really see any plot development, as the teasers made it out to be, which was a mega disappointment. In the end, we just see the chasers confront the fugitives and the video ends there. Pretty boring, if you ask me. Where is the action or the mystery? Moving to more positives, I liked their outfits and sets of the video, which I thought was classy.

Looking at the dance in the music video, there seems to be a sensual side to the performance which I think fits in with their sound really nicely. I also enjoyed that minimalist dance break hat they had, which I thought was quite cool. It is something a little different to usual dance breaks (which tends to be intense and powerful).

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.2/10

[Review] Blue – Onew (SHINee)

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SHINee is nominated for Best Male Group and Best Album in the 2018 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support SHINee and your other favourites by clicking here to vote.

2018 has been a jam-packed year for many groups, with SHINee being a prime example. SHINee returned in 3 back-to-back comebacks (Good Evening, I Want You & Our Page) and a special single (Countless) to celebrate their 10-year anniversary. Since then, the members have embarked onto solo promotions, including Taemin’s Japanese releases, Minho’s movie filming and the recent solo debut for Key with One Of Those Nights. This leaves just Onew who is due to enlist in a couple of days. But this isn’t stopping SHINee’s leader from launching his solo career with the title track Blue and the mini-album, Voice.

Even though I just launched the KPOPREVIEWED Awards for 2018, I am already thinking ahead for 2019. And you can just blame the one listen I had to this song. Blue is a ballad, which isn’t unexpecting. But what is unexpecting is how amazing the song is. And amazing is probably an underwhelming description. It is one of those ballads where the orchestral instrumental and Onew’s vocals tell a story. It has that dramatic flair to really make you feel emotional and if I were to judge the ballad based on that, I would say it was highly successful. The instrumental was stunning. But it is his voice that gets me. You can feel the pain. You can feel the sadness. Onew does an amazing job of bundling all of that up in a matter of 5 minutes and leaving us in awe of the song. Literally, my only complaint about the song is why we didn’t get this sooner!

Once again, the comment section for the music video theorises about the meaning of the video. And I agree with what is being said. This is Onew’s recount of the events, beginning with his hiatus due to a scandal that occurred last year. Due to this scandal, he had to go on hiatus, which is presented by the isolation in the video. The diamond represents SHINee, as there are five diamonds in the mirrors. The shooting star attracts his attention to bring the diamond outside. He proceeds to go outside, walking past fishes, flowers (which I don’t know the meaning of) and blindfolded people who seem to stare at him (maybe due to his scandal). At the end of his walk, he recognises one person (the theories suggest he recognises the late Jonghyun) which surprises him and the diamond is lit up. He takes the diamond back to his house, meaning that these turn of events have told him to take another path and to return to the world. Whether this is correct, I don’t know. Like the song, you can feel the emotions throughout the video and you can tell that Onew is acting in this video based on experiences due to it feeling so real.

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

[Review] Turn It On – Laboum

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After their mature Between Us comeback in July, Laboum has returned with a brand new song, Turn It On. This new song features on the group’s 6th single album, which is titled as I’m Yours. Since their last comeback, Laboum has been busy with their Japanese Hwi Hwi debut and ZN completed her promotions as part of UNI.T (but unfortunately did not participate in their final rounds of promotions).

Turn It On takes that mature side of Between Us and combines it with the currently trendy Latin phase that KPOP is going through. What does set this song apart is that Latin sound isn’t too strong, allowing for the mix of some pop influence to be brought into play. Sure, all of these are pretty standard sound in KPOP nowadays but it is rather fresh, if I was to describe the sound of the song.  I did like the vocals in this song. Nothing that special but the vocals did feel a lot more interesting than their previous track. The hooks in the song weren’t as strong as their previous songs but there was a nice melody of them that made them appealing. I did like the bridge even though it was really short. The use of that ‘wide stereo’ filter on top of the voices was extremely fitting for the song, leading nicely to the high note and final chorus. I personally like this song but given the style they went with, I would understand why some people wouldn’t.

The music video starts off with a zombie (played by Jun from UKISS) running after one of the Laboum members (Solbin). Soyeon shoots Jun and the members of Laboum bring him back to their mansion. They begin therapy to take the zombie infection out of Jun and make him human again. They gave him music, food, smells and human touch, which caused his zombie nature to slowly disappear. In the end, however, the girls get attacked by another pack of zombies and become zombies themselves, while Jun returns to human form, not knowing what will occur to him when he meets the girls. The music video overall is quite nice and definitely well invested. The only problematic section is the credits. They could have timed the ending a lot better. The music randomly cuts off when the video ends, cutting the nice flow of the video. But other than that, I enjoyed it.

I thought the choreography for this comeback was quite classy. It plays towards this mature side of Laboum without going overboard, which I think was pretty cool. It also fitted in with the upbeat vibes of the song. I did like the bridge of the performance, which I think was their best moment.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.5/10

[Review] Milkshake – FANATICS-FLAVOR

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Many of your favourite rookies of 2018 are nominated including Stray Kids, The Boyz, LOONA and Nature (plus many more). If you have yet to support your favourite rookies, click here to do so now!

It is interesting to see more companies do pre-debut promotions for their groups. FANATICS is an upcoming girl group from FENT, with the currently confirmed lineup: Rensika, Doah, Chiayi, Yoonhye, SangAh, and Hyewon. While the official debut date hasn’t been set yet, the group have already kicked off promotions with a subunit. Doah, Chiayi and Yoonhye formed a subunit named FANATIC-FLAVOR and released their first single, Milkshake, last week.

Milkshake could have been better if the instrumentation was a little more energetic and fun sounding. I personally feel that the song lacked these elements, which is why I am not that interested in the song. I feel like the song could have been more memorable with more of these elements. The instrumental is synth-pop, with its sound reminding me of some arcade games (which probably inspired part of the music video). I did find their vocals a little interesting. It wasn’t 100% expressive as other groups, but the way the vocals and the instrumental blended together gave the song an innocent sound, which I think fits the concept well. And that is one of the main charms of the song. The song isn’t terrible in anyway. It just isn’t a song that I would be playing constantly. However, I wouldn’t mind putting this song once in a while.

I think the winning part of this debut is the music video. While I tend to be harsh towards cutesy concept because it is so overdone, I couldn’t help but enjoy this one due to its oddness. The girls want some sort of dairy product (let it be milkshakes, ice-cream or just plain old milk). But they face a shortage due to one tired (and possible selfish cow). While trying to steal some milk from the cow, it wakes up and then there is arcade game like fight showdown between the two, resulting in the cow being knocked down. They then successful fulfil their desires for a milkshake. The music video concept doesn’t scream norm, but it is a light-hearted takeaway from reality, which I really liked.

As for their performance, I am not really much of a fan. I don’t find it impressive but it was fitting for the song. It is cutesy but like the song, quite unenergetic.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 5/10
Overall Rating – 6.4/10

[Review] Miracle – GOT7

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GOT7 is nominated for Best Male Group and Best Male Choreography in the 2018 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. If you have yet to vote for GOT7 and your other favourite groups, click on the link here to do so!

It is December! So it is time to get the Christmas tree out, hang up those stockings and put on your Christmas song playlist. And kicking off the Christmas season for this year is GOT7 with their newest single, Miracle. Miracle is featured on the repackaged album of Present: You (which has been renamed appropriately to Present: You & Me) and is amongst 12 new songs, making this album extra special if you want to give it as a gift (or receive it as a gift).

Following their Confession Song Christmas release in 2014, Miracle was expected to go down down the same stylistic route. It is a ballad and a much slower one if we were to compare. It is quite soothing and has a warm feeling to the song, which is definitely intended. The instrumental was an orchestral based instrumental, with a gradual buildup to its climax (i.e. the end of the song). I thought the vocals were nice, with Yooungjae and Jinyoung being the two members that stood out the most in the song. I liked it when the rappers started, the instrumental was kicked up a notch, adding to the colour of the song without making the rap sequences feel out of place. Based on my comments, I guess I like the song. I am still on the fence because I never expected GOT7 to do anything so ballad-y and hence this new song is foreign to me. Who knows what a few more listens to the song will do.

GOT7 plays the role of Christmas Ghosts for the young girl who is unable to play with the other children when it comes to Christmas times. The reason why? I have no idea. The entire video is rather innocent, giving the young girl a chance to experience the snow and season. Based on the ending, it does seem like it just in her dreams. I thought it was a nicely put together video, with everyone having their own thing to do around her. It isn’t a video to really play repeatedly but it was a nice video to fit in with the song and holiday.

I am not sure if this song will be promoted. My guess is it isn’t, based on the lack of promotions for Confession Song. Hence, I will skip this section.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10

[Review] RBB (Really Bad Boy) – Red Velvet

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Red Velvet is nominated for Best Female Group and Really Bad Boy is nominated for Best Music Video in the 2018 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Click here to support them and your other favourites.

Just before Autumn wraps up, Red Velvet has made their official comeback with RBB or Really Bad Boy. This is the group’s third Korean comeback of the year, after Bad Boy (…) and Power Up. I am a little disappointed with the title for their new track, though. I think this is the first time I have seen a group return with a recycled title from one of their own older title tracks. While I can kind of go on about this for a while, I am going to put it to the side and move along with the review.

When I first heard the song, the first thing that popped into my mind was how it had the similar vibes to Bang Bang (the collaboration single between Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj). However, the more I listen to it, the less I think it is similar. I guess it has to be due to the bold feels and the brass that features throughout the song. It also features some piano at certain parts, which you can just hear on top of the loud instrumental. The song is extremely upbeat and energetic, which fits in nicely with the other Red* title tracks the group has. I think vocally, this has to be one of their strongest songs yet. It is bold and it is definitely showcasing their vocals. We also get a high pitch notes (which doubles up as a scream in the video) from Wendy, which just comes out of nowhere. The song has an addictive hook but my favourite part is the ‘1,2,5‘ at the very beginning. Overall, a very strong comeback.

When I first saw the teasers, I thought this was going to be a copy of last year’s Peek-A-Boo, due to the horror concept. But this is definitely quite different. It is a lot bright and it has a more notable energetic tone. The video shows a more 80s horror theme, given the wolf (the actual Really Bad Boy), their outfits and the set design. And speaking about the set design, how amazing did the video look? It is extremely elaborate but similar to a set to a high school play. I thought the post-production effects and editing also made their video stand out.

The choreography for this is absolutely smashing. I really like how more chaotic this performance feels, which I think is more in line with their previous choreographies that I personally liked. And the energy from this is extremely infectious. I really liked the part at 1:49 (of the music video), where they split into small groups and guide each other.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.3/10

* The Red Side is Red Velvet’s more energetic releases, including Dumb Dumb and Red Flavor. Red Velvet also has a Velvet side, which consists of One of Those Nights and Bad Boy.

[Review] Coffee Break – Jonah Nilsson & Lucas (NCT) ft. Richard Bona

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Returning for its 3rd season is SM Station! And kicking things off is Jonah Nilsson, Richard Bona and Lucas (from NCT). While we may be familiar with Lucas, we may not know too much about both Jonah and Richard, who previously joined hands together release the original version of Coffee Break back in June of this year. Well, Jonah Nilsson is the vocalist and pianist for Dirty Loops (a Swedish Jazz Band), while Richard Bona is a Grammy award-winning bassist, known for his Jazz work. So, let’s have a short ‘Coffee Break‘ and have a quick listen to the song.

I personally did not know that there was an original track to this collaboration. Basically, Lucas introduces Korean rap verses to the song, while Jonah Nilsson handles the English parts. It should also be noted that Jonah Nilsson also did the verses in the original in a similar fashion to Lucas. And have listened to both tracks, I actually like both. The original version is a lot easier for me to follow as it is in English, whereas Lucas gives the song a deep tone that sounds mature and even more classy.  The song is jazzy and upbeat, reminding me of a Micahel Jackson and Stevie Wonder combination. I did like how it did not become KPOP and remained very similar to the original version. I thought the instrumental (a mixture of piano from Jonah and brass from Richard Bona and co.) was very subtle but quite dynamic in its own way. It gives the song a very cheerful and colourful tone. The chorus itself is quite catchy and that piano solo was amazing! It is a great kick-start to the SM Station season! Can’t wait to see what’s next.

For some reason, the music video goes for a hazy colour palette, which I think is a rather interesting choice. Given this song, I expected something a little more golden. While the gold is there, it isn’t the main colour. Both Jonah and Lucas participate in this music video. Lucas is trying to get his colleague’s attention, while Jonah showcases that piano solo. Lucas also showcases some dance moves in the music video but not enough to require a performance section in this review. Overall, it is a really nice video that goes well with the song.

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

[Review] Wind Flower – Mamamoo

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Mamamoo ends the Autumn season with another comeback, making this their 3rd comeback so far. They have been releasing mini-albums every season for their 4 Seasons tetralogy this year, with Starry Night in Spring and Egotistic in Summer. For Autumn, the title track is Wind Flower and it is featured on their 8th mini-album, Blue:S. The only season left is Winter and my prediction is that won’t come until the very end of Winter, based on their release dates of the previous 3 seasons. But we are here for Wind Flower, so let’s dive in for a closer look.

Wind Flower is a pretty neat song.  The first thing you get when you listen to the song is a blast of smoothness. The song almost reminds me of a jazzy number, but not quite. It also has an interesting blend of R&B, which brings the emotional side of the lyrics into play. Together, it creates a song that I think only Mamamoo can nail. Their vocals feel perfect for the song and the season. It goes to show that Mamamoo doesn’t need to rely on their powerhouse vocals to get the job done. I thought the song had some interesting textures, based on different vocal styles I heard in the song. The husky whispers of Wind Flower just prior to the choruses show a delicate nature, while Moonbyul’s rap and vocals during the bridge bring a little bit of coarseness to the song. The choruses themselves do pop a lot, giving the song that needed boost of energy to make it memorable and another Mamamoo hit.

The emotional side of the comeback can be seen most prominently in their music video. The members are feeling the emotions from their past relationships despite breaking up. They spend some time of the video by themselves, feeling heartbreak. But towards the end of the video, the members band together to have some fun on the streets of Hong Kong and forget about their troubles. They have fun drinking heavily (while it is depicted as alcohol, they are actually drinking oolong tea) and then some more fun eating soft serve cones from McDonald’s. I like the video quite a bit as it brings a really beautiful insight into the nightlife of Hong Kong. And the acting in some of the parts of the video are on point.

I thought the performance was quite fitting. It wasn’t as hard-hitting or sexy like Egotistic but it had its own charms. I thought the heartbreaking summed up the song pretty well, while the incorporation of the number 2 during the chorus was a nice bounce back from that saddening theme.  Also, the male backup dancers added a nice touch, especially for the freestyle bit at the end.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

[Review] No Air – The Boyz

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The Boyz have returned with their fourth release of the year! I know it is a little hard to believe but let’s have a very brief look at the first 3 releases. In April, they returned with Giddy Up!. In August, the group released a special single, KeePer. And just two months ago in September, the group returned with Right Here. The fourth release is No Air, which is the title track off the group’s 3rd mini-album titled The Only.

No Air has an interesting title, so I became interested when the teasers were slowly released. Essentially, the song lyrics liken not having their significant other to having no air (They cannot live without one or the other). And like the idea of the song, the intro did get my interest up. The use of brass instruments was very intriguing. The song then takes a turn to more of a standard dance track. The chorus drop was nice but it wasn’t as explosive as I hoped for. Both the vocal work and rapping in this song were quite nice but they weren’t as strong as in the past. A similar comment can be made in regards to the main hook during the chorus, leaving the song to lack in the memorability criteria. There was a ‘No Air‘ hook after the second and final choruses but it wasn’t their best. And that practically sums up my feelings about the song. It is good but it isn’t their best.

While their choreography sets aren’t that elaborate, I like the use of the dominant colours in each set, with everything else complimenting the respective dominant colour. Like the purple made dancing in the shallow pool of water look so much cooler. For the rest of the video, I don’t really get what’s going on. I guess they are showing the ‘No Air’ side of things have killed the rest of humanity and they are left to find their one love. But that’s my guess that makes no sense.

The choreography was definitely one of the better components of this comeback. I thought the pulsing nature of the dance during the bridge was a really cool moment in the performance. The ‘No Air‘ hook dance (after the second and final choruses) also show a tough vibe, which I thought seemed cool as well.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.2/10

[Review] Thank U Soooo Much – Yubin

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Yubin has returned with a brand new single, Thank U Soooo Much. Earlier this year, the artist made her long-awaited debut as a solo artist with Lady. There were a few bumps along the road with the cancellation of the b-side single due to plagiarism concerns and a number of articles criticising her of her singing capabilities. Hopefully, this time around she won’t get the same comments with her latest single, which is featured on the mini-album, TUSM (Thank U Soooo Much).

Thank U Soooo Much takes on the disco beat that originated back in the 70s. It is quite an upbeat and funky track to dig into. I really like the whistles used in the background, which is kind of the ‘go-to’ sample if you want an addictive nature to your song. I do like that while it has that dominate retro disco feel, it doesn’t feel too much. Instead, the producer managed to keep it well balanced and free from any extremities, allowing the song to thrive and shine. Yubin sings in the majority of the song and I honestly do not understand the criticisms as she sounds wonderful in both this and her past songs. She does rap-talk the bridge, which I think is a great throwback to her more well-known side as a Wonder Girl’s member. Overall, I really like the new song.

Surprisingly, the video doesn’t really tap into the retro sci-fi imagery as much as I expected it to. The effects on the screens during the choreography shots was probably the most retro the video got. Her futuristic outfit and technology seemed to also be ideas from that era. But everything else felt quite modern. Maybe it is because the quality of the video was so high definition that makes it feel modern. I say that because some other retro-based music videos (such as SHINee’s releases earlier in the year) seem to use that home video or old cassette tape quality as a filter to really bring the videos back to that era. Overall, I liked the video though I wasn’t too sure what the storyline was going for.

The dance for this comebacks looks really cool. You can tell there is some attitude to the moves through her facial expressions, which go nicely with the lyrics. I really like how her arms flail about during the start of the chorus. It looks really cool.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.3/10

[Review] One of Those Nights – Key (SHINee) ft. Crush

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Key makes his official solo debut with One Of Those Nights, which features successful R&B artist, Crush. His title track is featured on the album titled as FACE and it also features the pre-release single, Forever Yours (featuring Soyou) which was released a few weeks back. Key is the third member of SHINee to make his solo debut, after Jonghyun (RIP) and Taemin. Onew has been confirmed to make his solo debut with an album next month before his military enlistment, leaving Minho as the only member to not branch out in a solo music career yet.

But today’s focus is on Key’s solo release, which I quite like. The instrumentation combines guitar and house beats, which is now a classic combination. And it makes the track quite addictive despite it not offering anything that we can consider new. I think the stand out element of the song has to be the vocals. Both Key and Crush’s vocals actually sound quite alike and both suit this style of music very well. If I wasn’t watching the music video, I wouldn’t be able to tell who is singing, which I think is a smart idea for when Key has to perform the song alone. That being said, Crush’s featuring in the chorus allows for Key to dance during the chorus and I too like that idea very much. Overall, I thought the song was quite clean cut and easy to listen to/get into.

The lyrics of the song talks about having ‘One of Those Nights’ where you cannot forget about your ex. And I thought the music video did a good job at portraying that. Key’s acting was really good, showing off facial expressions that make him look lost or just completely zone out due to these memories. I liked how Crush featured in the music video. But he was tucked into the scenes, such as Key dancing on the train carriage and Crush singing in the background. I thought that was really cool. I also thought the sets were very nice in the video.

This seems to be an artistic performance. While we cannot see much in the music video, the verses do show some graceful moves to fit the tempo and tone of the verses. When the chorus kicks in, everything becomes more energetic and upbeat. The bridge and final chorus look like it is going to be very powerful highlights in the performance, so I am looking forward to that.

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

[Review] FIANCÉ – Mino (Winner)

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Making his solo comeback after 2 years is Mino, the main rapper from Winner. I consider this to be his “comeback” despite it being marketed as it “solo debut”, as Mino started off his solo endeavours through Body, which was released alongside Bobby’s Holup! and MOBB’s (Mino & Bobby’s collaboration) Hit Me back in 2016. This time around, Mino released FIANCÉ, the title track off his first solo studio album, XX. And since its release yesterday, it has topped all the major charts in South Korea!

FIANCÉ opens up with a guitar riff that feels very country-based for the verses, which later progresses into a hip-hop dance track. Along the way, there are trot samples used in the background to give off a very unique effect. It is an interesting take on hip-hop which is Mino’s known associated sound and it makes it into a very colourful song. The delivery of his lines was quite nice. Though, I was wanting some buildup towards the end to really get the energy pumping. I felt like the ‘La La La‘ ending was good as a hype mechanism and definitely fitted the song. But it felt too straightforward. In the end, it felt like it lacked intensity. I would have liked a strong hooker. I didn’t find the main hook of FIANCÉ to be that memorable, so it did feel like it would be a forgettable song, especially in the midst of yesterday’s comebacks.

I think what Mino did nail with his release is the music video. The quality of the music video definitely fits in the YG scope, especially when it comes to set design. While the music video does show Mino surrounded by a lot of ladies (which may or may not allude to some themes based on the way they are dressed), the producers did a good job with making the main focus of the video to be Mino rather than the ladies, which would have caused a public outcry in today’s media. I thought the incorporation of the historical Korean set and outfits was really nice, especially since the song contained samples of Korean trot music.

The choreography looks interesting. With the way the song is presented, there is a form of edginess that I think Mino portrays well. I think the choreography for the second verse, where the soloist dances with each dancer, is going to be a very a very big moment in the performance.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.6/10

[Review] Help Me – NU’EST W

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Returning of the second time this year is NU’EST W with Help Me. They previously returned with Deja Vu in June. This will be NU’EST W’s last comeback as a subunit, with the impending return of Minhyun, who has been promoting as part of Wanna One, as he finished in the top 11 of Produce 101 Season 2. There is a slight nod towards this long-awaited reunion at the end of the music video. But before getting to the music video, let’s have a closer look at the song.

Help Me is one powerful and dynamic title track. Out of all the NU’EST W comebacks so far, this is probably their most promising yet. It is described as an R&B pop fusion track, featuring orchestral and rock elements in the background. I think the first thing that needs to be mentioned is the energy that this song manages to deliver in each punch (or chorus). It makes the track extremely memorable. I think the rapping (performed by JR) is very powerful in this track. But the vocals manage to match that same level of energy, so really they also shine. I particularly like the complete slow down for the first half of the final chorus and how it managed to fit in with the rest of the song. And then that return to the same impactful energy was just perfect. The point of exclaiming ‘Help Me‘ is to get someone’s attention and I can confirm that they have mine.

The music video features the member seeking help from someone. The lyrics paint a picture of a collapsed world and that this someone is the member’s saviour. And I thought the video did a really good job of creating a dystopian or non-existing world. And within each world, the members are lost and seeking that needed assistance. I think the most shell-shocking moment of the music video was the end, with the door opening. I think every fan of the group (me included) jumped up at that moment and assumed that it is alluding to the return of Minhyun, who I assume is the saviour (It doesn’t help that the footsteps sounded heavy – like a male’s footstep). Together, they reform as NU’EST once again.

I really liked the fast pace of the choreography, matching the energy of the song in a spectacular fashion. I was waiting for a really strong highlight of the choreography but I don’t think there was any. Instead, I was in complete awe of their moves and I was not left disappointed. Especially that entire dance break at the end.

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

[Review] Lost N Found – Lovelyz

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Joining the November comeback influx is Lovelyz. Known for their youthful comebacks, the girl group has been growing even more popular with each comeback. Now, the group has returned with their fifth mini album, Sanctuary, which features the title track, Lost N Found. This is their first comeback since Wag-Zak (released back in June) and the release of their first compilation album (Muse on Music), which is made up of instrumentals of many of their past tracks.

In just the first few seconds of the song, I thought Lovelyz was going to have a dramatic change in their sound. It was 100% techno, so that was very surprising. But within another few seconds, the group returned to their usual sound, with that techno infused into it. Well, during the purely instrumental sections, it felt more like distortion. But it gave their usual sound a facelift, which I thought was really clever. Their vocals brought the traditional Lovelyz sound and a hint of cuteness to the track. It was a really good track up until the bridge. I thought that the transition between the chorus to the bridge felt a little too sudden and this just cut the flow of the song for me. Its buildup back to the final chorus was quite lacklustre, nor was there really anything to call a ‘peak’. Overall, the song is good but not their best.

What they had visually was a very nice video. I just didn’t understand the imagery or symbolism of what they were doing. It might be retelling a story of a certain someone, where this certain someone fits in with the objects they were holding and the lyrics of the song but I have no idea who (maybe a Goddess). But besides the plot of the video, I thought the set looked really beautiful. It matches Lovelyz bright personality and beauty.

To fit in with the beauty and the concept, each of the members is holding microphones covered in flowers. While this seems quite ‘normal’ when you think about it, it is rather smart when on stage. Instead of drabby looking microphones, why not have them fit the theme or their outfits. I thought the intro choreography looked really nice and it matched the edgy side of the techno music extremely well. There was also this staggering move that I liked during the bridge.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.2/10

[Review] Free Fall – THE MAN BLK

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There is a new debut in the midst of the onslaught of comebacks in the month of November. THE MAN BLK is a 10 member male group under Stardium and their member lineup consists of Jinhwan, Sungyong, Se-ung, Junwon, Hyeongseok, Chanyi, Woojin, Seungho, Jeongyu and Taewoo. Free Fall is the group’s debut title track, which is featured on the group’s first mini-album, Various Colors.

I think Free Fall does a good job of showcasing the group’s vocals and rapping ability. The song can be described as a synth-based ballad, which tends to be an interesting combination of what is usually dance music and the soothing nature of a ballad. And this allows for the focus on the vocals and raps to be prominent. What I did like about the song is that it has a very mature feel to it, which is one bold move. This makes the song memorable for me. I did like the atmosphere and the instrumental of the song, which does fit into the common sound we hear nowadays. But it isn’t all praises for this song. The biggest lacking element in the song is momentum. It relies too much on that soothing nature that it doesn’t really accumulate energy like all other dance songs do. The song is repetitive and doesn’t really have any elements to dispell this repetitiveness. And as a result, the song does feel quite dry.

To match the mature sound of the song, many of the scenes in the music video had slow motion applied for to it. Not too bothered by it as it is quite fitting but it makes the video a tad slow. Also, I thought the Autumn style they members went for in all their scenes was definitely fitting for the song and season. The brown, grey and golden colour palette were also quite nice. Besides that, the music video shows choreography and close-ups, so there isn’t much else to talk about.

Starting off the performance is actually a pretty nice ‘free fall’. It may be the simplest of things but what I have determined here is that ‘sometimes simple is best’. And it starts the performance with impact. The performance is quite fitting for the slow nature of the song. It looked graceful and elegant at times.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8/10
Music Video – 7.5/10

[Review] Pirate King – ATEEZ

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ATEEZ made their debut at the end of October with Treasure. Since the release, the group have been actively promoting both Treasure and Pirate King on the weekly music shows. In my Treasure review, I did state that Pirate King was some sort of pre-debut single for the group and I believe I misstated that it wasn’t included in the actual album release (I was wrong with this latter bit). Their debut allowed for the release of the music video and proper promotions for the track, bumping it up to title track status.

When I heard the ‘Pirate King‘ titled, I expected something along the lines of Pirates of the Carribean. Don’t ask me why that is the first thing that popped into my head but it just did. The song isn’t anything like that official soundtrack. Instead, we get a very bombastic EDM track, which did have a slight theatrical flair and actually could be a part of a soundtrack to some sort of grand movie. I really like some of the synths in the song, which added electrifying details to the song to make it very appealing. The main concern with the song was that the instrumental was quite heavy and loud (not really an ideal track to blast over and over again). One of the possibilities that this could lead to is the overshadowing of the vocals and raps. However, this wasn’t the case as both vocals and raps were definitely well-heard and clear. And like their debut single, vocals and raps were on point!

We don’t have an actual music video for Pirate King, but instead, we have a performance version. For those who are new, you can get two official videos for a title track – the actual music video and a performance version (if there is choreography involved, though this one tends to be optional for some groups). Usually, you get the performance video in one set only. But we are treated to various sets for this video, which I believe to be the same deserts observed in the Treasure music video. It is quite good and the editing between the sets was great.

Amazing performance. The way they moved looked so cool. I particularly like the formation at the start of the second verse and the chorus. And that ending was so powerful. Honestly, I think I know which group I need to look out for (performance wise) next year!

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.9/10