Category: Reviews

[Review] Little Light – DOYOUNG (NCT)

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It is a new week. And that comes with new comebacks and debuts. Kicking it off this week is DOYOUNG’s solo debut with the single Little Light and his first studio length album YOUTH. DOYOUNG becomes the fifth member of NCT after TAEYONG, MARK, TEN and JAEHYUN to have some sort of a solo career outside of their NCT works, which spans across NCT, NCT U and NCT 127 discography. If I also read correctly, we will be expecting more NCT solo works this year. We already have TAEYONG’s TAP and TEN’s Nightwalker (which I have yet to review) this year, and JAEHYUN is preparing a solo album himself.

But today’s focus is on DOYOUNG’s Little Light. The track is described as a band song with powerful guitar riffs (according to SOOMPI), which is an accurate description for Little Light. I would have also thrown in a ‘refreshing’, ‘revitalising’ and/or ‘uplifting’ descriptor into the mix when describing Little Light. When I first heard the song, I thought how nice some strings would have been in the background (particularly at the end of Little Light) and that led me to think of LUCY’s work (a South Korean band that I have reviewed before who is known for their use of strings in their band tracks). It turns out that Little Light is co-written by Cho Won Sang from LUCY! As for DOYOUNG, he sounds really nice. Not only does his vocal tone showcases those extra descriptive words I mentioned at the start of this section, I like how he presents himself throughout Little Light. There is a bit of a range with some some powerful notes, high notes and even some falsetto. Each were well used and at the right time, furthering Little Light as a captivating track. I do wish there was a bit more consistency within the melodies in Little Light to make it feel more cohesive. But as it stands, Little Light ticks off many boxes for me, especially the idea of it being a band track with a refreshing vibe.

The lyrics to Little Light talks about how a little light can lead someone to their hopes and dreams . Certain lines of the song speak about how it needs to be lit, is it can be the dimmest light you can ever find, or even be a star in the sky that is miles away etc. It is all quite clever imagery and presents to us the idea that little light can be something different for all of us. In the video, DOYOUNG goes searching for his little light, which he does come across a number of times. He goes chasing after it, but he loses sight of it just as many times as he spots it. But as it is his little light, it does come back to him to lead him forward. DOYOUNG went through windy conditions at one point, and also trips and grazes his face/hand. At one point, he almost gives up on his search. All of this represents the tribulations and journey we all must go on that is life. But in a happy ending, he finds his light and follows it to a hidden area that has even more little lights. While not shown, these lights somehow take him home. But before we think it all a dream, DOYOUNG notices his hands (and we can see his face) are still scraped, which alludes to the fact that journey he went through the previous night (i.e., life) still occurred. I also notice that the little light in the video is green in colour, which is also NCT’s colour. And I have a feeling that all those little lights that become one big light might be reference to the NCT fanclub. I also enjoyed the scenery and the aesthetic of band instruments behind him in the scenes where he is singing into a microphone. What a stunning backdrop.

Song – 9.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.3/10

[Review] Everything – JONGHO (ATEEZ)

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Over the last few weeks, I have been reviewing the solo and unit tracks from ATEEZ’s The World EP.Fin: Will that had an accompanying music video. Thus far, I have reviewed HONGJOONG & SEONGHWA’s MATZ, YEOSANG, SAN & WOOYOUNG’s IT’s You and YUNHO & MINGI’s Youth. That leaves JONGHO, who was the only member of the group to have a solo track on the studio album. The song is titled Everything. With the review completed, I can finally turn my attention to the album review – which will be posted tomorrow!

Once again, it should come as no surprise that the main vocalist of a group has gone down a balladry route for their solo track. But with JONGHO at the helm of Everything, you can definitely tell that this one is going to be an amazing one. Everything sees JONGHO and the piano start off quite soft, aligning with the lyrics that tells us that he is beginning to remember his former lover again (and on a regular occurrence). Once he approaches the chorus, the lyrics reflects his struggle with his inactions in the past and his soaring vocals in this part signifies the passion he personally feels that he would have done things differently in the past. The instrumental remains fairly neutral here. For the second verse of Everything, we get a bit more to the instrumentation and we hear JONGHO reflect how the unsuccessful relationship has affected him. We get another run at the chorus, before JONGHO really picks it up with some stunning high notes and oomph to his vocals. The lyrics here tells us he really wants to get back with his former lover. The power and emotion behind his vocals in this part tells us that he is very willing to do anything to get what he wants. But the final moments of Everything (and this interpretation also aligns with what we see in the music video – more on that in a moment) brings the story-telling to a semi-sharp ending, probably with the realisation that while his partner was everything to him, it won’t be that way anymore. Everything is definitely quite captivating and I liked how his lyrics told us a story. You can also definitely feel the emotions from his vocals and delivery. My only hesitation about the song is that the melodies aren’t as prevalent. But another great ballad for JONGHO and ATEEZ.

Similar to the song above, the music video shows us how JONGHO wants to do more in the past with his now ex-lover. At the start of the video, we see him alone, remembering about his former lover. He wanders to places where he has fond memories of her and can’t bring himself to go home. We then see his memories of the relationship and the subsequent breakdown of the relationship. The storyline and emotions in the video peaks as the song does with JONGHO’s final chorus of Everything. As mentioned above, the song finishes finishes semi-sharply (i.e., no instrumentation and final word from JONGHO). In the video, we see the partner’s presence disappear into the darkness and JONGHO only remaining at the end. From there, post-music, we see JONGHO sit around by himself and everything that gave him good memories (i.e., the basketball ring and their home) alight, which probably represents the reality that those memories shouldn’t linger but be forgotten (or else he would not be able to move on). It is a good video and I like how it works in tandem with the song and lyrics.

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

[Review] Impossible – RIIZE

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At the start of the month, RIIZE dropped a comeback schedule that spans for more than 2 months, leading towards their first mini-album release, RIIZING. The first release as part of this schedule was the full-length version of Siren (which they unveiled as part of a pre-debut performance video) on April 3. The second release as part of this schedule comes today (April 18) through the form of the single Impossible. After Impossible. we are getting three side-tracks on April 29, followed by fan-cons in May and early June before the mini-album release on an unspecified date in June. So RIIZE are going to be very busy in the coming months. And I have been busy preparing my thoughts on Impossible for you.

Impossible is a dance pop track that actually comes off as quite pleasant. I don’t have anything negative to say about the song, with ‘pleasant’ being the simple one-word summary for this track. And to avoid any doubt, I mean it in a positive manner. Impossible features cool house beats and rhythm. The backing also features a variety of synth work, which brought some nice detailing to the mix. Throughout Impossible, you can hear some equally-as-cool squeezy-like synthesiser sounds in the background. Not exactly sure how to describe them, but they feel like someone took a synthesiser and squeezed the synth sound out of it. Towards the end, we get a splash of retro synths, which made for a nice ending to Impossible. The RIIZE members themselves comes into the song with a light approach to the song. Their consistent vocal work here definitely made the song enjoyable for me, and works well with the constant flow of bright and dance energy that the instrumental brought to Impossible. The only element I think Impossible is missing is a touch of some heavy. Presently, the overall tone of Impossible feels very light and this could make the song easy to miss. A hint of some something heavy would have helped ground Impossible and create an even more balance energy. Nothing too hefty or utilised too much, as that could throw out the entire balance of Impossible. But overall, Impossible is a really good song from the onset.

Keeping to the lightness of Impossible, the music video sees the members dance about and having some fun hanging out with one another. This just makes everything simpler and works well with the straight-forwardness of the song. The downside of this approach, however, is that there isn’t much else to the video. There were a few serious stares from some of the members throughout the video, so I wonder if this is just the beginning of something more as part of the bigger comeback.

The choreography for this release looks like a work out. The consistency of the song’s rhythm keeps the members constantly moving and there really isn’t much of a place to take a break. What stands out with the routine even more is the impressive footwork and leaps the members take during the chorus. Not only does that reiterate the workout descriptor of the choreography, but it also plays into the recurring lightness that I have mentioned throughout this review.

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

[Review] Earth, Wind & Fire – BOYNEXTDOOR

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We are now mid-week, but I am finally making a start on the comebacks that occurred at the start of this week. BOYNEXTOOR is one of the artists that did so, and they returned with the single Earth, Wind & Fire. The new single forms part of the group’s second mini-album, How?. An English version of the song also features as part of the new mini-album. This is their first comeback since the release of But Sometimes and WHY… last year.

BOYNEXTDOOR goes down a very playful route for Earth, Wind & Fire. This playful route revisits a dynamic that the group kind of touched on in one of their debut singles, One and Only. A major difference between the two songs is that Earth, Wind & Fire goes even further along in the playful department. This is particularly highlighted to us following the fun yet repetitive chorus (more on this in a second), with the sped-up line post-chorus. The chorus itself is already quite playful via its melodies, and the addition of the post-chorus sped-up line reiterates that even further. I can also see it potentially attracting attention and keeping Earth, Wind & Fire in your mind, even after it wraps. The chorus could have been better had it had more to it. It did end up being quite repetitive and this may have implications on continuous repeats of the song. I would imagine the repetitiveness might dull everything else going in the song or has been set up. To me, the most lacking sequences of Earth, Wind & Fire are the verses. The opening verse was okay with some interesting vocals, but there wasn’t anything that pinged me as interesting or worth mentioning, As for the second verse, the rapping and vocals we got didn’t feel like it fit with the rest of Earth, Wind & Fire. But the pre-chorus lines and trajectory serves as a nice ramp up to the song’s highlight. I also like the retro direction the bridge had. Overall, I appreciate the fun energy and unique elements in Earth, Wind & Fire, which keeps me around.

Backing up the playful song is the music video. And this video is definitely wild and a quirky journey. Earth, Wind & Fire is about the feelings of how the person someone love can be their whole world like the elements of earth, wind, and fire. These are definitely represented in some form in the video. But the song also highlights how love is like nature one can’t control, which we can see represented in the video via the imagery of the wild weather events in the sets. I quite enjoyed the addition of the sped-up choreography scenes to accompany the sped-up sequence of the song, as well as the in-built lyrics to help us (loosely) decipher that they are singing in that sequence. These two elements definitely adds to that playful nature really well.

Keeping the playful vibes alive is the choreography, which I really enjoyed to watch. They really carried the energy through the entire performance – both in the choreography and their chemistry on stage. It was so fun to watch and become engage in. I also found a down-to-earth side to the choreography, which furthers that engagement I just mentioned. I also find it astounding that they are also doing the sped-up sequence live, which adds intensity to the mix. Definitely can’t wait to watch more of this group performing this song on stage!

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 8,5/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 8.3/10

[Review] Youth – YUNHO & MINGI (ATEEZ)

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As previously flagged, I am gearing up to review ATEEZ’s The World EP.Fin: Will. But I will be reviewing the unit and solo tracks that has an accompanying music video released in January of this year first. So far I have reviewed HONGJOONG and SEONGHWA’s MATZ and YEOSANG, SAN and WOOYOUNG’s IT’s You. Today, I will be reviewing YUNHO & MINGI’s Youth.

Out of the four side-tracks that I will be reviewing from the The World EP. Fin: Will album, Youth is the most recognisable track of the bunch. There are a few elements within Youth that has made the song stay with me since its release in December. The most profound element is the song’s melodic flow. I find that the melodies in Youth bring out a nostalgia factor that ultimately makes the song so comforting and inviting to listen to. Further to that, the combination of MINGI’s raspy vocals and YUNHO’s crisper tone makes the melody feel so soothing to listen and ring out even louder after the fact. This definitely helps makes the song catchy and memorable. The hooks also help out with this memorable factor of Youth. The second element that stands out to me is the instrumental. It opts for a softer tone that I wished ATEEZ explores a bit more. I feel there is potential for the group to delve into this sound further. The combination of the melancholy piano and subtle sprinkle of brass, alongside the comfortable band instrumentation, just re-emphasise all of the descriptors that I have already mentioned for Youth. Even the rapping from MINGI was well balanced and I liked his presence in the song.

Youth is about the struggles that one experience at a young age and how it was tough yet under-played by adults who think they know better. And in the music video, we see both MINGI and YUNHO come to terms with their struggles. MINGI’s character’s struggles appears to be with other people – the societal struggles, based on how he is always surrounded or is with someone wearing a black mask. In a later scene, we see a shadow of MINGI with arrows in his back, representing the various ‘shots’ people have taken at him. YUNHO, on the other hand, is by himself for majority of the video and I think that represents a more personal and internal struggle. The broken car might represent his attempts to get away from it all. In the end, the video ends with their house (for MINGI’s character) and garage (for YUNHO’s character) burn down and we see them run away with one another, suggesting that their friendship has helped them move forward from the struggles. Aside from the plot, I like the warmer hue of the video, which enhances all of the above that I mentioned about the song.

Again, no formal performance video for this song release. So I am relying on the snippets that are in the music video and a fan-cam of the performance from their concert. The performance actually looks quite nice. Just like the other elements of the comeback, the performance also came had a comforting vibe. The suits the pair donned made the stage look more sophisticated and was probably to highlight the fact they are at a more mature stage of their lives now, and I really liked the jazzy interlude I saw the pair perform as part of their stage. I also think YUNHO shined with this performance, with his cool solo moment in the bridge.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.3/10

[Review] C’est La Vie – CRAVITY

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Keeping to traditional, CRAVITY has returned to the stage with a follow-up release to February’s Love or Die. Also released as part of the group’s 7th mini-album, EVERSHINE, is the track C’est La Vie, which the group will be promoting as the second single from the mini-album. Yesterday, the group dropped the music video for C’est La Vie, which has prompted today’s review post.

For me, I thought C’est La Vie was one of the more mellow and plainer dance tracks off EVERSHINE (from what I can remember when I checked out the mini-album). So it is interesting to me that it was chosen to be the follow-up single for EVERSHINE. Presently, I don’t have a clear pick for what could have been a better pick (I will need to revisit the album to decide that). But C’est La Vie would not have been my first choice. There are some elements in the song give C’est La Vie some edge, such as the consistently pounding beat and the rougher post-chorus sequence that follows the chorus. The pre-chorus has a blissful vibe to it, and the accompanying rap surprisingly pairs well with said atmosphere. But aside from thaose aspects, the rest of C’est La Vie felt ordinary and doesn’t really speak to me as much. I think the chorus could have been bolder and defined and the verses didn’t have much going aside from that pounding beat I already mentioned. As a whole piece and considering my thoughts on the song above are quite balanced, I find myself indifferent to C’est La Vie.

The music video appears to be influenced by stories such as Peter Pan (via the presence of the kids and CRAVITY, whom I think are a version of the Lost Boys in the video) and Howl’s Moving Castle (via the presence of the older lady in the video, who turns into a Miyazaki anime-styled older lady giant that looks similar to the Witch of the Waste). Both of these stories touch upon the idea of life, which is fitting for a song titled after the French translation of the phrase ‘Such is life’. I like the fun and chaos that is brought around by the little kids and CRAVITY in the music video, especially at the start. At the peak of the video, TAEYONG and one of the young kids come together to take down the anime-style giant lady, and return the giant to her original form – the older lady we see earlier in the video, whom we see again at the end of the video with the kid.

The choreography looks good, based on the snippets that are included in the music video and a fan-cam I found of their performance at their fan-con. Their synchronisation during the first pre-chorus made that sequence looks cool, and I liked the intensity they give off during the post-chorus sequence.

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

[Review] Bye My Monster – ONF

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ONF makes their comeback today with their latest single Bye My Monster and their 8th mini-album, Beautiful Shadow. This is ONF’s first comeback since their Love Effect comeback in October of last year.

From the very first listen, I was already blown away with Bye My Monster. For me, it was the crafting of the two sound profiles, at first sounds distinct, but comes together so well in the end to create a stunner. The first verse gave me Moscow Moscow vibes (an infamous song from ONF’s arsenal), thanks to the presence of the Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No.2 sample. And that same vibe re-emerges each time the classical sounds reappear in the song. The chorus introduces a hint of rock to the mix, which helps makes the choruses feel explosive and gripping. All throughout these two distinct sound profiles, the group showcases their vocals so well. The timing of their vocal delivery was really complementary to the style of music in that moment and helped heighten the associated feelings you get from the two styles. Bye My Monster very quickly peaks when the two sound profiles of classical and band/rock join forces in the bridge. This combination isn’t anything new, but Bye My Monster found the sweet spot between the two to give us that intensity. Hyojin and E-Tion’s high note was incredible. Following the rush of intensity, the group pans between each other to give us a softer side, with falsettos and the re-emergence of the classical touch. The only other thing I have yet to mention is the rapping. That step-up in the second verse was rather interesting. To me, it feels a little mismatch for this song, but I don’t hate it. Maybe a few more listens to Bye My Monster will help warm me up to it. But overall, another top-notch piece.

Just like the song, the music video for Bye My Monster is a stunner, as well. The visuals and post-production in this video is at its A-game. The scene that made me go wow was the explosion clouds o on the tall building in the background during the choreography shots for the second chorus of the song. The song itself warns that love, in this instance, had created a monster within the members. We see the members realize what has become of them. Wyatt’s eyes and the acting by some of the other members portrayed this well. Hyojin’s character is surrounded by a dark cloud that I presume signifies the transition to a monster. Through the other scenes involving the other members (and the choreography shots), we see the members observes their angelic forms (white suits). But they know deep down that their monster form (black suits) is the end result. While the ending was a little cryptic and could be open ended, I think Hyojin hold hands with his angelic form in the dark clouds, which backs my theory they knew they were always going to be monsters – that they were always one. That’s my theory – I would like hear what yours is.

The performance for this comeback (FYI – the group has already performed the track at their recent concert, so I watched a few fancams for this section) finds a balance between the gracefulness of the classical music and the more hard-hitting moments of the song. And this balance makes for a great performance. The verses were the more interesting moments in the choreography. In the music video, they looked quite cool, so I can’t wait to see them better through the weekly music shows.

Song – 9.5/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.6/10

[Review] PLUTO – Xdinary Heroes

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Xdinary Heroes made their comeback way back in October 2023 with Break The Brake and the mini-album Livelock. Since then, the band was awarded the Best Band Performance in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. I am preparing to review the mini-album (one of the last album reviews for 2023 for now, so I can make a start on 2024 albums). But in order to do this, I will need to review second track from the mini-album that got the music video treatment – PLUTO.

I am trying to rack my brains and remember if I actually have listened to Livelock at all since its release. And I am not sure if I have. I put that down to being overworked and stressed throughout 2023. And if I did listen to the album, I am utterly disappointed in myself for not remembering a song like PLUTO. PLUTO is by far on of Xdinary Heroes’ best tracks thus far. Xdinary Heroes tackles an almost pure pop-punk track head on, giving us a very refreshing and impactful side-track on the mini-album. The pop-punk direction that PLUTO heads in is definitely head-banging worthy. The vocal work is superb, for the most part. Jungsu and Jooyeon sound so blissful in PLUTO, especially when we get to the chorus where they push themselves vocally and the rock instrumentation surges us forward. This momentum feels fitting, as the song’s lyrics expresses the feeling that there is nothing in between another, even if they might be as far apart as the distance between Earth and PLUTO. Now, there is a caveat in the vocal department. I am not a fan of Gaon and Ode’s rapping. The change-up here didn’t feel needed, felt awkwardly executed, and didn’t add any value to the song. Their vocals (even Ode’s autotuned singing) was fine. It is just the rapping that gets to me. Other than that, PLUTO would have been a perfect song.

I wished the music video was a more than just the band performing PLUTO in a room. It feels incredibly plain, despite the camera work and lighting helping make the video feel a little more dynamic to complement the song. Despite that, I think the video highlights that head-banging potential that PLUTO has. Also, Gaon in those shorts and boots was a little distracting for me. His legs are fine, it was more so the combination of the two. 😀

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

[Review] IT’s You – YEOSANG, SAN & WOOYOUNG (ATEEZ)

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Back in March, I flagged that I would be review the unit and solo tracks from ATEEZ’s The World EP.Fin: Will studio album ahead of the album review, as each of these track got the music video treatment. I had reviewed HONGJOONG and SEONGHWA’s MATZ before completely pausing these ATEEZ reviews. But they are still on my radar to review. Today, I will be focusing on YEOSANG, SAN and WOOYOUNG’s unit track IT’s You.

IT’s You taps into R&B and I am all for it. It isn’t the most memorable track from the album, but like most R&B tracks, IT’s You is charming. The sensual vibes come through the instrumental quite well, and the this particular trio of ATEEZ members executes it well. Most of their vocals are sultry and seductive, which I find complements the R&B nature of the song quite well. SAN in particularly stood out for me as his vocals help bring the smoothness to the song. Nothing else really caught my attention that I could really remember after the fact. But if I had to pick what got close to also being memorable were the chorus melody, the suspenseful interlude we get after the first chorus and the whispery delivery of the bridge. It is just these elements didn’t go far enough and stay with me after the song wrapped. My biggest qualm about the IT’s You is the autotune at the start in YEOSANG’s opening verse. He handles vocals well, as demonstrated later in the song, so I am not sure if the heavy autotune was needed. Also I am not convinced that the autotune added anything to IT’s You, noting the rest of the song was delivered with vocals that were far less autotuned.

Set in an alleyway, the music video does a good job of complementing the smoothness and R&B tones of the song, yet maintaining that edginess that the ATEEZ always manages to infuse into their outputs. The smoothness comes thought via the editing, with the transitions giving off that smooth and fluidity. The R&B/sensual tones comes through the limited range of solo shots and the more dominantly featured choreography shots. There honestly isn’t much to the music video, but it works well as a visual representation of IT’s You.

As mentioned above, sexiness came through the music video via the visuals, with a large part of that being the choreography. YEOSANG, SAN and WOOYOUNG executed sensual vibes and tones quite well, making it a riveting performance. Their solo moments were also quite good. My only question is why didn’t the trio get a performance video, as well. They deserve one!

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

[Review] Beautiful MAZE- DRIPPIN

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DRIPPIN makes their first comeback in a year, returning with their newest single Beautiful MAZE and their 4th single album of the same name. I thought I pick up this comeback and review it now while close its official release date, rather than repeat what I did with SEVEN SINS (i.e., wait a good lengthy 7 months to review the track). Also, the group is currently promoting without Changuk, who is sitting out for medical reasons.

Beautiful MAZE is good, but it isn’t great. It is pleasant and enjoyable. But it also a ‘safe release’. It keeps close to itself and doesn’t expand into anything that memorable in the end. For a group who can definitely handle dynamism, Beautiful MAZE feels a little lackluster. Nothing comes off as memorable in its instrumental. You don’t really remember much from this department once the song wraps up. Only did I really pay attention to Beautiful MAZE did I register the fact that I liked the sprinkling of the synth pop in the background of the new wave genre. That being said, playing it safe and going with a softer toned instrumental does give DRIPPIN the opportunity to focus more on the melodic side of delivery, which helps makes this track ‘pleasant and enjoyable’ as I had already pointed out. The rapping in the track also went with a similar motif, opting for a somewhat softer demeanour. Altogether, this helps create a fluid track. I just wished that was something more to Beautiful MAZE to give it roughness and edge. Something interesting to sink our teeth in. It could have easily been an instrumental sequence somewhere in the song that could have briefly changed up the song and that the group could have used for a dance break.

The lyrics of Beautiful MAZE expresses the emotions associated with relationships and breakups as like being in a maze. And we see the members go through a rollercoaster of different emotions throughout the video. But the display of those emotions are rather subtle, and so the music video just looks like a casual video of the members hanging out together. I particularly liked the second set of the choreography scenes, with the way the drone camera pans around them. I also like the editing of the video where images of the members flash before us rapidly, just prior to the final chorus.

Dance-wise, while the song does go with a softer tone, the group still manages to make the song appear lively on stage. They also did tap into their delicate side to execute the choreography and ensure it complements the song, whist also showing some energy to the performance.

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

[Review] Deja Vu – TXT

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Also making their comeback at the start of the week was TXT with their 6th mini-album titled Minisode 3: Tomorrow. Leading this mini-album is the title track Deja Vu. This new release follows on from TXT’s October 2023 comeback with Chasing That Feeling and The Name Chapter: Freefall.

New song Deja Vu takes us down a more emotive route, with the new song relying less on instrumentation and flair to connect with the audience. Instead, Deja Vu relies more on the members’ delivery and melodies to convey their emotions and message of the song. And by extension, I feel that Deja Vu‘s rock elements (amongst the trap) in instrumental aids in that as well. It becomes more noticeable and profound the more you listen to Deja Vu, particularly in the later parts of the song. Despite the harmonious intent of the song’s elements, I do think that Deja Vu isn’t their strongest release to date. We have heard TXT pour emotions (of some form) into their comebacks in the past but they were successful as they had some form of a punchy demeanour (e.g., 0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)). I find that to be a missing element in Deja Vu. Instead, the production of Deja Vu to be more of a seamless construction – continuous and consistent. This isn’t a criticism of Deja Vu, however. I find the seamless nature of the trap and rock elements makes the song its own thing. I just think Deja Vu needs a bit more character (and have said character flow onto other parts of the song) to really take it to the next level and be more memorable.

The song’s lyrics “express how [someone wants to] reunite like promised in the past, describing the moment of reunion as deja vu” (taken from SOOMPI). And in the music video, we see the members convey the feelings and desire of wanting to reunite with someone in their past. From the looks of it, the determination to reunite, the feeling of being lost and the anticipation of the reunion were some feelings explored by the members in the video. I also like how in one of Heung Kai’s scene part way through the video, it looks like he was knocked back, which may depict the times in which a reunion was in sight, but wasn’t fruitful for one reason or another. I liked how the video’s colour palette also plays into the emotional side

The emotions are definitely conveyed well in the performance for Deja Vu. That was my main takeaway from watching the performance. My favourite aspect of the routine has to be the rock coloured dance break we get, where Yeonjun does an amazing high kick spin. Best part of the routine, in my opinion.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 7.9/10

[Review] Voyage – Geenius

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Despite still being in January 2024, my time machine takes me back a few weeks to 5 January 2024 to review Geenius’ debut digital single Voyage. Geenius is a 5 member female group (consisting of Yeyoung, Sion, Mika, Zoe and Andamiro) under HOMe.

As a debut song, Voyage sets up Geenius quite well. The first impression I got out of Voyage is that the song features some really nice vocal work, which definitely complements other parts of the song. The instrumentation for Voyage takes on that upbeat yet dreamy form of pop, and the vocals contribute towards that dreamy motif via their melodies and smooth vocal work. I really liked the cheerfulness and hopeful vibes you get from the song, which brings both a smile and comforting feel to Voyage. Voyage also features a bit of rapping, which I thought was a decent effort. Reflecting after the fact on Voyage, I do think there could be some improvements to make it more memorable. Until I picked up the song for review, I didn’t remember much of it. While the melodies were good, the hooks for Voyage were somewhat lacking. The instrumental could have also been more punchy, and the producers could have leverage that to help make the song more catchy. But as a whole. Voyage was a fair debut track and does a decent job of introducing us to Geenius. Cannot wait to see what else this new group has to offer in the future.

The song lyrics talk about escaping reality and going on an overnight “voyage” with a loved one to one’s dream. And in the video, we see the members go on a voyage themselves, with Zoe sketching the place the group goes to into her book at the start of the video. Part way through the video, someone takes the book from Zoe whilst she is asleep, alluding to the fact that her loved one (i.e., the other members) made Zoe’s dream the destination. That is my interpretation of the video. Aside from that, I thought the video was quite nice visually and very high quality for a unknown company. This definitely showcases the members well.

The choreography for this debut is also quite nice, just like the song and music video. I did like the ‘prettiness’ that the routine exuded. I particularly enjoyed like the post-chorus sequence, where the members used their hands to represent a star going over their heads. It was cute and looked memorable in my books.

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

[Review] Without U – SEOLA (WJSN)

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That time machine of mine has brought me forward from September 2023 to January 2024, to the 23rd of January 2024, when SEOLA made her solo debut with Without U. SEOLA is the first member of WJSN (Cosmic Girls) to make her solo debut.

I was fully aware that SEOLA made her solo debut earlier this year. But it never really registered with me as I was on an overseas holiday at the time. And I am disappointed in myself for never really noting or registering the track, even after I returned from my holiday. Listening back, Without U is a really great track. The band pop instrumentation is very freeing backing piece, with the song’s upbeat energy driving the song forward. I particularly like how each choruses had an impactful beginning, feeling like well-placed single doses of energy that are trying to break down a wall. I also enjoyed how some parts of Without U felt like it was bringing some acoustics into play. This was some clever weaving of sounds into the track, and helps bring the idea of depth into the mix. SEOLA’s powerful vocals really adds a breath of freshness to the song. The melodies also had a refreshing tone to them. During certain softer parts of Without U, you can really hear some emotions in her vocals. I also liked the use of autotune during certain other parts of Without U, such as briefly in the verses and as the spoken backing vocals in the choruses. It gave the song texture and helped Without U become even more compelling. Overall, I really like Without U and I wished I paid more attention to SEOLA’s solo debut.

The video was very interesting to watch. The video shows SEOLA comes to terms with herself, and breaks free later on the video. Plot-wise, we see SEOLA speaking to herself, running away, breaking mirrors/glass, climbing into the light and running away with herself at the end. But there are some other interesting representations of this. The first one to really jump out of me is the use of colour in this video. We start off with a very muted palette (sometimes even greyscale) but see more colour as SEOLA breaks free at the end of the video. SEOLA has also made a comment (based on another YouTube comment) on the aspect ratio being another representation of this, as well. The video starts off with a 4:3 aspect ratio which literally makes the video feel “boxed in” and “suffocating”, but as SEOLA breaks free at the end, the aspect ratio widens to embody a freeing and open feeling. A clever technique.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9.4/10

[Review] New Tomorrow – FANTASY BOYS

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My time machine takes me further into the past, this time going back to September 2023 when FANTASY BOYS made their debut. If you missed it, FANTASY BOYS is an 11-male group formed through the MBC reality competition show of the same name. The final line up consist of Kim Gyu-rae, Hong Seong-min, Oh Hyeon-tae, Lee Han-bin, Ling Qi, Kang Min-seo, Hikari, Soul, Kim Woo-seok, Hikaru & Kaedan. They debuted in September 2023 with the shared title single and mini-album New Tomorrow, and later returned in November with Potential and Get It On (which I will review some day in the future).

Per the title of this post, I will be focusing on New Tomorrow. While I don’t remember much from September/October 2023 when they promoted the track, listening back to New Tomorrow today, I find the track to be a bright and pleasant pop track. For a debut track, this isn’t a bad start for the group and it feels fitting for the period in which was released (outgoing Summer). There are good vocals and rapping from the members, and the melodies are charming. Even the ‘We don’t say goodbye‘ hook they have post-chorus was catchy. My biggest issue with the song, listening back, is the lack of oomph or definition to the choruses. As it stands, New Tomorrow feels very similar throughout the track. The verses, the choruses. It all sounds the same. And this makes New Tomorrow a very safe sounding song. I wished there was more to the chorus, a slight uptick in energy, intensity or definition. This would allow even a hint of differentiation between the different segments of New Tomorrow and so the song doesn’t sound similar all throughout. I am also not a fan of the shouty backing vocals in the bridge between the vocal lines. It felt a little childish. But overall, New Tomorrow is a fair debut.

New Tomorrow is about the excitement associated about finding that new path and a new tomorrow together. And that is what we see in the video. The video opens up with the main female character, who looks to either be having a rough day for one reason or another, rocking up to school. She feels deflated and alone, opting to not enter her classroom. On her way out of the school, she meets one of the members of FANTASY BOYS, who with the rest of the group, introduces her to a different world – one that she feels excited about. This new world sees everyone hanging out at the beach, checking out cute creatures in the forest, planning space travel and flying about. That last one was a little wild. When she wakes back up towards the end of the video, we see a spaceship outside the classroom window, which brings a smile to her face. I think in this moment, she realizes that her experience with FANTASY BOYS was not necessarily a dream and they made her realize there is a lot to look forward to. On a personal level. what I quite enjoyed about the video is the vibrant colours, which works well with both the song and summery period in which the song was released in.

Their youthful energy and all-smile approach to the routine for New Tomorrow definitely makes it a stage worth watching. While nothing specific stands out to me, I did enjoy their chemistry on-stage, which makes this performance even more fun.

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

[Review] On And On – AMPERS&ONE

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That same time machine of mine from yesterday takes me back a further two weeks to 15 November 2023, when AMPERS&ONE made their debut. AMPERS&ONE is the latest male group to debut under FNC Entertainment (the home of FT ISLAND, CNBLUE, SF9, N.Flying, Cherry Bullet and P1Harmony). They consist of seven members (Kamden, Brian, Jiho, Siyun, Kyrell, Mackiah, and Seungmo) and debuted with the single On And On.

On And On is definitely a strong debut track in my books. While I didn’t get much of a chance to focus on their debut when it actually occurred, listening back now, I am disappointed in myself for missing out. On And On is very upbeat and refreshing, opting to focus on their youthfulness and bright energy (as opposed to the darker and more serious motif that fellow labelmate P1Harmony brings to the table). The backdrop of the song is a dance pop instrumentation, with a groovy bass rifts throughout the song to give it a bit more dynamism. And adding even more dynamism is the fact that the song consistent with its energy. On And On never falters and this is another great example of where consistency pays off. The verses features some punchy rap delivery and highlights the group’s skills in this department. The chorus, while less innovative, drives On And On forward and brings forth the group’s vocal abilities. Strong melodies is all that On And On needs to take it to the next level. All in all, I think On And On is a good foot in the door to the KPOP industry, and I am excited to see what

AMPERS&ONE’s debut music video takes a refreshing spin on the schoolboy concept by relocating the members into a college or university setting. As far as I believe and can remember (forgive me, but I have covered a lot of videos over the years), this isn’t a common concept. Within this college/university setting, AMPERS&ONE doesn’t have much luck with their studies or the college life. It is very much a chaotic mess. One of the members rocks up to the wrong classroom and ends up turning late on his first day. They are handed a very confronting and thick as a textbook lecture schedule. They cannot get a good timetable/class schedule because one member decided to disconnect everyone from the WIFI. They can’t handle a group assignment and turn that in late because they only started at the last minute. And finally, one of them doesn’t finish the exam in time. Pretty much a nightmare for a nerd for me. Glad I have graduated.

The accompanying performance doesn’t have anything specific within it that I would call memorable. However, I feel like this is one of the performances you got to watch as a whole to really take everything in. For example, watching the entire routine would allow you see how well the group executed the fast pace nature of the routine, which was necessary to complement the song. Similarly, their chemistry as a group is also promising.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.8/10

[Review] Must Be Nice – ONE PACT

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A number of new KPOP groups entered the scene in late 2023 – all of which I have yet to review. So using that trusty time machine of mine, I have decided to go back in time to review those new debuts over the next few days. First up is ONE PACT’s debut with their debut mini-album Moment and the lead single Must Be Nice. This group was formed under Armada Entertainment, consisting of 5 members: Jongwoo, Jay Chang (a Boys Planet contestant who ranked 10th on the show and also a late 2023 solo debut artist as well – I will return to review his debut later on), Seongmin, Tag and Yedam. They debuted on 30 November 2023.

How I would describe Must Be Nice is in its title – ‘nice’ if you are wondering. Must Be Nice is an extremely pleasant dance pop track with a mellow vibe. The track itself features a gentle beat and a decent drop in its chorus that the group managed to make come off as soft. I also like the the detailing in the song via the squirrelly synth work and the “Ooo-woo~” in the choruses. Extremely pleasant is how I would also describe the vocal work in Must Be Nice. I find all of their vocals really nice to listen to and I enjoyed the emotion that they convey in the song. But that is kind of it with Must Be Nice. I don’t remember much else from the song months on from its release. And lot of what I am identifying and writing about here is only coming up because I am really paying attention to the song now for the purposes of this review. I wished they took Must Be Nice is a more eventful direction, rather than keeping it understated and consistently pleasant. If I were to listen to the Must Be Nice in passing later today or tomorrow, I won’t remember much of it. For a debut, that isn’t the best foot forward. Sure it is nice, but I think ONE PACT should be searching for something more memorable.

Must Be Nice expresses the feeling of loneliness in a one-sided relationship where one is willing to do anything for their partner but receives nothing in return from said partner. And we see that in the music video, with the group’s acting conveying that lonely feeling and associated emotions that come with it. The video opens up with a painting that depicts Orpheus the prophet looking at his wife Eurydice. After a bit of a Google search to understand the story, I found that Orpheus went into the underworld to rescue his dead wife. Hades (God of the Underworld) gave him one condition, that Orpheus could not look back at Eurydice until both have reached the upper world. But as soon as he reaches the upper world, he forgets the condition he agreed to, looks back at his wife, and this resulted in Eurydice returning to the underworld. Its significance to the music video (and I am only speculating here) is that constant feeling of loneliness that Orpheus must have felt before, during and after the rescue attempt. And the fact he put himself in that position, similar how to the members constantly go back to the partner despite knowing how the one-sided the relationship is. The same painting is later set alight in the music video by one of the members, signaling the end of that relationship.

The performance looks good and shows me some potential for the group that the music didn’t do too good of a job. I particularly like gracefulness of the choreography, which contrasts well with the relatively rougher exterior that any synth work brings along. I felt it depicts the emotional side of the song quite well. I also liked the solo we get from Jongwoo in the choreography.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.8/10