Category: Reviews

[Review] YA YA YA – MXM

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I was not aware that MXM made their comeback yesterday. It did not appear in my subscription box at all and only saw their release while I was browsing Twitter in bed (Yes, I have a Twitter – Follow it here!). So apologise for this day late review. But MXM is officially back with their first-ever full-length album, More Than Ever, and the title track, YA YA YA. They previously promoted with Gone Cold and Diamond Girl earlier this year.

As soon as it starts, you will notice YA YA YA has a playful tone to it. I personally thought Diamond Girl was pretty playful but this song has a more light-hearted feel to it, which makes it likeable from the get-go. I like the brightness of the song, which aided in that light-hearted feel just mentioned. The song takes on a hip-hop sound. The instrumental is very typical but I liked how it doesn’t employ too many synths nor does it feel heavy. I liked the use of the pipes, which gave it an intriguing side. The rapping was quite good and the vocals were pretty nice. I particularly liked their ‘YA YA YA‘ hook throughout the song. It is plain and unimaginative but its simplicity makes it work and stand out. The odd sample of classical music (my brain isn’t registering what the piece is but it very familiar sounding) was a rather unexpected turn but it wasn’t necessarily off-putting. Overall, YA YA YA was a very enjoyable song.

The music video contains very cool graphics. I applaud the people behind this video because it looks very unique and cool. It gives a modern look to the video, despite it being shot on a basketball court and in plain coloured rooms. Besides that, it was a light-hearted video, fitting for the song. However, it lacks interesting moments, making it a tad dry after a few replays.

The performance was literally a massive smile from start to end. And that really makes you want to smile along to the song (and their performance). I feel like they could have put their backup dancers in something a little nicer than tees with the name of the song printed on it. The chorus showed cool footwork and I don’t think they rested one bit during the performance.

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

 

[Review] HANN – (G)I-DLE

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Prepare yourselves as this year’s monster rookies are making their first ever comeback today. HANN, which translates to Alone, is the first digital single released by the girls. This comes after the group dominated charts with their debut track LATATA a few months back, which directed a lot of attention towards the group and earned them a very large following.

HANN is one interesting song. I think the expectation was for the group to come back with a similar track to LATATA to consolidate their following and position within the industry. So, it was a little shocking to hear a completely different sound. HANN is a lot less in-your-face that LATATA, opting for a melodic approach for their chorus. I personally do not find this song as catchy as the hook doesn’t seem to be that strong. But who knows, maybe the song will grow heavily on me as time passes. However, it is how exotic the song sounds that makes me drawn to the song. The track seems to be Latin-influenced unlike any other we have heard thus far. The verses had this tango vibe to it, which I liked. The rapping was awesome and the vocals were decent. I particularly like the verses, especially the way Soyeon started off the song (that tango vibe was amazing!). A little unexpected but still a decent step forward.

The first thing I thought of in this video was vampires. I liked the concept a lot and this is definitely an amped up version of Volume Up (by the now disbanded Cube Entertainment girl group, 4MINUTE). I like the dry setting where the video was set (though I am thinking it was shot in a studio – but it is the idea that counts). I liked the overload of charisma the girls had which really paid off, for me at least. Overall, the video showed off a very strong side of the girls without the need for a powerful song, which was something I liked.

The music video showed a few scenes of choreography, which I thought were quite good. Per usual, I liked how it was incredibly fitting for the song. There was definitely a consistent exotic vibe throughout their choreography, which they also had going on during their debut video. Might need to wait for a full performance but I think it is it going a smashing performance.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8/10

 

[Review] Livin’ It Up – MONSTA X

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Monsta X is back with another original Japanese release. Livin’ It Up was released two weeks ago and is the group’s 4th Japanese single to date. I was going to review another artist’s Japanese song this week but decided to go with Livin’ It Up because it was a far more interesting song. The group previously released their first full-length album in Japan (Puzzle was the title track of the album) and are currently on their world tour, if I am not mistaken.

What is becoming evident is that some groups (including MONSTA X) are releasing more intensified EDM songs in the Japanese market. And the release of Livin’ It Up confirms this. The song falls into that EDM category, mixed with some hip-hop vibes and a groovy instrumental. Note that it isn’t retro groovy built does give the song a more light-hearted energy, opposed from something a little more hard-hitting you expect from EDM. Jooheon and I.M’s raps definitely give it some roughness and edge from their deeper tone, while the vocalists bring some melody in their parts. Overall, I thought the song was rather appealing. I feel like if the song chorus had a stronger hook, I would have picked up the song a lot sooner (as I thought it was relatively plain when I first heard it).

The music video was mainly made of choreography shots and some close-ups. Some of the dance shots gave me Beautiful vibes, mainly due to the platform they were performing on. I have to be honest though, but I thought the video was rather plain. I didn’t really feel the energy like some other videos from watching the video, which left it underwhelming. If the camera work showed some more energy and punchiness, it would have matched the vibes of the song a lot better.

The choreography was good. It wasn’t as intense as I hoped for but it was a perfect balance between that level of intensity that I wanted to see and the lighthearted sound that came from the groovy nature of the track.

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

[Review] Page 0 – Taeyeon (SNSD) & Melomance

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SM Station is back and they are delivering us with songs from a brand new project known as Station x 0. While I am not sure of the difference between this project and SM Station itself, 6 new songs will be unveiled (starting today) of collaborations between various artists. We will see Chanyeol and Sehun from EXO collaborating with each other, Baekhyun and Loco releasing a track and a 4 member single performed by Red Velvet’s Seulgi, GFriend’s SinB, Chungha and GI-DLE’s Soyeon, just to name a few. However, kicking things off today is Taeyeon (from SNSD) and chart-topping duo, Melomance.

Their song is Page 0 and I am totally digging it. I thought they would go with some boring ballad route but their song ended up being very vibrant and cheerful, which I really liked. It can also be described as refreshing, which fits neatly into the Summer releases we have been getting. Melomance’s signature vocals to the song, which automatically lifts the energy of the song up. Taeyeon sounds amazing, per usual. I thought their harmonies were amazing throughout the song. I really like the keyboard in the instrumental, particularly the keyboard-only start for the second verse. The chorus was really catchy, making me sing along within the first few listens of the track.

The song shares one simple message, to take on the world as it is your own life. And that is what we are shown here. It shows people comfortable in their own skin, regardless of whoever they are. And I think that is something we are all striving to do, making sure the world is a better place for everyone. For that, I think it is a really beautiful video. I like how the video makes your smile, which goes well with the sound of the song, overall.

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

 

[Review] Woo Woo – DIA

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DIA joins the Summer comeback rush with a brand new mini-album, Summer Ade. Featuring on their 4th mini-album to date is the title track Woo Woo. The group was previously meant to make their comeback last month but ultimately delayed it to August to ensure a higher production quaility. This is DIA’s first comeback since Good Night was released and the departure of Eunjin. Some of the members of DIA also participated in The Unit, with only Yebin making into the project group, UNI.T.

Woo Woo is a very Summery song with the instrumental providing a very refreshing feel. Initally, I thought the song was quite boring. However, within a day, I can say it is quite catchy and can potentially become addictive. It isn’t their strongest release to date but it does a good job trying to catch up to their strongest release (Can’t Stop). I thought the chorus had a nice melody and the ‘Woo Woo‘ hook was really cute. On top of that, I really liked the vocal sections of the song, which were quite itneresting section. I thought the rap sequence was rather dry but did like the incorportation of Lee Hyori’s famous line of ‘Just One 10 Minute‘ from 10 Minute. Overall, I thought the song was good and as I said, I think the song has potentially to be replaying in my head (it has already started).

When you think of Summer, you think of the beach. And that is what the video starts off with. There seems to be a mini competition embedded in the music video where you have to find some items (like a scavenger hunt). Something similar popped up in Momoland’s BAAM but I don’t there were any prizes invovled. It progrsses into a very typical music video shot on sets we have seen many times and the overall feel doesn’t relly allow it to be differentiated much. There were a number of cute scenes that I thought were nice, such as the hiding from pizza scenes at the end. I am a tad confused with the ringing telepohone at the end. But other than that, it was a fair video.

I thought the choreography for this comeback was quite nice. It falls into the cutesy category but it works well with the song, especially the moves for the hook. Furthermore, I really thought the dance break was really cool.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.1/10

[Review] favOriTe – LOONA

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For me, LOONA is now the most anticipated debut of 2018. So I am a little disappointed with the fact that this isn’t a debut but rather a pre-release or taster to what is about to come. For those who do not know LOONA, they are an 12 member girl group who spent the last 2 years releasing solo tracks and subunit mini-albums, whilst also building up hype to their end-goal, their debut.

favOriTe is the title of this pre-release single and it is going to knock your socks off. It is an interesting yet very jam-packed song, featuring what I would call an intense instrumental. I am not sure how to exactly describe the instrumental besides a cluster is synths that work extremely well together. I think each section (minus the pre-choruses) have something different within them, which in turns prevented the song from becoming repetitive, which I was slightly concerned about. For example, the second chorus featured the high pitch screeching (which resembles mosquitoes for me, hahaha…), whereas the first chorus didn’t. While we are on the topic of the instrumental, the very start felt like it was a throwback to a number of the solo releases, with a very LOONA sound being heard. Vocally, the song was quite good. I did expect more rapping though, given the intense nature of the song. I also found the song very easy to get into, which should be hard given the number of synths featured. But hey, if they managed to make it easy on the ears, imagine what else they can do.

The music video was mainly choreography shots in an abandoned warehouse and a number of closeup shots in a grayscale filter. Not a bad video for a pre-release. If I was to be critical, their outfits look very plain and poorly chosen for this video. Sure, they have that supposedly cutesy and youthful side but the song calls for something edgier.

The choreography was amazing. Really enjoyed all the sections that I saw in the music video. The most favourite part was the dance break, which definitely added more of that edge to the performance than any other section. I would like this to be performed on stage (But I believe this was already performed on stage before but I like to see it in more HD – with fan chants).

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10

[Review] Power Up – Red Velvet

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With the major success of Red Flavour last year, it was expected that Red Velvet would make another Summer comeback. And today, the girl group released Power Up and their newest mini-album, Summer Magic (which also features the English Version of Bad Boy – their previous 2018 comeback). And in a matter of hours, the song had already topped charts, reconfirming their status as a popular girl group and potentially the next Summer queens.

Power Up is a very upbeat and brightly filled Summer pop track. That being said, the song felt very  typical. It might be because I haven’t really caught onto the song, as I do acknowledge that it has a cool hook (the ‘Ba Banana Ba Ba Banana nana‘) which I can see growing on me within a few days time. The verses and chorus don’t really have that memorability factor that most KPOP songs are known for. I did notice that the instrumental didn’t change-up as much, which may contribute to the lacking feeling I felt.. However, I do find some moments that I really like. For example, the pre-chorus. vocal work and the rapping were all promising segments of the song. And the previously mentioned hook as well. At the moment I feel like I am on the fence with this song. But knowing me, it will grow on me a fair bit.

The visuals for this comeback are really good. Like all Summer comebacks, the colours in this video are extremely vibrant. They went with pastel shades of each colour, which gave the video a very retro feel. I like how they presented the heat in the music video, shown by the melting props (done through editing). It looked cool and I thought it was rather interesting. And it is also rather different to see the members outside for once, as it felt like it has been a long time since we have seen them outside for a music video.

The performance looked quite nice. Very fitting for the cutesy concept you can say they approached with their comeback this time around. The chorus choreography was also quite good. Overall, I liked the looks of the performance.

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

[Review] My Pace – Stray Kids

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Stray Kids are back with their very first comeback since their debut, District 9, in April this year. My Pace is the name of the title track for their second mini-album, I Am Who, which follows in the footsteps of their rap-heavy and hip-hop dominated debut track. In between the promotions for District 9 and My Pace, the group also followed up their debut promotions with Mirror (a single from their first mini-album).

From the very start, the one word that can describe the song very accurately is ‘energetic’. There is no moments in the song that felt it lacked energy or intensity, for that matter. And that makes it a perfect fit for the most active season of the year. Even the start of the song, the rough and deep ‘NaNaNaNa‘ by Changbin really grabs your attention and kicks the song off with a punch. The rapping in this song continues this momentum with the vocals giving a moment of relief from the punches we keep on getting. The chorus was very simple but works extremely well with the rap heavy side of the song. I really like the very heavy-handed approach on the instrumental which basically goes back to that energetic aspect of the song. My most favourite part was the suspense filled launch into the final chorus which just nudged the song along that bit further. Overall, the song was awesome and impactful.

The various scenes that make up the video are stringed together so well that it made the music video feel that much edgier when paired with the song. I liked how the camera shots got up close and personal with the members, giving us different angles that we don’t see so much of today. The uNDerground street racing concept was really good as well, fitting both the song and their image. Not too keen on the random break we got just before the bridge, because that cuts the energy. But other than that, a really good video.

The choreography reminds me of Block B. Maybe because it has that wild side that I do recognise from the senior boy group. And like the song, the performance does pack a punch, leaving us energy depleted (because listening to an energetic track and watching a very active performance is really energy draining!) and wanting more.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.6/10

[Review] Summer Night – 100%

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Last week, I decided to review 100%’s recent Korean comeback, The Grand Bleu, instead of the intended Japanese week. With some shuffling around, I will be reviewing their recent Japanese comeback, Summer Night, which is their 4th original single in Japan. The music video for this track was released at the end of June, so apologies for the really late review.

The song has this pretty decent tropical influence club beat as its instrumental which makes the song explosive, particularly around the chorus of the song. It does feel very standard around the verses which seems to show more of that tropical influence. But that isn’t too off-putting, especially with a cool chorus like this that picks up the song just at the right time. However, the vocals are the one aspect that had me diving for more. The way Rokhyun sings the chorus feels very JPOP-like, reminding me of some Japanese pop vocalists that I listen to. The other members do a pretty good job. One way of describing the song is that it is like their Korean vocal-driven songs were smashed with this style of EDM (which works really well). The rapping was also quite good and was another moment that I really liked. Overall, 100% did an amazing job with this song.

As much as I find the colour blue very refreshing, I can’t help but notice how blue the music video was (literally!). It felt like it should have been overused, particularly at the start. But after the first chorus, they changed to multiple shades of blue (in their outfits), which really cuts the heaviness of the blue. And for that, I actually thought it was an interesting of colour. I did like the helipad setting for the choreography, which I still think is really scary yet really beautiful at the same time.

The choreography was good and felt fitting for the song. Not else to say other than that, to be honest.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 6/10
Overall Rating – 7.9/10

 

[Review] SEE SEA – Hyolyn

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It was expected that we would see Hyolyn back on stage during the season of Summer, given how her former group had a really grand reputation for Summer releases and how Summer will be able to give her the opportunity to show off some of her sexiness. She returns with See Sea, which was released mid-July. Hyolyn ends her three singles project with this release (the other two singles were To Do List and Dally).

See Sea is another Summer song released that really grabbed my attention (just don’t ask me why it took me a number of weeks to actually write the review). To me, I don’t think this falls into the broad genre of KPOP. Instead, I personally think the sound falls neatly into the Western market. There is something about it that makes it feel very distinct and refreshing from the usual Summer songs that we get. I am not too sure about what that ‘something’ is but whatever it is, it is doing its job. I really like the chorus, which was quite addictive. The way she sang her lines during the chorus left an impression on me. It was quite melodic but that was delivered through her vocals rather than the instrumental (which was borderline typical for me). The pre-chorus/buildup was awesome as well. Overall, I like the song quite a bit.

The music video was very typical for a Summer release. There was a lot of focus on Hyolyn, who showed a fair bit of skin in this music video (but I am not complaining!). There were also some nice shots of scenery (with Hyolyn) in them which felt very urban. Correct me if I am wrong but it seems like Hyolyn filmed this video somewhere in the US (most likely LA or Hawaii). The video does a good job of reflecting Summer but I am sure she could have avoided the typical route.

The performance was quite captivating. It isn’t an overtly sexual performance, which Dally touched upon. Instead, the performance was quite smooth and I liked the tone down touch fo sexiness. Her use of Western backup dancers confirms the Western influence on the comeback, which I don’t mind.

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

[Review] When It Rains – BTOB-BLUE

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BTOB-BLUE has finally returned with a brand new single titled as When It Rains. The subunit, which comprises of BTOB’s vocalists, made their subunit debut in 2016 with Stand By Me. While it has been two years since their last release, BTOB’s comeback have proven to be quite popular with Movie, Missing You and this year’s Only One For Me topping the charts.

When It Rains taps into a under appreciated treasure chest. While we do get a fair bit of amazing vocals from the vocalists when they perform as BTOB, you don’t get too many heartfelt vocals. When It Rains allows this to occur and it makes the song quite strong. The song, for the first verse, second verse and first chorus, remains very linear like most ballads. They do push a bit during the first chorus but it isn’t that spectucalr to really dwindle on. But it is the entrance into the second chorus that really comes out of nowhere for me. And it is this section that really grabs my attention. And I like how they maintain this energy through to the end of the song. I like the background vocals and the instrumental, which does get me swaying along to the song. Overall, I think it is a really good song that protrays their vocals in a very good light, which didn’t really occur in their debut track.

The music video opens up on a rainy day with Hyunsik getting ready before the sun rises in his cafe. Throughout the video, we see the rest of BTOB-BLUE go about on their day on the rainy day. There is a lot of staring into the sky and rain, which works well with the song. Interestingly, at the end of the video, we are shown that all the members are converging to the cafe, which is where they all work. I think this was a very interesting plot-twist. I do like how they manage to cut the sadness from the song when they interact together at the end, which was nice.

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

[Review] Killing Me – iKON

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It is rare for a YG group to make multiple comebacks within a year. IKON actually acknowledged this in an interview today. But it seems like YG Entertainment has finally allowed their groups to fully take on the industry with comebacks within months of each other. IKON returned at the start of the year with Love Scenario and Rubber Band. And within 5 months, iKON has returned with their 1st mini-album and the title track, Killing Me.

The song took me by surprise. Not in the sense where I was caught off guard by the style of song but rather how the instrumental just creeps up at you. The song opens up with a very minimal instrumental and it slowly builds up. The buildup isn’t anything that special taking on a more typical approach. However, once the chorus drops, we get this funky concoction that draws your attention in and delivers an impactful blow of addictiveness to your ears. And it is this chorus that really holds me in my seat for the entirety of the song. The vocals were really good and the rapping was superb. The ending feels more like a club and anthem vibe combined together and I think this makes the song feel a lot like iKON’s usual sound. Overall, I thought the song was amazing.

YG Entertainment always releases high-quality music videos. So expectations were quite high for this video. But out of all the music videos I can think of, this one feels the most typical of a KPOP music video. There aren’t any elaborate sets that really make you go wow. And there are no really smart shots or amazing editing that grabs my attention. So I am a little disappointed. I did like the camera work, with the more upbeat parts getting the shaky camerawork whereas the rest of the video gets smoother camerawork.

The performance looks good, from what I can see in the music video. I don’t think there was a live performance yet, as the song just came out. I particularly like how the choreography for the chorus goes as it channels the change of energy quite well. It is a complicated drop but the simple change in the choreography was definitely impactful.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

[Review] SoulMate – ZICO (Block B) ft. IU

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This is probably the collaboration of the century. Zico is a very well-known producer known for his chart-topping hits such as I Am You, You Are Me and Boys and Girls. IU is the digital queen, with all her songs taking over the charts as soon as they are released. So it was no surprise that their collaboration rose quickly to the top of the charts. And that is why we are here today – to review this highly anticipated (yet very unexpecting) collaboration.

SoulMate begins with the vocals of both collaborators. Zico’s vocals seem to change a little each time, complimenting the style of the song. IU’s signature husky vocals are definitely impactful here. Together, there is this extremely smooth feel. The instrumental has this subtle jazz vibe, which was nice. I liked how despite the song being notably Zico (as he produced it), it could easily have slipped into IU’s albums. Zico’s rap was nice and I liked how IU sang along with some of the rap lines. The choruses wasn’t that memorable in my opinion, however, it reminded me of Spring, which is fast approaching. My favourite bit of the song was the bridge, where both singers seem to push themselves a little further, allowing that section of the song to resonate with me. Overall, the song does really speak volumes when you listen to it as a whole and with this quality of music, it is no wonder why they always top charts.

While this may look like the longest elevator wait ever, you all should come to my university. You will be able to replay the song a few times before any elevator opens up. Putting that aside, I thought the video was a nice way of presenting the idea of finding soulmates. I liked the small cameo that Crush made, with this blue hair being a very obvious giveaway (I know he recently returned but I couldn’t think of anything regarding his song). I was also surprised as both artists appeared in the video, which isn’t a usual case for some collaborations (i.e. one artist is usually absent).

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

 

[Review] Touch & Sketch – Leo (VIXX)

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Leo is the main vocalist of VIXX and he has officially made his solo debut with Touch & Sketch. Leo joins a long list of solo acts whom have debuted over the past few years despite still being active as part of their groups. He is also an accomplished musical actor, as well. Touch & Sketch is featured as the title track on his first mini-album, titled appropriately as Canvas.

I personally expected Leo to go down the ballad route for this solo debut (which I really should stop doing because they never go down the ballad route). So it was a plesant surprise that he went with an upbeat song. But keeping with the aura that Leo has, the song features a decent melody during the verses. I am not too big on the verses because they felt slow, compared to the upbeat chorus which I liked a lot more. However, his husky vocals did give off a smooth vibe, which highlights the sensual nature of the song. I really like the lead into the chorus (I believe the lyrics are ‘Now I feel lips‘) and the small sequence of drums that feels like the gateway to a nice chorus. I like how the chorus goes and its catchiness makes the song quite memorable. While it isn’t Leo’s expertise, I would have liked a rap sequence somewhere in the song. As much as it feels cliche, it needed something more to give it some edge. But overall, Leo’s debut song was pretty cool.

I liked the music video because it shows a side of Leo that I have not seen. I know him to be the very quiet member from his debut days so to see him in this sensual lighting was a little odd for me. But it works well with that aura that I mentioned in the prior paragraph. He likens the idea of love to art, as you you have to be able to feel both to connect with it. I did find some of the editing a tad choppy for my liking, often passing over a scene very quickly. It could have been a lot smooth to reflect well with the song’s smoothness. But other than that, it was a good video.

The performance was good and fitted the song quite well. I like how the chorus had a certain level of fierceness, which gave the performance that edge that the song lacked. He looked super focus, which I guessed works well with the serious sensual nature of the song. And that sensual nature mentioned in the other paragraphs was felt strongest through the choreography.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 7.6/10

 

[Review] Now or Never – SF9

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SF9 has returned with Now Or Never, which is the title track on their Sensuous mini-album, which was released today. The group has gone for a complete image change with their latest comeback compared with Mamma Mia, which was released back in February this year. I will be writing an album review for Sensuous and that will be released (hopefully) next week because the highlight melody is very promising.

I am really excited for this song because it has been a while since I have heard a fantastic song from the group. Right off the bat, I am impressed with this song as it appeals to me taste immediately. The opening line was amazing and definitely upholds expectations I have for the song. While the instrumental was predominately electronic  club synths featuring a  mysterious vibe, I could hear a layer of R&B at the bottom, which probably gave the song that seductive nature. To me, the song contains a dynamic chorus. The first part (which could easily be a pre-chorus) featured the drop of the century (yep, you heard it first here) which created a nice level of suspense. It was followed up with an upbeat and funky vocal pop vibe second half. The rest of the song follows the same sound yet it does grow as it is hyped along. Vocals and raps were all fitting. Finally, I liked how the song ended as it returns as a full circle to the start of the song, which I thought was cool. Overall, Now or Never is my new favourite song.

The new image change is reflect in the music video. There is a mysterious vibe which definitely adds to the song’s appeal. I really liked all the different scenes and how they were interlinked with various transitions. The use of a dominate colour in each scene was spectacular, perfect for Summer yet makes the otherwise serious song pop out of its shell. Something that needs to be acknowledged is their confidence shown throughout the video. It makes them look more sexier and adds an extra layer of appeal for the viewers to be left shaken. Overall, it was a good video.

The choreography looks amazingly perfect for the song. I am astounded when I first saw the music video and it made me jump straight for their showcase. And that left me wanting more. I really liked the Michael Jackson infused intro (seen at the showcase) and the moves overall were just so sharp. My favourite part was how well-timed the moonwalk during the performance was.

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

 

 

[Review] Grand Bleu – 100%

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Saturdays are usually my ‘JPOP’ review days where I take a closer look at Japanese songs released by Korean artists. The intention for this week was to publish a review for 100%’s latest Japanese comeback – Summer Night. However, the group did make their comeback earlier this week with Grand Bleu, so I will be reviewing that first (and the JPOP review will be published next Saturday). This is also the group’s first comeback since member Minwoo passed away earlier this year.

The song was nice but it isn’t spectacular. 100% returned with more vocally centred tracks in the past few years and this does fall into that category (to an extent as their vocals are very toned down). However, it does have that Summery feel that makes is very fitting for the current season in SK. There was a nice melody to the song, which does leave a smile on your face. It is a little weak on the memorability front, especially as the song remains very linear throughout and it didn’t have a catchy or strong hook to really deliver a punch. Instead, it reminds me of some songs that you would gladly listen to while having that stroll down a beach and the weather isn’t too hot or cold. The song does talk about cross an ocean (the Grand Bleu) to reach a love one, which I can’t help but think it is a song that is dedicated to their leader.

The music video was simply behind the scene shots to some photoshoot on the beach. There really isn’t anything special with the video besides the acknowledgement that they look like they are having fun. It did make me question the budget and effort the company did put in for the group but when I think of the song, I can’t think of any other way to present a music video for it.

I wouldn’t describe the performance as light but it isn’t heavy by any means whatsoever. Instead, it was a nice combination allowing for focus on their vocals/raps. Though, I did think there was a classy element to the performance. I really liked it personally and is another example of how simplicity shines brightly.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 5.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 6.5/10