Category: Reviews

[Review] The BAT – NCT U

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NCT is nominated for Best Male Group, while MARK (NCT) is nominated for Best Rap Performance, and NCT DREAM and NCT DOJAEJUNG are nominated for Best Subunit (amongst other categories) in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support NCT and their associated acts, songs and performances by clicking here to vote today.

As mentioned previously, I will be reviewing the side tracks that was treated with an ‘archiving video’ (whatever that means) from NCT’s latest studio album, Golden Age. The album, if you missed it, was released in August of this year and is lead by the singles Baggy Jeans and Golden Age.  In addition to those two songs, I have also reviewed PADO already. Next up is the 5th track from the album – The BAT.

The BAT brings together TAEIL, JOHNNY, YUTA, JUNGWOO, HENDERY, JENO and JISUNG. I can easily see The BAT being slipped into any of the main units’ (NCT 127, NCT DREAM, WAYV) discography. But I am glad that we hear it here on this NCT album instead, as it gives the best of the three. The BAT goes dark and sensual, which is a ‘done before’ sound profile that has been proven to be successful in the past. What makes The BAT slightly more unique than past iterations of these two energies merging together is the song’s textural and abrasive instrumentation, which is synth-heavy. Not entirely new territory for NCT (or KPOP in general), but the abrasive textures do feel unique as I don’t think we have heard anything that leans into that as much as The BAT. We also see some really impressive delivery from JENO and JISUNG in the second verse, where they both rap quite rapidly. Again, not as new. But fast rapping is no easy feat and can be a drawing point, as it was here. I also like the edgy vibes both the rapping and the instrumental gives The BAT. The ‘Ma bat apex’ hook was pretty memorable (though I would like to know the meaning of this line). The vocals are also impressive in The BAT, especially when the latter reaches its peak in the high notes. Another likeable track on Golden Age.

Dark and sensual is the way to go, and the archiving video for this release definitely went with that. The dark comes through via the concept of the video, which I can’t exactly pinpoint what that is. But the lighting, the heavy reliance on the colour black on practically everything from background, props and outfits, and the ‘dangerous’ aspects of the video (i.e., speeding) that alludes that they might not be up to any good just screams out darkness. The sensual comes through via the all of the members, with JENO and JISUNG really surprising me the most in particular. All I can say is you should re-watch the video in detail if you want to find out why.

Again, the dark and sensual vibe comes through in the choreography for this particular release. The darkness actually taps into more of an edgy territory, which I think works really well. And the slow and deliberate moves, along with the outfits, emphasise that sensual energy. It is an engaging performance, overall, which shows off each individual members’ fatal charms and performance skills.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video (or “Archiving Video”, in this case) – 9/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10

[Review] let it be summer – Young K (DAY6)

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Young K’s let it be summer is nominated for Best Rock Song in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support let it be summer and your other favourite acts by clicking here to vote today.

In September of this year, Young K from DAY6 marked his return to the solo stage with his first studio album, Letters with Note. The first song from the album released was let it be summer, which dropped at the end of August as pre-release single. Following this track was the official release of the studio album and the title track nothing but (which I will be posting a review for in the coming days).

For me, I found let it be summer to be a very straight forward track. It is a lively and energetic rock track that never stops, with the rock energy continually pushing the song forward. The atmosphere of let it be summer can easily be described as feel-good, and has always evoked a foot-tapping or head-banging reaction from me (depending on the day). It also always puts a smile on my face for its celebration of summer. Young K’s vocals in let it be summer are just as dynamic as the instrumentation and I really like the extra oomph his singing gives the chorus. While my thoughts and impression on let it be summer is short and brief, I found the track to be super effective and a highlight on my playlist (and Young K’s album). As such, I nominated let it be summer as one of the contenders for ‘Best Rock Song of 2023’ in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards.

The music video also does not fluff around, showing two things – the first is Young K rocking about in the country side and the second is a younger actor (presumably playing the role of a younger Young K) hanging out and having fun with his friends. I really like the part of the video where the two words combine, with Young K and his younger self playing the guitar alongside one another. But while the song is energetic and dynamic, I wished the camera work wasn’t much so. There was a bit too much movement and it made it extremely hard to focus.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

[Review] PADO – NCT U

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NCT is nominated for Best Male Group, while MARK (NCT) is nominated for Best Rap Performance, and NCT DREAM and NCT DOJAEJUNG are nominated for Best Subunit (amongst other categories) in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support NCT and their associated acts, songs and performances by clicking here to vote today.

NCT returned as a whole group in August this year with the studio album Golden Age. Leading the charge of that album are the title tracks Baggy Jeans (performed by TAEYONG, DOYOUNG, JAEHYUN, TEN and MARK) and Golden Age (performed by all 20 active members). Alongside the title tracks, NCT also released 4 “archiving videos” (whatever they are) for an additional four side tracks from the album. Over the next few weeks, in the lead up to the album review for Golden Age, I will be reviewing those tracks in separate song reviews. First up is the 3rd song on the album – PADO.

Performed by a lineup of 7 members (JOHNNY, TAEYONG, JAEHYUN, MARK, XIAOJUN, HENDERY, HAECHAN), PADO is quite the melodic track. The entire track felt classy from start to end, and this consistent vibe held me over to the end. I just cannot bring myself to skip PADO every time it comes up. I really like the vocal focus of the track, which all comes to a head during the song’s “You got me confused, You got me satisfied” hook line (delivered by Xiaojun and Haechan). And boy, was that line super memorable and catchy. While the song’s vocals are the more showcased element of the song, PADO does feature rap-centric verses that plays with the song’s texture a bit. Not too much, as PADO does remain easy on the ears, stays true to that classiness I already mentioned and never overwhelms us. The instrumentation of PADO was very clean and sleek, with the added brass and jazzy elements in the verses and choruses being the prime suspect for why PADO has such a classy vibe. The flute-like sound that comes into play after the choruses concentrates all the adjectives that I have used in this portion of the review into a common point. And all of that works exceptionally well with PADO’s beats, maintaining the tracks’ upbeat nature. Overall, a strong side track from NCT that I can definitely see being promoted into ‘title track’ status.

The archiving video places PADO into a bar setting, which makes perfect sense for such a classy song. The colour palette that the video does go for steers us down a refreshing vibe, with the simple screen of waves in the background over a white background being the big focal point of the video. The white is further seen in the bar and other props present in the video, while the blue is also seen in the background of the queue outside said bar and the signage of the bar. I like that as it feels modern and trendy, whereas the usual red colour that I would have immediately associated with the song and bar concept to be typical and bland. I also like the additional splash of colour the members have via their outfits, which give the video a bit depth and variety.

To match up with those classy vibes, this unit of NCT members bring a sensual tone to the choreography, which feels appropriate and brings out an engaging energy. The coloured outfits in the music video does detract from that unfortunately. But the performance they gave (whilst dressed in black outfits) at the recent NCT concert definitely showcases the sensual energy a lot better. 

Song – 10/10
Music Video (or “Archiving Video”, in this case) – 9/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.5/10

[Review] Macarena – BLIZTERS

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Support your other favourite artists, songs and performance in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards by clicking here to vote today.

One of the songs nominated for Most Underrated Song of 2023 this year in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards (click here to vote today, if you have yet to) is BLIZTERS’ Macarena. Obviously, there is a reason for this nomination which I will address later on. Macarena is BLIZTERS’ only comeback in 2023 (thus far, but it is definitely looking like that is the case) and is featured on their second single album of the same name. BLIZTERS is a seven-member male group who debuted under Wuzo Entertainment in 2021 with Breathe Again.

It is about time I got around to reviewing Macarena, given that it is seven months old. With that in mind, I am deeply sorry for how long it has finally taken me to turn my mind to this song. As mentioned above, I did put this song forward as a possible winner for the Most Underrated Song for this year (and it is my personal pick, as well). There are a few reasons for that decision, but if I had to boil it all down to one reason, it is because Macarena is one fun track, thanks to all of the brass, toots and horns in the chorus. I also found the deep voice repetitive ‘Macarena’ hook in the centrepiece to be really catchy, and the combination of all of this means one super addictive track in my books. Even their delivery throughout the track was super dynamic, and so the playful energy of from the centrepiece of Macarena was definitely maintained and reflected through the verses. Overall, Macarena is a blast of a song and it is a track that I would have on when I want to or am experiencing a good time.

In the music video, one of the members wakes up from the dead, surrounded by the other members. They remind him of what I think is an embarrassing video, and he (along with the rest of the group) go in search for the video, which is contained in a laptop. Nothing that interesting in the first portion of the video, but the video takes a comedic turn when they all encounter zombies. All of them try to fight the zombies, as they appear to fail due to some funny stuff-ups, like accidently putting themselves to sleep by hypnosis, getting distracted by focusing on a dancing zombie, or sitting in car and enjoying some popcorn whilst the zombies are about). But somehow the group survives and they go onwards to find the laptop, which is held hostage by another group of zombies. After some negotiating with 7 kilograms of meat, the group succeeds in getting the laptop and the video is deleted. Cue the celebrations. However, in the end, we see the member who rose from the dead wake up again, in a Ground-hog day type of situation. Just like the song, this video is fun and light-hearted thanks to its funny nature.   

With such a fun song like Macarena, I just want to dance every opportunity you get when this song appears on your playlist or queue. Probably not as coordinated as what BLITZERS performs on stage, but probably just as fun. Anyway, I love the circular and shaking motion that makes up the chorus, and I also enjoyed how they changed up the routine in the bridge every now (though it should have been more often) and then to give some variety and something extra to look forward to.

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

[Review] VROOM VROOM – WEEEKLY

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Making their comeback a month ago was WEEEKLY, their first in 1 year and 9 months after the release of Ven para. Their latest single is titled VROOM VROOM, which is the title track off their fifth mini-album, ColoRise. Since then, the group has been fairly quiet with some members participating in the Queendom Puzzle show earlier this year and a digital single release with Good Day (Special Daileee) for their fans last month.

Despite it being titled as VROOM VROOM, which I would usually associate to something fast moving like a race car, the song is rather pleasant. This pleasantness feels miles away from what we have heard from WEEEKLY in the past, and I feel like that is a good thing given that I do like the song under certain circumstances (more on that in a bit). VROOM VROOM consists of an elegant and classy vibe that helps the song stand out in the current soundscape of the industry. The subdued take on the retro influence in VROOM VROOM is very noticeable and likeable. I like VROOM VROOM for its easy on the ear melodies, though I feel like the melodies and hooks could have been more riveting. VROOM VROOM also feels more mature. It is a good piece to show off some vocals, and I felt that was achieved in the song, particularly at the end. I also like the textures brought to the song via the vocal processing. The rap-speak that does feature in VROOM VROOM was nicely suited for the song. I guess my main issue with VROOM VROOM is that I only really like the song when I really focus on it (i.e., for example, listening to it for the purposes of vetting the mini-album for a potential future review or for this song review). If I am listening to it in passing or it appears in my queue, I don’t think VROOM VROOM necessarily has enough pull to make me recognise or to replay the song. And this comebacks back to its subdued nature in combination with its weak melodies and hooks. But still, a neat song to listen to.

The music video complements VROOM VROOM quite well. I liked how refrained the different visual elements were in this video. I found the colours and tone to be quite soft, which matches with the effect that the music goes for. Even when there were bold colours in the background, it didn’t appear loud. Likewise, the styling of the members’ outfits felt right. Some of it brought out a more edgy appeal which matches with the dance moves which mimicked the revving of a bike. But it was all rather subtle and didn’t become too bold. Others were drawn from a pastels colour palette, which is a naturally soft set of colours.

The choreography encapsulates the song quite well. It focused on softer and delicate movements, and as a whole looked like a great routine. Nothing necessarily stands out for me, but I felt the chorus routine was quite pleasant to watch and enjoy.

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

[Review] Soñar (Breaker) – NMIXX

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NMIXX is nominated for Most Underrated Artist and Love Me Like This is nominated for Most Underrated Song in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support NMIXX and your other favourite acts by clicking here to vote today.

Ahead of their upcoming comeback in over a month on 15 January 2024 with their next mini-album, Fe3O4: Break, NMIXX has unveiled the pre-release single Soñar (Breaker) today. This follows on from their 2023 comebacks – Love Me Like This and Party O’Clock.

Soñar (Breaker) briefly revisits the MIXX-pop genre that NMIXX debuted with in 2022 to mixed reviews and opinions. For the most part, the song has this dramatic energy that feels like an appropriate extension to their Latin hip-hop chorus. And it is these dramatic parts of the song that I like the most. The rhythmic and powerful drumming just feels very clean and brings out an adventurous vibe. Everyone contributing to the vocals in the pre-chorus was also a memorable moment in Soñar (Breaker). The Latin hip-hop chorus was a bit lacking and sub-standard for me. The instrumentation wasn’t as engaging as in the first verse, the hooks did not feel as punchy as it was (though I can see it growing on me) and there wasn’t a melody. Following the first chorus, we get that touch of MIXX-pop with Soñar (Breaker) transitioning to a dreamy R&B sequence which features a UK garage background, however I am not sure why it was even there, before we switch back to that dramatic energy that I already mentioned I liked. As for the bridge, the first half showcases some great vocals from the group, which we know they are capable of. But I am not keen on the second half of the bridge (which is also what Soñar (Breaker) ends on), which felt cringy to me. Overall, Soñar (Breaker) a mixed bag of a song, most of which I am not a fan of.

I am sure there is more to the video than what meets the eye. I am just not entirely sure what that more is. The music video starts off aesthetic, but it loses that appeal quite quickly. I am not a big fan of the styling. The blue and pink outfits looked really nice, but the grey and hoodies outfits just looked dull and boring. I am sure they were intended to be an edgy look. But in combination with the white background or the quarry-like background, it just looked tired and uneventful. As for the rest of the video, it focused primarily on choreography, which I will touch on in the next section.

The choreography itself looks good. I actually think NMIXX is inserting a bit of a cutesy side to the choreography, which somehow works. Normally, I would not be a fan. But I find it to be a unique aspect of this routine. But just like you would expect when you hear Soñar (Breaker), the intensity and edginess is still present in the routine and I appreciate that NMIXX doesn’t let go of that.

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

[Review] Crazy Form – ATEEZ

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ATEEZ is nominated for Best Male Group, Best Stage Presence, Best Male Dance Performance (for BOUNCY), Best Electronic Song (for BOUNCY), Best Concept (for their Outlaw concept for BOUNCY) and Best Special Performance (for San’s Warrior Performance) and Best Album (for THE WORLD EP.2: OUTLAW). Support ATEEZ in these categories and your other favourite acts by clicking here to vote today.

Ending this past week was ATEEZ with their latest comeback – Crazy Form and their second studio album, The World EP.Fin: Will. The group first unveiled their new song on the MAMA Awards stage earlier in the week before dropping the music video and album release on Friday. This comeback follows on from the group June 2023 comeback – BOUNCY (K-HOT CHILLI PEPPERS) and their 11th mini-album, THE WORLD EP.2: OUTLAW.

After a string of powerful, intense and what some describe as noisy dance tracks, Crazy Form takes a step back from all of that. Crazy Form still has that ATEEZ vibe to it, just without that chaos that the noise, powerful and intensity brought when combined together. While it is just the first release without all of that, I already miss all of that and wished that Crazy Form went all out like its predecessors. There are some good moments, namely in the verses of Crazy Form that does give the song potential. The delivery had a sense of playfulness and rhythm to it, which I quite liked. The rapping doesn’t let down even though the step back on the instrumental front. And JONGHO’s soaring vocals and YEOSANG and YUNHO’s deep in the final moments of the pre-chorus that launches us into the chorus heightens the song. Unfortunately, the chorus is what makes Crazy Form feel flat. The lack of a punchy and blastful background for the chorus actually frustrates me, as the incline in the pre-chorus towards Crazy Form‘s centrepiece alludes to a bombastic and energetic chorus. What we get also isn’t even an anti-drop. It is like the producers forgot to hit the gas for the chorus. I don’t care for the melodies and the hooks suffers from the lack of energy. The only other promising aspect was the ending, when Crazy Form gets chanty and shouty, which brings Crazy Form to a very satisfying end. But all of that is let down thanks to a weak chorus, that I am not feeling this time around.

From what I can see in this video (and taking into account what has happened previously in this THE WORLD trilogy), the group is in its final phase of its rebellion that it has been building since the events in the Guerrilla music video. They just need to install their devices (produced by YUNHO and WOOYOUNG) around the city to illuminate an image of their pirate ship in the sky. The other members aid by distracting and taking out a few hurdles along the way that could impede on their mission. And in the end, the group succeeds with the pirate ship illumination (which is a nod to their ‘Pirate King’ start) and takes over the city in the end. I am going to assume that the shots with the city in the background is a celebration of their success, with pairs with their celebration under the water sprinklers at the bar.

The choreography is good, but it isn’t a standout in comparison to their past works (such as BOUNCY (K-HOT CHILLI PEPPERS), which earned a nomination for Best Male Dance Performance (Group) in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards). The best part of the routine for me was the sequence at the end where the song turned shouty. The rush that the song exuded was captured well into the choreography.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10

[Review] To. X – TAEYEON (SNSD)

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Also making her comeback on Monday was TAEYEON, who returns for the first time since her February 2022 INVU comeback. TAEYEON’s solo comeback is with the single To. X and her 5th mini-album of the same name.

To. X takes us straight forwardly to R&B land. The guitar work was very nice and provides a mellow vibe. The beat gives the song a nice bounce that anchors down the song. We also hear some very subtle atmospheric synths in the background (which becomes more profound in the bridge). But other than that, while it does feel extremely pleasant to listen to, I wished that there was a bit more to the instrumentation for To. X. It feels lackluster and repetitive. We do get a weird autotuned voice in the background just before the choruses as an interesting tidbit, but it doesn’t really add much to To. X other than help fill in the space. TAEYEON’s vocals do add a lot of substance and oomph to the song, never faltering in To. X. To me, this aids the message that TAEYEON delivers in the lyrics of the song, which is about moving on from a toxic and controlling relationship. The crisp and clearness shows her determination behind the lyrics. Her vocals also help bring great melodies and rhythm to the track, overall. The only aspect of her vocals that I am not keen on is that her high note felt awkwardly processed and tinny. I wished it was blended better into the song to really feel cohesive. That is only a minor issue, if you look at To. X overall – straight forward yet still an effective listen, though To. X could have been more interesting.

This music video is is amazing and speaks directly towards the lyrics of To. X. We see TAEYEON inside the house for a lot of a video, as if she has been trapped inside by her partner. We don’t see anything forceful or physical to limit her movements, so it looks like that there is a lot of gaslighting and manipulation happening between her partner and TAEYEON. The shots of him in the background outside was very creepy, which represents his true nature. But she isn’t aware of this. The shots of her walking on the streets, finding the car upside down and a road leading to nowhere could have two representations. One is that it represents the fear he instilled into her (as she did look concern) and gaslighting I mentioned earlier. The other is that she realises that the world she is living in with him leads to nowhere (i.e., she is stuck or there is no future), but the flipped car and his ongoing presence shows us how far into her mind he has gotten. This leads to the events at the end, where he tries to remind her of how dangerous the world is via the upside imagery of the city (and it looks like she almost falls for it again with the fearful expression we see) and the happy memories they had. But TAEYEON has none of it and proceeds to burn down the house (and the memories of her now ex, based on his silhouette we see behind the house) that she once lived in with him. The dark lighting and imagery we also see throughout the video were all really aesthetic, but also provides further hints towards the fake world he built around her and his controlling nature that she didn’t come to realise at first.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 10/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10 [Updated on 3/12/2023 due to calculation error]

[Review] BATTER UP – BABYMONSTER

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This week started with the long awaited debut of BABYMONSTER, the latest female group to debut under YG Entertainment. They kicked off with the single BATTER UP, which was released on Monday this week. For those who are now aware of who BABYMONSTER are, they are a seven member group formed through the Last Evaluation survival show. The lineup of the group consists of Rami, Ahyeon, Chiquita, Asa, Rora, Pharita, and Ruka. But days before their debut, it was confirmed that member Ahyeon would be sitting out due to health reasons, reducing the group temporarily to a six-member lineup for their debut.

My first impression of BATTER UP was that it felt very quintessentially YG Entertainment. The song is firmly within the YG wheelhouse of hip-hop. But while the company has put out songs in that realm successfully, BATTER UP feels like a drag and lacks any form of excitement. This really dampens the whole ‘long awaited’ description to the debut, as it a major disappointment after what felt like years of the news of a new group under YG Entertainment. Even the rapping, which usually is an eventful aspect of YG’s songs, just didn’t add any new or excitable energy to BATTER UP, making it feel even more lethargic and bland. Though, the skill is there. The chorus was so generic and lacked any form personality or soul that turns me away from the song (and if this is the what to expect moving forward, the group as well, though I am holding onto hope they will put out something better in the future). There are two good aspects to BATTER UP, in my opinion. However, both are not in any form a saving grace for the track The first are the vocals. There is definitely potential for the group in this department from what they showed us in this song. I just wished BATTER UP had more worthwhile material to really highlight that potential. The second is the anthem end to the song, the literal first sign of any form of energy in BATTER UP. Yes, such an ending is very YG and has been done so many times before by … you guessed it … YG groups. But in such a bland track, I will take it. Overall, unoriginal and terribly boring. Not exactly the words you would want to hear for a debut track.

If there is anything YG certainly does well, that is the music video for their artists’ comebacks. And BABYMONSTER, fortunately, benefits from this. Visually, the members all looked very pretty or fierce, depending on what part of the song you are listening to. And they all look very good throughout the video. The music video sets looked very clean, the quality was very crisp. The best part of the video is the orange and black spikes in the background during the second verse of the song. That effect looked very cool and was the most memorable aspect of the music video for me. There was opportunity to make the music video cooler, with even more visual effects and stuff. But it was a well rounded music video, in my opinion.

In an interesting move from the company, BABYMONSTER will not be promoting BATTER UP on any music shows. While music shows are a bit scarce at this time, the lack of promotions is an odd path to take, especially for a debuting group. From what I can see in the music video, I find the chorus to be a bit awkward. The “looking at the ball” in a distance felt cringy with such an empty and lackluster chorus. The ending, when the energy in the song picks up, is the only decent part of the choreography. Logically, that was the only part of the choreography that I enjoyed.

Song – 5/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Performance – 6/10
Overall Rating – 6/10

[Review] HOMEBOY – xikers

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xikers is nominated for Best New Male Group and their single ROCKSTAR is nominated for Best Rock Song in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support xikers and ROCKSTAR by clicking here to vote for them and your other favourite artists, songs and performances today.

xikers returned back in August of this year with their first comeback and second mini-album, House of Tricky: How To Play. Leading the charge of this mini album was one of two title tracks from the mini-album, DO or DIE. A little more than a week on from the release of both the mini-album and DO or DIE, xikers also released the music video for their second title track, HOMEBOY, which is the focus of today’s song review.

HOMEBOY steps away from the likes of rock that has featured heavily in their title tracks thus far, going with a more lighter dance track instead. HOMEBOY also features a mildly slower change of pace, which was refreshing for the group, especially since their tracks that I can remember from them have been of a high energy manner. This allows the group to explore a sound that is more sentimental, which tends to lend well towards a showcase of vocals. While I don’t think we necessarily get that showcase in HOMEBOY, it does give us better opportunity to focus on and appreciate xikers’ vocals. That whole bridge, including the high note, was probably the closest we got to a “showcase” of vocals. It was nice and all, but I would have liked some really more profound moments. The rappers did a nice job of holding themselves back to not overwhelm and contrast too differently from the lightness of the track. Their parts definitely gave bite to HOMEBOY and also made the song interesting to listen to. That being said, the only part in which I felt could have used a do-over is Yechan’s rapping in the first verse, as I felt the autotune was a bit too thick there. His part in the second verse, along with Minjae and Sumin’s, was a lot clearer and easier on the ears. In addition to that, I would have liked stronger hooks and melodies to really remember HOMEBOY by, along with some vibrancy to the instrumentation, which would have helped make HOMEBOY feel more refreshing, offset the heftier beats and break up the instrumental a bit to make it not feel as overly consistent as HOMEBOY does at the moment. Overall, a neat change to what I am used to from xikers.

We see the members hangout and have fun in each other’s company in this music video. This works well with the song’s message of living life without any worries. There isn’t much else to the video, aside from some cool visual effects like the changing daytime/nighttime skies and the massive paper plane. I also really like the bridge scene, with all the members looking forward (see the featured imaged for this post). This part for some reason felt very stilling and profound for me, and their gazes really brought out that sentimental feeling of the tender kind.

On stage, xikers’ performance looks very fun and endearing. Despite the slower pace, I like how upbeat and cheerful the performance looked. The start was very interesting, and I liked how well timed the members running in the circle was. The airplane-like move was a nice addition and made sense as the lyrics do mention flying, although it became less airplane-like as the performance went on and become wavey-like instead.

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

[Review] LUCKY ROCKY – ROCKY

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Former ASTRO member ROCKY has been very quiet since he left the group in February of this year following the expiration of his contract with Fantagio and his decision not to resign with the company. However, ROCKY is finally back with his solo debut single LUCKY ROCKY, which is featured on his first solo mini-album ROCKYST. In preparation for his solo debut, he had set up his own company, One Fine Day Entertainment.

LUCKY ROCKY is already quite a short song, spanning just less than 2:30 minutes. I find it quite interesting that an extensive amount of the song is dedicated towards instrumentation, leaving only a limited amount of time for ROCKY to work his magic as a singer and rapper. To me, in terms of a first impression, LUCKY ROCKY had me confused as to whether I was listening to a title track or introductory number. I wished there was time for vocals and rapping in the song, so it doesn’t feel limited and gives the soloist an opportunity to show more of his skills that we all know he has. But despite feeling limited, LUCKY ROCKY does not feel cramped. In fact, ROCKY somehow manages to squeeze in quite a fair bit into LUCKY ROCKY. In terms of his delivery, we do get some nice vocals, a decent amount of rapping and a brief high note that alludes to his skillset. In terms of the instrumentation, I found LUCKY ROCKY to be quite dynamic. I really liked the funky direction the brass elements gave the song, providing an ultimate groovy flair. But in addition to that, LUCKY ROCKY also had some time incorporate a three different styles into the instrumental break – a jazzy moment, edgy rock and some tap-dancing sounds. The hooks do feel somewhat underbaked, but I think more listens to LUCKY ROCKY can help change my impression of the hooks. Overall, an all-rounded song to begin ROCKY’s official solo career. I just wished there was more to the song in terms of length.

The music video begins with ROCKY looking down on an art gallery that is very plain and bare. This is further emphasised by the grayscale filter. It isn’t until the song kicks in almost half a minute into the video and ROCKY is dancing does colour come into play in the video and the art appears, which is a nice progression in terms of the video. From there, ROCKY sings and dance in the rest of the video both in and outside the art gallery. I did like the floating umbrella, which was a nice illusion. My only wish with the video was that the dance break did not have as bad lighting as it did. I think there was an opportunity to give some flair to the video during that part through some dynamic lighting.

Watching his performance today, you can definitely tell that ROCKY is in his natural habitat whilst on stage. ROCKY and the routine were captivating to watch, with the highlights for me being the twists incorporated into the routine, the cool tap-dancing and oomph he channeled during the rock part of his dance break. His charisma was shown off well and he looked like he had a ball on stage.

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

[Review] OOTD – Dreamcatcher

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Dreamcatcher’s BONVOYAGE is nominated for Best Rock Song of 2023 in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support BONVOYAGE and your other favourite artists, songs and performance, click here to vote today.

Dreamcatcher is officially back this week as well with their 9th mini-album VillainS and their latest single OOTD. This new releases follows their Apocalypse: From Us and BONVOYAGE comeback from earlier in the year.

To me, OOTD is probably Dreamcatcher’s weakest title track, to date. For the most part, OOTD‘s handles itself well. Once again, Dreamcatcher continues their signature rock sound that is synonymous with the group. OOTD differs by opting for a more electronica profile, which does have its merits. I really like how thick and grungy the rock sounds, which is a completely different vibe to the songs that Dreamcatcher have put out previously. The pre-choruses was probably the best part of the song, with the vocals bringing out a sleek and flirty vibe that I dig. The rest of the vocals and rapping in OOTD were pretty good, but there were some moments that I felt the members were too neutral, such as the rap-speak and slighter vocals that makes up the chorus. But the neutral vocals is only one of the reasons as to why I felt the chorus was a let down and left me unsure about the song. After all, the central part of the song is probably the most important part for the song to nail. It features an the anti-drop in the first half and a feeble attempt to rebuild itself after said anti-drop in the second half. I just felt the second half plays it too safe and keeps the energy to a minimum. This didn’t do the rest of OOTD justice and it held back the potential the song had to be a smashing number. The producers should have really amped up the second half of the chorus, to give it some punch and justify the anti-drop. Overall, while OOTD does continue Dreamcatcher’s sound, it is missing the spark that makes it scream “Dreamcatcher” to me.

Most of the music videos that we have seen from Dreamcatcher in the past have contained some kind of fantastical theme or element to them. This one doesn’t. Instead, Dreamcatcher are depicted as models in this video, showing off their OOTD. The members’ visual game in this video is definitely strong and their outfits and styling are stunning. In fact, their outfits where their don their hats is by far their most striking look in this entire video, especially when its comes to Siyeon’s hair. The virtual concept they had going on also looks quite cool, though I am not entirely sure what is going on. All I can say is that ending with the POV person drops down with the members just standing there and the computer screen later on just buffers was fairly creepy to watch.

The choreography for this comeback was both sharp and striking, and I really liked that. I particularly like their creative formations and how they moved about on stage. The routine itself also works well with the lyrics, giving the members to show off their looks and outfits.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.1/10

[Review] Amnesia – VIXX

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It has been a definite while since I last exclaimed this but – VIXX IS BACK! If you have been an avid reader of this blog, you probably know that I am a major VIXX fans, with their concepts being one of the best (if not, the best) in the industry. This time around, VIXX returns as a trio (LEO, KEN and HYUK) with their fifth mini-album, Continuum and the lead single Amnesia. Due to pre-existing schedules, N is sitting out of the comeback, while Hongbin and Ravi both withdrew from VIXX after separate controversaries. VIXX’s last comebacks reviewed on this blog includes Scentist (for Korea) and Reincarnation (for Japan).

Amnesia is a pretty solid song. Right from the get-go in the first verse, I could sense the familiarity from the vocals. I liked that they didn’t try to reinvent themselves to fit this new era, keeping everything pretty much on par as when VIXX was previously active. The instrumental in the verses of Amnesia has this haunting-like vibe to them, which gives off some suspense to help build up the atmosphere and song. The vocals throughout Amnesia were firm and gives the song a very serious tone, which suits the group well. Amnesia‘s choruses has some nice hooks and melodies, which keeps the central piece of the song in my mind. I also really liked the added guitar in the choruses, which helps amps up Amnesia and gives off a more intensified energy that the verses were building up towards. But while Amnesia is good as it is, I did think the song was missing at least two elements. The first is that Amnesia lacks boldness. I needed some definition in this song of some kind to help heighten the song to a new level. The second element comes to mind after comparing Amnesia to past VIXX tracks – the lack of rapping in the song. This does make sense to a degree, as any member who took on that role would be very big shoes to fill following RAVI’s usual roughness and unique rapping style which has definitely formed part of VIXX’s sound. But had the song had a rap sequence of some kind, such as some rapping on top of a rock-influenced instrumental piece to help back up the chorus, this could have also helped resolve the issue of that much needed boldness and possibly taken Amnesia further. As it is, Amnesia is, without a doubt, an appreciated comeback from one of my favourite KPOP groups of all time. But it does lack some of the familiarity that I have associated with VIXX since their debut.

Now, if there is one thing to know about VIXX, it is that they have amazingly dark concepts. And this music video is no exception, with the video featuring a concept about about past memories and how they could be haunting. But Amnesia‘s lyrics convey the meaning of pulling each other in close even within distorted memories (taken from Soompi). So in addition to the past memories, we see what the lyrics convey in two forms in this music video. Firstly, we see the members comes to terms with their own past memories, which looks to be about love or themselves. But secondly, we also them coming together and reuniting as part of the music video towards the end, which I thought was a nice yet different take on the lyrics. I also like the music video’s way of showing their memories were escaping them, with that fume/smoky-like effect coming out of them. And when the video ends and they have remembered those memories, those fume/smoky-like effects are pulled back in.

Another thing that I do remember VIXX by are their performances. While we do not see much in this music video, what we do see looks good. I am hoping stage performances are on the cards for this comeback, so we can see what else the choreography for Amnesia have to offer.

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

[Review] WATCH IT – THE BOYZ

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THE BOYZ has been nominated for Best Male Group, Best Male Dance Performance (Group) for ROAR and Best Music Video (for ROAR) in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. If you want to support THE BOYZ and your other favourite artists, songs and performance, click here to vote today.

THE BOYZ kicked off this week with the second part of their PHANTASY studio album, with this instalment titled Sixth Sense. It features the title track WATCH IT and follows on from the Christmas in August instalment, which was lead by the single LIP GLOSS. While the comeback does feature all members of THE BOYZ, member Ju Hakyeon will be sitting out of promotions due to a back injury.

Now, this is one cool and sleek song. When I first checked out WATCH IT on Monday upon its release, there were two parts of the song that really stood out to me – the melody in the vocal parts of the pre-choruses and Sunwoo’s “Hi hello, My name is what you want it to” line in the second verse. I was instantly reaching for the replay button to relive those two segments. Further listens has helped me identify the bridge to be another highlight of WATCH IT, especially with Jacob’s high note that just blows me away. All of this sets the bar up quite high, and the rest of WATCH IT follows through quite well. I really like the subtle funkiness in the instrumentation, but also the rough synths and bass that is present in the background. This all puts WATCH IT into the realm of dance music, but the producers did a really great job of making it alluring and mature-sounding. The low-groan deliver of the chorus is very interesting, but works with the subtle funkiness and low bass that is going on in the background. All of the rapping brings the sleekness that I mentioned earlier, forming a very prominent feature in WATCH IT that needs to be touched on somehow. I like how the vocal segments help spreads everything apart. And as mentioned above, the vocals serves us with some of the best parts of WATCH IT. All in all, I am very impressed with the likes of WATCH IT.

I feel like the music video is probably the weakest link of this comeback. And it comes down to a pretty small detail, if I am being honest (relying on what I got out of the video that is). What we saw in terms of visuals, choreography scenes and styling was pretty much top-notch and amazing. The members looked very fine throughout the video and the choreography shots all looked very polished. But it is the plot line that I think is in the music video somewhat that left me a bit confused. We went from a shady jewelry store front to a truck explosion, and I am not entirely sure what this is all about. The cat and something in Juyeon’s blood vessels also leaves me scratching my head. And I feel like the music video was lacking a fair bit in between to really tell that story. Or, I could be missing a prequel video and that might fill in all of the gaps, or I am overthinking what could just be what is supposed to be a “cool” set of scenes. Happy for you to point me in the right direction or to comment on any theories that I should know about.

The flow of this choreography, especially with moves across the stage (such as the slow glide during Sunwoo’s “Hi Hello” line in the second verse), brings that sleekness featured in the song to the choreography. And like all THE BOYZ performances, I am in awe with their showmanship and skills that they show off in the performance on stage. I would have liked to have seen a more defining move during the chorus, but this routine is already pretty fantastic as it is.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.8/10

[Review] Break the Brake – Xdinary Heroes

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Xdinary Heroes is nominated for a range of awards this year in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards, such as for Best Band Performance (for Break the Brake), Best Ballad (for Good Enough), Best Rock Song (for Break the Brake) and Rising Star of 2023. If you want to support Xdinary Heroes and your other favourite artists, songs and performance, click here to vote today.

I kick the week off with a review for another song that I should have reviewed when it was first released. Xdinary Heroes dropped their fourth mini-album Livelock and the lead single Break The Brake over a month ago. This latest release follows on from Xdinary Heroes’ April 2023 comeback with the mini-album Deadlock and the lead single Freakin’ Bad.

There is a reason to why I nominated Break the Brake for Best Rock Song of 2023 in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. I just love how relentless the song gets when the rock really peaks in the chorus, which pretty much satisfies the rock craving in me. Break the Brake without doubt has a lot of head-banging potential behind it. The guitar work and drumming just feels so electrifying and energetic. The guitar shredding we get towards the end of Break the Brake was definitely very intense and cool, but I agree with the majority that the guitar solo was too brief. The synth work we get when the rock elements are stripped away adds an additional layer of cool energy and flair that makes Break the Brake unique. The groans in the background of the chorus also introduces a screamo-like vibe to the song, adding to the energy and intensity of the song. I do remember thinking the hooks were a little under baked when I first heard the song. But over a month on from its release, I find the hooks of Break the Brake (i.e., the “I’m gonna break the brake” and the “I want some more/gimme some more yeah” lines) to be super catchy. The rough vocals adds to the rock aesthetics and gives the song further texture. Break the Brake is an even more awesome song and highlights Xdinary Heroes trajectory as artists (which is also the reason why they are nominated for Rising Star of 2023).

The music video for Break the Brake sees another Groundhog Day situation, with the members again being prisoners (just this time they are being transported by train) and waking up again and again when the train goes straight into a massive dust cloud. Using the prisoner revolt as cover, the members show their determination in trying to survive the dust cloud and rescuing their instruments by ensuring the train doesn’t slow down as it approach the dust cloud (which kills them) and that they travel full speed out of the dust cloud to survive (and go to where the grass is very much greener). It is a pretty cool concept, but I must admit the CGI police car that speeds to catch up with the train was pretty bad. I also like how the video feels action-packed, which correlates well with the song.

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

[Review] Sweet Venom – ENHYPEN

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ENHYPEN’s Criminal Love performance at M COUNTDOWN is nominated for Best Special Performance of 2023 in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. If you want to support ENHYPEN and your other favourite artists, songs and performance, click here to vote today.

ENHYPEN finishes off the week with their latest single Sweet Venom, and their fifth mini-album, ORANGE BLOOD. This is serves as the group’s first comeback since their DARK BLOOD mini-album, which was led by the single BITE ME. Sweet Venom also follows their second world tour and Japanese debut.

ENHYPEN taps very deeply into the retro genre with a sleek and groovy number. Sweet Venom is definitely likeable, with its catchy hooks and charismatic vocals from the members of ENHYPEN on top of the retro influences. The falesttos are definitely a nice touch and gives some variety (something the song was missing to a large degree – more on that in a second). The bass also makes the beats feel hefty, which naturally gives Sweet Venom some much needed oomph. And nothing screams retro as much as cowbells, which we definitely got in the bridge of the song. But while all of that was greatly appreciated, my initial impression of Sweet Venom was that it was a bit too consistent, and unfortunately never went anywhere. And it does bring me pain to say that, especially since the energy of Sweet Venom is just so strong and enjoyable. The song just never deviated in anyway, and so it sounded the same all throughout. I just wished there was more to Sweet Venom to offset that and give the song some more variety.

I find the music video for Sweet Venom to be quite an interesting concept. The song itself describes the desire to stop living in order to be with their lover, by relating their love to ‘sweet venom’. In the music video, we see the world stop around ENHYPEN. At first, it is whilst the group is just hanging around with the people in the background, so we don’t think much about it. But the later choreography shots show time stopped as lightning is about to strike. The video goes to the idea that time stops just as someone is about to die, as it is supposedly the final moment they could ever remember if they were about to die. In this case, ENHYPEN is about to die from the lightning strikes (as they mention in the song) and the time stoppage around them is what they would remember as their final moment. The choreography shots bring a bit of irony into play, which I like. In addition to the interesting concept, I really like the MJ homage the outfits have, which works well with the retro side of the song.

Choreography-wise, I am also quite impressed. They definitely went down the retro route with their performance, as well, which just encapsulates everything the song stands for. I really like their synchronisation and the smoothness of the choreography at certain parts. The side to side movement of their heads, in tandem with the catchy parts of Sweet Venom, will probably go down as the defining move of the routine.

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