Reviews – Page 117 – KPOPREVIEWED

[Review] My Star – K.Will

May 11, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged K.WillLeave a comment

It has been a while since we last heard from K.Will. His last promotional round was back in September 2017 with Nonfiction, which was also the title track of the first part of his 4th album. Now, K.Will has returned with the 2nd part of his 4th album, which is titled as Will Be A Start. The title track for this release is My Star. From what I am also reading, this is also his second release as part of a trilogy.

Listening to the song, it made me realize how long it has been since I heard K.Will’s voice. I get drawn to the song mainly for its bright vibes and sound, which is extremely suitable for the Spring season in which South Korea is currently experiencing. Much better than the rainy and cold storm I am experiencing at the moment. While the song does satisfy the need of warmth and craving for the singer’s vocals, the song just simply fits into his portfolio. He doesn’t really have much else to offer with the song. Yes, it has a nice melody and a nice feel-good instrumental. There were nice hooks and moments that definitely has me coming back for more (such as the flowy and sway-along-to melody during the chorus and the dragged out bridge). However, it isn’t his most exciting comeback (the twisty Please Don’t take that honour) and hence I am slightly disappointed with its sound.

The music video features Gian84 and WJSN’s Bona, whom both plays neighbours in the video. Gian84 recently moved in and falls in love with his neighbour at first sight, after offering some food to her. While he can’t get his mind off her, he sees her again at a cafe, in which he falls further in love. He has a few dreams about her (after finding it hard to fall to sleep, to which he counts sheep. Literal sheep), which he wakes up from. In end, it seems like their love story continues when she turns up at his door the next morning. It is a nice love story, which was fitting for the song. What is more important is the fact that K.Will appeared in his music video. I think this is his second time featuring in his own music video (the first being a cameo role where he was killed off in Love Blossom). His presence definitely makes the video feel more wholesome.

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

[Review] You and I – Dream Catcher

May 11, 2018May 11, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Dreamcatcher1 Comment

Dream Catcher is back with the final part of their nightmare tetralogy (or quartet) concept. The group has received a fair amount of interest based on their nightmare/horror concept, back from their debut single Chase Me and following onto Good Night and Fly High. You & I is the group’s final comeback as part of the nightmare concept and it is the title track off their second mini-album, Escape The Era.

You and I, from the very first second, manages to climb to the top of my favourite tracks from the group (and it may possibly climb to the top of my weekly charts posts). I loving the opening verse, with its eerie sound and their crisp clear vocals. I question the use of the modern doorbell sound at the very start, as I think a older sound doorbell would be more fitting for the song. The pre-chorus is when the song really starts to be promising. The build-up and introduction of the electric guitars really tells you what is to come. One amazing and hyped up chorus with an amazing rock instrumental that stays true to their roots. The rapping steals the show shortly after, with the song slowing down and becoming much softer, showing great contrast between the chorus and the said section. I also liked the falsetto, which added a nice touch to the bridge. Overall, another smashing song from the group.

The music video was unlike any of their previous music videos. I really thought the video was well produced and everything felt really defined. I like their use of visual effects (namely the green screen) in the video, which made it really intriguing to watch. Following the nightmare concept, the video seems to touch on another dimension. And it has horror aspects that were sene in some previous videos. I am not sure how they link up at the moment but the plotline of the 4 videos will be the subject of a future post.

I love it how there isn’t any messing around with the performance. It is creepy, powerful and seductive. All three occurring simultaneously in a span of 3 minutes. Really liked the incorporation of the handkerchiefs and that use of the cane (I love and am perflexed about how it appeared).

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9.7/10

[Review] Light It Up – SPECTRUM

May 10, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged SPECTRUMLeave a comment

SPECTRUM is the newest male group to be joining the KPOP wave. They are a new group under WYNN Entertainment. The members that make up the 7-member group are Hwarang, Minjae, Dongkyu, Jaehan, Eunjun, Dongyoon and (my pick for best stage name ever) Villain. You may find Jaehan familiar as he participated in Produce 101 Season 2, while Dongyoon participated in the more recent MIXNINE survival shot. Together, the group dropped their debut single, Light It Up, yesterday.

Light It Up joins the growing list of tropical house songs that had basically dominated our playlists in the past year or so. And while this song does sound good, I can’t help but point out how plain the tropical house elements are. Rather, the more interesting parts of the song were the stuff around the chorus. The verses were okay and the buildup to the chorus felt prolonged. However, that prolonged buildup seemed to pay off because I really liked the drop into the chorus. That deep sound while the rappers sing the words ‘불붙여 (Light It Up)’ really felt like a good punch from the song. And as simple as it sounds, the ‘Na Na Na‘ part in the second half of the chorus was quite decent. Together, they made the tropical house elements in the chorus more interesting. The vocal work was fine but I felt like they rushed through the rap sequence, where they had 3 rappers take on one rap sequence and then going back to the prolonged buildup to the chorus for the second verse. I feel like if they somehow managed to distribute the raps across the song, it would have potentially made their parts stand out somewhat more. But overall, Spectrum was a decent debut song.

The music video felt very typical. There wasn’t anything special about that makes it stand out from the crowd. Because they are from a small company, going with sets that were seen many times over was expected. But what makes other videos stand out is that they use the set in different ways. Here, it just feels very simple-minded and repeated many times before. The members also didn’t really pop in the video. The video was rather dark and the outfits the members were wearing didn’t really highlight them. I am not expecting fluoro colours but rather something more fitting yet allowing them to be brought to the forefront of the video.

The choreography of the video was quite cool. Once again, it wasn’t mind-blowing but I could appreciate their dance moves, which I thought were fitting for the song. Parts that stood out were the chorus and pre-chorus buildups.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.1/10

[Review] Go Away – Yong Junhyung (HIGHLIGHT)

May 9, 2018May 9, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged HIGHLIGHT, Yong JunhyungLeave a comment

Making his long-awaited return is Junhyung, the resident rapper of HIGHLIGHT. That being said, Junhyung is not only known for this works as part of HIGHLIGHT but also his many chart-topping singles over the year, such as Wonder If and Sudden Shower (featuring 10CM). This comeback also features his first solo album which is titled as Goodbye 20s. His last album release was back in 2013 with Flower.

The title track is Go Away and it is unlike any other song that I associate with Junhyung. I tend to think R&B when it comes to Junhyung but Go Away is surprisingly upbeat. While there are upbeat R&B and hip-hop songs, the song was quite groovy and ‘bright’ (if you know what I mean). And this new sound actually works well. I was attracted to the song within the first few seconds. The chorus wasn’t that much different, with the way he sings ‘Go Away‘ being my most favourite part of the song. It literally makes the song so much more memorable in my mind. I thought both his vocals and raps shined strongly throughout the song. Though, the singing had an edge, mainly because I am addicted to the way he sings that ‘Go Away‘ line. Overall, Go Away is one amazing comeback song, especially for someone of Junhyung’s calibre.

A few weeks ago, Junhyung released Sudden Shower (featuring 10CM), which happens to be track 4 on his album. The start of the video was a really smart way of introducing the new track by switching from Track 4 to Track 2 (which is the where the title track sits on the tracklist). My guess is that the same director who shot Lovelyz, EXID (and many others) music videos in the past also shot this video, with the rap sequences being quite noticeable. While it is a style seen quite often nowadays, it is always fresh somehow. I also thought the video played well with the lyrics, which talks about a breakup.

I have yet to hear any news about Junhyung promoting his new album and song on stage yet. However, it was seen in the music video that there was choreography, so it looks promising. It looks good from what I can see. Though I feel like a better judgement can be made once a live performance is revealed so I will return when that occurs.

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

[Review] Touch It – Cross Gene

May 9, 2018May 9, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Cross GeneLeave a comment

Cross Gene made their first comeback in over a year yesterday. Their latest comeback single is titled as Touch It. This is also the group’s first comeback as a 5-member group after the departure of Casper in August last year. They were last on stage with Black Or White in February 2017. They also debuted a subunit last year called X HEARTS, which I somehow missed.

I feel like Touch It is another solid song from Cross Gene. It does lack some things to make it that winning song for the group. The song doesn’t really feature a chorus. Instead, it utilises instrumentation as its main hook. While it isn’t that troubling, I feel like if the song has a hook via the traditional lyrical approach, the song could have been much more memorable. That being said, the words uttered before the chorus (and the pre-chorus) do have that same effect and it does ring in your head throughout the song. Talking about the instrumental, the song takes on the tropical sound, which I think sounds a lot better since the trend has died down and not every song released features that sound. I thought the vocals were pretty good and I wished the rapping was extended for a long time frame, mainly because it was extremely well suited and kept the song from becoming too repetitive. Overall, I personally liked the song and thought it was pretty good.

The feel like the music video should have stuck with the ominous and mysterious concept. Those last few seconds where Takyua rejoins the guys and they act surprised in an exaggerating manner just ruined the suspense and mystery that the video was building up. Essentially, the guys follow this mysterious lady around and find themselves going through portals that lead them to different places, which I believe all end up being traps of some kind. As if she is luring them. I thought that part of the video was well done, despite it being extremely typical and standard.

I really enjoyed the performance. Those pieces of fabrics that start off as blindfolds were used very well in the performance to give off a sensual yet elegant vibe, which is rather interesting given the musical choice. With that said, I really enjoyed the chorus and it keeps the choreography captivating.

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

[Special] LOOΠΔ Predebut Solo Song Reviews – Part 2

May 9, 2018May 14, 2018Posted in KPOP, Reviews, SpecialTagged LOOΠΔ, LOONA2 Comments

Please note these special posts are designed to be long and may require some time to read (if you plan on reading the entire post). To help shorten the length, the music video will be inserted as hyperlinked titles, so feel free to click the title of each section to watch the video.

After multiple requests about LOOΠΔ and reviews for their pre-release singles, it is time to start focusing on what seems to be a very promising girl group. Each Wednesday for the month of May, I will be releasing a special set of reviews for the LOOΠΔ members, which will focus on both their main and side-tracks as well.

LOOΠΔ is a 12-member girl group under Blockberry Creative. While they have yet to officially debut, their pre-debut promotion is extremely unusual. Starting in October 2016, each month a new member of the group is unveiled to the public. This continued until the end of March 2018. And with the completion of this pre-debut promotions, the group will be preparing and gearing up for their official debut which has been rumoured to be October this year.

Once I heard the project, I decided to wait for all the songs to be released (similar to what I did with previous project releases). I just didn’t anticipate for it to be such a long wait, as they also unveiled subunits made up of the already revealed members along the way, which drew the project out even longer. Talking about subunits, this is not the first time I have spoken about LOOΠΔ, as I have taken some time out to review and look closely to their subunit releases, which you can find out below.

LOOΠΔ 1/3 – Love & Live & Sonatine
LOOΠΔ Odd Eye Circle – Girl Front & Sweet Crazy Love

Today’s post will look at the main tracks from the final 6 members of LOOΠΔ. I will be focusing on the song and music video standalone, as I am interested in doing another special post focusing on the connections between their music videos.

Singing In The Rain – Jinsoul (June 2017)

Jinsoul is the seventh member of the group. Currently, the song was one of my favourites. However, this wasn’t the case when it first came out. The EDM chorus (which was the song’s big moment) felt plain at first. However, now I think that is quite powerful piece of instrumental. I think the song should have featured a more defined drop because it caused the song to come off weak (hence my initial thoughts). It became quite catchy and enjoyable. I particularly liked the second half of the bridge and the pre-choruses, which did give some hype to the song. For the music video, it was rather aesthetic. I really liked the dominance of the blue colour throughout the video. As for the choreography, I thought it was extremely fitting for the song (really enjoyed the scenes where Jinsoul performed on water, that was quite cool).

Love Cherry Motion – Choerry (July 2017)

The eighth member of the group is Choerry. The song was quite smooth, which complimented her vocal styles really nicely. The song flowed effortlessly between verses to chorus and vice versa. While I did appreciate the upbeat vibes of the song, I was a little disappointed with the chorus. I felt like it could have been a little bolder and interesting. I really liked the post-chorus instrumental break, which changes as you go along. It prevents the song from becoming too repetitive, which definitely made it a lot better. The music video has a nice mysterious concept which definitely makes you ask questions about its meaning. I really liked the emphasis on the purple. As for the choreography, I thought it was extremely fitting, with when the song changes up (post chorus), the choreography seems to divert in the same direction.

New – Yves (November 2017)

Yves is the ninth member of the group. Her song has to be one of the best sounding songs, which also had one of the best buildups to the chorus that I have heard in a while. The thumping in the background for the verses was quite cool, in my opinion. The chorus was definitely my favourite part, with the deep voices in the background providing a unique form of instrumentation to the chorus. Her vocals were also really good in the song. While it is clear that the video has connections to the other LOOΠΔ videos, I have to say that when it is considered alone, it has this really pleasing aesthetic feel to it. The choreography also seems to be the best in the entire project with those choreography scenes definitely captivating me.

Heart Attack – Chuu (December 2017)

Hands down, Heart Attack is the best song in the entire project for me. Throughout the entire song, I was blown away by the extremely strong vocals, with them being the main selling point of the song. The entire orchestral-liked instrumental manages to remain upbeat and energetic, which I also think made this track extremely memorable. Her raps were okay but they added an extra fun element to the song, which definitely added more to what was there. I love the chorus, which sounded catchy and incredibly cute. The music video was also quite cute but extremely creepy at the same time. Essentially, Chuu is stalking Yves throughout the entire video. And I am not too sure if Yves knows about it or not. I personally liked the video because it puts a twist on something that could be a little too creepy for some people, which makes it memorable. The choreography was also a weak point of the video but it doesn’t affect the song’s impact for me!

One & Only – Go Won (January 2018)

Go Won (the eleventh member of the group) presents us with what I would consider being a weak song. The elements alone were nice but as a whole, the song lacked impact. The repetition of the ‘One & Only’ was intriguing. The instrumental was nice. The raps were good, while the vocals felt standard. Just when you put these together, it just didn’t work out to be that winning combination. The music video also seemed to play on from Chuu’s video, with Go Won being stalked by some members in the background. However, it is a lot more eerie and dark. The framing of the video was interesting and not seen so often. There wasn’t much choreography in the video to make a comment regarding it.

Egoist – Olivia Hye ft. Jinsoul (March 2018)

Olivia Hye is the twelfth and final member to be revealed as part of LOOΠΔ. The song was amazing despite it misleading me into thinking it was just a standard dance track. Instead, the song leans towards the EDM spectrum, featuring awesome synths. I really liked the whistling effect and the instrumental breakdown featured throughout the song. The song did lack edginess but this was added through Jinsoul’s rap sequence (which I also quite liked). Olivia’s music video started off mysterious but took a turn to creepiness with the appearance of the red eyes. The choreography was pretty good just not that mindblowing as the song.

Click here for Part 1 of the LOOΠΔ Solo Pre-debut reviews

Check back next week for the 3rd part of the LOOΠΔ Solo Pre-debut reviews

[Review] Seoul Night – Teen Top

May 9, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Teen TopLeave a comment

Making their first comeback in over a year is Teen Top. And this time around, they are getting the party started in Seoul!! Okay, that was an overly lame attempt at trying to be cool, so I will just tone it back down. Teen Top’s latest comeback single is titled as Seoul Night, which is the title track off their latest mini which shares the same name. Teen Top last promoted together in April 2016 with Love Is.

Seoul Night definitely has structure and sound to become a party anthem. However, it has a few issues that may hinder the song’s ability to become this potential. The song lacks impact. It just doesn’t really feel memorable. I know I say this a lot in my reviews and what I am referring to it is whether the song stays in your head after listening to it. Party songs are great examples of this. Seoul Night just doesn’t have that hook that gets your riled up and singing along. The song itself is also relatively plain. There isn’t anything that makes it stand out (which goes back to the memorable aspect). The song did have its moments though. I really like the Niel’s start to the pre-choruses, where he dragged out the last word of the song. That was definitely a catching moment for me. The vocals and rapping were pretty decent. I did like Changjo’s start to the song, where he alternated between singing and rapping, which I thought was cool.

What the music video did well was capturing the sites of Seoul during the night time. It looked awesome/breathtaking and this would be one rooftop party that you would want to be invited to. Honestly, without the night scenes, the video would have been pretty much forgettable. There wasn’t much else to the video. My only other question is: why is Changjo studying on the rooftop with his lonesome desk?

While I did think the performance was fitting of the song, watching their showcase, I didn’t really feel the same level of energy that the song had going on. Instead, they felt somewhat disinterested in their performance. I am not too sure myself but they gave off that vibe. As for the moves, they are more or less the trendy moves we see often nowadays.

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

[Review] Horololo – EXO-CBX

May 5, 2018Posted in JPOP, ReviewsTagged EXO, EXO-CBXLeave a comment

With the subunit just finishing up their unit promotions in Korea with Blooming Days, EXO-CBX is looking at Japan for their next hit. Horololo is the title track off their upcoming first album in Japan, which is titled Magic. This is the subunit’s first comeback in Japan since their debut with Ka-Ching!. This is also my first JPOP review in a very long time. I have allocated Saturdays in the month of May for Japanese songs sung by the Korean singers that I review often on this site.

I think the first thing that jumps out at you is the chorus. It had me a little speechless the first time I heard it and it felt a little ridiculous the many listens that followed. But hey, they made it work and now it is the one thing that I am constantly hearing my head. The vocals and raps were nice. The chorus also added some intensity and energy into the song, which made me enjoy it to an extent. However, when you take the chorus away, the song was rather plain. It was like a rollercoaster. Song started off on a low and once we reached the chorus, we were at a peak. And then this repeated once we got back to the verse.

I wasn’t exactly sure what they were trying to get through with the video. It just felt like a bunch of sets purchased randomly and the production team just went with it. One moment they are in an olden styled reporter or detective office, the next they are on the streets and then they stop at a countryside train station. The cinematography did manage to channel the energy with the camera angles, so I guess that is a plus. But it just felt like a standard music video.

The choreography was extremely well suited for the song. Especially with the hook like that in the song, it doesn’t really offer much room for creativity. It also worked well with the intensity and energetic vibes highlighted earlier in the review.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 5/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 6.2/10

[Review] Angel – IZ

May 4, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged IZLeave a comment

This is my first time hearing about IZ, yet they made their debut last year (which I somehow did not notice or completely missed). IZ is a 4-member boy band under Music K Entertainment who debuted with All You Want in August 2017. Jihoo, Hyunjun, Junyoung and Woosu returned on May 1st for the first time since debuting with Angel.

When you listen to this song as it appears on your playlist, it actually sounds decent. However, it is when I start making notes in my head for these reviews that I start noticing flaws of the track. The song lacks memorable elements. It fails to have a powerful hook that grabs your attention. While what we have does ring in your head for a while, it isn’t necessary that same sensation as you get with a really catchy song that engraves its hook into your mind. This just barely scratches the surface. Another thing that the song lacks in is energy. I feel like intensity was there but I felt like it there was a more powerful hook, it would have made the song much more interesting. Instead, it felt like it was going back and forth. The vocals were okay and the rapping was decent. But while it may sound like I don’t really like the song, I am not too troubled by it when I am listening to it when doing homework or working on other stuff. (I know it is odd but that is my honest opinion about the song).

While the music video does seem to feature that same generic issue that the song also faced, it felt fitting with the seriousness of the song. Once again, the same sets are used. I think my take on the plotline of the video makes it interesting for me. It seems like the members are finding this ‘angel‘ who has left feathers from her wings behind and a pearl necklace, which on the members hold onto. But it seems like the serious nature of the video/song and the microphone wires binding to the members, this person is no ‘angel’. That’s my take on it. I may be completely wrong.

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

[Review] LATATA – (G)I-DLE

May 2, 2018May 2, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged i-dleLeave a comment

There is a new girl group in town. (G)I-DLE, which has been shortened from GIRL-I-DLE, is the latest girl group from Cube Entertainment, which houses KPOP idols such as Hyuna, BTOB, CLC and Pentagon. Their debut single is LATATA, which is featured on their first mini-album titled as I Am. The group consist of 6 members: Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon (who has debuted as a solo artist and participated in Produce 101 Season 1), Soojin, Yuqi and Shuhua.

It seems like Cube Entertainment has taken notice of the disappointing performance of CLC’s cutesy tracks that they started off with. LATATA takes on a more fierce and strong sound, which aligns well with the more popular and successful sound that is garnering CLC attention at the moment. It starts off with a very minimal instrumental but quickly builds up to the intense chorus. I find the way they sang the first verse very interesting. And while it was interesting, it also did capture my attention. While the chorus wasn’t that strong in my point of view, I am enjoying the post-chorus instrumental, which is definitely the catchiest moment of the song. The ‘LATATA‘ part of the chorus seems okay but I am unsure whether it will grow on me or not. The vocals and rapping were quite good. I really liked the combination of the two during the bridge of the track, which was a great moment for the song. Overall, LATATA seems to be a strong track for a debut and it definitely puts the girls on the map, in my opinion.

The music video seems to be a weak point for this debut. It feels very typical and doesn’t really offer anything new to get the audience’s attention. Like the visuals are nice and the members all looked good. But I expected something a little more from the background that would have either enhanced the member’s visuals or enhanced the song. None of that happened in the video. Instead, we see a lot of overused sets and some cheesy acting (though the acting did add a twist to their strong and fierce concept).

The post-chorus instrumental featured some nice choreography. It was probably their strongest part as well. The rest of the performance was okay but it just doesn’t live up to the same standard as the post-chorus choreography.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 6.5/10
Overall Rating – 7.1/10

[Special] LOOΠΔ Predebut Solo Song Reviews – Part 1

May 2, 2018May 2, 2018Posted in KPOP, Reviews, SpecialTagged LOOΠΔ, LOONA2 Comments

LOOΠΔ 1/3 – Love & Live & Sonatine
LOOΠΔ Odd Eye Circle – Girl Front & Sweet Crazy Love

Today’s post will look at the main tracks from the 6 members who were revealed first. I will be focusing on the song and music video standalone, as I am interested in doing another special post focusing on the connections between their music videos.

ViVid – Heejin (October 2016)

Opening up the entire project is Heejin with ViVid. And I personally cannot think of any song that would have been able to leave such a strong impression on me. It is extremely catchy with its unique chorus and jazzy instrumental. The “Oh My God, Yes” just repeats in my head since I first heard it. The song was also spoken, which gave it character and uniqueness. I also really liked the music video. From the obviously high production value, bold colours and eye-catching choreography, what more can you ask for!

Around You – Hyunjin (November 2016)

Hyunjin’s song is more soothing and less dramatic with its sound. Unfortunately, right off the bat, the song did fall on the dry end of the spectrum for me. She had nice vocals, which was nasally. The ballad-like song had a nice instrumental but it just felt like a let-down, especially after the eye-opening ViVid track. The music video opens up in the POV of a cat and the music is muffled here (to give the effect of listening to it via radio or CD). The audio kicks back into normal mid-way. Not exactly sure what happened in this music video with the many cat heads and the hairdresser guy. But I can say the hazy nature of the lighting did match the song’s style.

Let Me In – Haseul (December 2016)

Following Hyunjin’s song is Haseul, who kicks the standard up back to the level set by Heejin. What we have is a tango and classical based song and a grand feel that you cannot avoid. This was particularly felt leading into the chorus and as a whole, producing an epic feeling. It also compliments her very nice vocals. I really liked how she ended the song with a sort of whispering, which was also quite chilling. With regards to the music video, I absolutely love the scenery. Everything from the transition between the outfit she wore outside to the white outfit on the black background to the crashed plane, everything was purely breathtaking.

Kiss Later – Yeojin (January 2017)

Yeonjin seems to be in charge of the innocence and cutesy side of the group. I love the retro and showtime vibes that the song is channelling. Her vocals don’t really seem to be her strongest point but they do contribute to the overall cutesy charm of the track. The speak-rap that was similar to Heejin’s but more traditional in nature. Overall, I thought it was rather catchy and had a cheerful tone. The music video was fitting for the song. It did creep over to the odd side of things, especially how she was crushing on the gigantic frogman. I particularly loved the ending scene, where they were going in for a kiss but Yeojin turns away and vomits out the rainbow soft serve. So cutesy and such a funny video.

Everyday I Love You (ft. Haseul) – ViVi (April 2017)

ViVi’s song starts off as a ballad like (with echoey vocals) and surprisingly develops into a pop dance track. It was a decent song. The pleasant-sounding chorus works really well ViVi’s vocals and becomes the main attraction with its more upbeat melody. The verses could have been more interesting. I feel like the rapping was good, preventing the song from becoming too repetitive and literally saved the song from feeling too ’empty’. The music video was also quite nice, set in a retro rollerskate park. There were some scenes (like when Haseul and the other members were featured) that reminded me of the style of the 90s KPOP music videos. The choreography was also quite nice to watch.

Eclipse – Kim Lip (May 2017)

Kim Lip leaves a very large impression on you with her unique vocals. With the music, Eclipse is a very aesthetically pleasing R&B styled song. While the verses did seem plain, the chorus had an amazing melody. I really enjoyed the way she sang the word “Eclipse”. I also thought the bridge was really well done, showcasing the best moments of both her vocals and the instrumental of the song. The music video was extremely artsy, with the bold red colour being very eerie, but at the same time, very aesthetic. There were two sections of the video which I liked, including the transition at 1:16-1:17 and the change in colours at 1:08-1:09. The choreography was nice. It was sexy yet elegant at the same time.

Check back in next week for the 2nd part of the LOOΠΔ reviews!

[Review] O.M.G – HALO

May 1, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged HaloLeave a comment

Making their first comeback in almost a year is HALO with O.M.G. They were last on stage with Here I Am, which was released in July last year. Last time I mentioned how I missed some of their past releases but this time I endeavoured to put them on the site as soon as they released their new song. So without further ado, here is my review for O.M.G.

O.M.G is a truly funky track with its addictive instrumental. It is a disco-pop track with added synths and electric guitar which all contribute to the funkiness and grooviness of the track. I am absolutely liking the chorus for exactly that but also for its energy. The verses were a little underwhelming when compared to the chorus but they hold nicely on their own. Their vocal work was also quite good with the bridge of the song bringing out their potential. The rapper also put out an amazing rap section for the song, which fitted in nicely with the rest of the song. There was one missing aspect that seemed to be noticeable as I was writing this review. The song lacked a catchy hook, which may be the reason why I don’t really get into the song. Yes, the instrumental was good but that is only ‘one half’ of a song. But overall, the song was still quite decent to listen to.

Filmed purely on a helipad on top of a skyscraper, this music video was extremely cool from the setting standpoint. Just want to point out while the view is really nice, all the buildings in the background are very similar. Other than that, there really isn’t much to comment on content-wise. So I will move onto the performance section of this review.

Around the 10 second mark of the music video, I see the members throwing in a little Michael Jackson into the mix. Overall, the performance was okay to watch. There wasn’t anything impressive or worth mentioning from what I could see. But it wasn’t terrible, so don’t misunderstand.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 6/10
Overall Rating – 6.8/10

[Review] Time For The Moon Night – GFRIEND

April 30, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged GFriendLeave a comment

Making their comeback today is GFRIEND with Time For The Moon Night. This is the title track and title for their 6th mini-album, which I yet to decide whether I will be writing an album review for (the highlight medley sounded really good). Hands up if I should!!! 2017 was a very busy year for the group with hits like Fingertip, Love Whisper and Summer Rain.

Time For The Moon Night initially felt very underwhelming. It just lacked energy in my point of view. But after a couple of listens, I think it is safe to say that Time For The Moon Night is definitely growing on me. Joining their usual dance side with classical-based instrumental, the group managed to showcase great vocals from each member. Yuju’s high note was superb. The chorus is still growing on me but there is definitely a nice ring to it. I like how Eunha sang the first part of the chorus at the start but it had a completely different feel, which was definitely interesting. Also, the lyrics take on a very depressing note. The song is described as being about thinking about a lover during the night. To me, it felt like the members were wondering about their friendship with this person who is no longer by their said (for unknown reasons). Do check out the lyrics to the song when you get a chance to listen to the song and see what you think of it. Overall, it was a nice song to listen to.

I think watching the music video first influenced my take on the lyrics. We see Eunha spending a lot of time alone during the video. This may be because her friends (the other members) all left here (for unknown reasons) and she imagines them being there. Sowon kisses her on the head when she sleeps like how someone would say goodbye to someone (and no, it isn’t a good night type of kiss). Eunha realizes she is alone at 3:23 of the video and the members are shining a light into her eyes but she is unfazed (they are also outside). That is my take on the video. I actually thought the dried up grassland was a nice place to set the video, with the room’s colour matching the colour of the grassland. Overall, it is also a nice video to watch.

I love the start of the performance with Eunha facing the front and the others are in the curved formation that shows the ascending moon. The chorus was quite fast-paced but their moves remained graceful. Just mildly disappointed by the length of the dance break just before the bridge (which has always been my favourite part of the performance).

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

[Album Review] What Is Love? (5th Mini Album) – TWICE

April 29, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged TWICELeave a comment

TWICE returned a few weeks back with What Is Love? and like their past tracks, it is undeniable that they have taken over the charts once again. This is my album review for their album release, including the physical album only song, Stuck. It is also long overdue that I focused on some album reviews for the female artists and TWICE’s album was the first one to peak my interest. So let’s get going with the review.

twice-whatislove-2 — *What Is Love?* Album Cover

1..What Is Love? (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for What Is Love?. (8.8/10)

2. Sweet Talker – The song does have some negatives and positive aspects to it. The instrumental, which was quite upbeat, seemed to be similar to a video game soundtrack or almost like 8–bit (with a few extra elements). The vocals were good and the rapping was quite nice. Talking about rapping, the pre-chorus was my most favourite part of the track. I did expect it to be a little catchier, especially with its upbeat nature. The hook was good at first but felt repetitive towards the end. It typical pop sound did also feel a little bland, in my opinion. But it was a good song overall. (7/10)

3. Ho! – What really screams out loud is the retro vibes that feature in the song. What I also liked was the vocal work by the main vocalists for the chorus, which really pushed the song further. When compared to the chorus the verses do feel a little flat but standalone, they were quite nice as well. While I don’t have much else to say about Ho!, the song does shine quite well on the album. (9/10)

4. Déjà Vu – Starting off the song are some rapping but I am not too keen on that part of the track. It just didn’t sit well with me. The verses were a little quirky with the instrumental, which sounds like old country music played on a banjo. The song gets a little confusing as it progresses due to its random transitions yet returning to its original sound. For example, that EDM instrumental break just felt to heavy in comparison to the rest of the song and I question why it is there. Hence, it creates a messy atmosphere, The drums for the “Na-Na-Na” hook were nice but rest of song was too confusing for my taste. (6/10)

5. Say Yes – Normally, I am not too much of a fan for these types of songs. However, Say Yes showcases great vocal work and gets you swaying along. It is a soft pop song, with a great ending to the song with the guitar and vocalisation. I think the song would have benefited from some harmonies, which would also prove to some listeners out there, their ability to sing (which they don’t really focus much in their title track). (8.5/10)

6. Stuck – But out of all the songs on this tracklist, Stuck was the ultimate song. While I have limited comments for this track, I pick this as the literal hidden gem of the album, as you can only find this track on the physical album. It showcases amazing vocals (which was heard in the previous track but it sounds so different when comparing the two). I actually thought some of the melodies (particularly in the chorus) were nostalgic of some of their past tracks. (10/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.2/10

twice-whatislove-3 — *What Is Love?* Music Video Screenshot

[Review] Crazy, Gone Crazy – Berry Good HeartHeart

April 28, 2018April 28, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Berry Good, Berry Good HeartHeartLeave a comment

Some of you may not know of Berry Good, who had many great underrated songs in the past. If you haven’t heard Angel, Don’t Believe, Love Letter and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo, it’s best to get back to YouTube and experience all of their glory (just don’t focus too much on Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo‘s music video). The group’s first release of 2018 is a subunit (named Berry Good HeartHeart), which features Taeha, Gowoon and Sehyung.

Crazy, Gone Crazy seems to be a solid song, in my opinion. The main point of a subunit (if we consider the past subunits of KPOP) is to go down a different route than what their entire group would probably never go down. This is exactly what we have here. Berry Good has had scattered concepts and sounds in the past, which seems to focus on innocence more than anything. HeartHeart’s sound is much more seductive and mature, which was a present surprise within the first few seconds. The vocal work, while not as impressive as in the past, does compliment the song’s style quite nicely. The bridge is probably my go-to point within the song to prove this. The instrumental itself does seem sluggish, at first. However, it does get better with multiple listens. The song is quite flowy, especially the hook of the song, which you don’t really hear until after the first chorus. There was some rapping but I think the song would have benefited with something a little more tempo and intensity, which would have contrasted nicely. But my initial comment stands.

There really isn’t anything that special about the music video. It honestly felt too cliche, in my opinion. Slow movements in the acting, the saddened faces. They are always done every single time in these videos. I don’t actually blame them. I failed to mention earlier how typical the instrumental felt before and I think because of that, the video was shot in a way to match that typical side. The only part that seems to be promising is the choreography shots and the flashy lights. But even that is very typical as well.

The choreography seems okay. I did like the telephone gestures they made for the chorus. It too did suffer from the typical nature of the song but it was still watchable and pleasant.

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

[Review] Mirror – Stray Kids

April 27, 2018Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Stray KidsLeave a comment

Stray Kids have had a pretty successful debut so far with District 9. While there doesn’t seem to be too much competition with other new male groups so far this year, Stray Kids have already made a name for themselves in the overseas market. To keep people talking about them, Stray Kids will be following up with Mirror, which is a track off their debut mini-album, I Am Not.

Mirror seems to follow their previous title tracks with its dance-based songs. Interestingly, this song is less intense than their previous songs and it leans toward a pop sound during the chorus. It is an interesting mix, going back and forth to the EDM. Even more interesting is the fact there was a complete slowdown during the bridge, which my opinion worked nicely. This particular sound does allow for the vocals to be heard and they did flourish. We got a taster in District 9 but it would have been interesting to hear more of the vocals (since their songs are already rap dominating), particularly on a different canvas. While I understand that this may be a little plain for some people, it proved one thing for me. Despite their deep voices and dance-centred title tracks, versatility might be another aspect to keep an eye out. But going back to Mirror, it was a pretty good song overall.

We don’t really have a music video. Rather, earlier this week, they dropped their ‘performance version’, which serves as the promotional video. I feel that while the video looks like it is in line with their debut and pre-release, they could have added something more to make it interesting. For example, a set change for when we launch into the chorus would have made this video pop more and become more memorable. Despite that though, they did do a great job channelling the tough vibes.

What makes the video interesting is the performance rather than the visuals of the video. I really like the mirroring at the start and how they ended the performance in a similar manner to the start. Their formations looked really cool and it was extremely captivating to watch.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 6.5/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.8/10