Category: Reviews

[Review] Shine – Pentagon

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Shining brightly with their latest comeback, Pentagon dropped Shine as their comeback title track today. This is the group’s first comeback since their Runaway comeback in November last year (as well). Shine is the title track to their 6th mini-album, which is titled as Positive. I have yet to decide whether I will be writing an album review for Positive. But before I can make that decision, I must finish this review, so let’s get going.

Shine is one amazing track that I personally think everyone should just check out for the sake of it. To me, the song felt like something iKON would release. That could be mainly due to the hip-hop vibes that I got from the song. The same vibes were well infused into a melodic track, which felt groovy. Its instrumental was particularly bright and cheerful, which works well with the lyrics of the song (which is about feeling shy about love). I love the keyboard instrumental, which was simple yet still allowing the song to build up. Everyone nailed their parts perfectly, from the rapping to the vocals. Two people caught my attention but I am not familiar them, so I don’t know their names. The bridge was my most favourite part of the song (besides from the chorus), with the rapper started off the bridge and the guy who did the high-note being the two members that caught my attention despite each of their sections lasting a few seconds in the bridge. The song is super catchy and I can honestly see myself replaying this song constantly in the days to come.

The music video also had a retro vibe and I thought was the video was nice. Though, I think the video could have been set in a much more appealing area rather than something rundown. I like how the video did play towards the lyrics, mainly the many crumpled pieces of paper in the locker, which I am assuming to be many attempts at a love letter to their crush. It was a good video and I liked it.

There a few dance trends in the choreography, which made the whole thing quite epic to watch. Don’t ask me any names of these moves or else I will show how out-of-touched with the dance trends. Concept-wise, I think this is their take on the cute boy concept. I like this cooler take on the concept, which makes it more interesting and refreshing.

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

 

 

[Review] Lady – EXID

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Making their first comeback of 2018 just a few hours ago is EXID with Lady. This is EXID’s latest comeback since DDD, which was released in November last year. EXID is still 4-members, with Solji sitting out of this comeback entirely due to health reasons. With not much else to say, let’s get right into this review.

Lady is a 90’s throwback song. The song features new jack swing instrumental which literally takes you back to that era. Despite retro being a very large aspect of the Korean pop scene, Lady was surprisingly fresh and interesting to listen to. It features great vocals and raps, which is usual for EXID. The song also managed to throw in a few ad-libs by Hyerin (just before the chorus), which has confirmed how far Hyerin has come since he had to cover for Solji. While it only has been out a few hours, there were a few things that I noticed to be potential flaws. The first being the chorus. Don’t get me wrong, it is melodic and a decent chorus. But it isn’t as strong or catchy as their previous title tracks. On top of that, the chorus would have felt more lively if the jump into it was more exciting and attracting. Instead, what we go made the song feel almost ‘one-sound’. It may take a few more listens to warm up to the chorus but overall, it was still a decent track.

Like the song, their fashion in the video is extremely ’90s. It is a trend that I am seeing amongst some idols nowadays, with the reemergence of baggy clothing. However, this video does it extremely well, with each member looking stunning (what else do you expect from EXID). Also liking the pixelated quality of the video, which is similar to the VCR or just normal boxed television you would get back in the day. Some of their transitions (such as the star and the slow motion is distinctively ’90s. It is a very cool video that suits the song very well and honestly, there is nothing to else to add to the video to make it feel more like the ’90s.

I even think some of the moves they included in the instrumental are directly related to the ’90s. While I don’t think it has anything to rival their past popular dances, it looked fun.

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

[Review] All Eyes On Me – Hoya

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Hoya has officially made his solo debut with his first mini-album, Shower. This is his first major release since leaving Infinite last year. He did previously release a pre-release single, titled Angel, a few weeks back. Shower also features All Eyes On Me, which is the title track of the record.

All Eyes On Me was exceptionally boring. I think that would be my nicest way of describing the track to you all. There isn’t anything holding me there to listen to it. Instead, it feels monotone and grey, which doesn’t really hold well with another R&B track. For a moment, the instrumental did perk my ears up during the chorus with that background echoey sound (not exactly sure what it is). But it just wasn’t enough to keep me interested in the song. His choice of vocals are interesting but it just slows down the song and robs its any energy it could have had. When I listen to his pre-release and the title track, Angel is the more superior track by far. The two of together, however, doesn’t really give off much impression, which has me concerned for the now-solo artist. As harsh as it sounds, those are my thoughts. Though I will admit, we have to see how his future releases stack up to be sure.

Like the song, the music video is quite underwhelming. The only impressive part of the video is when Hoya is literally bouncing towards the camera (at the very start of the video). The video just felt empty and the lack of people doesn’t really reflect well on the minimalistic sounding song. As a result, you get a boring video that doesn’t keep me around.

Hoya is known for his performances and is always seen as the main dancer of Infinite. Unlike the song and video, his dance performance looks quite promising here. While it was fitting for the song, there were moves throughout the video which I thought was cool. The bouncing (mentioned previously) is one of them, another is the pre-chorus build-up.

Song – 4/10
Music Video – 4/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 4.8/10

 

 

 

[Review] One – Samuel ft. Jung Ilhoon (BTOB)

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Samuel is officially back with his second mini-album. Both the mini-album and title track share the same name, One. This is his first comeback of 2018 and his first since Candy, which was released back in November 2017. His comeback coincides with the comebacks of Wanna One and Hyeongseop x Euiwoong; and the upcoming debut of YDPP.

To me personally, One is Samuel’s best track yet. Right from the start, you get a burst of energy from the funky and upbeat ’80s instrumental. This same energy is channelled throughout the chorus, which basically sounds the same as the intro (just with lyrics!). The chorus was quite catchy, with the echoing of the autotuned ‘One‘ quite interesting but extremely fitting for the song’s style. I also like the instrumental segment at the end of the chorus, which allows for an amazing dance break. The only section of the song that I am not too keen on is Ilhoon’s part. His section deviates from the instrumental and takes on EDM. And while alone it sounds good, I don’t think it is fitting enough. The rest of the song was much better, returning the song to its initial vibes. The song just somehow shouts at me with its energetic vibe, something I don’t recall Sixteen or Candy doing.

Despite some scenes made him look like a pale vampire, the music video was decent. I am a little confused on what the story behind the video is. One moment he is awake from eternal sleep, the next he is discovering his surrounds (but is also quite scared of the masked figures), and then his is suddenly king of the area. What I did like about the video was the flashy nature of the lightings which went well with the instrumental of the song. I also liked the sets of the music video. While they don’t look like something I would usually be wowed by, they do actually look quite stylish and I love the industrial feel from them.

The performance was quite good. I did mention before that the instrumental break did allow for an awesome dance break and I felt he delivered. I did expect something a little more intense from the rap section, mainly because the instrumental there was EDM based. But everything else featured great energy, complimenting the song.

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

[Album Review] NCT 2018 Empathy (1st Studio Album) – NCT

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The 18 members have come together to release their very first full-length album. While the does feature the 4 pre-releases released this year from each subunit, the majority of the songs are credited as NCT U tracks (due to its rotational nature). On top of the 4 subunit releases, the album features tracks from a few years back (some which you may recognise as you go down the tracklist). The album also contains 4 other tracks (an intro, outro and the Chinese version of the Without You and an extended version of Yestoday) but per usual, they have been omitted. Many songs (and links) to get through, so here is my album review.

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NCT 2018 Empathy Album Cover

2. Boss (NCT U) – Click here to read the full review of Boss. (9.3/10)

3. Baby Don’t Stop (NCT U) – Click here to read the full review of Baby Don’t Stop. (9.5/10)

4. Go (NCT Dream) – Click here to read the full review of Go. (6.8/10)

5. Touch (NCT 127) – Click here to read the full review of Touch. (9/10)

6. Yestoday (NCT U) – This NCT U track features Taeyong, Lucas, Mark and Doyoung. This particular track isn’t that bad, much smoother than what is about to come. The song feels like it could have been enhanced with a visually aesthetic video. The song alone doesn’t carry much weight but it has a nice melodic feel to it that makes it sound nice (especially with all the high energy and EDM we have heard thus far). I also appreciate the jazzy instrumental, for the same reasons above.  Doyoung gets to showcase his nice vocals, while the other 3 do a nice job with the raps. (8/10)

7. Black On Black – This is the first song that features all 18 members of NCT in the performance. The song actually only features 3 members (Taeyong, Mark and Lucas). Black On Black, to me, is NCT’s version of EXO’s Growl. Mainly due to the growling that features throughout the song. I am not too conflicted with the track, despite it changing its sound so many times. While ‘flow’ isn’t a word that applies to this song in any way, the choppy feel that the song did manage to give out gives the song a charming point. It is also its downfall, however, as it would give me a headache if I listened to it multiple times on repeat. Glad I haven’t (yet).  (7/10)

8. Timeless (NCT U) – Click here to read the full review of Timeless. (9.6/10)

9. The 7th Sense (NCT U) – Click here to read the full review of The 7th Sense. (5/10 – I have bumped this up from the original score of 4.5/10)

10. Without You (NCT U) – Click here to read the full review of Without You. (8.5/10 – I have bumped this up from the original score of 7.5/10)

12. Dream In A Dream (Ten Solo) – Click here to read the full review of Dream In A Dream. (7.5/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8/10

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NCT 2018 Empathy Teaser Image

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[Review] District 9 – Stray Kids

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This week, JYP Entertainment has welcomed a brand new male group to their line-up, joining 2PM, GOT7 and DAY6. Stray Kids is a 9-member male group was formed from the reality show, Stray Kids. They released Hellevator in October last year a promotional track for the show. In January, the group released a pre-debut album titled Mixtape. Now, the boy group is back with their official debut mini-album, titled as I Am Not and the title track, District 9.

There are no surprises with the way the song turned out for me. If Hellevator and their Mixtape mini-album indicated anything, the group would be putting out a hip-hop/EDM styled song for their debut. District 9 is exactly that and it is quite intense from the very first second. The song seems to refocus on the rappers, with the majority of the song being quite rap-dominate (given how the verses, bridge and some parts of the chorus were raps). The chorus does provide some variety with the vocalists given their chance to shine in the rap-dominated song. What I noticed with this song is that there didn’t seem to be a buildup to the chorus. Instead, we were thrown into the chorus straight after the raps finished up for that part. I am not disappointed with this, however, because it felt flawless and amazing. I am personally not a big fan of the hip-hop side of KPOP but this song, combined with its dance elements, gives this group a huge advantage in the industry at the moment. It is an amazing debut song.

And this huge advantage might already be paying off. Stray Kids have become the group with the highest amount of views within 24 hours of debut. On top of that, they have accumulated more than 11 and a half million views within a span of 3 days. That is amazing, considering they just debuted 3 days ago. The music video shows the members being trapped inside a futuristic prison (that seems to be hidden from the public, like Area 51). The members seem to realize this and find a way out of the prison by crashing through the unseeable barrier and the real world (or what they dub as District 9). Kind of like how it alludes to their debut. It is a great video to watch, pairing well with the intensity of the song. The cinematography is amazing and you can tell the budget is well used with this music video.

The post-chorus sequence was really well done. The performance also went well with the song. They managed to be in sync all throughout the performance, particularly amazing me for the chorus. Their stage presence is quite large and if anything can come out of this performance is that these guys aren’t afraid to give some of the other groups a little competition when it comes to dancing.

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

 

[Review] The Chance Of Love – TVXQ

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It has been a while since we have seen the legendary duo, TVXQ, but as of today, they are officially back!  Their last comeback was in 2015 when they released solo singles as part of their 8th full-length album (Champagne and Rise As One). The Chance of Love, the title track off their 9th full-length album (titled as New Chapter #1: The Chance Of Love), is also their first comeback as a duo since leaving the military last year. They did release solo SM Station tracks (Drop and In A Different Life) last year as well.

The first thing that attracts my attention to the song is the really fun sounding instrumental. It is described as a dance track with swing jazz elements throughout it. It isn’t something you get to hear often, so it is quite unique. On top of that, it reminds me of some Europen songs that used to be extremely popular back in the day. With all TVXQ comebacks, there is solid vocal work in this song. Not once did it feel awkward or out-of-place. I particularly like the ‘Eh, Hey Hey‘ at the start of each verse. Don’t know why but it felt like a perfect opener to each of the verses and it also provides a little something fun to the song. The chorus also features a nice melodic hook which is bound to get me singing along if I continue listening to the song.  Honestly, the song ticks all the boxes to make it a perfect song for me. It’s a perfect comeback track to my ears.

The music video is also nicely done. I like it how SM has actually done away with the boxes and have branched out into new sets and scenery. While this music video is still recorded in a studio, everything feels fitting for the ‘Kings of KPOP’. The sets all look classy and elegant. The same words can also be used to describe the guys as well. My comments for this section might be short but do check out this awesome video.

From what I can see in the music video, the performance is going to be extremely fun. Going back to the roots of the song, it is fitting. What more can you ask for? I’ll return, though, with extra comments once I see a live performance.

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

 

 

[Review] Jealousy – Monsta X

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Monsta X has made their return with Jealousy, the title track on their sixth-mini album, The Connect. This is their first comeback after Dramarama, which also earned them their first win on the weekly KPOP music programs.

Opening up with the ‘ye-ye-ye‘ hook was probably one of my most favourite parts of the song. And that manages to introduce into what seems to be a great song. It isn’t as hard-hitting as their previous title tracks but Jealousy works pretty well as a Monsta X. It remains within their domain but it manages to stay different. The song features a trap-based instrumental with pop elements appearing throughout. There is a large focus on the vocals, split between Kihyun, Shownu and Wonho, who all sound spectacular. Kihyun probably shined the brightest in the entire song, based on the ‘A Little Jealousy‘ opener to the chorus, which also was extremely smooth. While we are also focusing on the chorus, I think this has to be one of their best yet. It was jammed packed and I enjoyed the energy that came from that part. I also really like the ‘Jealousy, baby, Jealousy‘ whisper at the end of the first and final choruses, though I do think the section at the end of the first chorus (just before Jooheon’s rap) ended a little too prematurely. The rappers also did a wonderful job with the song, with their parts, per usual, adding that extra intensity that the song needed.

I may write a lot of reviews but I have yet to understand the connection between ‘connected’ music videos. The Connect : D is the pre-release music film for this comeback, so it is clear Jealousy is somehow connected this pre-release video. If you know how these videos are connected, feel free to comment below. I managed to find a video (which I will link in the comments below) that theorises about the sequence of events in the pre-release video but have yet to find anything about the music video. Anyway, about the Jealousy video, I thought it rather cool. They managed to bring out this edgy vibe in the video through their visuals and the setting, which I thought was relatively cool. Each of the members looked awesome (Kihyun just stands out for me). I enjoyed the camera work, which started off fixed and very smooth but by the end of the video is got hectic and shaky, which also worked well with the song.

There are two parts of the choreography which I really liked. The chorus was awesome, with that scarecrow move being my absolute favourite. The second part would have to be the bridge (when Shownu and Kihyun are singing). That I don’t think I have seen before. But being something quite simple made it look awesome.

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

[Album Review] Eyes On You (8th Mini Album) – GOT7

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GOT7 has made their return with their latest mini-album, Eyes On You. The release features Look as their title track, their collaboration single with Hyolyn and another 4 songs. This particular album seems to focus more on the vocalists of the groups, as they stand out more (and are mentioned throughout the entire review constantly). So here are my thoughts on the songs of the Eyes On You mini-album.

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Eyes On You Album Cover

1..One And Only You (너하나만) (ft. Hyolyn) (Pre-Release Track) – Unfortunately, I never got around to reviewing this pre-release track, mainly because only a short video was released for it. So, this is my chance to say that this another great track. The song has this deep autotuned vocal lines that are scattered throughout the song, which I really liked. In a way, it makes the song a little more non-traditional. There is also this energetic and bright energy, which makes it a great opener to the album. The vocals are really nice, particularly when Hyolyn and GOT7’s vocal line sing together during the chorus. (8/10)  

2. Look (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Look. (7.7/10)

3. The Reason – The Reason is another song that highlights the vocal ability of GOT7. It starts off with a soft sound but builds up instantly to the chorus. The song has an epic pop drop, which contrasts nicely with the soft preceding sound. Likewise, the rappers also were quite soft in their delivery but this fitted perfectly into the song. As a whole, the song is awesome and is a track that I won’t mind coming back for more. (9/10)

4. Hesitating (망설이다) – This particular song is another soft song, which resembles ballad with a more upbeat instrumental than usual. Both vocalists and rappers sounded good but it wasn’t that captivating as the other songs on the album. In fact, I think this is the most passable track of the entire album. Mainly due to the fact it is bland and not that memorable. (6/10)

5. Us (우리) – Once again, the vocalists are at the forefront of the song, particularly in the verses. And they hold their ground pretty well. But the rappers are the true winners in the track, despite being hidden away and receiving smaller parts in the song. All three rappers just sounded so smooth in the song. The song also had a nice melody and was also catchy without the energy that you would associate with a catchy song. (8/10)

6. Thank You (고마워) – The usually say the quiet people are the people we need to watch for. It might also apply to songs, which this one is a good example. What we have is a beautiful R&B track to end the mini-album. Per usual, the vocalists sound amazing. The rappers don’t get really get their chance to shine, mainly due to their limited sections. However, Mark manages to deliver a punch during his part. I love the background humming in the song, which seemed to get me swaying along to the music. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.8/10

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Eyes On You Teaser Image

[Review] Bibidi Babidi Boo – Honey Popcorn

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It isn’t uncommon to hear of a KPOP consisting of one or two foreign members. However, it is rare to find a group where all the members are from countries other than South Korea. Honey Popcorn is a brand new group who fall into this category. But they aren’t getting attention for that. It is rather that the members are all part of the Japanese Adult Video industry. The reception for the group is mixed amongst the community. The three girls are also former members of Japanese girl groups. But we are here to listen to their song and watch their music video, so let’s do just that.

Once again, we are faced with a similar title of Berry Good’s song from last year. And my comments still stand in regards to the title. It is a mouthful to say. But despite that, the song is actually quite nice to listen to. It isn’t the strongest track out of the bunch but its cutesy sound is bearable. The members have nice vocals as well, not once did they disappoint throughout the song. I like the song’s instrumental in the chorus, which seems to be my most favourite part of the entire track. But while I praise them, the song does feel repetitive. By the end of the song, it does get bland. Repetitive listens in a row won’t do this song justice but rather listening to it once in a while would have the most impact. Furthermore, the song doesn’t just seem to have that energy that would have made the track more exciting and interesting. Rather, it stays monotone. But overall, it is a decent track to listen to.

Given the background of the members, I was honestly expecting something other than a cutesy song. So I wasn’t expecting another cutesy video. And it isn’t that bad. The visuals were nice and it feels like an actual KPOP video. Knowing that they were from Japanese, I was expecting some JPOP flare in the music video but they didn’t seem that prominent. I also love the colours of the sets, which made the video feel brighter. The downside to the video is that is boring on the content-front.

Their dance performance was okay. Fitting for the song but there wasn’t anything that special about it.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 5/10
Overall Rating – 6.4/10

 

[Review] Just Do It – BSS (SEVENTEEN)

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SEVENTEEN is keeping the momentum going for 2018 with another special subunit debut. BSS or Boo-Seok-Soon is made up of three members, and judging by their subunit name, you could guess is it made up of Seungkwan, DK and Hoshi. It is expected that with the three funny characters of SEVENTEEN in one subunit, there must be ‘fun’ written all over this single.

And if you too expected that, then the trio delivers with Just Do It. The song has this fun vibe to it, which makes it enjoyable to listen. Listening to the song, you just can’t help but smile, even if you don’t understand a single word that is coming out of their mouths. It just has that cheerful element that is extremely hard to not notice. Certain moments reminded me of EXO-CBX’s Hey Mama, which also had a similar level of fun to it. The song itself is super duper catchy with my feet just tapping along to it as I listen. The instrumental is rather standard, with pop vibes and electric guitars supplying some details to the song.  DK and Seungkwan, who are in the vocal unit of SEVENTEEN, do put on a display of their vocals and the smoothness that they deliver really suits the song. Interestingly,  Hoshi and Seungkwan share the rapping load in this song. Hoshi was expected but Seungkwan was rather unexpected (but he can definitely rap). Overall, the song was awesome to listen and something I would love to play again and again when I am in a good mood.

We don’t actually have a music video for this song. Instead, we are treated to a live performance (but the audio is studio recorded for the video) of the trio performing on stage at their recent official fan-meeting. I am a tiny bit disappointed because I was expecting a proper music video. So I am going to just review the performance here. I think it was awesome. While it doesn’t have flashy moves or crazy stunts, they manage to get the performance to do its intended job, be fun. Acting like the cool dude on the street that is always combing his hair and the running on the spot aren’t your everyday moves. But it is simple and seems like something that could catch on.

Song – 10/10
Music Video & Performance (because they are together) – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.6/10

 

[Review] Boomerang – Wanna One

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2017’s ‘monster rookie’ has made their first official comeback this year. Boomerang is the title track off their latest mini-album, 0+1=1 (I Promise You). Gearing up for this comeback, Wanna One dropped their pre-release single, I Promise You, two weeks ago.

Boomerang, at this very stage, is a decent track. It isn’t a mindblowing track, mainly because its chorus seems to be a little weak for my tastes. It could have been more captivating by having a more powerful and intense EDM hook (more bass?). The lines that make up the chorus could have been a whole lot better, particularly how they don’t seem to connect with the music whatsoever. While the rappers and vocalists all sounded awesome, each section for each person felt ridiculously short and it just suddenly jumps to the next person. To an extent, the different parts do seem cohesive together but it is borderline at best. The ‘Wing Wing Wing Boomerang‘ (despite how odd it sounds as words) before each chorus were a nice killer part as well. The pre-choruses also had a nice buildup, while the bridge was probably my most favourite part of the entire song. Overall, it is a little underwhelming at this very moment. However, who knows how a few more listens might drastically change these comments!

I am totally liking the black and gold palette that they went for in this video. It looked really cool. On top of that, I liked the individual sets as they too had this cool feeling to them. The camera angles/work went well with the song’s energetic and upbeat style. There wasn’t one moment that looked odd, so it was a really good video to watch. It would have been more interesting to see more of the members dodge the arrows that Daniel was trying to dodge. That alone would have made an awesome video to watch.

The main move at ‘Wing Wing Wing Boomerang‘ was definitely quite cool. The choreography during the chorus could have worked better if they were packed together. On stage, they just all seemed separated. I am sure that the aesthetics of the performance could have improved if that was the case but I guess safety first. Everything else looked good.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.1/10

 

[Review] Angel – Hoya

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Hoya was the only member of Infinite to not resign his contract with Woolim Entertainment when all the contracts for the members were up for renewal. And hence, Hoya left the group in October 2017. Since then, we have seen various videos of him practising and this week he finally dropped his first single as a solo artist, Angel. He will be returning once again with a mini-album on the 28th of March. Until then, here are my thoughts about Angel.

Angel takes on that seductive style of R&B that we don’t see at all on the KPOP scene. Instead, it sounds like a song that you would hear from an underground artist. What makes this song stand out is the seductive nature of the song. From its sound to its lyrics, you can’t really escape the sensual vibes that come from this song. The vocal work isn’t something I have heard from Hoya at all, singing majority of the chorus in a falsetto voice. There were nice moments of contrast with the deep and hollow effect that put on his voice at certain points of the song.  It is a fair track to listen to on an occasional basis. I say that because the song is already quite dry on its own. With multiple repeats, I would get bored of it quite easily. However, with one or two listens once in a while, the song sounds nice.

Like the song, the music video doesn’t have much to it. The music video is presented in a one-shot format, which definitely works well with the performance. The choreography is only the main thing in the entire video. And you guessed it, it is rather sexy. Hoya has always been known for his dance skills and this performance isn’t something we see that often in the past (with the one or two odd solo performance on shows or at concerts). That ending was probably the peak of the entire performance, completely going off the sexy meter. But despite that, this is an artistic piece that shows off his skills. 

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video & Performance (since they are together) – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7/10

[Review] Candyland – UP10TION

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Also making their comeback this week is UP10TION. Candyland is the title track off UP10TION’s first full-length album and this comeback also marks their first comeback as a 10-member boy group, with the return of Wooshin. We last saw them on stage with Going Crazy in October 2017.

For some odd reason, when I listen to Candyland, I can’t help but feel that there is some barrier of some kind between the instrumental and the members. As if the vocals/raps were just laid on top of the instrumental and not incorporated into the song. I don’t think that is a bad thing since you can hear their vocals and rap quite clearly, but it does feel distracting. Talking about the raps and vocals, both elements of the song were quite good, particularly the chorus, which was catchy.  If this song was to be used to prove anything, it would be the solid vocal line and amazing rap line that the group can bring out. The instrumental is your typical KPOP dance piece with a funky vibe added by the trumpets used in the background. But there is something that makes the track feel underwhelming. The song has character (through the instrumental and vocals/raps) but I think it fails to deliver on impact. It just doesn’t blow me away nor does it leave an impression. But overall, it is still another great track from the group.

The music video looks quite cool. It seems to play towards a more seductive side of the group, with the solo shots coming off as that. Content-wise, there doesn’t seem to be much to it. However, I like the lighting and they used that to bolden the colours which the members were wearing. On top of that, I really like how the camera shots followed the dance move. It looked shaky but it made it feel more captivating at the same time.

The choreography for this comeback was amazing. I think it would have to be the best part of the entire comeback. The chorus, in particular, was quite cool to watch. It was intense and it went well with both the song and music video concept.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10

 

 

 

[Review] Touch – NCT 127

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NCT is officially back! In the past few weeks, the 18-member male group have been releasing different singles, each focusing on one of their subunits. NCT U released Baby Don’t Stop and Boss, while NCT Dream yelled ‘Go‘ last week. This week, they mark the release of their first full-length album as an 18-member group with the release of NCT 127’s Touch.

Touch is a departure on many levels from NCT 127’s past tracks. This time around they went with a pleasant sounding and fresh appeal with their new song. Right off the bat, the song reminds me of a Summer track, with its bright atmosphere and vibrancy. Its sound is not heavy or rough, which is something I have associated with NCT 127. It is a nice track to listen to as a whole. The main focus seems to be on the vocals with the raps taking up a very small part of the track, which was another surprise. The song’s hook was amazing and definitely made the song worthwhile to listen to. For some reason, singing together during the chorus was just perfect and made the chorus my favourite part of the song. While the instrumental made the song into what it is, it could have been more striking. Instead, it did seem a little generic when I thought about it on its own. But besides that, it is a great song.

When you look at this video, you just can’t help but ask yourself: did someone swap NCT Dream and NCT 127’s concept? It is a different side to the group that we have yet seen. It takes you back a few years when KPOP wouldn’t be KPOP if a group didn’t drastically change their concept for just one comeback. Like the song, the video is also quite fresh and vibrant. I really like the use of colours and the overall aesthetics of this video make it pleasing to watch.

The song doesn’t strike me as smooth or flowy but those are the words that I would choose to describe the performance. I think that is only one half of the performance which I liked. The other half would be the happy expressions on their faces which was quite captivating for some odd reason. It was very nice. However, it just isn’t enough to top their previous dances.

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

[Review] Look – GOT7

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“Look” at who is back. GOT7 has made their comeback with their latest song, Look, which is the title track off their Eyes On You mini-album. This is GOT7’s first comeback since You Are in October last year. In preparation for this comeback, GOT7 released a pre-release single (One & Only You) last week, which featured Hyolyn (former member of Sistar).

Once again, GOT7 does a pretty good job with their latest song. At least, in my opinion. There are a few things that stand out when I listen to the track. Firstly, it is a vocally centred song, like You Are. And I really like that because we get to hear the vocalists bring out their talents. On top of that, the rappers also do an amazing job with their limited parts. Sure, I would have liked to hear a little more rapping because a rap (in this song especially) can input some hype into the song. Moving to the next highlight of the track, we have to talk about the chorus. That burst of energy when the chorus starts and the intense upbeat instrumental does wonders for the song. That drop, each time, is my most favourite part of the entire song. The chorus was quite catchy, mainly due to the instrumentation. At this moment in time, I am on the fence when it comes to the post-chorus, which seems to incorporate some hip-hop into the song. It sounds better each time I listen to it, mainly the first time around, it felt a little too unexpecting. Despite that, however, Look is definitely one to Look out for.

There were many shots throughout the video where the GOT7 members looked into the camera in a very intense way. Reading the lyrics at the bottom, it coincidently was the line ‘Keep your eyes on me’. I am not personally sure what the video is about but I have a feeling that they were the main focus despite the changing backgrounds in Youngjae’s solo shots or the sunset in JB’s parts. It did make for a cool looking video, particularly the background during the second chorus with the blue lights in the background.

Their accompanying dance moves to this song is amazing. I particularly like the footwork and hand motions during the chorus, which both incorporated intensity and smoothness at the same time. I am also looking forward to the bridge’s choreography with Jinyoung and Yugyeom. From what I can see in the video, it looks like another standout moment.

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