Category: Reviews

[Review] Stay – Taeyeon

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I took a little break from my JPOP reviews last week because I was honestly running out of reviews to write. During that week off, I did find a few others so the JPOP reviews live on! Today’s focus will be on Taeyeon’s solo debut in Japan, Stay, which was released on the 30th of June. Taeyeon also recently made her solo return in South Korea and I reviewed both her title track (Something New) and album (Something New).

Right off the bat, the first impression I had of Stay was that it could be the Japanese counterpart for Taeyeon’s iconic I. While Stay does not have the explosive vocals, the energy and colour between the two are commonly uniform. It does do a good job at showing off the soloist’s vocals, which does serve as a good reminder of how she started off in KPOP as a solo artist (especially given how all her Korean releases have been more of the unique nature). What I also liked about the song was its peaceful nature. It didn’t employ EDM or synths, instead opting for a more traditional sound and instrumental, which allows her vocals to shine more. I did think the bridge was a little too different from the overall feel of the song and I haven’t been able to get used to it so far. Other than that, it was a good song.

I really liked the golden lighting that they had throughout the video, which does compliment the song. It gives a warm atmosphere, which does go quite well with the song. Going back to the idea that this is the Japanese counterpart of the I debut, the music videos are quite similar. In both videos, it seems like she is rediscovering herself by putting herself into a foreign environment. Likewise, the golden fields in this video remind me of the green fields in the I video.

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

[Review] Grapes – Busters

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Around a month ago, Busters made their comeback. But who is Busters? This is my first time reviewing them/hearing of them as well, so let’s find out. Busters is a 5-member girl group (consisting of Minji, Hyeongseo, Jisu, Minjung and Chaeyeon) under JTG Entertainment. All members were born after 2000 (and you can see more of their profiles here). They made their debut at the end of November 2017 with Lalala and Dream On.

But we are here to have a closer look at their Grapes comeback, which was released in June 2018.  The song is your typical cutesy KPOP song from a girl group. What do you expect from a song that relates sweetness of a grape to the love that the members can give? But while it does suit the youthful energy that the members have, the song is somewhat cringy at certain moments. However, multiple listens after, I am drawn to the song for its chorus. I thought the way the chorus was presented was extremely catchy and it soon became a very addictive song on my playlist. The verses weren’t that special, being the most skippable moments of the song. The chorus also provided some strong vocals. I am not exactly sure how the use of the synth in the post-chorus compliments the song but it works. Overall, it is a good song with some notable flaws. But definitely a great introduction to the group.

The music video was definitely quite crisp and I appreciate the high quality it was shot in. The concept seemed to be a commercial for a new soda brand called Grapes, which I think is quite creative. I think their use of green screen and special effects is probably one of the best in the industry, which is quite surprising since they come from a smaller/unknown company. The rest of the video consisted of choreography and cute close-ups, so I don’t have much else to say about the video.

I wasn’t impressed with the choreography. It looks typical and doesn’t set them apart from the rest of the competition. The most memorable part would have to be the start of the chorus but it was honestly still quite forgettable.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 4/10
Overall Rating – 6.7/10

[Review] KeePer – The Boyz

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Despite wrapping up promotions for Giddy Up a few months ago, The Boyz have returned with a brand new special single, KeePer. The single is produced by Park Kyung from Block B, who is known for a number of chart topping singles. This comeback also marks the return of Hwall, who was not present during the promotions for Giddy Up due to an injury.

From my understanding, all of Block B’s title tracks were produced by Zico. However, KeePer, despite being produced by Park Kyung, has a few moments that reminded me of Block B’s tracks, such as the start of the song. On top of that, the song was quite pleasant sounding and had a similar flair that I would commonly assoicate to the one Springtime or Summer season song that would get popular on the charts. There was also an innocent and youthful feel to the song which suits the group quite well. Its instrumental was more traditional and refreshing compared to their past title tracks which have been more eletronic based. KeePer had good vocals and rap sections, which added some more colour to the already bright sounding song. I found the chorus to be quite catchy and the track overall stands out because it is a little different to what I would associate with the group. Overall, it is a good song.

The music video takes on a Summer concept where the actual group is split into two smaller groups who don’t really hang out together. Through some events, the two groups come together in the video. I think that was the main plotline in the video, but I am not too sure (I confess I haven’t read the lyrics of the song yet but I have been told that it is a confession song). What I did like was how bright the video felt and the fun vibes that they were channeling through the video.

Despite being limited to a few scenes throughout the video for the choreography, I think I have seen enough to say this performance does stand out due to its youthful and fun vibes. I really liked the formations, particularly the X formation seen at 1:34 of the music video. Also really liked the aeroplane they form at the start and end of the choreography and it is equipped with propellors!

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10

[Review] Is It True – TARGET

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TARGET is a lesser-known KPOP group in the industry, who made their debut earlier this year with Awake. While I wasn’t exactly a fan of their debut track, I am always willing to give artists such as TARGET another go, mainly because the type of songs change as groups mature. Is It True is released as the group’s first single album.

Is It True isn’t as awkward sounding as their debut single, which already says this track is much more likeable as a result. The rapping this time around feels fitting for the song, going hand-in-hand with the melodic driven song. The vocal work was nice, with the vocalists each having a different colour or roughness to their voice, which in turn gives the song some texture. I did like its flowy nature, which got that swaying effect that I commonly like. The only problem with this song has is that it quite plain and doesn’t really develop much. It is nice but it isn’t something that sets the group apart from the other rookies that are debuting at the moment. I think the song would have done a little better if it was released a few years back, mainly because it does remind me of some KPOP tracks in the past (i.e. songs released earlier in the decade).

The music video doesn’t have much going on. In a way, it matches the peaceful vibes that the song has. However, I don’t really find it that interesting because it lacks that factor. I did notice how each scene had a certain dominant colour, with the rest of the scene in a very neutral colour (see image below). And usually, the dominant colour was very confined to a small section within the scene, which allowed it be bolder. Not sure what its intended effect was but it was an observation picked up from the video.

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Notice how the green is confined to a small section and everything else is rather neutral. This is seen often during the video.

Watching the choreography, I can’t help but notice that their hand movements resemble sign languaage. Know I don’t know exactly if this is the case (though some people agree according to the comments on YouTube) but it definitely makes the performance look extremely graceful and smooth. I also like the choreography during the bridge, especially when the members transition.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 6.1/10

[Review] SEMINA – gugudan SEMINA

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Making their subunit debut yesterday is gugudan’s SEMINA (구구단 세미나), who is debuting with a song also titled as Semina (샘이나). Interesting fact: while the romanization of the hangul is the same between the title and subunit’s name, the title of the song can be translated to ‘Jealous’, whereas the subunit’s name is a combination of the names of the members who make up the subunit (Sejeong, Mina, Nayoung). Coincidently, the 3 members were also past Produce 101 contestants. This is gugudan’s second subunit to date (the first being gugudan OGUOGU).

When I first listened to the song a few hours ago, I was speechless. It is one of those songs that make you stop whatever you are doing and really tune in to fully get the full song (if you know what I mean). I really like the explosion of energy from the song. From the vocals to the instrumentation, it is definitely suitable for the Summer season. There is definitely an undeniable colour in the song, which I really think makes this a unique track. The song takes on a funky retro sound filled with brass that definitely brings energy to the forefront of the song. On top of that, the members put on an amazing display of vocals throughout the song. I am surprised that gugudan hasn’t put out a similar song to this yet as there are definitely vocals within the group worth looking into. On top of that, Mina does a really good job with the rapping sections, which proved to be quite fitting as well. I can’t find any flaws in the song, it is just that good!

The music video is definitely perfectly fitted for the Summer season, as well. The members take a break from their lives and go on a holiday. What I liked more was the humour that was shown in the video. My favourite example was Nayoung opening a bag of popcorn and indulging herself. The next scene shows her hula-hooping to work off those extra calories and her facial expression says it all! I think all the members looked amazing in the video and some of the shots were really nice. I also liked the bright colours throughout the video.

Not sure if the performance I am watching was lip-synced but they really have stable vocals despite the choreography. I really liked the start of the chorus. However, the rest of the performance was rather plain in my opinion.

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 9.1/10

 

[Review] She Bad – MYTEEN

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It has been a while but MYTEEN is back with their first comeback, She Bad. For those who don’t know MYTEEN, they are a seven-member boy group who made their debut last year with Amazing. While they haven’t had much activity since their debut, they did participate in the now-failed MIXNINE survival show.

She Bad starts off with these distorted/muffled sounds that really grab your attention. While it does kind of tell you that there would be an upbeat nature with the song, the opening verse does a really fantastic job at easing you into the song. With promising vocals and an awesome slow-ish rap section at the very start, the song gives you a taster to what is in store. But while I praise the verses, the more interesting section is actually the chorus. It doesn’t really take you in the direction that you would expect, particularly after that buildup during the pre-chorus. Instead, it takes a more minimalistic approach in terms of instrumentation and allows the vocals to take reins of melody. I would like to have heard some more bass to give the chorus that extra bit of appeal but it was definitely quite cool. And that is just the 1st minute of the song. The rest of the song falls in line pretty nicely. The only other aspect that I personally thought could have made the song better if the song developed a little more towards the end to create some instensity.

I thought the video was equally as interesting as the song. The members kidnapped by their lover escape from their confinements throughout the video. There were certain shots throughout the video which I thought was really well done. For example, the start when the vocalists were blindfolded and on the floor. I thought that was a really good angle and lighting. Likewise, the scene where the member is taping the statue’s mouth had equally good lighting. Only thing that seemed to be out of place were the outfits that they wore. Didn’t necessarily fit the vibe of the video. But other than that, good video.

Really liked the choreography during the chorus. I thought it looked rather cool and sensual, which I think would appeal to the likes of many fangirls/boys. Also liked how they got into the single line during the second pre-chorus and the way they got into the diagonal formation during the bridge. Overall, it was good to watch.

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

[Review] Dance The Night Away – TWICE

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Summer is always a great time for a comeback and TWICE is joining in on the fun with their latest release. Dance The Night Away is the group’s first Summer single, and it is featured on the group’s repackaged album, Summer Nights (formerly What Is Love?). While the release took place 4 hours ago, the girls have already topped the charts, proving once again that they are a force to be reckoned with inside the industry.

Right off the bat, Dance The Night Away appeals to me. Mainly because it doesn’t feel like anything else that we have listened to in the industry. The verses were quite good, showcasing their vocals. Not so much in the second verse but the first verse featured some moments which drew my attention. The pre-chorus definitely hyped me into the chorus, making what we were about to get into very worthwhile. The chorus, to me, feels very unique, especially with the presence of the brass instrumental and catchy lyrics. The combination of these make the song very addictive and it may be hard to stop listening to it. I think the only section that I didn’t really feel much for was Dahyun’s rap.  It just didn’t feel like it carried the same momentum as the rest of the song but more like an addition to give Dahyun a section in the song (Chaeyoung, the group’s other rapper, was given vocal lines instead). But other than that, loving the new song.

Me being me who have watched many music videos in the (almost) 7 years I have operated this blog notices a few impossible (but funny) details. Firstly, the girls are washed up onto the beach. No wet clothes, not that much sand in hair. Secondly, they managed to pack extremely stylish and plentiful clothing in the limited luggage that came onshore with them and also some decorative lights, to which they somehow power up at the end of the video. Thirdly, they see a boat on the horizon and they didn’t bother with getting its attention to be rescued. But then again,  they have electricity already, so they are kind of set for the technological side of life. I only point these out because I didn’t know what else to say besides it had a fun vibe and was well-presented.

I thought the choreography was really nice. I liked how well the dance moves paired with the chorus, especially when the chorus kicked in. Extremely fun and definitely hints of tropical influences in their inspiration here.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9.2/10

[Review] I’m Not Afraid – Holland

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Holland is back with a brand new single, I’m Not Afraid. For those who don’t know of the solo artist, he is openly gay and debuted with Neverland in January of this year. I’m Not Afraid is a two-part single project, with the likely title of the second single (to be released at a later date) being On The Second Moon, as these are the words that close off the music video for this comeback. But until then, let’s focus on his latest single.

While I wasn’t really a fan of Neverland, I find I’m Not Afraid to be much more captivating and interesting. I think this is partly due to the retro synth-dominated EDM instrumental that forms the basis of the song. I really liked the instrumental overall. It is refreshing and somewhat different to what we hear constantly throughout the industry at the moment. The echo effect that is placed on this vocals really make him sound so much better and adds an extra layer to the retro element of the song. I also like the way he sings ‘I’m not afraid anymore’, which is definitely a strong (in a subtle way) hook. While the song was consistent, I didn’t find it one bit boring or repetitive, which is a feat worth mentioning.

What also makes this a great comeback is the lyrics of the song. While Holland clearly takes inspiration from his life, I liked how the video isn’t just about him. Featuring in the video is people of colour, a drag queen and other gay couples. The song’s main message is that nobody should be afraid anymore. You shouldn’t be afraid to be yourself. I thought the video was well presented with everyone turning up for a party and enjoying themselves. It also pushes boundaries with a very steamy kiss between Holland and his boyfriend It was a good video with a powerful message.

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

[Review] Blue Moon – Kyungri (9MUSES)

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Nine Muses (also 9MUSES), for a very long time, has been known as a highly underrated group in the industry. And over the years, there has only been one member that has stood out. Kyungri is probably the group’s most well-known member, given that she has shot a few CFs in the past. And now the 9MUSES member has finally made her solo debut with Blue Moon. To make this debut extra special, her debut date also lies on her birthday, so Happy Birthday Kyungri!

Blue Moon takes on the well-known charms of Kyungri. That is, the song sounds quite seductive and trendy. And I think the song does a pretty good job of portraying the strengths of the artist. She is known for her vocals within the group and she puts them on full display. The chorus is extremely dynamic. It starts off with some deep thumping, which really gets the seductive nature going and then (maintaining the thumping in the background) goes on to a pop vibe instrumental, which sounds quite nice. While I was kind of irked by the presence of the autotune, it actually made the song feel a little different and kept it from being too repetitive. I like the instrumental break into the song, which I am sure is useful for a really sexy dance break (though I would have loved to hear some more vocals from her). Overall, really nice debut song.

Her next charm (and what I commonly associate with her) is sexiness and this video has loads of it. The entire video focuses on her and her charm, which I would say is a masterpiece. But the video was lacking and prevented me from really appreciating what I saw. I was rather disappointed with the sets. They looked incredibly plain and boring. They could have gone with a more elegant route for this video, which would have paired nicely with the concept and her sexiness. They could have gone for something glittering in the background or a fancy looking bar set.

Kyungri takes the seductive and sexiness nature mentioned and channels it well through the performance. It isn’t the most mind-blowing choreography out there but it definitely works. And the backup dancers (including the men) are all wearing high heels. That is definitely a feat and I liked how all the backup dancers do a wonderful job of meeting the standards set by Kyungri on the stage in terms of sexiness.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 7.3/10

[Review] Let Me – Golden Child

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Golden Child is a boy group that I am keeping my eye out for. I am a major fan of their It’s You title track from their earlier promotional run in the year and was super excited when they followed up with their awesome Lady b-track. And now they are back with their 1st single album, Goldenness, which features their latest title track, Let Me.

Let Me has a similar feel to a Summer pop track released by Western boy group (i.e. One Direction). And while I am not a fan of songs released by these certain groups. Golden Child does a pretty good job with it. The song seems to be infused with a bit of rock which can be heard during the chorus of the song. The vocal work was pretty good, with the bridge standing out the most. But I think this song let the rappers shined more. Sure, the rappers are limited sections. But I felt that their parts were extremely dynamic, particularly how there was an addition of a siren-like synth (in the background) paired with the rap sections. The “Let Me Let Me” felt like it was repeated one too many times in the song, though I may have an inkling that it might become a really addictive hook after a few more listens. Other than that, Let Me is a really good Summer song.

Suiting their image thus far, the group has returned with a fun concept, which is also bright, colourful and well-suited for Summer. It seems like the members start off by trying to impress a cute girl. As the video goes on, I noticed that she doesn’t appear anymore and the video is more of the boys having fun. I thought the snapshots that were taken throughout the video was really cool and the members looked cute throughout those parts. I really like the background which they used throughout the video. The sports theme appears once again through the on-field location that they use, while the indoors locations looked very stylish and it would be somewhere I would like to hang out.

There doesn’t seem to be much choreography scenes within the music video that actually focus on the choreography (or that many wide shots for that matter). As a result, I will update the performance section of this review tomorrow once a live performance is released.

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

[Review] Lover – Teen Top

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In a number of days, Teen Top will be celebrating their 8th year together. And they will be celebrating with the newly released repackaged album for Seoul Night (which was released yesterday), Teen Top Story: 8PISODE. The title track (Lover) will not be promoted on the weekly music shows, with the group opting to perform Lover for the very first time at their upcoming solo concert. As a result, this will not be a full (song, m/v and performance) review.

Lover uses a standard formulation of the tropical side of EDM and heavy bass to bring some momentum to the song. While that gives the song a good beat, it just feels a little too dry and repetitive. As a result, I personally find the song very disinteresting and lacking in impact. I think what the producer was trying to do was in the right direction but the song could have benefited from some more elements that could either cause the song to change up slightly or add a little more energy to the song. I think out of all the sections within the song, I was most impressed with the verses as they did attract my attention. The vocals were good, particularly during the chorus, with its delivery of the lyrics being the driving force which I enjoyed.

The music video isn’t really a music video. It is more of behind the scene footage for their teaser images leading up to the release of the repackaged album. So there is absolutely nothing to comment about.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 5/10
Overall Rating – 6.6/10

[Review] I’m So Sick – APINK

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APINK is a group once known for their cute concepts and addictive songs. This time around, APINK returns with a completely different image and concept. The ladies of APINK are back with their 7th mini-album, titled as ONE & SIX, which also features the title track, I’m So Sick. We last saw them on stage last year with Five.

Right off the bat, you can tell that the song has a completely different feel to any of their previous releases with those background vocals at the very start (and throughout the song), which are used as instrumentation. They do sound quite questionable but it definitely attracts your attention to the song. The verses were a little interesting, as they seem to be a more bright and cutesy feel to it, which contrasts interestingly with the rest of the song, particularly with the chorus. I thought the upbeat instrumental was really nice and provided an addictive atmosphere. The ‘Bye Bye‘ line in the chorus was quite catchy, with it (along with the background vocals) being key memorable moments of the song. I also thought the electric guitar at the end of the bridge (prior to the of the final chorus) was extremely well-suited for the song and would have loved to hear a bit more of it throughout the song. Overall, I’m So Sick is a really good song that will be on my replay list for days to come.

The lyrics of the song basically tells of a simple message. That the girls are sick of the love they are receiving and are losing interest in their relationship. In the music video, the members do a good job of portraying that. They look really disinterested in what they are doing, while still staying in character throughout the video. It is a very bold video, given its concept and stylistic approaches. This is definitely their most mature look yet. I thought the sets were nice and definitely something that really looks visually appealing.

I thought the performance was extremely fitting for the song. Very mature and sensual at times, words which I never thought I would use to describe APINK. I feel like they could have been a little sassier with some moments, as that would leave a longer lasting impression on the audience.

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

[Review] Wag-Zak – Lovelyz

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Lovelyz have made their return to the stage with their first Summer digital single, Wag-Zak. They have already started promotions for the new song prior to its release on Sunday (yesterday), which doesn’t occur all that often. The girl group previously promoted That Day and wrapped their promotions about a month ago. They are, however, short one member this time around, with JIN sitting out of promotions due to health issues.

Wag-Zak fits perfectly into the growing Lovelyz song protfolio, keeping true to their cutesy and bright image that they have maintained throughout all of their songs to date. It also does its job as a ‘special Summer single’, even though the first descriptive word might be questionable. It is extremely cold where I am at the moment, so I enjoyed listening to the song throughout last week, as it does paint a nice image of blue skies and a sunny environment that feels warm. The song does feature a tropical sound, which was felt prominently throughout the post-chorus instrumental break. However as I write this, it does feel very cliche to go down that route for the Summer season, particularly after last year’s tropical-dominated releases. On top of that, I thought the song was rather lacking in terms of memorability. While the instrumental and overall vibes from the song were okay, I just didn’t find myself humming the tune or awkwardly mouthing along to the lyrics (which I do with most addictive songs). Instead, I would describe the song to be more suited for casual listening.

The music video simply shows the members having some fun at the beach (or resort). While it has definitely be done before, the combination between the beach theme and the song is pretty much the only video concept/idea that would sound plausible and make the most sense. I thought their enjoyment seemed genuine to an extent and the cutesy vibes that they had going on were nice.

The performance for this song did seem a little rushed for the stage. Though, this promotional round would only be for a week, so I don’t see the need for this to be overly perfected. But as a disclaimer, there wasn’t anything too impressive if that is what you were expecting. However, it does feel nice and fitting for the Summer vibes from the song.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.3/10

[Review] #Cookie Jar – Red Velvet

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We have seen a number of Korean artist make their first step into the Japanese market. Joining artists such as Seventeen and GFriend, Red Velvet will be release their anticipated Japanese debut mini-album and single, #Cookie Jar, in July. This is the group’s first Japanese release since their debut in 2014 and it features the Japanese version of some of their biggest Korean hits, such as Russian Roulette, Dumb Dumb and Red Flavour. Today we are here to have a closer look at their debut single, so let’s get going!

#Cookie Jar was a little tame from what I had expected. Given Red Velvet’s portfolio of different and unique Korean hits (combined with the well-known oddness that Japanese media is known for), I had expected the track to be wild, at the very least. But instead, the song takes a more standard pop sound. I would have liked if the song had a little more colour to it. While the song is colourful, I little pinch of quirkiness would have allowed the song to become more memorable and unique in my opinion. That being said, the song does feature a decent retro instrumental, which gave it some colour. The chorus felt fun, with the ‘#Cookie Jar‘ opening to the choruses and the ending of the song being the most memorable moments of the song. For the vocals and the raps, I just didn’t feel like it was their best effort but they still sounded good. Overall, #Cookie Jar was a decent track for their debut but it doesn’t live up to what I had expected.

With the title of #Cookie Jar, it was expected there be a sweet theme for the video. And that is what we got exactly. Though I am not sure how the sweet theme presented in the video reflects the lyrics of the song, especially the ending of the video when they find out all their foods isn’t that fresh and edible. I really liked the colours that they used in this video, with some of the sets reminding me of the colour palette that they used in Russian Roulette. It was a decent video to watch, overall.

From what I could see in the music video, the choreography can be described as mediocre as best. Other than that, I wasn’t impressed with what they had presented us with.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 5/10
Overall Rating – 6.6/10

 

[Review] Summer Dream – ELRIS

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ELRIS has made their return to the stage with their Summer single, Summer Dream. This is my first time reviewing a song from these ladies, so let’s get acquainted with them. ELRIS is a 5-member girl group under Hunus Entertainment, who made their debut last year in 2017, with We, First. Summer Dream is their second comeback as the girls made their first comeback in September 2017 with Pow Wow. The group consist of Sohee, Yukyung, Bella, Hyeseong and Karin.

Summer Dream is your standard KPOP cutesy track fitted well for the Summer season. It isn’t necessarily the most catchiest or memorable song out at the moment but it has a few moments that really had me interested in the song. Despite the song being ‘standard’, the song does give off APINK’s Remember vibes. That being said, the two songs are not the same. Another section which I felt was odd was the instrumental breakdown at the bridge. It doesn’t necessarily suit the cutesy vibes of the song but it manages to work well together. The girls also have really nice vocals. Throughout the song, I was drawn to the song through the vocals, especially the moments where they are singing without any instrumental playing in the background as they sound the best there. Apart from that, the ‘standard’ issue does get to you. If they managed to make the chorus more dynamic and make the hook more catchier, I think they would have a really nice song. For now, it is decent.

There really isn’t much in the video to talk about. Summer makes you think of the beach, so this is where the video is set at. It does also take a cutesy approach, which was expected from the song’s sound. They also went with a sailor outfit, which looked cute. They managed to bold the colour blue, which really made the music video pop. But other than that, I wasn’t that interested in the music video.

It was a nice performance to watch, fitting in with the cutesy vibe of the song once again. But it wasn’t a memorable stage that makes me want to return to watch their performances.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 5/10
Overall Rating – 6.3/10

[Review] Black Heart – UNB

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Right after wrapping up their Sense/Only One promotions, UNB announced that they will be going straight into preparations for a new album. And they didn’t mess around with that announcement, as the newly debut group has officially dropped their second mini-album, which shares the same title as their title track, Black Heart. This comeback also features 4 special guests: Jungha (BEATWIN), Hangyul (IM), Jueun (DIA) and Anne (SIS).

From my understanding, none of the special guests participated in the recording of the song. Black Heart is a great dance song that is fast beoming another highly addictive song. I really liked the showtune-like piano introduction at the start of the song, which built up the suspense for what was to come. The song then progresses into a synth based dance track, which somehow felt unexpecting at first. There is this energy buildup within the verses, which allows the entrance into the chorus sound so much good. On top of that, I thought the chorus was really well done, especially with how all the members singing together. It gives the song a punch in its melody and makes it memorable. I really liked the post-chorus instrumental break as well. To keep the song from becoming repetitive, the song returns to that showtune piano introduction during the bridge, which also works wells within the song. The only thing I think the song is missing is a rap sequence, which could have added some interesting textures to the song. But othet r than that, it was a really good song.

Out of the 4 guests, the music video only features the male guest (that is, Jungha and Hangyul). To why it is only them, I am not too sure. But I have to admit, they fitted in pretty well. It did cause some friction within the screentime department, however, which is quite sad to hear. All the members (and the male guests) had good chemistry with the camera, which makes this video even better. I really liked the edgy vibe that was coming from their outfits. I thought the dance-off concept was rather interesting and well executed.

All 4 special guests feature in the performances. And I think it help boosts the number of people of stage, which contributes to the livelihood of the performance. I really liked the start of the performance, when some of the members are doing acrobatic-like jumps. The performance also features awesome footwork, seen most prominently during the post-chorus instrumental break. Also, the ending looked quite good.

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