Category: Reviews

[Review] WORK – ATEEZ

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Yesterday, ATEEZ made their comeback with their 11th mini album, Golden Hour: Part 1, and the title track WORK. This new release from the 8-member group follows on from their THE WORLD EP.FIN: WILL studio album from December 2023 (led by the single Crazy Form), their Japanese single Not Okay (yet to be reviewed) and their viral Coachella performance.

WORK steps away from ATEEZ’s usual powerful electronic based dance tracks. Instead, it opts for a much lighter and fun hip-hop sound that suits the group. We have heard fun from ATEEZ before, with the most recent example I can think of on the top of my head being The Real. But here, the production is toned down quite a bit without the presence of ATEEZ’s usual strong and dynamic synth work. I liked the playful vibes WORK exudes, particularly thanks to the presence of that dulled flute sound. These playful vibes also shines ATEEZ in a new light. As part of the change in sound, ATEEZ is able to showcase even more rhythmic rapping and melodic vocals than ever before in WORK. And as a result of that, WORK has a catchy centrepiece that re-emphasises that lighter and fun sound. I also like how JONGHO’s vocals still manage to pierce through the chorus, which does give WORK some dimension and depth. But while WORK has the above positive aspects to it, the biggest problem I have with WORK is that it doesn’t go anywhere. WORK is definitely missing its peak, and so it feels rather monotonous when you consider the entirety of the track together. We do get a bit more to the song in the outro, but it isn’t as satisfying as previous outros they have done in the past. Because of this, I haven’t really taken to WORK since its release yesterday. Maybe some more listens can help grow the song further on me. But for now, it feels like any other day at the office to me.

That fun nature of WORK is definitely present throughout the music video. The video sees the members hustle to make more money and then enjoy their wealth. JONGHO buried underground (sans his head), YEOSANG and YUNHO’s obsession of the chicken that lays golden eggs, and HONGJOONG and MINGI’s battle with the monster made of money are some of the unserious parts of the video that stood out for me. SEONGHWA’s ostrich ride could have been one of them, but the ‘fueling up’ scene stuck out at me for the wrong reasons. When together, they either embrace/celebrate the money (with MINGI’s purple suit reminding me of Willy Wonka), the hip-hop side of the song or are busy flipping burgers to make more money.

The choreography for WORK is solid. Unfortunately, it doesn’t strike me as their best routine ever. But I think that is more so the collateral they had to pay to fully embrace the lighter and fun hip-hop sound that is WORK.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 7.4/10

[Review] KING KONG – TREASURE

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Almost a year following the release of their REBOOT studio album and the track BONA BONA, TREASURE has finally made their long awaited comeback with their new single KING KONG. It has also been recently confirmed that KING KONG won’t be the group’s only release of the year, with another comeback due later in the year. But until then, here are my thoughts on KING KONG.

KING KONG is bombastic, to say the least. For the most part, I really enjoyed KING KONG. From electronic instrumentation to the delivery with many layers of oomph to it, the resulting product that is KING KONG feels powerful and vigorous. The song opens with some crunchy beats and a sing-talk motif that I am not unimpressed with. I kind of thought it gave KING KONG‘s verses a stylish vibe. The pre-choruses of KING KONG focuses on vocals and melodies, which I also enjoyed. This is then followed by a catchy chorus, with a slightly groovy second generation influence on the instrumentation and some shouty yet delivery. The second verse features a rap breakdown that needlessly stripped away the cool instrumentation that KING KONG had featured thus far. The length of the breakdown disrupts the flow of the song and deprives us from the momentum and drive that the earlier parts of KING KONG had. The bridge sees the returns of the vocals and that is the part of KING KONG that I am continuously returning. Partly because of the vocals, but also what comes next. The best part of KING KONG has to be the really angsty and gritty tinny instrumental break that just grabs your attention. From the top of my mind, I think KING KONG‘s instrumental break surpasses all other instrumental breaks. KING KONG then finishes with the usual anthem affair that YG Entertainment songs close out with. I am not against it this time around, but I think something less repetitive would have been better. Overall, KING KONG isn’t without its weakness. But it is still a beast of itself.

The music video appears to pay homage to King Kong himself and potentially other big monsters. There are a few scenes that sees the members appear to serve as the King Kong in their universe, like through the presence of the beastly eyes some of the members have and how some scenes position the members on top of a building that mimics the infamous scenes of the King Kong movies where the infamous King Kong had scaled the city buildings. I also really like the set made of the big skeleton. Not sure where the other scenes lead us, but I am sure they are all related. I also like the styling of the members throughout the music video. They all look very stylish and cool.

The choreography for this comeback is super cool, just like the other elements of this comeback. I liked how they mimicked some of the famous King Kong moves/poses throughout the choreography, which further highlights the beastly and powerful nature of the choreography. And that dance break is definitely the highlight of the routine!

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10

[Review] Wife – (G)I-DLE

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Ahead of my album review for 2, I need to review (G)I-DLE’s pre-release single Wife. This single dropped a week prior to the release of Super Lady, the title track from 2 and another hit of (G)I-DLE’s.

Over time, Wife has become 2024’s guilty pleasure song for me. There is no way I will bragging about or showing off the song’s opening lyrics (‘I cook cream soup, taste is Coco Loco‘) to my friends or peers. At first, Wife was an odd song to me, as well. Musically, it didn’t fit (G)I-DLE’s repertoire at all and felt like a step away from their powerful title tracks. But Wife has become more fun sounding and catchy number with more listens and as it ages. The bubblegum pop is earwormy, and the song’s hooks are quite addictive with repeat plays. As time has gone by, I have also learnt that Wife has a deeper meaning, with the lyrics mocking the traditional stereotypes of a wife. This aligns with (G)I-DLE’s usual themes in their tracks that have repeatedly addressed and broken the social norms and expectations of what a ‘lady’ is supposed to be. The childish sound of the song also contributes to the mockery, and I feel that sets up the track quite cleverly. That being said, Wife definitely isn’t (G)I-DLE’s best work. But it is a really fun gem.

The mockery continues in the music video. From a glance, the music video appears very plain (but this is deliberate), aside from a striking element in the members’ looks. Their first look sees the members dressed in a striking blue green wig and white shirt, pants and shoes. In the second look, the wig turns white and the attire turns green. No matter what look, there is always something that blends them into the white background. The emptiness in the music video, as well as the blending into the background, signifies a wife without any interests, other than cooking and cleaning – the very traditionalist and stereotypical expectations a man has for a wife. The members also don’t lipsync until the very end of the video/song, where the lyrics are ‘I Don’t Wanna Wife, Wife, Wife‘, which further highlights their messaging of not wanting to be that traditionalist and stereotypical wife.

The choreography feels less of a mockery, with the members looking to have more fun. But there moves that still looked childish and elementary, which probably is their way of continuing that mockery in this final element of the release.

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

[Review] Armageddon – aespa

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Two weeks ago, aespa made a home run with their first title track Supernova from their first studio album, Armageddon. If you want proof of that home run, just check out the South Korean charts. Today, the group officially drops that studio album and unveiled their second title track from the album – also titled as Armageddon.

Supernova definitely got me super excited for Armageddon. But the couple of listens I have given the new song before and whilst writing this review has left me perplexed. Armageddon sees its stronger points come in much later, leaving the earlier parts of the song to feel dull and unexciting. We kick off Armageddon with some suspenseful and deep vibrating synths, which makes the first step into Armageddon feel very aespa. From there, we get into the first verse, which served the first sign that the song feels rather tame and not as vivid as their former tracks. The synths don’t have much punch to them, and the members’ delivery wasn’t memorable. The pre-chorus (i.e., the ‘Bang Chitty Bang Bang‘) was a good (yet abrupt) uptick in momentum, which I had hoped the track followed through with. But unfortunately, we get a slowed down anti-drop chorus that makes Armageddon feel sluggish and weak. I think the intention of Armageddon‘s chorus was to be more intriguing and mysterious thanks to the hypnotic and exotic motif that aespa brings to life in the chorus. But I don’t think it works as well as the producers had hoped. As for the hooks, I do think there is potential for it to grow on me. But it is too soon to tell if that is the case. For the second verses, we get a taste of powerful vocals from the group. But the resulting product is more so the same as the first verse. Armageddon does get better once we hit the bridge. We get more of that fluidity with melodies in the vocal centric beginning. This is followed with a cool and impactful ‘Throw It back‘ breakdown (my favourite part of the song), before we launch back into the chorus. Interesting to note, the chorus does sound much better following that breakdown. The outro, whilst using the same hook as the chorus, does close out the song in a more energetic manner than earlier in the song. Overall, Armageddon doesn’t live up to the hype and standard that I had set for it. More could have done earlier in Armageddon to make it a stronger piece.

What aespa didn’t deliver in the song aspect of this release, they did in the music video. The visuals in this music video are phenomenal, particularly the montage where they looked very much like goddesses. Their casual look also looks amazing. The members’ closeup throughout the video brings out an intense vibe, and this is felt through other aspects of the video. The post-production was indeed quite cool, as well. It was all very aesthetic. In terms of a story line, my guess is that aespa bring about the Armageddon one way or another.

The choreography for this comeback is also superb. While I am not a fan of the chorus in a music sense, the routine that accompanies it looks very cool. The combination of the wavy and sharp movements looks quite catchy and this bleeds into the other parts of the choreography, as I saw snippets of wavy or sharp throughout the video. The ‘Throw It Back‘ parts and the final chorus are also equally powerful moments in the routine that I can’t wait to see on stage.

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

[Review] Killin’ It – P1Harmony

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In addition to pre-release and other promotional tracks, I have a backlog of title tracks and debuts to get through. P1Harmony’s February comeback with Killin’ It (the song) is a victim in this backlog. So much so, it has been haunting me constantly at the back of my mind every time I go and review another song that isn’t it. But today, I am finally getting around to writing its review. Killin’ It is also the title of their first studio album, which I will be reviewing at a later date. It follows on from their 2023 JUMP comeback, which is featured on the mini-album HARMONY: ALL IN.

P1Harmony goes loud and striking in Killin’ It, The group keeps to their usual genre of choice for their title tracks, hip-hop, with a side of attitude and playfulness that feels very much like a P1Harmony track. Killin’ It‘s instrumental features both a clangy and brass-like motif, both of which comes together cohesively to create that loud and striking nature that I already mentioned. I would have liked a bit more variety in the backing of Killin’ It to give it more depth and colour, but it is decent enough as it is. Killin’ It‘s chorus was also quite loud, with the layering of the members shouty delivery coming off quite defined and bold. It is catchy and addictive, hence why Killin’ It has remained on my mind ever since its release. The rapping delivery elsewhere in Killin’ It is definitely a highlight, giving off that P1Harmony attitude and personality quite well. The vocals were also decent once we got to those parts and helped smooth a bit out Killin’ It. Otherwise, the aforementioned rapping and shouty chorus could have been too much. I do feel like the song does lack that something extra to really have it break ground. It is good and all, but a little bit more (perhaps some electric guitar riffs) could have taken Killin’ It to the next level.

In the lead up to the comeback, the group dropped a teaser that featured news report about a mysterious change to humanity where peace had suddenly came about. The teaser then sees P1Harmony come out of nowhere to disrupt said peace (taking someone’s doughnut and crashing one of the news reporters’ live feed). I am not entirely sure how the music video fits in, but I am going to take a guess. While the music video doesn’t reference the events of the teaser as much until the very end of the video where P1Harmony is being interviewed and questioned about being heroes, the video does see more of that disruption of peace. P1Harmony attempts underground dentistry, change up a game of curling and set of sparks that is bound to cause some subtle chaos in the world. Most particular to the profession of dentistry, the sport of curling and the peacefulness of the night sky. Now, I am sure there is a proper explanation to the video, as the above is just my wild guess. But I do like what we immediately get from the video is a portrayal the attitude and playful side of song.

Two things strike me when I watched the performance for P1Harmony. Firstly (and this is also reflected in the music video) was the styling of the group. Everywhere I look, I see a lot of praise of the styling for this comeback and I agree with that! The second aspect is how fun the performance looks.

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

[Review] BFF – TWS:

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As you may be very well aware, I have a massive backlog of releases to get through. A very large subset of these are songs are side tracks from the album they were on, selected to be a secondary promotion track or just have a music video. Some may even be pre-releases. I will have to make my way through that list. And I am beginning with TWS’ BFF. BFF is a side track off TWS’ debut mini-album Sparkling Blue, which was lead by the title track plot twist and was released on 22 January 2024. An album review is incoming. TWS released a music video for BFF mid-February.

In plot twist‘s review, I mentioned their debut track had youth charms and was a successful attempt at ‘boyhood pop’. BFF continues both, bringing us another track full of youth and vibrant energy. I really like the whistling at the start of the song, which sets the song’s main melody in place. However, BFF‘s pop instrumentation isn’t as dynamic as their title track and actually feels a bit generic. If I am being honest, BFF basically feels like any other youthful pop tracks that boy groups have done time and time again. That being said, BFF holds its ground well, allowing TWS: to deliver the song in a manner that definitely shows off their youthful charms and vibrant energy (more on that in the performance portion of this review). TWS:’ vocals and rapping was quite nice in BFF, which is where I felt the vibrant energy in the song the most. I also like how it wasn’t held back in anyway at any point in the song, which helps pushes said energy onto the audience. The song’s melody feels catchy yet familiar, and I put the latter down to the fact BFF sounds like ‘any other youthful pop track that boy groups have done time and time again’. The boyhood pop side of things comes through via the song’s lyrics, which is all about a long-lasting friendship. Altogether, you have a pretty good track that undoubtedly continues TWS:’ first steps into the KPOP industry in BFF.

The music video shows TWS: as teenagers in a school setting, an obvious concept for the ‘boyhood pop’ style that TWS is exploring. Some of the video was shown in mobile phone format (i.e., camera or Instagram reel), which I thought was rather cool. Not really a new idea that we have never seen before. But like the rest of the video, it feels refreshing. And once again, I like the all-smile energy they bring to the music video, which makes it appealing to watch.

Again, the energy of this track is directly reflected in the stage performance. It makes for what looks like quite an involved routine. But I like how bubbly and dynamic it all looked, which is a testament to the group’s performance. The use of the school desks was pretty cool, and I liked the all-smile energy that also comes through the performance aspect of this comeback, as well.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10

[Review] How Sweet – NewJeans

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As mentioned in my review for Bubble Gum last month, NewJeans will be making their Korean comeback with two songs. Bubble Gum was the first, followed by How Sweet (which dropped yesterday). The group is also due to release two full Japanese songs next month – Supernatural and Right Now. I will hopefully be reviewing them after their release. But keep in mind I am very behind on songs in other languages.

In my books, How Sweet falls into the pleasant category. There is no doubt that it sounds good. But How Sweet isn’t compelling enough for it to be a memorable form of ‘pleasant’. The hip-hop based instrumental has a touch of Miami bass to it. This created a backing piece that good rhythm and drive to it. And while that does evoke some interest out of me, I do find that the instrumental for How Sweet also feels ‘held back’ for being too consistent throughout the length of the track. The vocals do sound nice and airy, which is NewJeans signature. But in the context of How Sweet, it is too light to hold my attention. It doesn’t help that How Sweet‘s melodies felt linear and flat, as well. And the hooks felt virtually absent, with the producers seemingly putting all their eggs into the melodies to pull the audience in. To me, that is a risk gamble and it didn’t pay off. The only element that gives off a little something different to How Sweet is the rapping that serves as a transitional piece between the first verse and chorus, and at the end of the song. This potentially really could have changed up the song and made How Sweet more engaging to me. But they had to keep it to the rest of How Sweet, which dampens my hopefulness. While I do get that pleasantness out of How Sweet, I feel the final line of the song portion of Bubble Gum‘s review sums up my thoughts on NewJeans’ new song quite well (with a slightly editorial) – “I am not sure how long I will be replaying Bubble Gum How Sweet [following this review]”.

The music video is okay. NewJeans essentially have a broken down car on the side of a road in the middle of nowhere, and they have a little fun whilst making their way to a mechanic to have their car towed. A bit of a standard story nowadays. I wished their concept for this comeback was a little more engaging, like their past video. However, I did like the little comedic moment where the members attempt to hitchhike into town as a vehicle passes them. At the back of the vehicle are cows, and all the cows can see as they are driven past are the members posing like models. That scene got a chuckle out of me. The video also serves as a little commercial for Coco Cola. It isn’t the first time one of their music videos was used to promote a product, but I guess it might become a regular thing now.

The members showcase some great choreography that works extremely well with that pleasant side of the song and the beat/rhythm of How Sweet. I liked how just like the song’s drive, the members just kept going and never really stopped throughout the performance. I also like how the members looked like they were genuinely having fun on stage throughout the performance. Also, the rapping sounds so much more impactful throughout the live performance. Pity it doesn’t come off that way in the studio version.

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

[Review] Now (Orig.: Fin.K.L) – ONEUS

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ONEUS makes their return this week with a remake of an old KPOP classic originally by Fin.K.L, who was a female group active back in the late 90s and early 00s. The song in question is titled Now, which was released back in 2000. We last saw ONEUS through their album release La Dolce Vita and promotions of Baila Conmigo. The group has also been on their 2nd world tour, visiting countries in Europe, Japan and the USA.

ONEUS’s take on Now feels pretty expected. And I am not entirely sure if that is a good thing or not. Part of me wants ONEUS to have gone outside of the box. But the risk of that, especially with such an iconic song like Now, is that you do it an injustice. Hence, keeping to the familiar melodies, hooks and arrangement of the original version of Now makes sense. That being said, ONEUS does manage to give Now some it their own flair. This newer version of Now is lot more loaded thanks to 90s pop influence, the presence of EDM elements, as well as the group’s rougher vocals. I also enjoyed the addition of the funky guitar in the interlude following the first chorus, as well as the trap based instrumental break. I do wish the brassy element in the background of the chorus was more prominent and prevalent. That could have really given this version of Now more individuality had it been done right. Overall, it is a good remake of the original song. It keeps it true to the song’s roots, but ONEUS does give it a modern flair. If you thought the remake was a little plain, I don’t blame you. But I hope you managed to hear what the first generation of KPOP had to offer.

ONEUS pulls of a heist, with a bit of a comedic flair to it. Leedo assembles a team to conduct the heist, with himself being the mastermind, Hwanwoong being the gadgets guy, Keonhee being the outfit/costume/disguise guy, Seoho being the decoy and Xion being the tech guy. The comedy comes through various means such as Xion taking a selfie of the group whilst they are planning the heist, Hwanwoong having a little much fun, Seoho actually think he makes for a good janitor and Keonhee with his fake moustache. Leedo manages to break through the security systems to get into the vault with the help of Xion. They pick up a small metallic box. But as they open it to see what is inside, the alarm goes off. They rush out to escape, but can’t see to get past the door in the hallway. But Xion had planned for this earlier and blows up the building… with them still inside…. Somehow, it looks like they managed to escape (or are they in the afterlife?). And the box they were looking for was empty the whole time. The video closes out with two ants bopping away on one of the members’ shoulders. A comment on YouTube explains the significance as the English lyrics “Came into my life” sounds like ‘2 ants’ in Korean. Overall, the video seems to be intended as lighthearted and funny, and it does so quite well.

Just like how the song keeps some of the original, the choreography does the same. The original performance’s key move for the post-chorus sequence is retained. But again, ONEUS manages to bring their own style to the performance. I am particularly impressed with the dance break, with Hwanwoong, Leedo and Xion doing a body twist mid-air. It looked very cool and intense.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10

[Review] Cheese – SUHO (EXO) ft. WENDY (Red Velvet)

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I somehow missed the news that SUHO (from EXO) will be making his solo comeback at the end of this month with his third mini-album, 1 to 3. But luckily, he pre-released the single Cheese this week in preparation, so I am now caught up with the news of the comeback. This comeback is SUHO’s first in since 2022’s Grey Suit (which also doubled as the title for his second mini-album) and Hurdle. Cheese features WENDY from Red Velvet, who made her solo comeback earlier this year with Wish You Hell.

Cheese goes down a soft rock instrumental. I like the funky bass and the piano that leads the background. It feels striking, but melds well with the soft rock side of the instrumentation. I do like the retro 70s groovy energy that comes off the instrumental, which makes Cheese feel so good. The instrumental break with was dominated by the electric guitar solo was a nice concentration of the soft rock energy that forms around it. I also like the little bit of intensity it gives off, which adds a little something different to Cheese, compared to the rest of the song. The way the song likens a relationship to cheese was intriguing – if both become warm, the cheese becomes stretchy and a relationship can become longer, and if the cheese is cold, the cheese and relationship will fall apart. As for the vocals. I like how well-built SUHO’s vocals are for a soft rock song like Cheese. I also liked how light his vocals are throughout the song, particularly in the choruses and the ad-libs we get from the EXO leader at the end of the song. WENDY’s usual stunning and clear vocals comes into play during the second verse and is quickly joined by SUHO, who are both a formidable force in Cheese. Their pairing in the second chorus gave some nice oomph to the song and allowed to build the song up without much else to it. The melodies of Cheese were comforting to listen to. But in the long run, I am not entirely sure if they (or the rest of Cheese) would keep me coming back for more.

It should come as no surprise that the music video is full of cheese. Literally. I really liked the montage of cheese related art in the video, as well as the cheese visuals. We also see SUHO steal a big hunk of cheese that is on display at an art gallery. Little did he know that WENDY was watching him as he prepared to steal for the cheese. She goes after him and catches him in the act. There is a bit of a chase, which I assume represents the blossoming of their love (i.e., their relationship became stretchy). In the end, they decide to steal the cheese together (as seen in the 8-bit shot that finished off the video). But during their heist, the security came in (probably heard all of the ruckus of the two chasing each other and throwing cheese at one another) and they pretended to be an art installation, fooling the security guard and allowing them to get away with their heist. Overall, it is a cute and fun video, complementing the funky and groovy vibes of Cheese.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10

[Review] Accendio – IVE

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IVE’s latest mini-album, IVE SWITCH (which was released at the very end of April), features two title tracks – HEYA and Accendio. I have already reviewed HEYA on the day of its release, while Accendio only became eligible for a review once IVE unveiled the music video for the song earlier this week.

I quite like Accendio, as it shows off a more mature sound for IVE. There is also this mysteriousness to the song that attracts my attention. This can be attributed to the paced beat of Accendio, which actively contributes to that mystique that I just mentioned and helps build some intensity in the song. But it also feels like a double-edged sword. It sets Accendio up to be somewhat neutral, which is never a good observation to make in an exciting music genre like KPOP. I kind of wished Accendio really picked up along the way and there was some infusion of oomph to the song. I do hear an addition of energy to the song via the pre-choruses and choruses of Accendio, which I am grateful for. But while this addition of energy was good in the first instance, it didn’t have the same effect when the song revisited the same motif again. Similarly, the instrumental break could have used some added zing (perhaps something more electrifying) to add further excitement to the song. While the backing of Accendio lacked in some regards, I am extremely happy with the choruses. I personally felt the central piece of Accendio had a killer start through a really simple yet addictive “Watch me, Don’t touch me, Love me, Don’t hurt me” chant and some attitude-laced catwalk-like backing. This made the chorus stand out and feel very catchy to me. So much so, I find myself humming along with the song and after the song ends. That particular line in the chorus was nailed thanks to the members’ rap-speak delivery, which we do hear at other times in Accendio. To me, this delivery felt more prolific and interesting than the other vocals we get in the song. Overall, I quite liked Accendio. It is far from perfect, but it allowed IVE to explore something slightly different.

I personally felt the music video for this comeback also had an air of mystery to it, which made it intriguing to watch. The plot of this video also adds to the intriguingness. Gaeul stars as the main character of the video. While the rest of IVE were underwater, Gaeul disappears, causing alarm amongst the other members. Turns out Gaeul had run away and came across a ritualistic group (another version of IVE – henceforth calling them evil IVE) and a magic wand. Gaeul steals the wand and brings it back to her members. Unknowingly to Gaeul, evil IVE were watching Gaeul make her way back to her members. The magic wand gives Sailor Moon-like magic powers to good IVE, who are provided a mission to protect the magic wand to keep their powers permanently. Evil IVE tracks down the wand and have a dance battle with good IVE for the wand. While it isn’t an action packed set of scenes like Mission Impossible, the subsequent battle scene (not the dance battle scene) was nicely choreographed to showcase a fight between the two versions of IVE played out to gain or protect the wand. During the battle, Gaeul had hid the wand in the fridge. Once the evil IVE were defeated, good IVE went to retrieve the wand from the fridge but found it empty. Turns out, the wand somehow found its way to a beach and picked up a young girl. And good IVE were watching this happen, implying they have become the new evil IVE, who were going to fight a young girl for the wand. Personally, I felt the ending a little awkward and wondered why a different version of IVE (or perhaps even an older girl) picked up the wand. Setting up the next battle between IVE and a young girl is a bit harsh for the latter.

The choreography looks good. I liked the chorus routine, particularly the moves they did with that chanty line identified above. I just cannot help but think that this isn’t their strongest routine. It was cohesive as a whole piece, but nothing really stood out in my opinion.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 8.1/10

[Review] Feel The POP – ZEROBASEONE

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Returning at the start of the week was ZEROBASEONE. And covering their latest comeback song, Feel The POP, at the end of the week is me! The new song is featured on the group’s 3rd mini-album You Had Me At Hello and Feel The POP follows the pre-release SWEAT (which I reviewed a couple of weeks back). The entire comeback follows on from their late 2023’s CRUSH.

I did check out Feel The POP when it was first released on Monday, but I didn’t get much from the track. I thought I give it a few days to see if it would grow on me slightly. But it only grew by a little and I am not sure if it can continue to grow on me anymore. Instead, my initial thoughts on the song stand. Feel The POP is indeed pleasant and enjoyable, but it feels very safe and ‘inside the box’. This hinders its appeal. Yes, I have described Feel The POP as pleasant and enjoyable (which are usually good positive terms to describe things by), but it is also neither fresh or different. The instrumental can be described in a similar manner. It feels subtly upbeat to be a summery track and I do like the hap-like synths in the background as it does bring some colour to the song. But at the exact same time, the background stayed rather neutral from start to end, and it didn’t develop into something exciting or with zing. I will say Feel The POP is focused on melodies and the singing was decent, but those same melodies felt thin and failed to make the song stand out. Same for the hooks. I thought the rapping could have been a good avenue to bring something different to Feel The POP, but said rapping was so limited and barely made a scratch into the song. I think it is safe to say that Feel The POP is very underbaked and doesn’t feel as fulfilling as their debut track (which is still their best effort, in my opinion).

As for the music video, there seems to be a few concepts going on visually, such as the modern Western cowboy theme, office workers, rich persons’ tennis playing and a more typical casual affair to close out the video. But they don’t seem to go together whatsoever. What does (loosely) joins the concept up is the supposedly cutesy apocalyptic event that causes alarm to others, but ZEROBASEONE handles quite coolly by smashing a tennis ball into a giant cactus and shooting down the giant bomb cloud. The world is saved and ZEROBASEONE proceeds to celebrate at the end of the video. I guess the intent of the video is supposed to be light-heart and summery, which the tennis scenes do give off. The rest of the video, now that I have summarised it on a page, does feel a bit wild, which is on brand for KPOP in some regards.

I feel like the choreography was the strongest aspect of the comeback. I really like the chorus routine, which brought some popping into the mix. Same goes for the bridge. And they were quite strong pops. Other than that, I liked the smoother feeling of the choreography for Feel The POP, which complements that pleasant tone that comes from the song.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 6.7/10

[Review] Supernova – aespa

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Kicking off promotions for their first studio album is aespa (their first since their debut in 2020), with their new single Supernova. It is one of two title tracks to their 1st studio length album Armageddon, which will be fully released on May 27. The other title track has already been confirmed to share the same name as the new album! Both Supernova and Armageddon follows on from aespa’s Drama hit from the end of last year.

From the very first listen, I could tell that that Supernova is a total blast. Personally, it might actually be aespa’s best thus far, in my opinion. Supernova‘s cyber-like instrumental is definitely the song’s winning element. The instrumental alone felt like it borrowed some of the memorable elements from some aespa’s more recent songs. For example, I could hear charisma from Drama and the energetic motif from Spicy. That being said, Supernova still has a unique profile to it, which continues aespa’s strong run of great songs. I liked how forward driven everything felt and the overall smoothness that the song somehow embodies despite being full of crunchy and powerful synths. I also enjoyed the various detailings in the background of Supernova, which helped add a little something different and extra to each sequence. This variety definitely made Supernova more fun and appealing in my books. The choruses were very addictive, thanks to the fact they were paired with catchy hooks and ear-wormy delivery from the members. Even the bridge change up in the bridge, where Supernova stripped away the electronic synths a for a more funky hip-hop sound, was interesting and charming. Whilst it feels miles away, it wasn’t and was worked decently into the song. There is just two aspects of Supernova that I not 100% keen on. The first is how disjointed Supernova feels and the way the song just abruptly launches between sequences makes me feel a little uneasy. The second is the lack of a vocal sequence to blow me away like in their earlier days. Nothing in Supernova feels challenging enough on the vocal front and the ad-libs felt weak relative to those earlier releases. I guess that just means Supernova isn’t without some flaws, but the stronger aspects of the song definitely outweighs those concerns.

Supernova is defined as a powerful and luminous explosion of a star (from Wikipedia). And the members liken themselves to be a supernova in the lyrics of the song. In the video, it looks like 3 of the 4 members (Karina, Winter and Ningning) come down from outer space to Earth to wake up Giselle, who seems to have become ordinary and mundane. Giselle is the only member to not be shown showing off her power in the first verse sequence of the video, whilst the other 3 members have strutting around and showing the world their unearthly powers – Karina has super strength, Winter can control wind and Ningning can control fire. Furthermore, Giselle is seen trying to prove that she isn’t a robot/is a human via those CAPTCHA tests where you have to select certain tiles containing traffic lights or motorcycles. She has to pick which picture is not an AI and she doesn’t get far into it – it is as if she doesn’t know how to be human. She also celebrates with a not-so-hot cake that says “I’m hot” (which goes against the idea of being a supernova). Ningning gate crashes the celebration and sets Giselle’s apartment alight. This interaction causes Giselle to wake up and use her time controlling power to reverse the events. Giselle rejoins the rest of the members for the final parts of the video before the quartet is swept away in the wind storm created by Winter. I found it to be a playful video, with a cool concept. Combined with the editing, post-production and visuals, I think this places the music video into list of contenders for Best Music Video of the year.

While there is no official performance video for this release just yet, the choreography bits that we got in the music video definitely looks good. I don’t think I saw any key points. But I do hope there is some in the routine, as I think this song can definitely go far in the ongoing trend of short-form videos we get via TikTok. YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels. Knowing aespa’s potential and the fact we don’t see majority of the routine in the video, I may return to re-review the performance once there is an official performance.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 9.1/10

[Review] Girls Never Die – tripleS

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When I reviewed Rising by tripleS last year, the group only had 16 members out of the confirmed 24-member lineup. Earlier this week, tripleS made their comeback with their full lineup of 24 members. Along with the additional 8 members, tripleS returned with the title track Girls Never Die, which is featured on their first studio album titled Assemble24.

I find Girls Never Die to be a pleasant dance-pop track. As initial thoughts to the song, Girls Never Die feels well-polished and seamless as a whole piece. The beat in the background felt very rhythmic and groovy. But at the same time, the background is also quite paced, which creates an easygoing and interesting aesthetic. But I have explained in the past that some ‘pleasant’ tracks do have a flip-side. At the moment, Girls Never Die does come off positively to me. But I fear that through repeat listens to Girls Never Die, that aesthetic might fizzle out and the underlying plainness in the song’s instrumentation would take over. Girls Never Die lacks excitement and a powerful eventuating peak, hence why I worry the plainness will prevail. Rather than being stuck in the same gear for the entirety of the track, Girls Never Die should have shifted a bit in momentum, tone or energy. The electric guitars was a nice addition to the song that could have impact in this area, but they were only added to the end, so too late to actually have an effect. As for tripleS themselves, there was some really nice vocals/rapping in the song from the members. Those ad-libs from Dahyun were very impressive. The song itself had a decent chorus, though the main “La La La” feels plain and unimaginative. Overall, Girls Never Die is a good song and starts off their next chapter of their careers as a full group strong. I just wished, like with most songs nowadays, there is more to Girls Never Die.

The music video was quite aesthetic. But that shouldn’t come as a surprise, given how MODHAUS is co-founded by the creative director (Jaden Jeong) who was behind LOONA’s aesthetic solo, unit and initial group music videos. Girls Never Die is a song about girls being resilient and stronger together. And that is what we see in the video. Different members of the group hanged out with one another and supporting each other. I think the following lines in the bridge sums up the music video and lyrics quite well: “If we ever stay together during fear and more, Nothing will scare us now“. When one of the members looked like they were going to give up (i.e., the bathtub scene), we see another member join them later to help them rise back up against their difficult circumstance. The funeral scenes look to be a bit counter intuitive to the messaging/intent. But I think the members surrounding the grave site weren’t lowering a member down (even though it was alluded), given one of the members was kneeling by the grave. Now that last bit is me speculating. The rest of the group could just be there to support one another to the very last moment, but that didn’t feel as fitting to the broader meaning of the video.

24 members on the stage for a performance sounds like a big mess waiting to happen. But tripleS handled it well. They started off on stage and ended the routine as a whole group, but broke into smaller group for the body of the performance to make everything more manageable and less overwhelming. They also performed classy moves that wouldn’t create a mess should a member miss a beat. However, better sychronisation could have enabled an even more refined performance to wow me even more.

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

[Review] Come Back To Me – RM (BTS)

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Gearing up for a comeback very soon (i.e., end of this month) is RM (from BTS). But ahead of the release of his second studio album Right Place, Wrong Person, RM has pre-released the all-English single Come Back To Me, which will be the focus of this post. RM is currently undertaking his mandatory military service and won’t complete it until 2025. But he joins V and j-hope who have been also been busy preparing new music pre-enlistment for us to enjoy despite their absence from the stage.

RM takes us down an indie pop route with Come Back To Me, with a slight jazzy influence coming into play down the line. This track is unlike anything that RM has released before. It is extremely paced and purposely dragged out to make the entire piece quite thought provoking. Despite not enjoying tracks that take their time to build, I find Come Back To Me quite welcoming for some reason. I think I put it down to beautiful execution by co-producers RM and HYUKOH’s Oh Hyuk (who is quite well known in the Korean indie scene and you can hear of his influence in Come Back To Me). That purposefulness is also deliberate in other fronts in Come Back To Me. Instrumentally, the acoustic guitar sets the thought-provoking tone to the song, while the slight jazzy influence amps up Come Back To Me to make it more engaging and changes the tone to be a little more uplifting. Even RM’s various vocal styles that he employs throughout the track felt carefully selected to ensure that it captivates and steals the audience’s attention. The melodies were so easy to get lost in, and the “Your are my pain, Divine, Divine” was quite an artistic hook. Overall, I quite enjoyed Come Back To Me and I am excited to hear the rest of the Right Place, Wrong Person album when it is released on 24 May 2024.

Come Back To Me‘s lyrics explores the idea of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, which is also the central theme for the upcoming album from what I am reading. In the music video, we see RM appear in multiple potential lives – from being a person who constantly hang out with his friends, to being a dad, to being in a relationship where he is constantly fighting with his partner, to being a son of parents who have high expectations for him. Part way through the video, he crosses path with another lady who makes him encounter a happier and smiling version from himself. From this encounter, he becomes more him appreciative of all of the potential lives he could have been in – going from the idea of exploring those potential lives that are wrong for/to him to exploring potential lives that could be right for him. Ultimately, he re-meets the same lady who made him happier and change his outlook, and follows her to be with her. His unlocks the door that has been constantly locked throughout the entire video, opening a new life outside the many lives we have seen him apart of already. It is definitely a thought-provoking video and the paced nature of the song really emphasises this. I also enjoyed RM’s acting in the video, as well as the other actors who helped make the video engaging.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/`10

[Review] BE SOMEBODY – YOOK SUNGJAE (BTOB)

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Sorry again for the radio silence since Tuesday. Work has been busy again. But I am back for the weekend and that means more reviews for you! Restarting the roll is YOOK SUNGJAE’s solo comeback with his same name single album and latest single BE SOMEBODY. This follows his 2020 solo debut with Come with the Wind and Yook O’Clock.

Like his solo debut back in 2020 with Come With The Wind, I had expected YOOK SUNGJAE’s solo return to be of a balladry kind. So hearing the pop rock behind BE SOMEBODY actually felt quite refreshing. Now, the pop rock style that BE SOMEBODY opted for isn’t anything new or innovative. But it was still good. The climb towards the choruses created some good momentum towards the chorus. The eventuating intensity in the chorus from the instrumentation was quite remarkable and help give the song a well-rounded punch. To complement that, SUNGJAE employed some gusto behind his vocals, which helps makes BE SOMEBODY even more more impactful. While this shows me his vocals, BE SOMEBODY could have used some variety in the same department. I noticed that once he enters high territory (about 40 seconds into the song), SUNGJAE remains in that territory for the remainder of the song. I would have loved it if he explored more of that deeper tone that he kicks off BE SOMEBODY with throughout the track. It could have grounded the song a bit better and not feel too neutrally high from that 40 second mark and onwards. There are some examples in the song (i.e., the rap-speak lines between the pre-chorus and choruses) where there are attempts to ground BE SOMEBODY, but they were rather brief and limited in number to really make a mark. But overall, I still find BE SOMEBODY to be a great song. Just more could have made it stronger.

The song conveys the message of breaking free to become somebody, rather than being someone they are not. This, along with the music video, feels linked to the fact that he has more freedom to be himself now that he has left CUBE Entertainment (but not BTOB – an important distinction there). In the video, we see him as an art exhibit, but people don’t pay much attention to him. It isn’t until he is put out there more via performances and the internet (different mediums) does he gain more attention. With the performances and internet, he isn’t bound to just one particular artform anymore. The art smashing to pieces towards the end of the video is representative of breaking that ‘one artform’ boundary he is expressing through this comeback. A well thought out video, overall, that I hoped I correctly interpreted.

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

[Review] Mars – Doh Kyung Soo (EXO)

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I am a bit late to start the new week. But as the saying goes, better late than never. Doh Kyung Soo (otherwise known as D.O from EXO) made his solo comeback today with a new single titled Mars and his 3rd mini-album Blossom. This follows his pre-release single Popcorn (which I will return to review in the future) last week, and his 2nd mini-album Expectation from last year (led by the single Somebody).

Mars is a song about loving someone so different to you, it is as if you and that someone are from two different planets. From that little reflection on the song, you can imagine how heartfelt and comforting the track is. I felt that Doh Kyung Soo portrays that messaging and tone very well in Mars, through all aspects of the track. I enjoyed the simplicity and straightforwardness of the medium-tempo pop track from the very first listen. The acoustic and band instrumentation was profound, with the guitar work being a big driver towards Mars‘ bright and meaningful outlook. Similarly, I felt the sincerity and affection behind Doh Kyung Soo’s vocals. The melodies were great. And altogether, Mars does bring a smile to my face when I listen to the track. I think a slight challenge to the song are the hooks. And this challenge isn’t necessarily unique to Mars, but more so to all ‘simple and ‘straight forward’ songs. To ensure longevity of a song like Mars, the song itself needs to be memorable and the melodies/hooks play a big part in this. Personally, I find Mars‘ hooks to be okay, but I think this aspect of Mars is also a little lacking. I am not too sure how Mars can hold its ground amongst the stiff competition. But as it stands, the song is still a great listen.

I found the music video to be a very cute watch and works well with the simple nature of the song. We see Doh Kyung Soo in his own little world throughout the video as he attempts to communicate with his special someone who is on a completely different planet to his. We see him get ready for the day ahead and ride his bike to the primary site in which he has set up to communicate with the world beyond his. On his bike are all the flowers he could find, which he later uses to write ‘I Miss You‘ on the ground in a bold colour for the other someone to see. In the end, his attempts to communicate work, with the special someone leaving simple and literally small messages for him. At the very end of the video, we see the different messages left behind for Doh Kyung Soo, that he has kept as little momentos. The outro sees him do it all again the next day (the presence of the rain helps us differentiate it is a new day), excited to extend the communications even further.

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