Category: Reviews

[Review] Holup! – Bobby (iKON)

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The first member of iKON to go solo is Bobby. He debuts as a solo artist alongside Mino from Winner, who released his own solo single the next day. The two go on to form the subunit, MOBB, and released their subunit debut album the day after Mino’s solo debut. It has been a long time coming, with rumours of the two forming a subunit and talks of Bobby’s solo debut for quite some time now.

For those who don’t know me, I find it hard to get into hip hop or rap based songs. Not exactly my style. But nonetheless, here is what I thought of the song. It is honestly not that bad, but it really isn’t the best. Bobby does have a great husky vocal which this song did justice to. Some parts almost sounded like he was growling and that gave a tougher feel to the song. I did like the rhythm and instrumental. It does give a party-like vibe to the song as expected. You would expect this to be played at a party or club. It is perfect for that setting and bound to get everyone bouncing to it (I assume people bounce to songs at parties or clubs. And when I say bounce, I mean dance). Not a big fan of the autotune in the song. Very little times have I felt the autotune was meant for the song. Particularly that part towards the end with him singing and straight up autotune, not feeling it.  The autotune was probably the biggest turn off for me. But then again, the autotune was needed to keep up with that tough and masculine feel. For a rap song (in my books at least), it is okay. I do prefer the other releases though.

This music video just backs up the fact that I hate dreadlocks. Sure, they will look good on certain people, but when Asians do it, I just stare blankly at them and just fade away from the situation. Okay, with the video. I guess that house looks exactly like other houses after a house party. Like a really wild and “lit” party. I don’t know, I am only assuming, because the parties I have been to, we all clean up and make it look presentable before leaving. Anyway, another thing (if you haven’t watched the video yet) that may draw your attention to watching it later on is the abs available in this video. The background does distract you quite a bit but I am sure if you focus strongly enough, you will see only the abs. Hahahaha… Though yes, Bobby does have good abs. Yeah, there really isn’t much else to talk about beside pointing out every single detail now. So I am just going to end it here, before I start boring you (if I haven’t yet).

Final Rating – 6/10

[Review] Russian Roulette – Red Velvet

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Red Velvet has made their comeback with their third mini-album, Russian Roulette. Their title song is the same title as their mini-album. The girl’s most recent release and comeback was back in March of this year, with One of These Nights.

Interesting song. My feelings a little confused. One part of me doesn’t like some aspects, but another part of me wants to get up and dance along with the song. The first impression, I thought it was quite catchy and more of the Red Velvet style that I like. The second time around, I thought the song was quite choppy and would become annoying to listen to over time. Third time around, I just sat there deciding whether I like the song or not. And I am still deciding. The choppiness, which I was thinking would become annoying, was the charm of the song. The chorus was amazing. So catchy and it makes the song quite addictive. I love the 8-Bit sound as if this was taken out from one of those arcade games. The vocals in the song were pretty solid as well. Each member was flawless in the song. I don’t if my theory is right yet. Mainly because it is the song that I have been playing on the loop consistently for the past few days. Maybe in a weeks time, maybe never. But so far, I can say that I think the elements in the song come together quite nicely, even though I was never a big fan of the choppiness in other songs. The girls have put out such a catchy song that I think delivers the right form of Red Velvet that I grew to like in Dumb Dumb.

Certain parts of the video I liked, others I didn’t. Let’s start off with the intersection of the song and video. The song likens the game of love (well, when people fall in love with the same person, all at the same time) to the game Russian Roulette (the more violent game, of course). The video does a splendid job of showing us that, but saving us from the gore and consequences. I’ve read the video was inspired by Tom and Jerry (one of my all time favourite animations) and the video did just that. There a cat and mouse cartoon in the video, but it was much more interesting seeing everything occurring between the girls.  From throwing dodge balls at each other, to cutting rope that is attached to a fridge dangling from the roof, to cooperating with each other to cause a series of lockers to fall over, the girls pretty much have this game sorted. The video fits the choppiness of the song quite well. I love their blank facial expressions when they all turn to the camera and start lip-syncing to the song. Wait, I love their facial expressions in this video. Especially when  each other them put their respective plans into full effect. It gives you shivers.Those are just some highlights of the video. What I didn’t like was some of the close-up shots during the choreography parts. They looked amateurish and really showed a more “unpolished” side of the girls.

Which leads me to the dance that accompanied the song. Sadly, not loving it. There were a few scenes in the video that made it look chaotic and an eye sore. Watching the stages, it was a bit better. I liked the start of the chorus. I just thought that this time, there was too much going on and it kind of took the fun out of it.

Final Rating – 8/10

[Review] On The Way Home – Sunny Hill

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Sunny Hill has finally returned after a year and a half. They have returned with a new single, On The Way Home that has sparked a little concern from fans (I included). This song along with the video really alludes towards disbandment for the group, which everyone does not want to happen. They are extremely underrated and unfortunately have not found the right momentum in the industry as of yet. However, their songs have always been iconic. Now, I will talk about reasons why I think the “we are disbanding” message is being given off from the song and video later on. The description of the video somewhat downplays this speculation. However, I’ve read that when the company was asked, the company simply replied with “Nothing is confirmed yet”. Furthermore, I am also reading that Seungah posted about leaving the dorms to live elsewhere. Though we have to wait for a confirmation to make it official, it seems like a lot is going in favour of this disbandment. But as I mentioned before, hopefully not. Writing this introduction has me in tears because I love Sunny Hill and I will support them. And as you can this review is going to be a long one.

Listening to the song for the first time, I honestly fell in love with the song. I have liked most (if not all) of Sunny Hill’s songs. From Midnight Circus to Here I Am, I think everything they put out is amazing. The song has a nice pop vibe but at the same time has a nice ballad feel to it. There is a hint of electronic in it as well, which they have done it in the past. It is just, this time, they tone it down a lot. The girls sing quite a bit about ‘going home’ and that they keep on asking themselves “why do they look back”, making the process of going home a lot harder. That is the evidence I was talking about in the song. Moving along, their vocals fit the song amazingly. While the song is quite upbeat and more on the “happy” side, you can tell there is a hint of emotions in their vocals. It is like every other Sunny Hill ballad they have put out there. They do everything to the perfect extent. I would love if the vocals in the verses were a little stronger. I know the members who sang these parts aren’t really the best singers out there, but at least throw in some backing vocals to give some depth to them.

We see each member in the video in different lives. One of them is currently with a partner, another is working, another is travelling and I don’t know what Misung’s character is doing (maybe unemployed – I don’t know). But each of them is fed up with their current situation (in the video) and you can tell them that life is putting a lot of pressure on them. So they start to move along with their escape or exit from their lives. They all talk on the phone for a bit in the video. I don’t know if that is calling “daddy and mama, I’m coming home” or if they are communicating with each, in agreeance with each other’s departure. But let’s skip forward. Here is where it gets to me and has a lot of people concerned. When each member returns to their home, prior to opening their doors and saying “I’m home” to their family, they look behind them, to a small television which plays two of their past hits: Midnight Circus and Goodbye To Romance. For a moment, and we all see it, a hint of sadness. Then they turn back to their houses and go inside. It is a great video (though I don’t like the pale filter) that packs a punch. Whatever story they are telling, it is amazing and I love it.

Final Rating – 9.5/10 – No I didn’t give them a high score just because it could potentially be their final song and video ever. It is based purely on my views on the song and video.

In the end, whatever happens with Sunny Hill, I, as a fan, will support them. Even if it is parting ways and doing their own thing, like any other band, I will wish them the very best. If they stay together, then I will continue my support. Watch the video, share it, like it!!!

[Review] Love Paint – NU’EST

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NU’EST returned earlier in the year with Overcame. I haven’t heard anything from the group since then, so this introduction will be very small. Now, they have returned (unexpectedly) with Love Paint and their fifth mini album.

I am still warming up to this song. I am going to be honest, my views on the song could change in a few days. I just thought it was an odd mix of sounds. The classical start and the mix of electronic sounds had me cringing. The chorus caught me off guard and I was wondering where they were going with this. But listening to it a few times, I feel like the song taps into what the whole concept was about and what they are singing about. The song was as if it was a canvas and the sounds (along with the vocals and the raps) were like that paint. The track is quite artistic. Didn’t appreciate at first, but I do see it (well, hear it) more clearly. I do like the chorus quite a bit now and I am in love with the instrumental. I would have loved to hear more that classical start throughout the song. The song was mainly an EDM-based song afterwards, with a small hint of classical. It probably would have made the artistic feel I felt more apparent sooner. But nonetheless, I don’t mind the song at all now. I am just not 100% committed to it (yet). The vocals were okay, but I love Baekho’s vocals for the chorus. Very strong and matches the instrumental quite well.

The music video has a nice artistic vibe to it. It is a tad boring. Let’s start off with the choreography shots. I am quite a minimalistic person when it comes to these things. Simple is always better than over doing it. Them dancing shots were pretty nice. Dark room, with a few lights in the back and the guys at the centre of attention. What more do you need? I would really love it if a dance version came out (like right now) for my (and your viewing pleasure). The literal camera shots filmed at an angle and spinning around gives off that nice minimalistic vibe but emphasises the artistic side of the video. As for the rest of the video, I had no idea what was going on. From what I could tell from the video, there isn’t a plot. It is more like the guys are thinking about their love. I would have liked it if the video was more interesting somehow. It would give me something to speak about and at the same time, make me go back to the video more times to try and appreciate it even more.

Not really impressed with the choreography. It looked pretty cool in the video, but on the stage, it is quite lacking and dull. There really is no memorable bits at all and I am a little disappointed. It might stem from the fact that there is nothing in the song that really acts as a “hook” (well, at least that is what I see). I think I just play the performances on YouTube, just to listen to the song (in this case).

Final Rating – 6.5/10

[Review] Shooting Love – Laboum

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Laboum has returned to the stage with a brand new song. They made their first comeback in 2016 with Journey to Atlantis, which I totally loved. Just 4 months later, they returned with a new mini album and their newest title track Shooting Love. Furthermore, Laboum topped my weekly KPOP chart for last week. That was just my way of sliding my charts into these posts!

They came back with a pretty good song. I have to admit. It was catchy and addictive to listen to. I totally fell for it. But there are a few things that did disappoint me. The song sounds more childish (and at parts, cringeworthy). Journey to Atlantis was still that cutesy aegyo concept, but there was a more mature vibe to it. Parts of Shooting Love sounded like a kid was making shooting sounds. Some parts would have sounded a lot better in cheerleading format, but instead, we got kiddy format. I did like the rest of the vocals. The “Bang Bang Bang Boy” reeled me in pretty fast (though it did take me a while to figure out what they were saying, which I don’t really know why, though). The rap was unnecessary and was probably the other part of the song which I did not like. The pop vibe in the song was pretty great. I liked the instrumental to the song. Consistent throughout and the extra beats added for the chorus came at the right time. Really made me happy to listen throughout the rest of the song (minus the rap).

We really need to address this ongoing use of guns in the videos. I get they try to avoid the rating officials and want something cute rather than violent to be in the video, but honestly, it is getting pretty damn embarrassing and ridiculous. Have no clue on what is occurring the video. I get that they are split into teams. One of the teams comes with bombs and spy gear, while the other team comes with grenades and pink guns. I guess they are competing for someone’s love and trying to eliminate the other team. While my idea is ridiculous, I am going with what I think. And though that is pretty cringeworthy and really childish to watch, I find the video quite interesting and amusing. Plus dropping the bomb in the bin somehow managed to stop the bomb from blowing everything on camera to bits. Yeah, I don’t know. I loved the camera work in this video. It made the video look quite cool at some parts. In regards to the ending, I don’t know if the video was actually meant to be the “shooting of a (terrible) movie”.

The dance was great. The editing in the music video made the dance look quite cool and really made me expect a lot. I was a little disappointed with the stage performances, but only a little bit. Overall, I thought the dance was fitting for the song. Though I do have to ask, what were with the random “place hands under each boob” part of the chorus? Got a little lost there, but I loved the use of the handguns (makes sense) and the imaginary bow and arrow (also makes sense) in the dance. Just that random move I don’t find any sense in it.

Final Rating – 7.5/10

 

[Review] Chewing Gum – NCT Dream

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NCT is back (once again) but this time with a brand new subunit, NCT Dream. This new subunit consist of 7 members: Mark (who has also debuted with NCT 127 and NCT U), Ren Jun, Jeno, Haechan (who is also a part of NCT 127), Jaemin, Chen Le and Jisung. Every time I hear this song, I have to let out a sigh.Their average age as a group is around 15 years old. I also did some research and all the members are younger than me. I feel old and am getting old.

This is another amazing song to add to the mix of recent releases. It is a completely different style to what the previous subunits have done. To be precise, this song is more pop than any of 127 or U’s releases. Furthermore, it is a completely different style to what SM puts out. It is such a colourful and bright song. It is damn catchy and addictive. “Chew-Chew-Chew-Chewing Gum“. It is easy to remember and you will be singing along in not time. Even the vocal work and the rapping in this song is pretty good. It doesn’t sound like a new debut group, but one that has tonnes of the experience in the bag. The instrumental is pretty nice as well. It was consistent throughout. No major slow downs to throw the track off its … track. Even when it came to the rap, the song remained true to itself and didn’t change in any way. So many songs do that and somehow manage to ruin the vibe and the flow of the song. This is by far the best NCT release yet, mainly because I fell for the song as soon as I heard it.

The music video is definitely colourful and vibrant. Fits in perfectly with the song and the concept. As the average age of the group is quite young, it makes sense for them to go for this concept, the scouts. Move over school boy concepts, make way for the boy scouts! It is pretty unique, to be honest, I give that to them. So, from what happened in the video, I guess the camp leader is not too big on chewing gum. He lines them up and makes the boys spit out whatever is in their mouth if he catches them chewing. My question is: why are you acting as if it is disgusting? You asked someone to spit on your hand. Even if you are not expecting chewing gum, I don’t think anything nice will be coming out… But per usual, you tell kids to do one thing and they will do the other. So they have a hidden stash and at night, they have fun. Until the guy comes in, so they have to hide. But somehow, they trap the camp leader guy with chewing gum… Okay, towards the end of the video, it becomes a little confusing. Despite that, the video was fun yet interesting to watch. Not complaining about anything here. I liked it a lot and I keep coming back to the video and watching it.

Hands down. This has to be one of the best dance performances of the year. They are dancing on freaking segways. I can’t even ride a segway. I never even seen one in real life. I am amazed. After one week of promotions, I am in awe. None of them has had a stuff up on the boards and they make it look like it too easy. Even when they are not on the boards, the guys still manage to blow me away with their moves. Damn… For a pop based song, I think the quality of the dance was excellent. All I can do is the water sprinkler and I still manage to look like a clumsy human being.

Honestly excellent debut. Final Rating – 9.5/10

[Review] Secret Time – Spica

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It has been over two years (apparently two years felt like an eternity) since we last heard anything from these girls. Not much has happened in the previous two years since their last release, Ghost, which was not even promoted at all. They have changed to a different company, CJ E&M Entertainment (earlier this year) and since then, their activities have increased. Notably, Bohyung is appearing on the show, Girl Spirit, which allows main vocalists of underrated girl groups to shine.

If you don’t remember Spica or have not heard of them, remember them now. Their vocals and unique retro songs back in the day made them quite popular. And now they are back with the superb harmonies and vocals with this new song. It is as if there was no 2-year gap that could have undermined their vocal abilities. I am amazed at the quality of the song. Sure, it does fall short compared to other songs at the moment however I liken this song to like a “re-debut” rather than a comeback. Okay, more about the song. It is a very nice nu-disco track that makes me want to dance. It is funky and retro-y, fitting really well into the songs that Spica had released in the past. As I mentioned before, the vocal work in this song is amazing. I feel like they selected the right person for each part of the song. Jiwon, in particular, fits the chorus really well, in my opinion. Bohyung and Boa sounded amazing together. Narae and Sihyun (they don’t really shine in the song) sang really well. While they do all sound different, they came together really well and made the song flow spectacularly. I really loved the small short segments of no sounds, right after each chorus. It gave what followed through right after a nice punch and it made the song more vibrant and cool. The beat was there throughout the whole song and it contributed to that nice vibrant feel.

Not exactly fond of the video. I guess the song had a party-like vibe to it, so it made sense for a party to appear in the video. Love the idea of the skating centre. The set (and the idea) does bring you back to the times when roller skates used to be cool. I just feel like the events in the video are quite outrageous and extremely random, to the point where it did undermine the quality of the video (for me). I loved everything else regarding the choreography shots and the closeups. We need to talk about the “gun” nature in KPOP videos one day. This pretty much adds to my frustration when it comes to guns. The video, I admit, looked quite hardcore then. And then it turns to bubble guns and the girls are all smiling the next minute. I had a “huh?” face for the rest of the video. It makes no sense and it ruined the mood of the video. I feel like the video could have lost of the craziness and make it feel like a party. It is a way to capture our attentions, but as I said before, it was over the top. Like the addition of the backup dancers to the party was far too late.

Dance wise, it was okay. Sure, it could have been better. But Spica is definitely highlighting their vocals in this song. Hence if they had a more upgraded dance, their vocals were gonna be sacrificed. I understand that and for that, I can’t really say much about. Quality first. I did like the end of the performance where they line up in a diagonal line and do the “ssshh” gesture. That looked cool.

Final Rating – 8/10

 

 

[Review] Secret – WJSN (Cosmic Girls)

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WSJN (Cosmic Girls) have returned to the stage with their brand new mini-album, The Secret. This is their first comeback since their debut. It is also Yeonjung’s first time performing with the group. She was previously a Produce 101 trainee and was also chosen to be part of the lineup of I.O.I. She had taken time off from I.O.I to promote with Cosmic Girls and will return to the temporary group once her promotions (for Secret) with her group are over.

I freaking love this song. I am in awe. I am amazed. I can barely contain my excitement while I write this. Because everything in this review will be praising the song and the entire comeback. For those who don’t remember, I was not  fond of Mo Mo Mo (their debut track). This is definitely an improvement in all aspects. I loved the funky/retro instrumental that I would have associated with Space and the universe when I was younger. The vocal work (especially in the chorus) was superb. The rapping here is 100% improved from their last release. There was a nice kick to it this time that really drew my attention to it. The song was catchy and addictive. As soon as I heard it, I fell for it and this song has been replayed every day ever since it was released. I was satisfied from start to end and I have no complaints about anything in the song.

That Space sound that I mentioned before, it was definitely incorporated and reflected in the video. The video reminded me of  Lovelyz’s Destiny for the camera angles and the way the video was shot. It also reminded me of Brown Eyed Girl’s Brand New World for the futuristic and universal concept. I am not saying that they copied the mentioned videos, just it reminded me of them. Anyway regarding the content of the video, I have no idea with what is going on. It seems like they are wishing upon a star (hopefully) or doing some weird astrology mashed up with witchcraft. There was an air of mysteriousness in the video, which looked really cool and I also liked that a lot. Even though the majority of the video was shot with a green screen and some shots were cheesy to watch, I thought it was a nice looking video. I am not disgraced or disappointed by anything in the video, though. I love the choreography scenes a lot. While I am quite sure they shot that in a studio with the green screen (I may be wrong), they made it look so much like outside but with an artificial component to it as well.

Dance wise, I loved it. A lot of likes and love with this review. Since there are so many members, it is very hard to get everyone proper screen time and the movement around the stage is always hard for a group with many members. But Cosmic Girls have done it effortlessly. I love the start of the dance, where they split into groups and strut out in diagonal lines. Also liked the chorus dance as well.

Final Rating – 10/10. I will recommend this to anyone who wants to get into WJSN (Cosmic Girls).

 

[Review] Lotto – EXO

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EXO has returned with their latest repackaged album, Lotto. If you don’t remember, EXO made their previous comeback with Monster and Lucky One back in June. In the brief absence, the band have been busy with international and domestic concerts (both solo and company). Unfortunately, though, this comeback have been riddled with problems. The majority of the members have been injured or currently sick. Yet they still manage to pull through and perform every week for this promotion run. It shows their passion and determination for the fans, but like any human being, they need rest and a break. A long massive break! And that goes for all artists, KPOP or not!!!

For those who don’t know, I am not a big fan of autotune. Yes, I do enjoy it to some degree, especially when it is used interestingly and in small doses. However, a song that is autotuned from beginning to end really irks me. Not all the time, as a few songs with autotune all the way through it, have been my favourites. But from experience, the majority of the songs of that kind do disappoint me. Moving back to this song, though, I am a little torn. I am extremely disappointed with the copious amount of autotune, but I am digging the instrumental and it is quite catchy. From the vocals and rap, everything has been laced in autotune and I can’t help but shiver from it. I do much prefer the live versions (or the stage version) where the autotune is reduced and you can clearly hear the vocals and rapping work. With that alone, the song is quite good. We (and I) already know that the group is capable enough with the autotune. I just cannot get over the autotune. The instrumental (at the start) sounds a lot like RnB back in the day. I do like the electronic components in the background. I am totally in love with the short instrumental bit for the dance break.

The music video is a lot dark and shot in a way that resembles Monster’s music video. The camera angles, the wide panning and the overall way the camera moves (should have said that from the start) seem quite similar (probably the same director). I like it very much in this video. It captures the scenes pretty well and gives the video a nice “story” feel to it. Anyway, like the song title suggests, the video is made purely with the idea of gambling and money surrounding it. Yes, even Suho is burning money.  The guys went for a more edgier look and style for this concept and I do think it suit them. I am a little surprised about the content of the video. For a video which promotes gambling, the people who rates the music video put down a rating of 15+. That’s okay an all but doesn’t this video send a bad message to the younger kids. I am quite sure there are many mature fans who know what is right and wrong. But I am a little concerned about the younger generation. I won’t hate on the video for showing all of that plus some activites that are illegal (in my country at least), but I think something should be said about those who puting ratings on the video. Minus the ethics of behind the video (will refrain from going into a huge debate), I actually do like this video quite a bit (more so the imagery and viewing pleasure).

As for the dance, I like it as well. It suits the song pretty well. Love the “pokie machine handle” dance. It fits in with the sound/concept of the song but at the same time, emphasises the sexy and ediger side of the guys. I do also like the dance break they have. That is probably the most memorable part of the dance. If I were to use a word to describe the dance, I would say “cocky”. Their facial expressions and some of their dance moves give off that vibe.

Final Rating – 6.5/10

[Review] Whatta Man – I.O.I

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I.O.I are currently one of the trendiest groups in KPOP at the moment. For those who don’t know who I.O.I. are (the first thing should be: where on earth have you been?), they are a girl group formed from the show Produce 101. The top 11 girls went on to debut in I.O.I who will continue with activities, until they are to disband in January 2017. Some of the 11 girls are from girl groups who have recently debuted, so the last times the girls performed as  a group of 11 was with Dream Girls (which I did not review). Now, the girls have returned with 7 members and their new song, Whatta Man.

Sounds familiar, do you say? Well, the song is a remake of What A Man by Linda Lyndell and Whatta Man by Salt ‘N’ Pepa. I.O.I’s version is obviously going to be more modern and I like it (to be exact – half of it). Love the rock inspired instrumental , which sounds really fitting for the song. This song sounds more powerful and gives off a nice strong vibe than the originals.The vocal work in the chorus and the instrumental is phenomenal.However, I do think the vocal work of some of the members needs to be improved. They kept the strong vocalists for the chorus and left the other members to do the verses, which is smart, but it kind of gives off an empty feel when I started to listen to the verses. I personally do not listen to the song for the verses, but for the catchy chorus. I would like to see future releases and see some of the other members get their moment to shine, though.

So the music video opens up with one of the members on a date with a handsome guy. He is uninterested in the girl, who is devastated  when he leaves. Her friends are concerned for her and decide to the girl a makeover. So they start redoing her makeup, choosing her clothing and teaching her how to be confident. And while it is as cliche as it sounds, the guys fall for the girl after she becomes “stronger” in the end. It is a pretty simple, yet overdone plot. Besides that, I don’t really have much else to say about the video.

Once again, the dance also goes for the strong  and powerful vibe that I was talking about before. I personally think it looks really cool and nice. Not sure about the latex style outfits, though.Everyone assumed the girls were going for the sexy concept when the photos of the girls in the latex was released. YMC Entertainment (their company) scoffed and questioned why everyone assumed so. I was like everyone else and thought it was going be a disaster. But hey, they managed to pull it off with a fitting dance to go with it as well.

Final Rating – 6/10

[Review] Fantasy – VIXX

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VIXX has returned to the stage with the second part of their Greek God trilogy. Last time, they were Zelos, the God of Jealousy and Rivalry and made their comeback with Dynamite. This time, they returned to their dark roots as the God of the Underworld, otherwise known as Hades. The title track for this promotional run is Fantasy.

Jaw dropping. I am amazed and in awe when I hear this song. I love the orchestra feel of the instrumental. The instrumental itself was sampled from Moonlight Sonata, which in the context of this song, gives it an eerie feeling that really cannot be described in words.I love the slow buildup in this song and that burst of power and sound that we get as soon as we launch right into the chorus. And saying launch makes it underwhelming. More like thrown into the chorus as approx 100 km/hr. Okay, I will stop. The vocal work and the rapping in the song are amazing. None of them felt lacking or  underwhelming. I do have two minor complaints. While I did love the chorus a lot, I felt it was quite overpowering for the vocals. I found it a bit difficult to listen to Ken and Leo the first few times I listened to the song. I am more used to it now, just I do have that thought come into frame every now and then. Ravi had quite a limited part. I am a little disappointed in that. The rap sequence we got is already excellent, though I would appreciate it more if it was a lot longer. But still, it is an excellent song that is right up VIXX’s alley.

Concept wise, I don’t really see much of the “Hades” concept in the video. But when we talk about the Greek God of the Underworld, ‘eerie’, ‘mysterious’, ‘dark’, ‘powerful’ and ‘terrifying’ are all terms we would use to describe him. And once again, VIXX has ticked it all off. The darkness was not there that much in Dynamite, but it is definitely here in this one, which reminds me so well of the old days for VIXX. Though I have no clue on what is really happening in the video, here is my take on the video: the members are like demons from the underworld. They are sent to bring N down to their world, and coerce him into going into the door that leads to the new world. So some of the members (N, Hongbin, Ken and Ravi( had halos at the end but in the form of the prickly metal halos. Once N officially becomes one of theirs, it seems Leo is their next target but somehow manages to avoid it (as he is bandaging up his wounds at the end, where the prickly metal bits are meant to be). Hyuk seems to be someone from above, stopping people before entering the door. That’s my take on the video and if I was even remotely right, I think it is an interesting story to tell.

The choreography fits the song and concept really well. Though I do not see anything memorable, them singing the song and pulling off any dance is bound to blow all our minds. I do think the dance does back up my theory in the music video. At the end of the first chorus, the lyrics “Get back up, off that dream”. They drop down to the stage as if the underworld is calling them, but the eerie vocals make it seem like someone from above is calling them, hence they look up. Just something I noticed that probably isn’t right, but still amazing.

Final Rating – 8.5/10

[Review] Tonight – UP10TION

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UP10TION made their Summer comeback with Tonight. They released their song back on August 5th and have been promoting the song. They previously came back with Attention in April this year.

Honestly not too bad of a song. It just isn’t find it memorable or that catchy. Sure, I will listen to the song, but it isn’t something that I would say I would go back to it over and over again. I do prefer the more powerful and strong sound that UP10TION is going for. This suits the Summer concept really well, even borrowing lines from top Korean Summer hits. The vocal work is solid and the rapping was okay (not their best). The instrumental does feel quite bopping but (and here is contradicting me coming along) quite monotone for my liking. I don’t mind the brass sounds in it, but it does feel lacking in many ways. It does have a more colourful and bright vibe to it, which is something that we have not yet seen from the guys. But then again, these Summer tracks are something that most KPOP boy bands do. Which kind of leads me onto my next point (and refer back to the top). It is pretty generic (i.e. every band does a song like this and the sound/concept becomes unoriginal) and bland. That contributed to the lack of memorability of the song. But like I said, if it was there, I would listen to it.

Can’t really bang on how generic this video is. Unless I think of some way to show the Summer concept without throwing in the pool and the guys having fun. But that is essentially what the video is and there really isn’t much to say in regards to it. Though, rolling disco balls on a sunny day isn’t that fun. The light reflecting off the ball and into your/stranger’s eyes? Isn’t that annoying? This is coming from a guy who squints every time the suns pops out from behind the clouds. Where is this going?

Dance is okay. The stages aren’t that memorable as well. They do use a blanket or some material of some sort on the stage. The start looks quite cool, but pulling your members on it looks too childish for me. The blanket itself is something that I would associate with toddlers, not young adults.

Final Rating – 5/10

[Double Review] Whistle + Boom Bah Yah – BLACKPINK

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One of the newest groups on the block. BLACKPINK is a four member girl group under YG Entertainment. The group is the first girl group from YG Entertainment, since 2NE1 made their debut back in 2009, which was 7 years ago. Countless rumours over the years have suggested YG would be debuting another girl group, but those plans fell through. Glad to see that one of their plans managed to make it in the end. The group consist of Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa.

Whistle is a song that is quite addictive and is firmly rooted with its hip hop influences. When I say it is addictive, I think we can thank the continuous whistles in the song. While they do seem somewhat annoying and repetitive, it made the song feel alive and more likeable. I really liked the completely slow verses and then the sudden buildup to the chorus. The chorus + bridge had such a nice soulful vibe to it, which pretty much showed me their vocal abilities (which are quite strong). I am on the fence when it comes to their raps in this song.

However, Boom Bah Yah shows their rapping and vocal talents off pretty well. This song is quite bass heavy and still have that hip hop influence in it. It also has a nice powerful vibe to it. I like this song more (over Whistle) because there is more of a vibrant colour to the song, plus a much better hook that reeled me into the song.The words “Boom Bah Yah” are the perfect way to start off the chorus. The insturmental is more likeable here. Overall, Boom Bah Yah was my more preferred song.

The music videos that were released alongside these songs really failed to capture my attention. I basically watched each once and haven’t returned to any of them at all. Both videos were shot inside sets that felt a little too constricting. That was the first thing that I noticed. But even the dance scenes were constricting. Boom Bah Yah had great colour in the video. It just lacked the powerful feel the song had going. It  seemed weak and needed something to make it seem stronger. Maybe more flashing lights that were in time with the beat? Whistle had a more stronger vibe in the video, but it didn’t suit the song. Majority of the scenes in the video showed the girls stuck to one spot and only the camera moved. That made it boring. I would liked to see more of the scenes where the girls were dancing or at least moving. Might have given me more to talk about. I did like the sets for this video though.

Dance wise, not that memorable. That goes for both performances. The dances did suit the songs to a certain degree, but I feel like they fall short compared to other artists with (what I see) is great choreography.

Whistle – 5.5/10

Boom Bah Yah – 6/10

[Review] Stuck – Monsta X

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Monsta X previously made their comeback with All In. Another song that was released with All In was Stuck. Stuck was chosen as another special release and was promoted on shows for 2 weeks. While it does not have an official music video, there is an accompanying “special” video that I will dive into very briefly.

With that last statement, I feel like I am reviewing Stuck mainly for the song. Stuck is such an awesome song. How did I not notice it before? I think Stuck is a very unique song, despite it being somewhat similar to their previous releases. Monsta X is doing pretty well with this rough and edgy eletronic EDM sound. All their songs so far that I have listened to tend to fall into that genre. Stuck is more sophiscated, in the fact that the song isn’t as simple or clear cut. The vocal work in this is amazing and so are the raps. But let me focus a little on the vocals. There is something about each time they start the chorus. It stood out for me from the get-go and I think it makes the song amazing. It leads into the rest of the chorus quite well and I like that for that. The song is (obviously) powerful and from the start to the end, you can definetely hear that load of power. Regardless if you are listening to it on full blast or full blast with your earphones is (don’t judge – and it was by accident). Personally, I really like the song and think (as mentioned above) it is really awesome.

The video that was released with it includes a few close up shots but majority of it is cheorprgaphy. Nothing to mention about the video. Would have loved a full music video however this still does the job nicely. The video was filmed in an abonaded place that when paired with the song, matches the edgy feel I was talking about before.

Moving to what Monsta X does really well. The dancing is extraordinary. There is no arguments against that. It fits the song perfectly (from the power feel to the clean cut moves that matches the clean cut beat). It hit the expectation bar quite nicely. I just do not watch it enough to bang on about it. I write this review more for the song (as I said) than anything else.

Final Rating – 9/10 

[Review] That’s My Jam – B.A.P

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B.A.P has returned after 5 months with a brand new single. Earlier in the year, the guys made their first comeback of 2016 with Feel So Good. After finishing promotions for the song, they went on a world tour and recently completed it. Now, back in South Korea, launched right back in with their song.

It is a totally cool song that will totally be anyone’s jam. B.A.P has done it again. Their last song had a similar style but this one is more upbeat and party anthem like. It is a great song to rock to at a party or just to dance around the house. There are many components to the song that when you step back sounds like a horrible mashup. But when you listen to the song, it somehow manages to work. The chorus is quite upbeat and poppish. The raps were hip-hop oriented. The song slowed down at some parts and made it sound dramatic. Let’s move onto the rapping. Yong Guk and Zelo used to stand out, however, the raps in this song were quite lacking. I didn’t really enjoy their raps as I wanted to. But the vocal work in this song was amazing. Per usual Daehyun got the most parts but Jongup’s forever improving vocals were put into the spotlight. Youngjae and Himchan basically got the short end of the stick. Not much time to shine at all (or barely noticeable in the song). But overall, it is a good song to just have a dance around to. Quite catchy and has a great hook.

Parts of the video make sense to me. Some parts have me going “huh?”. The guys at the start look like they are about to die from boredom. But Daehyun’s plays his songs, which gets everyone in the mood for partying. Then the videos move to them going to some holiday. Okay, makes sense. But why the cheesy close-up shots to make them look like they are doing some commercial throughout the whole video.For a few parts, I get. But like Daehyun, Youngjae and Jongup on the beach chairs. Was that necessary?  And where do they plan to go for the holiday? Cause it looks like the desert and the middle of nowhere. Anyway, finally comes to the shooting scene. What? I don’t see the connection there. Just because you are having fun doesn’t equate it to shooting guns… You see my reasoning? I am lost for parts of the videos and that does impact my viewing experience. The fun element in the video, however, is through the roof and I do like that. While it is all staged (and you cannot deny it), the boys look like they are genuinely having fun and making the best out of the situation. Oh, and I like apple juice as well (thought I somehow add that in there).

The dance was more of a “let’s party” on stage kind of dance. Sometimes I can appreciate it. Sometimes, I can’t. With this performance, the backup dancers have a set routine that they had to follow, but the performance I watched today was incredibly messy. I am going to blame the guys for that one because they were running about and having fun. While the concept was good, the overall look of the stage was disappointing.

Final Rating – 6/10

[Review] Lip 2 Lip – Nine Muses A

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Nine Muses have returned but as a subunit consisting of Kyungri, Sojin, Hyemi and Keumjo. It has been a while since we heard from Nine Muses and since we last heard from them, a few other members (namely Minha and Euaerin) left the group once their contract was up.

Lip 2 Lip is another okay song. Sadly, it is not as memorable as I would want it to be. It has a diva-like feel to the song and falls nicely in within the retro realm. The chorus is not as catchy, but that “la-di-da chu~” steals my attention. Them singing that makes somewhat catchy, but I would have liked more of a hook to the rest of the chorus. It just feels empty and bland. Sojin’s rap is pretty nice. It is very mature and sounds very classy. I don’t know why but the song starts to pick up at the bridge and slows down before getting into the last “la-di-da chu~” part. I felt like that faster beat should have been there from the start and the bridge should have been a simple slow down. However, as I said, it is okay. It is bearable and I do listen to it. If it was catchier, I would have liked it more and probably more people would pay attention to the song. I agree with you, that is harsh, but I think that is what is missing in the song.

The music video depicts a group of girls who gather around and I guess chat about a guy one of them is meeting. This chat makes the main character in the music video discuss with the others about her experiences with the guy (which makes the other girls envy her). However, towards the end of the video, it is revealed that the guy is two-timing with another girl from the group and the girls are angry at that. The ending kind of leaves you on edge a little bit. There seems to be something more to the video and hopefully, this is a sign for a future Nine Muses comeback, so the story can be continued. Interesting story line. One that has been done a few times too many recently. Rest of the video (i.e. the dance shots) were okay.

The dance featured a small part of the music video concept. The end of the dance shows the girls standing around a phone and realising the same thing that occurred in the video. Quite smart. The rest of the dance was okay. It isn’t memorable or anything, sadly. Nine Muses usually do well with the dances. Just not this time, sadly.

Final Rating – 4.5/10